Vol 6 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4: Eighth-Grade Syndrome VS. Eighth-Grade Syndrome Mayhem
The morning of the next day.
After meeting with Masuzu, I went to to the clubroom to get changed. Then, I waited for the appointed time to come. The plan was for Chiwa, who was stationed at the school gates, to give me a phone call.
”It suits you, Eita.”
”Don't lie to me!”
I protested at Masuzu who had a narrow smile.
”You must like it a lot yourself, hm? You threw away your manga and light novels, but the precious thing you ended up keeping was this.”
”I don't treasure this at all! I only sold those because they were books. There was no way I could sell this.”
”Then you could have just thrown it away.”
”But then I would have been found out by the neighbors!”
This was a big thing to me. How could I let my disgraces be spread about?”
”Oh yeah, is it really okay that we didn't tell Fuyuumi about this? Wouldn't it be better to just let her know?”
”If we told her about this, that illogically soft girl would definitely not allow it.”
”......I guess that's true.”
Just then my cellphone rang. Chiwa was calling.
”Himecchi's coming! Get ready!”
”Understood.” After that brief reply, I hung up the phone.
”We've already gotten this far, so I just need to resolve myself.”
”Right. Leave the funeral arrangements to me.”
To be honest, I wasn't really looking forward to it, and I had more-or-less resigned myself to fate.
I slapped myself on the face several times to muster up my enthusiasm, and strode out the clubroom. I ran through the hallway, enduring the astonished glances of students who had already arrived at school. Then I pa.s.sed through the main entrance and walked towards the school gates. It would have been troublesome if I ran into a disciplinary committee member or a teacher, but it looked like the ｢low probability route｣ that Masuzu planned for me was accurate.
Good, from here on was my territory.
I took care not to let the students going to school notice me as I crouched in the bushes next to the school gate. I only let my head peep out to survey the situation around me.
Today, the same two disciplinary committee members were on duty at the school gates carrying out the ｢Good Morning Initiative｣ as they examined the clothing attire of students who pa.s.sed by. For the most part, our school was very peaceful and we didn't have any extreme delinquents who severely broke the rules. At most, girls that were wearing too much makeup were stopped, but that was it. That's why I could understand how hyper-dimensional Hime was yesterday.
Right now, I was about to enter this hyper-dimension (ANOTHER DIMENSION).
”Hey you again, stop right there!”
A voice that seemed to cut straight through the morning clamor reverberated in front of the school gates. That was the ponytail disciplinary committee member.
I tried my best to stretch my neck in the direction of the voices from underneath the shadow of the thicket, just enough to see Hime walking forward while carrying a fis.h.i.+ng rod with her left arm bandaged. Today she was already wearing a dark black cloak, which waved freely in the wind. Where did she buy that? It was the kind of dream item that I would have been overjoyed to have in middle school.
Hime tried to walk past the disciplinary committee members without stopping, but she was grabbed by the shoulders and obstructed as she tried to go through the gates.
”Yesterday we warned you, but you haven't learned your lesson yet? This is a serious challenge against the disciplinary committee of our school. Do you have any idea what you're doing?”
Ponytail-senpai had a ferocious glare on her face, and Hime looked a little fearful.
However, she immediately recovered her poker face:
”That's a stupid question. My actions have been completely and implicitly recorded. The G.o.ds are in the heavens. It's nothing to have the whole earth at peace.”
”Fine, then you're going to the disciplinary committee room—”
d.a.m.n, I better stop them fast!
I was about to charge forward, but suddenly another voice spoke up at the school gates.
”Wait a second, Himecchi!”
The students who were watching the uproar had formed a circle, but Fuyuumi Ai parted the crowd in half and strode forward from the empty street.
She was wearing a pure-white kimono, a tiny triangular towel, and even tabi[1] on her feet.
This was the so-called, historical ｢funeral clothes｣ which the Date clan wore to calm down Toyotomi Hideyos.h.i.+'s anger. [2]
The future candidate for disciplinary committee president was wearing attire that unquestionably violated the school rules, and the sight of this silenced even the noisy crowd that stood around at the school gates. Ponytail-senpai and even Hime was dumbstruck as they watched Fuyuumi walk in.
I was too.
