My youth story cannot be a knight war

Akiyama Mio, sitting on the other side of the rabbit, turned her head with her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish. She put on Zaimokuza's old windbreaker over her maid outfit, clutching the collar tightly with both hands to cover herself, a blush still lingering on her face.

[“Puchi~ That’s great…”]

[Looking at the girl next to him being upset, Zaimokuza, who had been wearing a sad face, smiled instead, his eyes narrowing into crescent shapes.]

"Zaimokuza-san, are you still planning to do something bad?!"

Having already been deceived once, Akiyama Mio is now experiencing PTSD symptoms from this smile. She cautiously tugs at the collar of her windbreaker as she watches the smiling Zaimokuza, her thighs rubbing against each other as they move to the side.

Just when she thought Zaimokuza was about to lie to her again, he suddenly extended his hand. It was so fast that it vanished before her very eyes, as if it had teleported. The next second, a warm touch reached over her head. Feeling the warmth and the hand before her, Akiyama Mio froze, instinctively looking up along her arm.

"I'm really happy, Mio."

A smooth, moist touch came from his palm as he touched the girl's head. Zaimokuza gently ruffled Akiyama Mio's hair, his strength as light as if he were plucking flower petals. He spoke softly, his smile exceptionally gentle.

“Seeing you and everyone else doing well and smiling makes me very happy.”

"This proves that everything Mr. Kosaka and I have done so far has been meaningful."

The girl stared blankly at the smile on the man's face. With his back to the sun, the smile had a hazy, illusory quality, like a dream that could vanish at any moment with a start. Even the sound that reached her ears was so soft.

"Zaimokuza-san, you..."

Zaimokuza's hand slid down and smoothed out the slightly messy hair on either side of Akiyama Mio's temples. He then withdrew his hand, but Akiyama Mio strangely didn't overreact to such intimate contact as usual. Instead, she reached out and held his withdrawn hand with a somewhat worried expression.

[For some reason, facing Zaimokuza's brilliant smile, she didn't feel the same heart-pounding feeling as before. Instead, a faint sense of unease lingered, like a layer of haze gathering in her heart.]

"Zaimokuza-san, are you worried about something? Could it be that recently..."

Although she was far away in Kyoto, Akiyama Mio had always been keeping an eye on the situation in Tokyo. The nightmare she had experienced had not yet completely left her mind. Many nights she would suddenly wake up from a nightmare, and then lie alone in bed crying secretly.

It was the first time in her life that she had ever been so close to a monster. It was also the first time she truly felt what the Gurongi's existence meant to humanity. They were true demons capable of destroying everything a person had. Those who hadn't been targeted by them could never understand the feeling. It was as if the entire world was shrouded in a cloud of darkness and despair.

Fortunately, they were eventually rescued, but those two short days of experience have become a permanent taboo within the light music club. No one dares to mention it, as every recollection is like reliving hell. It's hard to imagine what the man who had been battling these monsters must have felt.

Although Akiyama Mio hesitated and didn't finish her words, Zaimokuza understood what she meant. The frown on his face faded slightly, and after a few seconds of silence, he gently shook his head.

"Don't worry, it's not what you think, Xiao Mio. I'm fine, it's just..."

He looked up at the sky above. The weather in Kyoto was beautiful today, with few clouds above. The pure, almost brilliant blue stretched as far as the eye could see, like an unrolled scroll. Zaimokuza's eyes were hazy and dazed as he gazed at the blue sky.

[“…But, recently, I seem to have suddenly realized what I really want to do.”]

"Eh? What do you mean? Zaimokuza-san, are you trying to explain what your dream is?"

This nonsensical remark drew a puzzled look from Akiyama Mio. She couldn't understand how the originally solemn atmosphere had suddenly turned into something resembling a dream discussion.

“Well, sort of.”

【Zaimokuza nodded and said with a smile.】

“My dream was to become a novelist. My grandmother gave me this dream, but it’s also my dream.”

[“But recently I found myself forgetting one reason, which is why I write novels.”]

Zaimokuza spread his hands flat on his knees and gazed at the pair of pure white hands, his eyes slightly lowered.

"I've always wanted to write novels, novels that satisfy me and everyone else. But I don't know if it's because I lack talent, but every time I write a novel, many people give it strange reviews. Now, there's even someone who walks away after seeing my manuscript (a certain Kosaka who wishes to remain anonymous), as if the story I wrote is some terrifying monster."

