Chapter 20: Good Year, Bad Year, Strange Year

Siu slowly walked towards the kindergarten.

It was a path he walked every day, but today his feelings were particularly fresh. Was it because he was leaving the kindergarten in a few days to move? He hadn't given it much thought, but as moving day approached, his mood turned bitter. It was only natural, having lived there for over ten years.

Still, he couldn't keep living off others indefinitely. He needed to have some shame. No matter how much Torimune allowed it, if he had a proper mindset, he had to leave for another place. The saying that if kindness continues, it's taken for granted wasn't for nothing.

‘The house I decided on was close to Trinity Comprehensive Academy.’

Because of that, the cost was quite high. Just the monthly rent was 40,000 yen, and when you add up various other expenses, it totaled 1.5 million yen. He became penniless in an instant, but thinking of it as securing his own home, it wasn't a waste.

‘I'll buy furniture like the bed and dining table after I move. The rest, I can buy when needed.’

It's a house for one man living alone. He's not cohabiting with anyone, so it probably doesn't need to be thoroughly prepared. No need to get overly excited like on Earth and make the move difficult. Well, back then, it was because his biological girlfriend told him to buy this and that, and he just went along with it.

“Haaam……”

Siu looked at the sky and let out a yawn. Perhaps because his stomach was full, drowsiness washed over him.

When he returns to the kindergarten, he should sleep first.

Before sleeping, it seemed better to let them know first that he left work early today. Then, as always, the three would come to see him. Honestly, meeting every day was tiring, but Siu wasn't so cold-hearted as to push away people who made time to see him.

Still, I wish they would stop the strange tension every time we meet. It's not good for the heart.

-Seia-chan, won't you slowly get off Siu's lap? Siu's expression doesn't look good. Is your leg hurting?

-Don't be ugly with jealousy. And Mika, you were hugging Siu continuously earlier, weren't you? Holding him tight so he couldn't escape and even rubbing your cheek against his.

-Both of you, stop fighting. Every time we all gather and fight, how uncomfortable must Siu feel? So why not be relaxed like me? Ah, probably impossible, right? Because the two of you are different from me. Hehe.

Siu recalled the banter he heard a few days ago and shivered. Their voices were the same as usual, but the words they spat out were full of sharp edges. Enough to make him feel like his body might be torn apart.

Is women's jealousy this frightening? It was a thought that often came to him recently. If he had to choose one of the three…… Ugh, just thinking about it was scary. He had to somehow politely reject all three's feelings, but no good method came to mind.

‘At the very least, I should respond before entering high school.’

It's complicated. On Earth, the only girlfriend he had was worse than a dog, but who would have thought it would turn out like this here? He let out a deep sigh and readjusted his disheveled scarf. Then, he saw a girl with ashen hair standing at the corner of the street.

Her long bangs covered one eye, and her back hair was so long it reached her ankles. Above all, her eyes were slanted long, giving her a fierce impression. The uniform she was wearing was also a type he had never seen at Trinity. Siu stared at her, who was standing as if blocking the way, and furrowed his brow.

“……?”

“Kikikikit!”

Makoto burst out laughing at Siu's furrowed expression. It was a frivolous laugh. Hearing that peculiar laugh, Siu reached into his coat. The pistol he carried for self-defense was grasped in his hand.

“I'll ask! Are you the famous Trinity's suspicious black-haired male?”

“……Who are you?”

“You don't know me? It shows the level of Trinity's intelligence department. Listen well! My name is Hanuma—”

Her words couldn't continue. It was because another girl standing behind her hit her on the back of the head.

“We came here secretly! What if you reveal your name?”

“Do you think I, the next chairman of Gehenna, would be afraid of such a thing?!”

“Gehenna……?”

Siu pondered the name and racked his brain. The answer wasn't hard to find. Gehenna Academy, called one of the two major academies in Kivotos along with Trinity. That must be what it means.

However, Trinity and Gehenna didn't get along well, even though they were on the same level. Just making eye contact could start a fight. Siu had seen Gehenna students who occasionally visited and Trinity students fighting like crazy women a few times.

‘And what's this about a suspicious black-haired male?’

Siu felt a headache coming on. That modifier seemed to refer to him, but no matter how he thought about it, it was strange. Because he had never seen the words 'Siu' or 'suspicious black-haired male' on SNS or communities in other autonomous districts, including Trinity.

So that word couldn't exist. How could such a word be created when he's not even famous? 

‘What the hell are they?’

Where the hell did they hear what from? No, more than that, what's their purpose for coming?

Siu's eyes narrowed slightly. He disengaged the safety of the pistol and glared at the two people.

“Hey.”

Then, a voice came from behind. He hadn't felt any presence, so when did they get behind him? Siu gritted his teeth and fired the gun through his coat.

