Chapter 64 - 64: Kato Megumi –

Haru was a little surprised to realize he was being followed, but he didn't break his stride. Instead, he subtly changed direction, heading toward a quieter alleyway. At the entrance of the alley, two figures were squatting on the ground, surrounded by scattered empty beer cans. The alcohol had loosened their tongues, and they were chatting away as if they had endless things to say. Noticing someone approaching, they looked up. The moment they saw Haru's outfit, they froze. Haru studied the younger of the two. Isn't he a member of the karate club? He still remembered the guy's name. A third-year student struggling academically—he'd even complained about it in the club before. As for why he was out here drinking with an acquaintance so late at night? Haru didn't really care. Sure, underage drinking was technically illegal, but in anime, a teenage protagonist could commit murder, destroy cities, and even reshape the world—just not drink alcohol. In reality, though, Haru knew plenty of his classmates had already tasted it. "It's the hooded vigilante! Cousin, look!" "I see him!" The high schooler excitedly slapped the shoulder of the man next to him. The older one scowled, clearly annoyed. Despite their excitement, they struggled to stand up—probably because they'd had too much to drink—and had to steady themselves against the wall. Haru ignored their enthusiasm and turned around, only to see a group of about ten men approaching. Standing front and center was a man in a sharp suit—someone Haru recognized immediately. Oh, it's Mr. Koga. The same guy who, back when Haru had farmed experience off a fugitive, had been too scared to make a move. Yet now, here he was, following Haru with an entire crew. Revenge for his friend? Haru doubted it. Koga's expression was cold as he signaled his men to get ready. "You're not easy to find." The two drunken young men behind Haru were completely stunned. Just moments ago, they'd been giddy about their chance encounter with the "Hooded Hero." But in an instant, the atmosphere had shifted. Suddenly, they were surrounded by over a dozen men holding weapons. Haru glanced at the trembling pair and pointed deeper into the alley. Realizing what he meant, they stammered their thanks and hurriedly scurried away, abandoning their beer cans in their escape. "Are they your friends?" Koga asked. Haru shook his head. "Oh, so you really are the good Samaritan the news claims you to be? A superhero?" Koga sneered. Haru finally spoke. "You're here for revenge?" "Revenge? I'm not that stupid. That guy's going to rot in prison for the rest of his life…" Koga's expression darkened. "I'm here because of what you pulled that night. The police treated me like an accomplice! You cost me a lot of money, Hooded Hero." Haru understood now. "So your little bar had some shady business going on, and the police shut it down along with the rest?" Koga's face twisted in fury, confirming the guess. He took out a lighter, lighting a cigarette as he glared at Haru. "You're not just some random vigilante, are you? I tried digging up information on you, but the police shut it down. Even warned me to stop looking." Haru now understood why officer Yuto had come to his school. The guy probably figured that after helping him a few times, it was time for a proper introduction. Only three people in the entire police force knew the truth. Since everything was clear now, there was no need to keep talking. Haru curled a finger at Koga. "Go ahead." It was the same gesture people used when calling over a stray dog. If he made a little "pspsps" noise to go with it, the resemblance would be complete. "I've changed my mind," Koga muttered, his voice filled with venom. "My original plan was just to rough you up and get my money back. But now? Now I think I'll break your arms and legs first—" Before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind howled past him. A sharp, violent sound split the air. In the blink of an eye—no, even faster than a blink—Haru had crossed the three-meter gap between them. "I hear smoking is bad for you," Haru remarked. Koga barely registered the words before his cigarette vanished from his lips. He didn't even have time to process what had happened. Then— BANG! Koga's body was sent flying at an angle. He crashed to the ground, his face colliding with the pavement in a brutal impact. His lighter and phone tumbled from his pockets, shattering into pieces. The lighter burst apart, sending tiny fragments scattering. A few nearby pedestrians instinctively turned toward the noise. Blood dripped from Koga's obviously broken nose. He clutched his face, groaning, unable to form coherent words. His men stood there, dumbfounded. The usually bustling nighttime streets were eerily silent. Haru listened as his system notified him of gained experience points. He casually flicked the stolen cigarette away and turned to the stunned group. "Do you guys understand now?" Still reeling from shock, one of them stupidly blurted out, "Understand what?" Haru pointed to the bleeding, groaning Koga. "Smoking is bad for you." The logic was so absurd that everyone's minds blanked for a second. The nearest thug, still in a daze, instinctively swung his baton at Haru. It cut through the air with a sharp whoosh— Haru didn't even bother dodging. He simply lifted his arm and blocked it. A dull thud echoed. The young man's hands went numb. The heavy baton slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground. "You've