Chapter 26 The Mob Character’s Awakening A Jump in Rank and an Act of Justice
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next Monday, Mana didn’t make our relationship public. During the breaks, she was surrounded by the usual crowd of classmates, making a cheerful commotion¹ as always.
On the other hand, almost no one came near me. It was the usual routine, but Shibata-kun, one of my classmates, spoke to me while he was eating his lunch.
”I heard Inamori was with Nakanishi-san at the supermarket yesterday. Is that true?”
So, I had been seen after all. If I lied, the story would grow with embellishments² and I didn’t know what people might say.
”I ran into her when I went to the supermarket to pick up some things.”
”Oh, really?” Shibata-kun murmured.
”Yeah, but it was just a coincidence.”
”Right. A coincidence. It’s not like you and Inamori would go together.”
After he asserted that, Shibata-kun immediately moved away.
When I got home, I checked with Mana, and she hadn’t been asked anything.
”What would you have said if someone had asked?” I wondered aloud.
”I might have said we went together. But if Hiro-kun replied that way, I’ll match your answer.”
I had been nominated by Mana to be the class vice-president, but I’d spent the last two months mostly unnoticed. However, when our midterm math test was handed back, and we were checking the answers, Omori-sensei, our homeroom and math teacher, nominated me to write a solution to a test problem on the blackboard.
”The model answer is on the handout, but I never would have thought of this solution. I’m genuinely surprised. How did you come up with it?” Omori-sensei asked with a impressed tone.
”I just saw the problem, and it just came to me,” I replied coolly.
”This is incredible intuition, truly.”
I felt awkward because of the unexpected praise, and when I glanced over, my eyes met Mana’s. She was smiling brightly and giving me a thumbs-up.
What’s more, when the midterm test results were announced at lunchtime that day, I was ranked third. I was surprised since my best rank before this was fifth. This was a huge jump since my grades had dropped significantly at the end of the second year due to my parents passing away, and I hadn’t been able to focus on studying much.
Mana was ranked twelfth. She was thrilled, saying it was the first time she had ever made it into the top fifteen.
”Now I can tell my mom this is the result of studying with a friend, so that’s a relief. And now I have a perfect excuse to study with Hiro-kun, so everything is going great³!”
I could guess she probably thought I hadn’t been studying at all.
That day, she gave me a blowjob as a thank-you, but Mana has been liking blowjobs a lot lately, so I wondered if it was really a thank-you. After the act, she said it was a special occasion, so she let me put my head under her skirt. I savored Mana’s scent and tried to lick her over her panties, but she lightly slapped my head and told me, “No, then I won’t be able to go home.”
I was supposed to be a tall, high-achieving mob character, but ever since Mana nominated me as class vice-president, I feel like I’m starting to stand out—my grades are improving, and I’m being called on unexpectedly during class.
Just as this was happening, I stumbled upon a small incident.
After school, while I was taking the trash to the incinerator after cleaning, I heard a shriek. “Kyaaaah!”
I headed in the direction of the sound and saw Miyama-san, Mana’s close friend, being grabbed by the arm by a guy.
”Hey, what are you doing?” I challenged the boy.
”This is none of your business, so just get lost,” he snapped back.
”I don’t recall giving you permission to call me ‘you,’ do I?” I asserted.
”What’s going on?” I asked Miyama-san directly.
”He asked me to go out with him, so I refused, and when I tried to walk past him, he suddenly grabbed my hand,” she explained, a trace of fear in her voice.
”If a guy gets rejected, he should just accept it, right? Isn’t it pathetic to do this?”
”Shut up!”
He shoved my shoulder in anger, then turned and ran away.
”Inamori-kun, thank you. You saved me.”
Miyama-san bowed her head and headed off to her club. I think she was in the track and field club.
The next morning, as soon as I entered the classroom, Mana came right over.
”Thank you for helping Yuzuki yesterday,” she whispered.
