Chapter 9: Loli, Ninja, and a Ts Girl

So, yeah. I’m your resident ex-villainous little troublemaker with a rotten personality. These days, the odds of getting butchered by some faceless underling of evil are higher than getting wrecked by Rekka after he learns the truth. Guess this is what they call karma.

Anyway, putting that aside, I ran into a problem the moment I got home.

"…………"

"……Why are you just standing there? The bath’s ready."

Turns out, the mysterious white-haired girl I’m hiding—for reasons—was frozen in the changing room. Completely motionless.

I’d already told her to wipe down with a towel before getting in. Even brought her a change of clothes. Yet here we are.

"I’ve never bathed alone before."

"…Huh? Then how’ve you been bathing till now?"

"Chie did it for me."

"Your mom, huh…"

I mean, sure, it’s normal for parents to help their kids with bathing, but… wait. Hold on.

Does that make me the guardian in this situation?

"How old are you, anyway?"

"Eleven."

"That’s… a complicated age to respond to."

I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands. Eleven meant she was in fifth grade. Shouldn’t kids that age be bathing on their own?

No question she fit the "loli" category, but she was way past the age of following her dad into the men’s bath at a hot spring. Fifth grade was when kids started feeling shy, right? Getting self-conscious about stuff?

"…Nah, my bad. I didn’t consider your living situation. Just toss your clothes in the washer and head in first."

"Okay."

The outfit she had on—long-sleeved shirt, skirt—was probably picked out by her mom. No way an evil organization would let her wear something this stylish in a lab.

She’d been on the run with her mad scientist parents for two months. If they had the spare cash to buy nice clothes, maybe their life was more normal than I thought.

"……"

"What’s up? Why’re you frozen again?"

"I’ve never undressed myself before."

"Your parents spoiled you way too much, didn’t they…?"

…Or maybe not. Who knows what kind of past she had? Maybe being pampered to this extreme was still nowhere near enough to make up for the rest of it.

Either way, if she couldn’t handle basic daily life, that was gonna be a problem—for both of us. Since I was technically her guardian now, I should probably stop complaining and just teach her how to function.

"I’ll walk you through it. Just do what I say."

"Show me first."

"…My bad, I just realized I don’t actually know how to take off a skirt either. Lemme grab my phone real quick."

From an outsider’s perspective, me stripping an unnamed girl I picked up off the street until she’s completely naked would be undeniably criminal. I was starting to get scared.

Ideally, I’d handle bath time in my female form—both for appearances and my own sanity—but I was still in cooldown from transforming. Not an option.

And judging by how things were going, she wasn’t gonna learn this in one go anyway. Might as well get it over with.

"Kii, I have a question."

"You’re calling me by my last name now? What is it?"

"Why did you put your gym clothes back on?"

"I don’t need to take mine off."

"Chie said you’re not supposed to wear clothes in the bath."

"There are exceptions to everything. Remember that, princess."

"Ehhh…?"

I don’t see why I have to be naked just to wash her. Yeah, I’m soaked now too, but whatever—I can take a bath later.

"…!"

"Whoa, WHOA—don’t grab my pants! What’s gotten into you, you little gremlin?!"

"Yuuki said you should correct what’s wrong."

"Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. The problem is figuring out what’s wrong."

"Chie said wet clothes are sad. Sad things are bad. If we leave it like this, Kii’s clothes will get wet. So—"

"So nothing. Your mom was talking about your fancy clothes getting wet. My gym clothes can handle it."

"Hmph!"

"Please just accept this."

This girl might be more of a handful than I thought.

But despite her situation, she didn’t just blindly follow orders—she acted on her own will. I kinda liked that. Maybe I’d give her a head pat.

"Hepshhh!"

"Ugh, c’mon… You’ll catch a cold. Get in already."

"Okay."

Might as well boop her nose while I’m at it.

And hey, if you’re cold, just say you’re cold.

For now, I grabbed the showerhead with one hand, letting warm water run over her while she sat on the bath stool. With the other, I pulled out my phone.

"…The shower’s warm."

"Glad to hear it."

"Kii. I have a question."

"What now?"

"Why did you bring your smartphone into the bath?"

She turned to look at me, hot water streaming over her head. Whoa—hey, I’m getting splashed!

"Taking pictures? Jidōporuno?"

"Why do you even know that term?! …No, I’m looking up how to wash and care for long hair."

My "pretty girl mode" always reset to a perfectly clean state whenever I transformed, so I’d never had to worry about hair or skin care while female.

