Kämpfer:Volume 9.5 Chapter 2
Volume 9.5 Chapter 2
I was still wondering what kind of date this would be, but Akane Mishima seemed to have
stopped thinking about it. On the way back from her part -time job, she seemed incredibly
excited.
"It's a date, absolutely,"
she said, adding, "Please come as a man." I wanted to go as a woman, but it seemed
impossible.
Doing so would expose my true identity to the class monitor and the others. But it seemed
like the attack plan couldn't be leaked either; women's hearts are as unfathomable as the
sea.
I received 10,000 yen for my part -time job, and thinking it was the amount the class
monitor and the others had sorted and confirmed, I didn't feel any pain at all. Compensation,
compensation.
The woman said, "Thank you for your help! I'll need you again," but I didn't respond. I
couldn't bear to face all that visceral stuff again...
Then a few days passed. Wow, time had really flown by.
I rushed to the station to meet Akane Mishima. It couldn't be anywhere else, that was
obvious.
It was a holiday, so there were a lot of people waiting, and there were many men and
women waiting with their phones. Even if there were foreign spies here, they wouldn't be
able to tell, right? I didn't know why there were spies, though.
As time passed, Akane Mishima arrived.
"Sorry... were you waiting long?"
"Not at all,"
I replied, her face looking relieved.
"Great... I spent a lot of time picking out clothes, and I thought Natsuru -san would be
mad."
As I watched, Akane Mishima was wearing a matching three -quarter -sleeve shirt and
minimal makeup, a pink hue shone through from top to bottom, a perfect match. It was a
stark contrast to me in my old jeans.
Oh, the only unfortunate thing was that my breasts seemed unusually large, but it wasn't a
big deal anyway.
"Eh... is that weird?"
"No, no, it's perfect."
"Because Natsuru -san has been on dates with all sorts of girls, I've been wondering if my
outfit would satisfy you."
That was a line I couldn't ignore.
"She's been on dates too..."
"She's been on dates with both the president and Kondou -san."
"That guy took the initiative."
"Then let's go on a date."
"..."
"But it doesn't matter. I have Natsuru -san all to myself today,"
Akane Mishima said with a smile.
It's absurd, but if it makes her happy, it's fine. Feeling happy is enough.
I asked her,
"Where should we go?"
"Just somewhere Natsuru -san likes."
That was the most troubling thing. I'm not good at choosing places myself. Choosing a
place for a date is like finding your way lost in the mountains at night.
Honestly, I'd love to just go home and go to sleep, but that answer definitely wouldn't
work.
"Shall we go shopping?"
"Okay... let's go to the places you want to go, Natsuru -san."
"Anywhere Akane -chan likes is fine."
She seemed a little lost,
then said slowly,
"Then... let's go buy some books."
"Have you bought books before?"
"I love books,"
she said shyly. As expected of a library committee member, she never forgets about books.
Akane Mishima walked towards the station.
"Hmm? Isn't there a bookstore here?"
"No, we need to take the bus to get to where we're going."
"Why?"
"There's a place I really want to go."
Aren't books the same no matter where you buy them? Or do the covers of books in
different places differ? We boarded the train and found a two -seater, so we sat side by side.
It felt a bit like when Kondou Mikoto went to Gunma.
Akane Mishima seemed just as excited as Kondou Mikoto back then. I don't understand
why she's so excited when we're not going on a picnic.
"Is that a bookstore?"
"You could say that."
"Weletsfanguard?" (The name of the store, I guess)
"No."
As if there were some secret, my mind didn't answer. Could it be a used bookstore? After
several stops, I finally got off the bus. I didn't recognize the place Akane Mishima thought
was my destination.
Streets this way and that... I had no idea where it was. Anyway, let's go together.
"There."
"...Ahh."
Looking at the direction Akane Mishima pointed, I felt utterly weak.
It was an anime store, so there was no need to panic.
"Do you hate it here?"
"No."
"Great. I really like this store."
Speaking of which, this girl doesn't just like books, she loves anime too.
I'm not an idiot about the rest of it, but I'd be hard -pressed to name a specific anime
genre. Mr. Nakazawa from the boys' club once explained anime to me. While I'm no expert, I
do know a bit about things like soccer.
