Volume 9, Chapter 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Troublesome Quest

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Volume 9, Chapter 3 – Tasuku Uehara and Troublesome Quest

Translator: your_pingas

Come to think of it, having too many friends isn’t exactly a good thing as well.

I, Tasuku Uehara, can’t get that off of my mind recently.

Fate is indeed a helping hand. Of course, it’s fantastic when people can help you every time. The reason that heroes in fantasy RPGs can defeat the demon king is mostly because of that. It’s a power called friendship.

However, while I acknowledged that power, …I also thought about this-

There should be a bunch of bad points with knowing a lot of people.

Indeed, the hero received great help from all across humanity. But that’s directly connected to a source of stress called expectation.

Just look at those celebrities, you do hope for their bright and charming lives, right. However, they have to wear sunglasses and masks in their private lives. Honestly, it’s not that envious.

What am I trying to say? Well, to be honest, it’s just that having a bunch of friends doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a fulfilling life!

“Oh, …I see.”

After I said all of that, I heard a dumbfounded and deflated reaction on the other side of the phone.

It’s the last Monday of the winter holiday, 2 PM

I’m standing at the corner of the supermarket parking lot. I bent my back as I told this to the person, …Keita Amano.

“Get it, Amano? A hero has his own responsibilities. So, sometimes, people have to give him mental support as well. Right? As one of my people, you think this is correct too?”

“Who’s one of your people? Uh, I do admit I was born as a peasant…”

“My people, how about I ask you this? What should people do when the king is under threat?”

“…Uh, sorry, Uehara-kun. I want to play video games, so can I cut the call already?”

“Why!? Did you even listen to what I said!?”

“Yeah, I figured this out after hearing you. Ah, it’s going to be a waste of time talking about this. That’s my judgment.”

“That’s mean! I can’t believe you’re this cold to your best friend! How inhumane!”

“No, no, no, I was the one that suddenly got a phone call. Then, I was forced to listen to the bad points of having too many friends and theories about the king and people. You should think about how I feel too…”

“I-It can’t be helped. It’s because I’m also hesitating how I should talk about the real topic…”

“Hesitating on the topic? Ah, …is it about girls again?”

“Hey, don’t say it like I’m always mixing with girls. It’s not.”

“Wait!? It’s not!?”

“That’s cold! Ah, that’s enough! I’m not calling you because of that.”

I scratched my head repeatedly. So, Amano sighed deeply on the other side of the phone. After that, his tone changed to a more gentle one.

“So, what’s wrong, Uehara-kun? I’ll do everything I can if that’s helping you.”

“Amano…”

No matter what, he’s such a warm person. Although I almost wanted to cry, …I managed to suppress the feeling.

So, after a moment of brewing, -I told him my wish.

“-Amano, …I really want to see you right now. No matter how.”

“…………”

“…………”

The other side of the phone replied to me with silence. It lasted for nearly 10 seconds.

…A passionate breath can be heard from the speaker.

“…I see. I got it. …Well, I’ll tell Tendou-san that she doesn’t need to wait until White Day. I’ve already decided on my route.”

“Yep, even though I have no idea what you’re talking about. Please remain calm, Amano.”

I stopped Amano with my overwhelming instinct. However, of course, he doesn’t seem to be serious too. So, he concluded to me while sighing.

“Uh, in other words, you want me to hang out with you, right?”

“Yeah, that’s partially right.”

“…Sigh, if that’s the case, I’m sorry. I’m still quite busy today. When it’s this sudden, I didn’t even prepare myself. It’ll take some time for me to go out. Moreover, I’m in the ‘I shouldn’t mess with anyone’ month right now-“

“Amano.”

I interrupted Amano when he’s explaining. Then, I told him this calmly.

“Listen to me, I know what you mean. So, it’s fine for you to reject it. Although it’s okay, …at last, please let me tell you what’s happening here.”

“What’s happening? Why are you bringing that up now…? Ah, right, I still didn’t understand why did you talk about knowing too many friends is bad.”

“Yeah, aren’t you curious?”

“Yep, I do. …However, I guess it’s that pattern again, right. I bet you bumped into the Hoshinomori sisters or someone else, and then you can’t deal with them alone. So, that’s why you asked me for help…”

Amano showed his “just a little bit off” theorizing.

Currently, I’m indeed like what he said. I bumped into someone I know while I’m taking a walk. Also, I was forced to stick with them for a long time due to some reasons. …Moreover, I’m so terrible at dealing with them that I’m about to explode.

From this sense alone, Keita Amano’s answer is perfect. As long as it’s not related to his love, this guy is godly intelligent. According to the conflict type, perhaps he’s qualified to be an armchair detective as well. …That’s why I need him more than ever in this situation.

I smiled mischievously and answered Amano.

“Yeah, your answer is entirely correct. Amano, you’re really smart. You’re indeed a twisted otaku that can only observe people from afar since you’re envious. As long as you’re not related, your observation and insight are this brilliant.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Sorry.”

I apologized obediently. Amano sighed and continued.

“Anyway, I feel pretty sorry for you if you encountered stuff like that. …However, I can only mourn you right now. I’ve dealt with the Hoshinomori sisters on my own before too. So, it’s just your turn now, coincidentally. Uehara-kun, just suck it up and deal with it yourself-“

“It’s just that, from my perspective, you made a decisive mistake.”

I interrupted Amano again and pressed on.

“The Hoshinomori sisters aren’t the ones I’m with now-“

Then, I took a deep breath…and revealed those unexpected members.

“They are Eiichi Mizumi, Gakuto Kase, and Kousei Amano. -It’s super awkward to be with these guys.”

“I’m going there right now.”

The call ended here. It looks like Amano finally realized he’s the necessary “connection” here. …Yes, everyone should know an observant friend. I’m about to cry.

I wiped the tears at the corner of my eyes as I put my phone into my pocket. After that, I looked at the opposite side of this convenience store. …Those three guys are waiting for me next to the arcade.

“…Let’s go.”

So, I, Tasuku Uehara, a man that made up his mind and retook the first step-

…To me, this is just the start of the day where I’m surrounded by the most awkward friends I know.

*

Amano rushed to the arcade at an impressive speed 8 minutes after he hung up. From what I’ve heard, it seems that his parents were coincidentally driving to get some stuff.

Even so, Amano still went through a series of hassles. He tried to press down his raised hair a couple times, but they wouldn’t behave. Then, he looked up to us slightly and said, “So…”

“…Uh, …it’s quite embarrassing to ask this suddenly. …What’s happening right now?”

“We want to know as well.”

“Aha, …ha, …sigh.”

A group of boys full of characteristics is standing at the arcade rest area. -Mizumi, Kase-senpai, Kousei, and me. As for Amano, he’s right in front of the four of us with a tired and lethargic look. After that, Amano looked towards. -There’s even a little doll-like girl in goth loli clothing pinching the bottom of his shirt. …This is what we call chaos.

“-Onii-chan, can I ask you this immediately. …Are you a ‘useful’ person?”

“…Uh, well…? S-Sorry, can I ask who you are?”

“Oh, my apologies. I’m Mii, 7 years old. Right now, at this moment, I’m lost.”

“L-Lost?”

“Yes, ..no, perhaps it’s even worse. I lost my way, and I’m surrounded by ‘useless’ onii-chans. This is a…disaster.”

“Uh, …this is a disaster?”

“Yes, a disaster.”

“…………”

“…………”

Amano and the girl- Mii, looked at each other for a while. Then, sweat appeared on his forehead as he glanced at us again. He threw the same question at us once more.

“S…So, what is happening right now!?”

After we heard his question-

The four of us…smiled- Immediately after that, we almost broke into tears as we yelled back.

