Chapter 8: I Want to Play Mysterious Beautiful Girl Again!!

I ran out of Apollo’s house, searched the neighborhood, and finally found him.

I apologized for everything. Talked about the future. Helped carry his bags as we walked home together.

The invisible wall between us—gone.

Finally, I could truly call him my friend.

And it was all thanks to her.

That girl who saw right through me.

I planned to thank her when we got back.

She’d called Apollo’s place a "hideout," after all. I thought—no, I was sure—we’d see each other regularly from now on.

That we’d become real allies.

That she’d trust me—

[Goodbye.]

A single note.

Nothing else.

She was gone.

For a moment, I froze. Then—I ran.

The clock’s hands pointed downward. The orange-streaked sky had long since darkened to pitch black.

My stomach twisted.

Breaths came ragged.

My heart pounded—too fast.

A restlessness I’d never known churned in my chest.

"Why—"

The whisper spilled out under the silent sky.

What was she thinking?

Where did she go?

I had no idea.

Koku cared about my friend—more than most would. She was kind.

Normal.

At least, that’s what I’d thought when we spoke.

She got angry for me.

Made me see what I’d ignored.

She was someone I owed everything to—the first person I needed to thank.

And yet—

I never got to say a single word.

"……!"

Her smile—the one she’d given me as I left—flashed in my mind.

And I ran again.

—Dawn.

The pitch-black sky drowned in blazing gold.

Morning had already come.

---

Two months have passed since that day, I desperately improvised my way through confronting Rekka.

It’s been painfully long. Summer’s almost here.

During these two months—after officially joining the Hero Club and recovering from my injury—I’ve only supported everyone in my male form.

Thanks to club training, I awakened a so-called "detection ability." With help from Onashi, our resident ninja, I can identify threats in advance and prevent incidents before they happen.

Best of all, my intel lets the police handle more situations, drastically reducing the Hero Club’s workload. Despite being just a student, I’ve earned the police’s trust—all thanks to the club’s reputation.

In other words—Rekka’s been fighting less and less.

My original goal of "not letting Rekka fight" is mostly accomplished through sheer effort.

So now, I’m just living the ordinary high school boy’s life.

Struggling with tests. Sharing small joys. Fooling around after school. Just… existing.

I secured that simple, mundane daily life I wanted.

That self-sacrificing idiot who kept getting hurt for others? I stopped him from fighting.

The wish I’d carried for so long—fulfilled.

But.

There’s one critical issue.

After reflecting on my actions—specifically, that disastrous lecture I gave Rekka—I realized something terrible.

And ever since that day…

I haven’t transformed into my girl form even once.

So what’s the issue?

The answer’s been obvious all along.

"My mysterious beauty aura… it’s fading, isn’t it?!"

No, seriously.

That recovery lecture was necessary to salvage the situation, but because of it, Koku almost became just another friendly girl.

Hell, even a teammate.

That’s dangerous.

That’s not how this works.

A mysterious beauty isn’t supposed to just… blend in.

If I’d kept appearing as Koku—while keeping my identity secret—she’d have ended up as just another late-joining harem member.

What’s so special about a girl who was slightly enigmatic at first, only to blend in later?

Nothing.

Hey, me. Think back.

Are you actually a good person?

Are you gonna claim you did all this for friendship? For justice?

Don’t bullshit me. You’re not that kind of guy.

I transformed for fun. To mess with my friend.

That’s right—I’m evil.

And now, after using the Jet-Black Girl I created, I’m just gonna throw her away?

Pathetic.

You’re always like this. Dabbling in everything, finishing nothing.

No one loves you.

Ugh. Look at this! What a trash man!

The only one I can be truly honest with isn’t Rekka. Not the Hero Club.

It’s Koku.

The girl I created.

Abandoning her now? Unthinkable.

And more than anything—losing that mysterious beauty mystique would be unforgivable.

This isn’t about right or wrong.

It’s about pride.

If I’m gonna be a villain—I’ll own it to the end.

That’s what’s cool.

I don’t care if it’s awful.

Like my old man said—I’ll run wild until someone stops me.

Time to show my true power.

"HELL YEAH!! LET’S GOOOOO!!"

"MAGIC—GENDER-SWAP TRANSFORM!!!"

...

......

...

Okay.

So.

First, I faked being sick and skipped school.

I only texted Rekka: "Taking the day off."

He probably knows I’m faking.

Let's get back on track.

This time, I’ve come up with a plan to push forward the story of the "mysterious heroine" in one go.

If I just keep showing up randomly and disappearing again, nothing will progress, and Rekka will get used to it.

