Going to school with Kazuma that morning and then running into Tosaka Fuyuka made Miyajima-senpai feel a little awkward. Of course, it wasn't because she was too close to her friend's boyfriend; after all, it was her mother who had become involved with him, so what did that have to do with her?
She simply didn't know how to face her longtime good friend. Miyajima Sakura felt deeply guilty.
Miyajima-senpai remained silent the entire way, listening to Tosaka Fuyuka and Kazuma-kun chat and joke, exchanging affectionate banter and intimate gestures. She simply followed behind until Tosaka Fuyuka finally noticed something was off and turned to look at her.
"Sakura, what's wrong with you today?" Fuyuka asked, noticing her friend's unusual mood. She walked over and asked with concern, "Are you not feeling well?"
Miyajima Sakura looked uncomfortable as she lowered her head. "Fuyuka, I'm sorry. What happened to the Tosaka family was actually my father's doing."
Hearing this, Tosaka Fuyuka was stunned for a moment before letting out a wry smile. "So that's what this is about. Your father is your father; it has nothing to do with you, right?"
"That scumbag doesn't deserve to be my father!" Miyajima Sakura said angrily, raising her head. "Fuyuka, so you knew all along?"
"How could I not? My family had already investigated it," Tosaka Fuyuka said, shaking her head. "But even so, they never stopped me from being friends with you, Sakura. This matter was never about you, and you didn't even know about it before, so you don't need to blame yourself."
Not only did she not know, I didn't know either. Fuyuka, you never told me, Kazuma thought blankly from the side.
"Even so..."
"Alright, this won't affect our friendship. Besides, you chose to tell me the truth yourself," Tosaka Fuyuka said, taking her hand. "Sakura, that means a lot to me."
"Thank you, Fuyuka," Miyajima Sakura said with a sigh. "If it weren't for my mother, I still wouldn't have seen his true colors."
If he hadn't become more and more excessive, and if he hadn't treated her mother that way, Miyajima Sakura would still have been torn between her father and her friend. Now, she no longer needed to struggle. She no longer considered that scumbag her father.
Of course, she certainly wouldn't consider Kazuma her father either! Thinking this, she couldn't help glaring at him.
Kazuma: ???
He was utterly baffled.
"Is this related to Aunt Miyajima?" Tosaka Fuyuka asked in confusion.
Miyajima-senpai didn't hide anything and told her the whole story, leaving Tosaka Fuyuka wide-eyed and speechless. "How could anyone do something like that? How can there be such a disgusting scumbag?"
"Fuyuka, have you forgotten Saki Yoshida's father?" Kazuma reminded her.
"Scumbags and perverts like that should all be dealt with!" She carefully glanced at her friend, and seeing Sakura's mood darken, she quickly changed the subject. "So, you didn't come yesterday because you were with Aunt Miyajima?"
She meaningfully squeezed Kazuma's arm. "Aunt Miyajima is a very beautiful woman, and she's so gentle too. She's practically the perfect woman. You must have been tempted, right?"
"I was helping someone in need. Weren't all of you the same?" Kazuma replied, pinching her cheek.
"Yes, yes, Kazuma is a hero—"
Tosaka Fuyuka's tone was full of affection. "But I've also heard about Boeyman's reputation. He's a very arrogant and domineering man, and he has considerable influence..."
She trusted her lover completely, but as a girl, she couldn't help worrying. "How about I help you as well?"
"You can," Kazuma said. He knew that Fuyuka and the others didn't want to be protected by him forever. They were growing stronger themselves, so naturally, he wouldn't refuse. "As it happens, Miyajima-senpai also wants to become stronger, and Fuyuka, you can join us as well. But I might not have time today. This afternoon, I have to meet a fallen noble young lady."
"???"
A fallen noble young lady? Who could that be?
The fallen noble young lady Kazuma was referring to—Rurikawa Tsubaki—was currently hard at work.
On a hot day, she was dressed in a thick mascot costume, attracting tourists at the amusement park. With a pile of balloons and gifts in her hands, she tirelessly entertained the children without a single break. It was hard to believe that this hardworking girl had once been a noble young lady.
She had truly fallen on hard times.
The drastic changes in her family had dealt a heavy blow to this former noble young lady, causing her to become withdrawn and changing her greatly. To survive, she had no choice but to find work.
Although Morita Hospital was also part of the family's assets, in its current state, it was barely staying afloat.
All of this was Boeyman's doing. Rurikawa Tsubaki knew it was deliberate; that man wanted her to submit, to crawl before him obediently.
"Good work today, Rurikawa. Here's your pay."
Finally finishing her shift, Rurikawa Tsubaki returned to the break room. She struggled to remove her headpiece, letting out a sigh of relief as she accepted the yen handed to her.
