The weather was clear and sunny, with a warm breeze blowing gently against his face, making it feel refreshingly cool. Saiki Kusuo was walking home.
(I'm still going through life step by step, enjoying things as they are. It seems like nothing has changed, but there are always subtle shifts. Everything has its relative counterpart, like the relativity of rest and motion. But I prefer quiet.)
(I am Saiki Kusuo, someone who transmigrated into another world as a person with superpowers. Originally I had none, but now I do.)
(When I first arrived in this world and later gained superpowers, I realized I might end up losing a lot of normal human emotions. Not completely losing them, exactly, but they would be greatly reduced. I try my best to hold on to as many feelings as possible so I can still interact normally with people and the world.)
(Because of my superpowers, I didn't have many friends when I was little, though I wouldn't say none at all. Up until coming to this school, that is. Here, I've tried my best to take the initiative and make friends. Of course, I've also ended up encountering people I really shouldn't get involved with.)
(Making friends depends on the situation. You can't just befriend anyone. There are some people where getting too close might bring trouble instead of anything good, so I usually keep my distance and avoid forming especially close relationships with others. But…)
Suddenly two people slapped Saiki on the back. "Hey, Saiki, come on. Let's go eat ramen together."
Behind him appeared Sakamoto Yuuji and Yoshii Akihisa out of nowhere.
(Yare yare, suddenly tangled up with troublesome people.)
"I'd advise you not to, Saiki. Walking around with someone dressed in a sailor uniform top is definitely going to be super embarrassing."
(She's not wrong.)
"Huh? Who's this now? Isn't this Sakamoto? I was just about to take Saiki out for ramen. You trying to tag along too?"
(I never said I was going to eat ramen.)
"You're the one tagging along. Don't joke around. I was planning to take Saiki to my house to hang out. Besides, eating ramen with an idiot like you would probably make the ramen taste bad too."
(I never said that either.)
Yoshii Akihisa: "Don't look down on me, Sakamoto. Even if I'm wearing a sailor uniform to eat ramen, it's not going to make the ramen taste bad. And where do I look like an idiot? You rude jerk."
(Is that really the point?)
Sakamoto Yuuji grabbed and tugged at Akihisa's tie, pointing at his clothes. "With that behavior and appearance, how could you not be considered an idiot?"
"What are you saying? Don't judge a book by its cover."
"Then I need some other way to judge, don't I?"
Yoshii Akihisa swatted Sakamoto's hand away and retorted, "Ah, so that makes me an idiot? Well, Sakamoto, I saw you this morning actually turn down a cute beautiful girl who tried talking to you. You're the real idiot here."
"That has nothing to do with you."
Suddenly Tsuchiya Kouta appeared in front with a camera. "Alright, both of you shut up! Saiki isn't going to do any of that stuff with you guys. I'm planning to go with Saiki to scout out any damaged spots in the nearby girls' bathhouse so we can report it and stop those perverts from getting their way."
(You're the pervert here!)
Sakamoto Yuuji: "What are you even talking about? When did Saiki ever agree to that? Oh right… you're that pervert peeping freak Tsuchiya Kouta who's been carrying a camera everywhere since less than a month after starting school and secretly photographing the girls' changing room."
"Exactly. Saiki already promised to go eat ramen with us," Yoshii Akihisa chimed in agreement.
(You three go eat ramen by yourselves! Don't drag me into it.)
Tsuchiya Kouta pushed up the nonexistent glasses on his face. "Superficial."
"Only you guys would think I'm some creep who enjoys secretly photographing girls. In reality, I simply have eyes that can discover beauty in things, and hands and a camera capable of capturing and preserving that beauty. If no one records those beautiful moments, how can anyone call themselves a photographer?"
Yoshii Akihisa paused, then nodded somewhat in agreement. "Yeah, that actually makes sense."
(He got brainwashed that easily?)
Sakamoto Yuuji grabbed Akihisa's tie again and yanked it back and forth. "Don't let him brainwash you, idiot!"
"In short, Saiki and I are busy. We don't have time for you guys. Right now I'm heading to my house with him."
Yoshii Akihisa: "We're going to eat ramen first."
Tsuchiya Kouta: "Wrong. We're going to investigate the girls' bathhouse situation."
[I never said I was going anywhere with any of you.]
These three were the last people Saiki ever wanted to get involved with, no matter what. Ever since the start of school, they had displayed their unique "charms." He remembered the self-introductions on the first day…
With a delinquent vibe, looking very street-smart and domineering, Sakamoto Yuuji stood up. "I'm Sakamoto Yuuji, graduated from Kannazuki Middle School."
"He's the one they call [Oni Rasha] back at Kannazuki."
(What a chuuni name.)
"He's in our class too."
Next, a slightly blushing, seemingly shy Tsuchiya Kouta stood up. "Tsuchiya Kouta. My hobby is secretly photographing… I mean, no."
"My special skill is eavesdropping… nothing special really."
When Tsuchiya Kouta sat back down, a camcorder fell out of his bag. No one asked what that was about.
And then came the real heavyweight: a boy wearing a sailor uniform with zero embarrassment or shame, smiling brightly as he introduced himself. "Yoshii Akihisa, graduated from Nagatsuki Middle School. Nice to meet you all."
In that instant, Saiki looked at the three of them and had one single thought: do not get involved with these people.
...Back to the present.
Sakamoto Yuuji: "We're going to my place."
Tsuchiya Kouta: "We're going to check the girls' bathhouse."
Yoshii Akihisa: "Saiki's going to eat ramen with me."
(You three actually get along pretty well, huh.)
The three of them were still arguing nonstop. Meanwhile, Saiki had already started walking forward slowly.
"Wuuu～ mmph…"
At that moment, a little girl crying in front of Saiki interrupted the awkward standoff.
The three behind him also caught up.
[It's a crying little girl.]
Yoshii Akihisa stepped forward first, offering a handkerchief to comfort her. "What's wrong? Are you lost? Did someone bully you? Are you hurt anywhere? You can tell me."
The little girl looked up and said in a very determined tone, "Kaze-kun is missing."
Everyone: "Kaze-kun?"
The little girl pointed at the dog leash tied to a utility pole. "My puppy. I tied him here earlier, but somehow the rope came loose and now he's gone."
Yoshii Akihisa: "Alright then, let us help you look for him."
(You said "us" but that doesn't include me, right?)
Sakamoto Yuuji: "Even though he's an idiot and loves meddling in everything, his heart's in the right place."
(Yeah, looks that way.)
Tsuchiya Kouta: "Getting involved in other people's business like this isn't great. We've got other things to do anyway. Since Akihisa's here, let's just leave it to him and go."
Sakamoto Yuuji nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense, but…"