"Hmm... I see, Naruto Taichi-kun..." The principal, who was as fat as a pig, looked at the resume in his hand and then sized up Taichi.
He wasn't particularly handsome, but he wasn't ugly either. His features were clean, and he had a pleasant appearance that was easy on the eyes. He wouldn't tarnish Shujin Academy's public image and wasn't so handsome as to make little girls swoon. If he were a little shorter, he'd probably be a hit with office ladies.
Although he was a bit too young, considering this kid was willing to interview for such a low-paying job, the principal figured he should at least give him a chance. It was absolutely not because the young man looked easy to bully, and he could save a sum of money for new features in his car by finding a random reason to fire him before he became a full-time employee.
"This is a high school. Most of the students are not much younger than you. I'm warning you, don't do anything unnecessary and don't make a move on any of the students. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to let you go."
Yep, the interview was a success.
However, the principal seemed a bit shady... Was he planning to fire him before his probationary period was up by using a potential reason that could get him arrested? Taichi squinted slightly and nodded. As a mature person, thinking the worst of people never hurts. You could tell this old geezer wasn't a good person from how he turned a blind eye to Kamoshida's corporal punishment of students and harassment of girls.
"I can only afford to buy two pieces of bread for lunch, and this is manual labor. I'm already getting hungry." Taichi sighed helplessly as he watched the students leaving school.
"Why didn't you buy a bento from the convenience store nearby? They even have a microwave to heat it up," X asked, confused.
"...Because after I bought these wireless earphones, I didn't have any money left for a bento," Taichi said, awkwardly touching the earphone clipped to his ear. "I'm literally broke now."
"Money is truly more important than I could have imagined," X lamented. "Is it because of the importance of money that humans become so complicated?"
"I think it's mainly because some people are too well-fed," Taichi muttered, a little resentfully.
"By the way, Taichi, have you been crouching here for a bit too long? And your eyes always seem to be focused on one spot... Ah, are you looking at girls?! Crouching here to peek at girls! Are you a pervert?!" X's incessant chatter made Taichi involuntarily purse his lips.
He was currently crouching on the lawn in the courtyard near a vending machine. Not far from him was a small seating area with two vending machines, a bench, and even a stone table. Two girls were sitting on the bench, whispering to each other.
The black-haired girl in a ponytail was wearing a sweatshirt, a uniform skirt, and leggings, with a knee brace on her right knee. Beside her sat a girl with wavy, gray-brown hair in twin ponytails. She was wearing a visibly modified student uniform with a white hoodie underneath, red tights, and brown-heeled boots. She had a slender figure, perfect for a fashion magazine cover.
Although both girls were beautiful and had great figures, that wasn't why Taichi was staring at them.
"That's Ann Takamaki. She has a pretty important role in the story coming up."
"...I see. Another 'plot character' as you call them?" Having had many conversations with Taichi, X instantly understood what he meant.
"As for the girl next to her... I forgot her name, but she has a very bad experience. She'll have a mental breakdown and try to commit suicide by jumping off the school roof," Taichi added.
"Whoa, that's a lot of negative energy. Taichi, we need to take action!" X urged.
"Even if you say that..." Taichi stroked his chin. "The next choice is super tricky."
"If we want to save her, we have to shatter her dreams. But if we let her continue to 'work hard' for her dream, suicide is inevitable."
"...Humans are too complicated. I'm glad I'm an Ultraman." X once again felt relieved he wasn't a human from Earth.
"X, why do you sound so much more flippant than before?" Taichi asked, confused.
"It's probably your influence, Taichi," X said, shifting the blame. "I used to be very serious. My friends even said I was too stiff."
"Either you're making up friends, or your friends are all blind."
Just as the human and Ultraman were trading quips, a bruised and battered boy, dressed similarly to the sports girl, walked over.
"X, connect me to their conversation," Taichi instructed, tapping his earphone.
"Eavesdropping on other people's conversations is very immoral." X said so, but he promptly connected Taichi to their conversation.
Morals? He was Ultraman X, not a human from Earth. Can an Ultraman be accused of eavesdropping? Besides, this was to get a better grasp of the situation and save a girl from suicide. This was an act of rescue!
The boy had come to relay a demand from a teacher named 'Kamoshida,' who wanted the sports girl, Suzui, to go see him.
"That guy, Kamoshida, doesn't sound like a good person," X said after the conversation ended.
"He's the antagonist in the script the girl is a part of," Taichi explained to X in a low voice while pretending to work. "He uses 'special training' as an excuse to physically abuse students and vent his frustrations. He sexually harasses and beats girls to show off his power."
"...He's a scumbag."
"Alright!" Taichi slowly stood up. "X, I'm going to go film that bastard abusing students. Help me clear some space on my phone."
"...I'm an Ultraman, not an antivirus or cleaning program." X grumbled, but obediently used his powers to clear out Taichi's phone. "Get a new phone as soon as you can," X complained again. "This piece of junk can't even store evidence properly."
Unfortunately, he had no money.
He had worked for a day, slacked off for most of it, and also collected some evidence of Kamoshida's crimes: videos of him openly beating students and making moves on female students. Only the girl named Suzui had some boundaries and would rather be hit than touched.
And just like that, Taichi's first day as a part-time worker was over... or so you'd think! After his janitor job was finished, he still had the drug trial to do for Tae Takemi.
According to Taichi's report when he woke up, the new drug's flavor was... unique. The first taste was mint, followed by dark chocolate, and just before he passed out, it was almond.
In conclusion: the drug gives you the sleep quality of a baby.