Episode 1: I Want to Marry a Man Stronger Than Me
Part 1
“Welcome, new students! Welcome to Hikage High School!”
On that day, Kogure Akira became a high school student.
Alongside his new classmates, he gathered in the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony.
The person giving a speech on the stage appeared to be the student council president.
With lustrous long hair, well-defined features, and a refined appearance that suggested a feminine silhouette even through the uniform.
Her clear, beautiful voice resonated through the gymnasium air.
Listening to her speech, Akira thought:
—My high school life has begun!
A new chapter.
With his heart pounding with excitement, Akira looked straight up at the stage.
To be honest, his middle school days hadn’t been great. He had zero friends. He didn’t join any clubs and spent his days just commuting between school and home…
But today, he was saying goodbye to that dark school life.
In high school, he was going to enjoy student life!
“We, the current students, welcome all of you new students! May fortune smile upon your high school days!”
—May fortune smile upon my high school days!
He echoed the words of the beautiful student council president in his heart.
*
One month later—
On the morning after Golden Week, Akira stepped into the classroom.
“Good morning,”
He greeted, trying to sound cheerful.
But no one responded. It felt like no one even noticed his presence. He was just too inconspicuous.
Feeling a wave of sadness, Akira took his seat.
It was by the window at the very back. Feeling as if he was being pushed into the corner of the classroom, Akira didn’t like this seat very much.
Being able to overlook the whole class didn’t feel very comforting either.
His classmates were excitedly chatting with friends they hadn’t seen in a while, asking, “What did you do over the break?” Those who seemed to have met up during the break were sharing their memories. Akira couldn’t join either group. He couldn’t even manage to talk to anyone.
Akira was racing down the lonely road of being completely isolated.
—How did it end up like this…?
A sigh naturally escaped his lips.
He was sure he hadn’t done anything wrong.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, he had come to school early, attended the ceremony, and even introduced himself.
And yet, he hadn’t made any friends. He hadn’t even exchanged contact information with anyone.
Of course, he had tried. About a week after starting school, he had mustered up the courage and attempted to talk to his classmates.
But—
“Huh? Who are you?”
They just gave him puzzled looks like that. His classmates hadn’t even remembered his face.
The shock Akira felt was immense.
No, we’re in the same class, right? You should at least recognize my face.
But he couldn’t blame his classmates.
Because Akira had an extremely faint presence.
Tall and slender, with a slightly stooped posture. His hair was messy, and his bangs slightly covered his eyes.
His face with glasses wasn’t handsome, but neither was he unattractive.
An ordinary boy you’d find anywhere, who seemed a bit introverted.
When people look at things, they naturally filter important information from unnecessary information. Important information could be dangerous things or things beneficial to oneself.
For example, if a giant snake suddenly appeared in the classroom, everyone would notice it. Because it’s extremely dangerous.
Or if a beautiful girl suddenly sat next to you and gave you meaningful glances, any healthy high school boy would be intensely curious. Maybe she likes me? Maybe we could go out… Just like a carrot dangled in front of a horse’s nose.
Akira was neither of those. He was an overwhelmingly unremarkable presence.
Right after entering high school, students are desperate to take in new information. The social hierarchy within the class is decided within a week. After that, they naturally focus on who the top people in the hierarchy are and gather information about them.
At the same time, they have to handle increasingly difficult classes, new clubs they’ve joined, or part-time jobs.
Compared to middle school, there’s a lot more information that high school students have to process.
In such circumstances, they don’t have time to pay attention to someone like Akira, who seems irrelevant.
That’s why when he talked to them, their reaction was:
“Huh? Who are you?”
So it ended up like that.
The bell rang, the homeroom teacher came in, and homeroom began.
The teacher mentioned barely any announcements, and it ended quickly. The classmates noisily started preparing for the next class, which was in a different classroom.
First period was biology. They had to move to the biology lab. Akira left the classroom alone.
Ahead, several classmates were walking while chatting. Envious, he thought: I wish I could walk down the hallway with friends too. It’s sad to have such a modest wish.
Feeling gloomy, he was walking with his head slightly down when he bumped shoulders with a student passing by.
“Whoa!”
Akira dropped his textbook and notebook on the floor. Still, thinking it was his fault, he apologized,
“I’m sorry,”
But the other person was already some distance away.
Lively laughter came from their backs.
Despite bumping into him, they didn’t seem to notice Akira’s existence.
