Chapter 47: RTA

Translator: Soafp

---

The day of the test arrived. It goes without saying that the boys’ faces were filled with despair.

Day one: Japanese and Health & Physical Education. Day two: Chemistry and Social Studies. And finally, day three, the last day: English and Mathematics.

The first two days went smoothly. I didn’t pay much attention to the gradual weariness on the boys’ faces. The “Masou Shoujo” group seemed calm and composed without showing any signs of concern.

And now, the fateful day has come. As I’m taking the test, I’m already planning what to do after it ends. First, I’ll stick close to Kikawa Moegi… follow her, but there’s one lingering concern. It’s possible that Gindou Kohaku and Hihara Karen might also tag along. Honestly, I don’t want the two of them to get involved here. It’s not the place for sparks to fly between them. I absolutely must make sure they don’t get involved today.

Alright, the test is over. In more ways than one… I couldn’t concentrate on the first and second days, and today was no exception.

To be honest, I haven’t been able to concentrate for the past few days. The bad ending is drawing near. Just thinking about it makes it hard for me to stay calm.

Everything has been peaceful so far, but the problem lies in today. A series of unfortunate coincidences sets the stage for the worst story to unfold.

I quickly put my pen down, deciding to rush over to the fourth person’s location.

---

Alright, homeroom is over. I hurry to Kikawa Moegi’s place, ignoring the students in the classroom who are crying with joy. Today, I head to the second-year classroom without worrying about Gindou Kohaku.

I dash to the second-year classroom. As I open the door…

Everyone in Class 2-A and the teacher looks at me in surprise.

The teacher stands at the podium, seemingly delivering some sort of announcement, but they freeze when they see me. The students, including her, wear perplexed expressions.

W-Wait, the second-year class hasn’t finished homeroom yet…

“Excuse me.”

I gently close the door. After waiting for a few minutes, Gindou Kohaku follows me and waves her hand, approaching me.

“Mou, Izayoi-kun, if you’re going, please let me know.”

“I’m sorry.”

She puffs up her cheeks ever so slightly. She looks cute, like a squirrel. I want to pet her…

But now is not the time for such thoughts. I need to concentrate more because today is crucial for Kikawa Moegi.

I’m sorry, Gindou Kohaku, but I need you to go back home today. Ugh, it hurts my conscience…

“Gindou-san.”

“What is it?”

“Please go back today.”

“…Eh?”

She looks like she doesn’t understand what I just said. Her face darkens with a look of despair.

N-No, this is bad. I don’t want to see that kind of expression!!

“Just today, only today! It’s not that I dislike you or anything like that, but I just can’t be with you today!”

“Just… today…”

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“…Make it up? What do you mean?”

“Well… I haven’t thought about it deeply, but for now, I’ll do anything you say.”

“…Anything? Anything… anything… Eh?! Anything?!”

“Yes!”

“Uhm, well then… Fufufu… No, that’s still not okay, right?”

She goes from a hopeful face to a suspicious expression, and then returns to a more normal expression. It’s almost like she has a hundred faces. It’s intriguing, and I’d like to delve deeper into it, but for now, I’ll leave it be.

“Uhm, I’m just saying that it’s only for today…”

“Yes, I understand…”

She seems a little disappointed, but it appears that my determination has reached her as she nods.

“…Making it up… sounds intriguing.”

Afterward, she smirks.

“Well then, today… just for today, excuse me.”

“Yes, well then… see you later…”

She wears a blissful smile and turns on her heel, walking away. I said it’s only for today…..but I’ll be going to another town for a while… I’ll think about it later.

After exchanging a few words with her, the door to the second-year classroom swings open.

The teacher comes out first, followed by Hihara Karen and Kikawa Moegi .

“What’s wrong? You had a really intense expression.”

“I have something important to discuss with Kikawa-senpai.”

“Eh? Me? Is it about a question you didn’t understand?”