“I should say that at that time I just wanted to write a story, but I had no idea what kind of story I wanted to write.”

[“Hmm…”]

[Hearing what Zaimokuza said, Akiyama Mio's eyes twitched slightly, and she laughed dryly. She really didn't know how to comment.]

She could understand why those people reacted that way. In fact, Zaimokuza had once asked Taichung Ritsu if he could look at a manuscript he'd written while playing games with her, hoping she could give him a review. Taichung Ritsu readily agreed, and she received the manuscript about two days later.

[But at that time, Taichu Ritsu failed to notice a problem, which was why Zaimokuza didn't give his manuscript to someone close to him for evaluation, but instead specifically asked her, someone he rarely met, to read it... and this is how the tragedy happened.]

Mio Akiyama will never forget the scene of that day. She woke up in the morning to find the usually bustling Tainanaka residence next door strangely quiet. A strange, eerie filter enveloped the entire house, making it look like the set of a horror film. Standing before this familiar house, Mio Akiyama couldn't help but tremble.

After knocking on the door several times with no response, Mio Akiyama sensed something was amiss and pulled the spare key from under the flowerpot at the entrance. The scene she saw upon opening the door made her brain freeze. Dozens of manuscripts lay scattered across the entrance and hallway, and Taichu Ritsu and his parents were sprawled on the ground, their right arms extended, their index fingers pointed toward the door... This wasn't just a resemblance; it was like a scene from a horror movie.

Afterwards, trembling and frightened, she called the emergency number for a doctor to rush. When the three people were revived and asked what had happened, they were clueless, their memories completely gone. When Akiyama Mio picked up one of the manuscripts from the ground and was seen by the three people, they immediately collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Terrified, Akiyama Mio immediately threw the manuscript away.

Without hesitation, she stuffed the scattered manuscripts into the envelope on the table and took it outside to discard. And a miracle happened: after the manuscripts left the house, the three people who had been unconscious regained consciousness. This scene nearly gave the doctor a heart attack.

After much probing, her childhood friend finally revealed that Zaimokuza Yoshiteru had asked her to review his work and that he would send her the manuscript. At the end, she was puzzled as to why she hadn't received the package yet... Even her memory of receiving it had been erased by her brain's self-protection mechanism.

[From then on, knowing the truth, Akiyama Mio never dared to bring up the subject again, deciding to keep the events of that day a secret known only to herself. Knowing the terrifying power of Zaimokuza's novels, she expressed her understanding for those who he mentioned as unwilling to comment.]

“But now I think I finally know what kind of story I want to write.”

Zaimokuza's head slowly lowered from its previous position. He smiled, a very happy smile, the smile of someone who had finally understood his own path.

“I want to write a story that makes everyone laugh. It doesn’t need to be sad or painful, but a story that makes everyone laugh sincerely. And not just that.”

“I hope that at the end of the story, everyone will be smiling. Under the blue sky, everyone’s smiles will be like sparkling stars… That is my wish.”

“And my words…”

Zaimokuza raised his hand to the sky, the sunlight filtering through his fingers and illuminating his face, like light shining through the abyss, pure and clean.

"I want to be the sky that protects everyone's smile."

Putting down his hand, Zaimokuza turned to look at Akiyama Mio, who was listening intently, and said with a wry smile, scratching his head.

“Ahhhhh~ I subconsciously want to talk to someone. Xiao Mio, you don’t think what I’m saying is weird, do you? I say all this for no apparent reason…”

“…No.”

Akiyama Mio shook her head, looked into Zaimokuza's eyes, and spoke seriously.

"I'm happy too, because I can feel that what you said, Zaimokuza-san, is sincere."

"And you've probably been keeping these words to yourself, haven't you? So, I'm really happy to be your first listener, Zaimokuza-san. You've always been there for us, but we haven't done anything in return. If talking to you, Zaimokuza-san, can help relieve my worries, then I'll keep listening."

She reached over the bunny suits stacked between them and gently placed them on Zaimokuza's right hand, smiling.

"We're just ordinary girls. We can't share the pressure on Zaimokuza-san like Kousaka-san does, but we can do something. That's talking to you."

"So no matter how long it takes, I—we won't mind."

"Mio..."

