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Chapter 42: Rikka, Save Me!
🕑 Added 2025-07-30 20:42:01 +0000 UTCThe so-called “life consultation” ended up being more like a one-sided roast session where Hiratsuka-sensei got emotionally wrecked.
After that… the whole week passed by without incident.
Kei went to school and came home like usual.
He also kept up his band training at the live house.
On a side note, thanks to the song “So I Gave Up on Music” going viral again on Yutube, [STARRY] saw a surge in popularity too.
Plenty of curious fans came looking for the elusive “Suki-sensei.”
But despite multiple waves of visitors, not a single person recognized the part-time worker sweeping the floor or wiping tables—none other than Aoki Kei himself.
All in all, aside from that little surprise, the week passed peacefully.
Until the third weekend after he transferred.
After a long stretch of rainy days, the weather finally cleared up on Saturday. Blue skies. Sunshine.
Kei, having gone to bed early the night before, woke up before dawn.
The sky outside was still that pale, misty white.
His window was open, and thanks to the apartment’s less-than-great soundproofing, he could faintly hear the raspy caws of crows in the distance.
Kei got up to go for a morning jog.
This time, learning from his past mistake, he made sure to bring a trash bag with him.
There was a light fog outside the apartment building, but it didn’t bother him.
After tossing out his garbage, he began jogging laps around the park.
He wasn’t doing this for fitness, really—two or three jogs a week at a leisurely pace wouldn’t change much.
But it beat trying to study while still half-asleep.
Running a few laps helped clear his head better than coffee ever could.
After finishing his jog, he grabbed breakfast from a local shop and ate there before heading back to his apartment, feeling completely satisfied.
For the rest of Saturday morning, he planned to visit a bookstore.
He hadn’t finished reading the Haruhi Suzumiya novels he’d picked up earlier, and though the temptation to binge was strong, Kei believed in moderation—even in entertainment.
Since he’d received a special ability that boosted his “language learning talent,” he figured it was a good time to buy a textbook and start teaching himself a new language.
He hadn’t decided which language yet, but that could be figured out once he got to the store.
From 7 to 9 a.m., he lazed around in his one-room apartment.
Then, deciding it was a good time to head out, he grabbed his things and left.
There was a bookstore not far from his place, but it was small.
And since he had plenty of time today, Kei decided to try a larger one.
He searched on Google Maps, found a promising store about 6 kilometers away, and headed straight for the train station.
He bought a ticket, hopped on the train, and set out.
After a bumpy ride and a bit of walking, he arrived.
Even though it was Saturday, it was still early, so the store wasn’t crowded yet.
Kei made his way to the language section and started browsing through the textbooks one by one.
Twenty minutes later, he was at the register, checking out.
After careful consideration, he’d chosen a beginner’s guide to French.
He knew French was notoriously difficult and required a ton of time to master—especially through self-study.
That’s exactly why he picked it.
He wanted to test how far his “language learning talent” could take him.
After checking out and leaving the store, Kei realized he hadn’t spent that much time inside, so he figured he might as well wander around for a bit.
With that in mind, he started strolling through the streets of Shibuya at a relaxed pace.
Until—
A dog suddenly sprinted past him, a collar around its neck and something clutched in its mouth.
He didn’t get a good look at it before the dog zipped by.
A few seconds later, a breathless voice called out from behind him.
“H-Hellhound…! S-Stop right there…! Give… give back my… Dark Zexis: Prototype II...!”
The voice wasn’t familiar, but the way she spoke certainly rang a bell.
Kei turned around—and when he saw the panting girl behind him, it all came back in an instant.
A very noticeable ahoge sticking up from her head, an eyepatch over her right eye, bandages wrapped around her left arm, and a frilly Gothic Lolita outfit—
Takanashi Rikka. A seasoned veteran of chuunibyou.
And this “Dark Zexis: Prototype II” she was yelling about was probably...
Kei turned back to look at the dog.
Sure enough, it had stopped a few meters ahead and was now standing still, glancing back at Rikka. In its mouth was a deep-black umbrella.