She might be misunderstanding it as a question from the test, but that doesn’t matter right now. The only thing that matters is the Bad End.

“But before that, Hihara-senpai, may I speak with you for a moment?”

“Eh? Me?”

“Yes, Kikawa-senpai, please stay right there and wait without moving.”

“Uh, okay! Wait, without moving at all!?”

“Yes, please don’t move without my permission. Even if you really need to go to the bathroom, please wait until I come back.”

“Why are you saying such things!?”

“Now then, Hihara-senpai, let’s go somewhere for a moment. Please don’t move, no matter what!”

I take Hihara Karen away from the classroom to a slightly distant place. We faced each other there.

“W-What’s wrong? W-Why did it suddenly become just the two of us?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. Today, please go straight home without involving me.”

“Eh? Eh? Eh? W-Why would you say such a thing? I d-don’t understand! Did I say something that made you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not that I dislike you. On the contrary, I have nothing but favorable feelings toward you.”

“I see, then that’s good…”

She shows a slightly relieved expression. When I asked her to go home, she looked confused and panicked. I feel sorry for her, but I just can’t do it today…

“Just for today, only for today. I know it’s rude to suddenly ask you not to be involved when we’re always together. That’s why I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ll do anything you say, so please go straight home today…”

“A-Anything? Really?”

“Yes, really, anything.”

“I see. Anything, huh… Well, if that’s the case, then it’s fine… But geez, you surprised me, Izayoi. Suddenly telling me not to get involved.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just in a hurry. ………”

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, it’s something important…”

“Mmm, Izayoi, you’re always keeping so many secrets. You won’t even show me your room…”

When she stayed over at my house recently, she asked to see my room, but I absolutely refused to let her in. There are three reasons for that. One, there are erotic books. Two, there are erotic books. Three, there are erotic books.

I’ve accumulated quite a collection of erotic books from Sasamoto. I’ve hidden them, but the quantity has been increasing, so there’s a high chance it’ll be discovered. It’s best to keep them hidden to avoid any awkward situations.

“Ahaha, I’m sorry. Well, being mysterious is cooler, you know…”

It’s probably close to a zero-point effort in terms of cover-up, but there’s no other choice. I wonder if there’s a better way to deceive her…

“I understand that you don’t feel like talking about it. Knowing you, there must be a good reason, but don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

She spoke with a hint of pessimism. There must still be concerns lingering in her mind. I feel sorry for causing her worries, but I have something I must do.

I parted ways with her there.

---

I am currently walking with Kikawa Moegi. We’re walking together, being cautious of our surroundings in all directions. I told her that I would accompany her on the way home.

“Um, could you please stop that? It’s embarrassing…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

After this, two misfortunes befall her. The first one is encountering her ex-boyfriend. He coincidentally runs into her while he’s walking with his current girlfriend. They both start mocking her, making fun of her and imitating confessions, laughing loudly.

She won’t die if I leave it alone. But it’s impossible for me to just let it slide. I must make that scumbag who dumped Kikawa Moegi apologize… Kukukuku…

We continued walking for a while. Children point their fingers at us, but it’s been a while since I’ve felt this way.

“Hey, it’s really embarrassing…”

“You have to endure it.”

“Even if you say that…”

She squirms in embarrassment, urging me to stop. However, I won’t stop.

We continue walking side by side.

Then, we see a couple walking ahead of us. They’re linked arms and have piercings in their ears. It’s him. They’re about 50 meters away from us.

Assuming that the couple is a scumbag, the guy is an even bigger scumbag. He cheats on multiple people and keeps it hidden.

The boyfriend notices Kikawa Moegi. On the contrary, she also noticed the man. They came closer to us.

And then, the scumbag guy speaks.

—She used to be close to that scumbag guy.

Suddenly, upon spotting both of them, I dashed up to him and crossed his arms!

“W-what? What do you want?”

“Hey, who’s this average-looking guy?”