But unlike me—a fake, a counterfeit—this girl was the real deal. If I was gonna look after her, I needed to learn this stuff properly.

"You’ll have to do this yourself eventually, so pay attention. C’mon, face forward."

"Yes."

Burying the faint unease over how long I’d be stuck taking care of her, I carefully avoided looking too closely at her pale, glossy skin—then proceeded to literally wash her like laundry.

---

After a bath and a quick meal, I gathered what we’d need for life on the run and took the white-haired girl down to the basement.

According to a manual I found in a desk drawer, I already knew the way out from here.

But dragging her around in her exhausted, rain-soaked state wasn’t an option, so we’d be spending the night underground.

I’d sealed off the upper floors, but there was no telling when our pursuers might raid the house. We had until noon tomorrow—at the latest—to get moving.

Which meant I’d be stuck in my female form for extended periods while outside.

Sigh… What the hell am I supposed to do?

So here I was, trying to modify the pendant to extend my transformation time.

Obviously, this wasn’t something I could finish in a day.

Worst-case scenario, I’d have to settle for three-hour shifts. And that was gonna be rough.

"Kii. That circuit—over here."

"Huh?"

As I spread out parts and tools on the desk, the little gremlin’s hand suddenly reached over.

"Do this… and then this…"

"Hey, hey, stop! You’re gonna hurt yourse—"

"Done."

"No way…"

In just a few minutes, she adjusted the pendant and handed it back.

Skeptical, I plugged it into my computer to simulate the transformation duration.

…No. No way.

[Female Form Duration: 32 HOURS]

…Well, damn.

[Cooldown Interval: 5 MINUTES]

What was even the point of all my and Dad’s research?!

"Holy hell… The problem’s just… solved."

"Did I… help?"

Tilting her head, she watched me carefully.

Her face was as blank as ever, but I could’ve sworn I sensed a hint of unease.

And then—it clicked.

I finally understood why that evil organization had wanted her so badly.

At the same time, the creature in front of me suddenly seemed unbearably adorable, and before I knew it, I’d pulled her into a crushing hug.

SQUEEEEZE—!

"YOU—!! YOU LITTLE GENIUS!! GOOD GIRL!! YOU HELPED SO MUCH!! THANK YOU!! I’LL PROTECT YOU FOREVER NOW, YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Eep?!"

"Aww, who’s a good girl? You are! So cute! A genius, adorable, with squishy little cheeks—flawless! You’re the strongest in every way. Yes, yes, squish squish~"

"M-Mmph…!"

Maybe she wasn’t used to praise. Or maybe I wasn’t used to giving it.

Either way, she closed her eyes slightly and let it happen, sitting perfectly still like a pampered cat.

"I’m glad… I could help."

"Then such a smart girl deserves a reward. How about the custard pudding in the fridge?"

"Really?"

"Seconds are fine too!"

"…!"

"Don’t hold back… Eat as much as you want…"

"Eep!"

The next second, pattering footsteps rushed toward the fridge.

I didn’t care if it made me look like a pushover.

I’d already planned to protect her after her parents entrusted her to me—but now, I had my own reasons to keep her safe.

Not that a shitty guy like me, who amuses himself by messing with friends, has any right to talk about righteousness.

But there was no way I’d hand over a small, pure-hearted girl to a bunch of perverted loli-obsessed freaks who locked her in a lab for being a genius and tried grafting monstrous 'abilities' onto her like some kind of attachment.

"Nom nom…"

Sitting on the bed, she happily devoured the pudding. She’d already finished the first one.

Even her ravenous appetite felt appropriately childish—this was how an eleven-year-old should be.

"…Oh, right. We never properly introduced ourselves."

"Gulp. …Okay, Kii."

"I’m Apollo Kii. You can just call me by my first name, like your mom did."

"…Got it, Kii."

"No, I meant—eh, whatever. So, what’s your name?"

Taking the empty pudding cup from her and tossing it in the trash, I turned back to see her answer while facing away.

"Codename: Shirohaku. Chie and Yuuki just called me Shirohaku."

As expected—painfully straightforward.

Wait, Shirohaku (Pure White)? That’s the direct opposite of my Kurohaku (Jet Black).

Did that mean I’d technically stolen her naming theme?

"…And your real name?"

"Huh?"

Had she been born in the lab? Or taken from somewhere else?

I couldn’t shake the question.

"Sorry, should’ve asked that first. How old were you when you got to that lab?"

"…Nine."

Eleven now, so two years in captivity.

That confirmed it—she’d been kidnapped.

Which meant my mission was to return her to her family.