“We want to know what is happening right now too!”

“Sheesh…”

Only the little girl is shaking her head dumbfoundedly in front of the 5 embarrassing high school boys.

“I see. …I understood the situation now, but please allow me to memorize it.”

So, 5 minutes have passed after that. Amano’s sitting on the bench in the rest area and looked at everyone.

We nodded, and Amano began relaying the information immediately.

“First of all, …Uehara-kun and Kousei were minding their own business initially, but they bumped into each other. …Then, you two started an argument for some reason. In the end, you guys decided to sort this out in the arcade. …Is that right?”

Kousei and I nodded. Amano continued.

“At that time, on the other side, Mizumi-kun was thinking ‘why don’t I get some new games’ during the holiday. So, you invited Kase-senpai to the arcade.”

“Yes.”

Kase-senpai and Mizumi nodded. Amano continued.

“Also, on the other side, you, …the kid named Mii Fushiguro, you got separated with your mother around here. Then, you eventually got to the arcade when you’re wandering around aimlessly.”

“Carbonic acid, I love.”

The doll-like girl is sitting on Amano’s lap. She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she’s just holding the can with both of her hands and sipping slowly. …By the way, I think Amano got that drink for himself. …Wow, the man looked down upon by a little girl 5 minutes after they met, Keita Amano.

He sighed and continued.

“I knew what happened for now. …Even so, typically, this isn’t an anime or video game. Is it possible for everyone’s fate to be tangled up together like this?”

“Exactly.”

Kousei and I answered at the same time. However, at this point, …Kase-senpai’s glasses flashed coldly. He pointed his thumb at the charming boy standing next to him.

“You should know this, Keita Amano. Today, this guy, …Mizumi, is together with me. Let’s forget about bumping into someone I know first. We can call encountering this ‘troublesome’ fate a reasonable conclusion, right.”

“Eh, it’s my fault!?”

Eiichi Mizumi bulged his eyes when someone suddenly blamed him without any reason. However, Keita agreed after he heard Kase-senpai.

“Yeah, it’s hard to blame you when the ‘protagonist’ is here.”

“Amano-kun!? Why do you believe in that non-sense as well!?”

“How about I ask you this, Mizumi-kun. …This time, who’s the first one that tried to help that lost girl -Mii?”

“Ugh, …it’s me…”

“See, here’s your protagonist.”

“Will someone complain like that!?”

Mizumi nearly cried when Amano and Kase-senpai corrected him. Since Kousei and I aren’t familiar with them, we can only look at each other blankly. …Sigh, Mizumi does look like the guy that never messes around. Yet, I can always feel an overwhelmingly shocking aura from him. I should say he’s the same type of person as Tendou.

After Mii heard all that, she drank some more soda and mumbled.

“Eiichi-nii-chan at that time was literally like a prince to me.”

“Mii…”

“Even though he’s an unexpectedly useless prince.”

“Ugh…!”

Mizumi let out a hum. …Indeed, this guy’s abilities are exceptional. Sadly, I guess he’s not equipped to deal with a lost child. Kase-senpai mumbled helplessly.

“Things would be easier if the problem is on a ‘saving the world’ scale…”

“No, no, no, what world are you guys living in to say that? It’s just a joke, right?”

Kousei tried to play it off with a smile. However, it’s not just Amano and Kase-senpai, including the person in question, Eiichi Mizumi. No one is laughing right now. …Kousei looked at me in the hope of me saving him. However, it’s hard when things are like this.

So, Amano sighed. Then, perhaps he’s trying to smooth things over, the topic changed to Kousei.

“By the way, Kousei, what are you doing out here alone? Didn’t you leave in the afternoon to hang out with your friends?”

“Ah…”

Kousei looked away awkwardly. …I knew it. He made up that “hanging out with friends” excuse to his brother. Moreover, I also know that this guy’s just like me in the past. He still wants to “help” Amano’s relationship blindly.

Although I’m not sure of the exact details, honestly, he’s just trying to get Hoshinomori and Amano closer. …Or, he’s trying to distance him away from Tendou or Konoha-san.

Unfortunately, he bumped into me during his quest. I saw what’s happening and tried to warn him. Then, it turned into an argument. Finally, it escalated into “How about we end this with a match?” -Until right now.

Moreover, Kase-senpai and Mizumi already knew how wicked Kousei’s tongue is when he’s not disguising. The two of them also know what’s happening. Amano’s the only one who has no idea.

However, from Kousei’s side, of course, he couldn’t tell all of this to his brother.

He struggled to say something for a moment. …Then, he blatantly tried to change the subject.

“L-Let’s forget about that, onii-san! The most important thing right now is Mii, right!?”

You’re trying to get away with such a thin excuse…? Mizumi, Kase-senpai, and I were dumbfounded.

However, unexpectedly, …this seems to work really well on Amano. He realized it and immediately apologized to Mii.

“I-I’m sorry, Mii. Yeah, we should think about you first…”

“It’s okay. Carbonic acid tastes nice, so please don’t worry about me.”

Mii’s slowly sipping the soda on Amano’s lap. Amano felt a bit upset. …Perhaps it’s due to his natural cowardness. He’s really weak towards a retort that sounds reasonable. You’re incredible for being able to use that, Kousei Amano.

In reality, all of us agreed to solve this lost child’s issue as fast as possible.

Mizumi continued explaining to Amano frustratedly.

“Anyway, we already did everything we should do.”

“Really? For example, did you ask the staff around here?”

“Yep, of course. However, Mii didn’t lose her way around here precisely. It’s because she got lost around this arcade. So, I don’t think we can ask the people here to take care of her…”

“I see. Well, …ah, did Mii bring her parents’ contacts?”

“Yep, she does. There’s a card with ‘name, address, and telephone number’ written on it. However, about that…”

“Look, it’s this one.”

Mii searched in her tiny bag. Then, she handed the contact sheet we saw before to Amano.

Amano took and checked it. …Indeed, there’s the name Mii Fushiguro on it along with the address and the phone number. However…

“…T-Tokyo?”

Amano looked at the Honshu address and tilted his head. Mii nodded.

“Yes. I came from…Tokyo.”

“Y-You came from?”

“Yes. It’s because my father was transferred here, so we moved to a new place. Right now, since the company’s dormitory isn’t open, only my mother and I are living in our cousin’s house.”

“…Uh, I have a bad feeling about this. Well, did you know how to contact your father’s company dormitory or your cousin…”

“Hoho. Of course, you’ll ask that. Yeah, right. It’s natural to come up with that idea. -Well, for your question, there’s only one answer from me.”

“Oh, so what’s your answer?”

“-It’s bad to prepare nothing!”

Mii said that as she opened the empty bag and showed it to Amano!

“This is the first time that I’ve seen such a confident lost child.”

Yep, Amano also reacted the same way we did 10 minutes ago.

When Mii put her useless contact sheet into the bag, Mizumi added.

“We tried to call her number in Tokyo too, but no one answered.”

“It sounds like…we’re pretty stuck…”

“Yeah.”

The 5 high school boys smiled bitterly at each other. After we looked around, Amano…reached the same conclusion as we did regarding a lost child.

“Well, we’ll send her to the police…”

However, after Amano said that, Mii slammed the soda onto the table. She pouted and turned to Amano.

“No, I hate finding the police. I feel like things would escalate that way.”

“In reality, I think this is pretty serious…”

“…But, …mom will be upset if things escalated….”

“Ah, …I see. That’s…true. Hmm…”

Amano realized it, and his face looks a bit awkward. He’s exceptionally aware of other people’s looks and who he is troubling. So, I guess he can understand how Mii feels.

Following that, Mii mumbled quietly to the point that we almost can’t hear her.

