Chapter 5: Playing the Main Heroine

Early morning.

"Dad. I need you to upgrade the pendant."

I made my abrupt request first thing in the morning, addressing my father—who was currently wearing a cat-patterned apron while preparing my mom’s lunchbox.

My dad, now a full-time househusband, had a daily routine: make breakfast for Mom, then the three of us would eat together. Right now, we were in that brief window before Mom—who was notoriously bad at waking up—finally dragged herself out of bed.

This was the only time I could make such a request.

Without pausing—flipping sausages in the pan—Dad adjusted his glasses with a sharp click and fixed me with a piercing gaze.

"What happened, Apollo? Tell me."

"Yeah. So, actually—"
Cue the flashback...

A full day had passed since the disaster at Rekka’s place.

Yesterday, I had been riding high after pulling off the perfect mysterious heroine act—confidently making my way to his house…

Only to fail spectacularly.

"……What are you doing?"
"Cooking."

Koori-san had suddenly barged in for lunch.

I kept my poker face, but internally? Sweating bullets.

Turns out, Rekka had been too flustered to tell anyone about meeting me. So Koori, completely unaware, waltzed in like she always did—
And found me.
Mid-cooking.

Crisis.

If she had been the only issue, I could have improvised—whipped up an extra serving and played it cool.

But no. My real mistake? Time management.

In hindsight, one hour of girl form was way too short.

I want to punch past-me for thinking, "An hour’s totally enough, lol."

With a one-hour cooldown between transformations, the time limit was brutal.

Juggling cooking, eating, and important conversations with both Rekka and Koori? Absolutely impossible.

(Side note: A monster attack nearby gave me the perfect excuse to bail mid-conversation. If not for that, they would’ve seen me mid-transformation— in a girl’s uniform. Too close.)**

(Side-side note: The monster’s seismic powers wrecked the food I made. Koori looked more devastated than me. Then she went berserk on the monster. Koori’s a good kid, deep down...)

Back to the present.

"So, you want to extend your girl form’s duration?"
"Can you do it, Dad?"
"Hmm…"

Dad finished packing the bento, then set breakfast on the table, deep in thought.

"……Apollo."
"Yeah?"
"Why do you turn into a girl? Is this just a prank?"

His tone was gentle, but this wasn’t avoidance.
He was asking for my real reason.

I had already told him everything. Of course, I had.

He had let me use one of his greatest inventions. Hiding things wasn’t an option.

Was this just a prank?

That answer had been decided long ago.

"No. This is research and experimentation."

"……!"

Dad’s eyes widened.

I met his gaze head-on. Unwavering.

"You said it yourself back then, didn’t you? A real researcher doesn’t chase what’s ‘useful’—they pursue what they’ve sworn to understand, no matter where it leads."

"……Yes. And for me, that pursuit led to this—a pendant capable of altering not just appearance, but even gender itself."

The pinnacle of Dad’s research into transformation magic.

A crystallization of his life’s work—
Something most would dismiss as a fetish project.
Forged into actual magic.

"This pendant is your legacy, and my research theme is ‘the change of worlds.’"

Using what he had created, I—no.

No need to dress it up.

We were father and son.

"I want to see what happens when an irregular element like me gets mixed into a harem battle story."

"What kind of reaction will it cause? What lies at the end?"

I took a breath.

"…I need to know."

No hesitation. No ambiguity.

I stared straight into his eyes, pouring every ounce of conviction into my words.

"……Heh."

Dad smiled.

"……That’s my son."

"Dad…"

He sat down, poured two glasses of barley tea, and handed one to me.

A toast, perhaps.

"Researchers are madmen," he said.
"We spend everything chasing our obsessions. ……But that also means we live freer than anyone else."

Spoken like a man who had been there.

At the end of his path, he had met a certain woman, passed his legacy to the next generation—
And burned out.

……If he hadn’t burned out, he’d probably be in a grave by now.

"Run wild across the world, Apollo. Learn everything—until the day you meet someone who can stop you."

"Dad…!"

"Hey, dumbass. Stop filling our kid’s head with weird ideas."

"Gah—"

Mom had woken up. Freshly washed face, sharp eyes glaring at Dad as she plopped down beside him. After a sip of barley tea, she exhaled, then pinned me with a look.

"Apollo. …You serious about this?"

Tch!

Like father, like mother.

Honestly? These two are scarily easy to handle.

"Of course. This is my choice. I’ll take responsibility for dragging my best friend’s endless battle story to its finale—so he doesn’t have to fight anymore."

I laid it on thick.

Mom and Dad exchanged glances. Hesitated. Then solemn nods.

"…That’s our boy."
"Indeed. A true world-changer in the making."

…Are these two actually this gullible?

Not that I’m lying.

I just… omitted the "because it’s fun" part.

"Fine. You get the basement lab. Use it however you want."
"And I’ll gift you my research notes. Upgrade the pendant yourself—real research starts with baby steps."
"You guys… thank you!"

And just like that, I scored a legendary artifact and a fully equipped lab.

Heh heh heh. …Not that I’m deceiving them. Everything I said was true—I do want to free Rekka from his endless battles.