Having missed my timing to enter the stage, I disgracefully retreated back into the bushes.
—What in the world are you thinking? Ai?
”W-What are you doing? Why are even you dressed up, too?”
”This isn't a violation of school rules! This is formal attire for offering an apology.”
Fuyuumi came to Hime's side and spoke to the speechless ponytail-senpai.
”Apology? Why you?”
”Himechi is my important friend and my disciple. The disciple's mistake is also the master's mistake, so I've come to make an apology!”
”M-Master?”
Fuyuumi kneeled beside a fl.u.s.tered Hime.
With five fingers on the ground, everyone could tell that this was the prostrate posture for making an apology.
”Come with me, Himecchi. Let's apologize to senpai together! Then, promise with me that you'll never do a thing like this again!”
”I…… can't do it.”
”Why?! Didn't I tell you yesterday that dressing up like this won't make you popular?!”
”No, I'm not doing this to become popular.”
”Then why is it? Explain it to me!”
Hime tightly clutched her cape that was fluttering in the air as she spoke,
”Because I want to turn into a liar.”
”Huh?”
”I, want to turn into a liar. I want to deceive everyone, deceive the world, and become a true liar. This way—I can carry out a ma.s.sacre (genocide).
”......?”
Fuyuumi and the two disciplinary committee members tilted their heads from confusion?
Even the bustling crowd looked at each other and whispered in dismay. It looked like there wasn't a single person who understood Hime's words.
Of course, I didn't understand her at all.
But there was one thing I did know: if Hime went out of control, it was up to us to take responsibility for it.
In short, the scene had calmed down now, so it was the perfect opportunity.
I took a firm breath and resolved myself. Then, I charged out towards the school gates.
I shouted with all the cool-ness in my heart
”DIVE! ANOTHER DIMENSION! [3]
No! It's no good, Himeka. Sei. Heavensrain!”
The moment I shouted, everyone gathered at the school gates simultaneously turned their attention onto me. I confirmed that everyone was staring with wide eyes and open mouths.
Yes, this is exactly what's expected!
That's because I was dressed exactly the same as Hime—no, mine was a chuunibyou that was even more extreme than Hime's.
Directly over my bare chest, I was wearing a out-of-season black overcoat. My pants were black jeans.
I was carrying a ma.s.sive sword comparable to the size of Hime's fis.h.i.+ng rod on my back. I made this, ｢Wyvern-Slayer｣ (DRAUPNIR), from a cloth's drying pole that I sawed up, tied together with rope, and spray-painted with black paint.
I wore cotton gloves with the fingers cut off on both my hands, on which I had written ｢Death｣ and ｢Kill｣ with red marker.
With the exception of my white gloves, I was head-to-foot in black. This was my aesthetic taste. In middle school, I thought this was super cool, and to be honest I still felt that way, though only a little.
”What are you doing Ta-kun? Are you an idiot?”
Fuyuumi's cold giggle pierced into my back. d.a.m.n, this girl didn't understand chuunibyou, and I certainly didn't want to be told off by a girl who was wearing burial clothes for atonement.
I pretended I didn't hear Fuyuumi as I gazed at Hime.
”Don't become engrossed in the power of killing and games! I should have told you this before in our past lives. But right now you've become drunk on the force known as power! How are you different from the Wyverns, then? Evil forces will continuously draw from your mood, and you'll become depraved!”
Yes—
Even though I've been free of this for a year, I could still say something smoothly like this.
Although this was lamentable, it looked like the chuunibyou had penetrated the depths of my heart to the level of my soul.
”—I'm already aware of that.”
Finally recovering from the attack, Hime responded with her usual apathetic voice.
Even though. I know this. I'm very clear about it.
Faking this expressionless face, Hime tilted her nose upwards!
”Honestly, you on the other hand, how long do you intend to pretend to be the ｢Holy Dragon Knight of Dawn｣? You're just villager A-ta. If a powerless person like you wears that kind of equipment, you'll be engulfed by ｢Dragonic Aura｣ to the point your existence will be wiped off the Akas.h.i.+c Records. You should remove that get-up right away and turn it over to me.”
”....Hehehe….”
”What's so funny?”
”Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
I laughed so loud that even students who had been holding their breath and listening from the distance could hear me.
You've taken the bait, Hime!