Volume 4 Chapter 9 – The Great Adventure of Ruri the Hero – Part 1

| Niitsu Ruri

On a Saturday afternoon, I was on my way to visit Kinu-chan’s house for the first time in a long while.

I used to go all the time, but this is my first visit since we started high school. After all, we go to different schools now.

If I remember right, it’s called N-S High School—a correspondence school.

“Hm-hm-hmm!”

Skip, step, turn, jump, step, turn.

“Hehehe.”

I was expressing my joy freely along the way, humming a little tune to myself.

It’s the same sharp turn that Kyousuke-kun once complimented me on.

I’m in a mini skirt, but I don’t mind at all.

Just because I’m in high school now doesn’t mean I think it’s embarrassing to skip around. Sure, there might be a little flash of my panties, but it doesn’t bother me. Normally, I’d be self-conscious about it, of course.

“Hm-hm, hm-hmm!”

There’s no one around, so it’s fine, right?

That’s just how much my heart is leaping today.

Today, I’d planned to watch a magic video with Kinu-chan. Well, we didn’t exactly arrange it, but still.

“My boyfriend’s~ a magician♪ Magi-cian~♪ He’s kind of stylish~ and his rhythm’s per-fect~♪ It was just the best~♪”

And here comes my improvised song.

My boyfriend, the magician.

…Perfect.

At yesterday’s roundtable discussion, she mentioned she wanted to wait until the video could be made copy-proof to avoid leaks. Sounds complicated. Is it really that hard?

Since I know where her house key is, she told me I could come over to watch it whenever I wanted. Or, well, she didn’t exactly say that.

I already checked Kinu-chan’s schedule for today. As always, she’s off on her intelligence-gathering mission. If I leave an hour before she’s likely to be back in the evening, I should be good.

Besides, her grandparents are away on a local community trip, and her parents are off on a romantic getaway.

And even if I do get caught, Kinu-chan is so kind; she’d understand. Back in the day, whenever I sneaked in because I wanted to see her photos, she’d always just sigh and say, “Can’t be helped,” and let it slide.

Probably.

Unlocking her computer? It’s fine, totally fine. Most of the roundtable members’ passwords are Kyousuke-kun’s birthday. Or, it’s Kyousuke-kun’s birthday plus their own birthday.

House key? Check. Computer unlock? Check. And I’m telepathically telling Kinu-chan it’s clear.

I’m off! But shh, don’t tell Hijirin!

Vroooom!

◆

I approached Kinu-chan’s house, slipping down the side path by the Rampage Model Shop toward the back door, then circling around to the front. The back door’s never locked, so it’s my usual route.

Next to the entrance, I lifted the second flowerpot from the left, following our usual “command.”

“Search! Ruri the Hero has obtained the magic key~! Duh-duh-duh-dunnn!”

Under the flowerpot was, of course, the key. I knew it would be there.

Caught up in the thrill, I couldn’t help but feel like the protagonist in a grand adventure. Let’s go, let’s go—adventure awaits!

Though, really, it’s just me breaking into her house.

I hid my shoes by the entrance, then headed to Kinu-chan’s room, which is at the far end of the front. Her laptop was on the desk, so I adjusted it to input the password. Clearing my throat, I began.

“Ruri the Hero chants a magical spell… Bingo! Ruri the Hero has opened the magic door~! Thump, thump, thump, thump!”

Sure enough, it was a combination of Kyousuke-kun’s and Kinu-chan’s birthdays. I knew it. Technically, this was my best friend’s room, and the “door” I opened was just her laptop.

“Huh? Oh, nice, lucky me!”

It seemed like Kinu-chan had left the video up, probably from watching it earlier. Saved me the trouble of searching. Play, play… wait, this… isn’t the same as yesterday’s.

…Oh, it’s on repeat!

Kinu-chan, always entertaining herself…

“Can’t be helped, huh?”

Though really, I’m the one who can’t be helped.

Kinu-chan occasionally amuses herself by editing photos of herself with Kyousuke-kun, sometimes even photoshopping him into swimsuit pictures.

Once, when I found them, she begged me to keep it a secret from the rest of the roundtable, promising to give me a copy. It’s been three months since we started high school; she’s probably made a few more by now… but first, the video.

“Yeah… this is so good… I’m melting.”

I glanced at the video’s total length—over three hours. Classic Kinu-chan.

…Three hours from now, huh?

Perfect.

I reached into the small yellow bag slung over my shoulder and pulled out a rolled-up handkerchief. Unfolding it carefully, I revealed an eraser Kyousuke-kun gave me ages ago, complete with his name.

…It’s the magic stone attack from the evil wizard.

“…Haah… haah… yeah, this is good. Ruri the Hero has been enchanted by the evil, mmh, wizard’s, mmh, magic… nnngh.”

Ruri the Hero takes 100 damage! Ah!

Ruri the Hero takes 100 damage! Ahhh!

Ruri the Hero takes 100 damage! Ahhh!

Ruri the Hero… has perished…

Ahhh, that was the quickest yet…

“Oh, Ruri the Hero, to think you’d fall so soon… how pitiful.”

What?! Kyousuke-kun really is an evil wizard! But Ruri the Hero won’t be defeated!

One more time!

“Mmm…”