The scumbag couple starts feeling uneasy about my sudden actions.

“…Kimono Shop Mika-chan…”

“What are you talking about?”

I spoke in a voice that only the boyfriend could hear. However, it seems that the scumbag boyfriend still doesn’t understand.

“…Vending Machine Mimi-chan…”

“Huh? No way… You…”

“…Carnival Sailor-chan…”

“Hey, hey, why are you saying that…?”

“Well, why, I wonder? By the way, the girl next to you is Vending Machine Mimi-chan, right?”

These are the nicknames and real names that only this scumbag, who cheats on various women, knows. He was feeling a sense of fear. It’s natural to feel scared when a man suddenly approaches and mentions things that only he knows. By the way, the girl next to him is Vending Machine Mimi-chan.

“If I were to tell Vending Machine Mimi-chan about this, what do you think?”

“O-oi…”

“If you don’t like that idea… then let’s have you apologize to Kikawa Moegi. You know who’s in front, right?”

“I g-got it. I’ll do it. So…”

“Yeah, I know. Bend your waist at a ninety-degree angle, apologize, and swear to never get involved again… We’ll keep what happened with Kimono Shop’s Mika-chan under the bridge.”

“W-What the hell… Who are you?”

“Let’s just say I’m someone who knows the ‘world.’ But rather than that, apologize quickly.”

With that, the scumbag boyfriend approached Kikawa Moegi and bowed at a ninety-degree angle, apologizing. He then left with her. Kikawa Moegi was left bewildered, not understanding what had just happened.

It’s understandable. Suddenly, one of the men who traumatized her in the past apologized out of the blue.

Kukuku, this is what they call a satisfying turn of events. Normally, he would say all sorts of insults, but I didn’t even let him speak and swiftly forced him out. Truly the best outcome.

That was fast. From meeting the boyfriend to making him apologize and leave…

“1 minute and 27 seconds.”

“What did you do?”

“I really didn’t do anything.”

“I’m sure you did something. He’s someone who… Well, never mind that. You had your arms around him and whispered something in his ear, right? After that, his behavior became strange…”

“Hahaha, it seems like you’re trying to read something into it, but you’re completely off. I mistook him for an acquaintance, but it turns out he was a completely different person. It surprised both of us, so I guess that’s why.”

“Well, even if you say that…”

“But I truly didn’t do anything. I just made a mistake. That’s all.”

“I-Is that so? Well, whatever.”

It seemed like she decided not to dwell on it anymore. We continued walking together. Then she started speaking, as if she had made up her mind.

“I hate men.”

“That’s understandable…”

“You knew that, right?”

“Yes, well…”

“There were various reasons, but that guy was one of the reasons why I came to hate men. I believed that, but he was saying all sorts of things behind my back…”

“I see…”

“I don’t know the details, but I know he’s not the kind of person who would apologize voluntarily. It seems like you did something.”

“…..”

“If you don’t want to say it, that’s fine. But thank you. It feels refreshing. I was surprised that he would bow at a ninety-degree angle and apologize like that.”

“I see. I’m glad you feel refreshed.”

“Yeah, by the way… Since we’re having a conversation, could you please look me in the eye? It’s been awkward and embarrassing for me with you constantly looking around in all directions…”

I had been constantly on guard, looking around in all directions, just as I always did. I had been listening attentively to her, but if it was the right thing to do, I should have looked her in the eye. However, now I need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Next is her father, right? His name was Asagi Oga, if I remember correctly.

Most of the scumbags that appear in this kind of bad ending are deranged lunatics. That’s why I can provoke them, make them act and then knock them out…

Sometimes I worry if this method is okay. Isn’t there a better way? A smarter approach?

When I start thinking about unnecessary things, my judgment becomes dull, so I’ve never done it before. But occasionally, I can’t help but think. However, I have no choice but to keep charging forward.

There are anxieties.

But I have received approval to keep charging forward.

