My youth story cannot be a knight war

“Hey, Dad—”

"Xiao Wei! Oh no!!!"

A terrified scream, nearly breaking everyone's eardrums, echoed throughout the backstage area, even without the speakerphone turned on. Unlike the other startled girls, Kousaka Kyousuke, who had already been vaguely expecting this, held his head in his hands with a look of despair, as if he had already seen documents after documents that needed to be processed appear before his eyes.

"Goodbye...my weekend."

[“Dad, what’s wrong? Could it be—”]

Hirasawa Yui's father's unusual reaction made her nervous. Her large eyes were filled with despair as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Could it be—is Mom finally back home?! Then, won't we just have to let You cook from now on?"

“Is this what you’re concerned about now?! And why was it Yu who cooked after Mom passed away instead of you or Dad? What kind of all-powerful role does she usually play at home? Who is the older sister between you two sisters?”

Hirasawa Yui's unique line of thought and questioning nearly made everyone spit out saliva. Tian Zhongli even couldn't help but complain, expressing deep doubts about the true ecological environment of the Hirasawa family.

"Yes, your mother—no! Not about this!"

[Mr. Hirasawa, led astray by his own daughter, subconsciously tried to respond, but once he realized what was happening, he quickly spoke.]

"Something happened! Something happened in our house! Robbers broke in!"

"Robbers? Robbers broke into our house!? Did something go missing?"

Hirasawa Yui's eyes widened, and the girls who had heard her words gathered around her nervously. Only Kousaka Kyousuke remained seated like a statue, his expressionless face like a meticulously crafted wax model.

[The next moment, the answer from the phone nearly made Hirasawa Yui fall into a coma.]

[“——Guitar! The robber stole the guitar you left in your room! Then he jumped out of the second-floor window and escaped!”]

[“Wha—Jita! My Jita!!”]

Hirasawa Yui's tears suddenly flowed out like a faucet, and she clutched her phone with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Who is it! Who did this?! I'm going to call the police! I'm going to call the police and have this wicked man who committed such a horrific crime thrown in jail! I believe the police will get justice for Ji Tai and me! Otherwise, I'm going to file a complaint against him! I'm going to write a thousand letters of complaint to them every week! I'm going to make them work overtime until Ji Tai is found!"

【“…”】

As the only police officer present, Kousaka Kyousuke felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart again. A thousand more complaint letters, packed in cardboard boxes, piled on top of the pile of documents before him. Now, not only his stomach but even his liver began to ache.

“Dad has called the police! The culprit is a strange black-skinned stag beetle wearing a blue vest! He rang the doorbell, tricked me into opening the door, and then asked me where your room was before rushing in! Dad, I couldn’t stop him! I’m sorry, Dad, I tried my best, but I still couldn’t protect your guitar, wuwuwu——”

“Dad, this isn’t your fault. We know you’ve tried your best! I believe the police can catch that stag beetle in the strange blue clothes—huh?”

Hirasawa Yui suddenly realized something was wrong mid-sentence. She tilted her head blankly under the gaze of the girls around her, whose expressions had turned from nervous to strange, and then asked blankly.

"Dad, you just said... what kind of person is the one who took Jita away?"

"A strange, black-skinned stag-beetle guy wearing a blue vest! His face looks just like a stag-beetle, and the two horns on his head gleam like gold. He even speaks Japanese! The police arrived and said their appearance had been captured on surveillance cameras in the surrounding neighborhood. I think we should be able to find this criminal soon. Don't worry! Dad will definitely help you find Jita!"

[Beep, beep, beep——]

At this moment, Kousaka Kyosuke's pocket rang. With his head bowed, he pulled out his phone without even glancing at the name on the screen. He answered the call and put it to his ear. An anxious female voice immediately echoed from the other end.

"Mr. Kosaka, something terrible has happened! The police in Kyoto have reported that Number Four was spotted by the media in Shiga Prefecture. Everyone at headquarters now suspects a new, unidentified lifeform has appeared there. The Director is urgently summoning you for a meeting. Where are you? I'll dispatch the nearest police car to pick you up immediately!"

[“…Kyoto Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture.”]

"Okay, I'll—Wait! Officer Kosaka, where are you right now?!"

At this moment, a figure leaped into the backstage through the open window behind Kousaka Kyosuke, rolled on the ground, and stood up. Facing the group of stunned girls, he raised the brown guitar in his arms.

[“Ding ding ding! Zaimokuza Express, arrived on time!”]

Zaimokuza, transformed into his Blue Dragon form, proudly put one hand on his hips and held up his guitar in the other, laughing.

["Ji——too——!"]

Hirasawa Yui immediately threw her phone behind her, and as Nakano Azusa frantically reached out to catch it, she rushed towards Zaimokuza, hugged the guitar he was holding, and rubbed it with a happy face.