"Where do your mom and dad live?"

"I don’t… have parents. Never met them. I was always in a care facility."

"…Sorry."

"It’s fine. I’m used to… being asked."

And just like that, my mission crumbled to dust.

But there was still one thing left to ask.

"What's your name?"

"...Shirohaku."

"No, not that. Not some stupid label those bastards gave you. I want to know your real name."

A long silence. Her gaze dropped to the floor.

Most people would take that as a cue to back off.

But I’m not most people. In the worst way possible.

This is the same girl who tried to yank my pants off without hesitation—I know she’s strong in her own way.

What we need most now, more than anything, is to close the distance between us.

And calling each other by our real names is the first step.

That’s how it was with Rekka, too.

I sat beside her on the bed, close enough to catch even the smallest whisper.

"…………Itsuki."

"Yeah?"

"Itsuki... Fujimiya."

"That’s a good name."

"…………I’m… Fujimiya Itsuki…"

I couldn’t tell if she was remembering the past or just hadn’t been called by her real name in two years—but Itsuki… no, Itsuki—let tears fall without changing her expression.

"You did well, Itsuki. It’s okay now."

"...Yeah."

I pulled her trembling shoulders into an embrace.

Whatever she’d endured these past two years, I could only guess. Right now, she didn’t need empty words—just someone to hold her together.

"Kii… Kii…"

"Whoa—… Yeah, it’s okay."

Unable to hold back anymore, she clung to me, repeating my name like a lifeline. As I steadied her, a thought crossed my mind.

In this region, surnames come after given names.

Take Apollo Kii—Apollo’s the name, Kii’s the family name.

In magically advanced areas—especially this metropolis, home to one of the world’s top magic academies (where I’m enrolled)—it’s customary to follow the naming conventions of magic’s birthplace.

"Fujimiya Itsuki, huh?"

But in other places—remote rural towns, impoverished regions with little magic—family names come first. Tarou Yamada instead of Yamada Tarou.

I’m originally from one of those places. Moved here about two years before entering the academy.

My mom was Kii Chie, my dad Kii Yuuki, and I was Kii Taiyou Apollo. (Taiyou written as Apollo—probably one of those flashy kira-kira names. My parents rambled something about me shining like the sun god, but I never cared much about name origins.)

Point is, Itsuki must be from one of those regions too. Not that we’re hometown buddies, but I get how she feels.

Kidnapped from some far-off place, given a name that meant nothing, then thrown into a world overflowing with magic—no wonder she finally broke down.

"Damn, that’s messed up."

"...Kii, will you... really protect me?"

"Obviously. Hell, I’ll crush that stupid lolicon evil-organization-circle-whatever-the-fuck myself."

"...Kii acts cool when things get serious. Noted."

"Hey, I am being serious, you little—!"

This girl’s mental resilience is insane. She bounced back way too fast.

Wait, is she calling me Kii because Apollo sounds too foreign? Maybe Kii feels more familiar coming from where she’s from.

"But last names feel distant. You can call me Pokky if you want."

"...Like the snack? Weird."

"Yeah, thought so. Pokky is a weird nickname."

Rekka calls me that—no idea why, when I just call her Rekka-chan like a normal person. Her naming sense is… unique.

Not that I mind. Kinda like it, actually.

Anyway, time to sleep.

Tomorrow’s when the real struggle begins. We’re stuck in a nonstop chase, dodging bounty hunters in a world we can’t escape.

This is gonna suck. Hard.

---

"──So, Apollo! You gotta make it to the secret base in Okinawa without using any public transportation! Got it?"

The idiot calling me at the crack of dawn was none other than my father—the so-called genius behind the TS pendant.

I’d been marveling at the high-tech smartphone that somehow got reception even underground, but that one sentence instantly vaporized all my goodwill.

Do my parents enjoy making impossible demands?

"Okinawa. As in… Okinawa?"

"Yep!"

"Without public transportation?"

"You got it!"

"…We’re in the dead center of Tokyo right now."

Like, hyper-urban, magic-infested, surnames-last Tokyo.

Not Shikoku. Not Kyushu. The Kantō region.

And you want us to reach the southernmost tip of the country without planes, buses, or even bullet trains?

I am this close to tracking Dad down just to punch him.

"Got it. You’re sending a pickup, right?"

"Nope! Figure it out yourselves!"

"Can I give up now?"

"WH—?! H-Honey! Say something to motivate him!"

"Sorry, I can’t defend this."

Yeah, no kidding. At least pretend this isn’t insane, Mom.