I believe. So, I will continue.

---

After successfully repelling the scumbag ex-boyfriend, I continued walking while being vigilant in all directions. Kikawa Moegi walked with an embarrassed expression. Despite her repeated requests, I haven’t stopped doing it, so it seemed like she had given up.

“…”

“Ugh, I feel like everyone is staring at us…”

The gazes from the surroundings were intense. She shrunk her body in shame, her cheeks turning red. We passed through the shopping district and entered a residential area.

I had a vague but unpleasant premonition… And as I sensed it, a man appeared from around the corner. I instinctively stood in front of Kikawa Moegi.

I couldn’t see Kikawa Moegi behind me, but I could tell that she held her breath. The man briefly glanced at us and then stopped.

“No way…”

“Moegi!?”

This must be Asagi Oga. He was over two meters tall. He gave off a gentlemanly vibe, but it was completely different. At first, he would say things like, “I was bad in the past,” or “Let’s start over,” but it was all nonsense.

“Uhm, we want to go home, so excuse us. Senpai, let’s go.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Wait! I was bad in the past! Not just to Moegi, but to Kōna too!”

“Come on, let’s go quickly.”

I took her hand and moved away from that spot. I distanced myself from Kikawa Moegi and approached Asagi Oga.

“…”

“! Y-You!!”

We had about two minutes of conversation time. I told him that he is lame about quitting his job and how he would end up looking pathetic by abusing others. I seemed to have earned his hatred and attention. Although I had considered various things, I had recently been studying how to provoke others. As a result, I felt like I had acquired the “essence of provocation” by raising the corners of my mouth and paying attention to the tone of my voice… or so I believed…

Turning my back to Asagi Oga, I took Kikawa Moegi’s hand again and left that place.

Asagi Oga remained in that spot, albeit only briefly.

“I finally found you… And remember this too…”

I heard something from behind. It wasn’t a misunderstanding or anything like that. He would likely chase after us.

Now, if he’s nearby, I’ll shout loudly like an idiot. I’ve already earned his hatred! After sending Kikawa Moegi home, if he’s nearby…

I took her hand on the spur of the moment to quickly distance ourselves from that location. Her hand was trembling. Since she seemed to be in a state of shock back then, she didn’t have the option to move.

The fear hadn’t disappeared. It wasn’t easy to overcome it. It would be difficult for an ordinary girl.

She had been silent all this time.

---

Her home was a normal two-story apartment. Normally, at this point, she would invite Asagi Oga into her house, leading to a bad ending. So far, things were going smoothly. I decided to have her wait at home.

“Well then, excuse me for today. Senpai, please stay at home for now, no matter what happens. I have a bad feeling…”

“….Okay.”

“Also, please take this amulet. It’s rumored to repel all kinds of misfortune. With this amulet, you’ll be protected.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“There are a hundred of them. By simple calculation, their effectiveness is multiplied by a hundred.”

“That’s a lot… Thank you.”

I handed her a hundred amulets, which I had planned to give her someday since she was afraid of ghosts and such, but I hadn’t found the right timing until now.

“Well then, see you.”

“See you…”

Now, I should quickly take care of things, considering that she may have various anxieties…

---

“So, you were suddenly attacked while walking on the street?”

“Yes, out of nowhere, with a knife. It scared me.”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but don’t you get involved in too many incidents?”

Now I’m being interrogated by the police. This person is quite familiar. The first time, the second time, and now the third time. Meeting this person so many times… it feels like some kind of fate.

After that incident, I quickly knocked him down when he came at me with a knife and called the police. It was scary, but I had gotten used to it, and I felt a sense of relief compared to before…

Rather than fear, I feel my thoughts are leaning towards how quickly I can resolve things…

“It seems like you carry a lot of things… Well, it’s not a bad thing to carry self-defense items, but… don’t overdo it.”

“I’ve always had a tendency to attract trouble, so I can’t feel calm without being prepared.”