I had already received a thank-you message on social media from Mana last night, and she had thanked me directly when she came over to my place this morning, but she was thanking me again at school. It felt like she deliberately came over to say it, especially with Miyama-san present.
”Yeah, well…” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
I heard his name was Yabuta, and he was a second-year student and one of the soccer club’s ace candidates. Since it was a weak soccer team’s ace, I didn’t think much of it, but apparently, he’d been getting a big head⁴ ever since he became a second-year ace, and he’d been constantly hitting on cute and pretty girls. Because of this, girls were wary of him, and eventually, no one would pay attention to him, but unfortunately, Miyama-san was alone when he approached her.
As a side note, a few days later, his father came storming into the school, complaining that his son had hurt his wrist. His son had shoved my shoulder, but this was quite the demanding parent. My lack of parents might have been a good excuse for him, too.
”A child without parents is bound to be ill-mannered. How is the school going to deal with this?” he demanded, with a terrifying manner.
But when Watanabe-sensei, who acts as my guardian, arrived late, he suddenly quieted down.
”Yabuta-san, is it you again? Are you planning to file another lawsuit? This time, a medical certificate will be required. Do you have one prepared?” Watanabe-sensei asked calmly.
At that, the Yabuta father and son realized they were dealing with the wrong person, bowed repeatedly, and left.
According to Watanabe-sensei, Yabuta’s father was a company manager and a high-pride, chronic complainer who often threatened to sue for trivial things, trying to extort large sums of money or goods. He had a past incident where he had a dispute with one of Watanabe-sensei’s clients, and Watanabe-sensei had thoroughly refuted and resolved the issue.
After that, Yabuta started avoiding me and running away whenever he saw me at school. However, I hear he is still going around telling people I’m the bad guy.
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Summary:
The protagonist, Inamori, is struggling with his sudden shift from a background character to a noticeable figure, all thanks to Mana’s affection. His academic success and a public act of kindness, saving Miyama-san, cement his new status. The chapter climaxes with a confrontation involving a bully named Yabuta and his unreasonable father, which is masterfully shut down by the protagonist’s guardian, Watanabe-sensei, reinforcing the theme of the protagonist’s evolving world and his quiet strength.
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Character Insight:
Hiro-kun is surprisingly effective when challenged, possessing both a unique intellect (demonstrated by the math problem) and a strong sense of justice (saving Miyama-san). He is deeply observant of how Mana’s influence is changing his life, feeling both overwhelmed and secretly pleased by her attention. Mana is unwavering in her support, using their relationship and his academic success as an ‘excuse’ to be closer to him. Her cheerful loyalty is the engine driving his transformation.
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Behind the Scene:
The confrontation with Yabuta’s demanding parent serves as a strong display of the protagonist’s support system, specifically Watanabe-sensei’s no-nonsense, legal-minded protection. This moves the story away from typical high school drama by introducing an adult/legal element, highlighting the serious circumstances surrounding the protagonist’s life after his parents’ death. It’s a moment of relief and validation for Inamori.
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T/L:
¹ The Japanese is ワイワイガヤガヤとやっている (waiwai gayagaya to yatteiru), which is an onomatopoeia for a noisy, cheerful crowd, translated here as “making a cheerful commotion.” ↩
² The Japanese expression is 尾ひれが付いて (ohire ga tsuite), literally “a tail and fins attached,” meaning the story will be exaggerated or embellished. ↩
³ The Japanese is 良いことずくめだ (ii koto zukume da), meaning “everything is good” or “a string of good things.” ↩
⁴ The Japanese is 天狗になっていて (tengu ni natte ite), referring to the tengu (a mythical creature with a long nose), meaning to be arrogant or to “get a big head.” ↩
Notes:
• Shibata – A male classmate who asks Hiro-kun about seeing him with Mana at the supermarket.
• Yabuta – A second-year student and soccer club ace candidate who is known for his arrogance and harassing girls. He gets humbled by the protagonist.
• Watanabe – The protagonist’s guardian. He is a lawyer who is skilled at dealing with difficult people and has a history with Yabuta’s father.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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