Not meeting the performance standards or being dispatched to some dangerous and chaotic place could be life-threatening, but what did that have to do with him?
And so, just like before, Yazuki gave the troublesome goddess another round of "facial reshaping" and a bit of memory adjustment.
Just as Yazuki was about to leave, something unconsciously caught his attention.
His gaze fell on the goddess, who looked like a defeated puppy with her face buried in the ground. Her raised backside had an inexplicable allure that made his eyes drift toward it.
…Was she wearing panties or not?
He'd interacted with this water goddess twice now, and she didn't seem like the promiscuous type. Just a bit airheaded, would she really go commando that boldly?
Hmm?
Without realizing it, Yazuki had already grabbed the edge of her skirt. And then—
"Aqua-senpai?"
A sudden voice startled him.
Seriously, what was he even doing?
He swore, next time he saw her, he was going to punch her again. Don't keep making him check in on her as a daily routine.
In the blink of an eye, Yazuki's vision abruptly shifted, and his whole body froze. Right in front of him was a girl with wavy, shoulder-length pink hair.
They were so close, their bodies were practically touching.
Even at such close proximity, her skin still looked smooth and delicate. Her red eyes met his, and after a slight moment of surprise, began darting around nervously. A gentle blush bloomed on her cheeks.
It seemed like the moment he stepped into the space, she had just been about to come out. Which meant the time in that spiritual realm moved very differently from reality.
"U-Um—"
Her slightly high-pitched, nervous voice was almost whisper-like, and because of how close they were, her breath tickled against his neck, giving him an odd sensation.
That finally snapped Yazuki back to reality, and he quickly stepped aside, realizing just how awkward the situation was.
The girl then walked out with her head slightly lowered. It was then that he got a better look at her appearance.
She looked like any ordinary high school girl—one of those types who embodied the ideal of youthful radiance and beauty.
She wore a short skirt and a long-sleeved shirt with three unbuttoned buttons, revealing a teasing glimpse of cleavage.
Around her neck hung a heart-shaped pendant. Looking more closely at her hair, there were obvious signs of bleaching—yep, she was one of those girls trying to stand out by bending school rules. A typical JK (joshi kousei, or high school girl).
"I believe in you."
Hm? As they brushed past each other, those softly spoken words slipped from her lips—quiet enough for only the two of them to hear.
What did that mean?
Was she talking to him?
Yazuki didn't think too hard about it and just made his way to his seat based on memory.
And so began the dull routine of a high school class session. He looked like he was spacing out and not listening at all, but in truth, he was deeply immersed in his own world of anime and manga.
As soon as the class ended, he dove straight into his beloved 2D world without wasting a single second.
This slightly degenerate student life went on until a sudden clap of thunder snapped him out of it.
Only then did he realize he had gotten so absorbed in a series after school that he forgot to head home. The sky outside had gone pitch-black, almost like it was already night. But it was actually just before 5 PM.
Why was it so dark? That thunderclap said it all. At some point, the sky had become a heavy, oppressive gray.
"Ugh, this weather forecast was way off."
They'd said it would be a clear, sunny day, but now it looked like a downpour was imminent.
He quickly packed up and dashed toward the school's main entrance. But the moment he stepped outside—
WHOOSH!
The rain came pouring down, soaking the dry ground in an instant.
Great. Judging from this weather, it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Might rain all night.
He reached into his pocket for his phone, intending to call the violent girl and have her give him a ride home.
…Ugh. Phone's dead.
Clearly damaged from earlier events. Damn it—this phone was brand new and barely a few days old! But even worse than his broken phone was what he found on it: a small, button-sized device magnetically attached to the back.
A tracker.
A piece of tech rarely available on the market. So that's how those three managed to corner him before.
Just then, he heard footsteps approaching. From the hesitant rhythm, it seemed like the person wasn't sure whether to come closer.
"Um, if you don't mind, please—"
"Lend me your phone."
"Eh?"
"Is that a no?"
"N-No, here—please go ahead."
The next moment, Yazuki took the phone and dialed a number.
Ring… ring… ring…
"Hello, this is—"
A graceful and elegant female voice came through. No mistake, it was her. Still using the same number. But before she could finish her sentence—
"Chika Fujiwara, you little—!!"
Yazuki's voice turned into a roar, but before he could say more—
BEEP! Disconnected.
He redialed.
"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service…"
No way. Not in service? Clearly, he'd been blocked.
Heh… just you wait. When he had time, he'd definitely get his revenge.
He dialed a different number.
"What do you want?" came a clearly annoyed voice.
"I'm still at school. Didn't bring an umbrella."
"Oh? So you want me to drive over and pick you up? Dream on. Go—"
"I'll buy you ramen!"
"OKAY! I'll be there in five minutes!!!"
Even before the call ended, he could already hear what sounded like a car engine revving to max power.
Once the call ended, Yazuki returned the phone to its owner—only now realizing that it was the same girl he'd almost bumped into that morning. Oh yeah, they were classmates.
"Thanks."
"It's no big deal. No need to be so formal."
The girl gave a somewhat conflicted smile. It seemed like she had wanted to say something, but after hearing those two calls, now didn't know how to bring it up.
"Well, I'll be going now, Yazuki-kun~"
She said that, then walked past him. As she did, Yazuki caught a glimpse of her open shoulder bag—there was a folded umbrella inside. She was also holding one in her hand.
He understood now, she had probably intended to lend him one of her umbrellas earlier.
"Wait. Let's share the ride."
"Eh? But—"
"No need to be shy. It's just Old Lady Hiratsuka's car. Don't be so polite!"
"Ugh—!"
The girl—Yui Yuigahama—was stunned.
The voice earlier did sound familiar, and to think it really was Hiratsuka-sensei!
But wait, isn't that way of referring to a teacher way too rude? And she could be bribed with just a bowl of ramen?!