Now that I’ve been gone for two months, leaving behind only a farewell letter, and he's been worrying about Koku's safety this whole time—this is my chance. Seriously, there won’t be a better timing than this.

It's pouring rain today.

For a heroine to declare "a final goodbye" to the protagonist, you couldn’t ask for a better setting.

That’s right. Today, I’m going to reveal an important truth about Koku to Rekka.

Then, I’ll say a real farewell to him. By doing this, I’ll finally capture his attention as the one heroine he could never win over. He’s going to be shocked, no doubt.

First, I use my invisibility cloak to sneak into the school and check the current situation.

It’s lunchtime.

The Hero Club isn’t gathered in one place; everyone is off doing their own thing.

President Rai is with the student council in their office. Koori and Hikari are chatting with friends in the cafeteria.

As for Rekka, he’s heading to the school store with two other heroines—the Wind sisters.

"By the way, Rekka, where’s that guy who’s always with you?"

"Pocky is skippi—uh, I mean, he’s out sick with a cold."

"Rekka-san? You do realize correcting yourself halfway makes it pointless, right?"

Surrounded by Kazeko, the older sister, and Fuuna, the younger one, Rekka is flirting as usual. Damn it.

For the record, I based my wind magic training on their insanely strong wind techniques, but I haven’t actually interacted with the Wind sisters much in my Koku persona. A six-girl harem really is a lot to handle.

The only underclassman, Otonashi, is nowhere to be seen, but he’s probably eating in a friend’s classroom or something. He’s got that ninja-like tendency to stay out of sight, but wasting my entire lunch break looking for him isn’t an option.

Besides, I’m wearing my invisibility cloak the whole time. No one should notice me.

"…I don’t know, but I feel like someone’s been watching us this whole time."

!?

"There’s no one behind us, Sis. We’re literally the last ones in line."

"Ugh… Y-Yeah, you’re right. I just hope we’re not too late to buy what we came for…"

Nice save, little sister. That was close.

Seriously, I need to be more careful around the older one—her instincts are sharp.

"I heard a rumor that Kazeko and Fuuna have fans."

"Eh? We do?"

"Well, the Hero Club is pretty well-known, and you two are cute, so it’s not surprising."

"C-Cute!?"

"Aah…"

Rekka’s natural airheadedness strikes again, making Kazeko blush and leaving Fuuna flustered.

Classic protagonist move—effortlessly making his heroines embarrassed. Well played.

"D-Don’t just say weird things out of nowhere, idiot!"

"Ow! S-Sorry."

"Sis, you shouldn’t hit people…"

A strong-willed older sister and a timid younger one.

You’ve got all the options, don’t you, Rekka? Even so, I respect you for keeping a level head and not letting your hormones control you.

The rain is picking up.

The cloak provides some protection, but the heavy raindrops are starting to make me cold. I brought a foldable umbrella, but I left it near the school’s exit so it wouldn’t be a hassle to carry.

Better start the plan before I catch a cold. Time to switch into mysterious beauty mode.

I remove the invisibility cloak, fold it, and slip it into my pocket.

Immediately, raindrops pour over me like a shower.

From my uniform’s chest pocket, I take out a house key and deliberately drop it onto the concrete.

Clink!

A faint metallic sound.

Rekka flinches slightly—the only one who reacts. Perfect.

Normally, the rain would drown out such a small noise, but I was sure he’d notice.

Lately, he’s been so desperate to find Koku that he reacts to every little sound and shadow. I knew he wouldn’t miss this.

From my hiding spot, barely within sight of the school store, I peek at Rekka.

He’s scanning the area restlessly—until our eyes finally meet.

"Koku…!?"

Without a word, I turn away and disappear behind the school building, leaving the key behind.

I hear the sound of hurried footsteps behind me. Good, he’s following.

Before he can call out to me, I reach the back of the school and stop, turning my back to him like I’ve been waiting all along.

"Hah… hah… Koku!"

"…"

Here he comes.

I turn around in silence.

He must have sprinted after me, because even though he has an umbrella, his uniform is wet at the shoulders.

"Hah… I… I’ve been looking for you this whole time! This… this is Apollo’s house key. You had it, so… were you at his place today?"

Catching his breath, he straightens up.

Relief washes over his face.

He’s genuinely happy to have found Koku again.

Nice. I’m getting chills.

That expression of his? I’m about to break it.

"What have you been doing all this time? If you needed something, you could’ve just talked to me. We’re teammates, aren’t we?"

"…We’re not teammates."

"Huh?"