“…After all, …my ownership belongs to my mom…”

“Eh? Ownership? What? Ah, …you mean guardianship?”

“…No, it’s ownership. My mom said that.”

“Uh…?”

Amano tilted his head confusingly. Mizumi tried to make progress and explained.

“Anyway, that’s what happened for now. However, I think Mii did have a point when she said she doesn’t want to escalate this. So, we planned to look around for an hour. Of course, we’ll have to pay the police a visit if she still can’t meet up with her family.”

Amano nodded deeply at what he said.

“I see. Then, the four of you listened to Mii’s situation. …In the end, everyone couldn’t bear to leave, so things dragged out like this.”

“Yes.”

The four of us sighed at the same time. …Suddenly, Amano chuckled out for some reason. We frowned displeasedly. Amano apologized. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry.” After that-

For some reason, he looked at everyone lovingly and smiled.

“Uehara-kun, Kousei, Mizumi-kun, and Kase-senpai, …you’re all nice guys. I’m really happy.”

“…………”

We immediately blushed. It’s so embarrassing that we turned away from Amano.

W-What’s wrong with this guy!? How can he always praise someone so honestly as long as he’s a guy? He’s too innocent, and we can’t even cover it.

After Mii looked at us, she turned to Amano and asked him calmly.

“Keita-nii-chan, I saw it. Among these useless guys, …you’re like a princess for otakus, am I right?”

“Eh?”

“No!”

The four of us yelled out when Amano’s still confused. By the way, what’s wrong with this girl’s words? I can’t believe she can say stuff like a princess for otakus! Whether it’s the goth loli clothes, her poisonous tongue, or her wild perspectives, …seriously, what’s wrong with her family!?

Mii told Amano.

“From this perspective, Keita-nii-chan, you’re just like my mom.”

“Eh, you’re saying we’re the same…? I didn’t know your mom is a princess for otakus? Also, she’s blatantly saying all that to you? I wonder what she’s like…”

“She’s a beauty. Also, she’s popular, my mom.”

“Sigh, I guess so.”

“More importantly, she has a lot of underlings.”

“Really, underlings…? Eh, underlings? Are you sure it’s not the subordinates in a company!?”

“Yes, mom won’t call those people subordinates. Ah, she does call them ‘underlings’ sometimes.”

“Mii’s mom has underlings!?”

Amano screamed. This guy’s talking to a little girl on equal grounds. …I guess it’s because their mental age is similar.

During this time, Kase-senpai looks like he can’t take it anymore. So, he scratched his head and spoke.

“Ah, …no matter what, I think it’s time for us to move, right? Even though we have our reasons, we shouldn’t keep occupying the rest area.”

His reminder made the four of us stare at each other. Then, we slipped it out shockingly.

“(This) Kase-senpai is actually talking about…common sense…?”

“All of you are coming to the alley at this second.”

Kase-senpai cracked his knuckles and glared at us. …He’s scary.

At this moment, Mii jumped down from Amano’s lap. She walked calmly in front of us and said.

“Ah, please go somewhere without me if there’s violence. If it’s possible, I hope you guys can refrain from saying those things. …Onii-chans are really inconsiderate.”

“…I feel like we should say sorry.”

“Alright, onii-chans, what are you still waiting for? Let’s go.”

“Ah, …sure…”

So, the five deflated boys were rebuked by a little girl reasonably. Then, they followed her.

…It seems that the most miserable day of my winter holiday isn’t over yet.

*

“Even so, there are literally no clues around…”

After we left the arcade, Mizumi immediately started scouting around as he sighed helplessly. There are a lot of people in the evening. So, it takes a lot of energy for our group to even stay together.

At this time, Mii, who’s at the front, suddenly stopped and looked at us. Then, she glanced at my eyes for some reason before pointing at the ground. “Hmm.”

“Tasuku-nii-chan, please lower your head for me.”

“…Hmm?”

I tilted my head since I have no idea what she was saying. So, Amano gave me a dumbfounded look.

“…This again, Uehara-kun? Should I say, your IQ disappears when you see girls…?”

“Eh, I don’t want to hear that from an idiot! I didn’t do anything to Mii. Why do I have to apologize to her!?”

“Uehara-kun, but you always seduce girls and me unconsciously. It really hurts us…”

“I’m not! Especially you, I don’t even remember seducing you at all!”

“Eh, that’s mean. I was hurt. So, please lower your head to me, Tasuku-nii-chan.”

“Shut up!”

The annoying loner stood next to Mii and even asked me to lower my head with the little girl.

Mii sighed dumbfoundedly at what we said.

“I don’t mean by that. I was saying lower your head physically.”

“Physically?”

Amano and I looked at each other and tilted our heads. …So, I can only squat down with a hmph and lower my head slightly to Mii. …After that, a small palm grabbed the back of my head suddenly.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing-“

“Please don’t move. It’s hard for me to reach the top.”

“…Reach the top?”

Mii directly pressed my head and shoulder with her entire body before climbing up. After that, she adjusted her body quickly. In the end…

“Phew, I’m on the top now. Tasuku-nii-chan, please stand up.”

“…It hurts.”

My hair is being grabbed like a controller, and I was forced to raise my head. Then, after she urged me to stand up, …Kase-senpai said, “I see.” He nodded.

“You want to ride on his shoulders.”

“Yes. I’m on top of Tasuku-nii-chan now.”

Mii put her legs on my shoulders as she grabbed my hair with both of her hands tightly. After I understood what’s happening, I held Mii’s legs to prevent her from falling off.

So, Kousei mumbled a bit admirably.

“I see. After all, we have no idea what Mii’s mother looks like. She should observe the people in a tall place.”

I can feel Mii nodding above my head after Kousei explained.

“Exactly. Mii has acquired Robo-Tasuku. Right now, Tasuku-nii-chan’s ownership belongs to me.”

“Eh, you’re going off with that ‘ownership’ thing again. ….Ouch, ouch, ouch!”

“Turn right, Robo-Tasuku.”

“Don’t control me by pulling my hair! Robo-Tasuku can be commanded via speech too!”

“Eh, but the feedback wouldn’t be sensitive enough then.”

“You actually know what feedback means.”

“Alright, you’ll lose a fight to the enemy if you don’t move quicker.”

“Eh!? I didn’t know that Robo-Tasuku has to battle! Seriously?”

I was shocked. So, Amano stared at me lovingly.

“I feel like…Uehara-kun will be a great dad.”

“Stop! In my life, these lines are supposed to be said by Agu- cute girls, and an idiot like you just wasted all of them. Don’t do that!”

“Let’s go, Robo-Tasuku. You have to try your best to walk and fight! …Until a new robot arrives!”

“Hey, that passenger above me! Can you not set up flags that kill the robot!? You’re saying that I have to get defeated horribly by the enemy first, right!? If this goes on, I’ll just be a random placeholder for a brand new robot, right!?”

I almost cried out, and the accompanying boys are also cheering around me irresponsibly.

“You can do it, Robo-Tasuku!”

“All of you are coming to the alley at this second!”

“Ah, Robo-Tasuku, you shouldn’t use violence. -1 point.”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! Mii! You just pulled one of my hair out, right! Stop! You’re making this like the punishment system they have in Monkey King!”

“You can’t use violence, Robo-Tasuku.”

“Even though you were saying like I was designed to fight!?”

After we messed with each other, in the end, I still acted as Robo-Tasuku and walked obediently.

Amano stayed next to me and smiled bitterly.

“A scene like this would cause a lot of misunderstandings if someone with no idea saw us.”

“Hey, stop it. It sounds like something guaranteed to happen. Don’t set up any flags for me.”