Feeling miserable, Akira crouched down to pick up his textbook and notebook from the floor.
He was used to it by now.
I should give up.
My high school life is probably going to be lonely all the way…
“Are you okay?”
“Huh…?”
When he looked up, what caught his eye was a beautiful face.
Features as if meticulously crafted like a doll. Yet, she didn’t seem lifeless at all, and her gentle smile seemed to carry a heart full of kindness.
Next, he noticed her lustrous long hair—so beautiful it almost gave the illusion of sparkling particles of light flowing through it.
At this point, Akira finally realized that a girl was looking down at him with concern.
She crouched down like him and picked up his textbook and notebook, handing them to him.
“Here you go. Be careful not to drop them next time, okay?”
“Ah, th-thank you!”
As Akira received them, she smiled sweetly.
Akira forgot to stand up and just stared blankly at her smile.
Without paying any more attention to him, she turned and left.
Akira knew her name. At Hikage High School, there was no one who didn’t know her.
She was Takasaki Shizuka. A second-year student—the student council president of Hikage High School.
As you can see, she was beautiful. In last year’s beauty contest, she won first place in the popularity vote. Not only was she lovely in appearance, but she always maintained the top grades in her year. She was also outstanding athletically, serving as the anchor in the relay race at last year’s sports festival. Although she had received passionate offers from sports clubs, she didn’t belong to any in particular. However, when she suddenly participated as a helper in the volleyball club during last year’s rookie tournament, she performed brilliantly and helped Hikage High School reach the top eight in the prefecture.
Despite being such a superhuman student council president, she was also an extremely good person, extending a helping hand even to someone isolated like Akira without any discrimination.
“Shizuka-senpai…”
Akira involuntarily whispered her name.
This was the third time Akira had spoken with Shizuka.
The first time was on the day of the entrance ceremony. Shizuka was standing in front of the school gate holding a sign for new student guidance. To Akira, who was about to pass through the gate alone, she had said “Good morning” with a smile.
The second time was when Akira had gotten lost during a class change and happened to meet her in the hallway. She had told him the location of the home economics room. She had noticed Akira looking lost and had spoken to him.
And this was the third time.
—When he thought about it calmly, none of these could really be called conversations, but Akira didn’t have the luxury to think about that now.
“Shizuka-senpai is such a good person…”
Her smile had enough power to capture a completely cornered, introverted loner in a single blow.
But Akira thought:
Surely Shizuka-senpai is kind to everyone. She’s like a goddess who extends a helping hand even to someone like me.
A goddess—in other words, an existence above the clouds.
Just watching from afar makes me happy.
Akira decided he would spend the rest of his high school life savoring the joy whenever the goddess occasionally paid attention to him.
2
Except for the loneliness of being all alone, it had been a day without much emotional ups and downs. Akira was walking home along his usual route.
Akira’s house was in Hikage City, within walking distance of Hikage High School.
He could go straight home, but there was no one there. His parents were traveling around the world for work, and Akira was practically living alone. There was no point in hurrying home.
—Maybe I’ll stop by the bookstore before going home.
Thinking vaguely, he decided to head towards the area near Hikage Station. Especially today, since he had been able to talk with Shizuka, he was in a bit of a high mood. The fact that he ventured out into town while in high spirits showed that Akira was a normal teenager after all.
He spotted Shizuka ahead, heading in the same direction.
He thought he might be mistaken.
But it was really her.
Shizuka was standing at the corner of the street, talking with two guys.
The two guys looked rough, like delinquents. They seemed to be in their late teens—high school or college age. They were dressed in black tracksuits.
—Those are the tracksuits from Sasori Technical High School.
Sasori Technical High School was located in the harbor area of Hikage City. It was quite rough, and many students belonged to delinquent gangs.
It was hard to believe that someone as proper as Shizuka would know them.
Were they hitting on her?
Shizuka didn’t look frightened, but rather was looking up at the guys with a bored expression. Still, since her usual gentle smile was absent, she didn’t seem to be in a very good mood.
Shizuka started walking, seemingly being led away by the two guys. They flanked her on both sides, as if to prevent her from escaping.
—I wonder if Shizuka-senpai is okay…
Feeling worried, Akira started following them. The three didn’t seem to notice Akira. His inherent lack of presence was working to his advantage. The attribute of being an unnoticed loner only shines when you’re tailing someone.
The two guys led Shizuka to an empty park.
