Taiga's Rooftop Challenge
I followed her up to the rooftop anyway, and after finally getting released from the police station, I barely made it back home. My body felt like a thousand pounds of lead. I'd fought an insanely tough enemy. One wrong move, and I would've lost.
"Ugh... fuck..."
I was exhausted and had dealt with a ton of bullshit, but strangely, my mood was lifted. I'd dodged the mandatory event of the first week of March. This meant I wouldn't die. I felt certain of it.
"Time to crash."
I closed my eyes right away and passed out instantly.
The next morning, as a student, I had no choice but to head to school. If I'd had a salaryman life in my previous existence, I'd be used to waking up early, but back then, I was a full-on freelancer. A web novel author, to be exact. Living by writing when horny and sleeping when tired had ruined me—high school life was pure torture.
After entering the classroom, I got called to the homeroom teacher's office right away.
"Arikiri... you got dragged to the station yesterday, huh."
The homeroom teacher looked more baffled than angry as he stared at me.
"Ah... yeah."
"Jeez. Going shirtless for a workout... show some restraint."
The teacher said. Laughter burst out sporadically from the staff room—it was just that ridiculous.
Ah... so fucking embarrassing.
"Anyway, you're young, so it happens. Get back to class."
I returned to the classroom as instructed.
Rumors about my antics had already spread through the class.
"Hahahahaha!!! Shota!! Shirtless workout? Hahaha! You're a total comedian!"
Umi shook with laughter.
"Hahahaha!!! Shota-chin. You're sneakily hilarious? I like you even more now."
Eri Nishikawa, sitting next to her, exploded into laughter too.
"Shut up."
I plopped down at my nearby seat. But the blonde gal and tanned gal kept hovering around me. Persistent bunch.
"Why'd you go shirtless for a workout? Huh? Tell me."
Umi poked my cheek repeatedly as she asked.
"I had a man's fight."
I answered honestly. Geruk... I still haven't forgotten you.
"A man's fight my ass!! Hahaha!!!"
Umi burst into giggles.
"Shota, you're secretly fun, huh?"
Eri said, striking a pose on my desk. Her eyes were gleaming for some reason.
"Anyway, Shota. You hung out with Umi yesterday, right? She was bragging tons about it."
Eri said.
"I-I wasn't bragging!!"
Umi yelled, her face turning red.
"Hang out with me too, Shota. Yeah?"
Eri asked.
"Sure. When I get a chance."
I replied.
"Today. How about today?"
Eri grinned.
"Today... hmm."
Something might be on my schedule, or maybe not.
"Gotta hit the kendo dojo this afternoon. My dad's been waiting like crazy."
Umi jumped in immediately.
"Oh, right."
Gonzaemon. That old man's surprisingly thoughtful. If I skipped today, he might actually get pissed.
"Hmm... so 'afternoon' is a no-go?"
Eri said. Why emphasize "afternoon" like that? Anyway, I played it cool.
"I'm a bit of a businessman, you see. My schedule's booked down to the second."
I said, slicking back my hair.
"Businessman. Heh."
Eri stayed stone-faced, but Umi cracked up.
This girl's laugh is way too easy.
"Does that second-by-second schedule include going shirtless and working out?"
Eri fired back instantly.
"Eri!! Hahaha! Stop being so funny!!"
Umi laughed even harder.
"Anyway... no afternoon... got it!"
Once the chatter died down, Eri flashed a grin and stared right at me. Something felt off.
The chaotic pre-homeroom time dragged on. I wanted to start buddying up with the protagonist, Sashitsu, but the blonde and tanned gals kept chatting me up. Was this the classic pattern where you end up tight with the gals at the start of the semester?
Right before homeroom, the door burst open.
Bang!!!
As the door flew open noisily, all eyes snapped to the front. A fierce-looking girl with red hair strode straight toward me.
That's right. Taiga Natsukawa.
This game's heroine and the protagonist's companion. She wasn't supposed to show up at this point, but here she was, heading to school. And in uniform, no less. She looked nothing like her usual image. Up close, she didn't seem like a thug at all—just a slightly tough-looking cutie.
Thud! Thud!
Before I could react, Taiga Natsukawa stood right in front of my desk. Whispers erupted openly around us.
"That's her. Taiga Natsukawa..."
"Yeah... the leader of the biker gang around here."
"Heard she's even killed people..."
