The Former Swordmaster Who Pretends to Be the Worst, and the School’s Top-Ranked Chairman’s Daughter Who’s Way Too Sweet in Public, It’s a Real Problem
“Takanashi, huh…”
After finishing my briefing with Ryotaro san,
I went out onto the balcony on the second floor of the Agatsuma house to catch some fresh air. I wanted to clear my head and think things through, even if just for a moment. I’d had a hunch something was up the moment I heard a friend was involved, but hearing the name spoken aloud still left me feeling unsettled.
As I let my thoughts wander, my emotions began to boil over.
The autumn breeze, bridging summer and winter, cooled my flushed head.
“…I don’t really know that girl that well, do I?”
Until I transferred into Class A, we’d joke around almost every day, along with the others.
She would always have a beaming smile on her face, lifting the spirits of our classmates. I didn’t think there was any pretense in that; yet at the same time, I couldn’t deny that our connection was tenuous.
If that’s the case, then it’s possible to approach this with skepticism from the start.
And yet, what’s causing me to waver and sounding the alarm to be cautious is—
“Why is she acting like that…?”
—The expression on Takanashi’s face that I’d seen a few times outside school.
The first time was in the middle of the city at night. Blending into the crowd, she had a look in her eyes that seemed to hide a certain melancholy. I remember that lonely-looking profile all too well.
The next time was today at the facility. The girl, dressed in a hospital gown, didn’t have her usual sparkle in her eyes. Her expression, as if she had given up on everything, was so sorrowful it was almost heartbreaking.
That’s exactly why I can’t help but wonder.
Could there be some reason behind Takanashi’s behavior?
“No, but…!”
Of course, I knew that kind of naivety could lead to complacency.
I’d been burned by it countless times even before I was reincarnated. Back when I was fighting in that other world, I lost things because of it. That regret will never fade.
I’d grown sick of myself, torn between those two extremes.
“Haa, really—”
“You really are such a softie, Saito-kun, aren’t you?”
“—Huh?”
Just as I was thinking that, the voice of a girl I cherished suddenly cut in.
Startled, I turned around to find Rika standing there. Dressed in her pajamas, she gave me a gentle smile and slowly walked toward me.
Then, standing beside me, she looked straight ahead and said,
“You and Dad are keeping a secret from me, aren’t you?”
I found myself holding my breath.
I should have denied it right away, but I couldn’t lie to her. My reaction was nothing short of an admission, and my childhood friend laughed in exasperation as she continued.
“Both you and your dad are so easy to read. How should I put it… I guess you just can’t keep secrets? When you’re holding something in, it shows on your face!”
“How long have you known…?”
“Since this morning! dad’s been looking so serious, and ever since you two talked alone, you’ve had the same look on your face too!”
“Ah, ha ha ha… Well, I guess there’s no helping it.”
Rika spoke as if to say, “Of course.”
Now that she’d said that, it might be pointless to try to cover it up. Still, I couldn’t exactly go into details, so I could only scratch my cheek with a wry smile.
Then, perhaps out of concern for me,
my childhood friend took a deep breath and said this:
“…You know, I think it’s fine for you to stay just the way you are, Saito-kun—someone who always thinks of others.”
“Eh…?”
I looked at her, slightly surprised, and what I saw was a smile brimming with tenderness. Resting her cheek on her folded arms as she looked at me, she was as beautiful as a saint.
As I stood there speechless, my childhood friend added:
“Of course, I have no intention of giving you up to anyone else. Even so, I think it’s fine for you to stay just the ‘good-natured Saito-kun’ you are. …No, I want you to stay just the way you are.”
“…………”
At those words, I unconsciously bit my lip.
Then, steeling my resolve, I told her.
“But… maybe Rika could end up in danger.”
Yet Rika answered without breaking her composure.
I had no idea where she was getting that from,
“It’ll be fine. Because—”
But she spoke with a tone of absolute certainty.
“If I’m in danger, Saito-kun will definitely come to me.”—
Such a strong, unwavering trust.
I had even forgotten to breathe at Rika’s declaration. Because her expression right now was shining with absolute confidence.
And her hair was blowing in the autumn breeze.
The sight of my childhood friend standing there seemed almost like a painting.
“Saito-kun, you’ll definitely be able to save everyone, right?”
Faced with Rika’s question, I couldn’t bring myself to say it was impossible.
I took a quiet, deep breath. With a small smile on my face,
“…Yeah, of course.”
I stood tall in response to the question from the girl who meant so much to me.
“I can definitely save everyone.”
I didn’t care about the evidence.
Even so, this resolve of mine would not waver.
Because I’m “selfish and a softie,” I’ll definitely save everyone—that’s what I told myself.
Maiban