Chapter 36: Childhood Friend Chocolate, A Taste of Despair When You See A Childhood Friend Girl Who You Couldn't Save Yourself Blushing After Being Saved By A Strong Man She's Known for a Long Time

Childhood Friend Chocolate, A Taste of Despair When You See A Childhood Friend Girl Who You Couldn't Save Yourself Blushing After Being Saved By A Strong Man She's Known for a Long Time (90% Cacao)

A canvas's finest moment is not when you finally finish the work, but when it's set on fire. That's the moment when its vibrant colors emit a light equal to the various metal atoms it contains.

The most beautiful sight of fresh snow is when it's rudely trampled underfoot with muddy boots. That's the moment it's ruined by some unrefined mortal who has no understanding of the art of elegance.

Beautiful, wonderful things shine brightest at the very moment their value is diminished.

This is an indisputable truth, and this idea was firmly ingrained in me even before my reincarnation.

That's why I once burned so many paintings, smashed so many ceramics, and devalued them.

It's the same since my reincarnation.

I've worked so hard to tarnish people who harbored great talent and a sparkling, valuable quality, to smear that brilliance.  

I don't mean to sound arrogant and say I've done everything I could, but I've done pretty much everything that came to mind and was realistic.

So I ended up forgetting that even someone like me has preferences. I'm not the kind of woman who'll be satisfied with anything if something valuable is degraded.

Even for me, there are some actions that I can't accept and that I don't like. There are some things that just I don't like.

So why have I collected such valuable things in the first place? Even without going to the trouble of collecting them, I could have destroyed a huge amount of value by just robbing a local art museum. But the reason I didn't do that was because of one particular obsession I had.

The end of something wonderful should be done by someone worthy of it. Those who fully understand its value, and understand it better than anyone else, are the ones who are qualified to degrade it.

...Of course, this isn't always the case, as there is value that suits being damaged by unrefined people, like fresh snow.

I'm aware that my fetish is abnormal and that it's likely to be frowned upon by those around me.

That's why I didn't want to do anything that would just ruin everything I saw.

I knew I understood this better than anyone, that I was the one who valued it the most, and I was the one who disparaged it.

That whole process, too, had value, which is why I only pursued fetish items that I'd made myself or officially purchased.

Even if someone complained later, it was me who found value in the piece and paid a price that the original owner was satisfied with. Auctions are the best example of this, but I was the one there who valued it the most, so I paid more than anyone else to acquire it.

Yes, I understood its value, paid the price, and pursued my fetish. I've never stolen or destroyed anyone's things, or committed any crimes.

According to my values, I simply cannot tolerate acts that damage something without understanding its value, simply for my own selfish satisfaction.

Pouring tomato soup on a painting in a museum or burning a portrait in protest is a desecration of art. It's an unforgivable act that challenges both the artwork itself and the act of damaging it.

I've gotten a little off topic.

Basically, to me, anything that has value should be damaged by those who deserve it, and these guys don't deserve to damage the value of my existence. I'm not cheap enough to be used as a masturbation aid by people who don't understand a thing about art or know a thing about the hard work I put in.

Yeah, so that's why it was so unpleasant.

Now that I understand how I felt, I feel so much better.

Well, now that I feel better, that doesn't change the fact that I was surrounded by them and was almost dragged into a deserted alley. 

Hmm, what should I do?

Now that I understand and feel relieved, I don't want to continue being their plaything. But even if I enlist the help of karate or shoulder throw, I know very well from my previous confrontation with Shota-kun that there's nothing I can do.

No matter how talented someone is, size and numbers are harsh truth. There's no way I, who could be mistaken for an elementary school student, could defeat several grown men. They're all ganging up on my loli-loli body, these guys are terrible lolicons. The fact that they're all drooling is a real turn-off.

It's possible that Dad is still attracted to Mama's angelic personality, so I can forgive him, but I can't forgive someone who's turned on by appearances alone. 

The world is harsh on lolicons, after all. It should be harsh, especially to this kind of lolicon.

Regardless of how the world views lolicons, I need to decide my stance towards them immediately.

Hmm, growl my Pink Brain– ehh... for now, Gray Brain Cells, I choose you!

.....

Ah, I've got an idea!

I came up with two ideas.

The first is to use the security alarm that Mama gave me as a girl's accessory to alert the entire neighborhood to the emergency.

The good thing about it is that it will be natural and best scenario if it can scare them away, but the bad thing is that it's not very reliable.

Just because the alarm goes off doesn't mean that the righteous residents will rush to the scene, and it's not necessarily true that the bad guys will run away because of the alarm or someone coming to help.

The second one is a short sword for seppuku that I'm given to carry so that if something happens I can cut my stomach open and die before I'm defiled... Nah, just kidding, it's a woodworking knife that I bought some time ago and forgot to take out from my bag. I was just thinking of changing it from the one I was using before.

I don't care how the knife ended up in my bag, but if I use it to portray myself as a crazy person, they'll probably think I'm a dangerous woman and run away, don't want to if get involved.

If I threaten myself, instead of them, "If you come near me, I'll stab myself. I'll stab myself deep. It's not just self-harm. You kidnap me in front of all those witnesses, and when they found me covered in blood, they'll think it's you who is responsible based on your behavior," they'll definitely stop assaulting me. 