[Kousaka Kyosuke, who was sitting in the back, watched this scene with dead silence, and spoke softly to Gokou Ruri on the other end of the line.]

[“…Five, tell the Director that this was a false alarm. If anything happens later, you can come directly to me for accountability. Therefore, this meeting is canceled.”]

"Then, inform the decision-makers within the response team that those willing to stay will hold a meeting tonight regarding this incident. This meeting must be kept confidential from higher-ups, and everyone must sign a confidentiality agreement."

"As for the main content of the meeting... let the person who caused this commotion explain it directly to you."

"The person involved? Wait! Mr. Kosaka, are you—"

[On the other end of the line, Gokou Ruri was stunned for a moment. When she finally came to her senses, she was so shocked she stood up from her chair. She almost said, "Are you finally not going to act anymore?"]

[Before he could finish his words, the phone was disconnected.]

……

At the critical moment, two minutes before the K-ON performance, Zaimokuza finally delivered Hirasawa Yui's guitar to the venue.

A group of beautifully dressed girls sang on the auditorium stage, sweat dripping down their cheeks. Music accompanied their singing, and cheers echoed. The air was filled with the atmosphere of adolescence. Both boys and girls blushed as they screamed and applauded, demonstrating the popularity of the light music club at this school.

【“～”】

Zaimokuza, who had returned to his original form, stood at the back of the auditorium near the exit door, smiling as he watched a group of girls singing on the stage.

[“I have to say, you really know how to cause trouble.”]

After finishing his business, Kousaka Kyousuke walked over to him and stood still. He turned his head and said to Zaimokuza with a sullen look.

"If I weren't right here, tomorrow's headline would probably be something like 'Unidentified Lifeform No. 4 Breaks into a Residence in Shiga Prefecture and Steals', a favorite headline of the unscrupulous media. Did you predict this would happen, so you pulled me over?"

"This is a huge misunderstanding! Mr. Kosaka, look at my eyes. Do you think someone with such pure eyes like this could be a sinister person?!"

Zaimokuza said this exaggeratedly, clasping his hands together under his chin, and speaking with a pair of sparkling eyes in front of Kousaka Kyousuke.

[“…I think in some ways, you’re more dangerous than that kind of person. Stay away from me.”]

[Kousaka Kyousuke put his hand against Zaimokuza's face, pressing it against his approaching face, and forcefully pushed Zaimokuza away.]

"Mmmmmmm~ Don't be so cold! Mr. Kousaka, look!"

Zaimokuza smiled and put his arm around the reluctant Kousaka Kyousuke's shoulders, pointing to the light music club members singing on the stage.

"Although it's been incredibly hard, seeing that smile on your face, don't you think everything we've done is worth it?"

"Striving for a smile like that is worth it, no matter how much sweat I put in."

【“…”】

[Kousaka Kyosuke looked in the direction of his finger. Although the expressions of the girls on the stage were different, they all had a basic emotional commonality.]

【That is full of joy and smiles. 】

As sweat streamed down their faces, the smiles of these girls held a dazzling charm, like white flowers blooming on the roadside after rain, pregnant with purity and healing. The sweat was like dewdrops on the petals, and the arcs they traced across their skin were breathtakingly beautiful.

[At this moment, the girls also saw the two of them in the back. Hirasawa Yui, the lead singer, waved to them while playing. The rest of the audience thought this was a response and cheered even more enthusiastically.]

Kousaka Kyosuke also noticed Kotobuki, who was playing the keyboard, staring at him. Noticing his gaze, the girl's usually serene face cracked into a smile tinged with excitement. Two small dimples appeared on her cheeks, overflowing with the innocent and gentle nature of a teenage girl.

[Looking at such a pure and innocent smile, Kousaka Kyosuke's recently exhausted heart couldn't help but relax a little at this moment.]

[…Humph, even though I was responsible for the aftermath, I’ll acknowledge your point this time.]

"Right~"

"Don't give me that. I'm not going to let you off easy. Come with me to the Metropolitan Police Department tonight."

Zaimokuza patted Kousaka Kyousuke's shoulder like an old leader, but he rolled his eyes and slapped him away.

"There's a meeting. It's time for you to join us."

[“…Alright!”]

Zaimokuza's eyes widened slightly, but then he smiled brightly and spoke.

He could certainly hear the subtext behind Kousaka Kyosuke's words. It was time to bring some things to light. Continuing to conceal them would not only be ineffective, but would also cause all sorts of trouble, just like the last time the police were held back by suspicion when dealing with No. 32.

The two of them then fell silent, tacitly looking towards the light music section, saying nothing more.

【Click.】

[Just then, the door next to them opened slightly, and a thin figure squeezed in from the light outside the door.]

["...Mr. Kosaka, Mr. Zaimokuza?"]

"Hmm? It's Xiaohe! Thank you for your hard work. Are you done?"

