A reminder that I will be using the Official English translation from the Light Novel as reference to names, places titles and other similar proper nouns.
Just putting it out there so people won't get confused.
I was in a lot of trouble.
In front of me was a wide-eyed Akane, her grip on her side of the bag in addition to my letting go of my side, had caused the bag to once again drop down to the floor with a metallic thud. I just knew that this was the universe's way of mocking me, there was no other explanation.
This wasn't the first time I was caught with certain items in my bag. The last time this happened was four years ago, back when I was eleven years old and was still attending elementary school.
That had resulted in me becoming the laughing stock if my class for being too childish in my classmates and the teacher's words.
I was ostracized due to my devotion of becoming an eminence in shadow. They called me immature and stupid for even trying to play hero while nearly graduating elementary school.
And it was all due to me accidentally being seen doing some of my more dangerous training by the teachers as they demanded for an explanation.
What? I did some of my training at school during breaks since I couldn't really do it at home at that time.
A simple mistake like that, had helped me get caught.
But the only reason that had happened was due to my carelessness and negligence in actually practicing the art of being a mob character.
I, of course, did learn to not do any training that may draw attention to myself at school or any public place. Apart from that one time I almost got caught hanging one hand off the edge of an apartment building.
Very stupid of me, I know. Such a rookie mistake. You hang off at the back side of the building not the sides.
But since those incidents, I had grown and developed that art into something new and different. Now with art of Mobfu by my side, I thought that I would never get caught ever again, though the techniques were still a work in progress.
Turns out I was wrong. Very wrong. Curse you optimistic past me!
I tried to think of a solution that would help me either diffuse or escape the current situation. I was currently hoping for the latter choice if you didn't know.
But, I came up with nothing.
The only way out I could think was using one of my Mobfu techniques, however most of them were still a work in progress and experimental with no guarantee chance of success.
Still, I sucked it up and left my thinking space in order to deal with the situation I was currently in.
The scene hadn't really changed much if I'm being honest. It was to be expected since all that monloguing happened in not even two seconds.
What? I of course learned how to speed up my thinking during my quest to actually tackle the intellectual side if being a mastermind in the shadows.
Nevertheless, I inhaled deeply, but not noticeably, in preparation for my first true performance as a mob character.
"I-It isn't w-what it l-looks like!" I stammered out.
There! How was my amazing performance! One befitting of a mob character if I do say so myself.
That's what past me thought anyways. Present me would now like to go back in time and punch him in the face for even attempting to say such a stupid thing.
I mean really! Looking back from how much I've grown compared when I first made that stupid choice to use an UNTESTED Mobfu technique. Such an unrefined art does not deserve the title of No. 1.
'What happened?' is probably what you're asking yourself right now, but let's just watch the scene unfold in front of us.
As I bask in the glory of my performance within my own head, I neglected to actually check and see what Alana's reaction would be like.
Needless to say, what I saw was not within my expectations. Hell, I didn't even know what I expected her reaction to even be like!
She just stood there unmoving. Her back straightened and her head looking downwards where in I couldn't even see her face. Her fists were also clenched and her legs could almost be seen trembling but it seemed like she tried to suppress the shaking.
What was the shaking for?
After almost a minute if awkward silence, the girl I knew as Akane Nishino finally looked up finally giving me a clear view of her face and what it looked like.
Suffice to say, it really wasn't what I was suspecting.
She looked straight in to my eyes with the blanket expression I have ever seen on her face. Her fists were now unclenched and her entire body seems to have relaxed.
Akane maintained this look as her eyes seemed to study my person, looking at my face, my arms, my chest and finally my feet.
She finally broke her stare, returning her look straight into my eyes as her blank expression finally changed to an unsettling smile, similar to when I had first greeted her using her actual name all those months ago.
It was these thoughts that made me realize; I was subconsciously beginning to refer to my female classmate as someone not unlike a friend. Though deep down inside, a part of me wanted to reject that notion. Being an eminence in shadow meant that I couldn't really trust anyone. I couldn't have anyone that I could really relate to enough that I would call them a friend. Such was the life of one obsessed with his dreams...
Leaving those depressing thoughts for now and returning the situation at hand, I returned her stare and smile with a smile of my own, albeit less unsettling of course.
Really, the smile that she has on right now is one that you only show to things you consider garage...
Was she calling me trash right now?!
I had so many words to say to her right now but before I could utter any of them, Akane put a hand on my right shoulder and said with the most chilling voice I had ever heard coming from her mouth.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid Minoru Kagenou?"
A part of me really wanted to reply with 'I do' but another more logical part of me (The one that wanted to ensure my survival) quickly blasted that thought away with a nuclear warhead.
Once that dangerous thought was out of my head, only one thing was residing in my mind:
That line was so cool!
The way it contrasted from her usual manner of speaking really gave it that impact if you get what I mean.
Time to steal the way she did it! Like a true eminence in shadow.
While I was mentally nodding to myself, I realized too late that Akane had stopped looking straight into my eye, her grip on my shoulder shaking for a bit like she was nervous.
That was my cue back to the real world just in time for me to remember that I had no way out of this situation.
I mean I could just forcibly escape from her hold and run away as far as possible. The downside is that I'd have to go back to school for the next day since my parents don't permit me skipping.
Then while at school, I'd be wasting energy trying to avoid any and all confrontation with Akane. I already knew that doing so would attract attention to myself.
And not the good kind.
I also couldn't really think of any good comeback for when she talks. None of my studying in psychology has prepared me for actually using it in the real world.
There really was no way out is there?
Just as I thought that, a rain of fire landed in my darkened vision. The girl in front if me spoke in the
same tone she used earlier.
