I Achieved a Happy Ending in a World Where Erotic and Grotesque Things are Commonplace, but I Hadn't Thought About What Would Happen After That. - Chapter 15 Why do I feel like I'm the heroine here, and I’m not liking it!

Chwapter 15 Why do I feel like I’m the heroine here, and I’m not liking it!

“Good morning, Masayoshi.”

“Good morning, Masayoshi-kun!”

The day after I overcame what was perhaps my greatest weakness, a cold, I stepped into the classroom to find myself on the receiving end of several rather rude stares, acknowledging that even someone like me could catch a cold.

Ouka and Aika greeted me, noticing the strain I had felt the day before but also commenting on my apparent recovery.

“You seemed pretty out of it yesterday, but I guess you’re back to your old self today?”

“Yeah… But thanks for your help yesterday, you two.”

“Don’t mention it. But… I didn’t expect Ouka to show up in the afternoon.”

Yesterday had been quite an eventful day. Not only had Ouka come to visit me in the afternoon, but after school, Souta, Aika, Kaguya, and even the student council president had all dropped by.

As Aota pointed out, I had been genuinely unwell the day before, so after a brief conversation, they left, wishing for my recovery.

[‘Masayoshi… You are—’]

Kaguya, who had seen me in that state for the first time, seemed particularly concerned. Perhaps, as an Ayakashi herself, she had noticed the complete disappearance of my power. However, I wasn’t too worried, knowing that Kaguya wouldn’t go around spreading it.

(But… They really showed their true colors yesterday.)

Just like when Ouka came to visit, my head was foggy with fever. Despite my discomfort, their erotic allure managed to excite me, reminding me once again of the danger they posed.

“Good morning, Masayoshi.”

As we were talking, Kaguya arrived at school. Since her transfer, she had settled in well, and despite her identity as a Ayakashi, she had become a well-liked presence in the class.

Among the many beautiful girls in our school, including Aika, Ouka, and the student council president, Kaguya stood out and had already established herself as a popular figure.

[‘Kaguya, you’re super popular, aren’t you? Not just with the seniors but also the juniors… You’ve even been getting a lot of invitations for Ayakashi hunting.’]

The idea of inviting a Ayakashi like Kaguya to join a Ayakashi hunt seemed like a joke, but it was a testament to how many people wanted to get closer to her.

It wasn’t just students from our school, but also from others… And even some wealthy individuals who would go as far as to make formal invitations through teachers.

[‘I have absolutely no interest in that. As long as I can stay by his side, that’s all I need.’]

Even when faced with these visible signs of interest from others, Kaguya remained steadfast in her response.

However, her insistence on staying by my side had recently led to a strange phenomenon—I started receiving admiring glances from junior boys, and occasionally, they would even ask me how they could get closer to a wonderful woman like Kaguya. To make matters worse, Kaguya never denied these claims that we were in a relationship and would even smile and fan the flames of their interest.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah… But that’s all anyone seems to talk about.”

“That’s because everyone was worried about you.”

“Yeah, but it’s strange that you’d recover so quickly. If I caught a cold, I’d be out for at least two days.”

“Well, I guess I’m just special.”

Even my parents and Inori were perplexed by my rapid recovery.

On the rare occasions when I got sick, it usually only lasted a day, and by the next day, I was always back to my energetic self, as if nothing had happened.

“The morning assembly hasn’t started yet… Hey, Masayoshi, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Huh? Sure.”

So, led by Kaguya, we made our way to the rooftop. Despite the distractions along the way, like her swaying hips and the sweet scent that trailed behind her, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse when she called me with a serious look on her face.

With each step we took, we attracted more and more attention, but Kaguya remained unfazed and continued walking confidently.

As soon as we reached the rooftop, Kaguya spoke with conviction.

“Yesterday… You weren’t just suffering from a regular cold, were you?”

“Impressive. I thought you might have noticed.”

I had a feeling this was what she wanted to talk about. Perhaps because I had anticipated it, I nodded without hesitation and didn’t even attempt to hide the truth, especially since she had come to visit me while I was unwell.

“Do you really want to know that badly?”

“I do.”

“Okay.”

“You’re surprisingly honest.”

“There’s no point in keeping it a secret.”

So, I decided to tell her everything.

“That being said, you only found it strange because you’re used to seeing me at my best. To an ordinary person, I probably just looked like I had a slightly bad cold, right?”

“Yes… Indeed, it was only because I know the usual you that I found it so unusual to see you so utterly ordinary.”

“That’s exactly it. A few times a year, I have days like that… Days when I’m unable to wield the powerful abilities I pride myself on, and I feel too unwell to even move.”

“… I see.”

“By the way, Ouka is the only other person who knows about this. There was once when I pushed myself too hard in front of her.”

Incidentally, I can usually sense the onset of these symptoms through subtle signs. The time with Ouka was a perfect example of this—I felt the warning signs, quickly finished the task at hand, and then the symptoms hit me. It would have been pretty scary if I had suddenly fallen ill right after looking perfectly fine.

“Wait.”

“Huh!? “

Kaguya’s voice carried a surprising amount of authority. Her gaze, fixed on me, seemed to hold a hint of anger, making me feel a little intimidated.

“So, what you’re saying is that you fought even when you were feeling unwell?”

“N-No… I mean, I could sense it coming, so I finished the task quickly… And I was fine! Ouka even drove me home!”