Akane Mishima walked in first. It was a single -story place, and it really looked like an anime
store.
Following the clerk's "Welcome," I walked in. It was brighter and more spacious than I'd
expected.
On the right side were anime merchandise, and on the left were CDs and DVDs —plenty of
them. Are there any games? If it was this, I'd know something.
"This way,"
Akane Mishima waved at me, as if that was a really fancy place, a place full of
merchandise.
"I'll just buy it here."
"Yeah,"
she said, seemingly oblivious to my reply, already selecting items. Such a happy expression.
I crossed my arms and looked around. There were more girls than I'd expected. I'd thought
there would only be boys here, but it seems not. The ages varied, too, younger than the
average boy. Occasionally, I'd see a girl who looked like an elementary sc hool student. Is that
okay? What are the adults doing?
"There are plenty of young children,"
Akane Mishima said at some point, looking over.
"That's rude."
"Are we banning children?"
"That's not the case, but it's not okay to not be aware of the atmosphere."
I'm not very good at sensing the atmosphere either.
It might be necessary for girls these days, perhaps because of society, right? Girls integrate
immediately after graduation. As a girl, I'm also very bad at sensing the atmosphere. What
should I do?
"I often see girls from our school in this shop."
"You're kidding, right?"
I glanced around hastily. No one.
"I didn't see any today."
"But I've never seen a girl in the girls' section who likes anime."
"They just don't say it, but there are some,"
she said, seeming quite certain. Hmm, is that so?
"So, you're also aware of the atmosphere?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't ask specifically, but it's definitely true that you don't need to use
common sense to think."
"But girls tend to whisper a lot, right?"
"Pika pika... what's that Natsuru -san saying?"
"Isn't it?"
"It's nice to have rumors about your own affairs."
"Are you happy about that?"
"I'm happy... But Class 2, Grade 4 is a little different."
They all like to spread rumors, but the content is a little strange. Maybe it seems normal to
the class monitors. I used to think they were normal, but it seems I was wrong. Lately, I've
been able to understand them a little.
"There are so many girls in Seitetsu who like this. It's so different from when I was in junior
high. I was really surprised."
"Eh—"
"No one says anything to girls who talk too much, they just laugh it off. That's really good."
Yeah, that seems to be true.
The boys' club has this tendency too, not taking other people's comments too seriously.
Anyone who reads books about the Bishoujo Research Society will know that if it's just an
invasion of privacy, those guys won't get angry.
Class 2, Grade 4 of the Girls' Department is different. They really enjoy entering into
incredibly idiotic realms. Is that part of the class monitor's nature...?
Perhaps the talent for laughter is a tradition passed down from Seitetsu Academy. Shizuku
also said, "It would be nice to get a job at the school."
Anyway, we're in that kind of environment, even though we're at an anime store right now.
In Akane Mishima's hand, she was already holding some anime merchandise.
"What did you buy?"
"Pads, pencils, and stuff."
She glanced at it, and it looked like printed anime characters. And, come to think of it,
viscera are kind of that, right? But it's a lot more peaceful than viscera, which exposes the
insides anyway.
"Preparing for yesterday's part -time job."
That's impressive! I need to save some useful things for the future.
She even has posters and handbags in her handbag. All of this stuff must have cost a lot,
right?
"Do you want to buy them all?"
"No, only Kaede Sakura would do that."
She was indeed someone who would spend a fortune just to collect animal entrails.
"But these aren't all?"
"These aren't just merchandise from the same anime,"
she said, reassuring me. So that's what they looked like. They didn't seem to be animated
in the same weekly magazine, nor were they published by the same place.
"I like this anime; it airs every Sunday morning."
It sounded like a photo album of attractive men, but I wouldn't watch that. I'd definitely be
asleep at that hour.
"But it's really tiring to watch it so early in the morning."
"I don't think you're checking the weather forecast, are you?"
"Yes, I do, not only in the morning but also at night. It's tiring."
She seemed very tired. If that's tiring, wouldn't most people think? Isn't it just torture?
"And lately there are so many anime adaptations of original works, and so many comic
book adaptations."
"You want to watch all of them?"
"Of course I should, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the author."
"Is that so?"
"It's the fans' obligation,"
she asserted, and she was quite sincere.