Akira hid behind a slide and watched the three. He felt the urge to jump out and help Shizuka, but he held back for now. There was still the possibility that they were just friends.
If nothing happened, he would leave without saying anything.
But then, four more guys appeared from behind the playground equipment. They too were wearing black tracksuits and looked like delinquents.
“You actually came alone, Silent Riot. Just like the rumors say, you’re soft,” one of the guys sneered.
“You’re the scumbags just like the rumors say, bringing a whole crowd,” Shizuka retorted.
But Shizuka didn’t show any sign of being intimidated by the situation and looked back at the guys defiantly.
“So, what do you want with me? As you can see, I’m pretty busy, so can we get this over with?”
“Shigeru-san is gathering comrades to defeat the bancho. He wants you to be his right hand. Cooperate with us.”
Akira furrowed his brows.
—Bancho? Defeat? Are these delinquents planning to start a gang war?
There’s a unique characteristic about Hikage City.
Compared to other areas, the delinquents here hold significant power. Currently, in Hikage City, there are four delinquent groups. The four maintain a balance under a single bancho.
If the delinquents were to defeat the bancho, the balance would collapse, and Hikage City would fall into a state of conflict.
—But to think that Shigeru would make a move. Those guys are serious.
Akira folded his arms.
The Shigeru they just mentioned is probably Kawamura Shigeru. One of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Silver Scorpions, a delinquent group in Hikage City. He’s known as the “Guardian Deity of Sasori Tech.” He’s a delinquent so intimidating that ordinary ones would run away just from his glare.
“Shigeru? Who’s that?”
Shizuka asked with a frown. She apparently didn’t know.
“You don’t know Shigeru-san? Even though you’re a former delinquent?”
“Sorry, but my intel on delinquents is two years out of date. So, this strong guy wants me as his right hand?”
“Isn’t that an honor? You’ll cooperate, right?”
“And if I say no?”
“Then we’ll just take you by force. Hey, guys!”
The delinquents surrounded Shizuka all at once.
—This is bad! I have to help!
Akira was about to leap out from his hiding spot.
But he didn’t need to.
Before he could move, one of the delinquents was already airborne.
He hadn’t jumped on his own.
Shizuka’s upraised foot had struck him square in the stomach.
Like a ball being kicked, he floated momentarily before crashing to the ground.
Shizuka didn’t stop there.
She delivered an elbow to one, a fist to another, and greeted the third with another kick.
Meanwhile, someone tried to attack her from behind with a punch, but she effortlessly ducked to dodge it. Grabbing his arm, she slammed him into the ground. Stepping on him to knock him out, she then leaped high and brought her heel down on the head of a gaping delinquent.
In the blink of an eye, six delinquents were sprawled on the ground.
—She took them all down in an instant!? Shizuka-senpai is this strong!? Why!?
“Sending small fry like this… They’ve really underestimated me.”
With a calm expression, Shizuka brushed her hands together. She ran her fingers through her barely tousled hair, tidying it.
“—So, who’s there?”
“!?”
—Oh no, she noticed me!?
He was shocked. He had absolute confidence in his lack of presence. His tailing should have been perfect. At least, none of the delinquents had noticed him.
He genuinely thought, “She’s amazing.”
Resigned, Akira stepped out.
“Oh? You’re a student from our school, right?”
“You remember me?”
“We’ve talked a few times, haven’t we? Sorry, I don’t know your name though…”
“I’m Kogure Akira, a first-year.”
“Akira-kun, right? So, you saw everything?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
The next moment, Shizuka was standing right in front of him.
Her speed was astonishing.
With a pleasant smile, Shizuka firmly grabbed Akira’s shoulder.
“Akira-kun. How about coming with me to a nice place?”
“A nice place…?”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. My treat. It’s not a scary place at all.”
Shizuka’s smile was beautiful, but her eyes weren’t smiling.
Akira felt her grip on his shoulder tightening gradually.
“Y-Yes, happily.”
He had no other choice.
3
The place Akira was taken to was a karaoke box near the station.
“Karaoke is cheap and student-friendly for secret talks, right?”
Shizuka sat down on the sofa and slightly lowered the volume of the TV’s background music.
The voices from an interview with an up-and-coming idol group became a bit more distant.
“Now then… Promise me you won’t tell anyone about what you saw today, okay? If you don’t keep it a secret, you’ll have to… face some very painful consequences.”