“It’s okay. Even though Aguri-san saw us, the only possibility she could come up with is, ‘…Don’t tell me that’s the child of Amanocchi and Tasuku?’ This is the most ridiculous she would be, right?”

“That’s already the deadliest misunderstanding we could ever have.”

My face went pale. However, as for Amano, instead of worrying, he even mumbled lovingly with a bit of embarrassment.

“…Sigh, but, …if it’s with Uehara-kun. Even though it’ll cause a misunderstanding, …I think I wouldn’t mind too. Hoho.”

“I told you not to ruin lines that were supposed for girls! I’ll punch you-“

“-1 point, Robo-Tasuku.”

“Ahh! My hair!”

The unreasonable punishment cost me a strand of hair. …Hey, hey, hey, if this goes on, I think…

“…Will Robo-Tasuku’s head meet the unfortunate fate of losing all of his hair!?”

“I feel like I’m extraordinarily motivated to deal with this lost child problem now!”

We got a battle that can’t be lost here. …The punishment of Robo-Tasuku’s scary.

Anyway, the six of us walked around aimlessly. However, …of course, Mii’s mother won’t be found this easily.

In the end, we only walked for roughly 10 minutes. After we arrived at the small park for people to rest, Kousei sat on a bench exhaustedly.

We can only stop as Kousei looked at us lazily.

“…I feel like this is indeed really inefficient. What’s the point of the six of us staying together…?”

Mii answered determinedly.

“Even if one robot exploded, there are still five in stock. I’m relieved.”

“Eh, it’s already pretty horrible if one of us exploded, right.”

Kousei complained, yet Mii doesn’t seem to care at all. She’s playing with the “hair controller” on my hand cheerfully.

So, Kase-senpai also stopped and agreed with Kousei as he pushed his glasses a bit.

“Indeed, I also feel like it’s a failure to play in such an inefficient way.”

“Oh, you’re quite smart, uh, …the senpai that will lose quietly in the third battle.”

“My name is Kase! Also, hey, Keita Amano! Where are your little brother’s manners!?”

“I-I’m sorry, Kase-senpai. Uh, …I should say he’s usually not like this. …No, while he’s mean when talking to me, he should be friendlier to outsiders. K-Kousei, you shouldn’t do that!”

“…Hmph.”

Amano didn’t know what to do while Kousei leaned on the bench and stared at the sky like this has nothing to do with him. …I didn’t know this guy will act coldly to others once his real personality is revealed. Well, at least he’s straightforward in a way.

So, Kase-senpai sighed and gave up on lecturing Kousei’s attitude as he continued.

“Anyway, we’re being extremely inefficient at searching people right now. This is a fact. Initially, I hoped to split us into two teams…”

I continued for him.

“After all, only Mii knows her mother’s face.”

“She’s not my mother. She’s my mom.”

Suddenly, Mii showed a mysterious persistence. “Yes, yes, yes, she’s your mom.” I casually answered her and moved on.

“Even so, we can’t deal with this the other way. If we screamed ‘Did anyone lose a child called Mii!?’ to the pedestrians-“

She already pulled my hair before I could finish.

“Didn’t I say I don’t want to escalate this?”

“Right…”

Kase-senpai, Kousei, Amano, and I can’t do anything as we sighed. …During this time, Amano tilted his head. “Eh?”

“Right, where’s Mizumi-kun? I think I didn’t see him coming to this park…”

“Eh?”

We didn’t realize it until he said it. So, we started looking around.

…I’m not close to that guy. Even so, I have an unprecedentedly bad feeling about this. It’s because the same pattern happened when Mizumi brought Mii to us-

“Ah, there he is!”

-At this moment, Kousei found Mizumi before anyone did and yelled. He’s a real stalker for having such sharp eyes.

We looked in Kousei’s pointed direction. So, we saw Mizumi there. Also-

“…………”

-We can’t help but fall into silence.

The scene in front of us…made the four boys and a little girl speechless. We’re sweating profusely.

The reason for that is…

(I feel like as soon as we turned around, Mizumi…is forced into a corner by a black-haired beauty! She got a sword, and the girl is clearly ‘hiding’ something!)

…………

“…………”

The four boys gulped and stared at each other’s eyes.

…His side…is clearly not something that ordinary people can deal with. …We don’t want to get involved. We shouldn’t. That’s definitely not the story we should be in right now. I hope Mizumi can solve the problem himself.

<Pull…>

At last, even Mii can see the mood and pull my hair. …Ho, you shouldn’t need to command me, Mii.

Right now, Mii and I, …no, the five of us are connected.

At this moment, we turned our back towards Mizumi. Then, I quietly mumbled, “Stay safe.” All of us left chicly-

“Ah, everyone! I’m sorry! This girl just said, ‘I’m killing your friends if you don’t help me.’ Also, she won’t listen to whatever I say. So, can you guys help me for a bit-“

“Why don’t you two just go deal with it yourselves!? WHAT THE HELL’S WRONG WITH YOUR PROTAGONIST FATE!?”

“Ehh!? Why is everyone mad at me? L-Let’s bring that up later, quick! She’s seriously trying to chop my head off! Look, she unsheathed her sword!”

“PICK THE RIGHT PERSON WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH GIRLS!”

-So, that’s it.

We temporarily stopped searching for the lost child’s mother and wasted 15 minutes dealing with this mess.

*

“Even though I’m just a side character, this is still the most meaningful 15 minutes in my life…”

It’s been 15 minutes since that. We finally returned to the same park before.

Kousei, Amano, and I leaned on the bench exhaustedly.

Mii’s the same. She’s still on my shoulder, but she leaned her entire body to my head.

“Hey, hey, hey, aren’t you guys too embarrassing?”

However, Kase-senpai looked down on us with a “sheesh” mood.

His eyes brightened as he continued.

“…That’s what I experience every day when I tag along with Mizumi.”

We yelled at him together.

“No, no, no, no, no, I think the world nearly ended at last!”

“It’s usual.”

“It’s not!”

When Kousei, Amano, Mii, and I stared at Kase-senpai forcefully-

Mizumi laughed like it's none of his business. He even looked up to the sky alone.

“But think about it, …it’s good that she can return to the ‘future’ successfully…”

“I didn’t know the story was that grand in scale!”

We’re all outsiders. So, we didn’t follow the main story at all. Sigh, even so, we still encountered 8 near-death crises alone. …The even more shocking fact is that all of these happened within 15 minutes.

Amano mumbled exhaustedly…

“At last, …I think Mizumi-kun was kissed by that beautiful girl in the end.”

“Uwah, damn you. No one can mess around with him.”

Kousei and I cursed immediately. In these 15 minutes, we’ve already acknowledged our place as side characters so much that it’s annoying. …The mess that we’re dragged in is beyond troublesome. Yet, the protagonist just took all the rewards away. Life’s tough for a side character.

During this time, Kase-senpai got his glasses off and started wiping them with a towel. Kousei looked at him dazedly…and mumbled quietly.

“…His handsomeness skyrocketed after removing the glasses. …Seriously, this person’s just the same. Why is he such a great side character…?”

Even Mii, who’s still on my head, nodded at what Kousei said.

“I saw it just then. In the end, Gakuto-nii-chan…killed all the enemies with a long rifle and saved Eiichi-nii-chan in danger.”

“What a great side character!”

Kase-senpai’s cunning! He completely knows his role! He’s super close with Eiichi Mizumi! For people like us, our roles are literally just “passerby high school boy” and “a little girl that barely relates to the plot (guest performance)” only!

When the three boys (one of them has a little girl on his back) leaned on the bench exhaustedly, Mizumi, who doesn’t seem tired at all, clapped his hands.

“Alright, everyone, let’s help Mii find her mom again!”