got to be kidding me…" The others froze in horror. Haru nonchalantly bent down and picked up the fallen baton. Then, as the thug stared at him in disbelief— Haru grinned. "My turn." "...Huh?" The words barely left his mouth before Haru drove his elbow into the guy's gut. The thug let out a choked scream as his body lifted off the ground. At the same time, Haru pivoted, narrowly dodging a sneak attack from the side. His left hand clenched into a fist— And slammed into the second man's face. A perfectly executed straight punch. Even though he held back, the moment his fist connected, a sickening crack rang out. Blood sprayed as something broke—nose? eyebrow bone? It was hard to tell. The force sent the man spinning through the air like a human yo-yo. He crashed into a group of his own allies, streaks of blood tracing crimson arcs in the air before splattering onto the pavement. A grotesquely beautiful scene of violence. The rest of the gang abandoned any thoughts of attacking. They hadn't even seen how he countered. All they knew was that he raised his hand— And their friends were gone. As they stared at the groaning bodies of their comrades, then back at their unconscious boss, fear swallowed them whole. Haru clapped his hands together in a polite, almost casual stance. "All at once, or one by one?" Two minutes later. The two young men hiding in the alley finally peeked out. All they saw was absolute carnage. Their jaws dropped. "He did all this by himself?" They exchanged glances, seeing the same shock in each other's eyes. "Damn it! If I knew, I would've recorded it! I could've gone viral! Maybe even become a streamer!" The high schooler clutched his head in regret. His cousin sighed heavily. They had hidden too well. And now, they'd never know exactly what had happened. One thing was certain, though— Neither of them was getting any sleep tonight. ... On the other side Haru hadn't walked far before a group of energetic young people started following him. They had rushed over to the scene of the earlier fight, witnessing firsthand how he single-handedly took down a gang of armed men. If there had been cameras around, they might've thought they were watching an action movie. "Hooded Hero! Can you say hi to my livestream viewers?" A young man excitedly held up his phone, his face full of enthusiasm. Haru glanced at him but kept walking. The streamer's excitement faded into disappointment. Just as he was about to follow— Whoosh! Haru suddenly picked up speed and effortlessly lost the crowd. "Wait, am I seeing things? Was that speed faster than a pro sprinter?" One of the guys rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "I told you guys before—Kamen Riders and Ultramen are real! You didn't believe me, but now you've seen a superhero with your own eyes! What do you have to say for yourselves now?!" Another clenched his fists, looking like he was ready to become a hero himself. "What can I say?" muttered a foreigner in English, unable to keep up with the conversation in Japanese. Meanwhile, Haru took a detour to ensure no one was following him before finally making his way back to the car. He didn't particularly care if someone had caught him on camera again. As the driver started the engine, he asked, "Heading straight back, or are we stopping by the usual spot first?" Haru paused for a moment, then smiled. "Let's stop by for a quick look." The driver wasn't surprised. Haru had already come here twice to "stake out" Aoyama Nanami. At this point, it was practically routine. A short while later, the car stopped across the street from a small shop. The lights inside were dimmed, and Haru didn't see Nanami anywhere. Just as he was about to leave, a familiar figure stepped out of the store. Haru blinked. It wasn't Aoyama Nanami. It was Kato Megumi. A voice called out from inside the shop, "Kato-san, you don't have to wait for me! I still need to take out the trash." Megumi responded softly, but her voice was so quiet that Haru couldn't make out what she said. She didn't leave, though. How do they know each other? Haru frowned. He had only ever introduced Nanami to Utaha, and even then, it was just a brief meeting. They hadn't exchanged contact information or anything. No use overthinking it. He let it go for now. A moment later, Nanami stepped out of the store carrying a garbage bag. Haru was just about to go over and "steal" the trash from her when their eyes met. Her lips parted in surprise. Then, she quickly glanced at Megumi beside her before winking at Haru. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Her small, playful expression was surprisingly cute. A smile formed under Haru's mask. Even after their last encounter, Nanami hadn't impulsively called or messaged him. He knew she must have been incredibly curious, but because he hadn't brought it up himself, she had the courtesy to respect his silence. Megumi, noticing Nanami's gaze, turned her head and saw Haru in his usual mix-and-match streetwear. She froze. Her normally calm and expressionless face showed something rare—genuine surprise. Haru stepped forward and held out his hand toward Nanami. "I… I can carry it myself!" Nanami puffed up her cheeks in protest, determined to show her strength. Afraid that Haru would try to take it anyway, she quickly added, "If it's too heavy, I'll just ask my friend for help." She gestured toward Megumi. Seeing how insistent she was—and knowing she had someone to assist her—Haru decided to let it go this time. He had only