"In fact, you must also support the voice actors who perform in the show. It's also
important to go to the viewing stage of your favorite voice actor. There are people who wait
at the door just to get in and take a look."
"Even Akane -chan?"
"I can't do that yet, but people who do are really respectable. Isn't it great to support
something you love? If you have money, you can buy it and enjoy it to your heart's content."
"Well, Akane -chan"
"But as anime fans, just coming to the store like this isn't enough. I really want to gather
information and understand the atmosphere inside the store. After all, we all have to provide
business support."
"Akane -chan..."
"But in this case, there's a reason to increase anime adaptations of comics, games, and
novels. In the past, there were usually 4 seasons...ah, 4 seasons is a year, and 1 season is
three months."
"Akane..."
"Anime used to have two seasons, but now they only have one season. In the past, anime
only needed one story per episode. But now, one episode has to tell four stories, which is
four times as many as before."
"Akane..."
"In this case, won't a lot of fan -made original works have to be adapted into animations?
So there will be a lot of animations broadcast. But even so, the original DVDs still can't be
sold, so a group of people who love animation have formed a fan club to support the
development of animation..."
"It's the same when I buy peripherals. I've also been thinking about Kaede Sakura. It's
really respectable to buy so many internal organs. As a representative of fans, it's really
worthy of praise."
She said it all in one breath. Then,
I just listened silently, feeling really embarrassed.
"I... I, have I been talking alone all the time?"
"That's about it."
"I'm so sorry... I'm too excited about this topic."
It's different from yesterday's shy personality, but it's also different from the bulldog mode.
It feels like I've become a third person.
"You're really that... enthusiastic."
"I really like it. I know some people say that 'animation is not a joke.'"
"Did the animation manufacturer say that?"
"No, I'm just an ordinary fan, the crazy kind."
Akane Mishima added, "I can understand this feeling."
But I have no idea what she is talking about, as if we are in different worlds. But I seem to
understand her feelings, just like when I was excited watching the Japanese team play in the
World Cup qualifiers. If they didn't qualify, I wouldn't be able to sleep all night. Everyone
feels the same when they are interested in the same thing. But, she seemed to be talking
about games!
"...So, did Akane buy that?"
Holding the bag, she laughed from the bottom of her heart. "Yes."
After saying that, Akane Mishima walked towards the cashier.
"Please wait a moment."
"It's okay, it's your own thing."
"It's okay."
"It really doesn't matter. I feel very happy if I buy it myself."
Wow, she has really become strong. Well, I can still understand this feeling. When I worked
part-time for the first time in high school, I was very happy to buy something I liked with my
part-time salary. Although it doesn't make any sense, that's how I felt.
Just in case, I asked her again, and she still refused.
"Ah, but when you take the book, maybe I still hope you can wait by the side. The book is
too heavy."
Indeed, nowadays comics and magazines are as thick as phone bills.
Akane Mishima walked towards the corner of the book with a paper bag.
I thought they were professional books, but it seems not, they turned out to be novels and
game guides.
I also know about game guides, and I have gotten a lot of help from them. I also play
games frequently. I also rely on guides. There is nothing more convenient in the world.
But Akane Mishima did not stay at the guides, but walked deeper inside.
"Where are the comics...?"
"Forget it today."
What's going on? It's not like this usually.
Akane Mishima stopped at what seemed to be her destination, the novel section. But
there was an animation illustration on the cover.
"I'll take a look,"
and then she started to look at it with the same eyes as Mr. Nakazawa looking at an
archaeological antique. This should be the time for the "Appraisal Club" to appear.
It is definitely forbidden to interrupt now. You can tell by the serious expression, and her
face suddenly became bright. The same goes for Higashida. If you make a sound while he is
looking at the beautiful girl photo album, he will definitely be angr y.
In this case, it's not a good idea to keep watching her from behind, so I started to walk
around the store.
Even so, I feel that I don't fit in with this environment. I don't know where to go. I still don't
understand the superficial things here, and this is the first thing. The ideas in my mind are
still not making any progress.
For the time being, I will wander around, and before I know it, I came to a place like a
quarantine area that is not usually seen.
"Ahhh, that's not allowed."
I don't know when Akane Mishima came up from behind me and stopped me.
Surprised, I also had questions,
"Why?"
"Why...this, just can't be done."
