ALL NOVEL chapter 10
10. Akane and Momo
*
Five days had passed since I saw the work of the Philance Pink team, and I still couldn’t feel like a hero. Of course, it’s been almost a week since I took office as Philance Blue, but I haven’t received a single dispatch order, which the other team members have been receiving a lot.
I was told that I could come to the base anytime, but after the paperwork was done, I couldn’t think of any reason to go, so I haven’t been able to go. Well, it’s only natural that it’s a bit inconvenient to go to the base, which is even farther away from my house than the university, on weekdays.
Or rather, to begin with, the abnormal behavior of Himawari on the second day of joining and the suspicious words that Momo showed, Dr. Gentian seems to be expecting me to follow up with Akane-san and the others.
“It’s too much for me…”
I’ve never had a girlfriend before, and I’ve never been popular, so there’s no way I can handle a yandere hero girl with a lot of quirks. Why me? Just because Akane-san liked me a little doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the other heroes, and besides, I haven’t talked to Akane-san much since then.
Even so, now that I’ve joined Philance Blue, I can’t just run away easily since I know everything. I’ve been making excuses with the university for five days, but if I don’t go on my day off, I’ll really be thought of as having run away.
So, today is my day off, and I was going to go to the antique bookstore ‘Shiundo’ where the base is located in the morning, but I was so surprised by her waiting in front of my house that I closed the door once without thinking.
“Why did you close it?”
She opened the closed door lightly, and I got scared and tried to close it again.
“It’s hard!?”
The door, which she had gripped tightly, wouldn’t budge.
“Why did you close it, Sora?”
“S, sorry.”
I was a little scared, but I couldn’t say that. I never thought I’d run into Akane-san in plain clothes as soon as I tried to leave the house.
“Um, Akane-san? This is my house, you know.”
“I know.”
“Why… Well, never mind. Do you need something from me?”
Did she come to pick me up because I hadn’t shown my face for a while? If so, I think I’m sorry, but it’s a bit far to go for no reason. And to be honest, it’s kind of scary.
“…”
“Hey? Akane-san?”
“…because”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“Of course it’s because I wanted to see Sora!!”
“Whoa!”
I flinched at her angry voice, which sounded like a tantrum.
“You wanted to see me?”
That’s what it sounded like.
“Yeah, is that bad?”
“Oh…”
I wonder, I honestly don’t know much about Akane-san, and I knew she seemed to like me, but I had no idea why, so I wondered how to treat her, but when I look at her like this, she’s just plain cute.
“Um, I’m happy.”
I answered honestly. I still think it’s a little scary because of the fact that the heroes, including Akane-san, have yandere qualities, and because of Uguisu-san’s story that Red is very strict with her team members, but it still makes me happy as a man to have someone show me affection like this.
“Mu, is that so. I’m sorry for barging in like this.”
“No, no, I was just about to go to Shiundo myself.”
“Was it… to meet me?”
“Huh?”
“By saying ‘me too,’ you mean you wanted to see me, just like me?”
That wasn’t what I meant to say, but oh well.
“Something like that.”
“Wha-!”
Akane’s face was bright red, and she couldn’t look me in the eye. Looking at her like this, she really is just a girl.
“S-Sora! Is there a place you like to go?”
“A place I like? Well, I like quiet places like the library.”
“The library… that won’t do.”
“It won’t?”
What is she talking about?
“The library is crowded.”
“Um, I also like the mountains. I don’t go often, but if I had to choose between the ocean and the mountains, I’d definitely choose the mountains.”
“The mountains, huh? That’s good.”
This seems to be good. Great, does Akane like the mountains too?
“Sora, from now on, the two of us will go to the mountains toge-“
“Sora-senpai!”
“Huh?”
“….”
Akane and I turned towards the cute voice, and in the distance, we saw pink twintails waving as she ran towards us.
“Good morning, senpai.”
“Oh, good morning. Momo…”
I secretly tensed up at the appearance of Philance Pink, Ishizaki Momo. At first glance, she looks like an ordinary high school girl, but the expression she showed me after work the other day was nothing short of terrifying, to be honest.
