My youth story cannot be a knight war

[And now, after many years, this once vague promise has finally come true thanks to the boy's persistence, and the dream has become a reality.]

[The sea breeze blew from the sky, blowing the hair of the three former teachers and students present. Yukinoshita Yukino's nostalgia, Hiratsuka Shizuka's relief, and Zaimokuza Yoshiki's joy were all frozen into a beautiful painting along with this gust of wind.]

[There is no other such wonderful painting in the world. It takes so many years to carefully carve and depict it, and the painter uses his own efforts and persistence to paint this painting with his own colors. ]

[The name of this painting is "Constraint", and the base color of the paint is molten gold that shines like melted gold.]

【“Zaimokuza-san.”】

[Hiratsuka Shizuka's gentle voice rang in Zaimokuza's ears, carrying with it the love of the Virgin Mary and the approval of a teacher.]

[“You kept your promise, became a “hero” who protects everyone’s smiles, and completed the “last lesson” I left for you alone—”]

[“Congratulations, you have finally officially graduated.”]

[Dangdang——]

[A bell rang from a bell tower newly built in recent years at Sobu High School, and countless white pigeons on the rooftop frightened and fluttered their wings, flying over the courtyard.]

[A white feather fluttered down from the sky, and a touch of pure white flashed across Zaimokuza's clear black eyes, like a blessing left by an angel when he ascended to heaven.]

[——Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, after years of unremitting efforts and pursuit, he finally obtained the second most important treasure in his life. ]

[That was the recognition from my mentor. With the witness of my friends, I welcomed a graduation ceremony that was many years late, a coming-of-age ceremony that belonged to me alone.]

[The boy who used to be a teenager has finally grown up. 】

Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School, health room.

"...Humph, it seems that my teaching level is still very guaranteed."

Shizuka Hiratsuka turned her body to the side so that others could not see her expression, and her voice was as confident and cheerful as ever.

But her slightly shaking shoulders showed that she was not as calm as her words and voice. It seemed as if some flickering light fell from her slightly lowered face, but it was fleeting.

When Hiratsuka Shizuka turned around to face Zaimokuza and the others again, her face had her usual cheerful and carefree expression. She put one hand on Zaimokuza's shoulder, who was looking at her, and reached out to pull him over.

"???"

Zaimokuza, who was dragged over, looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka's beautiful face rapidly approaching in his sight with a confused face. Looking at the ignorant expression of her student, a hideous smile slowly appeared on her face. The smile was as hideous and exaggerated as the Cleft Woman in urban legends, with her mouth almost grinning to her ears. With her back to the window, there were two red eyes radiating from the upper part of her face covered in shadow.

"Since my future self has spent so many years and so much effort to finally train Zaimokuza to be a talent, then my present self must not embarrass my future self in any way!"

"And unlike my future self who trained students without knowing anything, my current self can just copy the guide! Why should I take that Yangkang trail instead of the Kangzhuang shortcut? We are all the same people anyway, so we can just use the template!"

"So after this mysterious video is over, I will teach you a lesson and make you the hero who protects everyone's smiles before you graduate from Sobu High School. Let's have this long-awaited devilish training!"

"First of all, I will make sure that your current fat body becomes 80% similar to your future self within a month! Be prepared, Zaimokuza! From now on, take the path to becoming the Smiling Superman!!!"

"Ah? Ah, ah, ah, ah!!!???"

Zaimokuza reacted and let out a shrill scream, turning around and trying to escape from Hiratsuka Shizuka who was in a state of hot-blooded passion.

"No! Mr. Hiratsuka, it will kill people! If you want to become like that in a month, it will really be fatal! I can't do it! I really can't do it! Yameida!!!"

"Questions and answers are useless! Be prepared! From today on, run ten kilometers, do one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, and one hundred squats every day. Hurry and become a superman!"

"You got that training method from a comic book, didn't you? And it will make me lose my hair and become bald! I don't want that! My future self is Kuuga, not the bald Cape Man! Let me go!!!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka grinned and strangled Zaimokuza's neck with her arm, while twisting his temple with one hand. Zaimokuza screamed in pain. Yuigahama Yui and others watching this scene couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh secretly, while Yukinoshita Yukino also turned around and was facing her. Her slender shoulders like those cut by an axe trembled slightly, and it was obvious that she was also trying hard to hold back a smile.

Although Zaimokuza was screaming, there was a smile on his face and his eyes behind his glasses were full of joy, not as much resistance as he said.

The atmosphere between them is so good, just like a happy family. Wherever they go, the air is filled with a happy and cheerful atmosphere. They are truly a team that is born to perform comedy.

"..."

The scene was reflected in his black eyes. He moved a chair from the health room and sat by the window. Hikigaya Hachiman, who was watching the video with his head down, looked up at everything because of the laughter that came into his ears, and remained silent.

But there was a moment when he looked at Zaimokuza Yoshiki with a smile on his face, and a hint of "envy" seemed to flash in his deep, dull black eyes.

But the next moment, the envious feeling disappeared completely, and the eyes turned back to being as calm as a deep pool.

