Akira turned around and saw the energetic Kitagawa Marin jogging toward him.
[Character: Kitagawa Marin]
[Potential: A]
[Affection: 78]
[Status: Joyful]
"Marin-chan, good morning!"
"Mm-hmm! Bai-san, let's walk together."
With Kitagawa Marin by his side, Akira clearly felt many envious glances fall on him.
This was the charm of a beautiful girl.
Even just having her around brought an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.
Of course, what Akira cared about more was whether he could take his relationship with Kitagawa Marin—whose affection level had reached 78—a step further and capture her for himself.
And now was the time to test his acting skills.
"By the way, Marin-chan… about that outfit from last night. Are you really going to wear it?"
"Don't you think it's a bit too…"
Akira didn't say it directly, but with the coordination of his eyes and body language, the meaning was fully conveyed.
"No. For me, being able to 100% recreate a character is my ideal."
"It's a manifestation of my deep love for them."
"If I can't recreate them as faithfully as possible, I'll be unhappy myself."
Kitagawa Marin's eyes were firm, and her answer didn't surprise Akira.
She was truly passionate about cosplay.
No—she was truly passionate about the characters she liked. Otherwise, she wouldn't choose to make her own costumes.
Speaking of which, she brushed her long hair behind her ear and said with a hint of teasing, "Bai-san, are you having some difficulties with the production?"
"No difficulties. It just feels a bit…"
"Hoho~! What kind of feeling?"
Kitagawa Marin nudged Akira twice with her elbow.
"After all, I'm a red-blooded man. It would be strange if I didn't feel anything seeing something like that."
"Exactly! That's the feeling the little succubus gives people. Bai-san naturally felt her charm."
"Having felt that charm, Bai-san should naturally put more effort into it."
"Huh? Is that so?"
Akira was a little surprised by Kitagawa Marin's answer—but it was just an act.
"At that time, just treat me as the character you're cosplaying. If you can recreate a feeling that makes Bai-san's heart flutter, that's also a success."
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
"Alright, since you've said so, what do I have to back down from?"
Akira let out a breath of stale air.
Kitagawa Marin looked at a side of Akira she hadn't seen before.
Her heart fluttered a little for this handsome boy who shared her hobby.
Bai-san is a bit cute!
"However, there's one thing I need to clarify."
"Because this character isn't very popular, there aren't even any fan-made illustrations online. Character design drawings and such are impossible to find."
"Eh?"
"But I have the game disc at home. You just need to play it a little, and you'll notice the details of her costume."
"I have to play the game too?"
Seeing Akira's surprised face, Kitagawa quickly put her hands together in a pleading gesture. "Alright, alright, Bai-san, please. I'll pay you for it."
"Ahem, let's be clear—I'm not helping because of the payment!"
"Mm, I know, Bai-san~!"
The two walked through the school gate, chatting and laughing, just as Kirisu Mafuyu, coming out of the staff parking area, saw them.
Last night, she saw Akira hugging another girl in a school uniform by the roadside.
Today, she saw him going to school with another girl, the atmosphere harmonious.
That person is Kitagawa Marin—also a classmate in our class.
It seems Akira is very popular.
Saeko Busujima, Kitagawa Marin… both were beautiful girls.
No. I need to find an opportunity to talk to Akira.
If he neglects his studies, his life will be in danger later on.
Thinking of this, Kirisu Mafuyu withdrew her gaze and headed toward the office.
——————
Outside Saeko Busujima's family dojo,
Hero Association logistics personnel and Public Security logistics personnel were dispatched together to clean up the bodies on the ground.
"These people died so miserably. Their brains were all split open."
"There's also a pile of chopped-up pieces nearby. How tragic!"
"Doesn't the Hero Association's logistics usually handle this kind of thing? They're all throwing up so badly!"
At that moment, a notification came through the headphones worn by the logistics personnel.
"It has been confirmed that all these bodies are ordinary people transformed by the Zombie Devil."
"When handling the bodies, please try to avoid direct contact."
"Also avoid blood spatter and minced meat getting into your mouth."
With a beep, the communication cut off.
"Holy crap—zombies? F-f-f—!"
The logistics personnel, who had been chatting animatedly just moments ago, were now in a flurry.
"Who the hell stole my gloves?! Dammit!"
——————
"It's not someone from our Public Security."
"No master swordsman from the Hero Association was involved in this matter either."
"Why are you all so concerned? They're all zombies that died. Even if we can't find the person—since that person can attack devils—the probability of him being an enemy is not high."
In the online meeting,
the three major forces of this world gathered.
But no one in the organizations stepped forward to claim credit for this achievement.
"It's still too early to say if he's an enemy."
"After evaluation by the Hero Association's Logistics Appraisal Department, this was not done by one person, but three people working together to encircle and suppress the gang."
"Three people?"
"Three swordsmen of different levels. After appraisal by Atomic Samurai—the S-Class Rank 4 Hero of the Hero Association—the swordsman who killed the Zombie Devil has strength exceeding that of his apprentices."
"His apprentices are A-Class Heroes ranked second, third, and fourth."
"Public Security has no related personnel who made a move, and this doesn't seem like a devil's ability."
"Then it's even less our Jujutsu Association's business."
The three representatives looked at each other on the screen, speechless.
——————
"Ah… so sleepy."
Walking onto the rooftop, Kasumigaoka Utaha felt her steps float. Her head was heavy and her feet light, as if she could fall to the ground at any moment.
"Utaha, are you alright?"
Saeko stepped forward to support her.
"I'm fine. Just let me sleep for a few more hours."
"After I went back yesterday, I started writing… and I kept writing until morning."
"I felt pretty good at first, but as soon as the class bell rang, I couldn't hold on anymore."
"Akira, quickly let me use that ball of yours too."
Looking at the dark circles under Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes and her listless state,
Akira thought for a moment. "How about this—I'll train you first to stimulate your potential."
"Then we'll see if you can meet the standard."
"Okay!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha opened her arms and threw herself into Akira's embrace.
"I'll go to the hallway to prevent anyone from coming up. You can train with peace of mind."
Saeko left a remark, took her bento, and went to the stairwell.