It'd be a different story if they thought I was insulting them and hit me. The good thing about this is that it scares people more reliably than a security alarm, but the bad thing is that the risk is too great if it fails, and even if it works, there's a chance that people will see me, and in the worst case scenario, it will significantly diminish my cuteness.

If you choose safety, you lose certainty, and if you choose certainty, you can't guarantee safety.

This kind of relationship is called a trade-off. You'll use it a lot, so remember it.

Seriously, is there a way that's both safe and certain?

..... That's right. If only I made Tomohiro-kun notice them and we both ran away from the start. Damn it, Hikari, you're careless.

Well, there's no point in rambling on about the past, so I'll switch gears and decide which one to choose.

There's no need to rack my brains over which is better, option one or option two; it's definitely option one.

I would have considered it a little more if the blade I was carrying wasn't a woodworking knife, but something these guys might have, because a woodworking knife definitely wouldn't do.

With such a specialized blade, it would be unreasonable to claim I was stabbed, and even these guys would understand that. 

I resented Hikari's past self for not having brought along a blade they'd prefer. ...Just kidding! I only have a little grudge, so don't cry, Hikari!

When I suddenly burst into tears, the guys teased me, saying, "You were so strong just a moment ago, but are you scared after all?"

Shut up, I was just crying because I was emotionally hurt, not because I was scared of you guys.

But hey, if you want to misunderstand, go ahead. I don't even feel bad about being misunderstood by someone like that.

Considering that they'd let their guard down, I consider myself lucky and set off the security alarm Mama had given me. It's not one of those things that elementary school kids wear, which you can turn off immediately if you accidentally set it off; but this is the kind that gets really loud once you set it off and is difficult to stop.

The guys were surprised by my behavior, as I'd been obediently following them around until just a moment ago.

Oh no, you've taken a step back. If you're a real thug, you should show some courage by taking the alarm away and destroying it! That scary appearance is just for show!

Just as I was about to describe the guys as cowards, I heard several footsteps approaching, as if they'd heard the sound. I turned and saw some burly men in tracksuits that looked familiar. That guy in the front is Shota-kun.

Hey, how are you? Are the guys behind you your friends?

The arrival of a group that clearly seemed to have martial arts skills and the buzzer I set off sent the thugs running.

They know when to back out, don't they?

Still, with so many people coming, I'm really glad I didn't resort to my second plan. Maybe I have foresight after all.

Eh, would someone with foresight be taken in the first place? Stop stabbing me with valid reason. My heart hurts.

So, with the thugs running away, all that's left are the burly guys in tracksuits and me, dressed cutely and setting off the security buzzer.

It's a strange sight, but I guess I can consider myself saved. I'll turn off the buzzer for now. If I hadn't known, it would have been difficult, but I'm fairly confident in my manual dexterity. Turning it off is a piece of cake.

The guys in tracksuits look relieved when the buzzer stops, and I wonder if they've come to help?

I thank them. I made eye contact with each of them with a smile that showed my cuteness and gratitude, but they looked away shyly.

So this is the power of Nicopo. I see, not so bad.

"I'm saved, but why are you here?" I asked, and Shota-kun, my best friend and the one who's my friend, explained the situation to me.

"We were all taking a detour when Takemata asked me to help him. He said some dangerous people had taken Mashiro away and ask us to help you. Then we heard a loud noise coming from this side."

Incidentally, Takemata is Tomohiro-kun's last name.

But I see, Tomohiro-kun realized he couldn't help himself, so he asked someone who might be able to. He knows his place in the world, that's impressive.

Even though they ended up doing almost nothing, those guys in those jerseys undoubtedly mustered up the courage to help me, so I thought I should thank them somehow. I apologized once again for worrying them, and as I turned to go back to Tomohiro-kun, I noticed Shota staring at me with a serious expression.

"...Mashiro, don't push yourself too hard."

Shota-kun said this in a gentle voice, as if he was trying to reassure me.

What on earth was he talking about? When did I push myself too hard?

When I was letting Tomohiro-kun escape and getting caught by the thugs? 

Well, maybe it was a bit reckless, but it didn't seem like it was about that.

When I told him I wasn't pushing myself too hard, he said, "How can someone who isn't pushing themselves cry?"

Come to think of it, I had just been emotionally unstable and cried. A girl being harassed by thugs + a security alarm + traces of tears.

Yes, I was the girl who, no matter how you look at it, acted strong, but couldn't help but cry. 

"If anything happens, I'll protect you. You don't have to act tough in front of me."

...I know it's understandable that he will misunderstand, but when he says something so shamelessly and jarring, it makes my back tingle.

How can he say something like that even though he lost to me?

Hey, he had a damn serious look on his face. I'm blushing with empathy.

But even if it was actually empathy, objectively speaking, it's a girl who was saved from a thug blushing at the boy who saved her.

Yeah, that's how it seems. I can understand, but stop cheering, you guys in tracksuits. I'll lower the level of my thanks.

Shota-kun and his teammates in tracksuits took advantage of the fact that I was speechless and started interpreting it in their own way.

And then Tomohiro-kun came along. Now here's a question. 

A cute childhood friend is saved from a thug by a powerful man unlike him. Her eyes show signs of crying, and she blushes at the man who saved her.

What emotion crossed Tomohiro-kun's mind when he saw this?

However, let's assume that his pride as a man has just been completely trampled on.