CH 67

[Their Resting Point]

When you knocked a door, you should knock it thrice, right?

Amanai gently knocked the door of a hospital room while remembering the basic manner in the back of his mind. Hearing a voice permitting him to enter the room from the other side, Amanai opened the door so as to make as low noise as possible.

“Ah, Hayato!”

The one on the bed in the hospital room was his childhood friend, Akano Reika.

Wearing a simple pajamas for inpatients instead of her school uniform, she smiled like a blooming flower when Amanai entered the room.

“Reika. How’s your condition?” (Amanai)

“I have some bruises and other small things, but…I think I can return to the school the day after tomorrow.” (Reika)

“I see, I’m glad you got no serious injury.” (Amanai)

Amanai started peeling the apples that he had brought as a gift while saying so.

Apples were Reika’s favorite, and Amanai naturally came to be familiar with handling kitchen knife as he spent his childhood with her.

Because when both of their parents were away from home, they often played around in the kitchen.

Reika also naturally accepted Amanai’s act, and watched him in a relaxed manner until the apples had been peeled off.

She ate the peeled apples little by little while chatting with him. And when the topic about this time’s incident came up, she listened to him with a slightly marvelous expression and agape mouth.

She was under the control of Luisina. Therefore, she hardly remembered what happened in the opera house.

So, she still couldn’t believe the story that Diva Luisina cooperated with criminals and disseminated ‘poisonous substances’ in the opera house.

“Hey, did Luisina really do that?” (Reika)

“Yeah, it’s true. The ones who were colluding with her were the big guy at the entrance and one of the instrumentalist, Ethel and I were even attacked by that instrumentalist.” (Amanai)

“It’s kind of frustrating. I was the only one who collapsed due to the poison.” (Reika)

“But, I’m really glad you’re safe. There were others who were even more seriously injured after all.” (Amanai)

Most of the audiences in the opera house that fell under control had been more or less injured, while there were few deaths, many were injured.

To be only bruised among them was nothing short of miraculous, so to speak.

“Besides, we’re just enrolled at the academy. You only need to use that frustration as a drive to grow stronger slowly but surely.” (Amanai)

“…That’s, right. Un.” (Reika)

Reika nodded a little.

It seemed like she hadn’t swallowed that frustration, but she should be back in shape by the time she was discharged from the hospital.

“By the way, were Higaki-san and co all right? They were also in the opera house, weren’t they?” (Reika)

“——.” (Amanai)

Amanai’s words involuntarily stuck in his throat.

It wasn’t because Higaki Ao, but because of a man that came to his mind when he thought about her.

Sakurai Tōru. A player and a reincarnated person just like himself.

The man who saw through the occurrence of the event of the opera house and defeated Luisina in this time’s case.

Moreover, by assuming Amanai’s name as a pseudonym on the spot, he pushed all the troublesome things such as reporters seeking for coverage and the meritorious deed to him.

Amanai couldn’t help but feel bitter about it.

Amanai conjectured that he was also most likely had something to do with the incident that occurred in the base of ‘Black Sword’ involving the Sword Saint, which was treated separately from the incident at the opera house.

For the Black Sword and the Sword Saint came into contact accidentally or such… he couldn’t believe such nonsense.

(In regard to his…Sakurai Tōru’s matter, it can’t be helped. I’m also at fault.)

Thinking back, he thought that his own actions were thoughtless, and he even carried himself conceitedly in some.

He didn’t think to the extent that every thing he did was wrong, but at least, he likely made a lot of mistakes in this time’s case.

With that in mind, Amanai thought he should restore his relationship with Sakurai in preparation for the future activities, but decided to put it in the corner of his mind for the time being.

(The real problem is the fact that the opera house event occurred ahead of schedule.)

The opera house incident perpetrated by Diva Luisina, which was held almost half a year ahead of schedule.

At first glance, it seemed that Sakurai made use of it to bring Black Sword and Sword Saint together to drive Black Sword to destruction, which upset the original flow.