stopped by on a whim, after all. Since there was nothing else to do, he turned and left. Nanami let out a small sigh of relief. Her gaze lingered on his retreating figure, filled with curiosity. Is he off to fight crime again? Ever since she had learned that he was the "Hooded Hero," she had watched every related video and read every news article about him. And after seeing everything, she felt nothing but admiration. A high school student by day. A silent protector by night. Just like in the movies. "Nanami, I should get going soon. Give me two trash bags?" Megumi's voice suddenly pulled her back to reality. Nanami thought Megumi was in a hurry to head home, so she smiled and said, "It's really not that heavy. I can carry it myself, plus my coworkers are still inside." Megumi didn't insist. She simply bowed slightly and said, "Thanks for the milk tea today." "You don't have to be so polite." Nanami watched Kato Megumi leave, her face full of warmth. She was grateful to Haru for introducing her to Utaha. If not for him, she never would have met Kato Megumi, an easygoing and pleasant girl to be around. Although she now had Utaha's contact information and occasionally chatted with her online, she found herself preferring Megumi's company. It was comfortable. Effortless. Something Utaha had never quite given her. However, Nanami had no idea that Megumi didn't actually head straight home. Instead, she followed Haru to his car. Haru, about to get in, was surprised when the quiet girl suddenly spoke. "Amamiya-san." It wasn't a question. Just a simple greeting. Haru raised an eyebrow. "Did Aoyama tell you?" It was the only explanation he could think of. But Megumi countered with a question of her own. "So Nanami knows too?" Haru realized he had guessed wrong. He opened the car door. "Get in. I'll give you a ride." "Thanks." Megumi didn't refuse. Once they were seated in the back and the car began moving, Megumi's calm eyes revealed a flicker of curiosity. "So, the 'Hooded Hero' everyone's talking about online is really you." Haru removed his mask. "How did you figure it out?" Megumi's voice was light but steady. "When I first joined the photography club, both you and Yukinoshita told me that photography is about observing details—that camera work is like a special language." Haru listened patiently. "Yukinoshita said that if you watch closely, you can recognize a person's habits through their expressions, movements, posture, even the way they walk." "…Wait." Haru's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying you've been watching… how I walk?" Megumi nodded honestly. "Not just your walk. I've been closely studying both you and Yukinoshita. I've taken detailed notes." Haru was stunned. Then, he remembered something Megumi had once said: "I find you and Yukinoshita fascinating." So… she wasn't just making conversation. She had truly meant it. Megumi picked up on his shift in mood. "Does this bother you? If it does, I'll stop." "Not really. It just feels… weird." Haru chuckled. Even Yukino probably only understood his personality—she wouldn't go out of her way to analyze how he walked. Megumi tilted her head. "Would Yukinoshita-san be mad?" Haru shook his head. "If anything, she'd admire how seriously you're improving your observational skills." Then he laughed. "Of course, admiration aside, she'd probably also tell you to pick someone else to study." Megumi nodded thoughtfully. "Being watched all the time must be uncomfortable." Haru still felt a bit odd about it, but now that he understood, it wasn't exactly a bad thing. Then, Megumi's gaze locked onto him. Her voice softened. "Amamiya-san, do you dream of being a superhero?" "No." Haru already knew where this was going. "But the internet thinks you are one. Even the police praise you for fighting crime." "If I had to give a reason… I'd say it's just a hobby." "But now people are saying this online, and even the police are praising you for always fighting criminals." "If you have to find a reason, it's probably because of interest, right?" "A hero… as a hobby?" Haru smirked. "Oh? You know about Saitama?" "The boys in class talk about him sometimes." Their conversation carried on in a lighthearted tone. By the time they reached her stop, Megumi got out and gave Haru a slight tilt of her head. Her eyes glimmered with something playful, something distinctly youthful. "Nanami's expression earlier—she wanted to keep your secret, didn't she?" Haru was impressed. "You even caught that?" Megumi clasped her hands behind her back, the night breeze gently playing with her hair. "You don't mind having one more person in on the secret, do you?" "…That sounds a little ominous." The corners of Megumi's lips curled subtly. "I'll keep your secret." Haru wasn't sure how to respond. This girl really knows how to get under my skin. Without another word, he took his leave. As the car disappeared into the distance, Megumi turned and walked away. Another interesting discovery. Not only was he serious about his club activities— He also wanted to be a real-life hero. Megumi found herself looking forward to tomorrow's club meeting. Because judging by his outfit tonight, she was sure— By morning, there would be big news. And she wanted to see his face when it broke. Above her, the night sky stretched out like an endless canvas. The moon peeked through the clouds, its silver glow illuminating the delicate features of the girl below. But it could not quite reveal the thoughts hidden behind her gentle smile.