Volume 8 Chapter 20 Akami Hajime, The Missing Key Rin
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
My name is Akami Hajime. I’m a 2nd-year student at a private middle school in Tokyo. Being shorter than my classmates has always been a complex for me, and the guys often tease me by calling me ‘Hajime-chan.’
”Shirogane Aqua, that guy is so annoying.”
”Yeah… I agree.”
”He’s always trying to please girls; it’s seriously disgusting.”
”I think you’re right, Gou-kun.”
Gou-kun is one of my male classmates, and we’re lucky to have four boys in our class. The reason for having so many boys in a class that was originally an all-boys school over 100 years ago is quite historical. Well, even though it was an all-boys school, there were only around a hundred or so boys at most, but I still think it’s pretty impressive.
”Ugh, I already feel sick from this morning. The girls in our class are going to be so noisy again.”
Gou-kun is the biggest guy in our group and often takes on the role of a leader. Shirogane Aqua, who suddenly appeared in this world like a shooting star, attracted many people with his dazzling light, for better or worse.
===
[Shirogane Aqua is garbage] Berry or whatever Anti-thread part 12 [Only Toa-chan is the Goddess]
685 Anonymous
Regarding how annoying girls are today, all thanks to Shirogane Aqua.
686 Anonymous
>>685
I get it. Ever since he showed up, girls stopped listening to us.
687 Anonymous
In fact, girls stopped coming near us.
688 Anonymous
>>687
Exactly. Why do they have such delusions, even though they’re ugly? LMAO. No matter how much they adore that Shirogane Aqua, it’s not like he’s interested in milk-drinking girls like them.
689 Anonymous
The other day, I saw a girl showing off her clear file in class and having a great time talking with other girls. So, I got annoyed and messed up her clear file. She cried so much, and it made me feel great.
690 Anonymous
>>689
That’s the best.
691 Anonymous
>>689
Give us more stories like this.
692 Anonymous
>>689
I’m going to do that too.
693 Anonymous
Let’s stop doing stuff like that.
694 Anonymous
>>693
Huh?
695 Anonymous
>>693
You’re annoying, lol.
696 Anonymous
I’m more annoyed by Ten-something and Mayuzumi-something than Shirogane Aqua. Once, when I was trying to kidnap some random girls playing in the park to use as punching bags, Mayuzumi noticed and desperately tried to stop me. He even twisted my arm and have a face like demon. It hurt so much. And when I thought about demanding compensation, that milk-drinking girl called Hongou or whatever came out and said it was self-defense and she’d rather sue me, so I couldn’t complain. I really hate those Berryl or whatever people. The girls in the park were glaring at me for no reason. Girls are worthless except as punching bags for stress relief.
697 Anonymous
>>696
Huh? You’re not in the wrong here.
698 Anonymous
>>696
That was unfortunate.
699 Anonymous
>>696
If you’re going to use someone as a punching bag, you should do it repeatedly to the same person until they’re terrified of men. Then, they’ll make disgusted faces even if you touch them, and they won’t be able to have those ridiculous fantasies about men anymore.
700 Anonymous
>>699
Is that for real?
701 Anonymous
>>700
It’s real. I’ve done it before, and it’s incredibly exciting. She get so scared that it’s hilarious. And when I had s*x with her after she tried to escape, it was even better. I put it out inside when she tried to run, and she cried even more. By the way, she’s my sp*rm officer. Thanks to that, the monthly extraction duty that used to be a pain has become enjoyable. Highly recommended.
702 Anonymous
>>701
Having s*x with girls is too kind.