“…Uh, I feel like a lost child’s not that important anymore, right?”

“No, it’s still really important! What are you guys talking about!? I should say why Mii doesn’t care anymore even though you’re the lost one!?”

“Eiichi-nii-chan,...I got it. My family…doesn’t really matter to me! I’ll try to live on my own determinedly!”

“You didn’t get it! I-I’m sorry. I can’t believe I dragged everyone into a mess that changed how a child views her life…”

“Exactly.”

Everyone complained at the same time except Mizumi. “Ugh…” He backed down. …Sigh, there’s no point dilly dallying around like this. So, we cheered and picked ourselves up again.

…That experience just then is like a midnight anime adapted from a light novel. Let’s treat it as that and move on.

I asked Mii on my head.

“Then, Mii? Where are we going next? Do you have any idea?”

“About that, Robo-Tasuku, it’s hard for me to say this…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong? There’s no need to be polite with us at this point…”

We tilted our heads. …Mii told us this sheepishly.

“…I got lost with mom in front of the arcade. …So, I don’t think it’s good to go too far away from that.”

“It’s too reasonable!”

The five high school boys’ voices overlapped each other. Mii freaked out a bit while we looked at our faces helplessly. …After that, we stood up from the bench and headed back to the arcade.

My footsteps are really heavy. I spoke to the little girl above my head.

“Sigh, in reality, we didn’t plan to walk any further.”

“Ah, really? Sorry, I almost thought onii-chans are ‘completely useless’ guys and felt hopeless.”

“Your way of putting it is also really hopeless. Sigh, but please relax. Based on what we’ve been through, the only ‘useless’ one that in the search dragged everyone down is that damn protagonist.”

“…Ahaha. I-I wonder who’s that guy…? I can’t think of any.”

Mizumi smiled with a stiff face. …While we feel sorry for him, all of us have been through hell more than enough. It’s okay for us to torment him a bit, right.

The six of us started going back to where we came from. …Well, I already didn’t know why we left the arcade already. We just spent a little effort and saved the world.

The six people soon stopped talking unintentionally and walked. Once we snapped out of it, the sun’s already about to go down.

“…………”

Mii, who’s as self-centered and energetic as always, can’t help but feel deflated on my shoulder. Of course, all of us noticed that. …Yet, we’re worried that a casual comfort will just make her feel worse since she’s mature. …I think that’s even more miserable. At this point, everyone hesitated to smooth things over.

…There’s always one exception.

At this time, only a unanimously-agreed blind and lonely gamer dared to speak.

“I really wish there’s an arrow at times like this.”

“…Huh?”

Amano said something baffling and made everyone tilted their heads.

However, Amano didn’t seem to pay attention to our reaction and pressed on.

“Think about it, this design often appears in open-world RPGs. After you set the destination on the map, there’s a direction on top of the protagonist’s head when you’re back at the game screen. ‘The destination is around there.’ To be honest, …that’s the 27th most wanted game function that I wish to exist in real-life.”

“That’s really low!”

“Uh, it’s because you can use GPS in real-life too. A smartphone can already do that. So, honestly, I’m not eagerly hoping for that.”

“…………”

Our hearts felt, “Well, then why did you bring this up?” …It’s been a long time since Amano did this. He’s precisely the type of otakus that only cares about what he wants to talk about. The guy doesn’t care whether the topic is interesting, and he’ll go and talk about it. It’s a rather unusual sickness. I thought Amano had way better communication skills now, …but I guess he hasn’t changed in his heart for a single bit.

Amano ignored our lack of interest and continued with a smile.

“Well, what do you guys think the 26th place will be!?”

“We’re still talking about that!?”

We can’t help but yell. So, Amano froze before showing a surprised face.

-During this time, …I suddenly realized it. The small palm that gripped my hair like a controller…gained a little strength back.

“Sheesh, …Keita-nii-chan is really a useless person as well…”

Indeed, even though Mii’s sighing, her gloomy atmosphere from before already disappeared.

(Amano, …don’t tell me you calculated that?)

I looked at him admirably. However, as for Amano himself…

“The 26th place…is a gear-switching system that doesn’t cost round numbers!”

“It feels really pathetic!”

“Eh? No, no, no, actually, the most surprising fact is that you can change clothes in a flash-“

…Indeed, he looks like a helpless otaku that doesn’t worry about anything. …No, instead of saying he looks, that’s pretty much what he is. At least he’s not “pretending” it. His face is the same as those idiots that sincerely enjoy talking about those things.

However, that’s why…Mii genuinely felt dumbfounded at him and smiled.

When I’m giving Amano a half-dumbfounded, half-admiring look, suddenly, I saw Kousei smiling gently behind him.

(…I didn’t know that guy has such a gentle smile.)

Although Kousei is always insulting people in my eyes, I guess his respect for the brother is genuine.

I looked at Kousei’s extraordinary warm smile- …No, I looked at his “nostalgic” face. Then, I realized something’s wrong.

(I see. Indeed, …Amano will never be smart enough to “calculate” all that. However, perhaps he does think about something.)

That must be some kind of “attribute” cultivated when he’s messing with his little brother.

As for that attribute, it even saved Mii and Kousei. …No, Tendou and I as well.

Come to think of it, I can’t help but admire this respectable friend-

“Then, the 25th place is…!”

“Shut up!”

-I wanted to admire him, but whatever. Yep, indeed, Amano did this because he’s an idiot. Even if he’s trying to cheer Mii up, he had no idea when he should stop. In reality, Mii’s hand is grabbing my hair tighter and tighter like she’s really impatient! I’m about to lose all my hair.

“…Sigh, …onii-san.”

Also, Kousei, who’s looking at his idiot brother intoxicatedly, is quite disgusting too! I described their relationship as impressive, but nevermind! These two brothers are just disgustingly drawn in by the things they love!

So, when we’re messing around, all of us have already returned to the arcade.

We put ourselves next to the claw machines that no one visits to avoid disrupting others. The giant dolls under sunlight are looking at us, and their eyes look a bit sympathetic.

After we caught a break, Mizumi shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

“We got nothing in the end. Well, we have to find the police…”

“…………”

Mii’s gripping my hair tightly. …At this point, she didn’t vehemently reject the idea of finding the police anymore.

“…………”

A suffocating silence radiated among the five of us. The songs played from the claw machines are cheerful and old. It just made us feel even more depressed. However, in such a hopeless mood, the one that “switched” first- isn’t Kousei or Kase-senpai. Instead, it’s Amano.

He clapped his hands lightly and spoke up.

“Yep. If we already decided to do that, let’s get to the police station now, everyone. In reality, perhaps Mii’s mom is already there. Let me ask you this, Mii, is that alright?”

“Eh? Ah, sure. I think…it’s fine.”

“Well, that’s that. Let’s go.”

After Amano spoke up cheerfully, he started walking towards the police station without any hesitation. Although everyone’s a bit confused, his action seemingly urged us to follow him. …However, I’m the only one that can’t let this go. So, I can’t help but grabbed Amano’s arm.

“A-Amano?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Uehara-kun?”

Amano...turned his head like me “extremely normally” as he froze. When Mii’s glancing down at me confusedly, I…am not even sure what I wanted to do. So, I asked him.

“Amano, …hey, …w-what’s wrong with you?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong with me? What are you talking about?”

“Eh? Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that…”

I don’t even know why I bothered to ask that question. …What am I even trying to ask?

My eyes were uncertain as I barely managed to squeeze out the question.

“I feel like, …well, …today, …you’re making decisions really quickly…”

“Do I? Well, that’s…”

Amano explained to me with a face that says he doesn’t know why he’s being blamed.