I just… didn’t mention how thrilling it feels to meddle.
Selective honesty.

—Ugh, my chest hurts. Is this… guilt? Why?
Is this the burden of being a mastermind…?

As I clutched my heart in faux anguish, Dad casually dropped a bombshell.

"Oh, right. Mom’s going overseas the day after tomorrow. I’m tagging along. You’ll be solo for a few years."

This man just casually announced parental abandonment.
Is he insane?

"We’ll be back for your graduation! Right, honey?"
"Of course, dear."
"THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE?!"

And so, my mad scientist parents abruptly vanished, leaving me with a full-house hideout.

…Am I a rom-com protagonist now?

…But this also means unlimited loli-girl practice sessions.
Hell yeah.

Might invite Rekka over for an all-nighter gaming marathon.

With that thought, I finished breakfast and headed to school—
Ready to wreak havoc.

---

One Week Later...

Freedom had its price.

Now living alone, I struggled with the hassles of solo life—but in exchange, my "Mysterious Heroine Power" had grown exponentially.

Thanks to my parents’ lab and research materials, I’d successfully extended my girl-form transformation time to three hours. Pretty impressive, right? Call me a genius.

Even better, the cooldown was slashed to just thirty minutes. Now I could roam freely as a girl without worry.
Nothing scared me anymore.

...Okay, fine. Maybe I just really enjoyed walking around as a cute girl lately.

Sure, I still looked a bit youthful, but objectively? Adorable.
Catching people’s stares was weirdly addictive.

Not that I’d slacked on my "Hidden Heroine" act.

I stuck to that school-uniform-esque outfit and avoided anything that might blow my cover. Keeping my distance from Rekka’s group also paid off—cementing me in their minds as "that elusive girl who vanished before we could talk properly."
Perfect.

But it was time to close the gap.

Staying a total enigma would just make them anxious. If I didn’t step up as a proper heroine soon, I’d just be an annoying side character.

So—enter Apollo Key.

I’d play the role of "someone connected to Koku," joining the main story as Rekka’s friend. By positioning Koku as an ally ("Oh, Apollo told me about you!"), I could feed them intel only I knew.

And most importantly—establish myself as a wildcard outside the harem dynamic.
This’ll be fun.

"Hmm? ...Wait, a monster?!"

While strategizing, I spotted it—a modified human from some evil organization wreaking havoc at the intersection.

No special forces. No police.
Not even Rekka’s team had arrived yet.

The monster had free rein.

Fine. I’ll call Rekka myself.

"...Why’s there no signal?"

My phone was utterly dead—no calls, no internet. At first, I thought it was just me, but the panicked crowd confirmed it:

The monster was jamming electronics.

No calls for help.
No reinforcements.

Total isolation.

"...Seriously? Hold on, what?"

...Wait.

Am I the one who has to fight this thing?!

Sure, most civilians know basic magic, but combat experience? Rare.

Someone had to buy time.

I knew that.
But—me?
No one else?!

"Oh crap—it’s going after a kid?!"

The second I saw it, I was already running.

No time to hesitate.

I’m no hero.
I prioritize my own survival.

Rekka’s the one who plays champion—I’m just the "friend character."
That’s my role.

But abandoning a child?

That’s a line even I won’t cross.

Once you step onto the battlefield as a "heroine," retreat isn’t an option.

...Or maybe, deep down, my legs just moved on their own.

Is this what they call "being an idiot"?

"Hey, asshole! Pick on someone your own size!"

I kicked the monster with wind-assisted speed.

It barely flinched.

Wow. I’m pathetically weak.

"...! Kid, is that your mom?!"

A woman was fighting through the crowd, desperate to reach us.

The boy nodded tearfully.

"Emergency measures—don’t hate me for this!"
"W-Wah?!"

A gust of wind magic yeeted the kid straight into his mother’s arms.

Nice. Worked like a charm.

All those hours practicing wind magic just to prevent panty shots during high-altitude landings?

Worth it.

"Guh—!"

Thwack!

Yeah, I just got punched full-force by a monster and sent flying.

Looks like I was slammed into a nearby car before splatting onto the ground. At this point, I don’t even feel pain anymore. Or rather, it hurts so much that all I register is the shock. Did my organs just get crushed or something?

"——"

The monster’s saying something, but I’m pretty sure it’s just the usual "I’m gonna kill you" spiel. This guy’s just a simple-minded freak who only knows how to rampage through the city—doubt he’s got any grand philosophy behind it.

Man, this sucks.

I’m gonna die, aren’t I?

Some random bad guy shows up out of nowhere, and suddenly I’m in mortal danger? At this point, it’s less "serious" and more "straight-up parody." Ugh, this town’s security is trash…

"……Aah…"

Can’t even talk.

This is basically the same as getting hit by a truck.

Who’d have thought I’d get beaten to a pulp while still in girl form? That monster’s got a thing for hurting girls, huh? Yeah, we’re not compatible.

"Ugh…"

Somehow, I managed to stand up.

"……Huh?"

I glanced at my wristwatch on impulse.

