Stupid Heroes ~We Draft Candidates~ (WN): Chapter 43

 

Chapter 43: Bottom of Darkness

 The hero candidates who are prohibited from returning home are always at the academy. In such a situation, rumors spread quickly. Kazuki's rumor spread quickly.

 There were two main reactions to it. The first was the people who were blatantly disgusted.

"Are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?"

 The one who asked Kazuki was a male student in Class C. He was Akira Mita.

"I heard you've been having a lot of s*x at school and in the dormitory."

"What do you want, Mita-kun?"

 Kazuki does not try to deny it at all. She knew there was no point in denying it.

"That's not right! You're the worst!"

"I'm the worst I'm sorry"

“Please don't put down the hero candidates in Class C any more than you already have. Now the Class A guys......"

 Mita was a student who had been assaulted by Kariya in Class A.

"Don't worry. No one will bother us anymore."

"What do you mean!? What are we going to do when no one will take us seriously!"

"That's……"

 The Class C hero candidates are no longer seen as hero candidates. Everyone knows this now.

"Better quit the academy. Then you'll have nothing to do with us."

"That's... I'm sorry. I can't do it."

 If Kazuki is gone, someone else might meet the same fate. Then there is no point in having gone through that.

"Just quit. Even if you don't, don't come to the academy anymore."

"...I can't do that either."

 Criticism from the Class C hero candidate that she was trying to protect. This was more painful for Kazuki than anything else.

 And the other reaction is those who rub her in the wrong way.

"...Come to my room tonight."

"I'm sorry. I can't."

"Why? Are you saying I'm no good?"

"I have a prior engagement."

"Then what about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow too."

"...Then next"

"I'm sorry. I won't be available for a while. There are many people waiting."

"You are the worst woman"

 There is really no such thing as a prior engagement. The only time she allows her body to be used is for those who threaten her. She says this as an excuse to turn down everything else, but this has increasingly tarnished Kazuki's reputation.

 Kazuki knew that too, but she was ignoring that it didn't matter anymore. That is unacceptable to those few who feel differently from the rest.

"Kazuki. What are you thinking?"

"...Riko."

"What happened? Tell me properly."

"Nothing."

 Even with Riko, who can be called her best friend, Kazuki can't talk about anything. It's all the more so because it's a relationship like that.

"How could rumors like this spread if there was nothing going on?"

"I'm originally that kind of woman."

"You were trying to redo it, weren't you?"

"...I couldn't redo it. That's what it is."

"Kazuki!"

"Riko... I'm sorry. Leave me alone."

 Kazuki doesn't want her to be nice to her right now. Kazuki knows that if the frozen feelings thaw, it will only make it even harder.

"I can't leave you alone!"

"It's fine, don't mind me!"

"Kazuki..."

"I can't do it anymore... I knew it... I can't do it"

 With reactions like these, Riko is unable to say anything.

 Still, Riko has no intention of giving up. Something is obviously wrong. She thought she had to find it out and fix it.

"I'm sorry, but I need everyone's help. There must be a reason for this."

"Yeah. That's right. I think so too."

 Manami also agrees with Riko's idea.

"What do you mean by help?"

 Kou is also very much in favor of doing something for Kazuki.

"Why did Kazuki become like this, let's find out the cause"

"The cause..."

“It's absolutely there. Kazuki was trying to start over. Besides, right now Kazuki has someone who she doesn't want to hate her. And yet ......"

"Yes. I think so too. Alright, let's find it out. And let's help Kazuki."

"That's right. Let's help Kazuki."

"Kou, Manami, thank you."

 The good intentions of these friends started to help Kazuki.

 However, this world was cruel to Kazuki. It is not only the good intentions that have started to work.

◇◇◇

 Jin was wandering around the corridor. Now Jin doesn't have the heart to do this. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have the courage to do something, but it was still frustrating to be waiting around for no reason.