“If we knew that this is something we can’t deal with, -we shouldn’t over-intervene by now and drag things out. It’s not good for Mii and her mom, right?”

Yes, what he said- made so much sense that I can’t retort.

As if to prove how correct that is, even Kase-senpai, who was just listening, agreed with what Amano said.

“Tasuku Uehara, even I had to agree with Keita Amano this time. At this point, we should find the police as soon as possible. I do wonder what you are trying to do? Tasuku Uehara, are you saying that we should rely on ourselves and help find her mom a bit more?”

“Eh? No, i-it’s not like that. …I also agree with going to the police station as well. I have no issues with that.”

“If that’s the case, why are you- grabbing Keita Amano’s wrist so tightly?”

“Eh?”

After he said that, …I realized I was grabbing Amano’s wrist harder than I thought.

“I-I’m sorry!”

I quickly released his hand. Amano smiled gently like he always is. “It’s absolutely okay, Uehara-kun. He forgave me.

…Yep, Amano’s just as usual. No matter how much we owe each other, he’ll still smile considerately for me on important things. …This is my best friend, Keita Amano.

“Uh, …I’m sorry. Amano, …I’m just…”

I didn’t know what’s the point of doing that, so I can’t help but plop down my head. …So, a tinge of pain flashed on my head.

“Ouch.”

-1 point, Robo-Tasuku.”

Mii seems to have pulled another hair of mine again. …Sheesh. However, thanks to that, …she helped me.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, controller!”

“Uwah! Ah, …ahahaha! P-Please stop, Robo-Tasuku! It’s too cunning to t-tickle my waist from the bottom- Ahahahaha!”

“What, you admit defeat? Take this, take this!”

Thanks to Mii, I got myself out of that strange atmosphere.

“Sigh, …alright, you two, let’s go.”

Amano turned around after he smiled bitterly. The other members took a step forward to catch up.

I got Mii on my shoulders properly once again since she nearly fell down when I tickled her. -However, I caught her off-guard and tried to tickle her waist a couple more times.

“Aha, aha, ahahaha! I-I can’t. Ahh, …ugh!”

So, at last, Mii leaned on the back of my head softly. She even let out a flirty sound that a little girl shouldn’t have.

…Ah, crap. I think I overdid it and didn’t know when to stop this time. Yep. This way, …doesn’t this look like they’re reporting to the police in others’ eyes?

After I regained my calm, I quickly withdrew my hand from Mii’s waist before anyone misunderstood me-

“Hey, that lolicon over there. I’m sorry. ‘That’ belongs to me.”

-Suddenly, someone impaled my body from behind with an ice spear.

“…………”

Ruthless, cold, sharp, hostile, the tone is as rough as a guy’s- It’s a girl’s sound. It made me feel all those emotions.

That voice from behind isn’t targeting another direction. It’s precisely locked on us.

“Eh, that handsome guy over there, are you listening? I’ll beat you up if you don’t answer, alright? Okay? I’ll treat silence as a yes.”

“…………”

-I took this intimidating aura head-on. It’s not just me…even Amano and the guys, who are not far ahead, immediately froze too.

We couldn’t move at all. It’s as if someone froze our movement. …In the past, I’ve experienced a couple “dangerous” scenes before. However, this is the first time that I can clearly feel I should admit defeat.

This is not just afraid of death or getting killed. Instead, it’s a kind of “it couldn’t be saved no matter what I do” feeling. I can do nothing but submit. Right, this is an over-absolute violent aura.

…The woman that’s continuing radiating this aura pressed on.

“I don’t really care about your sexual fetishes. But, unfortunately, the ‘ownership’ for ‘that’ belongs to me. …I should say you know this, right? Your favorite toy is being touched by someone’s dirty hands. -No one in this world can still keep a good mood, right?”

“…………”

Once we snapped out of it, it’s not just me. …Even Amano and Kousei, …no, even Kase-senpai and Mizumi, who’ve been through hundreds of battles, started sweating by the neck.

-This already has nothing to do with how hostile she is. I’m afraid the existence of the person herself is illogical-

“Turn around, Robo-Tasuku!”

“Owowowowow!”

-Then, as if she’s trying to break through this solemn atmosphere, my hair was suddenly pulled forcefully. Although it’s so painful that my face wrinkled up, I still turned my ugly face around to avoid further damage.

“U-Uehara-kun?”

As if they’re dragged by me, Amano and the guys followed me and turned around.

So, …within this chaotic moment, the true face that caused us immeasurable ‘fear’ is-

“…Eh?”

Just as we’re voicing our confusion, the little girl on my head screamed in her most energetic voice today.

“-Mom!”

I can already predict that Mii will yell this. …Even so, we’re still…

“…Eh?”

The five of us let out of shocked gasp again.

This is because…the overwhelming “existence” from the woman in front of us-

“Very well, Mii. You actually dared to call me ‘mom’ in public. Seriously, you little brat are still just as helpless. -I can’t teach you.”

-She looks just a few years older than us. …The woman’s at her early 20s at maximum. She has an attractive and mysterious wave of platinum hair—a young and beautiful woman.

“Hiya, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you lots are ‘protecting’ Mii for me. I could’ve never expected that. Yep, I shouldn’t judge someone based on their appearance and actions. This won’t do.”

She pretended to say sorry while insulting us and pressed on.

“About that so-called protection, it’s highly narcissistic and unnecessary in my eyes. It really counts as nothing. …Even so, from a sole misunderstanding’s standpoint, it’s really my fault. Well, here, I should think about what I did and bow down to apologize. …Mii will do that instead of me.”

“Eek? …Uh, m-my mom has caused troubles for you guys. Is this correct?”

The girl that was grabbed by her head and forced to bow down for her mom – Mii.

“…………”

When she apologized like that, the five of us can only remain still dazedly.

It’s been around 5 minutes since we met her, …the so-called “mom” of Mii. It looks like she finally understood what happened. However, -we rarely got to speak.

The reason for that is because…

“However, I think you lots are actually part of the problem. Basically, high school boys hanging out on holidays should feel a bit more energetic and relaxed, right. What’s wrong with you guys? All of you look really dead. High school boys surrounding a little girl with an ugly face on the street, nothing is stranger, more disgusting, and displeasedly hilarious than this. Right? This way, it’s hard for me to misunderstanding. …Hmm, indeed, this made sense no matter how many times I simulated it in my brain. The correct rate is at least 90%. However, regrettably, that other 10% is the right answer in this case. By the way, what kind of misunderstanding can cause five high school boys to surround a little girl with that face?”

“Ah, that’s because-“

“Oh, you don’t need to explain. I can calculate all that. If you guys aren’t delinquents, there’s probably only one explanation left. Honestly, the truth is a bunch of normally-not-friendly guys linked together by a lost child. This is so dumb and annoying, right? So, am I right?”

“…Eh? Ah, yes, it’s like what you said.”

“Very well. As for the next suspicion-“

…She always knows everything.

After ‘mom’ showed her inference skills calmly, she can always hit the correct answer brilliantly at last. Mii and us can only answer, “Yes, just like that.” She’ll start guessing and grasping the situation on her own. …We’ve been repeating that procedure since a couple minutes ago.

So, the name of this “mom” and “where were she” a while ago, all of this intelligence that we want to know don’t have any answers. Also, the mood doesn’t allow us to ask.

Amano, who’s standing next to me, got his face close to my ears and mumbled quietly.