Rekka frowns. His mouth forces a smile, but his eyes show he doesn’t understand.

"W-What are you saying? You told me you didn’t want to be enemies. And that you’d end my fight—"

"That’s right."

I raise my voice slightly, cutting him off.

"I Said I Would End Rekka’s Battles—And I Did."

Truthfully, the Hero Club’s battles are practically over.

We haven’t wiped out the evil organization or whatever, but the government and police are handling them now—as it should be. Now that the adults are dealing with it, it’s safe to say his fight is done.

"Thanks to that, the future has changed."
"The… future?"

Now, it’s time to unveil the backstory I’ve been crafting ever since that lecture.

"I can see fragments of the future. In my dreams—glimpses of what’s to come."

"…That kind of power…?"

"One dream showed us fighting side by side. And then… you died. Protecting me."

"Wha—?!"

Bam! Shocking twist. (Not like I actually had that dream, though. No way Mr. Protagonist would actually die.)

"So I thought—if I stopped you from fighting, you wouldn’t die. I couldn’t let someone die because of me."

"But you said the future changed. What’s different now?"

—But what if the mysterious heroine had never joined the team?

"I saw another future. One where… you kill me."

Silence.

Rekka is so shaken he can’t speak, his grip on his umbrella slackening.

"…What… do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I only saw the moment—not why or how. But if I stay by your side, eventually, you will kill me."

"Th-That’s insane! I’d never do that! There’s no reason!"

"I don’t know why. But the future I see never changes… unless I force it to."

Of course, there’s zero reason for Rekka to hurt me. That’s why he’s panicking so hard.

Sorry, not sorry. This is too fun.

"I… I consider you a precious friend. You helped me and Apollo reconcile—how could I ever hurt you?"

"We were never friends. I don’t care about you."

"…!"

That’s gotta sting. Every girl he’s met since becoming the protagonist has fallen for him—this might be the first time he’s been rejected.

…Oof. Hurts to say it, even as a lie.

Stay strong, Apollo Key. You’re the villain here. If you respect Koku’s character, commit to the bit.

"I only used Apollo Key to manipulate you—so I wouldn’t become a killer. If you died protecting me, everyone would blame me. I did it all for myself. Not for you."

In another context, this might sound tsundere, but right now? Brutal.

The It was never for you trope is surprisingly versatile.

…Also, I’m soaked. And freezing.

"I don’t want to die. So I’m leaving. Without me, you can stay the untouchable hero. There’s no reason to stop me."

"But—!"

The rain pours harder.

The sound of droplets hitting his umbrella grows louder, like fish leaping in a storm.

"Every day with you… was exhausting."

"…!"

Rekka tries to speak, but the words won’t come.

Time to make my exit. One last heroine-like line—

"But… that day on the rooftop? When you asked me to lunch… I was… a little happy."

"K-Koku, I—"

"Goodbye."

"W-Wait—!"

"—WAIT, KOKU!!"

Huh?!

That’s not Rekka’s voice!

Just as I was about to fly off with wind magic, a third party stopped me.

I freeze.

"…?"

From behind Rekka—

Drenched, breathless, and without an umbrella—stands President Rai.

"…Rai… senpai?"

"Heh… You remembered my name. I’m glad."

"Senpai! Why are you—"

"Rekka, you don’t know… do you? Her true identity."

WH—WHAAAAAT?!

H-HOW?! Since when did she figure it out?! Was skipping school that bad of a move?!

"…Two months ago, intel came in. A researcher betrayed the evil organization… and smuggled out an experimental subject."

…Huh?

"The subject’s abilities were still in development, but if completed… they could destroy the world itself. The researcher took her to prevent that."

W-Wait, hold on.

This is completely new to me—what’s happening?!

"The name wasn’t in the reports, but…"

"S-Senpai, you don’t mean—"

"…Koku. That subject… is you, isn’t it?"

……………………

……Sure.

Let’s go with that.

"You can think whatever you want. I don't mind."

"Hey, wait a second, Koku!"

Surprisingly, it was Rekka who reacted to my answer.

But any more discussion would make my head explode, so I'm done here...!

Using wind magic, I lifted myself into the air.

"President Rai."

"...What is it?"

"Could you tell Hikari that I'm sorry we couldn't have tea after all?"

"—! ...Yeah, I got it."

"Wait, Senpai!?"

I had no idea what was going through his head, but President Rai made no move to stop me.

Rekka, clearly baffled by his response, reached out toward me—
But by the time he did, I was already too high for him to reach.

"Rekka. Once again—goodbye."