His eyes swept past Hayato Hayama who was lying on the hospital bed next to him and the group of people surrounding him who were worried, and he lowered his head again to watch the video playing on his mobile phone, using this method to distract himself so that he would no longer be bothered by the information revealed in the previous video.

He was clearly closest to the window, and his entire body was illuminated by the sunlight shining in from the window. His entire body was wrapped in a layer of gold, and half of his face and hair were illuminated.

But Hikigaya gave people the feeling that he was all alone in an endless black cave, while over there, where Zaimokuza and others were out of reach of the light from the health room, there was a small house with a lamp on in the dark town, and through the windows of the house they could see the warm light in the house that was so reassuring to the soul.

It was as if the two parties were misplaced at this moment. The existence that originally belonged to darkness came under the light, and the heart of light bloomed in the darkness.

Just like the two sides of Tai Chi, they complement and restrain each other.

But the order of Tai Chi is only a temporary accident. Black and white are always essentially different, and binary opposition is their normal state.

After all, light and darkness are two opposite sides.

Ha ha ha ha--

The laughter in my ears is very pleasant and the smile is very bright.

——But it does not belong to Hikigaya Hachiman.

81. Kanto Medical University Murder Case (Three-in-One)

【“——”】

【Faced with the affirmation and graduation permission given by his mentor, Zaimokuza smiled, a very happy and sincere smile.】

His smile gleamed in the backlight of the setting sun, like the ray of light where the sea meets the sky. It possessed a charm that seemed to remain unchanged even if the world were reversed. It instantly captivated countless passing female students who secretly peeked at Zaimokuza. The expressionless face of GeiGei, the traffic star they had long pursued, was instantly replaced by the handsome white-haired man smiling at dusk.

[“Teacher, I——”]

【Zaimokuza raised his thumb and took a step forward, wanting to say something.】

[But he had just taken a step when the huge mental stimulation brought by the intense emotional fluctuations caused his body, which had already reached its limit, to completely collapse. The smiling Hiratsuka Shizuka in front of him became dizzy in his eyes.]

[Oh no, I still have something to say...]

[Thinking with some regret in his heart, Zaimokuza lost consciousness and fell forward with a smile. 】

【“???”】

[Zaimokuza fell on Hiratsuka Shizuka's shoulders, causing her to take several steps back without warning. She panicked and reached out to hug him.]

[“Hey, hey, hey! Zaimokuza, what are you doing? You may look very handsome now, but I only treat you as my student! And this is in public! How can you do something that goes against the teacher’s ethics? You you you you——”]

[The masculine scent coming from her shoulder made the overage "girl" who was nearly 40 years old and had almost no experience in love blush, and she didn't know where to put her hands as she hugged Zaimokuza's broad back.]

[“Teacher, please don’t think of shocking things at this time. Zaimokuza-san is in shock.”]

[Just as Hiratsuka Shizuka was struggling with her conscience and thinking wildly, Yukinoshita Yukino came over with a frown on her face, stretched out her right hand and put two fingers on the pulse point on Zaimokuza's neck, and said after a while.]

[“Hey, hey? Hey! Zaimokuza! What’s wrong with you!?”]

[After hearing this, Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately came to her senses, her bewildered expression turned into anxiety, she hugged Zaimokuza and sat on the ground, shaking his body and asking.]

【“This injury…!”】

[Then Yukinoshita Yukino half-knelt down and noticed that the skin on Zaimoku's neck was slightly different from the surrounding skin color. She immediately reached out and pulled his neck away. The scene she saw made her pupils shrink slightly.]

[I saw that a large area of ​​skin from Zaimokuza's collar to his chest had become charred, like a tree that had been burned by flames. The skin was wrinkled and curled like bark, and red blood was flowing from the burns, quickly staining the white shirt under his windbreaker red.]

[“What on earth is going on with this kind of injury!?”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was looking down, was also horrified when she saw the horrific wound on Zaimokuza's chest. On the other side, Yukinoshita Yukino, with a somewhat livid face, grabbed Zaimokuza's arm and pulled his clothes down, only to see that the entire arm was also covered with burn marks and bleeding wounds.]

[No need to think, after seeing the same scene on this arm, Yukinoshita Yukino has already guessed that, except for the exposed face and hands, Zaimokuza's entire body is covered with such burns. ]

[She shifted her gaze to Zaimokuza's face, which was still smiling even after he fainted. Her eyes were filled with a complex expression, as if she was not the one who had been injured so horribly that he could be infected with bacteria and die.]

[Even if you are seriously injured like this, are you still going to come to the appointment with this body? Zaimokuza-san...]

[“Oh no! Quick! Yukinoshita! Call an ambulance!”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka was so anxious that she almost lost her mind. She quickly reached into her trouser pocket and took out her cell phone to call the hospital.]

【“!? Yukinoshita!”】

[But just as she dialed the first number, a hand with delicate skin snatched the phone from Hiratsuka Shizuka's hand. She turned her head in shock and anger, and Yukinoshita Yukino's solemn face came into her eyes.]