Momo, who rescued a boy who was left behind in a building fire, received a Philance Red stuffed animal as a thank you. Apparently, it was a treasure to the boy, his most important toy, so he wanted to give it to Philance Pink , his savior.
However, Momo couldn’t forgive the fact that the boy she saved thought the Red stuffed animal was a treasure, and she tore it to shreds and threw it away. It pains me to think about how the boy who gave her the treasured stuffed animal must have felt, and above all, destroying the stuffed animal of her fellow Philance Red is disturbing. She said, “I won’t do anything like that again,” but all I can see from that act is hatred towards Philance Red and Akane .
Akane herself avoids the other members, but at the very least, Momo doesn’t think well of Akane. That’s for sure. As for me, who has seen the hatred that women can show each other for the first time, I can’t help but be scared of this lovely girl with low twintails.
“Huh? Senpai, don’t you have something to say to Momo?”
Akane, who is right next to me, is being ignored, and Akane is also not looking at Momo.
“…Something to say?”
Long time no see, that’s not right. Um… oh, that’s right.
“Y-you’re cute.”
“Wha-?!”
“Ehehehehe! Thank you, senpai.”
I remember the promise I made in exchange for her not destroying something she received from a child, even if it was a Philance Red item she hated. It’s a strange request to say “Tell me I’m cute” a lot, and it’s embarrassing , but if it makes things go more smoothly, it’s a small price to pay. She is cute, after all.
“W-wait a minute, Sora? W-what was that just now?”
Oh, Akane, who was watching next to me, is horified. She’s really shaken.
“What do you mean, what? Sora-senpai just said that Momo is cute… How else could you have seen it?”
Before I could answer, Momo retorted as if to say, “Don’t butt in.”
“W-why would you say something like that?”
“Why? Is there a reason to say someone’s cute when you see them? Even Akane-san, you’ve been told ‘cool’ and ‘strong’ by a lot of people, right?”
“…”
“Momo isn’t cool at all, so I’ve never been told that.”
Oh no, they’re getting more and more hostile while I’m here unable to say anything. What should I do? Should I talk about the promise I made with Momo? But I definitely can’t tell Akane-san about the Philansfred plushy. I feel like I’d die socially if she thought I was making a silly couple’s promise to tell her she’s cute every time we met.
“Senpai, you always say what you think honestly like this… I like that about you, Momo.”
“Don’t screw with me!!!!!!!!!!!!”
――――CRASH――――
“KYAAH!”
A deafening crash like a truck had collided with something echoed as the metal gate to my house was crushed in someone’s grip.
“Akane-san, calm down!”
“Stop with the violence!”
“Sora, since long ago!! You’ve been mine!!!”
Akane-san, filled with rage, swung her fist at Momo again.
“Akane-san!!”
Before I knew it, I had forgotten myself and was standing in front of Momo, shielding her from the fist that could rival the force of a runaway truck. I’m sure that it had far more power than anything a human could possess, and I might have moved to protect her because I judged that Akane-san would end up committing murder if this continued.
“Get out of the way, Sora.”
“N-no, I won’t let you, Akane-san.”
I probably won’t get hit. I’m sure, definitely, probably.
“I don’t want to see Akane-san become a murderer.”
“…It’s too late for that.”
“Huh?”
“Even if one more person gets added now, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m a murderer.”
“…Akane-san?”
I wanted to ask her what she meant, but I didn’t have the courage to press her.
“…Tch.”
Whether she had lost interest or not, she lowered her fist and left my house.
“Where are you going!”
She didn’t answer. I somehow managed to avert the immediate crisis, but I’m worried about Akane-san. I should consult with Dr. Gentian about this, including the issue of her animosity towards Momo.
“Momo, let’s go to the base.”
“Huh?”
“Will you come with me?”
“O-of course, Senpai. Momo will always be with Senpai.”
If I take my eyes off Momo now, she might start up with Akane-san again. It’ll be safer to take her with me.