703 Anonymous
Whoa, whoa, are you bragging about harassing girls? Back when Tsukimachi Ayana pissed me off, I took away all her acting jobs. She used to be a child actor and took acting seriously, so I deliberately messed up and told the director that it was her fault. It was a real blast when she got fired. I was hanging out with three other guys back then, and we kept doing this to various actresses, but I remember Tsukimachi Ayana the most because she didn’t cry. She got fed up and quit halfway through, though. She always glared at me, and I thought she’d never like men again. LOL
But after hearing >>700, maybe it wouldn’t have been bad to turn her into a punching bag and have s*x with her. If the girl was around elementary school age, there would be no breasts, so I could have dressed her up as a boy and forcibly cut her hair to make it work. I’ve heard that girls cry when you cut their hair, and she had long hair at the time. I wonder what kind of expression she would have had if I had done that. Thinking about it is starting to amuse me. I have enough work to do, but I might contact her again since she’s in the same field as Shirogane Aqua and she is his classmates. Expect me to beat her up, have s*x, and record the video to expose her later. I remember she was co-starring with Shirogane Aqua, and since they were classmates, it might be quite satisfying.
704 Anonymous
>>703
I don’t need videos of such filthy girls, lol. But please give us the aftermath report. Seeing girls break down is the best, you know. It would be even better if she fell for Shirogane Aqua.
705 Anonymous
>>703
You’re way too kind for having s*x with girls. And when I looked up Tsukimachi-something, she’s in high school now. A guy who has s*x with a high school girl is like a god to women.
706 Anonymous
So, just stop doing stuff like that already. And remember that r*pe laws can apply to men too, and there have been cases in the past.
707 Anonymous
Let’s talk about Toa-chan instead.
708 Anonymous
If Toa-chan were a girl, I’d marry her.
709 Anonymous
>>708
Huh? Don’t compare our goddess Toa-chan to filthy, stinking females.
710 Anonymous
>>708
Is there any value in girls who don’t have a d***?
711 Anonymous
If some dirty girl messes with Toa-chan, I won’t forgive her.
712 Anonymous
>>711
And Shirogane Aqua too. He’s getting too close to Toa-chan, and it pisses me off.
713 Anonymous
I want to do it with Toa-chan. Why isn’t Toa-chan’s data in the extraction sp*rm machine’s data?
714 Anonymous
Only Toa-chan is popular.
715 Anonymous
>>714
Thanks to Toa-chan, the monthly extraction duty that used to be a pain has become enjoyable. I always use it.
===
This country’s anonymous bulletin board accessible only to men. Among the men, there are many who support Beryl Entertainment and Shirogane Aqua, but there are also those who don’t. However, many secretly support them but don’t openly admit it, just like me. For example, even among the four of us, Gou-kun is against Beryl, but the other two don’t really care. And I’m a fan of Shirogane Aqua.
Today is the day when Aqua-san streams as Vtuber Hoshimiya Shiro.
’Hello, everyone! It might be a short time, but please enjoy it!! And to the person who said they’d die first, don’t die!’
When Aqua-san is playing Shiro-kun, he speaks with a soft and lovely childlike voice that’s different from his usual cool voice.
”Incredible…”
I’m a fan of anime, and I watch quite a bit of it, but Aqua-san’s voice range is impressive. His singing can be as sweet and seductive when singing “Maiden’s heart,” and at times, he can sing with a cool and stylish tone, like in duet songs “stay here” with Toa-san. Using different voice tones for Hoshimiya Shiro, Shirogane Aqua, and performing a solo duet was nothing short of amazing.
”Um… I’ve been waiting for the stream!!”
I comment with my account, um1chan. Most of the people commenting are probably women, but there are quite a few guys like me who sneakily comment. By the way, on that day, the stream had too many viewers and crashed quickly.
”Hey, Yurika, what did you bring?”
Miyajima Yurika-san, a classmate.
Black, long, beautiful hair adorned the slim and quiet girl, Miyajima-san. She often became the target of Gou-kun’s bullyinh.
”Give it back…”
Miyajima-san reached out for the acrylic keychain that Gou-kun had taken. Upon closer inspection, it featured a hand-drawn illustration of Shiro-kun. She probably made it herself, as she was skilled at drawing.