"Wait! Koku!!"

Leaving behind the protagonist desperately chasing after the heroine, I somehow managed to escape the scene.

Now then, how should I move Koku next?

---

──A few minutes later.

"……"
"……"

In front of my house, a completely drenched white-haired girl was sitting in a crouched position, hugging her knees.

Her hair was absurdly long, and she was looking up at me with dazed golden eyes as I stood over her—now back in my male form.

…Yeah, I get it.

Considering what the president said earlier, the flag had definitely been raised.

It’s not weird that she suddenly showed up. This pacing is pure comedy, though.

But listen, I am not the protagonist. Nor do I want to be.

I don’t need a heroine, and more importantly, I am the expressionless, mysterious beauty here. If another character with the same trait shows up, it’ll cause a full-on character meltdown.

That’s why, in times like these—you call the cops.

I don’t need some doppelgänger heroine. I’m not even handing her over to Rekka, the actual protagonist. I’ll let the country's finest officers handle this properly. That’s just common sense, right?

"……Nn."

"Huh? W-What… A phone?"

The silent, golden-eyed, white-haired girl pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to me.

It looked like a smartphone—but with an oddly futuristic design.

"What the hell is this…"

I hesitantly tapped the high-tech smartphone (placeholder name) to turn it on—

『Ahh! You made it back safely, Apollo! Thank goodness! We got through, Mom!』

…My parents, who were supposed to be overseas for work the past two months, appeared on the screen.

Both of them were in lab coats—an all-too-familiar sight.

"Uh, um… W-What… What is this…?"

『We’ll explain everything in detail later! For now, take that girl inside and hide her in your house!』

"Yeah, no. I’m calling the cops."

『N-No, you can’t! There’s a single spy from the organization hiding in the upper ranks of the police! We can’t rely on them until we’ve gathered enough evidence to take him down!』

"Shut up, dumbass!!"

『EH!?』

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up, you’re so goddamn loud.

『A-Apollo got mad at me… But why…?』
『Pull yourself together, dear. That was the normal reaction.』

Seriously—come on!

Look, fine, fine. I’ll give you this much: lying to me about your overseas assignment, secretly saving some obviously hidden-heroine-tier loli from a shady lab, and protecting the world behind the scenes? Cool. That’s amazing. I’d even praise you for it.

But why the hell are you dumping her on me just minutes after I stole the heroine role for myself!?

Just give her to Rekka! That guy would totally add her to his harem and save the world while he’s at it!

Oh, wait. That’s it. I’ll just hand her over to Rekka.

I don’t care if it contradicts my character setting. There’s no way I’m harboring a textbook loli heroine who’s being targeted by some evil organization. Not happening.

I wanted to be the heroine, damn it! And now, thanks to her, my beautiful-girl escapism is ruined!!

『Dear, let me talk to him. …Hello, Apollo?』

"Oh, hey, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll leave this kid with my trustworthy best friend."

『I’m sorry. That won’t work. If information leaks, we’re done for. There’s a chance you’re being tailed, too, so you need to take her to the underground shelter now. There’s a safe route to escape from there.』

Wait… Is Mom the type to push unreasonable demands, too?

『Also, when you go outside, use your pendant to transform into a girl. They’ve already identified you from our research files.』

"What the hell have you been doing?"

『It’s a relief you’re already used to transforming into a girl. …Listen, this battle against the organization will end soon. And when it does, we can finally live peacefully as a family again. Please, Apollo—stay strong.』

Stop giving me dramatic lines like that, I am not equipped for this! I’m gonna cry…

『Mom! They’ve caught up!』
『Tch… They’re here already… Apollo, I’m sorry, we have to cut this short! Your father and I love you! Be safe!』

"HEY! HEY, HEY, HEY!!"

This is so stupid. What’s stupid? The speed of this plot is stupid.

Like, ten minutes ago, I dramatically said "…Goodbye," acting like a proper heroine as I bid farewell to the protagonist.

Now I’m suddenly smack in the middle of the story for a completely different reason! I went from being the secret mastermind to a helpless victim, what the hell!?

"…Achoo!"

Aww, what a cute sneeze. ♡ You should totally do that in front of Rekka—he’d totally protect you.

That was supposed to be my cute sneeze, damn it!

"…I’m sorry."

"Ugh, fine, I get it, I get it. Just come inside already. Stop making that sad face, I’m begging you."

"…Move…?"

I picked up the loli and carried her inside. Meanwhile, my soul was weeping.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Wasn’t Rekka supposed to be the protagonist!? Wasn’t Koku the heroine!?!?