Chapter 489: Welcome Back

“Rikka!”

“Yukino-chan! Akito! Are you guys okay?”

Hanjo Ayame and Yuigahama each spotted the person they cared about. They excitedly rushed forward, but the female teacher blocked them in a flash. She covered both their eyes with her hands.

“Huh?!”

“Sensei, what are you doing? We can’t see!”

Ignoring their confusion and surprise, Hiratsuka-sensei kept glancing back forcefully at Himekoji—

“Put your pants on now!”

Himekoji understood.

Right, he was still fully naked!

He immediately scrambled up from the ground. He dashed over to the unconscious Brave with frantic speed.

The Brave’s clothes were stripped off in seconds. Himekoji pulled them onto himself with desperate haste.

“Akito? You…”

Rikka watched this scene unfold, clearly baffled.

Yukinoshita seemed utterly accustomed to this behavior. She just sighed softly while massaging her forehead.

Himekoji quickly defended himself.

“Aren’t these extras? Redistribution based on need! Besides, I at least left him his underwear. And taking a step back—even a thousand steps back!—I saved his life. Is borrowing two pieces of clothes really too much?”

Rikka, standing with her back to him, was instantly convinced. Her little head nodded vigorously, making her ahoge bounce.

“That… That makes sense! Not too much at all! Completely reasonable!”

She started readily agreeing over and over.

Observing Himekoji’s skilled performance, Tobe, who had just arrived at the crime scene, suddenly remembered something.

“Akio! I knew it! It really was you who took my trousers last time during the school trip at the hospital…!”

“It wasn’t me!”

Himekoji flatly denied it.

He wasn’t lying. Last time, it was Yuigahama who gave him the trousers!

If Himekoji had known they were Tobe’s, he’d have preferred going bottomless with everything dangling freely rather than touch them!

“But…”

Tobe, unwilling to believe it, tried to argue.

“No buts! Come help him first! See him? He’s drowning and unconscious. Here! I give him to you. Go! Perform CPR!”

“What? He drowned? Akio, you’d even take clothes from a dead guy?!”

“He’s not dead!”

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’ what? If you don’t start working on him, he really will die!”

“Huh? Ah! I-I’m starting now!”

This threat jolted Tobe into action. Thoughts about that past school trip mess vanished instantly. Without another word, he rolled up his sleeves, took a deep breath, and lunged forward.

Luckily, the Brave was tough. No matter how close to death, his health bar was way thicker than any normal person’s.

After several sets of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the Brave suddenly coughed violently. A mouthful of salty seawater splashed out with two still-flopping fish. He opened his eyes weakly.

“Is this… the afterlife?”

The Brave looked dazed.

“Afterlife nothing!”

Himekoji slapped him sharply awake.

“Live properly! I paid a huge price pulling you out!”

“You saved me?”

Himekoji couldn’t be bothered to answer that. He just flashed him a “What do you think?” glare.

Tobe, robbed of any credit, stood to the side wringing his hands. He looked hurt but dared not speak up.

“Why save me?”

“Why overthink it? Haven’t you saved me before? Plus, I’m sort of your senior.”

“Senior?”

An expression flickered across the Brave’s face, as if half-understanding.

“Use polite speech! And look at me when talking! Where are your manners?”

Himekoji immediately scolded him.

He hadn’t forgotten. This Brave had ended him three times. So now, while the guy was weak, he’d seize the chance to get some payback.

“S-Sorry.”

He apologized, but the Brave’s gaze didn’t actually shift toward Himekoji.

Himekoji traced his line of sight and realized the Brave was staring at Rikka.

Rikka seemed to feel it. She glared fiercely back.

The Brave just offered a resigned smile.

“Take good care of Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye, please.”

“No need for you to worry.”

“Ha, true…”

…

“Rikka! Rikka! Rikka!”

Seeing Himekoji fully clothed, Hiratsuka-sensei finally released Hanjo Ayame and Yuigahama.

Freed instantly, Hanjo charged straight ahead, yelling Rikka’s name.

It terrified Rikka.

“Save me!!!”

Hanjo’s intense affection overwhelmed her. She spun and ran—shoving Himekoji into Hanjo’s path as a barrier.

Himekoji watched the chase helplessly, torn between laughing and crying.

Although technically, he might be the root cause of this bizarre love triangle…

“Akito, Akito,” Yuigahama, trailing behind Hanjo, pointed curiously. “Why’s that guy over there not wearing clothes?”

She whispered it strangely into Himekoji’s ear.

Himekoji knew she meant the Brave. He gave a vague reply.

“Ignore him. He’s a pervert.”

“You sure have the right to say that, Pervert-kun.”

Yukinoshita instantly fired back with a cold sneer.

Before she could add further criticism, a familiar nausea surged violently up her throat.

“Urk—”

She hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Yukino-chan?! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Yuigahama panicked, rushing to pat Yukinoshita’s back frantically.

“She’s fine. Actually, this is probably good news.”

Himekoji spoke for the speechless Yukinoshita.

“Huh?”

Yuigahama’s face filled with question marks.

Himekoji offered no explanation. He just smiled mysteriously. Then, making an “Excuse me, I need to step away briefly” gesture, he walked toward the loudly screaming Rikka.

…

“Save me! Save me, Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye!”

With Hanjo Ayame on the verge of catching her for some questionable purposes, Rikka desperately uttered a miraculous chant.

Just in time!

The hand reaching for Rikka’s skirt—from Hanjo Ayame, practically brushing it—suddenly froze as if petrified. She couldn’t move a muscle.

She could only watch “Rikka” calmly stroll away from her trap.

“Mr. Himekoji.”

“Rikka” spoke to the approaching Himekoji this way.

Himekoji rubbed his nose awkwardly. He’d meant to step in for Rikka, but no help was needed.

“Mr. Himekoji, thank you.”

Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye thanked him regardless. Her head tilted slightly, eyes curved like crescent moons. They shimmered gold and bright—filling with brimming tears.

Really now, Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye was far too emotional!

Always breaking down in tears like this. Even he felt like a crybaby lately!

Himekoji sniffed hard. He smiled and asked—

“Besides that, there’s something else you wanted to say, right?”

“Mhmm.”

Lady of the Wicked Lord’s Eye made a little sound before lunging at him.

“I’m back!”

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, clinging greedily to his embrace.

“Welcome back.”

Himekoji gently ruffled her hair, tangling the strands into a complete mess.

…