”Tch… Shirogane Aqua again? Yurika, a plain girl like you dreaming of a guy?”
Gou-kun dropped the keychain to the ground and stomped on it, breaking it into two.
”Ah…”
Miyajima-san gazed sadly at the shattered acrylic pieces. She reached out to pick up the broken parts, but Gou-kun, seemingly irritated by her actions, kicked her and tossed the shattered acrylic pieces out of the window.
”Haha, come on, you guys, let’s go!”
Not only the boys but also the girls refrained from approaching Miyajima-san. This was because Gou-kun was large in stature, and Miyajima-san had become his target for teasing after she had intervened to help another girl in the past.
”Hey, Hajime! What are you doing? Let’s go.”
”Ah, yeah.”
I was with my classmates in this situation. Being small, I knew I couldn’t compete with Gou-kun, and the thought of being picked on or bullied among the few boys was paralyzing.
”Miyajima-san…”
After class, as I left school, I noticed Miyajima-san searching for the acrylic keychain parts that had been tossed away. The next day, I came to school earlier than usual and happened to find one of the parts. No, it wasn’t by chance. I couldn’t sleep after seeing Miyajima-san’s sad face, so I came to school earlier than anyone else to search desperately. However, I found only one piece, and the other half remained missing as the deadline approached.
The broken acrylic keychain, with the remaining half attached to Miyajima-san’s bag, was likely discovered by her after everyone had left the previous day. I contemplated how to return the remaining half to Miyajima-san, but I missed the right timing as Gou-kun never seemed to leave her alone.
As I hesitated to give Miyajima-san the missing acrylic piece, I noticed that a new handcrafted acrylic keychain had been discreetly attached to her pouch.
And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
”Hey, where’s Gou-kun?”
”I don’t know.”
At lunch break on that day, I had forgotten my water bottle and went to buy tea from the vending machine. When I returned to the classroom, Gou-kun was strangely absent. I looked at Miyajima-san’s seat, with her lunch spread out, but she was nowhere to be found. I wondered why, but I had a terrible, unsettling feeling.
”Hajime?”
Leaving the other two boys in the classroom, I rushed outside. This school was a prestigious academy with a history of over 100 years, and the place was vast, including an old building that was no longer in use. When Gou-kun skipped class, he often used a classroom in that old building with a broken lock.
As I approached that classroom, I cautiously approached the window to eavesdrop on the situation inside.
”Yurika, I told you, didn’t I? Don’t dream like a plain girl.”
Gou-kun inserted his index finger into the hole of Miyajima-san’s keychain and spun it around.
”Give it back… Just like you promised.”
Miyajima-san extended her hand toward Gou-kun.
”Ahh!? Give it back, please!”
Seeing Gou-kun raise his hand high, Miyajima-san’s face twisted in fear as she crossed her arms to shield herself. I felt frozen, unable to move, thinking I had to help.
”Haha, Miyajima, look!”
Gou-kun repeatedly mimicked striking Miyajima-san. Each time, she trembled slightly, her lips bitten, and her eyes tightly shut.
”It’s fine, it’s fine. You’re looking great right now, Miyajima.”
With a satisfied grin, Gou-kun seemed to have an idea.
”By the way, someone wrote something interesting on the bulletin board.”
As soon as I heard the word “bulletin board,” something clicked in my mind.
”Hey, Miyajima, why don’t you strip? I bet you’ve already started your period, right? I’ll hold you. You see, I’m such a nice guy. There’s no one else as generous as me, willing to sleep with an ugly girl like you. Come on, kneel down and say ‘Thank you.’”
Seeing Miyajima-san’s face, filled with despair, I knew I had to stop this, but my legs felt like they were frozen. If even I was paralyzed, then Miyajima-san’s sense of despair must be far worse than I could imagine. We guys didn’t want to do such things with unpleasant girls, and I was sure that girls felt the same way about undesirable guys.