“You fought even though you knew your condition wasn’t good, thinking you could finish it quickly, didn’t you?”

She took one step, and then another towards me, and Kaguya stopped right in front of me.

The sweet scent that tickled my nostrils was stronger than before, as if I was being directly hypnotized, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The intensity of her gaze was as sharp as the first time we met. But of course, I felt no hostility from her.

“I know you don’t like women who complain about things that are already over, but I’m going to say it anyway. If something had happened to you, I might not have had these moments with you. Not only would the person who saved me at that time not have appeared, but I might not be living the fulfilling life I have now.”

“……That’s”

“Not something you can outright deny, is it? You saved me, and you changed me. To put it bluntly, I was given the joy of living because of you… You changed the way I, as a woman, live my life.”

“………………”

“This is… well, it’s just a gripe of sorts. If it weren’t for you, I might not even exist. So now that you’ve given me this joy and happiness, I refuse to acknowledge that these days might have been lost.”

Kaguya said this with conviction.

Well, I understand what she’s saying… In the end, she’s saying that she doesn’t acknowledge the possibility of her own death if I had continued recklessly.

Having been told this, I couldn’t just laugh it off. I could only respond like a pathetic man who had been overwhelmed by her momentum.

“……Well, that’s why I’ve been more careful since then. It’s not just Ouka who was so upset, but I’ve also made a lot of friends who would be sad if something happened to me.”

“Yes… You really do attract a lot of people.”

“That wasn’t my intention. I just helped those I wanted to help and did my best as I saw fit.”

Well, even so, there’s absolutely no way I’d go into a battle without my powers and with my poor physical condition.

Regular humans can’t beat Ayakashi… So if I were weak, I’d be killed in an instant.

But then again… for me,

“Say it.”

“Huh?”

“Say what you were about to say just now. Else I’ll get mad at you.”

What I was about to say just now… I said it as it was.

“Even if I’m weak and can’t fight, I don’t think I can abandon you guys. Rather than regretting it because of my own weakness, I’d rather die for you.”

……I was surprised at how smoothly these words came out, even to myself.

Of course, Kaguya scolded me for having such thoughts, and asked me how those left behind would feel. Naturally, I couldn’t answer that.

“There’s still time before the morning assembly… Okay.”

“What is it?”

“Hmph!”

“Huh!?”

Kaguya’s figure flickered, and I was tripped, falling on my back… Damn, I couldn’t react at all.

I am strong… But that strength is only directed at enemies.

Since Kaguya is now my comrade, unless she betrays me, my reaction to her attacks will always be a little slower.

“……That didn’t hurt.”

“Of course not.”

“Oi… You”

My back was supported not by the concrete ground but by a tentacle created by Kaguya, and due to her using her power as a Ayakashi, her appearance had changed from a school uniform to a kimono.

Seeing her erotic, voluptuous body up close after a long time, my body temperature rose rapidly, and an incredible excitement washed over me.

“This is a school!? Don’t dress like that… Hey, don’t come near me! I told you before, didn’t I!? Even your usual outfit is too erotic, and this one is just cheating, you idiot!”

“It’s my turn now, so be quiet for a bit.”

“Mmmph!?”

Wh, what are you doing… huh!?

The sudden development caused my brain to short-circuit, and I received a shock as if my brain had sparked… For now, I tried to clear my mind and not be conscious of the current situation.

But it’s dangerous… My wolf is about to get up!?

▼▽

Kaguya looked at Masayoshi, who was blushing deeply, with a serious expression, their faces almost touching.

Due to the close contact, Masayoshi’s body gradually heated up, and his level of excitement was conveyed through his scent and perspiration.

To explain their current position, Kaguya, true to her word, was silencing Masayoshi by pressing one of her ample breasts against the lower half of his face.

“Masayoshi, there are a lot of things you need to learn. By doing so, your self-sacrificing tendencies will be somewhat mitigated, and most of all, no matter what happens, there will always be someone there for you, anchoring your life to this world.”

“Uuuu~~!!”

“Go ahead and take a deep breath, like you’re drinking milk from a baby bottle like you did when you were little.”

To be honest, Kaguya thought she was pushing it a little too far, but she reaffirmed that this much was necessary for a consciousness reform.

Masayoshi needed to learn about women.

By learning about love and other things, he would understand that his existence was not his alone… In the end, his very act of rejection was what kept him alive.

“……Phew!?”

“Well, I’ll stop here for today.”

Masayoshi, whose face was now free, was bright red.

“W, what the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?”

“My, my, how rebellious. Should I show this to you…?”

“Huh!? N, no, no! It’s because you suddenly…!?”

Masayoshi glared at Kaguya with a look that seemed to say he had seen a ghost, as she suggested showing him the faint teeth marks on her breasts.

(Masayoshi, you should fall. If you do, you will definitely value yourself more. If you know how much you are loved, you won’t make reckless statements like you did before.)

Kaguya smiled, saying that she didn’t see his loss of power as a weakness, and that even his weaknesses were part of what made him who he was.

But Masayoshi probably didn’t realize it.

Q: What would you do if the boy who risked his life to save you sometimes lost all his power and became defenseless…? If you couldn’t save him, would it be meaningless? If you didn’t want to regret it, would you seriously consider becoming a shield for him, even in your powerless state?

When faced with such a question, what would these girls say…? Would it be too easy a question for them?