Chapter 5

The next day, I woke up.

In my bed at home.

Yesterday, I went straight home after that and fell asleep. I got home around 3.

As the boss said, it seemed he had taken care of things with my parents and school.

He informed the school that I was unwell.

And he made it look like I was at home to my parents.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of fear at how he did it, but when I thought about it, it wasn't that difficult.

Both my parents leave the house early in the morning, and there's never any contact until then.

Considering what happened yesterday, it wouldn't be strange if there was some action, but I was able to interact with my parents who came home yesterday as usual.

And seeing that my bicycle, which was supposed to be flat, had been repaired and returned, it seemed there were no blind spots.

Anyway, since everything was taken care of, I had nothing to say.

I was actually grateful.

And yesterday, in response to a text from my best friend, Genki, who was worried about my health, I replied, "Actually, I was half playing hooky," to maintain my usual persona.

This made it perfect.

...However, I might need to think about why I'm clinging to my normal daily life even after joining an evil organization.

I munched on my toast while thinking about this.

I always have breakfast alone.

After finishing my breakfast, I picked up my bag.

I had to leave soon or I'd be late.

I put my suppression ring back on.

Thanks to this, I can live almost the same life as before.

But if I properly activate the abilities I'm suppressing, the suppression ring would be almost useless.

My own suppression plus the suppression ring is just right.

I left the house and locked the door.

If I suddenly wore a ring to school, I'd probably be asked, "What are you getting so cocky for?" and even scolded by teachers.

Can't I wear it on my toe or something?

...I'll keep my hands in my pockets as much as possible today.

Thinking about these seemingly unnecessary precautions, I headed to school.

I could see an abandoned building to my right. There's an entrance to the hideout in its basement.

But I was told to come from a café on the outskirts of town except in emergencies.

"Hey, Kaze! Kaze!"

At that moment, Genki called my name from behind and ran up to me.

I stopped and turned around.

"Hey."

"Did you come today?"

"Of course. I just couldn't get up yesterday."

I couldn't come home, though.

"Try to wake up.

Oh, by the way, a transfer student is coming today. The teacher mentioned it yesterday."

"Huh? Really? To our class?"

"Yep."

A transfer student.

That's rare. A girl, maybe? A boy?

If it's a girl, Genki's harem will be inevitable.

"Genki!"

As usual, Ohashi suddenly appeared and hugged Genki from behind.

Then, as if noticing me, she greeted me, and I responded as usual. We started walking again.

When we got to the classroom, it was already abuzz with talk about the transfer student.

The words flying around the classroom were like this:

Blonde hair. Foreigner. Slim. Cute. Upturned eyes.

It seems someone spotted the transfer student in the staff room.

To be honest, I was a bit puzzled at this point.

I had a sense of déjà vu.

"Hey, quiet down!"

The classroom door swung open, and our homeroom teacher came in.

The classroom immediately quieted down.

"Alright, I'll introduce your new classmate.

Come in."

The door swung open again.

The one who entered was a delicate girl with long blonde hair down to her chest and sharp blue eyes.

In fact, it was Roll.

The classroom erupted in a small cheer.

I even heard someone say, "This might be a threat to the school's madonna, Ohashi Momo."

Roll turned her back to us, wrote her name on the blackboard, and introduced herself.

"I'm Roll Shinjo. I'm half, but I was born and raised in Japan.

Nice to meet you."

She bowed, and her golden hair fell. When she raised her head, she gracefully brushed it back.

I was surprised by her polite greeting.

She's so proper in situations like this.

Her gestures are so graceful...

"Alright, Roll, take the seat at the back.

You guys, be nice to her."

While I was still stunned, the teacher had already left the classroom.

Despite the class about to start, everyone gathered around Roll.

Why did she come here?

I glanced at her, but our eyes didn't meet.

Roll was answering the questions of the people around her with a smile.

What is she really here for...

As I was thinking this, Genki spoke to me from the side.

"That girl is cute. It's rare for you to be so captivated."

"Yeah, well..."

I wasn't captivated.

And I don't think it's that rare...

"Cute... A new rival has appeared..."

"Ugh..."

Momo and Rin were having such a conversation.

"I'll support Kaze's love."

You... How many people's love have you interfered with, and you don't even remember?

And unfortunately, I'm not in love.

I do think Roll is cute, but I don't feel anything.

Maybe it's because of the bad first impression.

The teacher came in, and everyone took their seats.

Class began.

---

Roll approached me during lunch break.

The way she did it was quite low-quality.

In fact, it was downright malicious.

What happened was, she bumped into me.

That was fine. A bit of attention was drawn, and I should have apologized.

But Roll deliberately spilled her bento on the floor at that moment.

Sighs of "Oh no" gathered on me.

If I bump into a girl and spill her bento, I can imagine the scolding and cold stares I would receive.

Especially since it was a transfer student on her first day.

What do I do now? This atmosphere filled the classroom.

It's also troublesome when whispers from around you are so clear.

"Ah, s-sorry..."

I apologized, muttering "You did this on purpose" in my head.

But I knew she had bumped into me on purpose.

Because I saw her smile for a moment.

The classroom was silent, and all eyes were on us.

Roll was dazed for a while (probably acting), but then, as if noticing the reactions around her, she started picking up the scattered food.