“Y-Yes, it’s okay. It’s okay, but…”
“What?”
She shot him a sharp glare.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed intensely were quite intimidating.
“Um, Shizuka-senpai, are you really the Silent Riot…? The delinquents seemed to call you that…”
“—So you heard that too, huh.”
Shizuka sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
—Silent Riot.
It’s a name known to every young person living in Hikage City.
For years, the delinquents of Hikage City had been embroiled in turf wars, but suddenly, it all stopped. A legendary female delinquent known as the Silent Riot had defeated all the gang leaders and unified the city.
Amazingly, she accomplished this feat in just one year.
But one day, she suddenly disappeared.
According to the last delinquent who spoke with her, she said:
“I’m going to find a man stronger than me.”
Leaving those words behind, she vanished.
From that, the reason for her departure was clear.
The delinquents of Hikage City had been subdued by her.
Having reached the top in Hikage City, she left to cross fists with yet unseen strong opponents. That’s how it was understood among the youth.
But…
“Yes, I’m the Silent Riot.”
The girl before him said.
Akira couldn’t believe it.
—That Shizuka-senpai, the student council president!? No way!
However, after witnessing her single-handedly defeat so many delinquents, he felt he had no choice but to believe.
Still, he thought that outright believing might be impolite, so he said:
“That’s… I can’t see it at all!”
He denied it, just in case.
“Exactly! I’ve washed my hands of all that!”
Shizuka took the opportunity to assert.
“I quit being a delinquent, studied hard, got into a normal school… I’ve been a serious high school student for a whole year! I even became the student council president! I really regret being a delinquent in middle school. So please! Keep it a secret from everyone! Otherwise…”
She clenched her right fist.
The memory of her powerful punch flashed through his mind.
Taking that would be bad.
But on the other hand, there was no need to worry.
Because…
“It’s okay. I don’t have a habit of spreading people’s pasts. Besides, I don’t have any friends to tell! So please rest assured!”
He could say it confidently. A 100% guarantee of confidentiality. If I fail to meet your expectations, feel free to punch me.
“… Somehow, I’m sorry.”
Shizuka seemed to look at him with pity, but Akira decided not to mind.
“But why were you a delinquent? I can’t picture you like that at all, Shizuka-senpai.”
“It’s not like I wanted to be bad. Even when I was a delinquent, I still went to school properly. It was like I only did delinquent activities after school or on weekends. Of course, I kept it a secret from my family and school friends.”
“Then why did you do it in the first place?”
“I’m looking for my prince on a white horse.”
“—Huh?”
Some words he didn’t quite understand came up.
Prince on a white horse? Like the ones in fairy tales?
“I want to marry a man stronger than me—my prince on a white horse.”
“I see.”
It seemed Shizuka intended to explain, but Akira still didn’t quite grasp it.
First, the equation “prince on a white horse equals strong man” was puzzling. Are princes strong? Well, they might have wealth or authority, but…
“But there were no strong men around me at all… So in middle school, I tried entering the delinquent world. Delinquents seem strong, right? So I thought there might be men stronger than me…”
Shizuka held her head in her hands.
“But they were all weak!! In the end, I defeated all of them and became the boss!!”
Oh… I see.
“They all admired me, but I wasn’t happy at all to be liked by such weaklings! Realizing this wouldn’t do, I quit being a delinquent, studied seriously, and got into Hikage High School. Now it’s just an embarrassing part of my past.”
To think that the famous line “I’m going to find a man stronger than me” had such a meaning…
The delinquents of Hikage City might be shocked if they heard this.
But somehow, Akira felt sorry for her.
As Shizuka said, delinquents are supposed to be strong fighters, and surely she had high hopes when she plunged into their world. Defeating one after another, she probably believed, “Surely there’s someone stronger!” only to end up at the top. Thinking about that, he felt sorry for her.
“Are you still looking for your prince on a white horse?”
Akira asked.
“Yes. There are various kinds of strength, aren’t there? Intelligence, kindness…”
“Being rich or from a good family?”
“Hmm, that doesn’t feel quite right.”
“Huh? But princes have money and come from noble families, right?”
Shizuka then shrugged dramatically, as if to say, “You just don’t get it!”
“A prince is just someone who happened to be born as the king’s son! A strong man who just happened to be born into a noble family and have money! Because if he were a weak man, I don’t think he would have looked at poor Cinderella and thought about marrying her.”
