Academy SP 〜An Ex-Mercenary Reincarnated as a Mob in a Gal Game. I Ditched My Bodyguard Job to Enjoy High School Life, but When the Ultra-Rich Heroines Were About to Get Killed, I Stepped In… and Somehow Built a Harem Powerful Enough to Control Japan〜 - Chapter 57, 58 & 59

Chapter 57

“Takahashi-san?”

Her voice pulled me back to reality.

I quickly forced a smile.

“Heh… who knows…”

Maybe she realized I was avoiding the subject, because Tatekawa-san didn’t press any further.

Instead, she smoothly shifted the conversation.

“By the way, I heard Yushu Girls’ Academy has a forest camp coming up.”

“Ah, yes. We’re heading to Karuizawa.”

“Karuizawa, huh? That’s a lovely place.”

She stood as she said that.

Then she smiled at me.

“Please… enjoy it. No matter what your past may be, you have the right to enjoy your present.”

“Enjoy… huh?”

When she said that, something stirred inside me.

I’d told myself I wanted to enjoy my youth this time around.

And yet… somehow, I’d been keeping my distance—from Wakita, from Sara, from Ririko—

No, maybe even from “Academy SP” itself.

Sure, I’ve always been a bit gloomy by nature. I’m not exactly good at making friends.

That much, I have to admit.

But maybe that wasn’t the only reason.

Maybe… it was guilt.

Who am I to enjoy something like this?

Someone like me… with blood on my hands.

No.

Enough with the dark thoughts.

“Thank you, Tatekawa-san.”

It felt like she’d given me a small push forward.

So I thanked her properly this time.

“I’m glad I could help, even in some small way. Now then… enjoy your forest camp.”

With that, she turned on her heel and headed back to work.

“And what are you doing here?♡”

“…Yuuji-kun♡”

Huh?

The blonde side-tail gal and the elegant Kansai-dialect beauty standing in front of me—

That’s Sara-san and Ririko-san, right?

…Why are they here?

Explain yourself, Wakita.

“Well, you seeee, Yuuji secretly dumped all the conglomerate heiress bodyguard duties on me and tried to meet a beautiful police officer alone! So I thought, hey, let’s all go check it out together! And I suggested it to these two ♡”

“So you’re the culprit!! I told you to keep this quiet!!”

I grabbed him by the collar, but Wakita just wriggled happily for some reason.

“More importantly, what were you talking about?”

Sara shot me a sharp glance.

“…Don’t tell me. Were you setting up a date?”

Ririko stared at me with icy eyes.

“N-No, no! There’s no way! I’m a minor, okay? There’s no way an adult like her would be interested in me…”

“Hmmm? Who knows!”

“…It’s not about what she thinks. It’s about what Yuuji-kun thinks.”

“N-No, I’m telling you, I don’t think anything!”

At that, both of them puffed out their cheeks in perfect sync.

“Seriously though, why is that police lady meeting Yuuji alone in the first place?”

“…Right? Maybe she has some suspicious intentions or something.”

The two of them kept tossing subtle jabs at Tatekawa-san together.

Hold on… since when did you two become this coordinated?

“Well, Sara-san and Ririko-san actually have pretty similar backgrounds. Lots of common ground. They’ve gotten surprisingly in sync lately.”

Wakita whispered that into my ear.

Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since I started handling protection duty for both of them at the same time.

At first, they clashed constantly.

But little by little, they started actually talking to each other.

I’d heard Sara didn’t have many friends before. So whether Ririko counts as a “friend” or not, having another girl around her might actually be a good thing.

Ririko went through something terrifying during the Hirota incident.

But Sara was attacked too.

If sharing that pain helped them support each other emotionally… then honestly, that’s a good outcome.

Yeah. That’s definitely a good thing.

Just as I nodded to myself—

“Hey… by the way, Yuuji…”

Sara turned to me, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“Actually… I talked to Papa about something…”

“Yeah?”

“He said that if you became Sara’s… f-future husband, the Hagoromo Conglomerate would be willing to gift you a portion of their Tokyo real estate.”

“…Huh?”

“If you marry Sara, all of that would become yours, Yuuji ♡”

“…Whaaaaat!?”