"Answer me honestly . Are you the Fancy Hoodlum Slayer who goes around at night wearing all black and takes down bicker gangs and random crooks?"
Yup, she just straight up asked me. Now I don't have an escape. No lie prepared, no plans, no nothing.
So with much hesitation, I answered,
"Yes, I am."
She let go of her grip on my shoulder and pulled back, her gaze centered around her feet.
Was she upset that someone she thought was a friend had been hiding such a big secret that she's involved in. Or was it because I always hid whenever trouble appears on our walks home, knowing that I had the strength to take most people on.
No, it was none of those.
"Ahah! I was right! Hahahaha!" She shouted, almost hysterically. Nevermind it was hysterically.
Eh?
Why was she- Oh... right... She already had suspiciouns about me beating the Fancy Hoodlum Slayer and I had just flat out confirmed.
It does make me a bit sad to have missed such a dramatic scene like the one I had envisioned.
Hey. I can appreciate drama too. I just find the cool factor much more appealing.
"You don't know how long I've - Eh? Minoru?" She blinks in confusion, looking around for my figure.
She eventually spotted me halfway towards the gate of the school. I had already started running by the moment she started her laugh. I was a bit too creepy for me.
Plus the sun had already set and it was dark out. The teachers may have walked in on our conversation, something that I don't want happening.
Now that I've started sprinting I can leave her and go back home to my house due to my superior athletic ability - Why is she so fast?
"Minoru...!"
Akane had suddenly almost caught up to me, only being about 4 meters behind me.
"I trained myself too you know? I was getting sick of getting cornered by dumbassed way too often!" She cursed.
This was another side of the girl named Akane Nishino-san. She can be quite crude in her words, especially when she's really and I mean really mad. While not as bad as a lot of other people out there, it's still a far cry from the perfect girl that everyone sees her as.
Finally having realised the meaning in her words, I started to slightly panic. Only slightly of course since I did have a plan in case something like this does happen.
While her running speed may have increases, there's no guarantee that her stamina did as well. I'm betting on that.
I kept making turn after turn, almost going around in circles just to tire her out. Once I thought that I had done so, I hopped over one of the walls corralling the road and into someone's garden.
There was a very convenient eye hole on the wall for me to observe the other side.
A panting black haired girl finally caught up and stood on her knees right under a street lamp. Since we were at an intersection, it was natural that there'd be streetlamps here, even if there already was one every couple of meters.
"Geez, did I really lose you?" She muttered in between pants.
She looked around warily, possibly looking for me. Just then, footsteps could be heard coming from one of the intersecting roads.
"You've got to be kidding." She reacted.
It was appropriate after all. Once the two figures were close enough, we could see that they looked like your run of the mill delinquent. Messy hair, dirty clothes, scary face, they've got that look down.
"Well there missy. What are you doing out here so late at night and alone at that?" Thug one asked. He was the tall and thin one with lanky arms. He probably can't even throw a punch and is just riding high on being part of a group of delinquents or something.
"Yeah. There are plenty of weird people out at night in these parts. Aren't you scared?" Thug two was much rounder and shorter than his accomplice. He looked like he could throw a punch, but from the looks of it only once.
My persona as the Fancy Hoodlum Slayer couldn't just ignore the situation of two thugs cornering a high school girl. I grabbed my bag and took out my costume.
"Ugh! I don't have time for you two idiots!" Akane frowned, though I couldn't see it.
"Hey now, we were just trying to help."
"Yeah, and this is how you treat us. Looks like we need to teach you a lesson on appreciating kindness." Thug two or was it one (?) cracked his knuckles.
"Fine. I needed to let off some steam anyways." I could almost see the savage grin on her face right now. She still seems to be a bit pissed off about me running on her.
I wasn't even done changing when I heard that the sounds of fighting had stopped. I didn't even realise that there was a fight somewhere near the area.
As I stepped out (not in costume) I saw the two unconscious bodies of the thugs who attempted to harass Akane. She had come out mostly unscathed apart from the minor bruise on her right hand that if not treated, would probably cause a ruckus at school the next day.
"Calmed down yet?"
She looked over at me, her glare softening for a moment before returning full force.
She's still mad isn't she?
"A little."
"Still, I was surprised. When'd you learn how to fight?" I was genuinely curious. While it did of course take much longer than if I had fought the two, the fight was still shorter than normal given that she was outnumbered and (as far as I knew) didn't know any real martial art.
"Ever since the second time I got kidnapped. My brother's been having someone teach the basics of at least escaping a hold up."
"Your brother is Akira Nishino right?" It was a topic in one of our (her) conversations.
Akane lightly smiled, appreciative that I remembered such a detail knowing that I tend to ignore most of the things she talks about.
She hits me in the head everytime I'm found out.
"Yeah, surprised you remembered."
"It just stood out to me more." Akane looked at me quizzically.
"Right. Anyway, I'm heading home since I'm a bit tired and I need to take care of this bruise while I'm at it."
Akane tries to walk forward but almost immediately collapses.
"My body seems to have given up on me."
"Seems like it." I help her up and support her using my right arm.
She looked quite shocked and blushed a bit at the contact.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Do you wanna rest at my place? I'm pretty sure it's closer than yours plus my parents aren't home right now." They were working overnight tonight to pay for a Christmas vacation.
"Are you sure? Won't I be intruding?" She asks, unsure of her decision.
I turn my back on her, feeling a bit embarrassed about my next words, "Yeah. That's what... friends do right?"
She chuckled lightly in response. "Yep they do. I'll be in your care then."
Once we start walking, she finished with something that I was hoping she forgot about.
"Also, once we get there, you're telling me everything. Every last detail."
"Yes ma'am."
The troubles have only just begun.