He felt she had a point.
Even among the rich and well-born, there are plenty of terrible people.
But hearing this, it seemed like Shizuka was simply looking for a good person.
“In a word, what does ‘strength’ mean to you, Shizuka-senpai?”
“That’s an eternal theme for me too. But I feel that if I could meet a truly strong man, I might find the answer to this question. But even after coming to high school, there are no strong men…”
Indeed, Shizuka had top grades and had earned overwhelming trust from everyone as the student council president.
A man stronger than Shizuka… Akira thought there probably aren’t many men more outstanding than her.
“Is it childish to say I’m looking for my prince on a white horse?”
“No, I think it’s girlish and cute.”
Shizuka, who was purely chasing her dream, looked radiant to Akira.
He was simply giving her a compliment.
But Shizuka blushed and looked a bit flustered.
“C-Cute!? You’re surprisingly forward, Akira-kun.”
She turned away with a huff.
Uh-oh, did I mess up? This is why I can’t make friends…!
Akira inwardly held his head in his hands.
He intended to compliment her, but did she think he was mocking her?
Was it bad to say “girlish”? Or “cute”? Did it sound condescending?
For an introverted loner, this was difficult. He lacked experience in human interactions.
“But I’m glad it was you who found out, Akira-kun.”
Shizuka let out a long sigh. The awkward atmosphere had dissipated. It didn’t seem like he had stepped on a landmine, and Akira felt relieved.
“You seem like a good person, Akira-kun, and I think you’ll keep the secret. Well, that’s the end of our talk…”
Shizuka checked the time on her smartphone and said:
“We still have time, so since we’re here, why don’t we sing?”
She suggested.
Akira felt a surge of panic.
Sing? In front of Shizuka-senpai?
“Are you perhaps not comfortable with karaoke?”
Sensing Akira’s hesitation, Shizuka asked kindly.
“It’s not that, but…”
He liked karaoke. But only when he was alone.
“If you’re not bad at it, then why not? Let’s have fun!” Shizuka looked at him with innocent eyes.
He decided to be honest.
“Actually, I can only sing anime songs…”
For Akira, who had no habit of hanging out with others, his only hobby was watching anime. He also played games. However, since he didn’t watch dramas or music shows and had no friends, he didn’t know much about popular songs. Because of that, he could only sing anime songs at karaoke.
“Is that so? Hey, mind if I try singing some anime songs too?”
“Shizuka-senpai, you like anime?”
“Yes, I actually love it! I often watch romantic anime. But when I go to karaoke with my class or the student council, I sing songs everyone knows, so I don’t get to sing anime songs.”
As expected of the student council president whom everyone respects. Her ability to read the room is outstanding.
“I don’t go to karaoke alone, so… Let’s sing together!”
“But I’m not very good, you know?”
“Having fun is what’s important! Okay, I’ll choose a song!”
Shizuka played the theme song of an anime based on a girls’ manga.
Her singing was breathtaking.
She’s amazing, truly amazing…
Akira was impressed that she was exceptional in every aspect.
Honestly, singing after her was a high hurdle, but Akira was exhilarated by the experience of singing karaoke with someone. That acted like a painkiller, dulling his embarrassment.
“I-I’ll sing!”
Akira sang. His voice cracked a bit at the start, but the chorus went pretty well. During the interlude, Shizuka enthusiastically praised him:
“Akira-kun, you’re really good!”
While thinking that Shizuka-senpai was overwhelmingly better, he was still happy to be praised by someone so talented.
When the song ended and it was Shizuka’s turn:
“Hey, want to sing this song together?”
She suggested.
It was a song he knew, so he agreed immediately.
They held the microphone together and sang, dividing into male and female parts.
What is this?
Is this a dream?
Is it okay for an introverted loner like me to experience such happiness?
He wondered, feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
He glanced over at Shizuka, and she flashed him a warm smile.
It was truly the smile of a goddess.
Before he knew it, their blissful time had flown by.
As promised, Shizuka paid for the karaoke session.
“Ah, that was fun! Let’s come again—wait, Akira-kun!?”
As they stepped out of the shop, Shizuka exclaimed in surprise.
And no wonder.
Akira was crying.
Even he would be startled if someone who had been laughing and singing just moments ago suddenly burst into tears.
But he couldn’t help it.
“It’s okay. These are tears of joy,” Akira said sincerely.
