Self-Defense

Translated by LyraDhani

Edited by LyraDhani

After arriving at the street Yukitaka had mentioned, Tsugumi checked all the alleys in the area one by one. Then, from one of them, he heard a voice that sounded like someone was fighting.

Maybe this is the right place. Thinking that, Tsugumi cautiously stepped toward the voice. What he saw there was unexpected.

Just as Yukitaka had said, two bad-looking men were lying sewn up on the ground.

The one who created the situation was the gentle-looking blonde boyAzalea.

One of the men was stomped hard on the back with his foot, the other was on his knees with his arms twisted up, and both were moaning and screaming, their faces contorted in pain.

Judging it simply, he was entangled in a situation but resolved it by brute force. Just as Yukitaka had ridiculed, a rescue might not have been necessary. Tsugumi wondered for a moment whether he should intervene, and then, eventually giving up, he strode deeper into the alleyway.

Perhaps noticing the footsteps, Azalea slowly moved to the sound of the footsteps at Tsugumi. With a surprised expression on his face, Azalea raised his voice.

Why are you here, Nanase-kun?

Azalea probably didnt expect to run into Tsugumi, either. Somehow, he was giving off an air of being batshit crazy.

Uh, um, YukitakaI heard from a classmate I ran into earlier that Azalea was getting tangled up with some strange guys around here, so I came to check. Anyway, can you tell me what happened?

When Tsugumi forcefully asked this, Azalea opened his mouth, lowering his eyebrows with a troubled look.

These people suddenly started talking to me in a quarrelsome manner. Well, at first I ignored them, but then they suddenly became angry and grabbed me, so I had to restrain them.

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Saying this, Azalea clamped down hard on the mans hands as he struggled to escape. Seeing the mercilessness, Tsugumi smiled dryly. Apparently, Azalea had a more extreme nature than Tsugumi had thought.

I see. I understand the situation.

When Tsugumi approached the men being held down, he crouched down, made eye contact with them, and said in a quiet voice.

Are you all right? Yeah, there dont seem to be any noticeable injuries. I think you guys should pick the right guy to mess with. As you can see from this guy. I think it would be better for both parties if you dont take it too seriously.

It will be troublesome if you make a fuss, he told the men, threatening them in no uncertain terms. A case involving a foreigner required a variety of complicated procedures. Whether you were the perpetrator or the victim, it was just as complicated.

Moreover, if Azaleas words were to be believed, they were the ones who made the first move. And since they didnt seem to be badly hurt either, it was probably safe to call it quit on each other.

The man who was being held by Azalea might have come to the same conclusion, and while his face contorted in bitterness, he gave a small nod to Tsugumis suggestion.

And when Tsugumi urged Azalea to let go of his hand, the man stood up. He then clicked his tongue loudly, supported the other man who was being held down on the ground, and strode away, glaring at Tsugumi. As if to say, watch out now.

He didnt think they had the guts to retaliate, but it would be a good idea to report this to Azaleas guardian, Mebuki, in case they did.

As he stared blankly at the men who were leaving, Tsugumi let out a loud sigh of relief.

Youd better be careful. There are people like those guys who will try to get you in trouble even if you havent done anything wrong. But Im a little relieved. If you can fight back like that, you can protect yourself.

When Tsugumi said so, Azaleas eyes widened in surprise. Azalea then asked him curiously.

Dont you get disillusioned?

Huh? About what?

No, because when normal people see this side of me, they usually keep their distance.

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At Azaleas words, Tsugumi opened his mouth and stared at Azalea.

It was indeed surprising that Azalea, who looked so calm, was able to fight off the thugs with such ease. But that was all. There were many people in Tsugumis class who looked like frauds.

If I keep my distance because of this, I wouldnt be able to talk with our classmates. Theyre still quiet now, but theyre basically all weirdos.

There was no shortage of funny topics, such as the taciturn literary girl in the class twisting up a pervert with one hand, or the baseball boy who claimed his AI was his girlfriend. Compared to that, a gap of this magnitude was almost negligible.

When Tsugumi said this, Azalea scratched his cheek with an indescribable wry smile.

Haha. Just like Kei said, there are a lot of interesting people in that class.

Theyre a hassle, but at least you wont get bored. Anyway, is Azalea alone today? No chaperones or anything?

When Tsugumi asked him worriedly, Azalea gave a small nod and said.

Yes. I forced the Mebuki family to let me come out here. I really wanted to walk the streets alone. But it might have been a mistake. Because it seems that foreigners are not looked at as well as I thought they would be..

When Azalea spoke so dejectedly, Tsugumi lightly tapped him on the shoulder and said in a light tone.

Dont worry too much about those people. Some people may be a little sarcastic, but most people dont care that much. You didnt do anything wrong, so be more brazen.

It wasnt that the area was unsafe, but there were still a certain number of people like that. Magical Girlsperhaps because they lived in a world where women were more respected, a lot of men were left out of society.

Tsugumi thought they should work harder rather than rot like that, but he supposed it wasnt that easy.

Is that so

Yes, it is. Even so, what is Azalea going to do after this? The same thing probably wouldnt happen, but I dont think you should act alone anymore today. It would be troublesome if you run into those people again.

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Actually, I wanted to look around a little more, but this time it cant be helped Speaking of which, Nanase-kun, were you with anyone?

Azalea, who dropped his shoulders in disappointment, asked Tsugumi.

Yeah, ChidoriI was shopping with my sister. Ive been keeping her waiting for quite a while now, so I should be getting back soon too

When Tsugumi replied while looking at his watch, Azalea put his right hand to his mouth thoughtfully. Then, with a beautiful smile on his face, he opened his mouth.

If it is all right with Nanase-kun, may I meet Chidori-san before I leave? Ive heard a little about her from Kei, and Id really like to talk to her.

With Chidori?

Since it was Mebuki, she probably boasted a lot to Azalea about her excellent junior colleague Chidori. Azalea probably had no other intention, and there was still time before the screening of the movie. Even Chidori would be willing to accompany if they could just talk a little.

The only concern was Yukitaka, but he was a very perceptive guy, so there was a good chance that he anticipated this development and left the place early. If that was the case, there was no reason to object.

Ah, I think its probably fine.

Really? Im glad.

Azalea smiled reassuringly as he said that. And then, leading Azalea, Tsugumi left the alley and walked to where Chidori was waiting for him.

Azalea, staring at his back as if observing him, muttered in a small voice.

Nanase-kun, you are a strange person

Hm? What did you say?

Tsugumi asked Azalea as he turned around. Azalea shook his head and replied, No, its nothing.

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Their long day had just begun.