After that, I followed Hinata around the school for a while. It's quite mysterious that Hinata, who has been here a year longer than me, knows the campus better than I do. I can't help but wonder about the logic behind that.
Now that we've seen most of what there is to see, it's about time.
"Senpai, senpai."
"What's up?"
Hinata, who had been happily chatting with Lisha, called out to me.
"Senpai, if I recall correctly, you have a lecture scheduled for later, right?"
"Oh, you know that well."
"You shouldn't underestimate a girl's network. I have a free period next, so if it's okay with you, would you like me to show Lisha-chan around the city? I can introduce her to stores that girls often use."
"I'd appreciate it if you do that far, but is that OK?"
"Well, senpai, you probably can't guide her to those kinds of shops anyway, can you?"
"That's a valid point."
Back when I was dating Tsukiko, I didn't necessarily avoid going to such shops, but there are places where women can't take a guy along. I can't think of much else besides an underwear store.
In the city nearby, I can easily rush over with my abilities, and yesterday, the demon used quite a bit of magical power to create that creature. It's daytime, so it should be fine to some extent.
"Hey, Lisha."
"Yes, what is it?"
I called Lisha over, took a 10,000 yen bill from my wallet, and handed it to her.
"If you need anything, you can buy it with this. But don't waste it, okay? My living expenses are getting tight."
"Is that really alright?"
"There are probably a lot of things you need, and it's a necessary expense."
Lisha carefully put the 10,000 yen bill into her pocket.
Even so, money is really flying away... I wonder if I can get reimbursed later if I have a receipt addressed to the goddess.
As I was about to put my wallet away, Hinata nudged me with her elbow. What's up?
"Oh, look at you, being so generous, senpai."
"There's no helping it; everything is so expensive... Oh, Hinata, use this to buy something you like."
I tried to take out a 2,000 yen bill as payment for her guidance fee, but she shook her head.
"I don't need it."
"Even if you say that, you're guiding her, so..."
"What are you saying?"
Hinata puffed out her cheeks with a sullen look.
"Hinata isn't the type of person who takes money when she goes out to play."
"Hinata, you..."
"Hehe, did you think I was cute? You thought I was cute, didn't you? Well, there's no helping it; the truth is, I am cute."
"Well, when we hang out, you always make me treat you, so I thought..."
"Hmph!"
Oof! Hinata's low kick exploded on my calf. However, it was only a girl university student's kick, and I didn't feel any pain.
Well, if she wants to damage me, she should work on her muscle strength a bit more. Honestly, there's no way she's not cute already.
"Lisha-chan, let's leave that idiot behind!"
"Yes, okay! Yuusuke-san, see you later!"
"Take care and come back safely!"
As I watched the two of them get farther away, I started walking, thinking about what words I should use to persuade Souji and Matsuda.
Now that I've allied with Hinata, it's just a matter of tying up loose ends. However, there's Matsuda. That pervert sometimes behaves in unpredictable ways.
He muttered "queen" when he saw Lisha yesterday, so if he goes off track, I might need to use negotiation tactics with my fists instead of words.
Come to think of it, I was so focused on thinking about how to integrate Lisha into the university yesterday that I completely forgot to ask about the woman who was with Lisha yesterday.
I wonder what kind of person she was in the end. While I'm familiar with exorcists and scam artists on Earth who manipulate magic to some extent, she seemed far more skilled. Whether she belonged to a nation, an individual effort, or had a particular lineage, it didn't matter. What was troublesome was the unpredictability of her actions.
It's worrisome because her actions are hard to predict. If she becomes an ally, that's reassuring. However, if she attempts to eliminate Lisha and me as outsiders, then all I can do is make a run for it. I can't wield a sword against someone who's done nothing wrong.
"...Can't dwell on it too much."
There's no sign of that happening so far, and if it does, I'll have to accept it. Surprisingly, things often work out somehow in the nick of time.
Now, while pondering over these matters, I headed to the classroom for my next lecture. My mind was filled with thoughts of Asteris, the God-Demon War, Lisha, and everything that had happened in the past two days.
However, I had forgotten something. I had forgotten the reason why I had come to school with such a deathly expression yesterday.
And sometimes, things that have been forgotten return at the most inconvenient moments. Just when you let your guard down, they strike like an arrow out of nowhere.
"Yuusuke?"
A soft voice murmured.
An electrifying shock ran down my spine from the top of my head, and without thinking, I turned toward the voice. I should have pretended not to hear and just kept walking.
"Tsukiko..."
Standing there was the person I loved. Isumi Tsukiko, the one who had broken up with me, wore a face of regret.
With her petite frame and her hair, which reached down to her shoulders, she looked like she had the night sky in her eyes. Her eyes, which I had seen so many times before, stared at me.
I didn't know what to say.
Since the day I was dumped, I had been thinking about it. Should I not say anything and avoid her to forget, or should I go back to being friends and be friendly? Or should I not give up and try to close the distance again?
Come on, it should be easy. Just raise a hand like always and say, "Hey, why did you skip school yesterday?"
It's just a matter of going back to being friends with the person I dated for only a year.
We weren't married. She didn't say anything as hurtful as what that girl said before I returned from Asteris. So it should be easy.
"...?"
However, I couldn't say anything and couldn't even continue to look at Tsukiko. The moment I understood that I couldn't treat her like I used to, my body froze like a joke.
And then, how long did I stand like that? When I finally raised my head, Tsukiko was gone.
"...Haha."
I can laugh. What did Tsukiko think when she saw me, unable to even interact properly with the person who had rejected me?
This is what being a hero is like. No matter how much battle experience you accumulate, no matter how much you're stained with blood, no matter how accustomed you become to physical pain, the pain of being rejected by someone is unbearable.
"Oh..."
Then I realized. I had caused that pain to Lisha. I had twice pushed away her hand, which had clung to a faint hope.
It's pathetic.
Until the chime announcing the start of the lecture rang, I stood there, unable to move.
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