Unlimited Ambition

"What, what should we do? If this continues, Kyosuke will be snatched away by Hitomi..." Sayaka cried helplessly.

At the same time, they borrowed my shoulder a little.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The So-Called Teacher-Student Romance

The next day, at the legendary Mitakihara Junior High School. During lunch break, Sayaka was preparing to go to the convenience store alone to buy some yakisoba or bread to tide her over—ever since Hitomi had said those words about "fair competition," Sayaka hadn't eaten lunch with her. Consequently, the round-faced girl also felt the atmosphere was awkward and chose to eat at a different time. The trio had officially disbanded.

Just as Sayaka was walking towards the classroom in a daze, she suddenly heard my voice coming from around the corner.

"Is this Kyosuke Kamijou?" At this moment, I stood expressionless at the classroom door, blocking the second Kyosuke Kamijou. Then I asked this question.

"Um, is there something you need?" Kamijou Kyosuke seemed a little confused when a complete stranger called out his name.

"If it's alright, could we talk?" I asked him, trying to use polite language. Even so, it still aroused Kyosuke Kamijou's suspicion.

"If it's not something important... I think I'd..." indirectly rejected me.

"Is it about Sayaka that you would consider it important?" I asked.

Immediately afterward, Sayaka, who had been eavesdropping, quickly withdrew her head, but then reluctantly peeked out again, little by little.

"What should I do? What exactly is Wright trying to do?" Sayaka wondered. She was completely bewildered—or perhaps she could understand it but simply chose not to.

In short, Kamijou the Second was slightly moved after I mentioned Sayaka's name. However, it didn't reach the point of reckless, passionate outburst.

"Could you please elaborate a bit more?" Kamijou Boy #2 asked.

Well, just based on this, you're far inferior to that guy, Number One. That Number One Kamijou, whenever he hears a girl is in trouble, he'll risk everything, even his own abilities, to help her. And you? There really is a difference between an art student and a thug, you bastard.

"Speaking here, is it a little..." I looked around and saw that several classmates had already walked over curiously. There were also a few creatures who looked like fujoshi (female fans of male-male romance), watching me and Kamijou Boy #2 as we imagined things.

I don't really care. I've lived for 4.7 billion years, I've seen it all. Pink skulls and all that. It's all just fluff. But Kamijou the Second felt a lot of pressure. So he nodded and followed.

Sayaka, who had been eavesdropping around the corner, gritted her teeth and followed.

The rooftop—no, it's the men's restroom. One of only two supposedly enclosed spaces—unfortunately, it was a little too crowded.

"Sorry, let's go somewhere else."

So, are there any other secluded places within the school that can be kept private and not frequented by too many people? Seriously, do such places even exist on school grounds?

In the end, we chose a corner of the school cafeteria and ordered two orange juices, of course splitting the bill.

"Now you can tell me, right?" As a disabled person who had walked so far, Kamijou Boy No. 2 felt even more pressured. He even wondered if he was deliberately leading him around the school in circles to mess with him.

That's exactly how it is, really. It's definitely not that we didn't plan a place beforehand and just wandered around aimlessly.

"Hmm." I nodded, then asked, "What's your opinion of Sayaka?"

“Friend,” said Kamijou the Second.

Is that all?

"We've known each other for a long time; we were classmates in elementary and middle school," Kamijou Boy #2 continued.

"Isn't there anything else?" I sighed slightly. Sayaka, how tragic are you? It seems like Touma #2 has absolutely no feelings for you.

After thinking it over carefully, Kamijou Boy #2 nodded decisively.

I sighed slightly, barely managing to refrain from throwing the juice in his face—of course, it was all an act for Sayaka, who thought she had hidden it well.

"Do you know that Sayaka has actually liked you for a long time?" I sighed slightly and then said this.

"Huh? How did you know? Also, what's your relationship with Sayaka?" Kamijou Boy #2 asked.

"I suppose I'm her elder," I said after thinking for a moment.

"Stop joking, okay? You two are the same age, right? Don't act so old-fashioned—and besides, you just transferred here a few days ago, didn't you?" Thus, she was met with a strong retort from Kamijou-kun #2.

...Indeed, at that moment I felt that same feeling again, the same feeling that person had when others called her seventeen.

I feel so bad.

They can't keep up the act anymore.

Immediately, I stood up, my emotions instantly shifting to a state of rage—and this wasn't feigned. I then overturned the table and grabbed his collar: "You scum! Die!!!"

Of course, in the end, because of the curse I placed on myself, I couldn't attack any living beings. So in the end, I was the only one who suffered. After punching Kamijou the Second, I clutched my chest and collapsed in pain, as if my heart had been paralyzed.

Seeing this, Sayaka, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally couldn't sit still any longer. She immediately rushed over. Seeing that Kamijou was alright, but I was lying on the ground, seemingly lifeless, she gave Kamijou a complicated look, then struggled to lift me up. She whispered, "I'll take him to rest," and then quickly ran away.

"Um...did I say something wrong—no, what was I saying?!" Kamijou was stunned. Recalling his situation just now, it was as if someone had controlled his mind and made him say those words.

At this moment, I'm staring at the ceiling. Pure white. The ceiling.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"Are you... are you alright?" Sayaka asked worriedly. At the same time, she felt extremely uncomfortable thinking about what Kamijou had said earlier.

"It's nothing... I'm sorry, I was just being nosy." I shook my head, forced a smile, and said this to Sayaka.

“No, that’s not how it is…” Sayaka didn’t know what to say.

I sighed softly and said, "Want to hear a story? A story about me and a rather annoying guy a long time ago."

In this situation, what choice could Sayaka make besides nodding?

