Chapter 435: The Disappeared Evil King and the Angry Queen

Nanami officially moved out. Mashiro stayed at the Hotel. Akiko returned to her… well, what “maiden home”?

Akiko returned to her adoptive parents’ house—the Arisugawa Family.

Anyway, just like the previous chapter title said, today, Himekoji was all alone in the empty house.

He actually felt uneasy?

Himekoji, who should have been an expert at solitude, didn’t know what was wrong with him.

It was too quiet. He longed to hear any sound at all. So, Himekoji casually turned on the TV.

“Alright, now let’s interview the newlywed Hirasaka siblings—oops, no, we should now call them the Hirasaka couple~~”

What show was playing on TV?

A siblings’ wedding?

Although Eriri had explained this sudden plot point to him at noon, no matter what, Himekoji still struggled to accept it.

Instinctively rubbing his temples with a headache, he changed the channel.

This time it was a soccer match. Glancing at the score: 2-2. The situation was deadlocked. Himekoji initially planned to kill time with the live match, but try as he might, he couldn’t calm down.

Too many chaotic things had happened today.

Putting aside Nanami moving back to the dorm, what really unsettled Himekoji was the suddenly altered world setting and that chunk of memory seeming gouged out of his brain.

He wanted to call out to the System to ask if the world change was connected to him, to confirm whether that memory gap—stabbing his mind like a thorn since he became aware of it—was real. Yet, the System chose this exact moment to go dormant. No matter how Himekoji called, he couldn’t wake it.

The only good news was probably the slight increase in the energy bar.

After completing the “Help Yukinoshita” task, the energy progress bar got a tiny boost.

“Forget it.”

Himekoji sighed.

He understood: to ask clearly, he’d probably have to patiently wait for the System to wake up next time.

For now, he might as well ask Imouto when she’d be back?

That guy had skipped classes today, and he didn’t even know how many days off she took.

“Huh?”

But the next moment, Himekoji froze while scrolling through his phone contacts.

Because a completely unfamiliar email address appeared in his short list!

EvileyeRikka0612…

Wait–unfamiliar? Not exactly. He remembered something.

He should remember! How could it be in his contacts if he didn’t know it?

Himekoji only had a handful of contacts, all very important to him… yet “EvileyeRikka0612” occupied a spot too.

Hold on!

0612… 0612…

That number?

That number…

Meant something?

No, it definitely meant something!

He felt he was drawing closer to the answer, that he should recall it any second!

Yet, an unseen force seemed to block him repeatedly.

To Himekoji, it was like he kept running toward the blank memory, only to crash again and again into an invisible, glass wall.

Unless he broke that invisible wall!

Break through! Smash it!

Himekoji’s head felt splitting. His mind seemed carved apart by a jagged saw. Cold sweat dripped from his brow.

He wouldn’t quit, unless the pain knocked him out.

He had decided!

Enduring pain: that’s what he did best and had always done.

Wait… wait!

Suddenly, in the agony, Himekoji noticed something previously ignored.

That was—

His very own email address also had that 0612 sequence!

0612… 0612…

…

“Why should my numbers come after yours?”

“Because ￥ is my @%&…”

“No, why should I even write your X$%…”

“Because % is my (&…”

Vague fragments raced chaotically through Himekoji’s mind.

It was part of his lost memories!

Precious beyond measure in this moment—yet critical information was mangled in these fragments.

The images were distorted, the words broken.

Each key moment dissolved like TV static into garbled codes he couldn’t see or hear properly.

But it proved one thing.

Himekoji hadn’t imagined it: the memory was real!

Not fantasy at all!

0612… 0612…

If it were a date… that was just last month, right?

What happened that day?

If not a date, what was 0612 then?

The altered world… and the altered memories…

That night, amid tangled confusion and exhausting thoughts, Himekoji finally fell asleep.

Then came new troubles the very next day.

True to Himekoji’s prediction, the rumor that Yukinoshita was dating him spread across campus like plague.

…

“Absolutely true! Yukinoshita said it herself!”

“Daichi from the next class was on the bus! Saw and heard everything!”

“Yeah! I heard too! Witnesses include Junichiro and Kobayashi from Class C!”

“Seems real this time…”

“Dammit! I just can’t accept it!”

“Heard they… did that openly on the bus!”

“Did that?! Unbelievable! I’ll ask them!”

“Who? Yukinoshita? You dare?”

“Of course! …Ahem… or just ask Himekoji!”

“Right, isn’t he in the Classroom? Just demand an explanation! Maybe he forced her again?”

“Exactly! That’s definitely it!”

A noisy, messy crowd gathered outside. Himekoji noticed early and felt an instant headache.

Thinking Yukinoshita would take the bigger hit… yet he was the first affected.

Those cowards outside? Didn’t dare approach Yukinoshita, so they came for him…

What did that mean?

He seemed easier to bully than Yukinoshita?

Still tired from last night, he had little energy to spare. Seeing the rumor-fueled mob swarming outside the Classroom, Himekoji sighed wearily.

“Ah!”

How should he deal with them?

Just as Himekoji grappled with that, one person’s appearance completely changed everything—

“Hey? Mind making way? I’m leaving here.”

Golden hair shimmering sharp under sunlight, Miura gave it a light toss. She stood before the crowd, brows furrowed in displeasure. Her eyes were piercing and intimidating.

“Eh?! Ah–yes, ma’am…”

“S-Sorry, please…”

“A-Apologies…”

With startling presence, Miura instantly scattered the swarming throng at the door.

The Queen advanced, effortlessly crushing petty soldiers.

Not a single extra word silenced the gossiping rabble. No one dared utter another syllable.

Miura was amazing…

So incredible it drew that breathless admiration.

Then, until the class bell rang, Miura remained leaning casually against the doorway, tapping her phone.

Like a Queen resting within her palace grounds.

The crowd outside desperately wanted to storm in, seize Himekoji, and demand answers—but dared not trespass the Queen’s territory. Trapped between advance and retreat.

…