Translation
It was late April, and the warm sunlight was bathing the earth.
The clear sky today was truly refreshing, and Hanyu Mochizuki was about to fall asleep.
He felt a bit of regret; the cherry blossoms, which only bloom for about ten days, had already withered. To see that beautiful scenery, he'd probably have to make a trip to Hokkaido.
"I just want to die. Those petals that look just like a girl's blushing cheeks are the most beautiful!"
Hanyu Mochizuki had a head of medium-length, black, choppy hair. His eyes were as deep as the stars, and with his well-proportioned, 1.8-meter-tall frame, he could be considered a top-tier beautiful youth. Unfortunately, the overly dramatic, -20 charisma-point-reducing smile on his face was a major drawback.
At least in others' first impressions, they would feel that this was a mischievous kid.
At this moment, Hanyu Mochizuki was lying on the grass at Shuchiin Academy, as if taking a nap.
"Aah... aah..."
Hanyu Mochizuki couldn't help but let out strange cries again, his whole body rolling quickly on the lawn. Some weeds had stuck to his black uniform, but he didn't mind at all.
"S-senpai, could you please not make such... lewd noises in a public place?"
"Oh?" Hanyu Mochizuki immediately stopped rolling, his eyebrows slightly raised, the rebellious smile still on his lips. He propped himself up with his hands and looked at the girl in front of him. With her soft, fluffy chestnut hair tied on both sides with hairbands, the most noticeable thing about her was the striking armband on the arm of her white school uniform.
"This time is not bad, Iino. At least you're not calling me 'Idiot Senpai' anymore. It's a shame you still haven't changed your look. I've told you that your hairstyle is dangerous, but you just won't listen. If something happens, don't come crying and shouting for Hanyu Senpai~~"
Miko Iino's face was stern and serious. "First of all, I decide my own style; you have no right to even suggest anything! Secondly, can't you tone down your smile, Senpai? Some of the new middle school students have already complained to the Disciplinary Committee, saying that a certain senpai with a terrifying smile has bad intentions!"
"Ah, I see." Hanyu Mochizuki nodded, his body slightly hunched, and his smile did weaken a bit. "In that case, it's my fault for having such a creepy smile. I'll personally apologize to them. Which classes are they in? I'll go to each one."
"Senpai! Aren't you going to put down the two shoes in your hands? If you keep this up, I'm going to call the other... other..." Miko Iino's delicate face showed a troubled expression, and she fell into a deep dilemma.
"Excellent!" Hanyu Mochizuki clapped his hands together, the two shoes making a crisp sound. He looked excited. "Are you getting ready to play sumo with me again? Call more people! A man has to do it like a real man! A man on a man is the best!"
"I-I'll call the Student Council—"
"Perfect! You know I'm from a poor mountain village, and it's thanks to the academy waiving tuition and giving me a good subsidy that I can even attend. Getting to know the elites of the Student Council will be very beneficial for my future! I heard the secretary, Ryuju Momoki, is the daughter of a big yakuza boss. Following her wouldn't be a bad idea..."
Miko Iino's eyes widened, and she was speechless.
The girl standing silently behind her, wearing large, round glasses and with a worrying hairline, sighed. She took a few steps forward and stared at Hanyu Mochizuki for a while.
At some point, the stagnant atmosphere was finally broken.
"Aah—" Hanyu Mochizuki suddenly threw down his shoes, covered his eyes, and cried out in pain toward the sky, instantly startling Miko Iino, whose eyes had temporarily lost their focus. She stared at him, looking frightened and flustered.
"I can't be the only one suffering! No transformation! No transformation! Do you remember? This damned memory... this dusty memory! Do you remember?!"
"Ah, come and say it with me—[Our long-sealed memories shall now be released! Seal Designation—Release!]"
With that, Hanyu Mochizuki looked triumphantly at the girl who was about to "finish him off." "That's how you transform. Do you want to learn?"