"No, no, it was my fault...! I'm sorry!"

She said this with a smile.

I see, she plans to play this character at school.

I hurriedly started cleaning the floor. I couldn't just stand there.

Voices like "What a nice girl Roll is..." started to be heard.

Anyway, since I had bumped into Roll and spilled her bento, I had to apologize in some way.

And her goal was becoming clear.

She wanted to create an opportunity to interact with me naturally.

I didn't notice it at first, but that was the only explanation.

If she's going to harass me like this, she's really a menace.

"Really sorry, Shinjo-san..."

"No, no! It was my fault! I wasn't looking where I was going..."

Her way of speaking felt a bit off because I know the real Roll.

Well, I only know a little bit of the real Roll.

"No, it's my fault. I'll treat you to lunch at the cafeteria.

Or I can buy you a bread or something."

"That's too much...! I can buy it myself..."

The farce continued for a while, and in the end, I ended up treating Roll to lunch at the cafeteria.

The guys in the class were giving me envious looks.

Later, I was told that it was unfair to cut in like that.

---

So, I treated Roll to a fried chicken set at the cafeteria, and I ate a bento I bought from a convenience store.

Roll, sitting next to me, had a faint pleasant smell.

Mindful of the surrounding gazes, I sat down and started the farce. My first words were:

"You're exaggerating your height, aren't you?"

I muttered it so quietly that no one around us could hear.

But Roll's face twitched for a moment.

At that moment, two guys from our class, probably checking on me, sat across from us.

The farce started again.

"Sorry... I shouldn't have let you treat me..."

"No, it's fine, it's fine."

"Um... Can I have your name...?"

"Kazuhito Kamija."

"Kamija-san, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Roll's "nice to meet you" was as a partner.

---

After school, Roll, who had gracefully dodged club invitations, went home first.

Seeing this, I also went home.

Then I headed to the hideout.

I don't have to go to the hideout every day, but I needed to meet Roll because she hadn't given me the details.

I gave the "signal" to the café owner on the outskirts of town and headed to the elevator leading to the basement.

When I arrived at the hideout via the elevator, I went straight to Roll's room.

I was met with strange looks from the Anonymous members I passed.

I tried to nod at them, and if they spoke to me, I introduced myself.

Some ignored me.

When I reached Roll's room, I turned the key and burst in.

"Roll!"

"Wh-What! You!"

There she was, with her translucent white skin.

In pink silk.

She was changing.

I lost my momentum and said, "Sorry," and closed the door again.

From inside, I heard, "Knock next time. I'll let it slide this time."

"Come in."

After a while, I heard this from inside the room. I slowly opened the door.

"Here, this."

As soon as I entered the room, Roll threw something at me. I caught it, and it was the latest mobile phone.

"A work phone. Most of the Anonymous members' addresses are registered."

"Thanks."

"Let's also exchange private addresses. We'll have a lot to do from now on."

"Right, Roll, you..."

Remembering my original purpose, I approached Roll.

Roll stopped me with her hand.

"I know. I'll explain now."

Explanation.

So, she had a purpose for coming to school.

"Anyway, it's our first job as a team.

We've been assigned a long-term mission."

"Long-term mission... What kind?"

"You'll gradually manifest your abilities over the next year and a half, and then you'll join the Self-Defense Force. I'll mainly support you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

You already have your abilities, don't you?

"To put it simply, you'll gradually appear to develop your abilities over the next year and a half.

In other words, you'll deceive everyone.

Not as a sound ability user, but as something derived from it. We haven't decided what exactly yet, so we'll figure it out as we go."

Ah, I see.

So, you want me to become a spy in the Self-Defense Force.

Most schools, including mine, have a few recommendation slots for the Self-Defense Force.

Only high-level ability users can win these slots.

Nodding in understanding, I continued to listen as Roll explained.

"It seems to make sense.

This long-term mission has meaning in getting you into the Self-Defense Force.

It's a short span of a year and a half, but with me, it's not that difficult.

But..."

"Will the job after joining the Self-Defense Force as a spy be more difficult?"

"Yes.

Well, with a year and a half, you should be able to handle your abilities properly.

I think being a spy won't be too difficult for you, given your abilities."

I see.

But isn't it a dangerous job for Roll?

Wait, I don't even know what Roll's abilities are.

"By the way, what are your abilities, Roll?"

"You'll find out eventually.

Anyway, we need to improve our teamwork by the end of the year and a half. We'll take on regular and short-term missions, so don't hold us back."

"Understood."

I want to know your abilities.

But it's true that I'll find out eventually. More importantly, I need to work hard not to hold Roll back.

"By the way, I was thinking.

Why didn't you tell me about this beforehand? I was surprised when you suddenly transferred."

"Huh? It was obviously a surprise.

But, you handled it pretty well, I'll give you that."

Roll smiled a bit devilishly.

"I'm not happy at all. My heart almost jumped out when you spilled the bento.

I've asked what I needed to, so I'm going home."

My life has completely changed in just three days since my abilities manifested.

Can I keep going from here?

No, I have to keep going.

While thinking about this, I headed for the entrance of the room and was stopped by Roll from behind.

"Kazehito!"

"What?"

"D-Do you really know I'm exaggerating my height?"

Ah, so you were worried about that.

I answered, "It's obvious," and left Roll's room.