Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Happiness Only the Beautiful Girl Can Enjoy

Hello, I’m the second injured person at Factom General Academy!

When I showed my arm to the doctor, he casually wrapped it in bandages with an “Oh, alright!”

It feels kind of cool, like something out of a chuuni (中二病) fantasy! Ah, but I think it could be cooler if the bandages fluttered a bit more…

“I never thought you’d end up here too.”

“Yeah.”

I managed a wry smile and nodded at Mizuki Senpai’s words.

We were both lying in the infirmary, comfortably together.

In a big academy, there would usually be a medical department or students with the ability to heal injuries, but this is Factom General Academy.

We can’t question the quality or quantity; there’s simply nothing here.

The so-called infirmary was a simple room with only a relatively clean bed and a first aid kit.

My injury is only on my right arm, though.

“I heard you really did well yesterday. Thank you for stepping in for me.”

“Oh, no, Toa did way more than I did. Just look at me.”

I waved my bandaged arm around.

“Does it hurt?”

“I’m fine. The doctor said that if you’re an Explorer, the scar will probably be gone in a week.”

“Is that so… When Toa came here last night, crying, I thought it was serious.”

“Well, Miroku Senpai came looking pretty worried too…”

After helping Tourak and the others yesterday, I headed straight to the hospital.

They wrapped my arm in bandages, and while that was fine, Toa was super worried about me and was in tears by the time we got back to the academy.

Making a beautiful girl cry is something a person with transformation desires shouldn’t do.

“I could have gone back to the dorm, you know.”

“Haha, I bet they’re worried. Besides, they probably wanted to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn’t overdo it before that injury heals.”

“That goes for you too, Mizuki Senpai.”

“True. Honestly, I need help. Kei, use your weapon to cut these handcuffs.”

Saying that, Mizuki Senpai showed me the handcuffs on her right arm, which was tied to the bed.

What did she do to end up like this?

“No way. I don’t want to get scolded by Miroku Senpai.”

“Mmm. Guess I have no choice. I’ll practice channeling magical power without the Dive Gear.”

Her Dive Gear was confiscated as well… She probably tried to escape again after all that.

“Isn’t there an option to behave?”

“It’s seven in the morning. If I stay quiet until night, I’ll go crazy.”

Aren’t you a student? Shouldn’t you be studying?

That said, I’m pretty bored myself.

The Dive Gear is still as is, and while the handcuffs are off, I wouldn’t do anything reckless.

After all, there’s a perfect example of what happens if you do right next to me.

“I’m getting hungry… I want to eat something solid soon…”

“Maybe you can eat today.”

“Is that so? I hope so.”

Mizuki Senpai looked sad as her stomach growled.

It was the first time I’d seen her looking so down…

Then, I heard the sound of the infirmary door opening.

Looking over, Miroku Senpai was standing there with a tray, smiling brightly.

“Good morning, you two.”

“Good morning, Miroku Senpai.”

“Miroku, good morning! And for the love of all that’s holy, please give me something other than jelly. Like meat or bean sprouts.”

In Mizuki Senpai’s mind, bean sprouts and meat are on the same level…

“Hehe, I thought you’d say that, so today it’s stir-fried bean sprouts and pork!”

“…! Thank you…!”

Is it really that good?

I feel like my level of dietary variety still hasn’t adapted to Factom General Academy.

“Here you go, Kei-kun.”

“Thank you.”

The tray was placed in front of me.

Toast and stir-fried bean sprouts with pork… How is this combination?

“I just got some expired bread from my part-time job!”

Mizuki Senpai thanked Miroku Senpai even more, who seemed all too happy about it.

It seems Miroku Senpai works various part-time jobs early in the morning.

Because this city has a lot of students, it seems the barrier to working as a student is quite low, and many students have jobs.

Only a handful can get by solely on Explorer money.

Just wait, once I become a beautiful girl, I’ll conquer dungeons that have nothing to do with the original story, one after the other.

And with the immense wealth I’ll amass, I’ll create our own lily garden. Seriously, I mean it.

“Hey, Kei-kun, aren’t you going to eat?”

“Huh?”

Crap, I got carried away thinking about our bright future.

I should eat before it gets cold.

“Oh, that’s right! You can’t use your dominant hand, right?”

“Eh? No, that’s not… ‘I slipped up. Hmm, I guess it’d be better if someone fed me!’… Huh, what?”

What? Is something about to happen?

Not that my palm has any issues moving; I should be able to use chopsticks.

Sure, it’s a little harder to move with the bandages, but it’s not impossible.

“Kei.”

Just as I was about to explain, Mizuki Senpai called my name.

Looking over, she was munching away with her mouth full, pointing toward the entrance with her chin.

I turned to look at the entrance.

There stood Toa-chan, trembling.

Is she okay? Her face is all red, and she looks like she might cry…

“I-I can’t let you go hungry, so I-I’ll feed you!”

Is her mouth made of marshmallows?

It sounds like she’s struggling to speak.

“Wow, Kei-kun, you’re lucky! Toa-chan just happened to be passing by with chopsticks! You can have your breakfast now!”