 Shizuru, who asked him to wait for her, never showed up even though the appointed time had long passed. Still, Jin, showing his earnestness, continued to wait, but finally reached the end of his patience.

 Jin started walking down the hallway to return to his room. As soon as he started walking, however, he saw Shizuru, who had been waiting for him all along the corridor.

"Shizuru! What are you doing!"

"Shhh!"

 Shizuru put her finger in front of her mouth in response to Jin's angry voice. He knows that he should be quiet, but he doesn't know why he has to do that. But this time, Jin spoke in a low voice.

"What's wrong?"

"I hear some strange voices. Is there something wrong?"

 Shizuru pointed to the room in front of her.

"Is it a fight?"

“I don't know. But anyway, I hear strange voices. Jin, you should listen to them too."

"...Yeah, I understand."

 The two of them stand side by side and put their ears to the door of the room where Shizuru says the voices are coming from. Certainly, voices can be heard from the room.

 It is a voice that is very hard to listen to.

(Hey, hey, stop, please)

(What are you talking about now? You're having fun too, aren't you?)

(No, no more, okay?)

(No?)

(Are you going to continue without birth control? Will you take responsibility if I have a child?)

(That's……)

(So ​​no more...)

(...Well then. Please do it with your mouth.)

(Eh?)

(If that's the case, it's fine. Look, we'll line them, so suck it in order.)

(…………)

(You're not going to do what I say?)

(……I understand.)

(Hahaha. This guy is too much. How much of a slut is she?)

 An unbelievable exchange could be heard from inside the room. Jin couldn't listen to it and had long removed his ear out of the door.

"It's already the worst. To be able to do such an embarrassing thing. I absolutely can't forgive them."

 Shizuru's face is bright red, but she speaks angry words.

 Next moment. Jin was surprised by Shizuru's actions and unintentionally let out a loud voice.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

 Shizuru had opened the door of the room and was about to enter.

 Naturally, Jin's voice could be heard at the door. Immediately, he heard the men's panicked voices.

"Not good! That's Takamiya's voice right now!"

"Run away! Hurry up!"

"Hurry up! This way!"

 A clattering noise can be heard from inside the room. Shizuru entered the room chasing it.

 Jin is standing in front of the door, not really in the mood to enter the room, when he sees Kazuki sitting stunned at the end of the open door with a sheet wrapped around her body.

 The truth of the rumor that he had been denying for a long time was right in front of him.

"Harumoto-san! What are you doing!? I can't believe it!"

“…………”

 Kazuki did not show any reaction to Shizuru's yell. She just stares into space.

“This is the academy dormitory. I'm embarrassed to even mention it."

“…………”

"Hey, how can you do this!? With multiple men at once! You!"

“…………”

 Shizuru's cursing does not stop even though she says she is embarrassed to even say it. If she keeps yelling this loudly, it will naturally be heard by those around her.

"Leave the academy already! I can't stand someone like you being the same hero candidate!"

“…………”

 After saying that at the end, Shizuru left the room.

"Jin, let's go! It's disgusting to be in a place like this!"

“…………”

"Let's go!"

"Ah, yeah"

 Pushed by the momentum, Jin follows Shizuru and leaves the place.

 The only one left was Kazuki, who was staring into the air as usual.

"I can't... it's too painful."

 Still clad in a single sheet, Kazuki wandered out of the room.

◇◇◇

 The magic tool that hit the floor shattered into pieces. Looking at it with a terribly troubled face, Mion opens her mouth to the person who did it.

"Ren-kun. That's really expensive."

"...Then don't make me listen to this."

 Ren's anger doesn't end with just destroying expensive magic tools. Anger is pouring out of his body.

"...You're angry today?"

 It was the first time for Mion to see Ren revealing such emotions.

"Why did Takamiya leave that place?"

"Huh? Is that what you are angry about?"

 Mion is also angry. She is angry, but the target is different from Ren.

"What else?"