"...You’re the only one who can protect her now."

"Wow. So motivating. I’ll totally try my best~"

"W-Wait, Apo—"

I hung up. No point in listening to generic pep talks when the exit’s right ahead.

"Alright, let’s go—TS Transformation!"

"Sparkle~ whoosh~ boom!"

"Transformation complete!"

"Clap clap."

I tugged the hood of Itsuki’s parka over her head, hiding her conspicuous white hair. She’d been providing sound effects like this was a magical girl anime.

"Listen up, Itsuki. Out there, you call me big sis, got it?"

"Okay, big sis."

"Ngh—!"

The instant she said it, an electric shiver ran down my spine.

Why does being called "big sis" feel… weirdly good?!

"Kii. You’re gross."

"No more verbal stabby-stab, please."

That actually hurt.

With our "journey" prepped, we pushed open the tunnel door and stepped outside.

We emerged into a deserted back alley, probably somewhere on the outskirts, far from the academy. Unlike yesterday, the sky was clear—not a cloud in sight.

Perfect weather for an impromptu road trip.

…Oh, right.

"Forgot to contact Rekka."

"Rekka?"

"My friend. The most reliable guy I know."

After parting ways as Koku yesterday, I hadn’t reached out—not even as Apollo.

With my phone dead from being underground, I wouldn’t have noticed if someone rang the doorbell either.

No idea how long we’ll be gone, but Rekka deserves a heads-up.

Probably should revert to male form for the call too. Five-minute cooldown won’t take long.

"Transformation release—!"

"…Shouldn’t you have waited until we were back underground?"

"Oh crap—run!"

"Klutz…"

Panicking, I shoved Itsuki toward the door—

——When a voice cut through the air.

"H-Hey! You there!!"

I froze. Slowly turned.

And there she was.

"…K-Kii-senpai? What’re ya doin’…?"

A girl in ninja garb, her long scarf fluttering.

"…Otonashi… Noise…."

The one person who hadn’t spotted me during my academy visit—thanks to my stealth.

The only underclassman in Rekka’s hero club who idolized him.

A modern-day kunoichi.

Otonashi Noise.

And of all people, the club’s most wide-ranging member had just seen me revert from female form.

"J-Just now… you turned from a girl back into… senpai? That was Koku, right? Wait, how’s that—"

"Otonashi!"

"Eek?!"

…Yeah. This is exactly the kind of rookie mistake I always make. A really bad habit.

But wallowing in regret won’t help.

Time to improvise.

The moment of truth for my ad-libbing skills has arrived.

First rule in these situations: Go full serious mode.

"Emergency protocol—I’ll cut to the chase. Why are you skipping school to lurk here?"

"Uh, w-well, I was looking for you, Senpai! Last night, your house got wrecked by some guys… We fought ‘em, and after we won, we checked the rubble, but no one was inside! So Rekka-senpai told the club to search for you—"

Seriously?! They were fighting right above us while we slept?

I didn’t hear a damn thing.

…Wait, no.

Not hilarious.

Since when was the basement that soundproof? If I’d known, we’d have bolted sooner.

"A-Anyway, glad I found you! I’ll call Rekka-senpai right n—"

"No. Don’t."

"Huh?!

I fought to keep a straight face, scrambling for a convincing lie.

This might be the most serious I’ve ever looked in my life.

You got this, me.

"You saw it yourself. The truth is… I was that girl. I was the one transforming."

"…Dude. That’s weird."

Yeah, fair.

"Judge me all you want. I did it to protect her."

"…That girl—?"

"Did Raichou mention anything?"

GAMBLE TIME!! PLEASE TELL ME YOU SHARED INTEL, PRESIDENT!!!

"W-Wait… the ‘escaped test subject’ the captain mentioned…?!"

JACKPOT!!!

"Hero Club’s too high-profile. In a situation this volatile, the only one I can trust is you, Noise. No—Otonashi."
"…!!"

Nice. Her shock morphed into solemn focus.

Thank god she’s the reasonable type.

"You’re the right person to learn this secret. I’m begging you—keep it quiet and come with us."

"But… that’d mean betraying Rekka-senpai."

Ugh. Tough sell to a girl head-over-heels for him.

Even if she promised secrecy, I can’t trust it. If Rekka cornered her with a kabe-don interrogation, she’d spill everything.

C’mon, underclassman. Work with me here—!

"…But if she gets recaptured, the world’s screwed, huh?"

—Oh?

Is this the plot twist I prayed for?!

"Hero Club protects civilians. But if the world ends, that’s game over."