Rikka and the dog had him sandwiched in between.
Kei looked down at the dog, then turned back toward the girl. “Is this… your dog?” he asked, blinking.
Rikka flinched, then shifted her gaze from the dog to Kei.
“The Hellhound is a temporary summon—contracted by the Saint Regulator,” she said, her voice a little shaky. “It will return to the Underworld in about a week.”
Kei raised an eyebrow, then gave her a small nod.
Translation: ‘Yes, it’s her dog.’
So Kei replied, “Then why didn’t the Saint Regulator keep this Hellhound under control? It just attacked you.”
Rikka blinked.
Then, a spark lit up in her eyes.
Her voice grew steadier, and she answered immediately, “I tried to tempt the beast into turning against the Underworld while the Saint Regulator was distracted. Unfortunately… I failed.”
“So it stole your Dark Zexis: Prototype II as punishment?”
Rikka’s eyes lit up even more. She nodded eagerly.
“Exactly…”
Kei chuckled and knelt down.
He waved his hand at the dog.
The dog, who had been sprinting away just minutes ago, now happily trotted over to him.
That’s just how dogs are—the more you chase them, the more they think it’s a game.
But if you stop and wave, they usually come right to you.
Kei gently took the umbrella from the dog’s mouth, stood up, and handed it to Rikka.
She stared, frozen for a second, before slowly reaching out to take it.
Blink. Blink. Then—
“Who… who are you, exactly?” she asked in awe.
“Me?” Kei hesitated.
She didn’t phrase it like she was asking for his name.
Was she asking for his… character setting?
“Men remain kids until the day they die,” Kei firmly believed that quote.
A bit intrigued, he played along.
Clearing his throat and adopting a solemn tone, he declared:
“I am the former wielder of the Seven Deadly Sins… the Keeper of the End-Horizon… the Dictator who once wandered between worlds…”
It started getting a little too cringe, so Kei trailed off halfway through.
But not wanting to kill the mood, he coughed again and finished:
“...But all of that’s in the past. Now, I’m just an ordinary man—stripped of all my powers.”
The Seven Deadly Sins, Horizon of the End, Wandering Worlds… all sealed away just like the Eye of the Wicked King!
In the world of “chuunibyou” (middle-school delusions), setting is everything.
So when Aoki Kei casually dropped a string of over-the-top names, Rikka Takanashi’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Her expression full of anticipation, she asked, “Then, oh Sealed One… how can your seal be broken?!”
‘How to break the seal…’
He’d made the setting up on the spot, and now she wanted lore too?
Yeah, improvising more of this nonsense was going to be tough.
Taking a deep breath, Aoki Kei hesitated.
To avoid getting dragged into even more trouble, he decided to shut it down quickly.
“Uh... probably takes a long time... I don’t really know, cough... Anyway, my lady, until fate brings us together again.”
Turning swiftly, he walked off—cool, dramatic, clean exit.
He thought that was the end of it.
Just a one-off encounter in Tokyo, a coincidence in a crowded city.
After all, he’d said “until we meet again”—and that usually means never, right?
Unfortunately, Aoki Kei had underestimated Rikka Takanashi’s persistence.
She didn’t have many friends to begin with, and suddenly she’d met someone who not only understood her delusions but actually spoke her language.
How could she let this connection go?
Of course, she was too shy to just run up and say more…
So she bent down, picked up her dog’s leash, and silently followed behind Aoki Kei, staying just one step behind him the whole way.
Naturally, Aoki Kei noticed. His eyes and ears worked just fine.
He let out a silent sigh.
Maybe… just maybe…
If he hadn’t retrieved her umbrella.
Or helped her catch her dog.
If he hadn’t played the nice guy, he wouldn’t be dealing with this right now.
‘And seriously—why the hell did I have to spout that “sealed powers” nonsense like I thought it was cool?’
Dark lines formed on his face as he tried to keep his composure.
He figured if he just ignored her and made it to the train station, she’d stop following him.
No more browsing stores or strolling—just head straight to the station.
He bought his train ticket. Turned around.