The girl with the large, round glasses, who was Kobachi Osaragi, looked stiff, her expression quite something to behold.
"I want to! I want to learn—"
The blonde, blue-eyed girl who had been secretly watching from a corner finally couldn't hold back. She raised her right hand excitedly and scurried over. Her long ponytails, which reached her calves and had fist-sized cloth bags tied at the ends, swayed brightly.
"Hoo..." The blonde, blue-eyed girl quickly reached Hanyu Mochizuki, panting slightly. She looked up at him with an expression full of admiration. "I am the wielder of the Thunder Hammer, Sanae Dekomori! Please guide me, Senpai!"
She then vigorously swung her ponytails with both hands. The cloth bags at the ends became powerful under the force of gravity, and they were quite a sight to behold. At least Miko Iino and Kobachi Osaragi couldn't help but back away.
Her speed increased, even leaving afterimages.
Hanyu Mochizuki watched her performance in awe. Sanae Dekomori became even happier and swung her ponytails with more vigor. She lifted her right leg, using it as a pivot, and started to spin!
"Thunder Dance—"
She spun like crazy for nearly a second. With her left hand on her hip and her right hand raised high, everything in her vision became a blur...
Hanyu Mochizuki clapped his hands loudly. She did it; she really did it! This "Thunder Dance" was truly amazing!
Miko Iino was petrified, while Kobachi Osaragi was her usual expressionless self.
The force of the swinging hair created air currents, stirring up a gentle breeze. Then, with a muffled "thump," Sanae Dekomori was tightly bound by her two long, rapidly spinning ponytails, like meat on a cutting board.
The blonde, blue-eyed girl first rolled on the ground several times like a fish out of water before finally losing all power to resist... She closed her eyes in despair, sadness overflowing, "... I can't move."
Hanyu Mochizuki's smile was gone, replaced by a serious expression. "The Thunder Dance has immense attacking power, and at the same time, it has an extremely strong self-restraining ability. Combined with Dekomori's very elastic hair... it's a world-class terrifying attack!"
"That is truly incredible!"
"Can you please stop deluding yourself? This is clearly just a self-inflicted trap!" Miko Iino frowned, her face full of condemnation.
"The strange creatures at Shuchiin are increasing. They weren't like this before..." Kobachi Osaragi mumbled to herself, her head down.
"Huh?!" Hanyu Mochizuki squatted down, expertly pulled out the student ID from Sanae Dekomori's person, and looked surprised. "Third-year middle school, not first-year?"
He then gave Miko Iino a kind smile. "So, Iino, you're not the shortest after all! I thought that being 1.47 meters tall at 15 was already the minimum standard for humans. Dekomori is only 1.43 meters. Iino, you can proudly puff out your chest and face the world!"
"Shut up! How do you know about me and Dekomori's height?! You pervert!" Miko Iino quickly stepped back, shielding her chest with her hands. Then, remembering something, she shoved Hanyu Mochizuki onto the grass and spread her arms out like a mother hen protecting Sanae Dekomori.
"It's illegal to casually search through someone's personal belongings!"
"...It's unbelievable that such a horrible man exists," Kobachi Osaragi said softly.
"Hey, isn't that a personal attack?" Hanyu Mochizuki yawned, jumped to his feet, put on his shoes, and casually brushed the grass off his clothes. "I was going to pack up this cute Thunder Hammer and take her away, but it looks like I won't have the chance..."
With that, he leisurely walked away.
"That terrible guy is planning to go on a crime spree again!" Miko Iino gritted her teeth, deciding in her heart that she would keep a close eye on him from now on.
Kobachi Osaragi, looking exasperated, unfastened Sanae Dekomori's bonds and handed the student ID on the ground to her. Why did no one try to help this girl?
Sanae Dekomori's eyes welled up with tears as she watched his disappearing figure. She wanted to have a proper conversation! Senpai is definitely one of us...
All kinds of requests for support~ I'm a mess, no explanation needed.