Yeah.

Lately, Sara hasn’t even been trying to hide her advances.

And it’s not just Sara.

“…Yuuuji-kun.”

Ririko suddenly stepped between us, fidgeting with her hands.

“Y-Yes…?”

“…I also spoke to my dad. He said we could gift you part of the Aketo Conglomerate’s Kansai properties as well. There are historic districts in Kyoto and everything. I think they’d make a wonderful wedding present for you, Yuuji-kun.”

“Excuse me!?”

At that moment—

The two of them, who had just been united against Tatekawa-san a minute ago, began sparking like live wires.

“Muu! Ririko! Don’t just jump into the conversation like that!”

“…Sara-chan, you’re the one trying to sneak ahead.”

—Hey, hey! Wait! No fighting!

“Let’s see… Tokyo land owned by the Hagoromo Conglomerate, plus historic Kyoto properties from the Aketo Conglomerate… At current market value—whoa! We’re easily talking one trillion yen!”

Wakita did the calculation in seconds and casually patted my shoulder.

“Congratulations, Yuuji. You’re receiving an incredible amount of love from both of them!”

“That love is way too heavy! What do you mean ‘gift’ me land worth a trillion yen!? That’s not a present—that’s a territorial transfer! What am I, some feudal warlord from the Sengoku era!?”

So yeah… the atmosphere could get a little dangerous like that sometimes.

But despite everything—

We were, in our own way, enjoying this everyday life.

And the forest camp I’d secretly been looking forward to—

Was finally just one day away.

Chapter 58

Forest camp—

Officially, it’s meant to be an educational trip. We travel to a natural location we wouldn’t normally visit, experience new things, and “learn through nature.”

But from the students’ perspective?

It’s basically an exciting overnight trip with friends.

Back in middle school, where did we go for our forest camp again…?

Oh. Right.

I didn’t go.

I was completely skipping school back then.

Which means this is the first forest camp of my life—

Well… saying “my life” after being reincarnated feels a bit strange, but still.

An overnight trip with classmates, huh.

Can I really enjoy something like this?

It’s not like I’ve ever built proper, normal relationships before—

“Yo! Why are you just standing there, best buddy!?”

While I stood in front of the school bus bound for Karuizawa, lost in thoughts about my previous life, Wakita suddenly smacked me on the back.

“Ow! What was that for!?”

“That’s called bonding!”

This cheerful guy with glasses—

He was originally supposed to be Shirou Amagaya’s best friend in the gal game.

And yet somehow, through some twist of fate, he ended up as my best friend instead.

“Still, three days and two nights in Karuizawa! Have you ever been, Yuuji? My family has a vacation house there, so we go every year!”

“Wait, seriously…?”

Right. His parents’ company is about to go public. He’s basically rich.

Must be nice.

Now that I think about it… has background-character Yuuji Takahashi ever even been to Karuizawa?

—I haven’t.

I skipped forest camp. Skipped school trips.

As for family vacations, I only remember going a few times when I was very young.

Then I left Japan at eighteen, and after that, most of my life was overseas.

Sure, I traveled to many countries. That part was meaningful in its own way.

But most of it was alone.

Come to think of it… I’ve never once gone on a trip with someone else.

“I’ve never been.”

The loneliness slipped out before I could stop it.

Wakita immediately smacked my back again.

“Then let’s make some amazing memories together, best buddy!”

He winked and gave me a thumbs-up.

…For some reason, I couldn’t respond right away.

Originally, Wakita approached me because he saw some kind of “use” in my strength. That’s how we ended up working together.

And yet…

He keeps casually calling me “best buddy” as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

He says it so easily.

That word—“Best friend.”

Something I wanted so badly during my school days… but never managed to have.

“—What’s with that gloomy face, Takahashi?”

A friendly voice called out.

“Ah, Isoyama-kun!”

Wakita raised his hand with a casual “Yo!” and Isoyama returned the gesture.

“How’s your condition?”

When I asked, he shrugged.

“I’m fine. Still gonna be a few months before this cast comes off, though.”

His right arm was tightly wrapped in plaster and bandages.