“I feel like…I turned into a character controlled by this person…”

“I feel the same. The only words we’re allowed to say is yes or no. Also, instead of saying that we chose it, it’s more like she almost forced us to choose that…”

Also, while she’s clearly a rude person, what she said makes perfect sense. The conclusion is terrifyingly accurate. So, the best option for us is to answer “yes” robotically. Our brains and actions aren’t needed in all of this. In other words, it’s “relaxing” in a way. We don’t need to do anything. This “mom” can reach the “perfectly correct answer” on her own. However…

(…I feel like she’s making people useless in a way…)

I started remembering all of the people I’ve seen so far. Perhaps the one that’s the closest to the concept of a violent “demon king” is this “mom.”

First of all, of course, her most attractive attribute is that silver hair that reminds people of platinum. For a moment, I associated that with Tendou’s blonde hair. However, I can see that she dyed it from the tinge of blackness on the tip of her hair. However, her looks are pretty tidy, and she even dyed her eyebrows too. So, it doesn’t show that “trying her hardest to pretend even though she’s a Japanese” feeling. At least, this is the first time that I’ve seen a Japanese dying her hair with such a forefront color and still doesn’t feel off. Her body is so slim and tall that it reminds people of those top overseas models. I think it just made that silver hair all that more convincing.

However, …the most intriguing thing for me is her uniform.

…Uh, she’s not wearing anything unusual. Well, it really suits her in a way. It’s cool and attractive. Uh, it’s just that…

(…W-Why is she wearing a flight attendant’s suit on the streets…?)

Also, the clothes are unprecedently dirty and messed up. She almost looks like a high school delinquent girl from the Showa period. However, the clothes made her look even more handsome for some reason. It’s even cooler than ordinary flight attendants. She’s as charming as the male character in Takarazuka Revue. [Note: It’s a famous all-female musical theatre troupe. One of them wears a male suit, though.]

So, for a moment, I almost thought that was a cosplay. However, the texture of the uniform doesn’t look cheap at all. It’s more like, even I, who took a flight on the family trip, will think, “Ah, that’s the real thing.” I’m afraid it’s a real uniform. Hmm…

(It feels super weird when you see a uniform like this on the streets. I should say, even though it’s real, people will wonder, is it alright to wear that in public? That usually wouldn’t work, right? You aren’t supposed to wear that in your private lives, right? Come to think of it, can a flight attendant even dye her hair platinum? Sigh, she has too many features.)

Every single boy in the scene is surrounded by questions. However, …just like that, we can literally say nothing. The questions are still floating around us.

…Also, more importantly-

There’s another thing that people will be curious about her. …I’m afraid that I’m the only one to mind.

The reason for that is…

(I feel like…she looks really familiar to someone I know. …It’s hard to tell.)

Honestly, Mii, who’s related to her by blood, shared that impression of mine too. However, the “mom” is even more significant.

(In other words, “mom” looks closer than Mii…to that person in terms of age?)

…No, I couldn’t think of anyone. Initially, I didn’t give it too much thought and treated her like Tendou. However, I still feel like something’s off. Uh, while her “temperament” feels like Tendou’s, this is not why they’re similar. It should be more straightforward, like their face is close-

“-So, we’ll be leaving now. Bye.”

“Eh? Ah, okay. …Eh!?”

Just as we’re still lost in thoughts, that “mom” dragged Mii’s hand quickly and prepared to leave. I hastily went in front of them and told her.

“No, no, no, why are you two leaving so quickly!? Please wait!”

“Hmm? What? Ah, you want money in exchange for returning a lost item?”

When “mom” is actually so provocative, I can’t help but feel anger. However, …I managed to calm down after looking at Mii’s face. …After that, I calmly and forcefully asked her this.

“At least let us bid farewell to Mii properly, alright?”

“Ah, you’re not asking for money? I’m sorry. Kay, here’s your apology.”

This “mom” suddenly gave me a sincere bow.

“I-It’s okay. Uh, well…”

Although I wasn’t expecting this, I still treated this as permission. So, I squatted down and smiled at Mii. Then, just as I’m preparing to pat Mii’s head at last-

“However, even so, I still won’t allow you to ‘bid farewell’ to her.”

“Wha-“

-My hands missed. “Mom” seemed to have pulled Mii’s hand rudely.

“Mom” stared at me, who fell speechless, coldly, and spoke up.

“I can appreciate you for protecting Mii. However, that’s entirely different from whether you people are qualified to interact with Mii, right? Sheesh, …why are you so full of yourself? You guys are hilarious.”

So, it’s not just me, “mom” is looking down on Amano and the guys from behind with a despising look. That’s it. So, I stood up and got close to “mom” forcefully. It’s like I’m about to wrestle with her.

“Y-You!”

“Violent attitude. -1 point, young man.”

“!”

While I’m unwilling to admit this, her tone does sound a bit similar to Mii’s. …So, my momentum was weakened a little. With this window, Mii, who was spectating until now, said, “Uh, m-mom!” She dragged her hand a bit desperately

“I-I want to say goodbye to onii-chans too…”

“…………”

This time, it’s not just us, “mom” is staring at Mii coldly even though she’s her relative.

Mii gulped. …Then, “mom” finally nodded her head after thinking about it for a while.

“Sure. If you’re the one saying it, it can’t be helped. You can go.”

“T-Thank you, mom-“

“However, you can only bid farewell to them unilaterally. You still can’t ‘interact’ with them. It’s already bad when those stinky guys touched you with their oily hands. I can’t deal with it if your soul was stained too.”

“Eh, but-“

“Mii, -who has your ‘ownership’ right now?”

“…Ugh, …i-it’s mom.”

Mii lowered her head and answered. …I see. She sometimes spews out mature words like ‘ownership’ because of this “mom’s” mantra? …This really pisses me off.

“Alright, you can say goodbye to them. Ah, right, there should be a time limit. Well, end this within 30 seconds once you start speaking, get it?”

“Mom” said that as she backed down and started looking at her watch slowly. …It seems like she’s really counting that 30 seconds.

“…………”

The boys were freaked out by that unusual face. …I guess she’s slightly different than those “scumbag parents” as well. It’s not just to Mii. I feel like she has a single motto for everything…

After that, Mii lowered her head and spoke up.

“Thanks for today, everyone. The quest is over.”

“…………”

All of us wanted to reply. Yet, “mom” is staring at us seriously like a judge in sports. So, we can’t do that. …When she’s this inconsiderate, …it really strongly associated with Tendou from a temperament’s perspective. Well, …even though she’s a bit more reasonable.

Mii continued in this unusual situation.

“Also, I’m sorry, Robo-Tasuku. …I can’t bring you until your grand explosion finale.”

“…!”

My face frequently twitched since I really wanted to complain. …Mii smiled mischievously. T-This little kid…! She’s already using this silence rule! The bloodline of “mom” is terrific.

Mii continued.

“Also, “mom” isn’t actually Mii’s mother. Instead…”

“…………”

“Ah, I think we should end it like that.”

(You’re leaving us on a cliffhanger!?)

Even though you two don’t look like mother and daughter from the age and mood! Why are you making this so mysterious!?

After Mii looked at the five boys’ sulky face, …she laughed innocently.

“Thank you so much, onii-chans. I…had fun today!”

“!”

“See you, onii-chans!”

Mii said that at last and waved her hands. Then, she dashed in front of “mom.”

“…It’s really precisely 30 seconds. You really belong to me, Mii. Well, I’ll add 5 points to your reputation in my heart.”

“Mom” said that as she patted Mii’s head very gently. Mii’s getting embarrassed.

“Hehe, it’s nothing, mom.”

“…Hmm. But you didn’t change how you’re calling me, I’ll have to deduct 20 points for that.”

“Ehh!? Isn’t that a bit too much!?”

So, “mom” held Mii’s hand as they laughed and left.

“…………”

To that, we really regretted that we never got to say anything. …However, …that’s why, in comparison, all of us waved our hands energetically as an answer. It’s almost as powerful as Mii just then. So, perhaps our passion finally got a response, Mii turned her head and secretly waved at us behind “mom.” …We’re already so blessed with that alone.

