CH 126

Let's make an extraordinary abilities battle sport!

Translated by Dawn

Edited by Dawn

Let’s make a different kind of battle sport!

That night.

We had a meeting about the battle of different abilities at my house.

The meeting was very lively, and many good ideas came out of it.

We tentatively named the competition “Ability League,” and by the time the meeting was over, it was around 10:00 at night.

“Haa, Phew, it’s finally over. Well then, I’m going to take a shower. How about everyone else?”

Kiriha said.

“I’ll take a shower at my home.”

And Maiko refused, hugging and hiding her large breasts.

“I’m sleepy today, so I’m going home to sleep. I will take a shower tomorrow morning.”

And Maya refused, rubbing her eyes.

“I’m not defenseless enough to go in there with a pervert.”

And Matsumi glanced at Shisae before refusing.

“Shisae will become a human sponge and cover every inch of Kiriha’s big breasts and big butt—”

Before she could say anything, I had Shisae teleported to her home.

“Okay, we’re going to go take a shower, so no peeking, Honey.”

—

“I won’t peek”

I was insanely flustered.

Kiriha and Miina were laughing; Maria took one look at the void and then blushed a little.

“Hey Maria, what did you just Thoughtography on the AR screen?”

“I cannot answer that question.”

“At least look me in the eye and tell me!”

“That would be embarrassing. But…”

Maria’s blank expression fell away and she was embarrassed by her reserved tone.

“One day, we’ll go in together. Since we’re lovers…”

“……!?”

I blushed quietly to myself.

Matsumi’s staring eyes hurt me.

As Kiriha and the others headed for the showers, I teleported Maiko and Maya home and turned to Matsumi.

“Then, you’re next, Matsumi.”

“No, I’m good. I have to put some ideas together.”

“Can you help me then?”

“Sure, I’ll help.”

Without asking, Matsumi sat down on the sofa and started working.

I felt bad asking her to go home now, so I decided to accommodate her.

I sat down on the sofa, too, and sat down deeply.

I reopen a number of MR windows that I had minimized and summarize the ideas that came out of the meeting.

Then, after a while, Matsumi approached me.

“Hey, Ikuo.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Without stopping, she responded tentatively.

“Why do you work so hard for other people?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you like Kiriha, but this is not a romantic drama, you know? If you want to protect Kiriha, why don’t you introduce her as your girlfriend in the media? No one would say anything bad about the girlfriend of a hero.”

Her voice, flat at first, gradually took on a serious tone.

It was as if she had encountered something incomprehensible and inexplicable.

So I answered seriously.

“…That wouldn’t solve the root problem, would it?”

Matsumi stopped working and listened, and I stopped working, too.

“It makes no sense if people with combat abilities other than Kiriha are discriminated against. It would be suffocating to live in a society where people with the same abilities are discriminated against, even if you are safe, wouldn’t it?”

“…that’s true, but…”

“And if a society in which all of us psychics other than those with combat abilities are discriminated against, we will not be able to protect Kiriha. Besides, I don’t want to see a second or third Bando created.”

“Bando is the boy who attacked Miina, right?”

Matsumi’s eyebrows furrowed as if to say, ‘I don’t understand’.

“Yeah, the reason he did what he did was that he was feeling depressed because he wasn’t being recognized for his ability.”

I said, lowering my voice as I endured the memories of my elementary and junior high school days when Bando continually bullied me.

“Bando has always been a jerk. He was selfish, always getting affirmation and praise from everyone around him, getting angry if the world didn’t revolve around him, and would thoroughly bully anyone who disobeyed him, even going so far as to use violence.”

“What’s that guy, he’s the worst.”

A voice of contempt from the bottom of her stomach. It was a reaction typical of Matsumi, who hated selfish boys.

“But he wasn’t the kind of guy who would cause trouble with the police.”

Bando, too, drew a clear line there.

“Strictly speaking, bullying is a crime. He may commit violence, but not to the point of putting you in the hospital. He may take people’s things, but he doesn’t steal from other people’s homes. He also yelled, cursed, lied, and put other people down, but it wasn’t something that would get him in trouble with the police. He knew the difference between bullying and heinous crimes. But when he was removed from the project, I think he was cornered into committing violent acts in his own way. Then, isn’t it the same with other combat-oriented people?”

While other psychics were active, you, the same psychic, were treated as an outcast.

And even though I had done nothing wrong, you were seen as a danger and even restricted from entering some places.

How did that make you feel?

“Isn’t Mikata’s attitude justified when you think about it? She’s come all the way there for a trip, and she’s not even allowed to enter just because she’s a person with a flame-related ability. Even though people with lighters for cigarettes are allowed in, right?”

There must have been a part of her that felt it.

Matsumi, who had been in a foul mood at Bando’s talk, bit her lip and dropped her gaze.

“Everyone at the school treats me like a hero. But I think they also feel a disparity. Even though we all have psychic abilities, why is it only Ikuo, Miina, Shisae, and Maria?”

The group of five who were not selected for the audition were a bit joking and self-deprecating, but inside they must have been in pain.

“Even among people with the same abilities, there is a disparity depending on their abilities. I don’t think that’s a good thing. So I want to create a society where everyone is the same, where everyone is different, where everyone is happy, just because the place where they play their part is different.”

An endlessly naive and sweet idealism.

I let out a self-mocking breath, wondering when I myself had come to say such a thing.

But that was my true feelings.

“…I thought you were being bullied by this guy Bando. Do you want to help not only KIRIHA but also someone like that?”

“I’m not a saint. The reason I feel this way is that I am happy right now. If I had not realized that I was a teleporter and was still a loner, if Bando had been a winner in the project, I would not have felt this way.”

No matter how unhappy they were in the past, people could laugh about their unhappy past if they were happy in the present.

Conversely, no matter how happy they were in the past if they were unhappy in the present, they would grieve. That was human nature.

“When you have enough food and clothing, you know manners. When you are happy, you can welcome the happiness of others. I’m happy now thanks to Kiriha and you guys. I can only care for others in this way. In other words, I’m happy now so that I can work hard to realize a happy society for everyone.”

“What’s that?”

When I looked up, I saw that Matsumi’s cheeks were slightly flushed with a hint of cuteness, like a maiden in love.

“You’re a good guy after all.”

“Eh?”

“Hey, you know, I’ve been thinking about this idea of using influencers as a way to get publicity.”

Suddenly, Matsumi stood up, changed the subject, and came to sit next to me.

“Let’s invite all the influencers for free. You’re a hero, and they want to show off their connection with you, so they’ll advertise on social networking sites. “I got an invitation ticket from the Big four for a battle of different abilities.” They’ll write about the battle after the competition.”

“Y-yeah, you’re right.”

“Also, instead of renting a stadium out of the blue, someone suggested that we start with a small place and see how the public reacts to it, right?”

“That’s what Kiriha said.”

“Why don’t we use a school field as the venue? It would make Inou Gakuen seem more open.”

“I agree. Then, let’s proceed along this line at tomorrow’s meeting. But what’s going on with you all of a sudden?”

Matsumi leaned her weight on the back of the sofa and took her gaze off of me.

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just…”

Turning her head to rest it on the backrest, Matsumi smiled at me, her large eyes softening fondly.

“As expected, I like you.”

Matsumi was really cute at that moment and I almost fell in love with her.

Of course, I would not cheat on my girlfriends, so I just stayed silently.

But Matsumi at that time was so cute.