Living Normally In An Abnormal World

Chapter 103.3: The Two Lonely Ones and the Indifferent Guy

While Yuuto was enjoying his school life, someone was gradually becoming dissatisfied due to the lack of time they could spend together.

“Tou-chan doesn’t have much time these days.”

The speaker was Toudou Satoru.

Since it was spring break, he used to kidnap Yuuto about two or three times a week for live streams. However, after starting middle school, Yuuto became too busy, and the time they could spend together dwindled.

Even though Yuuto warned Satoru that he wouldn’t be able to join often, and Haruki also scolded him, Satoru had no choice but to hold back.

Not only Satoru but also the viewers of the streams were dissatisfied with Yuuto’s absence. After all, everyone wants a toy that knows how to react when teased or provoked.

In reality, live streams with only Satoru and Agrius were calm and peaceful, offering a healing atmosphere. The two adorable “shota” boys of Kakokawa created a picturesque and heartwarming scene no matter what they did.

But the moment Yuuto entered the picture, that tranquility disappeared.

Take, for example, romance games. If Yuuto played, he would inevitably steer toward the yandere route, leading to bloody scenes where the protagonist would always die.

In competitive games, Yuuto would crush the other two mercilessly. If he lost, he would retaliate by kicking or hitting them—behavior hardly appropriate for someone supposed to be a guardian figure.

And when someone tried to criticize this, Yuuto would respond with:
“If children learn bad things, it’s not about what they learn but the fact they act on it. Isn’t the fault with the poor parenting rather than me?”
He’d even flip them off for good measure.

Despite this, Yuuto’s popularity remained high, keeping him in the media spotlight.

“Yuuto-chan is genuinely busy,” said Agrius.
“But we haven’t seen him at all recently,” Satoru replied.
“…That’s true, but…”
“Let’s try contacting him for a change!”
“I still think our usual abduction methods are weird.”
“That’s just our style of communication!”
“…That’s true.”
“Tou-chan, answer your phone already!”

Satoru adjusted the settings so the viewers could hear and called Yuuto. The two fidgeted nervously during the few unanswered rings—it was their first time contacting him normally.

“It’s rare for you to call. What’s up, Satoru?”
“I missed you, so I called.”
“You’re supposed to say that to someone special in the future, you know.”
“Tou-chan!”
“Oh, Agrius is there too? I’m doing fine. How about you?”
“Great. What have you been up to lately?”
“Training.”
“…”
“…”
“…What’s with the silence?”

The Kidnapping Begins

Despite being forcibly dragged into their antics, Yuuto sat with Agrius on his lap and Satoru leaning against his back, both visibly upset.

“I said I was sorry.”
“Hmph!”
“…”

Agrius responded with a headbutt, while Satoru continued to ignore Yuuto.

For Yuuto, maintaining his character’s identity required this level of dedication. His exceptional physical abilities were the primary reason for his fame, so downplaying them was out of the question.

Satoru and Agrius understood this, but that didn’t mean they were happy about it.

“You should show off those ridiculous abilities to the world more.”
“Agrius, that’s not something you say out loud.”
“Are you going to let that marathon record remain as it is?”
“Satoru, I’m more surprised it hasn’t been broken yet.”
“Who would challenge someone still holding back with two transformations left?”
“Don’t worry. I only run for myself.”
“That won’t do! If you won’t run, we’ll make you run. Reflect on that while running.”
“…”

After the marathon, Yuuto often participated in cool-down runs, signaling that he still had energy left. Naturally, the prospect of breaking his own record felt tedious.

Moreover, Yuuto was still in his growth phase, with his peak physical condition yet to come. While ordinary people couldn’t access this information, the nobility, who knew better, wisely chose not to provoke him further.

Yuuto’s training wasn’t for recognition or to prove himself as the best. His goals were personal: surpassing his mentor Erina, his rival Maria, and keeping pace with Mutsu.

“Running on TV shows should be enough.”
“But I want to see more of your cool side!”
“Me too!”
“…Fine.”

Though Yuuto hoped they would drop the subject, he couldn’t refuse when they were so insistent.

“Alright, I’ll run.”
“!”
“!”
“Leave the preparations to us!”
“You can count on us!”

The three spent the rest of their time gaming before Yuuto left. The two then asked their mother to handle the preparations.

Later, Yuuto would reflect:
“It used to take a month. How did they prepare in just a week?”

And so, the second phase began.