”As pathetic as ever, huh? Come on, I’ll help you.”
”No, please…!”
Gou-kun forcibly tried to remove Miyajima-san’s shirt. As the buttons on her shirt popped open, a cute bra with a modest design that adorned her delicate chest became visible. Move! I tried to will myself to step forward with trembling legs, but what would happen if I intervened normally? He would simply overpower me with his strength, and Miyajima-san’s heart and body would continue to be violated right in front of me. So, I needed to think. How could I stop Gou-kun? How could I save Miyajima-san? In my line of sight, I spotted an emergency alarm.
That’s right. Maybe I could do something with that.
”Come on, Miyajima, hurry up! Just spread your legs and be obedient!”
”No, nooooo!”
There was no time to hesitate. I sprinted towards the emergency alarm and pressed the button with determination.
WEEE-WOOO, WEEE-WOOO!
The fire alarm inside the old school building blared loudly. From the shadows of the opposite staircase, I sneakily watched as Gou-kun hastily made his way out of the school building. Then, I peeked inside the classroom to check on Miyajima-san.
’Um, since there’s still time, I’m thinking of continuing the stream. Is everyone okay? If anyone’s sleepy, you can go ahead and rest.’
It was Hoshimiya Shiro’s ToCall project held that night. I wondered what the right thing to do was. I tried calling multiple times to seek advice, but there was no answer. However, during that project, there was one call that did connect. The moment I heard that voice, my heart felt like it was about to stop.
’Um, I’m being bullied by boys in my class.’
The voice was so fragile that it seemed like it might disappear any moment. There was no doubt that it was Miyajima-san’s voice. At first, Miyajima-san spoke in a hesitant manner, but Shiro-kun, or rather Aqua-san, listened intently to her voice, offering warmth and comfort, speaking gently to her.
”Miyajima-san…”
Every time I heard her suffering, it felt like my heart was being tightly gripped. It wasn’t just Gou-kun. I knew that Miyajima-san was in that situation, yet I couldn’t help but feel utterly helpless and on the verge of tears. But I couldn’t cry. I had no right to cry.
”Tomorrow, when Miyajima-san comes to school…”
I gathered my courage and decided to talk to her. I would apologize and give her the missing piece of the acrylic keychain. However, the next day, Miyajima-san didn’t come to school. It was later revealed on the bulletin board that Aqua-san had contacted Miyajima-san individually after the ToCall project. Aqua-san had stayed by her side the whole time. Unlike me, who couldn’t do anything, Aqua-san had saved not only her but her almost broken heart as well. After all, it was Shirogane Aqua. It was so convenient to use those words to explain everything, but for me, it was incredibly shocking.
He’s amazing… and it’s not just cool, but kind and warm. I couldn’t believe he was the same guy as me. Compared to him, I’m uncool… no, I thought I was already a mess for thinking that in the first place. Because I think Aqua-san didn’t act because he thought he was cool or uncool, but because he wanted to save Miyajima-san. That’s why I felt so frustrated and ashamed that I couldn’t do anything.
”D*mn…”
I was furious, especially with myself, and that’s why, that’s why!! I swore I wouldn’t ever go through such feelings again. I wanted to say goodbye to the me who couldn’t take that step back then. I will become the me I want to be. At that moment, I saw something in front of me: an audition for a well-known anime’s voice actor.
Thinking back, I don’t know why I decided to audition for it. But somehow, I realized that if I didn’t do something, if I didn’t take action, nothing would change. So, without even realizing it, I had sent in my application. Later, I actually met with the director and was chosen to voice a character named Tan Lyuuren in that anime.
”I’m looking forward to working with you.”
After receiving one-on-one training from the director and reaching a point where I could do the basics, I finally had the day to meet the other cast members. And on the recording day, I froze when I saw Aqua-san coming to the studio.
”Hey, is that a boy over there?”