The bullet pierced through the thick clothing and embedded itself in the girl behind him. But she was fine. She didn't even flinch. She just looked up at Siu and stroked her forehead where the bullet was lodged.

“……I'll compensate for the coat. Sorry.”

“……Are you also a colleague with them?”

“Don't call me a colleague…… It makes me feel bad.”

She frowned as if genuinely feeling bad. But Siu didn't care. He didn't sense any hostility, but he couldn't be friendly either. Whatever it was, it was a fact that they suddenly appeared and blocked the way. It couldn't be with good intentions.

“What's your purpose? Why did you suddenly appear, block the way, and cause a scene?”

“That…… I'm sorry. I should have stopped them.”

“Don't change the subject. What's your purpose?”

“Just having a brief conversation is all. So please don't be so hostile.”

 

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She said, stepping back one step. Siu glared at her purple pupils, then let out a deep sigh and engaged the safety of the pistol. After all, shooting would be meaningless.

“What conversation.”

“A conversation where you just answer our questions.”

“Wait, Sora Saki Hina. That's too cliché.”

“Yeah, that's right. It's not fun.”

The two who were growling at each other spat out simultaneously. At those words, Hina's face contorted violently, and Siu narrowed his eyes. Makoto and the department head stared at them and burst out giggling.

“Kikikikit!”

“Hahahahat!”

“……Haa.”

“Are they really crazy bitches?”

Siu clicked his tongue and muttered. The one called Hina behind seemed somewhat normal, but those two women seemed to have lost their minds. It felt like seeing a different kind of crazy from Tsurugi. He disengaged the safety of the pistol in his hand again.

“Hina! Come back here quickly! Or we'll knock you out and capture you!”

“……Can't we just talk? There's no reason to do that—”

“Eit, shut up! If you don't like it, I'll do it!”

As she spat it out, Makoto rushed forward like a dog. The weapon dragging on the floor. Siu hurriedly raised the muzzle towards her forehead and fired. Three gunshots, and bullets embedded in Makoto's forehead.

But like Hina, she also didn't take any significant damage. There was a difference in durability, so it stung a bit, but that was all. She laughed 'Kikikit!' and swung the weapon towards Siu. The weapon swung with immense force had fearsome power.

But that doesn't mean it's impossible to dodge. Siu leaned his waist back greatly and dodged Makoto's attack. The weapon that lost its target spun wildly in the air. In the large gust of wind, Siu's body staggered slightly. It was momentary. He immediately regained his balance and moved his leg as if stomping on Makoto's shin.

“Eek!”

However, the one who took damage was actually Siu. He struck down as if to crush the shin with his sole, but it felt like a sharp pain as if hitting a rock.

A fucking irrational world.

Siu muttered curses and stepped back one step. Makoto didn't just watch idly. She reached out with her empty hand and grabbed Siu's swung leg with a crunch.

“Got you.”

-Crunch.

With a powerful grip, Siu's ankle bone shattered. Did she sell off force control to some passing bastard? Siu gritted his teeth at the pain that heated his head. The moan that was about to burst out was replaced by rough breaths and scattered.

“Wait, Makoto!”

Hina, seeing Siu's ankle, shouted urgently. But Makoto didn't stop. She pulled the leg she was holding and threw him to the ground. He choked on his breath from the impact on his back.

“Kikikikik! Don't resist!”

“……Ah, fuck……”

“Kidnap him like this! Hurry up, department head!”

“Yay!”

The department head started the engine of the car parked in the alley. Makoto dragged Siu along and got into the car.

There was no room for Hina to intervene in the series of processes. With a desolate expression, she stared at the back of the car that departed, leaving her behind.

‘……It seemed like his leg was broken.’

She definitely heard it. The sound of something breaking, crunching. It couldn't be a mistake. It might seem arrogant, but Hina trusted her senses above all. But she also felt puzzled. No matter how much he lacks a halo, would a bone break just from being grabbed by hand?

Thinking commonsensically, it was an impossible story. If it were her, not Makoto, who grabbed him, it might be different, but Makoto didn't have that much grip strength.

‘It's strange…… but it's certain that it's broken.’

As soon as Makoto grabbed his leg, he contorted his face in pain. Putting aside the疑问, it was certain that it was broken.

“……Ah, really. Makoto……”

Hina spat out with an irritated voice and grabbed the strap connected to the gun slung over her shoulder.

There was no time to resolve the疑问. Not only did they suddenly appear and kidnap him, but they even broke his bone. She didn't know if he would accept an apology, but she had to bow her head until he did. Although Makoto was the one who broke his bone, she also had the fault of not stopping it.

‘……It shouldn't hurt that much.’

Hina, worried about Siu inwardly, bought a splint, painkillers, and bandages from a nearby pharmacy. Fortunately, there was no conflict with Trinity students.

For now, that is.