(Takenaka POV)

A classmate in middle school, with whom I did not get along well, insisted that I purchase a wooden sword since I was a member of the kendo club, and I was unable to refuse. I never thought that the wooden sword from Kyoto that I was forced to buy on an excursion would prove to be useful here.

The high school, which was in the suburbs, had such lax security that two trespassers could effortlessly slip in at night to the point that I was concerned about their security.

We moved through a corridor between the first floor of the school building and the old school building to avoid attracting attention. Beyond that, the door to the top floor, which led to the rooftop we were aiming for, was locked with chains and a padlock, but fortunately, it was easily opened by striking it with a wooden sword.

“Wahaha, now I’m a definite accomplice, right?”

Looking at the fallen chains, my colleague, who was the most trusted member of the group, laughed without any sense of tension.

Because of my own selfishness, she snuck into the school late at night, which she had no connection to, and was thus made to bear the brunt of the crime, but thanks to her carefree laughter, my heart, which had been wracked with remorse until a moment ago, was put to relief.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to involve you, Hirai.”

“No problem. If there is anything I can do, I would be willing to help. A life is at stake, after all.”

She knitted her eyebrows with a grin and nodded her head emphatically.

If nothing was done, the worst would surely come to pass. If so, I would struggle against the odds, even if the chances were close to zero.

“Well, just doing it won’t be enough to get things all fired up… If Hakamada is saved, I’d like a ‘reward’ from you, too.”

I responded, “Whatever I can do, I’ll do,” when the baby-faced Hirai expressed this to me and fiddled with the ends of her loosely tied-up fluffy hair like a poodle’s tail.

After a brief silence, the flame of desire ignited in her large, black eyes.

“Then, then, then! If successful, can I have you, Takenaka, model nude sketches in front of me!”

!?

Had it been Hakamada instead of me, he would have made a full-blown remark while yelling out with all the force of a horse race. Having braced myself to come here, I was prepared to engage in a battle, only to have my spirit, which had been strained to the limit, instantly loosen with her outrageous remark.

“Hey, hey! Nude drawing!”

“I-Is it full nudity…?”

“Yes! Full nudity! I have been wondering for a while, but Takenaka~, you have a remarkably attractive figure, neither too thick nor too thin, and on top of that, you have this perfect countenance… I would love to sketch your entire body if you would be so kind as to give me some of your thanks… for my future thin book productions!”

With a suspicious look that one would not expect directed at a man, the corners of her mouth slackened, and Hirai’s hands moved in a wagging motion.

This person truly was outrageous.

“That… can I at least be half-naked… everything is a bit too much… You know, ethics, morals, compliance…”“Ehhhhh!! Didn’t you say you would do anything!!”

“Ugh…”

A small sacrifice may be necessary to solve a more pressing problem…

“…Okay…”

“Woahhhhhh―I did it―!!”

What an outlandish devil’s contract…

The baby-faced beauty sprang up and down in delight. The fact that the owner of this particular taste was older than me was another incomprehensible matter to me.

“Hehehe, have your shoulders relaxed a little?”

“Was that a joke?”

“No way? I will be compensated for my efforts.”

After all, Hirai was always Hirai…

With a heart of steel unafraid of any situation or occasion, and the willingness to devote all her energy to her beloved category, there would be no more reassuring ally in this situation if her sexual proclivities were to be overlooked. I felt that my already-tightened spirit would have relaxed considerably more if I hadn’t thought about it in that way.

“Hehe, well, let’s leave the playfulness at that… Takenaka. You’ve really changed.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yeah. I never felt like you would be so reckless before. You wanted to be of help to someone, but you were clumsy, reserved, overthinking things, and would go around and self-destruct.”

“Is that the way I looked to be?”

“Aha, you didn’t realize it yourself, did you?”

“…”

“Hakamada has become an important person to you, hasn’t he?”

“…It’s only been a short time, but it’s been enjoyable so far.”

At that convenience store, Hakamada told me many stories. Stories of trivial things, invitations to dinner, and he treated me like a friend who was close to his age.

“At first, all I hoped was that he would just go away. I thought that if I liked him or anything, I would become attached to him and… eventually it would just get harder and harder again.”

“But I couldn’t lie… about my feelings to that person who honestly adored me.”

It wasn’t for some noble cause that I wanted to save someone. The truth was, I just didn’t want to hurt myself.

Even still, I questioned if it served any purpose to keep frightening and misleading others, and I certainly had a desire to be rewarded somewhere, notwithstanding it was for my own sake.

The unbearable regret that bound me, which I had given up on releasing―When that person loosened them, I felt as if I could finally breathe.

“I was truly… happy that he believed in me and relied on me.”

The voice of a cry for help was interrupted by a noise that lingered in my ears and would not subside. My sweat-soaked fingers gripping the wooden sword were concentrated with strength. I didn’t want to have regrets like I did with Suzuki.

“So I will save him. Absolutely.”

“I see. Then I have no further words.”

“Hirai.”

“Hmm?”magic

“I am counting on you.”

“Likewise. Well then… since we are running out of time, I guess it’s time for a ‘switch’.”

Without any further teasing, Hirai giggled once more and then closed her eyes as if she were sleeping as I pressed my hand against the heavy, rusted door to access the rooftop.