Yeah—the one Hirota broke.

He’d been beaten badly, but he was already discharged from the hospital and back at school.

“Still, Sasaki-kun, Akimoto-kun, and Marui-kun all quit after what Hirota did to them. You really stuck around, Isoyama-kun.”

Wakita said that, and Isoyama gave a crooked smile.

“Yeah. Honestly, just being here feels embarrassing. But… I couldn’t bring myself to quit.”

He glanced at me.

“The truth is, when Hirota was beating me, I was barely conscious. …But I saw it. I saw you.”

“…Saw what?”

“You treated Hirota like he was nothing. Completely overwhelmed him. No mercy. The way you cornered him until he turned pale—Takahashi, your strength… and your brutality.”

“O-Oh…”

So he was awake back then?

Even in that condition, he saw it.

That’s… kind of awkward.

But Isoyama’s lips slowly curled into a grin.

“I thought about it a lot after that… and I’ve decided to stay in ‘Academy SP.’ Now that Hirota’s gone and I’ve lost my original goal…”

He looked straight at me.

“—you’re my new goal.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. I’m a guy, after all. It’s hard not to admire someone strong. I don’t even care about the conglomerate heiresses anymore. I just want to get stronger. Smarter too—but also physically stronger… and as a man, I want a bigger heart. So for the next three years, I’m going to chase you. If I do that, I feel like I might become truly strong.”

“O-Oh…?”

Right beside me, Wakita leaned in and whispered,

“What’s this, Yuuji? Not satisfied with charming the conglomerate heiresses, so now you’ve added Isoyama to the list?”

“Like hell I did!!”

“Just so you know, I’m not giving up the ‘best friend’ position! I refuse to allow a harem expansion in that direction! Absolutely not! Hmph!”

“Stop getting weirdly competitive over this…”

While we bickered, I looked back at Isoyama.

His eyes were burning with determination.

“Well, I also can’t stand the idea of losing and just walking away. We may be a mess—but we’re still the combat unit of ‘Academy SP.’”

Behind Isoyama stood the other students from the “Aketo Conglomerate faction,” their eyes lit with the same fire.

Even after being crushed by Hirota, they chose to cling to “Academy SP,” determined to settle things in their own way.

I see…

They were barely even named in the original game—background characters at best.

And yet… they weren’t bad at all.

In the end, whether someone is labeled a “mob” or a “protagonist” is just a role assigned by someone else.

The true protagonist—

Is always yourself.

—Or at least, that’s the kind of dramatic line that suddenly popped into my head.

And when I looked around—

For some reason, a crowd of “Academy SP” students had gathered around me.

What’s this? What do they all want—

“So then…”

Isoyama spoke again, this time more formally.

“For this three-day, two-night mission at the girls’ academy… how should we set up the protection positions?”

He paused.

“…Leader?”

“……………………Hah?”

◆◆◆

We hit ★8000—thank you so much!!

Wait… could we actually make it!?

Is ★10000 really not just a dream!?

Alright! I’ll keep working hard to make it even more fun!

Chapter 59

“H-Hey… what do you mean ‘leader’? And why is everyone staring at me like that?”

“What do you mean, why? Isn’t it obvious?”

Isoyama and the others exchanged looks, as if to say, Is this guy serious right now?

“First of all, during this forest camp, we won’t have much free time. We still have our duties as ‘Academy SP.’ We have to properly protect the conglomerate heiresses.”

“I know that! What I’m asking is—why am I suddenly the leader of ‘Academy SP’!? Hirota’s gone, sure, but the class representative role was passed to Morimiya from the ‘Kousaki Conglomerate faction,’ wasn’t it!?”

“That’s true, but… it can’t be helped. The entire ‘Kousaki faction’ is absent today.”

“Wait, what!?”

Now that I think about it, departure time was approaching, and I hadn’t seen a single member of the ‘Kousaki faction.’

They’re the largest faction in the class—almost half of it.

And yet, not one of them was here.

Wakita explained casually.

“Ah, Suiran Kousaki-san had to skip because of some family matter. Looks like Morimiya and the others got pulled into that as well.”

“Seriously…?”