"I... I saw Taiga Natsukawa beat down five guys one-on-one."
The rumors were wild. Most were exaggerated, though. Taiga was a delinquent, sure, but not some mindless rabble-rouser.
"........."
"........."
Even Umi and Eri seemed pretty scared of Taiga Natsukawa—they backed off right away. Gals... weak against the real deal. They shriveled up in front of a genuine thug.
Taiga Natsukawa stared straight at me.
"Come to the rooftop with me for a sec."
She grabbed my wrist immediately. No time to resist—I got dragged off by Taiga Natsukawa.
"...........!"
The whole class watched in stunned silence as I was hauled away.
I stood on the rooftop. She and I should've had zero connection originally... what's going on? I racked my brain. What changed? What butterfly effect caused this? My head was spinning.
"Natsukawa. What's this about?"
I asked calmly for now.
"Call me Taiga."
Taiga Natsukawa said.
"Nats..."
"Unless you wanna get beat."
"Taiga."
Once I used her name, she nodded like she was satisfied.
"You see 'em, right? Those things."
Taiga Natsukawa asked out of nowhere.
"Uh... your beauty's visible to my eyes. Like a goddess..."
I let out an instant compliment.
"Not that!! You idiot!!!"
Taiga flushed red and yelled. Hmm... different vibe from Umi when it comes to impact. Umi laughs off nonsense right away, but Taiga? It's like hitting an instant rage button.
"The monsters that show up at night."
Taiga said.
".....?"
What? How'd she know?
"I saw you yesterday. Fighting that monster."
Taiga said.
"Look, sorry, but it's not a monster. That's my buddy."
Don't call the man I acknowledged, Geruk, some monster.
"What bullshit..."
Taiga stared at me like I was utterly ridiculous.
"Anyway, it is a monster."
Taiga said.
"Take that back right now. Geruk's a warrior I respect."
"Dude... are you actually messed up?"
Taiga eyed me like she couldn't figure me out. Ah... time to show some sincerity.
Whoosh!!
I unbuttoned my dress shirt and flung it off.
"Pffahahaha!!! This guy's shirtless again...! Nooo... not the cops again... pffahahaha!!!"
Taiga burst out laughing. Her serious face crumbled instantly.
"........."
She'd watched me get hauled off by the police live too, huh. Super embarrassing.
Anyway, things settled down. I put my uniform back on, and Taiga cleared her throat awkwardly.
"I see 'em too. The monsters."
Taiga said.
"I thought it was just my hallucination... didn't know they were real."
Then she looked me dead in the eye.
"But... it never occurred to me to fight 'em. You just go right at 'em, no hesitation. I like that. Made me realize how weak I've been inside."
Taiga said, sounding relieved.
"........."
Me? I was just scared shitless. This girl... way off from canon.
"Back in January. Someone precious to me got torn apart by those monsters. After that, even though I could see 'em, I never thought to fight. Rage boiled up, but my feet just wouldn't move."
Taiga said.
I knew her backstory from three playthroughs of the game. Taiga lost her grandma in January—to Other Side monsters.
"Seeing you... it feels like my body's moving right again. Thanks for that."
Taiga thanked me openly. This was supposed to be the gratitude the protagonist gets in April... I'd accidentally hogged it. No, this is total bullshit. Who'd think Taiga would witness my fight with Geruk?
"So, how about it? Nighttime, we hunt monsters together. Slaughter every last one—no more victims like me."
Taiga fixed me with eyes burning with hatred.
"......A companion, huh."
What to do? How to smoothly recruit the protagonist too? I pondered.
Originally, my awakening was the protagonist's trigger. Arikiri Shota was supposed to turn up dead today—that's what hooked Sashitsu into the plot. But that's gone now. Shit was getting messy.
"Hey. You saying no?"
Taiga glared and grabbed my collar right away. Geez, temper much?
"I'm thinking. Intellectual activity in progress."
I said.
"A shirtless freak like you thinks?"
Taiga kept harping on the shirtless thing.
Really hung up on that? Grabbing my collar brought her face close. That's when it happened.
Bang!!
The rooftop door flew open.
"Shota!! You okay?!!"
"Shota-chin!!"
Umi and Eri came rushing onto the rooftop, brooms gripped like weapons.
"The hell?"
Taiga scowled at them, pissed at the interruption. Things just got way more complicated.