Chapter 39: Himari’s Resolve

“My father…?”

Himari stumbled, as if in shock. Ruah quickly supported her.

“That’s… why? Why?”

Himari directed her furious questions at Park Haengsin. Meeting Himari’s gaze, the Hunter spoke in a slightly subdued tone.

“It’s because of you, Hoshikawa Himari.”

“What?”

An unexpected answer.

“The boss… or should I say, the head of the family? Anyway, he didn’t tell me exactly, but he said this whole thing was orchestrated for you.”

“For me? How is causing a dangerous incident at the school for my benefit?”

“His goal is to damage the Academy’s reputation.”

“Reputation…?”

Ruah narrowed her eyes. What would Hoshikawa Toshio gain by doing that…?

“He’ll complain about the Academy’s safety and use that as an excuse to withdraw his daughter. If incidents like this keep happening, the school won’t have a leg to stand on, right?”

“…!”

Ruah’s eyes widened. This hadn’t happened in the game.

“Withdraw Himari? Why?”

“Well, I guess he doesn’t like his daughter studying abroad. It’s not my business, so I didn’t ask for details.”

“…”

Indeed, that was it.

‘Himari’s father wants her to focus solely on Battoujutsu and inherit the family.’

But this wasn’t a prominent detail in the game. It was only mentioned in passing in Himari’s storyline.

The reason this had escalated into a serious conflict, enough to sabotage the monster research class and the Sports Festival, was…

“Himari.”

Ruah placed a hand on Himari’s shoulder, who was staring blankly into space.

“Have you talked to your father recently?”

“…”

“What did you talk about? Tell me!”

Ruah urged her desperately, but Himari, with a shadowed face, spoke with difficulty.

“T-Teacher. I’m really sorry… but… could you give me some time to think?”

“Huh? Uh… sure.”

“Thank you.”

Ruah couldn’t find anything to say to Himari, who was acting so unlike herself. Himari stumbled out of the storage room as if all the strength had drained from her body.

“Himari…”

Ruah couldn’t take her eyes off the spot where Himari had disappeared.

The aftermath of the Sports Festival incident was handled as quickly as possible.

The faculty members worked together to clean up the remaining Mega Wasps, and the student council checked on the spectators and students, sending the injured to the foundation hospital.

Led by the furious chairman, the investigation team identified the culprit who had replaced the styrofoam balls with Mega Wasp eggs, and it was determined to be Hunter Park Haengsin’s mistake.

“They looked so much like styrofoam balls…”

His claim that it wasn’t intentional was dubious, but there was no evidence to the contrary.

Intentional or not, given that this incident occurred after the monster research class incident, severe disciplinary action against Hunter Park Haengsin was inevitable.

His Academy ID was confiscated, and he was dismissed from the operations team. However, he wasn’t allowed to leave freely and was confined to the Academy security team’s interrogation room until the investigation was complete.

The Academy closed for a week to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

“Yes, you can go now.”

“…”

After her questioning as a witness was over, Himari left the interrogation room, still listless.

The questions directed at her only concerned the details of how she dealt with the Mega Wasps during the obstacle race; there were no questions about her father, Hoshikawa Toshio, or her relationship with Park Haengsin.

‘Teacher… you didn’t tell the Academy.’

She had no intention of hiding her father’s wrongdoing. But if that was Ruah’s judgment, Himari would respect it.

More than that, her mind was in turmoil right now.

‘As expected… is my being here a mistake?’

That question kept circling in her head.

Himari headed towards the hospital ward where the injured were.

It was overflowing with students who had been directly attacked by the Mega Wasps and visitors who had been injured in the ensuing chaos.

“That Battoujutsu…!”

The patients who had seen her draw her sword in midair looked at Himari as if she were a celebrity.

“Thank you for defeating the wasps!”

“You were amazing!”

“…”

Himari didn’t know what to say to the people greeting her.

‘I don’t deserve to be thanked.’

After all, this incident happened because of her. If she hadn’t dreamed of new experiences, if she hadn’t defied her father’s wishes and come to study abroad—

The monster research class incident,

These people getting hurt,

The disastrous end of the Sports Festival,

None of it would have happened.

