Well, here I am.

School.

This is all a waste of time, but I guess it won't be for much longer. Two months more of this grade and a year for the next is all I have to suffer through. After that, I'll be free to do as I wish without these annoying requirements.

The Hero work is still a problem, but at least with that I can take as long as I want. I may be the Hero, but I am far from the only hero. Attacks have become very rare in this part of the city, too.

"Oh, hey, Akira!"

Thanks to me, of course. I've done such a good job as the Hero that ever since my previous encounter and victory against Curis Pea Eeveoil Chikun, the dastardly members of the Evil Order of Villainy haven't attacked in a few months. And it's all thanks to me!

If only people could appreciate me as much as I protect them.

"—hear me?"

Hmph.

No matter. It's not like I want to tell everybody that I am the Hero. I'm just Akira Seto, an average guy in an average world. No need for everyone to know that I am Hero, savior of the city. It'd just lead to more unnecessary pestering, and—

WHACK!

"Akira, you bastard! Can you hear me now!?"

Ugh! Of course he hits me, this idiot!

"Yeah, I can, doofus," I reply and rub the back of my head.

"Finally! So, how are you this morning, bro?"

That's Makoto Yamato. He's what you would call a "jock" in a school. Tall, strong, and really popular with the girls. Some boys, even. I don't really see why. It's not like he's smart or anything. Or even handsome. At least I look somewhat cute, unlike him.

He has short, spiky blonde hair and is at least half a foot taller than I am. He likes to wear our school's sports team jacket everywhere and always brags about how cool his new shoes are.

I met him last year in chemistry class where he created a dry ice bomb as a joke, and I, being his seatmate at the time, was also punished for the accident. I didn't even do anything to help! I was punished by proxy! Just for being around him! Anyway, while in detention, he started annoying me and declared himself my best friend. Stupid and can't respect basic boundaries, this man-child.

But as expected, schools are a waste of time and are just as stupid as Makoto is. Can't even find culprits of dumb pranks without involving the innocent. Even worse, wrongly involving the innocent.

I can't say I really despise his presence, however. Being around the most popular guy in school has its perks. Nobody bullies me as much, and having to deal with one immature person is far better than an entire school's worth of them.

WHACK!

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"Gah! What was that for!?"

"I asked how are you this morning, bro! I get that you like to have these super deep thoughts of yours, but you don't need to leave a bro hanging!"

"I wish I could leave myself hanging. But, uh, I'm fine, I guess. Happy?"

"Hah! Good to know, bro!" he says, bringing up his fist.

A fist bump?

As childish as ever, but what can I do?

I meet his fist with my own and he pats me on the back unreasonably hard, causing me to drop a few of my books on the floor.

Tch. If it weren't for his obviously sincere and well-meaning tone and personality, I'd be hitting him back by now!

"Oops! My bad, bro! Let me help you!"

Sigh. As if I'd trust someone as clumsy as him to help.

"No, no, you can go on ahead. I can pick up a few papers just fine, thank you." I tell him.

"You sure? Well, alright then! Catch you at lunch, bro! Good luck!" he says, jogging on into the massive structure of this school and giving me a half-assed salute as he does.

I massage the bridge of my nose and crouch down to pick up my books and papers.

Damn, there's dirt all over them now! He couldn't have at least waited to smack my back when we were on the paved and abnormally clean stone path!?

Well, that's Makoto for you.

That's enough complaining for now, unless I want to be late for class and listen to my teacher's dumb rants about not being late again.

Math, science, test papers, my folder, history, my bag that I don't use even though I should, language, a hand, my money, my...

A hand!?

I look up to find the source of this hand, and—

SLAP!

"You idiot!" the hand's owner yells.

Oh.

That voice.

Yes, I recognize that voice. I recognize her.

"What are you doing touching my hand like that!? Dumb! Stupid! Dumbass! Idiot!" she continues.

Sadly, it's not the woman I'd prefer to be around.

This is Akane. One of my classmates, and someone I share two classes with. She's decently popular in the school, which is to be expected as she's the secretary of the student council. She's around as tall as I am, barely a few inches shorter, and her dark yellow hair is always styled into twin-tails.

For some reason, she's also unnecessarily harsh towards me! To everyone else, she's friendly and talks like a normal person, but when it comes to me, she starts hitting and complaining about every little thing I do! I can't even fathom why such stupidity is happening! Does everyone just have it out against me!?

"You pervert" she yells. "Pervert! Stupid! Gah!"

"Hey, stop it!" I scream back as I feel the gaze of every student around us land on me. Damn it, Akane!

She pulls back her hand and jumps to her feet.

"I was trying to help you, and you sexually harass me!?"

"No, I didn't! It was an accident, I didn't even see you there!"

"What do you mean you didn't see me!? I told you I was trying to help!"

She did? No, that can't be. I do get immersed in my thoughts often, but it's not like I space out and forget to be aware of my surroundings! That would be plain absurd.

".. Wait, are you even listening to me!? My goodness, you were being serious?!"

"What, of course I heard you! I just... yeah!"

"Bah! You're insufferable! Stupid!"

She throws back my a few of my books at me, hitting my chest and causing the books to land on the ground again.

"I hope you die! Stupid!" she says before turning around and running away.

See!?

What the hell did I do to deserve this?! Just because she's popular and kind of cute, and she thinks she has the right to treat me like this!? She's even worse than the children in this school!

God, now I really will be late because of her! Even worse, my reputation is going to plummet if people get the wrong idea because of this!

"The loner is a pervert, huh? Who could've known?" a student murmers.

"Lol, creep." another one says.

Ack!

"Why is he even here..?"

Gah!

"Worthless creep..."

Ouch!

"He should just leave this school."

Guh!

"Who's that?"

Raagh!

I've been tarnished!

Tarnished!

My reputation, my life, my goals!

Whatever, screw them! Why would I care about their opinions, anyway? I know the real, whole truth, and that's all that matters!

Yeah, that's right! I protect these idiots because I'm a hero! As long as I do the right things, it doesn't matter what they think of me! At the end of the day, I'll be the better man! Bully all you want, because I know that I'm morally superior!

Heh. I feel better about myself already. Children, all of them. Believing someone before hearing both sides of the story? How immature.

Anyway, time get to class already. Bell's about to ring, and the lectures about being late are so unbelievably boring and generic.

I have to pick up my stuff again because of Akane's childish behavior, though. Annoying.

Let's see, math, literature, history, my pens and pencils, a hand grenade, a...

Wait, what!?

BOOM!