Suddenly, she started to say a tongue twister like in a comic book.
In the corner where I was going, there were subtle pink and blue colors. I think it was
probably the products bought by girls. There seemed to be a lot of illustrations of men.
"What is it?"
"You can't get close..."
"What does it matter?"
"No. That...that, it's specially placed in the corner. I hope you understand."
I don't think anyone would understand this kind of explanation.
Besides, since there are illustrations of men, it's okay for men to read it, right? If it's the
kind of book between men and women that is 18+, there will definitely be a large instruction
manual there.
But Akane Mishima still stopped me,
"Really not."
"Akane -chan, can I read it?"
"I...well, yes. The type I like."
I don't know why her face seemed to turn red,
"What type?"
"...Do you know BL?"
"BL?"
"If you don't know, then forget it."
She seemed not to want to explain to me anymore, and didn't answer any questions. But
what exactly is BL? I still know PL, the famous high school baseball. And the manufacturing
responsibility is called PL because it is product liability, so it is writ ten like this.
Akane Mishima took a deep breath. What is going on?
"Um, please forget about what is happening now."
"BL thing?"
"Yes, there are still things in the world that it doesn't matter if Natsuru -san doesn't know."
Maybe it's better not to explain.
Akane Mishima regained the spirit she had when she came to the store. She was not
looking for that BL. Maybe she is just like this lively in this store?
She found the novel on the bookshelf.
"Have you decided what books to buy?"
"Yes,"
she smiled. There were so many books, it looked like she'd bought them all. With just that,
I think the owner would have made back the money, right?
"Do you have to read them all?"
"Yes, since I bought them, I have to."
"Will it take several months?"
"Huh? Just a few days, right?"
Akane Mishima asked. I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. It would probably take me a year
to read all of them. And reading them all would kill me. Comics are okay, but novels are too
difficult for me.
"But after just one volume..."
"It's so interesting, I'll read it several times."
It was even more unbelievable. I don't even reread comics. I do a thorough cleanup once a
year, getting rid of all the ones I've read.
"Well... Akane is so unique."
"I think everyone who loves books is like this."
"Uh..."
So everyone in the store is like this? That's amazing. What kind of brains and eyes do they
have?
Anyone who loves books would feel happy like this. Speaking of which, Akane Mishima felt
incredibly excited the moment she reached the book corner.
I asked her,
"Have you decided what to buy?"
"Not yet. If there's an interesting book, I'll buy it."
"So?"
"Well, that's right. I did decide a while ago, but I went into the store and explored it, and I
really liked it."
"How do you do it?"
What kind of method is this? Novels are different from comics, they only have words. It's
impossible to carefully read and choose in the store. Do you just have to choose by glancing
at them?
"I see?"
"So how do you choose?"
"Well, let's put it this way... interesting books have interesting tones, and you'll want to
read them."
"What?"
What kind of hidden story is this? Books can talk? That's terrifying.
But Akane Mishima still looked very serious.
"When I think of books, I think of bookstores... places that specialize in books, but there
are also bookstores that are completely obscure."
"...Huh?"
"If you keep walking around a bookstore, you can feel this atmosphere. If you hold a book,
like this... it will emanate from the store."
Akane Mishima walked around with her new purchases. Hey, we're inside a store!
"If I understand this, I'll be able to tell if a book is interesting just by looking at the back."
"...?"
A question slowly surfaced, like a yokai legend told by an old woman from the Meiji era, or
a story told by a Nobel Prize winner.
"It's really fun to buy things I like. Just seeing the cover of this book I bought this time
makes me want to work again. Books are truly a treasure of humanity."
"Well, that means Akane -chan, a psychic or something..."
"No, everyone who loves books is probably like that. You can't experience these kinds of
pleasures in online bookstores. It's not just the title, it's wonderful to read everything about
the book. Yeah, the feeling of having the title stuck in my head a nd then having the back of
the book stimulate my mind is incredibly satisfying. Anyway, I'm a huge fan of bookstores and
libraries."
She said the last sentence with a hint of embarrassment.
"I like anime stores like this too,"
she said shyly, her eyes sparkling.
How should I put it in this situation? Someone with a sharp tongue might say, "Akane's on
drugs," but it's not surprising to think so.