‘It’s all my fault….’

—Thump!

Himari turned and fled from the ward as if running away. The patients could only look on in bewilderment as the door closed behind her.

‘I should have anticipated my father’s actions.’

Walking towards the outskirts of the Academy campus, Himari choked back tears.

Because her father, Hoshikawa Toshio, was that kind of person. He had reluctantly allowed her to study abroad, but she should have kept in mind that a man who had lived his life focused on a single path for decades wouldn’t change so easily.

From now on, you are the heir to the family.

‘It was from that moment, wasn’t it?’

Himari bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

Ever since her brother died and she was appointed as the heir to the Hoshikawa family, her father became even more obsessed with her.

Not only did he make her train in Battoujutsu for ten hours a day, but he also strictly controlled what she ate, what she read, and even how much water she drank.

The strongest swordsmanship in Japan, the [Hoshikawa-ryu Battoujutsu].

It was only natural for Hoshikawa Toshio, consumed by his immense pride.

—Clatter.

A door in the student rental garage opened, revealing a motorcycle covered with a cloth. Himari expertly removed the cloth and wheeled the motorcycle out.

A runway stretched out before her.

It was a wide space built in a corner of the artificial island for light aircraft and helicopters visiting the Academy to take off and land. The sunset sky contrasted sharply with the dark gray asphalt.

—Vroom!

Himari started the engine and sat on the seat.

When she felt down, she wanted to ride. Just like the previous owner of this motorcycle.

“Sigh.”

She took a deep breath and was about to rev the engine—

“—It looks even cooler without the sidecar.”

At someone’s voice, Himari put her feet back on the ground and turned around.

“Can you give me a ride?”

“…!”

The school nurse was standing there.

Ruah smiled at Himari, who was looking at her with the setting sun as a backdrop.

Today, three days after the Sports Festival, Himari, whom she was seeing for the first time since then, looked much thinner.

Knowing how she must be feeling, and wanting to help her, Ruah had followed Himari after her witness questioning.

“Teacher…?”

“If it’s not a bother… Hehe.”

“B-Bother? Not at all.”

As Ruah approached, Himari hurriedly moved forward to make room. Just like when they went to the mall, Ruah sat in the back and Himari in the front.

“Um, I’m not going anywhere in particular, just taking a ride around.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

Ruah put on a helmet and wrapped her arms tightly around Himari’s waist. She could almost feel Himari’s complex emotions just through their physical contact.

“Th-Then, let’s go.”

—Vroom!

As Himari revved the engine, the motorcycle picked up speed. Riding along the open runway, Ruah felt like they might take off.

“…”

“…”

Neither Ruah nor Himari spoke easily. Only the loud roar of the engine filled the air.

—Vroom…

Reaching the end of the runway, Himari slowed down to make a turn.

“I know why your father did that.”

As the engine noise quieted slightly, Ruah suddenly spoke.

“He probably wanted you to come home.”

“…”

“And the reason for that… isn’t it me?”

Himari didn’t answer, but Ruah clearly felt her back stiffen.

—That was what Ruah had been thinking for the past three days.

Hoshikawa Toshio’s disapproval of Himari studying abroad hadn’t changed from the beginning.

Then, the reason he suddenly took action after remaining quiet must be due to a change that occurred in between. That change was undoubtedly—Ruah herself.

“Did you tell your father that you became my ‘moon’?”

“…Yes. He was… quite angry.”

Ruah nodded heavily. Her hypothesis that her actions had started the snowball effect was proven.

Ruah’s actions had impressed Himari, leading her to become Ruah’s ‘moon,’ and upon hearing this, Hoshikawa Toshio became furious and devised a plan to bring Himari back to Japan—

—Screech!

The motorcycle gradually slowed down and stopped. They were at the end of the runway, almost at the edge of the sea. It was the most secluded spot on the artificial island, with no one else within at least a 1km radius.

“Teacher.”

Himari spoke without getting off the motorcycle.

“As expected, I… shouldn’t be here.”

“…”

“Before more incidents happen because of me, I will return to Japan.”