Chapter 41

Starting from this episode, it feels like a new chapter.

Today, as usual, I head to school. With the refreshing morning air, I enter the classroom.

Since the Stampede, my life in Class 13 of East Quartz High School has changed quite a bit.

"Good morning, Yamagata-kun!"

"Hey, Shining!"

"Yam-san, what's up?"

"Good morning! Matsuda-kun, stop calling me Shining~"

We exchange our usual greetings. There's Sazaki-san, who's into the gal style, Matsuda-kun, who sits next to me, and Kino-san, who calls me Yam-san. Katakoka-kun and Tono-san, who aren't here yet, are also part of the group.

Including me, we form a group of six. These six, who went to karaoke and deepened our bonds, have become inseparable in everything we do.

During breaks between classes, lunchtime, and after school, wherever we go to hang out. Even on weekends, we sometimes play together. I do have dungeon exploration, but honestly, E-rank dungeons take about an hour each. It doesn't interfere with my private life at all, and I've achieved a good work-life balance.

I lightly laugh and protest to Matsuda-kun, who just called me Shining. It's not that I really mind. I don't mind if Shining becomes a nickname, but I guess it's a form of camaraderie.

Look, Matsuda-kun is even joining in.

"Come on, Yamagata. You're the one who was that shining wrestler in that video. Of course, you'll be called Shining."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"But, Yamagata-kun, if you really don't like being called Shining, just let us know. We girls will tell the guys off!"

"Thanks, Sazaki-san."

"Call me Risa~!"

Sazaki-san is unusually concerned and talks to me with a lot of enthusiasm. Calling me by my first name is a no-go! The bar is too high!

Unaware of my inner thoughts, Sazaki-san smiles cutely.

This is the daily scene of my school life after the Stampede.

During the Stampede, I stopped a werewolf that was about to attack the people who were evacuating. Coincidentally, Sazaki-san and the other girls from my class were there.

In other words, they witnessed me being Shining Yamagata. They also encountered Kanna-san's fanatic follower, Mou.

That's why, the following week, when I went to school, the girls in Sazaki-san's group were incredibly kind to me. They were very grateful, included me in their conversations, and even helped bridge the gap between me and the other guys.

Thanks to them, I finally blended in with the class. I even started to get laughs with the Shining jokes. When I share little stories about my exploration, they unexpectedly become popular, which is honestly very nice.

On the other hand, things have worsened with Kankoku-kun, who has been hostile towards me from the start.

"......Hmph"

"Kankoku-kun, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really."

He occasionally glares at me sharply from the circle of the class's popular group. It's scary.

He's good at hiding his feelings, showing no sign of his hatred towards me to the other classmates.

However, I, and surprisingly, Sazaki-san, have noticed this hostility.

"Yamagata-kun... Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, but are you okay? It must be tough to see that."

"I'm not the target, so it's fine. But seriously, his grudge is way over the top."

Sazaki-san, who is visibly angry, is indeed stylish despite her flashy appearance. I suspect she might be from a good family, but who knows?

Putting that aside, let's talk about Kankoku-kun. During the Stampede, he let the werewolf escape and even tried to hinder me when I was chasing it.

I had no choice... well, to be honest, I lost it and threw him, managing to stop the werewolf.

The problem was on Kankoku-kun's side. His actions were reported to the guild. Not only from fellow explorers who were there, but also from the evacuees, who are not explorers, including Sazaki-san and others. There were many complaints to the guild.

It was a bold move with so many people around. Of course, it was bound to be reported.

In the end, Kankoku-kun received a week of re-education at the guild after school. After that, he had to participate in early morning cleaning activities in the shopping district for a month.

Moreover, on weekends, he was obligated to go on dungeon explorations, making up for the times he had skipped.

"Considering that the materials he dropped weren't confiscated, it's a rather lenient punishment. It could have been a major disaster, and this is a relatively mild form of compensation."

That's what Kanna-san said.

Indeed, if even one person had lost their life, he would have been stripped of his explorer qualifications and sent to an explorer-only prison.

He could have faced much harsher penalties.

In that sense, it's a lenient measure. After all, he was there to stop the Stampede, and he is a minor.

"......Yamagata......!!"

"......It's Yamagata, though~"

He calls me in a very low voice, so low that I can barely hear it with my explorer-trained hearing. He's no longer hiding his hatred and is clearly mispronouncing my name on purpose.

Please, just keep your hatred towards me and don't get involved in any bad deeds.

While thinking this, I make a tiny, tiny correction.

At the time of posting this story,

- It has ranked 1st in the Low Fantasy Daily and Weekly Rankings.

- It has ranked 3rd in the Low Fantasy Monthly Ranking.

- It has ranked 4th in the Overall Daily and Weekly Rankings.

Thank you all for your continued support. I will keep working hard.

I would appreciate it if you could continue to bookmark and rate the story.