[Gazing at the girl's clear, sincere eyes, which showed no trace of falsehood, Zaimokuza was slightly stunned and stared at her silently for a long time.]

A strange atmosphere rises between the two people who stare at each other, growing stronger as time passes. Two pairs of eyes of different colors reflect each other without any hesitation, and finally—

[“——Ahem, we’ve been talking for a long time. You must be a little thirsty, right?”]

Zaimokuza pulled his hand away from Akiyama Mio's, quickly stood up, and coughed awkwardly a few times, his gaze wavering. Akiyama Mio also withdrew her hand and looked at him quietly.

"I'll go downstairs and buy two cups of milk tea! Xiao Mio, what would you like to drink?"

"It's all right. I don't mind."

[“Okay, I’ll go downstairs…”]

Zaimokuza walked towards the stairs as if he had been pardoned, his back looking extremely disheveled, not like he was going to buy milk tea, but rather like he was escaping from a place of execution. Akiyama Mio simply watched him disappear at the entrance of the corridor, a smile on her face the whole time.

But just as Zaimokuza's back disappeared, a huge amount of steam rose from the top of his head like a frying pan. Akiyama Mio slumped down on the seat, smiling. Her expression remained unchanged, but her eyes had completely turned into a whirlpool.

In a state of chaotic thinking, the same thought kept flashing through Akiyama Mio's mind.

「──What on earth was I talking about just now……」

"Damn it! It was just a little bit short! Yoshiki-nii, you're so useless!"

On the rooftop of another school building next door, connected by stairs, several blinds were drawn across a room, and several pairs of eyes were secretly watching the scene on the rooftop opposite. Seeing this, Tianzhong Ritsu angrily pounded his hand on the table next to him.

"And Mio too! The atmosphere was so good just now, why not just go ahead and kiss him? Make it a done deal with Yoshiteru-nii, and save all the trouble!"

"Oh my~ Mio-chan is still too shy. You should be braver in this situation. Boys are all awkward like this, after all."

"Could it be that, Mio-chan, you haven't seen through your true feelings yet..."

Kotobuki Tsumugi rested her cheek on one hand, sighed anxiously, and then reached out to touch Nakano Azusa and Hirasawa Yui, whose faces had turned red due to this development.

Akiyama Mio likes Zaimokuza Yoshiki—this is probably something everyone in the light music club knows except her. The first to discover this was Kotobuki Tsumugi, who already had feelings for Kousaka Kyousuke, and the last to discover this were Hirasawa Yui and Nakano Azusa, who only just found out.

So, to create an opportunity for the two of them, Kotobuki Tsumugi immediately pulled the light music club members who wanted to go up and say hello and disappeared after the performance ended, leaving Akiyama Mio to frantically help the wooden chair lying in the hole in the stage. The purpose was to create a situation where the two of them could be alone.

After all, Kotobuki Tsumugi is a good girl, and a good girl whose love is about to come to fruition (one-sided). She is now extremely sensitive to similar situations and has long seen the deep feelings of Akiyama Mio for Zaimokuza Yoshiki before she herself did.

[This is normal, though. Kotobuki Tsumugi fell in love with Kousaka Kyosuke because of that one heroic rescue incident, and Akiyama Mio has been rescued by Zaimokuza Yoshiki countless times. It would be strange for someone like her to not have any special feelings for the other person, especially since she's still a young girl, naive about love.]

However, because Akiyama Mio was too shy and had absolutely no experience in this area, and Zaimokuza Yoshiki hadn't considered it at all, even outsiders could see that the relationship between the two was strange, but the parties involved had no intuition. Seeing this, Kotobuki Tsumugi felt that she should have given her best friend some support behind the scenes, having personally facilitated the current situation.

But the current situation between the two of them made her feel that she had underestimated the extent to which these two people would avoid relationships. Zaimokuza Yoshiki, not to mention, had probably already developed a fear of women due to his appearance, and Akiyama Mio herself had this kind of personality... In this situation, if there was no external intervention, it was likely that even after ten years, there would be no results.

Kotobuki Tsumugi also thought of herself at this moment, and her eyes turned to a drawer in the club room. Thinking of something placed inside, two blushes quietly appeared on her cheeks, and she slapped her face vigorously.

[That was something Kotobuki Tsumugi's father gave her. In his own words:]

"My daughter, if you've truly made up your mind, pour the contents into the water and give it to Kyousuke-kun. That's how I, your father, fell at the hands of your mother..."