The first to notice me was Toa-san. We introduced ourselves to each other and had a brief conversation. Everyone was very kind, and we ended up recording on that day. My first job was incredibly enjoyable. Then, a few days later, after the second recording session, I received a message on my phone.
[We found that Yurika, so let’s all have fun with her as a toy.]
Reading that message brought back memories of that day. Since then, I had distanced myself from Gou-kun and the others because I was busy.
”I have to… this time, I have to do something…”
But could I really make a difference by going there? I was lucky that time, but it might not work out this time. Should I report it to the police? No, the police might not act right away since there hadn’t been an incident yet. Damn… would I remain the same no matter what I did? That’s right. I’m different from Aqua-san and the people from Beryl. Even if I struggle, it might be in vain… but if I gave up for such a reason, why was it so painful? Remember. The Shirogane Aqua I admired is not someone who breaks because of such things. It doesn’t matter if I’m big or small. I will burn with determination. Not the police, not Aqua-san, not anyone else, I will do it. It was scary, to be honest. Gou-kun had a big body, and he was stronger than me, but still, I confronted him. Before I knew it, I was running towards the location written in the message.
”It’s been a while, Yurika. How have you been?”
”W-Why are you here…”
”Oh? I wanted to marry you using connections with government officials, but since you transferred, I just had to act and ask for your new location. Come on, Yurika. I’m going to make you my punching bag again today.”
When I arrived at the scene, Gou-kun was just about to attack Miyajima-san. There was no time to hesitate. I ran and tackled Gou-kun, aiming for his large body.
”Oh, what’s this? A new player? You, what are you getting in the way for?”
”I’m not going to let you hurt Miyajima-san any further!!”
”Huh? Hajime-chan’s talking big even though he’s annoying as hell!”
I was thrown by Gou-kun and rolled on the ground. But even so, I got up, and once again, I tackled Gou-kun, despite my legs trembling and using all the strength I had left.
”Haa… haa…”
Seeing me staggeringly get up, Gou-kun hesitated for just a moment. It was a chance. I thought and, despite my legs stumbling, I summoned the remaining strength and charged at Gou-kun.
”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhh!”
Perhaps overwhelmed by my determination, Gou-kun took a step back and ended up sitting down.
”D*mn it, get out of the way, Hajime!”
Thrown by Gou-kun once again, I rolled in front of Miyajima-san. I had to stand up, I had to! I summoned all my remaining strength and stood up, extending my arms in front of Miyajima-san.
”D*mn it, Hajime, I’ll make you my punching bag too!”
Gou-kun slowly approached me again. Unexpectedly, someone intervened between me and Gou-kun.
”That’s enough.”
Toa-san stepped between me and Gou-kun, giving him a stern look. Why was Toa-san here? I heard two sets of footsteps behind me, in the midst of my confusion.
”I don’t know what happened, but if you’re trying to harm Akami any further, I’ll be your opponent.”
Tenga-senpai appeared from behind, supporting my body, which was about to collapse.
”Judging by the situation, you guys were trying to harm that woman over there, and Akami was trying to stop it, right?”
Along with Tenga-senpai, Mayuzumi-san, who had also appeared, kneeled on the ground and asked Miyajima-san if she was okay. He also reassured her that they were here.
”Why are you guys here?”
I heard more footsteps coming from behind Gou-kun as he retreated.
”Well, what do you think?”
From behind Gou-kun, Aqua-san appeared.
”Shirogane Aqua!? What the hell is someone unrelated doing here, butting in!”
Aqua-san grabbed the fist Gou-kun swung at him.
”It’s not entirely unrelated. Hajime used to be our colleague in the industry, and we can’t just turn a blind eye to a girl trembling in fear and looking down.”
Gou-kun struggled, but Aqua-san was stronger, and he didn’t flinch.
”You were the one who attacked first. So I don’t intend to do anything more. But if you ever plan to harm Hajime or that girl over there again, I’ll definitely stop you.”