Is this really what you’d call luck?!?

It seems to be…

“Hmm… It seems she’s still bothered by yesterday. I’m sorry, Kei-kun, but could you bear with it a little for Toa-chan’s sake?”

Miroku Senpai said softly in my ear, sounding apologetic.

If that’s the case, then it can’t be helped!

For the sake of a beautiful girl’s mental health, I guess I’ll step up!

“Wow, that really is lucky! It’s such a relief that Toa-chan is here!”

“T-then, excuse me…!”

Toa-chan sat down on my bed.

She then held out the toast to me. Wait, you’re not using chopsticks?

“P-please, go ahead.”

“Toa-chan, at times like this, you say ‘Ahh’ first.”

“I see… Thank you, Miroku-chan. Then, ‘ahh.'”

“Ah, ‘ahh.'”

What is this?

Is this how a newly dating couple behaves?

I munched on the plain, unburned toast.

Yeah! It’s simple!

“Um, could I also have some of the bean sprouts…?”

“W-Wait! I’ll get that for you! Here, ‘ahh!'”

“‘Ahh.'”

Isn’t this going to get tedious?

Are you okay?

By the way, I’m definitely not okay.

After all, I’m being fed ‘ahh’ style by a beautiful girl.

That’s—like, a major sin.

Getting an ‘ahh’ from a beautiful girl is a privilege reserved for beautiful girls only.

That’s something children learn as soon as they gain consciousness.

Those who violate that will have their rotten entrails displayed alongside the damned in hell after death. That might be the lighter punishment.

If I were a beautiful girl, I’d naturally enjoy this much, and I’d even be the one saying ‘ahh’ for them, but right now, I’m just a filthy supporting role.

I shouldn’t be surrounded by beautiful girls like this.

Please, turn me into a beautiful girl soon!

‘■■■■■’

But you can’t use that! There’s a cost, right?

‘……’

What’s in me seems to be lively today.

Is that okay?

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. It’s good. Thank you.”

“That’s a relief…”

Finally, Toa-chan’s expression relaxed with relief.

It seems her actions were based on guilt.

Because I’m the one closest to becoming a beautiful girl, I can understand the psychology of a beautiful girl perfectly.

It’d be naive to misinterpret this as her developing a crush on me.

People like that should read ‘まんがタイムきらら’ a thousand times. After that, they should play a beautiful girl game a hundred times on one route.

This is just Toa-chan trying to accept my existence in her own way.

I shouldn’t misunderstand and get closer.

“Um!”

“Yes?”

“Since we’re classmates, um, could we stop using honorifics?”

See?

This is an event where a shy beautiful girl, who has only interacted with childhood friends, takes a brave step forward.

And responding to that should be the role of a cool beautiful girl!

Toa-chan, who was initially scared of the mysterious beautiful transfer student Solciera, found her distance to shorten rapidly due to a certain incident.

That’s the kind of dynamic I like!

‘■■……’

Why are you so taken aback?

It’s a shy girl x cool beautiful girl dynamic! Get it!

“Kei-kun, what do you think?”

“…Alright. Yeah, let’s do that from now on. Let’s start again, Toa-chan.”

“Yeah! So, um, let’s drop the ‘san’ too.”

Really?

I can’t call her by her first name. I’m not a beautiful girl.

“Then, is it okay if I call you Toa-chan?”

“I’ll call you Kei-kun too… wait, that doesn’t change anything, does it?”

Saying that, Toa-chan smiled at me.

I returned her smile.

Wow, I’ve racked up quite a few ‘sins’ today.

■

It can’t be helped, once you commit a sin.

Once is no different from twice.

So, I’m planning to commit another sin by escaping.

After being ‘ahh’ed through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I’m now a great sinner.

Then escaping is a minor mistake.

“Mizuki Senpai, are you awake?”

“…Yeah.”

Since our beds are next to each other, if I slip out, Mizuki Senpai will notice right away.

Then what should I do?

It’s simple.

I’ll bring Mizuki Senpai over to my side.

“Now, shall we begin?”

I got up and prepared my weapons.

Tonight’s short knife glimmered mysteriously under the moonlight.

Gripping it tightly, I sliced through the handcuffs binding Mizuki Senpai.

Free now, Mizuki Senpai sat up and gave me a thumbs up.

“Thanks, Kei. A student should have a motivated junior.”

“Not at all! I’m grateful to have a respectable senpai.”

Gently, the two of us snuck out of the window in our hospital clothes.

Since we were on the first floor, we easily succeeded in escaping without having to jump down.

“Well then, I’ll take this opportunity to engage in some late-night training. Without Dive Gear, this is the perfect time to practice magical control.”

“I’ll go train too. I don’t want to cause any more worry.”

“That’s a good mindset.”

“See you.”

“Yeah.”

We nodded and dashed off toward our respective destinations.

Mizuki Senpai headed to the training facility.

And I went to the back entrance of Factom General Academy.

Yes, I’m about to go outside.

“Since I’m already in bandages… I might as well make the most of it!”

Thus begins!

Deep-night cross-dressing~ injured beautiful girl version~!!