Chapter 478: Because You Are Himekoji
Chapter 478: Because You Are Himekoji
The phone was still ringing. It did not stop.
Himekoji patted Rikka’s head, released her, and reached for the phone.
He answered the call and turned to look at Rikka. When their eyes met, he gave her a smile meant to comfort her. It told her, “It’s okay,” “Nothing will happen.”
Time and location.
The information coming through the phone was direct and businesslike. It had been repeated countless times before, so it felt routine.
It was a straightforward female voice, not the so-called “Brave”.
Himekoji listened intently.
“…Chapel?”
Only when he heard the unexpected battle location did his emotions slip. He questioned it aloud.
Of course, the person on the other end of the phone had no intention of explaining. They simply hung up.
Just a coincidence, right?
Himekoji took a deep breath. He shook his head hard, forcing himself to stop thinking about it.
When he finally pulled himself together, he saw Rikka staring straight at him. The girl’s hands were tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.
To put Rikka at ease, Himekoji smiled.
“Wait for me here.”
He said softly, stuffing Rikka’s phone into his own pocket.
Rikka seemed to want to say something. She raised her hand. It was clear she was struggling and hesitating.
Himekoji walked over and ruffled her head hard. He didn’t stop until her neat, pretty hair was a complete mess. Then, crouching down, he bopped Rikka lightly on the nose. He repeated his earlier words, almost exactly.
“I’m going. Wait for me here. I’ll be back soon.”
“Akito…”
Just as Rikka finally gathered the determination to speak, the phone rang again.
Of course, it interrupted Rikka’s words.
Himekoji frowned almost imperceptibly and quickly pulled out the phone he had just stuffed into his pocket.
The screen was dark. There was no call notification.
“Huh?”
But the ringing sound persisted.
Himekoji froze for a second. He finally realized the problem.
It wasn’t Rikka’s phone ringing. It was his own.
He couldn’t help but laugh at his own foolishness.
So. Even acting all calm and composed, deep down, he was still scared and nervous, wasn’t he?
The call was from Yukinoshita.
They definitely had agreed to make contact at this time.
“Time. Location?”
Her usual cold tone, which always felt distant to him before, now strangely had a magic that brought peace.
“The time is this afternoon…”
Himekoji started speaking, then suddenly remembered Rikka was beside him. He changed his words.
“I’ll text you in a minute.”
“Mhm.”
Yukinoshita raised no objection.
The conversation ended there.
Perhaps Yukinoshita should hang up now?
The thought floated into his mind unconsciously, but the expected dial tone didn’t come.
The call remained connected. From the other end of the line, all he could hear was a long, quiet breathing sound. Nothing else.
“…”
“…”
“Himekoji.”
In this silence, it was Yukinoshita who broke it first.
She didn’t call him Pervert-kun. She called him by his name.
Even though she said just last week that she didn’t remember his name. Or something like that.
So. She remembered perfectly well, didn’t she?
Himekoji let out a soft sigh—
“Mhm. I’m here.”
He answered softly.
“Promise me…”
Himekoji expected Yukinoshita to say something like “don’t die” or “live on”. So, without thinking, he agreed right away.
“Alright. I promise.”
To live. To live happily. That was something the Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye had taught him.
Even though, the person who taught him this lesson hadn’t managed to live by it herself.
Far from setting a good example, she had been gently but willfully. She left without saying goodbye.
But even so, he would remember it deeply in his heart.
To live. To live earnestly and do your best. To seek happiness for yourself, and to be able to give happiness to others.
Himekoji had long decided to put his all into this purpose.
…
“Promise me…”
“You are a Pervert, not a murderer.”
However, Yukinoshita’s next words were completely different from what Himekoji had guessed. For a moment, Himekoji was stunned.
Only after a long pause did he gradually snap out of it. Then, he pressed his lips together gently. The confusion in his eyes cleared—
“I am Himekoji.”
That’s what he said.
Not a Pervert. And certainly not a murderer.
He was Himekoji.
Himekoji Akito.
“Hah. Is that so? So Pervert-kun, your name is Himekoji.”
The light, clear sound of Yukinoshita’s laughter came through the phone.
It wasn’t the thin, cold smile Yukinoshita usually gave to mock Himekoji. On the contrary, this time her smile carried warmth through her voice, like sunshine on a winter day.
So, Himekoji smiled right after too.
“You got it? Since you know it now, you better remember it properly, hey!”
Himekoji didn’t call Yukinoshita out on it.
Hadn’t this girl just called his name perfectly correctly?
No!
Not just then?
Yukinoshita had clearly shouted his name several times lately! And the trend was only growing…
Seriously, why did he strangely find that shy side of hers a tiny bit cute?
Yukinoshita? Cute?
Those two words were completely unrelated!
At that thought, Himekoji quickly shook his head as if shivering. To stop feeling so odd, he forcefully changed the subject—
“By the way, I thought what you wanted me to promise was to bring Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye back safely.”
“Shouldn’t that go without saying?”
“Huh?”
“You’ll definitely do it, right?”
Definitely do it?
Even he didn’t dare claim that for sure.
“I believe in you.”
But Yukinoshita said exactly that. Even through the phone, she spoke it herself this time—no longer just Hiratsuka-sensei’s words.
“I believe in you, because you’re Himekoji.”
Finally, before hanging up, she added that sentence again—one hundred percent earnest and sincere.
“Mm, I… I know.”
Himekoji stuffed the disconnected phone back into his pocket.
He rubbed his eyes firmly.
At that moment, a powerful surge of strength filled him entirely.
He had never felt so strong as he did now.
His conviction to save Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye, his promise to Touka that he’d see it through, the gentle maturity Hiratsuka-sensei gave him, Yukinoshita’s complete trust, and his vow to answer Rikka’s hopeful yet trembling gaze…
These were the very things the old Himekoji had run from and rejected.
Because they were pressure. Because they were responsibility. Because they made him shrink and tremble and choke him in fear!
But now, for Himekoji, they transformed into power!
Pure power!
Endless power that made him fearless.
Even when the System, whose presence had lately grown faint, suddenly woke up and delivered another terrifying warning—
[Want to die?! Stop making mistakes!! Back off now—it’s not too late!!!]
The System used its usual scary tone.
Himekoji shrugged it off, chuckling back,
“Stop making mistakes? But what’s wrong? What’s right?”
The System didn’t answer directly, only coldly tossing out—
[You can’t beat God!]
Can’t?
No.
“I am my own god.”
Himekoji spoke with a smile.
His face shone brightly, cloudless and clear.
Because, think about it—
Isn’t this true for everyone in the world?
Only we ourselves can become our own gods.
…