However, when he thought about it calmly, the original flow had already thrown out of order when the incident occurred in April. Sakurai just saw through it and took advantage of it.

There should be a corresponding cause for the original flow to go out of order.

And the most probable being that could do so was probably a reincarnated person.

It wouldn’t be strange even if there was a third reincarnated person in addition to himself and Sakurai, two reincarnated people, that had already exist in this world.

(If the third reincarnated person is a part of Black Sword…it would be great if he’s not a dangerous opponent, but…that’s unlikely, isn’t it?)

“Hayato, what’s wrong…?” (Reika)

“——Ah, no, it’s nothing. No worries.” (Amanai)

Amanai cut his train of thought in an instant and turned his looking down face toward Reika.

Then he made a small smile to reassure her who was looking worriedly at him.

However, looking at his face, Reika lowered her eyebrows further, recalling what was bothering Amanai, and asked,

“Did…something happened with that Sakurai guy?” (Reika)

“Well, I mean…yeah. I’m just a bit frustrated that I lost the bet I had made with him. It has nothing to do with you, so you don’t need to worry about it.” (Amanai)

“Really? If something happened, I will be there with you.” (Reika)

“It’s okay, really. Ahh, also, Higaki-san and co were safe too. Moreover, it seems that they defeated and captured one of the criminals; that’s upper-class for you, I guess!” (Amanai)

Amanai evaded Reika’s pursuit and forcibly changed the subject.

He could not involved Reika with the issue of reincarnated people and the original game, and even if she got involved, he couldn’t say anything about the original game to her.

Reika also guessed that he didn’t want to dwell on the topic and avoided mentioning about it further. Amanai decided to presume upon her kindness while feeling a little guilty inside.

He started small talk in a somewhat humorous manner, and the subtle air between them slowly changed to a relaxed one.

Their conversation was cut off by the sounds of gentle knocks on the door of the hospital room, and Reika invited the guess in, “Come in.”

The one who entered the room with a “Pardon me,” was the nurse in charge of Reika; after she entered, she stated her business.

“Reika-san, someone just came to cover the payment of your treatment cost.”

“Someone has covered the payment of my treatment cost?” (Reika)

“Yes. He said that he is your acquaintance, however, I thought I would tell you just in case.”

“Who on earth…” (Reika)

“It was a young man named Sakurai Tōru. He also entrusted me a letter addressed to Amanai Hayato-san, however…”

“From Sakurai, to me?” (Amanai)

At the mention of Sakurai’s name, the two looked at each other, before accepting the letter from the nurse.

In addition to the letter, several pieces of paper were enclosed in the envelope with the name Amanai Hayato written on it as its addressee, and seeing them Amanai involuntarily opened his eyes wide and started reading the letter in a hurry.

[Dear Ikemen Protagonist-sama. In this occasion, we have cooperated in the incident at the opera house and (omitted). I managed to achieved my goal safely, and throwing cheques around like a rich guy is relatively fun, so I’ll share some of my profit with you guys. No returning the given gifts, please. I think the reporters will continue to hound you about the case for a while, but please do your best not to give out my name, you can even think of the money I gave you as a hush money.

[By the way, Ethel Tyner’s rosary was sent to me for some reason, so please return it to her, I left it in the lost and found corner at the reception. Please do your best to rise the flag of the heroines’ events.]

The pieces of paper enclosed in the envelope were cheques with the names of himself, Ethel, and Reika, each with a large sum of ‘3 million’.

In addition, in the blank part of the letter, drawn a hand drawn rough map that said, “Lost and found corner, here!” It gave the feeling that he did not take Amanai’s threat to heart.

It stimulated the intropunitive part of Amanai, and he wondered what kind of face he should make the next time he met Sakurai.

“Amanai! Amanai, you here!? My rosary was in the lost-and-found corner, you know!! And a memo attached to it said that there is money for me!! Where is it!? Where’s the moneyyyy!?” (Ethel)

And seeing Ethel Tyner rushing into the hospital room with a smile full of hope, Amanai couldn’t stop himself from leaking a big sigh.