Yomikawa Aiho didn't go into much detail about why certain matters had to remain confidential.
The truth was that the pressure placed on the Security Department—ordering them to seal the case and halt further investigation—had come from none other than one of the city's true rulers: a member of the Board of Directors, one of the Twelve.
Ideals were ideals, reality was reality. Situations where overwhelming authority crushed "justice" were far from rare in the Security Department's day-to-day work.
It just so happened that, this time, the demands of that "authority" aligned unexpectedly well with Yomikawa Aiho's own wishes. And so, she accepted the outcome without hesitation.
"Then I won't have to do any interviews, right?" Torahachi Toumi asked from the side.
Unlike Kobayashi, Honeybee wasn't shy around people—she was just short-tempered. Faced with slippery, provocative reporters, she might very well end up stabbing someone on impulse.
"You won't need to appear," Yomikawa Aiho shook her head. "In this case, you're just an insignificant bystander—something like the 'hero's partner.' There's no need for a defined identity."
Toumi had no complaints about that arrangement. If anything, it saved her a lot of trouble, which suited her just fine.
"And there's one more thing…" After hesitating for a while, Yomikawa Aiho finally took out a box she'd been hiding behind her back.
She opened it.
Inside were two milky-white rings.
"These are electronic ankle monitors," Yomikawa Aiho said apologetically as she looked at Kobayashi and Torahachi. "They're essentially real-time tracking devices, used to restrict the movement range of people under probation."
Although neither Kobayashi nor Torahachi had been formally convicted, their actions had still led them to be classified as "dangerous individuals."
In addition to mandatory psychological counseling twice a week, they were also required to wear these ankle monitors to track their location and restrict their activities.
"Tch." Some unpleasant memory seemed to surface as Torahachi scowled in disgust.
Lowering her voice, Yomikawa Aiho added, "To be honest, this is just for appearances. The two I brought are only mock-ups—they don't have any real monitoring functions."
It was a formality. Something to show others.
Neither Kobayashi nor Toumi doubted her words. And Kobayashi knew that, in Academy City, every student already had a tracking chip implanted in their body—locating someone didn't require ankle monitors at all.
Seeing that they no longer resisted, Yomikawa Aiho personally fastened the rings around their ankles.
"Alright," she said, clapping her hands lightly. "That concludes the disposition. Kobayashi, from here on, just focus on your interview and recovering properly. Toumi-san, don't wander around too much—keep a low profile until things settle down."
Perhaps feeling guilty about personally placing ankle monitors on two children, Yomikawa Aiho didn't linger. She found an excuse and left the hospital room.
With only the two of them remaining, Toumi lifted her leg and nudged the ring around her ankle.
"Feels pretty sturdy. Doesn't look like something you could just rip off with brute force."
"Well, it is meant to restrain criminals," Kobayashi replied casually. "Of course it'd be solid."
"Disgusting thing," Toumi narrowed her eyes. "I could destroy it. Cut it clean off."
"Better not," Kobayashi advised. "It's just tracking. We're not planning to run around anyway—let it watch if it wants."
In his previous life, Kobayashi had lived in an age of extreme digitalization, where excessive data collection was the norm. He'd long since grown accustomed to living under constant "surveillance" and didn't find it particularly offensive.
Not to mention, Yomikawa Aiho had assured them these ankle monitors were only models, without actual tracking functions.
"Kobayashi, you're way too naïve," Toumi sneered. "Do you really think something like this only tracks location? From my experience, devices like this always come with some kind of 'punishment function' to make sure people behave."
"Like… electric shocks?" Kobayashi speculated aloud, casually using his esper ability to form a thin barrier between the device and his skin.
"I'm guessing explosives," Toumi replied flatly.
That very thought was why she hated the ankle monitor so much.
Still, she was only speaking offhand. In the end, Torahachi Toumi chose to trust Yomikawa Aiho. She didn't tamper with the device—just tugged down her pant leg to cover it up.
"I'm going to visit Sakurai-sensei. Good luck with your interview, Hero-sama~" Checking the time, Toumi stood up and left without hesitation.
Thankfully, Yomikawa Aiho didn't leave Kobayashi alone to face the reporters either. Worried that something might go wrong, a Security teacher accompanied him throughout the entire interview.
Under those conditions, Kobayashi's transformation into a "hero" went smoothly. By the next day's news broadcast, he was already seeing reports about himself.
Combined with the uproar surrounding the Black Moon Technology Illegal Experiment scandal over the past few days, Kobayashi was quickly recognized by the citizens of Academy City as a "hero."
During the interview, Kobayashi didn't hide the fact that he had "killed the criminals"—though he gave no details. Against the backdrop of such major news, this "minor detail" was treated as little more than a footnote to a heroic tale, drawing little attention.
Everything unfolded just as Yomikawa Aiho had said it would.
Kobayashi knew that he had cleared this hurdle.
All that remained was to attend his scheduled psychological counseling.
Just as he finally relaxed, ready to focus on recovery and wait for the storm to pass, the arrival of an unexpected visitor shattered his newfound peace—
One day, as Kobayashi was reading quietly in his hospital room, a Security teacher knocked and entered.
"Tessou Tsuzuri-sensei?" Kobayashi recognized the female Security officer. She was Yomikawa Aiho's colleague and close friend, and a named character in the original story as well. "Is something wrong?"
Back when he lived in the apartment complex, Kobayashi had already known Tsuzuri. Influenced by Yomikawa Aiho, she had always treated him kindly and had been visiting him at the hospital frequently.
"Nana-kun, it's about your psychological counseling…" Tsuzuri said.
"I thought that was starting next week?" Kobayashi asked, puzzled.
"They said they want to do an initial evaluation of your mental state first," Tsuzuri replied, sounding just as confused herself. "Then they'll decide on the schedule and course of treatment."
Not knowing what else to say, she turned back and called out,
"Shokuhou-san, you can come in now…"
(End of Chapter)
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