“No, it’s not okay! What’s wrong!?”
“It’s just… It’s been a dream of mine—to go to karaoke after school with someone I met at school. It feels so youthful; I’m just so happy, so happy…”
Akira took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes vigorously with his sleeve.
“I didn’t have any friends in elementary or middle school. And after starting high school, there was no sign of making any… I’d resigned myself to spending my high school days alone. So thank you for today. I had a great time.”
He put his glasses back on and looked up, thanking Shizuka with the biggest smile he could muster.
“Th-Then, let’s hang out again sometime. How about this Saturday?”
“……”
It took him a moment to grasp the meaning of Shizuka’s suggestion, resulting in a brief pause before he could answer.
“Eh!? Is that okay!?”
“Of course it is. We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
“F-Friends…?”
“Why are you looking at me like you’ve never heard the word? We went to karaoke together and had a heart-to-heart talk; we’re already friends. Is that not okay? I want to be friends with you, Akira-kun.”
“Y-Yes, happily! I’m free on Saturday!”
“Great! Then let’s exchange contact info!”
Shizuka pulled out her smartphone.
Akira took out his own. Previously just a device for watching videos and playing games, it now, for the first time, held a contact other than his family.
“Alright, I’ll get in touch when it’s closer!”
“Y-Yes, please!”
Akira thought to himself:
Could it be that my youth is finally beginning…!?
*
Takasaki Shizuka parted ways with Kogure Akira and headed home alone.
As she gazed at the evening sky, she thought about how the days had grown much longer.
I wonder if Akira is looking at the same sky.
—So, Kogure Akira-kun. I’m glad he seems like a good person.
He’s a bit unusual, but definitely not a bad guy. He seems likely to keep my secret.
But something had been nagging at her the whole time. It felt like a piece of information was smoldering at the back of her mind, about to ignite but not quite.
—Kogure Akira… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.
She couldn’t recall where.
But if she couldn’t remember, it probably wasn’t crucial information. She’s the type who ensures she can recall important matters. Shizuka always strives to be that way.
Shizuka wants to marry a strong man. Since she seeks strength in a partner, she believes she must be strong herself.
So if it’s something she can afford to forget, it probably isn’t a big deal.
4
Chiba Prefectural Sasori Technical High School—
Behind the gymnasium, eight delinquents were hanging around. All of them wore the school’s designated black tracksuits.
One sat on a sofa, while the remaining seven knelt before him. Of those seven, six were covered in dust and grime, with some sporting bruises on their faces.
The man on the sofa was hard to discern due to the tracksuit, but his well-toned body was evident, and he seemed reasonably tall. His short brown hair and sharp, drooping eyes were distinctive features.
His name was Shigeru Kawamura. Known as “Sasori Tech’s Guardian Deity,” he was a powerful delinquent and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the gang Silver Scorpion, composed mainly of students and alumni from Sasori Technical High School. In other words, he was a high-ranking member.
“S-Shigeru-san, we’re sorry, we…”
One of the battered delinquents said fearfully.
“You don’t have to tell me; I can see you got beaten up pretty badly,” Shigeru responded with a sly grin.
Perhaps fearing punishment from Shigeru, the seven delinquents were deeply apologetic.
Shigeru, on the other hand, was in a good mood because they had been defeated.
“B-But that girl is a monster. It was over in about twenty seconds! She took us all down just like that.”
“She called us small fry. And we’re supposed to be the elite of Silver Scorpion…”
The delinquents began offering excuses one after another.
“The Silent Riot is that kind of woman—a girl with extraordinary combat ability,” Shigeru murmured.
“So if she’s the real deal, you guys don’t stand a chance. Don’t worry. I sent you to confirm whether the rumors were true.”
—Since around Golden Week, a certain rumor had been spreading among the delinquents.
The vanished Silent Riot was actually still in Hikage City. Moreover, she had left the delinquent life and was serving as the student council president of Hikage High School.
Few delinquents took it seriously. Why would the monstrously strong Silent Riot be living as an ordinary high school girl? Some even argued that while she was indeed young, she couldn’t have been of high school age.
Shigeru was also among the skeptics.
But if it were true… he thought he could use her.
So he sent his underlings to find out.
“Hey, you recorded a video, right? Let me see it.”
“Y-Yes!”
One delinquent who wasn’t injured handed his smartphone to Shigeru. He had been instructed not to confront the Silent Riot directly but to record the meeting from afar.