With the Kousaki family’s influence, they probably have their own private security force.

And yet… they still involve ‘Academy SP’ in their affairs?

“Tch, they’re being way too blatant about it. Officially, we’re supposed to protect not just the conglomerate heiresses, but every girl attending Yushu Girls’ Academy. Even if that’s mostly just on paper.”

Isoyama scratched his head.

“Honestly… there’s something off about them. Especially that guy. Shin Morimiya.”

“Got something on your mind, Isoyama-kun?”

Wakita asked casually.

Isoyama paused for a moment before answering.

“Yeah… He’s always smiling, quiet, doesn’t stand out much. In the SP tournament, he even lost in the second round. I figured he was nothing special. But he’s the head of the ‘Kousaki faction.’ And somehow he’s popular enough to replace Hirota as class representative.”

“Hmmm… yeah, I get that. It does feel like he’s hiding some kind of strength beneath the surface. Just a gut feeling, though.”

Wakita adjusted his glasses with a sharp click.

This guy really does have a good eye for people.

—As for Shin Morimiya, I don’t remember every detail about him, but I do remember how he appears.

He never shows up in Sara’s route, Ririko’s route, or even Ayaka Kirishima’s route.

But the moment you choose Suiran Kousaki as the main heroine, he suddenly rises to prominence—

Shirou Amagaya’s greatest rival.

Since I’ve more or less chosen Sara and Ririko’s routes (kind of?), I haven’t had much interaction with Morimiya so far.

But who knows what will happen next.

Still, that’s not the problem right now.

“N-No, hold on! Me? Leader? That’s—”

No thank you!

After serving as a corporal in the French Foreign Legion, I swore I’d spend the rest of my life as a simple foot soldier.

And during my time in the Middle East, they even made me an instructor—

No. That’s one memory I’d rather not revisit.

Yeah, that’s it. Let Wakita handle all the annoying leadership responsibilities!

“Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Wakita shut that down immediately.

“W-What do you mean!?”

“It’s simple. I don’t have the charisma to lead them.”

“N-Neither do I!”

“No… you do. You’ve got power. The kind that makes even Hirota look insignificant.”

Wakita flashed a grin, white teeth gleaming as he continued.

“First of all, you’re already handling both the ‘Hagoromo faction’ and the ‘Aketo faction.’ And the ‘Kirishima faction’ basically doesn’t exist right now. So who else would even be suitable?”

“B-But still…”

“Relax. I’ll take care of the detailed strategy and planning. Just accept the position for now.”

“…Sigh.”

I let out a long breath.

At this point, there was probably no escaping it.

Guess I’ll just… accept it.

“Hey, hey! Karuizawa’s a safe place. I doubt ‘Academy SP’ will even have much to do! More importantly, I brought playing cards. Later, let’s invite Isoyama and the others and hold a tournament!”

“Oh, that sounds good! I’m not losing!”

The boys cheered at Wakita’s suggestion.

Honestly… this kind of atmosphere really does feel like high school.

“Alright then, tonight let’s all gather in the love nest that Yuuji and I share! ♡”

“Just say we’re sharing a normal two-person room!”

So yeah… things escalated fast.

But honestly? Deep down, I might have been looking forward to this forest camp too.

At the very least, with Wakita around… it probably wouldn’t be a bad three days and two nights.

Not that I’d ever admit that to his face. Absolutely not.

And yet—

I would soon regret accepting the role of leader.

It happened after we arrived in Karuizawa, walked along the hiking trail, and stopped to rest on a quiet hill.

“—This is a place for the young ladies to enjoy. I would appreciate it if the boys did not follow us.”

She stood there in Yushu Girls’ Academy gym clothes, posture perfectly straight, sharp brows slightly drawn together.

Behind her, the sheltered young ladies shrank back nervously.

She stepped forward, blocking my path as if shielding them.

…Great.

Here we go.

Ayaka Kirishima.

Even though this gal game world has already gone far off script, one thing hasn’t changed at all—

Her heart.

She still hates men.

And she hates ‘Academy SP.’

How much does she hate it?

Well—

The number of “Academy SP” members assigned to the “Kirishima faction” to protect her is—

Zero.