"Thank you, Manager. But why is there an extra five thousand yen?"
"Even most men don't want to do this job, yet you stuck with it. Consider it a bonus," the female manager said, her expression filled with sympathy. "You must be having a hard time financially. You've earned it."
Rurikawa Tsubaki bowed deeply.
"Thank you very much, Manager."
Although the work was exhausting, she had no intention of leaving. Before this, she had tried many other jobs—working at convenience stores, handing out flyers, and more—but she always ended up encountering men with improper intentions.
Even their stares were unbearable, which was why she changed jobs so often.
So meeting such a kind manager was something she truly treasured.
"Beauty, huh?"
If there were someone powerful enough—someone who could help her take revenge, someone who could save the Rurikawa Family—then she would not hesitate to offer her body in exchange. But so far, she had never met such a person.
Those lecherous men certainly weren't capable of it.
...No, perhaps she had met someone after all.
Ding-dong—
Walking aimlessly down the street alone, she received a message just as Kazuma crossed her mind.
Kazuma: [(Address) Are you free? If so, come meet me.]
Rurikawa Tsubaki: [I'm on my way.]
Even now, Rurikawa Tsubaki vividly remembered the scene of him subduing the monster woman, as well as the hospital's research on him. Most of all, she remembered what Amamiya-senpai had said: that Kazuma was the hope for the Rurikawa Family's revival.
At the time, she had dismissed those words.
But now, the fallen young lady, dragging her exhausted body down the street, made her way toward the address Kazuma had sent.
She had already made up her mind.
Rurikawa Tsubaki, having made a certain decision in her heart, didn't notice the exclamation mark above her head—a sign that only special beings, special heroines, could be chosen by the system.
The meeting place was a private room in a coffee shop. Only Kazuma was there. Since Rurikawa Tsubaki's situation was both important and sensitive, Kazuma had chosen not to bring Miyajima-senpai or Tosaka.
This was a meeting just for the two of them.
When Rurikawa Tsubaki arrived, tired and covered in dust, she found the young man seated comfortably on a sofa. The table before him was filled with food: biscuits, fruit platters, desserts, coffee, and more.
A delicious aroma filled the room.
Grumble—
Before she could say anything, her stomach growled loudly. The calm expression she had maintained instantly crumbled, and she quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.
Kazuma nearly laughed.
"I'm hungry too, so let's eat together. No need to rush."
"Mm."
"Last time, I was in a hurry to deal with Shizuka, so I didn't get to ask much about you. This time, let's talk properly while we eat," Kazuma said, resting his chin on his hand with a faint smile. "Tell me, you don't go hungry every day, do you? A noble young lady reduced to this state?"
She looked thin and frail, her face pale from obvious malnourishment.
It was a rather heartbreaking sight.
"Thank you... You know about my background?" Rurikawa Tsubaki asked in surprise.
"I've heard a little."
She truly was hungry. With a hint of embarrassment, she began eating the Eggs Benedict before her.
"'Noble young lady' is a title of the past. I'm just an ordinary girl now. Bringing up those old matters will only drag you into trouble."
Kazuma smiled.
"The moment you came to see me, I was already involved."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. The moment I agreed to meet you, I accepted that. Besides, for me, this isn't really trouble at all."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door suddenly opened.
Before Rurikawa Tsubaki could react, a man was thrown into the room, collapsing onto the floor.
He was clearly dead.
Luna stepped in calmly, wiping the blood from her claws.
"Meow~"
"He..."
"It seems that man values you quite a bit. He even sent someone to follow you," Kazuma said casually. "But don't worry. He won't be bothering anyone anymore."
Rurikawa Tsubaki's pupils shrank.
"This..."
"This coffee shop is owned by a certain woman, and its security is top-notch. Nothing that happens inside will be publicized, please rest assured," As Kazuma spoke, two seemingly ordinary waitresses walked in, nodded at Kazuma, and then dragged the body away.
Then they quickly cleaned, disinfected, and eliminated the smell of blood.
In just five minutes, it was as if nothing had happened, and peace was restored.
These aren't waitresses; they're clearly secret agents! Besides her overt business assets, Mira-senpai also has her own covert operatives. Perhaps this is why she was able to rise so quickly?
However, these covert operatives all seem to be women. Tsk, I'm a little envious.
Rurikawa Tsubaki watched all of this from beginning to end, her heart filled with shock.
Coming here today might have been the best decision of her life.
"I want power. I want to kill that man with my own hands," the girl gently unbuttoned her collar, revealing her fair skin. "In exchange for my body—"
Good grief, another one seeking power.
It's alright, I, Kazuma, am a hero. Of course, I'd be heartless enough to refuse, wouldn't I?
*****
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