[“Hiratsuka-sensei, you can’t call the rescue number in Chiba Prefecture, and you can’t send Zaimokuza-san to the hospital in Chiba Prefecture!”]

[Although she was also anxious, Yukinoshita Yukino managed to calm herself down and spoke logically.]

[“Huh??? What are you talking about! If we don’t call an ambulance, Zaimokuza will—”]

【"teacher!"】

[Hiratsuka Shizuka was shocked and wanted to refute, but Yukinoshita Yukino spoke first, and her powerful shouting calmed her down, leaving her speechless for a moment.]

[“Listen, teacher. I will explain the details to you later, but you absolutely cannot send Zaimokuza-san to the Chiba Prefecture hospital right now. Otherwise, the headline of tomorrow’s news will be “Unidentified life form found in Chiba Prefecture Hospital!”]

[“You, what are you talking about? Yukinoshita, are you normal???”]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka felt that she didn't understand what the students in front of her were saying. Why couldn't Zaimokuza be sent to a hospital in Chiba Prefecture? What did it mean that tomorrow's news headline would be "Unidentified life form found in Chiba Prefecture Hospital!"? Aren't those monsters who killed people in the news all in Tokyo? How could they be in Chiba Prefecture? And in the end, why would sending Zaimokuza to the hospital ensure that it would be the headline of tomorrow's news...]

[Too many doubts and puzzles linger in her mind. Shizuka Hiratsuka feels like an art student listening to a math teacher teaching calculus. She doesn't understand what Yukinoshita Yukino wants to express.]

[“In any case, teacher, please believe me.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino looked around and found that many passing students had gathered here because of the sudden situation. Even the school staff in the distance ran over to see what happened. ]

[Her expression changed slightly, and she immediately turned to the still confused Hiratsuka Shizuka and whispered.]

[“The most urgent task now is to immediately send Zaimokuza-san to Kanto Medical University Hospital in Tokyo. That is where he should go. Only there is safety!”]

【“——”】

【Faced with Yukinoshita Yukino's sincere words, Hiratsuka Shizuka gritted her teeth and once again looked down at Zaimokuza who was unconscious with a smile on his face, pausing for a moment, especially at the burns on his chest and arms.】

[“…Okay! I’ll listen to you this time! From now on, you and Zaimokuza must tell me what happened, Yukinoshita, or I won’t let you two off!”]

[In the end, Hiratsuka Shizuka agreed to Yukinoshita Yukino's proposal without hesitation. ]

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Hiratsuka. Let's go."

[After hearing Hiratsuka Shizuka's reply, Yukino Yukinoshita also breathed a sigh of relief and whispered. ]

[Two people carried Zaimokuza's shoulders, one on each side, and supported him as they walked toward the gate of Sobu High School before the crowd gathered around them...]

……

【Kanto Medical University Hospital, Tokyo. 】

【07:57 PM】

[At the entrance of the intensive care unit on the third floor of the hospital, a brand new doorplate is hung on the patient list on the wall. ]

[The door number says Kousaka Kyosuke, and the bottom says Zaimokuza Yoshiteru. 】

[“Is that so…I see.”]

[In the intensive care unit, Yukinoshita Yukino and Hiratsuka Shizue sat on two chairs provided by the hospital, looking at Zaimokuza lying on the bed in front of them, wrapped in bandages.]

[After listening to Yukinoshita Yukino's account of everything that had happened during this period, as well as the truth about Zaimokuza, Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression was still relatively calm, but she was holding the album in her hand tightly, almost leaving wrinkles on the cover.]

[“So the unidentified life form No. 4 in the news is Zaimokuza. So why is he late today?"]

[Hiratsuka Shizuka turned to look at Yukinoshita Yukino beside her, and she nodded silently and spoke softly. ]

[“Today, Unidentified Lifeform No. 22 appeared in Chiba Prefecture, and Zaimokuza-san went to fight it... just like every previous battle.”]

【"……Yeah?"】

Shizuka Hiratsuka closed her eyes, recalling the reports in the newspapers in recent months about the brutality of the unidentified life forms and the countless deaths at the hands of those monsters. She also recalled Zaimokuza's visibly pale and unnatural expression when he arrived at Sobu High School to meet her. Finally, she sighed softly and opened her eyes.

[“Zaimokuza… has truly become a remarkable person.”]

[“While doing something dangerous and unknown, you still remembered the trivial promise you made to me.”]

[She reached out and gently smoothed Zaimokuza's bangs that were covering his eyes, and said to him with a gentle look as he closed his eyes.]

[“Please don’t say that, Mr. Hiratsuka.”]

[Yukinoshita Yukino shook her head slightly and spoke to her sincerely. ]

[“After learning about your agreement today, I can say with certainty that it was because of your encouragement and affirmation of Zaimokuza that he chose to take this path without hesitation.”]

[“So it’s you who made Zaimokuza-san what he is today, and what Kuuga is today. Otherwise, more people would have died in the clutches of those monsters…including me.”]

[“Empty Self”? What is that?]

[This new word Yukinoshita Yukino said aroused the interest of Shizuka Hiratsuka, and she raised her eyebrows and asked. ]