From the moment I got punched—somehow, thirty minutes had already passed.

Guess I was out cold for a bit.

"The monster’s… gone… Oh, right—Rekka."

A distant explosion went off. I turned toward it and saw Rekka and the Hero Club striking poses with a fiery blast as their backdrop.

That’s probably their post-victory celebration. Those villain types always explode when they die, huh? Wonder what even ignites them. Weird.

Anyway, I should bail while I can. The cleanup’s gonna be a pain.

"—Koku!!"

Ugh, Rekka just called out from behind me.

I wanna turn back into a guy ASAP and get to a hospital, so no chit-chat. My head’s bleeding, and I’m covered in bruises.

I turned around—and not just him, but all five Hero Club girls were there too.

……Wait.

No, no, no, hold up. Calm down, me.

This… is actually kinda great. Like, really great. I’m kinda hyped now.

Now that I think about it, isn’t this situation perfect?

"……Rekka."
"I’m sorry! You were trying to save that kid, and… we were too late…!"

Right now, Koku—this girl—was standing face-to-face with the entire main cast of the Hero Club.

"We’ll get you help right n—"
"Don’t come closer."

Just me on one side.

And six of them on the other.

"……Huh?"
"I don’t need… your help."
"W-What are you—"

We were a few meters apart, talking. Despite my battered state, the Hero Club members were practically unharmed—guess fighting as a team kept them safe.

A lightly wounded boy, surrounded by dependable comrades—a protagonist blessed with allies.

A girl on the verge of death, visibly alone—no companions in sight.

The stark contrast between the two of them in this moment—isn’t it… beautiful?

"You still have… so much left to do."

Blood dripped from my forehead, and my vision swayed slightly, but I clenched my teeth and held on.

The other girls stood beside the protagonist—less like love interests now, more like party members.

And Koku, this girl, was the only one not among them.

Not at Rekka’s side.

Just standing alone—right in front of him.

"Don’t… worry about me."

At this point, I’m basically the main heroine, right?

None of the other girls are even arguing.

And on top of that, in this entire scene, Koku is the only one who doesn’t harbor romantic feelings for Rekka.

The only one the protagonist hasn’t won over—

Is this wounded girl in black.

"I’ve heard… you call yourselves the city’s heroes. There are injured people crying for help. Civilians trapped under collapsed buildings, waiting to be saved. If you truly are the city’s heroes… then you know where you’re needed."
"Th-That’s…"

Rekka stammered. Honestly, he could’ve countered with any number of arguments, but you can’t just dismiss an injured person’s words, can you? Heh heh heh—glad I got hurt.

Well, it is true that there are people waiting for rescue. My real point is: Go help them instead. I’ll just head to the hospital on my own.

"……Goodbye."
"Koku! Wai—"

I used wind magic to levitate and flew off into the distance.

BWAHAHA! How’s that, Rekka? Must be frustrating not being able to win me over, huh? A real heroine isn’t someone you can just have that easily! See you tomorrow!

---

A Dramatic Exit… and a Crash Landing Twenty Minutes Later

Turns out, my stamina was worse than I thought. I barely made it out before crash-landing in some back alley, completely spent.

So there I sat, trying to recover…

…until President Rai somehow tracked me down and started patching me up with a first-aid kit.

How did she even find me this fast?!

Her tracking skills are terrifying.

"Why… did you follow me?"

Rai smiled, unfazed.
"Silly question. You’re one of the citizens we’re supposed to protect, aren’t you?"

That warm, reliable onee-san aura of hers was overwhelming. Maybe it was just the exhaustion catching up to me, but… her kindness felt weirdly comforting.

"Don’t worry, I won’t tell the rest of the club."
"…Thanks."

Damn. She’s actually really considerate.

And unlike Rekka’s usual crowd, she doesn’t seem blinded by infatuation.

Hey, Protagonist-kun, if you ever pick a girlfriend, make it this one.

"This much is nothing." She smiled again. "Koku, self-sacrifice is admirable, but you should take better care of yourself."
"…Yeah."

Then, without warning, she patted my head.

Oh no.

I’m a virgin. A little kindness like this is dangerous.

Suddenly, I understand why Rekka is always suffering.

Damn you, you harem bastard…

"I should… get going."

Rai nodded.
"I see. …Ah, before you do—last time, I forgot to ask for your contact info. Mind sharing?"

"Is my Twitter handle okay?"

She blinked.
"Oh? You’re on social media…?"

Listen, I only have one phone, okay?! The only way to juggle my identities is by swapping phone cases and making separate accounts!

This ruins my mysterious girl image!

"If you need anything… just DM me."

Rai chuckled. "You seemed so detached from the world, but you’re just a normal modern girl after all. That’s a relief."

And just like that, I exchanged contact info with my far-more-experienced senior.

After that, I headed home, turned back into a guy, and went straight to the hospital.

(Running into Rekka there and getting fussed over is another story.)

---

"Hey, Pokky… do you think Koku might have… split personalities or something?"

"……???"

Oh, right—someone saw me (in guy mode) saving that kid.

And just like that, I’ve got another unnecessary character setting tacked onto me.