"A drink might make you feel a little better."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm fine."
"Or... would you like some oden? It's sweet."
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I don't really like sweet things, and I'm in a great mood right now."
"Then... should I introduce you to some of the outstanding boys in our class?"
"No, thanks."
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Once again, thank you for your kindness. I'm in a good mood."
Facing Sakayanagi Arisu, who had already built a wall around her heart, Mikage Touji felt as if a ticking time bomb were sitting beside him.
After calmly saying goodbye to Mikage Touji,
Sakayanagi Arisu walked off alone, leaning on her cane, slowly heading toward the setting sun. Her shadow stretched across the ground, cast in a deep crimson glow.
For a moment, Mikage Touji seemed to see the silent, bottomless gates of hell opening behind her.
Who on earth voted for this guy?
"Having a drink might make you feel a little better."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm fine."
"Or... would you like some oden? It's sweet."
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I don't really like sweet things, and I'm in a great mood right now."
"Then... should I introduce you to some of the outstanding boys in our class?"
"No, thanks."
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Once again, thank you for your kindness. I'm in a good mood."
Facing Sakayanagi Arisu, who had already built a wall around her heart, Mikage Touji felt as if a ticking time bomb were sitting beside him.
After calmly saying goodbye to Mikage Touji,
Sakayanagi Arisu walked off alone, leaning on her cane, slowly heading toward the setting sun. Her shadow stretched across the ground, cast in a deep crimson glow.
For a moment, Mikage Touji seemed to see the silent, bottomless gates of hell opening behind her.
After calmly saying goodbye to Mikage Touji,
Sakayanagi Arisu walked off alone, leaning on her cane, slowly heading toward the setting sun. Her shadow stretched across the ground, cast in a deep crimson glow.
For a moment, Mikage Touji seemed to see the silent, bottomless gates of hell opening behind her.
Who on earth voted for this guy?
"Ding~ ding~"
As the long, clear chimes of the grandfather clock rang out, the teachers gathered their lesson plans and left the classrooms, while the students got a brief chance to catch their breath.
Even students in Class A relaxed in their own ways between classes.
After spending these past few days together, the students had gradually gotten to know each other and begun forming their own little groups.
For example...
"Katsuragi, want to try that new Western restaurant after school? I heard their rib-eye steak is really good."
"No. I'm planning to work on my Student Council application after school. Totsuka, you shouldn't always rush off to Keyaki Mall the moment classes end, either. You need to spend some time improving yourself."
"Sure, sure! That's Katsuragi for you..."
That was Katsuragi Kōhei and his tagalong, Totsuka Yahiko.
Or...
"Yamamura Miki."
"Hmm?"
"Let's play blind man's buff in a minute. I'll close my eyes, and you don't move. Let's see if I can find you."
"Huh?!"
"This is Spirit Concealment—the legendary Spirit Concealment. I've always suspected you have tanuki blood."
"...That's not true. I'm just the only one in my family with a weak presence."
"Then let's do it in the little grove behind the school building."
"..."
That was the high-handed Morishita Ran and her robot friend, Yamamura Miki.
And then...
"Hey, hey, Satonaka, you should buy us drinks later. We voted for you in the handsome guy rankings."
"Yeah, let's go get drinks after school."
"I'm touched that you're willing to support me, but... what are the handsome guy rankings?"
"Huh? You don't know, Satonaka? It's a really popular topic on the school forum right now. It started as something students were sharing privately, but after someone posted it on the forum, it suddenly took off. Here, look..."
"I see."
"Let me check... The results are almost in now... Satonaka, you got first place! Congratulations! I knew it had to be you."
"Don't praise me like that. I'll get full of myself."
That was Class A's hugely popular Satonaka Satoshi and his friends.
"Next up is..." Hoashi continued scrolling through her phone, then snapped her fingers, looking quite excited. "I knew Hirata from Class D would come in second. He's so handsome, so gentle, and athletic, too."
"And in third place—"
Hoashi's scrolling finger suddenly froze. She slowly raised her head, her gaze beginning to wander.
"Who's in third, Hoashi? You're making me really curious—"
The girls beside her leaned in toward the phone and froze, too.
Then, in a mechanical motion, they turned their heads toward a corner of the classroom.
"Kito..."
Mikage Touji braced both arms on Kito Hayato's desk and looked solemnly at the somewhat wooden-faced Kito Hayato as he made his request.
"Can I borrow your signature weapon and wear it for a bit?"
"..."
Kito Hayato's eyes, like those of a demon, turned toward Mikage Touji. Their gazes met. In the end, Kito Hayato lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh before taking off his gloves.
"Here. Remember to give them back."
"Thanks!"
Mikage Touji slipped on the black gloves with a flourish, tugged at one cuff, and watched as a blazing fire ignited in his eyes.
"Oh! This feeling... I can feel the power surging through me! This incredible power! Is this the might of the Black Flame Dragon sealed away by Black Peat? Superb~"
"Smack!"
"Smack! Smack!"
Every girl in the class slapped her forehead in perfect unison and asked the same question from the depths of her soul.