The figure came in and saw them standing by the door. He spoke in surprise. Zaimokuza looked over and saw that it was none other than Manabe Kazu, whom he had just met. He immediately smiled and waved to her.

"Well...everything is done. I wanted to see Wei and the others' performance before it ends."

Manabe Kazumi smiled and walked over to their side. He looked at the performance in the stands, which was gradually coming to an end, with a look of emotion in his eyes.

"It's completely different from last year when I first went on stage. Now I've become such a shining star in the school, the light music club."

"Hey~ So Yui and the others also performed at the school festival last year? Can you tell me about them back then—hmm? And why are you covering your hands, Kazuki? Did something happen?"

Zaimokuza asked excitedly after hearing her lament. Halfway through his speech, he suddenly noticed that Manabe Kazu was covering his left upper arm, and said something curiously.

[“This? Actually, it’s——”]

"What's going on? Did you accidentally tear your clothes?"

After hearing this, Manabe slowly released his hand, and Zaimokuza was shocked to find that a large tear had been made on Manabe's upper left arm, even the lining inside was torn, revealing the fair skin of his upper arm.

"Hmm... I accidentally bumped into someone just now, and that's when my clothes must have been torn. Zaimokuza-san, please stop staring at the rips in other people's clothes!"

She looked at the tear in her clothes with some distress, and suddenly noticed that Zaimokuza was staring intently at the cut that exposed her skin. She immediately blushed and covered her hand again and spoke.

“Sorry, sorry. I was just asking if I could help you sew. I can sew a little bit, actually!”

[Zaimokuza, who was being glared at by the girl, reacted and smiled awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head.]

"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm a girl after all, so I can still do this kind of thing."

Manabe shook his head, rejecting Zaimokuza's offer, and turned his attention back to the stage.

"Please watch until the end. This is the first time Wei and the others have invited someone I didn't know to watch the light music club's performance. I think it must mean that she really likes you guys."

"Really? That child..."

Zaimokuza was stunned for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the stage. The performance had now come to an end.

[“Soft and humming time~”]

【Finally, the pick in Hirasawa Yui's hand plucked the last chord of the song, bringing the song to an end.】

[“““Ohh ...

[Bang bang——]

When the song ended, loud cheers and applause erupted from the audience. The audience stood up and applauded in unison. Zaimokuza and Kousaka Kyousuke also clapped their hands, smiling as they watched a group of girls bow to the audience amidst the falling petals from a salute fired by someone unknown.

They had originally thought that the performance had come to an end, but unexpectedly, Hirasawa Yui mentioned Zaimokuza and Kousaka Kyosuke in her thank-you speech. Two beams of light shot directly from the stage across the distance of the venue onto them, illuminating their astonished faces.

"Now, please invite our two benefactors of the light music club, Zaimokuza-san and Kousaka-san, to the stage for a photo with us. Thank you for your help. Without them, we wouldn't be able to have this concert with all the members present. Please applaud!"

Cheers and applause erupted again as Taichu Ritsu's cheerful commentary played out. The atmosphere had already reached this point, and a helpless Kousaka Kyousuke and a beaming Zaimokuza could only slowly walk from backstage to the front, where they stood beside the girls from the light music club and faced the crowd.

"You guys... the reason you called us here is actually because of this, right?"

Kotobuki grabbed Kousaka Kyousuke's right hand in front of everyone. Amidst the sudden, high-pitched exclamations, he looked down helplessly at the smiling girl and spoke.

"Yes, and this is my suggestion! Give me a compliment, or even a kiss, Mr. Takasaka~"

Kotobuki, who had raised her head, was now grinning like a fox that had stolen a chick. After hearing this, Kousaka Kyousuke's lips curved into a smile, and he raised one hand to tap her smooth forehead.

【"it hurts!"】

"Let's talk about this when you're older. If I really did that to you now, I'd be disqualified as a police officer."

"Ugh... Mr. Kousaka, you're bullying me!"

"Are you ready? Everyone! One, two—"

At the urging of a girl holding a camera in the audience, the group stopped playing around. A group of girls from the light music club stood in the front row, flashing the "yeah" sign. Kousaka Kyousuke and Zaimokuza stood in the back. The former smiled, hugged the latter's shoulder, and flashed the same sign as the girls. Nearby, Manabe and Yamamura Sawako watched their interaction with their hands covering their mouths and laughing.

[There are other people besides this, such as Yui Hirasawa's sister Yuu, and two of Nakano Azusa's friends. They are all standing together, all facing the direction of the camera.]

【"--three!"】

【"""eggplant!"""】

【——Snap. 】

[Under the sudden flash of white light, the scene of everyone smiling towards the camera was frozen.]

This included Kousaka Kyousuke, who had originally worn a helpless expression, but at the last moment finally let go of himself, revealing a gentle smile he had never shown before in front of others. It was like ice and snow melting into a clear stream, and the smile of Zaimokuza, who was smiling like the sun beside him, complemented each other perfectly.