Aqua-san loosened his grip on Gou-kun’s fist and released him.
”Tch, fine, I’m out of here! Hajime, you’re definitely on my blacklist from tomorrow on!”
Gou-kun left after leaving that parting shot.
”Why are you all…”
”Well, with the way you looked at the recording studio, it was obvious. Someone will notice, won’t they? Especially someone here.”
Toa-san said that and looked at Aqua-san’s face.
”Are you both okay?”
”I’m fine. But Miyajima-san…”
With Tenga-senpai’s support, I went over to Miyajima-san.
”I’m sorry, Miyajima-san. I came to help, but I couldn’t do anything… no, that’s not it. It’s not like that. Even though I saw you hurt so much both back then and now, I couldn’t do anything. So, maybe I don’t even have the right to apologize. But, but, it might be too late now, but I wanted to give you this…”
I reached into my pocket and handed Miyajima-san a half-broken acrylic keychain. It had been stuck in my pocket, ungiven for so long. Seeing it, Miyajima-san narrowed her eyes.
”Akami-kun… I see, it was you who activated the alarm that day. I had been wondering who had set it off all this time, but it was you who helped me.”
I shook my head.
”That’s not true. I couldn’t do anything back then or today. So, I started this job because I wanted to change, but in the end, this is how I turned out… Beryl’s members thought my actions were suspicious, and they helped me… Haha, I’m really useless.”
Miyajima-san slowly shook her head in response.
”That’s not true. I was happy that you came to help. I’m the one who should apologize. I actually wanted to report it, but when I remembered what happened that day, my fingers trembled, and suddenly my body grew cold, and I couldn’t move. So, I’m the one who should apologize.”
I told Miyajima-san that she didn’t need to apologize because she hadn’t done anything wrong. After all, if I were in her shoes, I would have probably trembled the same way.
”Both of you did nothing wrong. So instead of blaming yourselves, praise yourselves more. Rather, the ones who should reflect are us who got lost and ended up off-course…”
”Wa-wait, Aqua, don’t say that!”
”My apologies, it’s my fault for looking away…”
”Well, to begin with, I’m directionally challenged…”
”Hehe.”
Amidst Aqua-san’s lighthearted conversation, a smile overflowed from Miyajima-san. Seeing that, my tense expression softened.
”Oh… I’m sorry. I…”
”It’s okay. In whatever way, as long as you’re smiling, we’re happy.”
We heard the sound of sirens. Someone must have reported the commotion we caused. I was loaded into an ambulance that arrived quickly, just to be safe, and underwent some tests.
”Oh, Miyajima-san, the keychain.”
I had mentioned it in the conversation, but I had forgotten to actually return the keychain with the missing piece. I stopped with the intention of giving it back to her.
”Akami-kun?”
”Miyajima-san, would you mind taking this broken keychain back from me?”
”Huh? Uh, sure, but… not this broken one, but a new one or something?”
”No, I want this one. This… is my starting point… So, Miyajima-san, I swear on this broken keychain. If I ever see a girl suffering like you in front of me again, I’ll definitely help them right away next time. That’s why I’m going to become stronger, not just physically, but with a stronger heart to face any challenge.”
”I see… Alright.”
Miyajima-san smiled at me. Perhaps, for me, it was the first genuinely heartfelt smile I had ever seen from a girl. Is this how girls smile?
”Hey, how about both of you come to our Halloween live event?”
””What?””
Aqua-san’s words made both me and Miyajima-san exchange glances.
”It’s still a bit further ahead, but we’d like both of you to come and watch. How about it? Sounds good, right?”
In response to Aqua-san’s words, Tenga-senpai, Toa-san, and Mayuzumi-san nodded. What were they planning to do?
”Hajime, I’ll show you what it means to make a girl smile.”
I would never forget Aqua-san’s expression. That was the turning point of my life.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.