85. An Insignificant Reunion
It was 8:00 pm I still hadn’t heard from Himawari, but when I checked the task management app that the doctor had instructed me to install, it said that the hero mission was complete and that civilians were currently handling the aftermath.
“She might have come early.”
Although it wasn’t as bad as during the day, the humidity still made the summer night feel muggy, and I headed out into the night.
Summer nights are usually a bit brighter, but at this hour, there wasn’t much of a difference. Even though it was a safe neighborhood, I didn’t want to leave a middle school girl alone for too long.
That said, even if some delinquent-like character from a bad manga were to show up, Himawari would be able to take care of them in seconds. Himawari always wore her hero suit under her regular clothes, so she could transform into Philance Yellow at any time. She said that she usually didn’t activate her abilities to save energy, but she could unleash her full power in just a few seconds.
“Wearing a suit doesn’t make you a hero, huh? I know that better than anyone.”
The Philanthropist Blue Hero suit I received. I’ve actually worn it at home from time to time since the first day, trying out poses and shouting motivational phrases. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any overwhelming power or unique weapons, so it’s just been a waste of effort.
“If any other hero saw me like this, I’d die.”
A grown man playing hero? Real heroes would probably laugh their heads off. I want to be a cool hero who can save people all over Japan like they do, but I guess that’s impossible since the condition for becoming a hero is having deep love.
I felt crushed by my powerlessness and frustration as I realized once again that I’m the one who’s currently filling the empty Philanthropist Blue role, but I have to do everything I can for Himawari, who cares about me and believes in me. Even if I can’t be a hero, there are support roles that only I can fill.
“That’s it, I’ll go buy her a drink.”
She might be tired after work, or maybe she’ll forget to stay hydrated and collapse again.
I go into a nearby convenience store and head straight for the refrigerated drinks section.
The store’s fridge is brightly lit, with everything from regular products to limited-edition summer drinks from various manufacturers. The shelf next to it has alcohol. Unfortunately, I don’t know what kind of flavors Himawari likes.
“I feel like she might not like carbonated drinks.”
I’ll play it safe and get her some tea and some orange juice that says “new release.” I chose these because Himawari’s image colors are yellow and orange.
“I hope I can talk to her about stuff like what’s going on at home, what she likes, and what she wants as a reward.”
I don’t want to play favorites with Himawari, but I can’t help but feel protective of her, especially compared to Momiji, who’s an adult, and Momo, who lives with her parents. She’s had a complicated family situation, and I want to be a good big brother to her.
“Big brother? That’s presumptuous of me. I’m just a college student who’s never even moved out of his parents’ house.”
There are plenty of people our age who live alone, and I’ve never had a part-time job, so I guess I’m still a kid compared to my peers. It seems like the only thing I’ve ever really put effort into is being a hero, so maybe I should try joining a club or getting a part-time job if I have the time.
“But I don’t have the time…”
Just as I was about to make fun of myself for having unrealistic hopes,
“Excuse me, are you the guy who left that whole bowl of ramen?”
I heard a rude but very familiar voice calling out to me from behind.
“Huh?”
“It’s me. Do you remember?”
I turned around and saw a handsome prince standing there, looking out of place against the backdrop of the convenience store.
“…Oh, from Minakami’s.”
He’s the handsome employee from the ramen shop that Momo and I went to before. Up close, I could see his short silver hair with thin streaks of blue highlights, his androgynous and perfectly symmetrical features, and his deep, clear blue eyes like the ocean . He was so handsome that he could have stepped right out of a beautiful fantasy RPG, but all I could say to him was the name of the pork bone ramen shop near my university.
“W-what are you doing here?”
He didn’t look half bad in the ramen shop apron, but his current outfit—a black jersey top and bottom—looked mismatched. And isn’t it too hot to be wearing long sleeves in late July, even at night?
“I’m staying at a friend’s house tonight. I’m just getting some stuff.”
He said, showing me his basket full of alcohol and snacks.
“Do you live around here?”
“Yeah, but…”
He looks like a gentleman, or rather, a cool and mysterious pretty boy, but he’s surprisingly forward. Well, I don’t know anything about him, and he probably just thinks I’m a rude customer.
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“…Sorry about that time. I left without even taking a bite.”
That’s right, this is a good chance to apologize for that. It probably doesn’t mean much to a part-time employee, but I’ve been feeling bad about it. That was one of my favorite shops, and I’m sure he was upset. I haven’t been back to Minakami’s since then because of that.
“It seemed like something came up, so it’s okay. The manager was pretty shocked, though… He’s a sensitive guy, even though he doesn’t look it. You should come back and eat a large bowl sometime. I think it ‘ll cheer him up.’
“I will.”
“…Hey, why don’t we talk for a bit? It might be fate.”
“Huh? Oh, well…”
I’ve gotten used to seeing beautiful girls lately, but I’m still a little shy around handsome guys I don’t know. I also felt guilty about the ramen thing, so I couldn’t refuse and decided to follow him for a bit.