Volume 6 Chapter 9: Invincible Hero 2 – Excitement

Finishing my Sunday morning training, I head to the meeting spot. Chloe is probably already there.

I always give myself plenty of time, yet I’m always running out of it. Today… it’s the rain’s fault.

Today is the day we go observe Ririi at her part-time job. The day we go watch my childhood friend, who’s always nagging me and acting like the big sister, do something embarrassing.

Apparently, I look a lot more slovenly than my appearance would suggest, because I’m constantly getting chewed out by Ririi and Chloe. That’s why I’m going to watch Ririi do something pathetic. It’ll make me feel better.

Shirasaki Ririi. A cute childhood friend with light brown hair cut to a semi-long length, and large, clear, double-lidded eyes. She has a great figure and never loses her gentle expression.

She’s also a delusional encounter-addict.

I knew Ririi had been worried about something since we started our second year of high school. But whenever I asked, she’d just dodge the question. Then, in the middle of all that, Ririi started a part-time job. Apparently, she wants to cure her stage fright.

But the two of us see right through her. We know she’s just looking for a guy.

As I expected, Chloe was already at the meeting spot.

“You’re late.”

“I’m only five minutes over.”

“That’s what you call ‘being late.'”

“My apologies, oof—”

Because I’m short, Chloe can’t reach my head, so she always kicks me in the shin instead. If I point that out, she’ll just kick me again.

Chloe has absolutely no patience. It’d be nice if she could relax a little; she’s like a tiny harvest mouse. Not that I’d ever say that out loud, she’d just get mad.

“As punishment, you’re buying me a parfait.”

“Didn’t you just kick me?”

“That was the interest on all your previous lateness. You and your deceptive looks.”

“That’s a sore spot, so please stop.”

I’ve been training at my family’s dojo since I was little, so I’m confident in my posture and demeanor. In reality, though, my personality is lazy and laid-back, and I’m a bookworm who loves shojo manga. I often get misunderstood, only for people to be disappointed in me later. The girls, I mean.

“Then you should listen to what I say, you know.”

Chloe, who looks the most laid-back of all of us, is the strictest when it comes to time. Aren’t we both guilty of having deceptive looks?

I won’t say it, though, because she’ll kick me.

◆

“Chee-ju,’ she says.”

“It’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”

Ririi was stuttering again. I glanced at the table she was serving and saw a lone boy sitting there. I could see his confusion. I get it. Heh.

That boy… his face is familiar. I search the history on my phone. I think it was a photo Asuma showed me… there, this is it.

I look again and I’m sure of it.

He’s the boy from the photo that one of my fellow dojo students, Asuma Yuuko, sent me. She told me to let her know if I ever saw him. But she’s supposed to be at training this afternoon.

Well, I’ll just tell her I saw him when we meet up.

Apparently, he’s also incredibly popular with the girls. I was told all about how she met him, but after hearing the same story three times, I just clam up. I haven’t listened to it since.

Looking at his build, he doesn’t seem that strong. He’s just an amateur. It’s probably just Asuma’s nostalgia goggles making him seem better than he is. Besides, I’m not a fan of pretty boys who hit on girls.

◆

“I’m so sorry!”

It seems Ririi caused some trouble for a customer. She was apologizing so frantically that I thought it would be fine, but then the situation started to look ugly.

The group of six guys started harassing Ririi, half-threatening her.

“Hey.”

“Yeah, I know. We have to help her.”

Ririi has always had guts. But only in front of other girls. She’s not used to dealing with men through training like I am. And if you look closely, she’s trembling. She must be terrified.

To intervene, I tried a little intimidation of my own. In this day and age, there are security cameras everywhere; they’d back off right away.

Or so I thought, but then they started trying to hit on us instead, saying they’d leave Ririi alone if we came with them.

I look at Chloe, and she sighs. I know Chloe will put up with it for Ririi’s sake. I guess it can’t be helped. I resign myself to dealing with them for a bit.

It was at that moment.

The boy from before stood up and came over. I hadn’t noticed when he was sitting, but…

This one… is strong.

I have never seen such flawless footwork. Not even my father, the master instructor and strongest man at our dojo, can move like that. He’s just walking, yet he’s like a great, ancient tree.

I can’t look away.

While I was stunned, he took the group of men and left with them.

Ririi’s voice, full of concern, snaps me out of it. Who does she think is just a normal person without a bamboo sword? I was the one worried about her; this is kind of a shock.

And it’s right after I witnessed that incredible form. I can feel my own inadequacies so clearly. When you talk about a perfect model to follow, that’s what you mean…

I wonder which dojo he’s from.

Now I’m intensely curious. About how he fights. Of course, private fights are forbidden at our dojo; in fact, I despise them.

He’s probably the same.

And yet, to save Ririi, he stepped forward and did it in a way that would keep us out of harm’s way, too.

He spoke to Ririi in such a gentle, reassuring tone, but in a no-holds-barred street fight, wouldn’t even he be at a disadvantage against so many?

And most importantly, it’s raining today. The footing is unstable.

………Alright.

“More importantly… I wonder if that guy will be okay…”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to go see. I have an umbrella.”

“Good idea. I’ll go record the scene of the assault.”

“Huh? Were you even listening to me?”

I’ll just clam up and listen to her nagging later.