Living with a supermodel-level beauty at home all year round, Aozawa's standards for female attractiveness became extremely high. For instance, only the Hot Girl quartet or the poised and reserved Glasses Girl could earn his praise for being beautiful. In the eyes of others, that meant very beautiful.
And the golden-haired girl who entered, in terms of looks and aura, was on par with Morimoto Chiyoda. Her shoulder-length hair showed no signs of dyeing, woven like gold, shimmering and shining. Her complexion was fair, like the untrodden snow of winter. The light blue school blazer she wore was neat, with a white shirt underneath. Its perfect curvature drew the gaze of the opposite sex, and her skirt was of a regulation length, just above the knees. Black stockings wrapped around her legs.
When she entered, the classroom's noise momentarily paused.
"That's her," Aozawa whispered to Hojo Tetsuji next to him.
Hojo Tetsuji looked relieved and replied, "She's a transfer student. She transferred here on the third day of school."
"Transfer student?! That means…"
Aozawa's heart thumped slowly as he watched the golden-haired girl approach step by step, then she turned gracefully in front of his desk and sat down composedly.
It's her! Could it be that she's a Magical Girl?
It wasn't far-fetched for Aozawa to think this. If there could be things as preposterous as interdimensional travel and superpowers, why couldn't the mysterious new transfer student be a Magical Girl? His heart was racing.
He couldn't help but reach out and tap the girl's shoulder, greeting her, "Hello, my name is Aozawa."
The girl was startled. She turned her head; her delicate features showed not a hint of dislike as she responded with a polite smile, "Hello, my name is Phoenix Academy Maggie. Is there something you need?"
"Are you a Magical Girl?" Aozawa asked earnestly.
Phoenix Academy Maggie was a bit baffled. She had plenty of experience being approached by people for all sorts of reasons, but this was the first time for such a ludicrous one. Why not just ask if she was a Witch bent on destroying the world?
"No."
"Oh, I must have asked the question the wrong way." Aozawa nodded, activated his Hypnosis Ability, and said, "Please answer my question truthfully, do you possess any special powers?"
Phoenix Academy Maggie suddenly found his eyes very captivating. Her mind muddled as she replied, "I don't have any."
"Oh." Aozawa's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. He had thought the enigmatic transfer student harbored some extraordinary secret, but it turned out she was just a beautiful girl. "Sorry for bothering you."
"It's okay." Phoenix Academy Maggie smiled slightly, puzzled as to why she answered such a question, but she mentally categorized the boy behind her as someone to keep her distance from.
After school, a spring breeze brushed the cherry blossom branches. Apart from the students on duty, most joined club activities. Brilliant high school required every student to join a club, which led to the creation of loosely organized clubs like the Go-Home Club.
Aozawa hadn't joined the Go-Home Club. Before his superpower awakened, he was always dedicated to Sword Dao, dreaming of winning the Jade Dragon Flag championship, creating a legendary record of defeating dozens in a row, and securing a special admission scholarship for his swordsmanship. The dream was beautiful; the reality was harsh.
At the last Jade Dragon Flag, Brilliant high school had been the team that was defeated in a string of continuous losses. Aozawa couldn't forget that moment when he parried the bamboo sword, feeling the terrifying force as if a mountain was pressing down upon him. But even that strong opponent hadn't won the Jade Dragon Flag championship. This year, he was determined to redeem himself!
Aozawa slid open the wooden sliding door of the Kendo club, and the activity room came into view. The room was square and simply furnished, with no decorations. Including the six newcomers, there were sixteen people here.
Department Head Ishigami Kenta looked towards Aozawa at the entrance and laughed heartily, "Aozawa! Thanks for saving our world!"
"PFFT! HAHA!" The second and third-year members of the Kendo club laughed, filling the club with a joyful atmosphere.
Aozawa's face turned red, remembering how he had skipped class to reply to Department Head Ishigami Kenta's messages on LINE. He coughed a few times before saying, "The darkness of the world has been swept away. I should return to prepare for the Jade Dragon Flag."
"The Jade Dragon Flag, huh." Mentioning that event caused Kenji Kojima's thoughts to drift back to last year, and he remembered the man who was like a Demon God. "Do you still want to fight him?"
Aozawa answered seriously, "Of course, I won't lose again this time."
"Good, we'll accompany you on this journey." Kenji Kojima smiled and began introducing this year's new members to him.
After finishing practice with the Kendo club, the glow of the setting sun spilled across the campus. The conversations of a few people made the air seem extraordinarily quiet.
"See you tomorrow."
Aozawa parted with them at the school gate, planning to go home first, drop off his backpack, change clothes, and then find a place to test his Hypnosis Ability. Having a superpower and not using it felt like wearing a splendid robe only to walk in darkness. It was also like a small cat constantly scratching at his heart, a nagging urge.
When he was almost at Chitose's upscale apartment, he heard the Pit Bull in the courtyard barking, the chain rattling as the dog pulled on it. Aozawa stopped. Curiosity rose in his heart. Can I hypnotize animals?
Turning to the side, his gaze passed through the iron fence and landed on the Pit Bull outside the doghouse. Its fur was pitch-black, its teeth bared, and its tense body exuded a power like that of a large shotgun.
"WOOF WOOF!" Seeing Aozawa daring to stop, the Pit Bull barked even more fiercely, trying desperately to break free of the chain's restraints.
Aozawa crouched down, looked directly into the Pit Bull's eyes, and said solemnly, "You are a pig!"
The Pit Bull immediately ceased its barking. Its eyes lost their ferocity and became docile, and it lazily lay down on the ground to catch the breeze.
"So it works on animals too," Aozawa muttered to himself with a smile, curious to see how long this hypnotic effect would last. He would check again when he passed by tomorrow.
He stood up and continued towards his home.
Morimoto Chiyoda was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Being a career-track Police Inspector was a very relaxed job. As long as she didn't make any big mistakes, there was almost no chance of losing her livelihood. Her work hours were from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with punctual arrivals and departures. She had weekends off, and her monthly take-home salary was four hundred thousand Yen.
The job was easy. She spent most of her days not doing much at all, just waiting for the Metropolitan Police Department to promote her. Promotions within the Metropolitan Police Department had nothing to do with case-solving rates. They depended on seniority, educational background, and family history. For the average person, working hard enough to become an Inspector before retirement was already a stroke of great fortune. An elite like Morimoto Chiyoda, who passed the national first-class civil service exams, could potentially reach the rank of Superintendent General if she tried.
But she didn't want to exert herself that much; she wasn't about to spread her legs for advancement. She had passed the exam and become a career-track Inspector, not so those old codgers could meticulously 'cultivate' her. Morimoto Chiyoda just wanted to coast until retirement. Her dream was to be a secure taxpayer's thief. As for actual police work, let the non-career track officers handle it. Elites were those people who drank tea and chatted in the Summer Office.
Morimoto Chiyoda finished cooking, turned off the induction cooker, and counted to three in her mind.
"I'm home."
The voice rang out punctually at the door. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Guessing this kind of thing every day was also a pleasure.