"Because, originally, those guys who threatened and did such terrible things..."

 Mion thought it was normal to direct her anger at the three who forced Kazuki to have s*x.

"That's what Kazuki accepted."

 But not Ren.

"No, no, Ren-kun. You can say that because Ren-kun is a man."

"Even so, Kazuki chose it. I have no intention of denying it."

"...But as a woman, it will leave scars."

"Scars? A body is nothing more than a vessel. Even if the vessel is scratched, it's fine if the contents are clean, right?"

"......Heh, so you think she's beautiful inside."

 Mion was finally able to understand the meaning of the vessel that came out of Ren's mouth.

"...For example."

"Yes... so what are you angry about?"

"Takamiya must like Kazuki. How can you leave the person you love alone in that state?"

"Well, if he likes her, he can't call out to her in that situation, right? It was just shocking."

"Why? If you love someone, that person is more important than anything else, right? I think Kazuki needs comfort now."

 It doesn't matter what Kazuki is going through or what she is doing. It doesn't matter if you are hurt by it. Ren says that he should act only for Kazuki's sake.

“……Somehow, I’ve come to think that Ren-kun is a very pure person.”

"Huh?"

“No, in a sense, is it pure? Not romantic feelings... but a longing..."

“Mion-san, what are you saying?”

"Talking to myself. Why don't you comfort her, Ren-kun?"

"I can't. Comforting someone is meaningless if you don't put your heart into it."

 Ren has no romantic feelings for Kazuki. He thinks superficial comfort is no comfort. In a way, this is too serious an idea.

"No, I still think it is."

"It is Takamiya who will do that. And yet that man abandoned it."

"This time it's a substitute...?"

"What?"

"Where is your loyal secretary?"

"……Huh?"

 Rin was also in this room. But she is not here now.

"Perhaps a substitute for a substitute?"

"...Doing things selfishly"

"She's a good secretary, isn't she?"

“…………”

 That excellent secretary, just as Mion thought, was walking down the corridor to act as a substitute.

 While attracting the attention of many boys.

 Even though it was not a full moon, not many men would not be attracted to Rin's charms at night. Jin, who was standing with an indescribable expression on his face near the room where Kazuki was, was no exception.

 He was instantly caught by Rin, who was advancing from the front, and was unable to remove his gaze.

"To fall in love with another woman in this situation."

 Rin's gaze was incredibly cold as she looked at Jin.

"……You are?"

 Even if she looked at him like that, Jin couldn't look away.

"I have no name to tell you... but I know one thing thanks to you."

"That is……"

“Ren-sama is not special because he is from another world. I understand that Ren-sama is special because he is Ren-sama.”

 Ren is not deceived by Rin's charms. Rin thought it was because Ren was from another world, but Jin and the other students' reactions made her realize otherwise.

"Ren's..."

"Don't call Ren-sama's name in a familiar way. You're not worth it. Do you understand what I mean?"

“…………”

"If I don't get a reply, I won't know. That's right. I'll let you know the difference between you and Ren-sama."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

“What are you worrying about right now? If it's Ren-sama, he would definitely say something like this.”

"If it's Ren?"

"The body is nothing more than a vessel. Even though there are beautiful jewels inside, it would be foolish to throw it away because the container is dirty."

“…………”

 Jin knew what Rin wanted to say. Now that he knew, he couldn't say anything.

"Understand? You're nowhere near as good as Ren-sama... you've wasted my time. I'm moving on."

"Wait! Wait!"

 Rin hurried to the room where Kazuki was, without hearing Jin. She knows Kazuki isn't there. She's there to check for traces.

"...With just the sheets?"

 Kazuki's clothes are left in the room. Where do you go in the dormitory in such a state? The meaning of Kazuki's muttering at the end indicated that.

 Rin ran with all her might towards the place where Kazuki would be.

◇◇◇

 The night breeze fluttered the sheets that covered her body. Two slender legs were standing out from the sheet, white in the darkness of the night.