However, I absolutely can't say this out loud. While normally Akane Mishima is incredibly
submissive, as a Kämpfer, she becomes incredibly aggressive and fires her gun wildly —either
way is extreme.
Then she cheerfully said, "If you like this, you'll be like this, too." While that might be true
in anime, it's a different story in novels. But girls who pour their passion into something are
truly wonderful.
And then I unconsciously thought of "cute."
No, no, that's too rude, but it's true that it's cute, and this gesture is truly beautiful. So,
after all, Akane Mishima's my type.
She looked at me anxiously,
"What's wrong..."
"No, nothing."
"Did I just keep talking non -stop again? Sorry, I tend to ramble on and on about anything
I'm interested in, and I'm really bothering you."
"I feel that way."
"But... because I was saying all this with Natsuru -san..."
I'm afraid Akane Mishima wouldn't know what to say. So I naturally answered,
"But I'm very happy. Akane -chan is really cute."
"Hey..."
Akane Mishima seemed surprised.
"This, that, that...what did Natsuru -san say?"
"Cute."
"I, I'm cute?"
"Yeah, you're my type."
After saying this naturally,
Akane Mishima's face changed from surprise to joy, and slowly became rosy.
"Is, is that so... hehe..."
"?"
"How should I put it, I'm so happy that Natsuru -san said that seriously."
"Yes, I am serious."
"Yeah, I know that's serious."
After listening to my lines, she smiled, as if she had a feeling that her feet were off the
ground,
but I yawned at this time and didn't feel it.
At this time, I saw the bag she had just put on the ground.
"Wait a minute."
"Oh, sorry...it's a bit heavy."
"Okay,"
it was indeed heavy. Novels are supposed to be light, but this one felt heavy. I noticed it
when I bought it.
"Want to check out? I'll take it."
"Please..."
Then Akane Mishima seemed a little embarrassed.
"I wonder what would happen if someone saw us?"
"What?"
"Natsuru -san and I, a boy helping me carry things, isn't that like a couple?"
"But I know it's not like that."
"I really want to be seen."
"By whom?"
"Yes..."
"Me?"
A voice came from another direction.
I hurriedly turned around and saw
standing on the empty street, a woman with long black hair hanging down her body and a
beautiful face like a model.
This was our student council president, Shizuku.
Everyone in the store was staring at Shizuku, but there was nothing they could do. This
woman was just that kind of beauty. Her casual clothes looked different than those at school.
I sighed. Why was she here?
"Senou -kun, what's there to be surprised about?"
"Yes, President...how did you know?"
"The monitor of Class 4, Grade 2 told me, and it's not cheap."
Those black -hearted women, why not tell anyone else but reveal the news to the person
they shouldn't tell it to.
"Mishima -san said she was dating a female Senou -kun, but that's not the case now. The
student council secretary also heard that Mishima -san was seen visiting this store before."
Akane Mishima also said that she saw someone from the school, so it seems natural that
she was seen.
"Okay, the conspiracy should be over, and now it's my turn."
Shizuku put her hands on her hips, posing like in a comic. People like this are like selling in
an anime bookstore.
The woman's eyes immediately turned to me.
"Why are you dating Mishima -san?"
"Ah..."
"Answer me, don't say you don't understand the meaning of questioning."
Hungry...this line is quite cold. Although this was clearly a question, I felt it didn't make
sense.
"A date?"
"A date, right? You even helped Mishima -san pick up her shopping. You've never done
anything like that for me."
No way, you're stronger than me. There are various other reasons why I wouldn't do this.
"Wait, why are you angry?"
"Do I look angry?"
"Yes."
Most people might not know this, but I've been spending more time with her lately, and I
think I'm slowly beginning to understand her feelings.
Shizuku's gaze remains icy, even colder than a freezer.
"It's okay to be angry."
"Don't be angry anymore, you're freezing."
"I want to look classy too."
"Then why?"
"Because we're dating."
Isn't that strange? Are we a couple?
Shizuku always talks like this, and she says it so calmly. She must be trying to make me
miserable to tease me, right? Am I so miserable because I was a murderer in my past life?
"I can't just let my boyfriend do this."
"Wait, when did I become your boyfriend? Who decided that?"
"It was me,"
she said, as if it were a matter of course. What's wrong with this woman's brain?