Chapter Twenty-Three is very touching because it's true.

"Back then, I was admired by an idiot—that idiot, basically like you, didn't know how to express her feelings. Every time she saw me, all she did was tease me. It left me with a very, very bad impression. At most, we remained just ordinary friends," I said.

"Later, I learned some bad things about her—back then, I wasn't in this cursed state yet. My superior strength gave me great confidence, but it also made me somewhat arrogant—after that, I went to cause trouble for that guy because of that matter."

“After that, our relationship deteriorated—of course, neither of us wanted it to be like this. I just didn’t expect her to persist to that extent. She even turned against me because of it.”

I gave a bitter smile as I said this, and felt even worse inside.

"After that, things didn't turn out so well—in the end, I paid the price for being too arrogant. My friends (my harem) and I miscalculated in a battle. The situation was extremely dangerous, and I was the only one left who could barely fight. The sages were basically all dead. Just when I was about to die with the enemy—that guy appeared, and without saying a word, he took my place and died with the enemy."

"It was then, when I was holding her as she lay dying, that I realized how good she was. But it was too late." I sighed softly, then continued, "She asked me then: 'Why aren't you crying when I die?'"

I have no answer.

At this moment, although my tone remained unchanged, my face was covered in tears.

“If crying could solve the problem…” she then broke down in tears: “—At least she should have told me before! That way, if I had refused her, she wouldn’t have come to save me, and she wouldn’t have died…”

"Her...her name is Yakumo Yukari," I choked out, uttering the name. Then I broke down in tears, burying my face in my hands. Sayaka, who was beside me, finally couldn't hold back any longer. She sighed softly and then hugged me, offering silent comfort.

Is it exploitation?

Not really.

I just wanted to talk to someone about this, that's all. Because, when it comes to the girl who gave me the most, it was Yukari. She was perfectly fine, she could have continued living carefree in Gensokyo. She was...

"I'm so sorry, I made you laugh." After I finished crying, I lay in Sayaka's arms for a while longer. Then, feeling slightly embarrassed, I pushed her away. Afterward, I slowly got up from the bed.

Sayaka turned her head away but didn't respond to my question. Instead, she asked, "So, what happened after Yukari Yakumo died?"

“Not really.” I shook my head. “If you’re wondering why I helped you… well, I do see a bit of Yukari Yakumo in you. Although your personalities and appearances are completely different, the things that happened are quite similar. So, I wanted to help you out a little, at least to let your feelings reach the other person.”

“…Thank you,” Sayaka said to me.

"No, it's nothing... really nothing." I walked to the sink next to the clinic, washed my face, grabbed my coat from the side, put it on, and prepared to leave.

"Where to?" Sayaka asked, her innate female intuition telling her that she didn't want to go back to that "home".

"Let's go somewhere else for a bit. Tonight's training... let's just cancel it."

After I finished saying that, I left without looking back.

Sayaka stared at my retreating figure for a moment, then muttered something under her breath. After waiting a while longer, and making sure I was gone, she stood up and prepared to leave the school.

Of course, this time, Sayaka wasn't going to my "home." Instead, she wanted to go back to her own room, that slightly messy and cramped single room, which she hadn't wanted for a long time.

That night.

At this moment, Madoka Kaname, the heroine (?) who had been ignored for a long time, was sitting on her bed in her pajamas, hugging her knees. She was reminiscing about her peaceful life before.

"It's a little boring, but at least it's better than the current situation," Madoka Kaname thought. "Ever since that incident, Sayaka and Hitomi haven't spoken to each other... Even though they're friends... But, in this situation, there's no way they can make up, right? Unless some kind of miracle happens..."

Thinking of this, Madoka Kaname naturally thought of me, but then she remembered the explicit image of Mami Tomoe having her head bitten off. Her body trembled, and she curled up into a ball…

"Is nobody here?" Homura Akemi went to the outside of my house as usual, but found no trace of anyone—she had already gone to Madoka Kaname's house earlier. Apart from the little round face who couldn't sleep because of her friend's situation, she didn't find anything amiss either.

So, I'm feeling a little lonely.

—It's not because I won't see that guy one day that I feel this way—I just hope that scumbag dies soon... But, what should I do tonight?

I have absolutely no desire to sleep.

Homura Akemi stood outside the window, looking at the empty bedroom, and thought to herself.

At this moment, in Sayaka's room. She had just greeted a few indifferent neighbors who seemed slightly surprised, saying, "Oh dear, where have you been these past few days?"—neighbors she barely knew—before returning to her room. Even though only a few days had passed, the entire room felt strangely unfamiliar.

I managed to make some instant noodles and eat them. After that, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and went to bed—but no matter what I did, I just couldn't fall asleep.

Could it be that I've broken down? Sayaka thought to herself: I had clearly made up my mind not to think about Kamijou anymore.

However, Sayaka immediately realized that her insomnia was not because of the boy she had a crush on, but because of someone else.

This feeling seems terrible.

So, like the round-faced girl, Sayaka also had insomnia tonight.

"—Idiot! Is it only in situations like this that you think of me?" At this very moment, in a Love Hotel, Kyoko said this to me while struggling.

"sorry."

"I don't want to hear that, say something else!"

"I love you."

"……Fool."

So, Kyoko completely gave up resisting, letting me remove her denim shorts, jacket, and shirt. Then I let her long red hair down. The two of us were completely naked, and then we embraced…

It seems all the magical girls are having trouble sleeping tonight...

Chapter Twenty-Four: How Quickly a Girl's Heart Changes

The very next day, even though I knew smoking was bad for my health, I still lit one. And then I was struck by bad karma – I started coughing uncontrollably.