You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!! - Chapter 41: Which Room is Hiroki's, Amakusa Sensei?

“Ah~…”

A Night at the Hotel.

Beside a large window with a view of the night scenery, a big bed with tightly fitted white sheets.

There, a solitary figure slumps, head bowed in sadness.

“I didn’t intend to do anything. How did it come to this…”

Countless times, the same thought has swirled in the depths of my heart—a fear of having obstructed the mission.

Since that one sentence from Amakusa Sensei, my thoughts have spun endlessly.

“Not even allowed to apologize…”

It was depressing.

Not being allowed to do anything inflicted the greatest mental damage.

“Ah~~~~”

And what comes to mind is the memory after the intense explosion; the moment the sound stopped, the walls surrounding me vanished, and the light from outside poured in.

“Everyone’s safe.”

“Yes, looks like everyone is fine.”

The light turns green, darker over the room’s interior.

“Alan, use your ability to see through the exterior covered by your power.”

“I’ve already checked. It’s almost completely buried. The walls, floor, and ceiling are cracked. However, the fact that electricity is being distributed means the electrical facilities must still be operational.”

Taking in the reported details, Jack looks around and puts together a theory.

“This must be the structure of the room. It’s where they keep the most important thing to them. The electrical distribution function must be built into the room itself.”

He continues, touching the floor and speaking.

“It’s possible that a brain with the ability to generate electricity exists and is synchronized with the room’s facilities.”

“This is why the electricity hasn’t gone out, because of all the brains here.”

“A room built to store brains, durable and equipped with electricity distribution. For better or worse, this room saved us.”

With that, everyone except one nodded in agreement.

Naturally…

“I don’t understand what’s being said…”

Zero English proficiency. Low communication skills.

Hiroki experiences a profound sense of isolation as the conversation flows over him.

What if he tried to use a conversation support device right now?

Embarrassing. Just imagining being the only one listening through a device in this situation made him feel incredibly ashamed.

Eventually, unable to stand it any longer,

“Shiori ‘!?'”

What’s this reaction…

At his muttered word, everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him all at once. His breath caught for a moment at the sight.

“What is it, Hiroki?”

Ignored. She did not react to the scene and replied as if it were the most natural thing.

Desiring to dispel his loneliness, Hiroki, without the luxury of worrying about her or the others’ reactions, thought of something that could start a conversation.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“…”

Why is she not saying anything…

Facing Shiori’s silence, he keenly felt the heaviness of the air around them.

It was just a thought meant to spark conversation, yet the atmosphere had shifted, becoming uncomfortable.

And then,

“It’s okay, Hiroki. You don’t need to do anything.”

“…Understood.”

And with that, it ended.

It seems I’m just in the way.

◆

“Meryl leaned in close and said, ‘Hey Shiori, can’t we just ask him to get us back to the surface? I mean, it’s clear he has the power to do so.'”

However, those who heard her suggestion did not approve.

“No, we’re banning any more reliance on Hiroki from now on.”

“Why’s that?” Jack joined the conversation, initially agreeing with Meryl but questioning Shiori’s statement upon hearing it.

“Sure, we could easily return to the surface using Hiroki’s power. But…”

Shiori was certain of Hiroki’s mysterious power, yet she negated the idea.

As Meryl and Jack and others listened intently, she spoke sharply, her eyes devoid of light, “Are we going to keep expecting more from him?”

“!?” The unexpected remark sparked a realization among them.

“Do you think we were even necessary for this mission?” Shiori challenged, driving a metaphorical spike into the hearts of her listeners.

As some began to tremble, unable to halt their words or steady their gaze, she continued without pause, “Do you understand what it means to be carried on his back from start to finish?”

It was a harsh reality check for the capable elites present.

Breathing became difficult as everyone confronted the truth of their ineffectiveness.

“What had he done for us? What had we accomplished?”

All the pieces came together, forming a clear path forward.

The conclusion was undeniable: “The mission could have been accomplished by him alone.”

“We could easily return to the surface if we let him use his power… I’d ask if it were okay. I’ll just escape on my own,” she declared.

“That’s not something we can ask of him,” came a prideful objection from one of the severely injured still receiving treatment.

“Honestly, I want to return to the surface right now. Even after healing, who knows how safe we are here?”

“You…”

“But, I don’t want to be saved by someone I once looked down upon. I’ll stay here, too.”

Their prideful resolve calmed the wavering emotions of the group.

Watching the change in their expressions, he finally asked, “So, what will you guys do? I guess it’s decided then.”

“If you know, then don’t ask,” Jack retorted, nudging him, which led to a playful “ouch” as he touched his face.

“Let’s summarize. Our goal is to return. From what I know, with the abilities of those who joined this mission, returning to the surface won’t be easy. It’ll be a painstaking process.”

As one of the leaders, Jack solidified the best course of action.

The mentioned painstaking process involved a method least likely to destabilize the room.

“Given the enclosed space, oxygen is limited. We’ll dig to the surface quickly without relying on abilities to ease the work. This way, we avoid further damaging the room or the object of interest (the brain).”

Essentially, they manually dig a tunnel to the surface, using only human enhancement to minimize size and maximize speed.

With the agreed-upon plan, they began assigning teams: one to dig the tunnel to the surface and another to maintain the room.

Who would stay and who would go was already understood.

“I and Hiroki would like to join the digging team.”

“!?” Yet, Shiori made a unique decision.

“Does anyone object?”

“No, we’ll leave it to you. You’re just going to lay out your reasoning, and we’ll end up agreeing anyway,” Jack conceded with a defeated smile.

With his agreement, the others also consented and began their preparations.

“Hiroki, the discussion is over.”

“What was it about?”

“About returning to the surface. And now, I’ll climb to the surface with you. Hiroki, you ‘don’t have to do anything.'”

“…Understood.”

“…Can I cry now?”

For some reason, the phrase “don’t have to do anything” felt like a knife twisting in his chest.

But he had no choice but to accept it, a fact he knew all too well.

In other words, the nuisance “doesn’t have to do anything.”

His existence was nothing but an obstruction to them.

“So, Hiroki, ‘do nothing’ and follow me.”

With those final words, Shiori addressed Hiroki’s unstable state of mind.

◆

“Even though I was told it didn’t matter if I wasn’t involved in the mission, what would happen if I got in the way…”

Trembling with fear, wet marks began to form on the white pillow.

Eventually, the images of the principal and Haruna Hazama surfaced in Hiroki’s mind,

“Getting in the way of the mission, huh? This won’t just end with expulsion~”

“Oh my, Hiroki-san, you’ll need to speed up the repayment for the equipment~ or I’ll have to take certain measures~.”

Both of them told him with detestable smiles on their faces.

He hung his head in defeat.

His body, sunk into the white bed, showed no sign of moving again.

“I just want to go home.”

With those words as his last, Hiroki slowly let go of consciousness.