 There was only a little moonlight in the cloudy night sky. And the feet, too, beyond the white tiles, were covered in jet-black darkness.

 The rooftop of the dormitory. One step beyond the edge of nothingness, Kazuki stared blankly into the darkness.

(...This will make things easier. I don't have to go through the pain anymore.)

 Such thoughts occupied Kazuki's heart.

 It's just the same as the world before. With this in mind, she had been enduring, putting aside her emotions. What she is doing is for the sake of others. That's what she forced herself to believe.

 However, the moment she saw Shizuru, those thoughts were swept away.

 It was not that she could not bear to be seen by Jin. Shizuru's joyful expression showed her exactly how malicious people can be, and Kazuki despaired.

 The world hates her. That's what she learned. She didn't have the energy to live anymore.

 This is the end. With that in mind, Kazuki tried to step on her foot, and in her eyes, which turned toward the ground in the distance, she saw a figure that shouldn't have been visible.

 She saw the strong eyes of a figure that she should not have seen. Amber eyes that were staring at her as if to chastise her.

 And then, suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Are you running away?"

"Run away?"

 She turned around and there was a beautiful woman with glowing red eyes. Even as a woman, she is horrified by the bewitching woman with the same hair color as Ren.

“Are you… possibly, Ren’s?”

"Yes. I belong to Ren-sama."

"...You call yourself a thing?"

“At first, it was a humiliation, but now it’s a joy. Ren-sama takes very good care of me when he recognizes that I belong to him.”

“I see. That's good. I envy you. You are so beautiful and...... loved by Ren."

 She wanted to be loved too. Even though she knew she didn't deserve it, Kazuki thought so.

"I'm not loved. I envy you more."

"Me? What about me? I'm just a dirty woman."

“Do you think Ren-sama cares about such things?”

"...Ren doesn't care, but I do. I'm not worthy of Ren."

 Even if she thought Ren wouldn't mind, Kazuki still couldn't forgive herself.

"You are free to think whatever you want. I won't say anything about that. But I still envy you."

"……Why?"

"You are in a difficult ordeal. Do you hold a grudge against the world?"

"Yes. The world is cold to me."

 Both the original world and this different world hurt Kazuki. A person's malice hurts Kazuki.

"That might be the same feeling as Ren-sama."

"Like Ren?"

“Ren-sama also has a grudge against the world. He thinks he is hated by the world. I believe so."

"Yes"

 She heard this from Ren's mouth. And Kazuki knows that Ren also hates the world.

"Even if I can put it into words like this, I don't know what Ren-sama really feels. If only the world could give me a trial like yours, I would understand how Ren-sama really feels."

"Such a thing……"

 Kazuki feels repulsed by Rin's words, but Rin's next words dissipate those feelings.

“Out of all the people around him, you may be the only woman who can understand Ren-sama’s feelings. I envy you.”

"......Me to be the one who understands Ren."

"Even though you are in such a position, are you running away? Are you going to lose to this world?"

"Ah……"

 Ren's words revive in Kazuki's head. Ren said that to die is to lose to a world that hates you.

“Are you going to let Ren-sama fight alone and run away?”

“…………”

“Even though you can be in the same position as Ren-sama, are you going to give up on that?”

"I……"

“If you want, go ahead. For my part, I'm grateful to have no competition."

"...I'm sorry. I can't live up to that expectations."

 This line is Kazuki's determination to live. Like Ren, Kazuki has decided that no matter how much the world hates her, she will not give up on living.

"Is that so? I'm sorry."

"…...Thank you."

"I haven't done anything to warrant a thank you. If I did anything, it was for Ren-sama."

"Nevertheless, thank you."

 After this day, Kazuki disappeared from the academy. While many people took it for granted, only Ren wondered about it.

 What is Kazuki doing now that she has left the academy, having chosen to live? He can only wait for their reunion to find this out.