[Kousaka Kyousuke was avoiding Kotobuki Tsumugi. Although he didn't show it, the head of the Kotobuki family had already seen it. After all, the old man was always the wisest. Even though he was a complete daughter slave, he was also the head of a wealthy family who had seen the treacherous human nature. This matter could not be hidden from him.]

"But that doesn't matter. Patriarch Kotobuki has already prepared for this situation. You think you can escape if my daughter likes you? Dream on! I'll make things crystal clear for you. I'll use fame, wealth, and favors on you. If all else fails, I'll drug you. Once it's a fait accompli, we'll see where you can escape!"

[Kousaka Kyousuke thought he was plotting against the head of the Kotobuki family, but he was also plotting against him. There is always someone stronger than the strongest, and there is always a predator behind the sparrow. I can only say that this matching mechanism is truly brilliant.]

After receiving the bottle, Kotobuki Tsumugi, facing such lewd words from her father, blushed and couldn't sleep for the entire night. She really didn't know what to do.

[Do I really need to use it? But isn't it too soon? I and Mr. Kousaka are only now... As she thought about it, Kotobuki Tsumugi's eyes began to spin in circles, and her brain suddenly seemed to be overloaded.]

“Eh? That person is…”

[Just as Kotobuki Tsumugi was feeling troubled, the voice of Ritsu Tainaka brought her back to her senses. The tomboy stared at the rooftop over there, blinking in confusion.]

……

"A-Anyway! Let's calm down for a while until Zaimokuza-san comes back..."

[“Aaaah!”]

Mio Akiyama struggled to stand, but she'd underestimated her own condition. Her legs felt as limp as noodles, and just as she'd managed to stand, they began to sway unsteadily. Caught off guard, she was about to fall forward with a scream.

A white arm stretched out from the side, supporting Akiyama Mio's shoulders and stabilizing her body.

"Uh—S-Sorry! Thank you for your help!"

The hand lifted her up, and Akiyama Mio regained consciousness with a start. She bowed gratefully to the person who had withdrawn his arm, while secretly looking up at the woman in the white dress who stood silently before her.

【so beautiful. 】

This was Akiyama Mio's first impression. In Japan, an Asian country rife with sorcery, there were all sorts of "beauties" on the streets these days, but very few could match the woman before her. Simply by being bare-faced without even a hint of makeup, she possessed such a presence and beauty. She was like a white lotus blossoming in the middle of a lake, calm and tranquil.

【"……You're welcome."】

Noticing the girl's furtive glance, Baruba spoke calmly, his eyes as deep as a black abyss.

"Mio."

16.Suddenly Arrived (6K)

“——B1!?”

Kyosuke Kousaka, who had just been scolded by his father, had a face that was already covered in dust and dirt, and his muscles were twitching because of the news revealed by "Kotobuki?" on the screen. Suddenly appearing in front of "Akiyama Mio" made his pupils shrink suddenly, and he even stood up from the bed because he was too shocked.

His eyes were fixed on the perfectly curved profile of the woman on the screen before him, but there was no trace of the awe a man should have when seeing a beautiful woman. Instead, there was only a hostility so thick it almost turned into a sticky liquid. Why! Would this guy appear at this time!?

Could it be... Remembering what happened the last time Gurongi showed up at a similar event, Kousaka increased the strength of his already clenched fists, digging his nails into his palms with so much force that his entire palms turned white - are these guys planning to start a massacre in the school again!

【not long ago. 】

【Kitauji, Teacher's Office.】

【 11:45 AM 】

[“Huh~”]

After using polite words to persuade the chairman and principal who came to try their hand at building relationships to leave, Kousaka Kyousuke slumped down on the sofa, exhausted, and exhaled deeply. He had always felt that these kinds of interpersonal interactions in officialdom and the workplace were even more exhausting than handling cases. He would rather just take up arms and fight those Gurongi to their heart's content; perhaps that would be easier.

【"Um?"】

A sudden warmth touched the side of his face, and Kousaka was startled. Turning around, he saw a cup of black tea, swirling with a sweet aroma, being passed over his face. A beautiful woman with long black hair, dressed in a teacher's dress, held two cups of black tea in her hands and smiled at Kousaka as he turned around.

"You're still as bad at interpersonal communication at work as ever."

"Long time no see, cousin Kyousuke."