"Otonashi…!"

"Relax. Ninjas don’t blab secrets."

"Otonashiiii…!"

"Just tell me how far I’m going, Senpai."

"OTONASHAAAAA…!!"

"You’re so loud…"

♪ Congratulations! The kunoichi has joined your party! ♪

---

About Ten Minutes Later

Tracking the GPS of the device Otonashi had discarded, every member of the Hero Club—except her—rushed to the outskirts of town, arriving at an unfinished bridge still under construction.

We had tried to leave as quickly as possible.

We had underestimated them.

"—Koku! Stop!!"

The massive bridge was split in two, its central road missing—just a gaping abyss between us.

“…Rekka.”

"You… enough already!"

From the other side, my best friend’s voice rang out—out of breath, drenched in sweat. He must have sprinted here.

The others flanked him, their faces tight with distress. No, not just distress. Hostility.

At this point, they weren’t just suspicious. They looked like they were ready to kill me.

As far as they could see, I was the only one here—just me, standing alone in my Koku form.

Iduki was beside me, hidden under her invisibility cloak. Otonashi clung to the underside of the bridge like a proper ninja, waiting for the signal.

"What are you hiding?! Why the sudden betrayal?! Does this have something to do with Apollo’s disappearance?!"

“…I’m sorry.”

"That’s not an answer!!"

Rekka’s voice cracked with rage and desperation.

This was my fault. Even if Iduki’s circumstances complicated things, I had created this situation.

The guilt gnawed at me.

"Rekka, there’s no point in talking! I’ll capture him myself!"

Koori stepped forward, ice magic crackling in her hands.

A massive hand of ice shot toward me, fast.

“Hah—!”

Before it could grab me, Otonashi sprang from beneath the bridge.

With a swift combination of her sound magic and kunai techniques, she shattered Koori’s icy hand into shards.

"Otonashi?!"

She landed lightly beside me.

The force of the clash was so strong that Iduki’s invisibility cloak whipped away, revealing her to the entire Hero Club.

Now, in front of my former allies, stood our hastily assembled trio of beautiful girls.

"Wha—Why is Otonashi…? And that girl—"

"My apologies, Rekka-senpai. I can’t explain right now."

Rekka took an involuntary step back, flustered.

Koori and the others—Hikari, the Wind sisters—were equally shaken.

Only one person remained unfazed.

At the center of the group, Rai, the student council president, stared at me with sharp, calculating eyes.

I had no idea how much she knew. Maybe she misunderstood something. Maybe she was pretending not to know the truth.

She was impossible to read.

But it didn’t matter.

Because the protagonist himself was demanding answers.

"Koku… I won’t ask who you really are."

I froze.

"…But answer me this—Apollo. Where is he?! You know, don’t you?!"

His voice was raw, full of emotion. It made me flinch.

For a split second, a ridiculous thought entered my mind.

From Rekka’s perspective, doesn’t this make me seem like some kind of hidden heroine?

I shoved the idea aside. Not the time.

I wanted to tell him everything. Ease the weight.

But I couldn’t betray Iduki.

So, I would keep lying.

At least until the day he was strong enough to stop me.

"As long as I’m alive, Apollo Key will never die."

"…What?"

"It’s not a metaphor. …The time will come when I can explain."

I snapped my fingers.

Otonashi tossed a smoke bomb.

Thick gray smoke spread in an instant.

I used wind magic to lift us into the air.

"Hold on tight, you two."

"Okay… Otonashi?"

"Don’t worry, Iduki-chan. Just hang on!"

With Otonashi carrying Iduki, we soared into the sky, escaping from the bridge.

It was flashy. It drained a ton of magic power.

But we were finally—

"KO-KUUUUUUUU!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"

—or so I thought.

I glanced back.

…And my soul left my body.

"Wait, wait, WAIT—Rekka can fly now?!"

"This is bad."

"Hahaha! That’s amazing, Rekka-senpai!!"

Otonashi, this is NOT the time to be impressed!!

What the hell—has the protagonist been secretly learning from me this whole time?!

Because after all the times I’d disappeared into the sky, Rekka had apparently figured out a way to do it himself—

By blasting enormous amounts of fire from both hands like some kind of freaking Iron Man.

"You put me through all this, and now you’re gonna spill everything!!"

"That’s NOT the kind of line the protagonist is supposed to say!! Whoa—Whoa, WHOA! STAY BACK!!"

And just like that, an intense mid-air chase began.

Forcing me to accept the painful reality:

This was only the first day of what was bound to be a very, very long journey.