“Are you some kind of grim reaper or something? I’m not sure if I should say this, but within the police, you’re becoming known as the ‘Grim Reaper of Mina No Iro’ because you get involved in so many cases.”

“Is that so…”

“Well, maybe it’s unfair to blame you since all the people you’ve been involved with are crazy. The first guy was an unemployed stalker, an insane person who couldn’t be properly interrogated. The second one is a person who keeps harboring grudges forever and can’t be properly interrogated. The third one has a criminal record for attempted murder. Quite a parade, I must say.”

“I see…”

“The third guy is saying you said a lot of things…”

“I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

“I see… Well, you’re the victim… There’s no evidence… So, it’s self-defense, right? Just asking, but it’s not like you provoked it, right?”

“No way, I didn’t do anything. He suddenly attacked me.”

I may have done something that could be considered getting involved, but as long as I’m not caught, there won’t be any problems. In reality, it was him who initiated the violence. There is no evidence of provocation. And he was the one who committed child abuse. Although there’s still some doubt, it’s more likely to believe me.

“Well then, you can go home now. Try not to get involved too much. I know telling you that might not make a difference…”

“Okay, thank you.”

The interrogation is over. This means I have successfully avoided the bad ending. That shitty father will be thrown in jail!!! That’s a relief… or not. There are still things I need to take care of.

Now, I have to move quickly… But when I step outside the police station, a car stops in front of me…

And then…

---

[Moegi PoV]

Beep beep beep! The sound of my alarm clock resonates. I grope around and find the clock to silence the alarm. I get up from bed and head to the kitchen.

I thought I wouldn’t sleep well last night, but it wasn’t so bad. I encountered a scumbag and an even bigger scumbag after a long time. When I faced the bigger scumbag, I momentarily froze in fear and couldn’t do anything. He is my ex-father and the root of all evil. I thought I would never see him again, but I ended up meeting him. He uttered words that seemed like remorse, but that man would never truly repent. I know that.

Memories from the past resurfaced, and my body trembled. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. But at that moment, he extended his hand to me.

When I encountered the bigger scumbag, he stood in front of me right away…

It seems like he did various things for me even during the scumbag incident…

And he gave me a hundred amulets. One would have been enough, but he gave me a hundred. He must have been really worried about me. Yesterday, I was concerned if I could sleep due to the trauma resurfacing, but thanks to the hundred amulets, I was able to sleep soundly.

I scattered the amulets all over my bed and slept on top of them. It seemed to alleviate my fear.

He is truly kind, strong, and wonderful.

Perhaps the bigger scumbag will come to me again. But I’ll be fine now. I have a hundred amulets with me.

I don’t feel like I’m going to lose. Come at me anytime.

—I’ll break your bones…

As I think about such things and turn on the TV…

[Asagi Oga, a suspect, was arrested for attempted murder on a high school student. Prior criminal record!]

The bigger scumbag has already been arrested. A high school student… Could it be that he did it for me?

It’s probably the case. But there’s something that bothers me.

Who is he exactly? He knows things that I couldn’t possibly know. His actions are too clever…

I’m curious about him. I should call him. After a few rings, he answers the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello, good morning. Did something happen?”

“Um, on the morning news, they said that the tall man I met yesterday was caught…”

“Oh, is that so? These things happen, I guess.”

“You did something, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t do anything.”

“Liar… I’ll ask you in detail after school today…”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why?”

Why? We’ve always been together after school recently… I shout loudly, not understanding the meaning behind his next words.

“I’m…currently at the beach.”

“Haaa?!”

It’s too sudden. Just yesterday, we were taking tests as usual, and he put the bigger scumbag behind bars, and now he’s at the beach?!

What’s going on? What kind of thought process is he having?

I don’t understand anything. But I want to know… I try to think about how he ended up at the beach. Even if I think about it, I don’t understand…

Who exactly is he?

End of Lighting Arc