Anyway, I knew Shizuku was the kind of woman who would impose her will. She held a lot
of power in the Seitetsu Student Council, responsible for so much. She could change the
outcome of a case with a blink of an eye or a twitch of an eyebrow.
While that was good for the Student Council, it wasn't the same for me, just like now.
Resistance was impossible for this guy.
"So, can this decision be overturned?"
"No."
"Why is my opinion always ignored?"
"No, it's just that I consider it my lowest point."
It seems that this lowest point is always above my opinion.
Shizuku made a thoughtful gesture and said,
"Go out. It's not convenient to talk here."
"No,"
Akane Mishima glared at Shizuku fiercely.
"Today is the day for Natsuru and me. President, please think carefully."
"Mishima -san, you..."
"I said no, it's no."
The words were so clear. I was afraid of Shizuku, and Akane Mishima was the same. I used
to endure it in silence, rarely even looking her in the eye.
But today's words were truly shocking, a clear rejection.
Shizuku seemed to sense it and didn't respond immediately.
"...You're really calm and composed today."
"Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple. Natsuru is mine."
Huh? Is that so?
I sighed. Normally, I'd be shocked, but now it felt normal.
Akane Mishima continued,
"President, you don't know that Natsuru and I are already dating, and soon Natsuru and
you will have nothing to do with each other."
"..."
"I am the type that Natsuru likes, so I am not afraid of you."
Yes, I feel that the lines are still very calm, and different from the usual weakness, there is
a sense of challenge.
Shizuku's shoes stepped up and down on the floor.
"...Is this a declaration of war against me?"
"No, the war is over, I won."
That was a really short war, the commander of such a war would surely be very happy,
right?
Shizuku walked towards Akane Mishima, and the height difference between the two was
immediately apparent, and an incredible atmosphere arose from Akane Mishima's place.
The silent time continued.
Everyone in the store noticed us, and whispers came one after another, "Shura Field?",
"This man is really fickle..." and so on. As expected, we were misunderstood. Let's get out
quickly, it's too awful to stay here.
Unusually, Shizuku was the first to speak.
"Get out,"
this time clearly pointing to the exit.
"I don't want to be watched."
"I'm fine."
"...Get out."
Wow, Shizuku actually lowered her head. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, it was
absolutely impossible.
She walked out of the store first.
"...Natsuru -san, let's go outside."
Akane Mishima took back the bag I had carried for her without me noticing.
"I'll come back after I buy this."
"Huh? Just now, you said you couldn't go out..."
"No, it's okay now."
She walked leisurely towards the checkout.
I walked out of the store as she said.
The sun was very strong. Thinking back, I didn't have breakfast. After all that happened, it
was inconvenient to talk with an empty stomach.
The atmosphere just now disappeared while Shizuku was waiting outside,
and it returned to normal. It seemed like a dream that I had just said I was going out.
I stood there hesitantly, not knowing what to say.
"It's nothing."
Is that so?
After waiting for a while, Akane Mishima came out. She was carrying bags in both hands.
After all, they were peripherals and books, so they were quite heavy.
"Sorry for the wait."
Then she walked to my side as a matter of course.
"I'm hungry. Let's go eat?"
"Yeah, okay."
"Is the president coming too?"
I asked her very casually.
Shizuku was slightly moved, as if a muscle on her face twitched.
"You're welcome."
This was really rare, she wasn't always thick -skinned, even if she hated noisy places, she
would normally sit next to someone else.
"It's okay with me, let's go together."
"Let's talk about it later."
Shizuku walked in the opposite direction of us, and although her posture was no different
from usual, I still felt a little alienated, just a little.
"Forget it today, but it doesn't mean I lose."
"That's okay."
"Mishima -san, you're really brave."
"Not to the level of the president yet,"
Akane Mishima replied. Shizuku didn't say anything else and just left.
"Gone."
I said this like a fool, isn't it obvious?
"Just go, let's go eat."
"Well...that Akane -chan"
"What's wrong?"
"Why did the president say that it doesn't mean I lose?"
"What's going on?"
She answered as if she already knew everything.
It was this ambiguous tone again. I was about to give up when Akane Mishima grabbed my
hand.
Translator's Notes
This chapter was translated from the Chinese translation of the original Japanese text.
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