On the smartphone screen, a video played of the Silent Riot—Shizuka Takasaki—utterly defeating the delinquents.
“Nice footage. Haha, this is priceless. You guys didn’t stand a chance. Looks like the rumors are true. Okay, capture some good scenes and print them out. Also, you guys, just these photos might not be enough. Go get some embarrassing photos of that girl.”
“Embarrassing photos…?”
“Anything will do—changing clothes, bathing, whatever. Just get something that would cause her trouble if it got out.”
“Yes, sir!”
Perhaps because orders from the boss were absolute, the underlings nodded obediently, though they seemed half-convinced.
What a bunch of slow-witted guys, Shigeru smirked.
—Well, if they were sharp, they wouldn’t be delinquents.
Delinquents, including Shigeru, had their reasons for being so. Maybe they weren’t academically inclined, or they were clumsy, or perhaps they were just too good at fighting—they were all misfits.
And misfits have their own dreams and pride.
“I’m going to defeat the current ‘Boss’ and take the top! To do that, I’ll use this woman. Consider this job as preparation!”
“Yes, sir!”
The delinquents responded energetically and dispersed.
The current Boss was said to be unprecedentedly strong. So strong, in fact, that he couldn’t be given a nickname and was simply called the Boss. Any nickname would pale in comparison to his strength, and no name seemed fitting.
To take the top, he had to defeat this strongest Boss. Honestly, with his current forces, it was impossible.
But if he could use the Silent Riot as a pawn—
“Looks like my luck has finally turned.”
Shigeru sat back deeply into the sofa and twisted his lips into a grin.
5
Friday night. Akira was rummaging through his closet at home.
“Tomorrow… I’m going out with Shizuka-senpai…! What should I wear!?”
He pulled out the set of clothes he had bought just before entering high school—a complete outfit he had purchased after asking the shop assistant for what the mannequin was wearing.
He had bought the clothes with the faint hope that once he became a high school student, he might hang out with friends.
To think the day would come when he’d wear these!
By the way, all his other clothes were ones he had randomly picked at fast-fashion stores during middle school. He thought they were pretty cool, but they seemed quite different in style from the clothes the mannequin had worn.
He wasn’t sure if the mannequin’s clothes were actually stylish, but he figured he should trust the mannequin’s sense over his own. Akira had been friendless for so long that he hadn’t received any feedback from others. He didn’t think his fashion sense could rival that of a mannequin.
A buzzing sound, like a fly, had been echoing in the room for a while, and he finally noticed it.
It took him a bit longer to realize it was his smartphone vibrating.
Huh? A call for me? From whom?
It was unlikely his parents were calling. Maybe his grandpa from the countryside? No, there shouldn’t be any reason…
When he saw the name displayed on the smartphone screen, Akira nearly jumped.
—Takasaki Shizuka
Her surname and given name, properly registered.
In a panic, he connected the call.
“Hello, this is Kogure.”
“Akira-kun? It’s Shizuka!”
—It’s really Shizuka-senpai!
He was thrilled.
It was the first time he’d received a call from a friend on his smartphone.
“Sorry for calling so late! I said I’d get in touch, but I couldn’t until now.”
“The student council keeps you busy, right?”
“There are lots of little tasks to handle. But I’m off tomorrow, so let’s hang out!”
It felt ticklish, as if she were whispering in his ear. Of course, since he’d never experienced a woman whispering in his ear, it was just his imagination.
“So, about tomorrow, is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
He was flustered by the sudden question.
He was so happy about being able to hang out with a friend that he hadn’t thought about anything.
“I’d like to go to karaoke again.”
After saying it, he thought to himself, Oh man, I’m playing it too safe!
But he felt it was unfair to ask, “Where would you like to go, Shizuka-senpai?” and make her decide.
“Sounds good! We didn’t get to sing much last time, so let’s sing a lot. Ah! If we have time left, I’d like to check out the game center. Maybe because I’m the student council president, but I don’t get invited much. I’m a bit scared to go alone…”
He found it amusing that the strongest female boss said she was “a bit scared.”
“That sounds great. Let’s do that.”
“Is meeting after lunch okay? My mom seems to have already prepared lunch for tomorrow. We’ll be going straight to karaoke.”
“No problem at all! Let’s save on food expenses!”
“Thank you!”
Shizuka swiftly organized their plans for the day.
Akira couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
Part 2 >>>