And there she was. Rikka Takanashi. Buying a ticket for the exact same destination.
“…Ssshhh—” He inhaled deeply and fixed her with a serious look.
“You… heading the same way?” he asked, holding up his ticket.
Rikka blinked her uncovered eye.
Instead of answering, she blurted, “F-Fate has brought us together again, oh Sealed One! Exchange contact info with me!”
“…Seriously?”
Aoki Kei paused.
On the one hand, giving her his contact info might stop her from following him further.
So he pulled out his phone and nodded.
“Fine.”
However—
Rikka began patting herself down in a panic… only to realize: She forgot her phone.
“Uuuugh…” Tears welled up in her exposed eye. “I-I left it at home…”
“…Of course you did.” Aoki Kei sighed and rubbed his temple.
Then something else struck him.
“Hey… you’ve been following me this whole time. Do you even remember how to get back home?”
“Uuuuhhhh—!” The tears returned—bigger this time.
Another long sigh.
He gave up.
Forcing a sweet smile that was almost painfully fake, he said gently, “Okay, then. Miss… do you remember the general direction of your home?”
Rikka sniffled, blinked, and looked up.
“I do.”
She named a location.
Aoki Kei nodded.
Helping others should be done with a cheerful heart… right?
Even if it was exhausting, he couldn’t just abandon this girl who seemed to live in her own fantasy world.
So he gave in.
“Alright! Our goal is the far-off Horizon of Destiny, led by the coordinates of—”
He looked at Rikka, signaling her to finish the line.
“The Eye… of the Wicked King!” she declared, wiping her tears away.
“Good! Let the coordinates bestowed by the Eye of the Wicked King guide our journey!”
He plugged the address into Google Maps, took hold of her dog’s leash, and set off with the eccentric girl in tow.
Navigating the complicated streets of Shibuya, Aoki Kei wasn’t exactly confident.
He wasn’t familiar with the area and relied entirely on his secondhand phone’s GPS.
Eventually, after retracing their steps and arriving at Shibuya Station, he bought another train ticket.
Then came another surprise.
“Miss Eye of the Wicked King…” he said flatly. “Hellhounds aren’t allowed on trains. How did you even get here?”
“I-I chased the Hellhound… and just… ended up here…” Rikka’s voice trembled.
“You chased it here…?”
This was the third time that hour Aoki Kei found himself silently exasperated in the middle of Shibuya Station.
The station was packed—it was nearly 10 AM.
He was seriously considering walking her all the way home and just calling in sick to band practice when—
“Suki-san?”
That voice.
Cool, a little lazy, and completely unmistakable—Yamada Ryo, dressed in a stylish outfit, stood not far off.
And next to her—
“Whoa! Aoki-senpai!” came Kita Ikuyo’s energetic greeting.
Aoki Kei blinked and turned.
His eyes lit up as if he’d just seen a lifeline.
Then Ryo’s gaze shifted to Rikka, standing close to Aoki Kei in a frilly Lolita skirt.
She remembered him saying he didn’t have a girlfriend.
And the way this girl was standing beside him didn’t exactly scream “stranger.”
Tilting her head slightly, Ryo’s expression shifted—just a little smirk that said “oh? This might be fun.”
She glanced at Kita, then back at Rikka… and finally settled her gaze on Aoki Kei.
“Suki-san,” she said, deliberately soft and slightly pouty, “Who’s that woman?”
Her words had just a hint of challenge.
Rikka didn’t fully grasp the nuance, but she sensed she was being challenged.
And as the Eye of the Wicked King, she knew she had to respond.
So she looked up at Aoki Kei and asked in full character, “Sealed One! Who is that woman?!”
Kita Ikuyo blinked.
And then stay frozen.
Then in a confused, half-shocked voice, she stammered, “S-Senpai?!”
At 10 AM, in the middle of the always-busy Shibuya Station, three girls were now all focused on one stunned boy.
A full-blown rom-com showdown in public.
Aoki Kei could feel the crowd watching him.
But he didn’t care.
He took a deep breath, turned to the blue-haired girl, and said:
“Ryo… help me.”
