Chapter 43 - 43: Utaha wants to pack up

That night, Aoyama Nanami lay in bed, still thinking about what had happened earlier. She was full of unanswered questions. "Was he just a kind passerby who saw me struggling and decided to help throw the trash away? No, no, if that were the case, he wouldn't have left without saying a word, right?" Muttering to herself, she suddenly recalled a video she had seen online—about people who collect garbage to eat. The thought that the person might have been a homeless scavenger made her worry. There were so many bacteria in those trash bags! While she struggled to sleep, elsewhere, the police were working overtime. "We've investigated everything. The two groups involved in the fight didn't know each other beforehand. The conflict started over a pachinko game. But both sides have a history of getting arrested for brawling." A junior officer was reporting to his senior. "What about that masked guy the witnesses mentioned?" the senior officer asked. "We checked the surveillance footage. His movements were completely visible—no signs of evasion. We've identified him..." The young officer hesitated for a moment before pulling up a photo on his phone. It was a student ID picture of Haru. The senior officer raised an eyebrow. "A kid from the Amamiya family?" "You know him, sir?" "Yeah. A while back, I had the chance to attend a birthday party with the superintendent. I saw the Amamiya family there. Tell me, what's his deal?" The senior officer adjusted his posture, ready to listen. "I suspect this high schooler is... well, going through a serious chuunibyou phase." "...What?" The senior officer looked like he had misheard. Unable to hold back a chuckle, the younger officer explained, "His outfit tonight was straight out of an anime or video game. Last year, I handled a similar case—three high schoolers got obsessed with One Punch Man, decided to play vigilante, and started patrolling after school. Incredibly, they actually managed to catch a motorcycle thief." The senior officer nodded in understanding. "So you think this kid is doing the same thing?" "Exactly. We reviewed the footage—he was just roaming around the area. Kabukicho is a messy place, full of businesses with yakuza ties. After breaking up the fight, he simply left. That makes it pretty obvious—he's most likely just another kid inspired by anime and games, out on a 'hero patrol.' He just happens to use... rather extreme methods of persuasion." The older officer thought for a moment before nodding. "Got it." The younger officer then hesitantly asked, "Sir, should we call him in for questioning?" The senior officer shook his head. "Tomorrow. Let's wait until after school and visit his house instead." The younger officer didn't argue. As he walked back to his desk, he muttered with a smirk, "If he really wants to fight for justice, why choose Obito Uchiha? Wouldn't Minato Namikaze be a better choice?" The next morning. "Morning, Amamiya." "Morning, Furukawa." As Haru greeted his classmate, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Furukawa was sketching something in his notebook. At the top of the page was a neatly drawn girl—no, a little girl. Furukawa had decent drawing skills. Haru recognized the character and decided to test his guess. "Prototype Bulin MKII?" Furukawa immediately looked up, eyes lighting up. "Wait, you play Azur Lane too?" "Nah, I only played the main Azur Lane, but I've seen plenty of clips from the chibi version." After chatting briefly, Furukawa went back to drawing. Haru glanced over again and recognized another character—Scylla. Oh great, he's drawing a KIRISHIMA full house lineup. While Haru focused on his study notes, Furukawa finished his sketch and leaned over. "Why are you studying so hard?" "I want to make it to the top ten in our year and see what the view is like," Haru joked. Furukawa laughed, assuming it was just a joke. "Then I'll give it a try too." "What was your last test ranking?" "Uh... somewhere near the bottom... Wait, Amamiya, what's with that face?" "You idiot, you're not like other people. Don't waste your time on studying." "???" During the break after the third period, Haru overheard his classmates chatting about a "hooded guy," some even jokingly calling him the "swirling mask man." So someone really did record last night's fight, huh? Well, at least his outfit and mask served as a decent disguise. For lunch, he usually ate at the cafeteria. Yukino had originally wanted to make him a bento, but he felt that waking up early just for that wasn't worth it. More sleep was always the better option. In the end, she agreed. Eat well, sleep well—that was his strength training routine before the system arrived. He hadn't expected, though, that on the way to the cafeteria, someone would stop him. "Do you have a moment?" Utaha greeted him with a smile. "I was just heading to lunch. We can talk while we walk." Noticing that she looked more tired than yesterday, Haru figured Yukino's overwhelming competence must have gotten to her. Maybe she overworked herself last night. Sure enough, the first thing she said confirmed his suspicions. "Yesterday, Yukinoshita-san told me she not only studied acting on her own but also mastered multiple musical instruments." Haru nodded. "That's true." "Did you specifically train her?" "No." "I see... So she's just naturally that driven to improve." Utaha had complicated feelings. Even just imagining Yukino's journey to this point felt suffocating. "How can someone be this talented?" The thought echoed in her mind. When Haru had called Yukino a "talent monster with maxed-out stats," she had been skeptical. But now, hearing his confirmation once again, she couldn't help but waver. Setting her thoughts aside, she got back to the point. "I've been having some ideas lately... I feel like I could write something worth publishing. If you have time, could you take a look?" So she's finally leaning into the "literary girl" path, huh? Haru understood instantly and didn't refuse. He was actually quite interested in reading her first draft. Walking together like this naturally drew attention from their classmates, but neither of them cared. As they neared the cafeteria, Haru noticed something off about Utaha's expression. Before he could ask, she suddenly stopped and clutched her stomach. "What's wrong?" Seeing her like this, Haru had a pretty good idea. "It's nothing... I just need to rest for a bit." She forced a weak smile. The sharp, needle-like pain in her abdomen left her barely able to speak. Haru didn't waste words. He crouched in front of her. "Get on. I'll take you to the infirmary." He already knew. Yukino had been in the same situation before. Back then, he had taken care of her too—while calling Haruno for help. Utaha didn't refuse. She couldn't. Summer uniforms weren't thick, and as she lay against his back, she became acutely aware of the warmth and strength beneath her. She also realized just how clearly she could feel her own body against his. But she was too drained to care. Instead, as she endured the pain, she found herself savoring the comforting warmth of his back. "It would be nice if things could always be like this." The thought crossed her mind. Carrying her steadily, Haru ran toward the infirmary. And in that moment, he recalled—he had done this once before. Back then, it had been Yukino on his back. Back then, he had sprinted at full speed. But now, with [Steel Body], his movements were swift yet incredibly steady. His body barely bobbed as he ran, his strides smooth and controlled. It wasn't just raw strength that allowed this—it required both endurance and skill, much like a seasoned cheetah that had spent years honing its craft on the open plains. Students around him reacted with mixed expressions as they watched the scene unfold. But none of them noticed a short-haired girl standing quietly within the crowd, her presence nearly invisible. She simply watched the two figures disappear into the distance. Just moments ago, she had been on her way to lunch with Utaha. She had seen it all—the way her companion suddenly turned around and, with a brief apology, said, "Sorry, I have something I need to take care of."