kscans

Chapter 105 -

Pip pip, pip pip, pipipi— "Hah."

I turned off the alarm.

…Huh, that’s strange.

Usually, I wake up refreshed to the sound of Rena’s voice. But today, for the first time in a while, I woke up to my alarm.

"I wonder if Rena is still sleeping?"

Today is the entrance ceremony for Shinonome Academy. Is she oversleeping on a day like this?

Thinking that, I looked at my phone.

"Ah, something from Rena."

A message had been sent.

‘Like I said yesterday, I have to prepare for the new student representative speech, so I’m going ahead. Don’t oversleep.’

"Oh, right. She did say something like that."

I had told her that if I woke up, we would go together, but if I couldn’t, she could leave me behind.

I think I would have woken up if she had just called out to me, though….

Why is my head still so foggy. I don’t have a fever or anything.

Oh well. I should go to the academy. I can’t be late on the first day.

---*---

I made it just in time. I passed through the gates of Shinonome Academy and headed towards the school building in the distance. There were many people wearing the same uniform as me.

But something was a little off.

"This is it."

"Yeah, let’s do our best!"

"I wonder if I can raise my ranking."

"You’ll be fine, Yu-chan."

I passed by a group of girls chatting, but there was no reaction to me.

"Starting at C-rank, huh."

"Well, that’s about right."

"Let’s climb up from here."

"Yeah! Let’s do it!"

Even when I walked by a group of guys, no one called out to me.

Huh? Was my fame only this much?

I felt a little embarrassed for thinking I should have worn sunglasses or a mask.

I have Rena, so I don’t want to be fawned over by girls. …Well, it would be a lie to say I don’t want it at all. It’s not that I want to be confessed to or hit on, but I would like to be acknowledged, like, ‘Oh, it’s Hayate-kun!’. I have a bit of a desire for recognition too.

So when it’s like this, it just doesn’t feel right.

"Hey! Look over there!"

"Ah, is that him!?"

"W-wait. Is it really him?"

"Hey. Let’s go talk to him."

Oh, have I finally been noticed?

I heard the girls’ conversation. The sound of their footsteps approached.

"Um, excuse me."

"Yes. What can I— "Do you need something from me?"

Huh.

"Y-yes! You’re Nagumo Ryunosuke-sama, right!?"

It seems the girl was talking to the male student a little ahead of me, not me.

"Indeed. I am Nagumo Ryunosuke, the next head of the Nagumo Zaibatsu."

"I always watch your dungeon clearing streams!"

"The last one was amazing."

"I’m so happy to be able to learn at the same academy as you."

I wish that was me. Why isn’t it me?

And who the heck is Nagumo Ryunosuke. He’s not a famous FWO player.

"Ah, you there. Be a good fellow and hold my bag for a moment. I must give these ladies my autograph."

"…No."

I don’t know why I responded like that myself. But I was in a bad mood right now.

Why should I have to carry the luggage of some guy I don’t even know. No way.

"A man of small character. But I’ve taken an interest in you for having such an attitude towards me. State your name. And tell me the rank you were assigned in the entrance exam."

On the contrary, you don’t know who I am? Very well. I’ll tell you my name.

"Shizukuishi Hayate. My rank is S."

"Shizukuishi? Never heard of you."

"What?"

"Ever since the dungeons appeared, I have spent most of my time clearing them. I do not know how skilled you are."

I see. Then it can’t be helped.

"And what is this S-rank. Don’t tell such obvious lies. Such a rank does not exist at this academy."

Huh? S-rank doesn’t exist? That’s impossible.

I took the exam with Rena, the one who proposed the establishment of this academy, and was judged to be S-rank.

"Are you trying to compete with Ryunosuke-sama?"

"Lying about it like that."

"Unbelievable, seriously."

"So lame."

The girls’ insults pierced my heart.

I-it’s not a lie!! What’s going on?

Why doesn’t anyone know who I am!?

"Now, now. Stop insulting this man. Such words are not fitting to come from the mouths of beautiful ladies like yourselves."

"S-sorry."

"As you wish, Ryunosuke-sama."

"But to say he’s S-rank."

"There’s no way he’s higher than Ryunosuke-sama!"

"Indeed. I cannot accept that either. So how about this? Care for a mock battle with me right now? If you are B-rank or higher, you are permitted to have a mock battle even before enrollment as a special exception."

So he wants to PvP.

Very well. I’ll teach you your place.

---*---

"Huh?"

I was lying on the ground, looking up at the sky.

"Do you understand now? Do not speak such nonsense as S-rank again."

I lost. I fought with all my strength against the one-handed sword user Ryunosuke, and I lost.

N-no way!?

Impossible! This is a dream. Just as I thought that.

"Ryunosuke, so this is where you were."

I heard Rena’s voice.

"Come on, what are you doing? The entrance ceremony is about to start."

"My apologies. I was just disciplining an underling who doesn’t know his place."

"Hmph."

Rena looked at me with cold eyes.

What, what is this!?

"Come on, let’s go."

"Yes."

Rena clung to Ryunosuke’s arm, and the two of them walked away.

I-it’s a lie. This is all a lieeeeeeeee!

"It’s a lieeeeeeeee!"

Pip pip, pip pip, pipipi—

"Hah! H-huh?"

I was screaming in my bed. The alarm was ringing.

"I-is this. Could it be a dream?"

A message had come in. It was from Rena.

‘Like I said yesterday, I have to prepare for the new student representative speech, so I’m going ahead. Don’t oversleep.’

…N-no way.

I was sweating like crazy.

For now, I decided to take a quick shower and head to the academy.

---*---

"Hey, look over there!"

"Is that him!?"

"Wait. Is it really him?"

"Let’s go talk to him."

"…………"

"Um, excuse me."

"…………"

"U-um! Hayate-san!"

"Huh, me?"

Four girls had called out to me.

"You’re Shizukuishi Hayate-san, right?"

"Yes."

"I always watch your dungeon clearing streams!"

"The last one was amazing."

"I’m so happy to be able to learn at the same academy as you."

Thank goodness. This is reality.

"Thank you. Let’s do our best together at this academy from now on."

"""Yes!"""

The girls went on their way, waving at me.

This is it. This is the feeling.

I was in a good mood.

"You there."

For some reason, I heard a voice that made me feel extremely unwell.

"To be surrounded by women while I am present. Who are you? I’ve taken an interest in you. State your name. And tell me the rank you were assigned in the entrance exam."

So you’ve appeared in reality too, Nagumo Ryunosuke.

In my dream, for some reason, I didn’t know him, but the real me knows about Ryunosuke from what Rena told me.

"Shizukuishi Hayate. My rank is S."

"Shizukuishi? Never heard of you."

"I figured. That’s why we should fight."

"Ever since the dungeons appeared, I have spent— Huh? What did you just say?"

"It’s fine if you don’t know me. You’re confident in your combat abilities, right? Those who are B-rank or higher are permitted to have a mock battle as a special exception. For us, it’s faster to fight and have our skills acknowledged."

"I see. An interesting man. Very well, let’s fight."

A PvP request was sent to me.

"Ah, Nagumo-sama! That person is—"

A person who seemed to be Ryunosuke’s attendant tried to stop him, but I accepted the PvP request before he could. A mock battle field deployed around us, and outsiders could no longer approach.

I won’t think of that defeat as just a dream.

I think of it as a reality that could happen in the worst-case scenario.

So I won’t hold back. I’ll go all out.

"Battle Aura, release!!"

I used my full strength to beat Nagumo Ryunosuke to a pulp.