“…Hoho.”

All of us can’t help but give a wholesome smile. …Yes, “all” of us…

“…!”

Amano, Mizumi, Kousei, and I immediately turned around. So, right there, …Kase-senpai slightly relaxed his face. However, his face immediately went back to the original, stiff expression again. He even coughed a couple times to clear his throat.

“…A-Anyway, we dealt with the problem, right? Sigh, much quieter.”

“Yeah, right-“

“Hey, why are you guys showing me such a warm smile? Don’t do that.”

“It’s not really why, …Gakuto-nii-chan.”

“Very well, let’s battle.”

At that moment, Kase-senpai loudly got his guns out from who knows where (I hope that’s just a model). All of us squeaked and tried to comfort him.

So, after things calmed down more or less, Mizumi sighed loudly and mumbled displeasedly.

“However, …who’s that ‘mom’ person? Although it’s impolite to say this, ‘tyrant’ would be a perfect word to describe her. I should say she feels similar to Kase-senpai…”

“Mizumi, who do you think I am, you brat? However, annoyingly, I think I can understand what you said. From her looks, …I think she’s really the same type as me.”

“Hmm? Which type is senpai talking about?”

Mizumi tilted his head confusedly while Kase-senpai answered calmly.

“We’re people that like to bring ‘competition’ into everything, a tough person that wouldn’t concede until the opponent surrenders. If I had to make a metaphor, -it would be that kind of crazy and admirable people.”

“…………”

We held our breaths after hearing what he said for a moment. …Then, after a few seconds, everyone mumbled at the same time.

“You’re actually saying something so embarrassing out loud…”

“Very good, all of you clowns can line up. I’ll execute the shooting.”

“You’ll execute the shooting.”

“…! Y-YOU BRATS ASKED FOR IT!”

Kase-senpai finally snapped and pounced on us. We cheered around as we scrambled and escaped. Although all of us still messed around, …actually, we realized it already.

(Bringing “competition” to everything, right…)

What senpai said was right, and we can’t help but try to mess with him on purpose. All of us would start a “conflict” with that person if we took a wrong step. -If that’s the case, perhaps we might have an unhappy ending with Mii.

After we waited until Kase-senpai’s temper cooled down, we gathered at the arcade’s entrance again.

After that, I cleared my throat and represented everyone to announce a disband.

“Uh, anyway, we’ve successfully dealt with the lost child problem. Everyone, let’s disband here. …Thanks for the work, everyone!”

“Yes, thanks for the work.”

The five of us just went our separate ways in a relaxed manner. It’s different from what we bid farewell to Mii. There’s no emotion at all. After all, four out of five of us are in the same high school. Well, the remaining one is Amano’s little brother as well. I feel like we don’t have to be that depressed for a farewell.

“Hey, Mizumi. So, where’s the game you’re recommending me?”

“Right, I almost forgot. Here, Kase-senpai.”

Then, Mizumi and Kase-senpai immediately entered the arcade to achieve their initial goal.

After we nonchalantly greeted them, Kousei spoke up.

“Then? What should we do about our duel, the green leaves that adorn my brother?”

“Who’s the green leaves? Honestly, …at this point, I don’t want to fight you anymore.”

“Yeah, me too. Well, …we can leave, right?”

“Sure, let’s do that. Well, I’ll just buy something before I go home…”

I looked at Amano after I said that.

“What do you want to do? Or, do you want to tag along-“

Even though I’m suggesting it, Amano immediately shook his head.

“Ah, sorry, Uehara-kun. I want to go home directly and not do anything else.”

“R…Really? That’s okay…”

After I canceled my plan, Amano talked to Kousei directly.

“Ah, you want to go home together, Kousei?”

“Eh? Ah, …I-I’ll hang around on the street a bit longer before going back.”

I guess he’s still trying to mess something up. Kousei answered hesitantly.

However, Amano didn’t seem to mind too much. He just dropped an “I see” before backing down quickly.

“Go home before dinner, Kousei.”

“A-Alright.”

“Well, …see you.”

“G…Goodbye.”

Kousei and I greeted Amano. …He left calmly and chicly.

…………

So, after he disappeared, …Kousei spoke up to me with a serious tone uncharacteristically.

“…Uehara-senpai, today, …what’s your impression of onii-san today?”

“Eh? W-What do you mean…?”

Just as I’m hesitating because I don’t know what he’s asking, he mumbled quietly with a sigh.

“…I feel like…things aren’t as complicated as I expected, even though onii-san’s here…”

“…Eh?”

I didn’t realize it until he said that. …Indeed, perhaps it’s really like that. That guy really got into trouble today, and he did help to solve it. But, …that’s it. Especially now that I remembered it, the strangest thing is that…

Kousei mumbled in the direction that Amano left.

“Especially that ‘mom’ of Mii. I thought a woman like her will definitely fight with onii-san…”

“Y-Yeah…”

Come to think of it, I almost snapped at some scenes. Yet, Amano is exceptionally quiet today…

Kousei sighed loudly.

“Sigh, I’m not hoping that onii-san is falling into trouble. In reality, if onii-san rebelled against that ‘mom’ today. Then, including Mii, everyone will probably be frustrated. You can say that he made a pretty smart decision.”

“Yeah. …From this perspective, isn’t Amano improving?”

“Improving, right…? You’re correct…”

Kousei and I reached the same conclusion, but we still felt a bit uncomfortable inside. …That guy made the correct decisions today. It’s entirely accurate. He didn’t cause any extra troubles. Even so, it’s not like he’s being inconsiderate to others. He’s improving as a person. …That should be the case.

…………

I suddenly remembered something, so I mumbled to Kousei.

“Right, Amano…said that he’s not going to meet with Aguri for a while.”

Kousei answered cheerfully to what I reported.

“Oh, that’s good news. I also respected Aguri-senpai as onii-san’s friend. Even so, it’s better when fewer things are blocking Chiaki-senpai’s path.”

“Yeah, that should be the case, to you.”

“Uehara-senpai’s just the same. Your girlfriend, …no, your ex-girlfriend, right. Anyway, isn’t it worth celebrating where you’re less likely to be jealous or worry about your loved ones?”

“…I guess so. …From this perspective, Amano’s dealing with everything pretty well recently. Yep.”

“…Yeah.”

Naturally, our conversation stopped here.

In the end, there’s no more reason for us to stay together anymore. So, we bid farewell after greeting.

I checked out the guys’ clothes since that’s what I planned to do.

“…………”

However, I really don’t have the mood.

At last, I quitted after browsing for 30 minutes at maximum. Then, I got on the bus that’s headed towards my home.

I took a seat at the back of the empty bus and stared at the darkened streets dazedly. I tried to think about what happened today.

(Keita Amano’s improving, …right? …Ah, hey, I wonder whether Mii’s home yet.)

Just as I’m lost in thoughts, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and realized there are already tens of messages.

I quickly checked them. However, in the end, almost all of them came from Aguri. “I’m eating the desserts next.” It’s really ordinary reports like that. I pressed my chest in relief.

…Sigh, if she’s willing to talk about small things like this, a guy in love like me does feel pretty blessed.

I threw the issue I had with Amano behind my mind and started replying to Aguri lovingly.

In the midst of that, …suddenly, there’s a little, …you can say it’s a microscopic kind of realization.

I texted my beloved ex-girlfriend back as I mumbled to myself on the bus.

“Come to think of it, that ‘mom’ looks quite similar to Aguri.”

…………

It’s a “small discovery” that I quickly forgot afterward.

At that time, I have no reason to know that- how important does that mean to me later.