Who on earth voted for this guy?
Sure, he was really handsome, but his behavior was so bizarre that the whole class had collectively forgotten he was a good-looking guy.
"That's so you, Mikage," Hashimoto Masayoshi chimed in, just back from the bathroom. "By the way, did you vote in the girls' rankings I sent you last time?" Clearly, Hashimoto Masayoshi had overheard the girls talking.
"I did vote..." Mikage Touji, who normally didn't care what other people thought of him, suddenly seemed awkward and fidgety.
"Who'd you vote for? Ichinose Honami or Kushida Kikyou? I heard there are a few good-looking girls in Class D, too," Hashimoto Masayoshi pressed.
"..."
Mikage Touji rubbed the back of his head, his voice a little vague. "I just picked someone at random... Ah, forget it. You can tell at a glance that rankings like this aren't accurate. Anyway, Hashimoto, didn't you join the tennis club? Tell me about the girls in your club."
Now I'm even more curious!
The girls in class, who had perked up their ears to eavesdrop, all thought the same thing.
At that moment, their gossip-loving hearts were ablaze.
Judging by his tone, Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyou could be ruled out. The girls in Class D probably weren't it, either. There weren't many beautiful girls in Class C, and no one in Class B could compete with Ichinose Honami. That left Class A...
If there was anyone in their class who might...
The girls sneaked a glance at Morishita Ran, who was still tangled up with Yamamura Miki.
If Mikage Touji was an eccentric chuunibyou, then Morishita Ran was a weirdo who marched to the beat of her own drum.
They were two of a kind—like turtles eyeing a green bean.
Besides, Mikage Touji and Morishita Ran were always hanging around together, as if they were plotting some great secret.
If it was Morishita Ran... that wouldn't be surprising.
Hoashi unlocked her phone, opened the girls' rankings, and searched for Morishita Ran's name.
No results... Her name wasn't there. It wasn't her.
Then who was it?
"The results for the girls' side should be out by now, too. Want to take a look?" Hashimoto Masayoshi's voice came at just the right moment.
"Ahaha, no need for that, right? There's nothing worth seeing!"
It had to be someone on the list!
In gossip mode, the girls' reasoning skills reached their peak. They saw right through the truth in an instant.
Curious, excited, and just a tiny bit indignant, the girls opened the rankings.
[Third place: Kushida Kikyou — 26 votes]
[Second place: Ichinose Honami — 38 votes]
First place...
The girls' eyes followed the list downward, and their expressions instantly stiffened.
A strange Ultraman they couldn't even name gave them a thumbs-up.
[First place: Ultraman Camearra — 53 votes]
[Recommended by: Kobe Killed the Helicopter!]
All the girls in the class fell silent, their eyes turning toward someone with a gloomy stare.
Losing to Ichinose or Kushida would have been one thing. They were undeniably popular.
They could even accept losing to Morishita. She was unconventional, but cute and strikingly charming.
But losing to something that wasn't even human...
They wouldn't accept it!
"Wait! I sense murderous intent!"
Mikage Touji suddenly felt a chill down his back and turned around warily. Several resentful gazes pierced him, and he immediately lost his nerve.
"What? You can't prove I'm the one who voted for her!" he tried to protest loudly.
"You're the only one it could be!" the girls chorused.
"Then it's what everyone wanted! The facts prove I was right. I voted a few times at first, but everyone else voted after that. That proves it's what the people want."
"That's exactly why we're mad!"
In the end, Mikage Touji couldn't withstand the girls' relentless onslaught. He could only retreat to his seat in a sorry state.
"These women are impossible to reason with." Mikage Touji pulled out his chair and sat down, grumbling.
When he turned his head, he found Morishita Ran staring at him with burning eyes.
"Don't tell me you care about this stuff, too?" Mikage Touji said in despair.
"You didn't put Kamen Rider on the list with her..."
"Are there any female Kamen Riders?" He hadn't watched many, only a handful of shows, and they hadn't left nearly as strong an impression as Ultraman.
"But there are definitely male Kamen Riders. Mikage Touji, you must be afraid of the power of Kamen Rider."
Mikage Touji gave a disdainful laugh. "Morishita Ran, some boys might like Ultraman, but you're the only girl in the whole school who'd like Kamen Rider."
"..."
Mikage Touji had killed the conversation.
Dusk! Crows! Spirit Concealment!
By early evening, the sun had begun to dip, and its color had deepened to a fiery red.
The golden-red afterglow slanted through the dense, overlapping branches of the grove, casting long, dappled shadows over the clearing. The air carried the damp, fresh fragrance of grass and trees. One deep breath was enough to refresh the spirit.
"So why did you two drag me here to play blind man's buff?" Mikage Touji asked helplessly.
He had been planning to find Katsuragi and ask his advice about buying a pot. He'd heard Katsuragi's family wasn't very well-off and that he usually cooked at home, so he figured Katsuragi could offer some budget-friendly advice.
Mikage Touji folded his arms and tilted his head back slightly. A large and a small crow hopped and chirped on a branch a little way off.
Before you continue