Chapter 4
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Chapter 4: I’ve Run Into The Foolish Young Lady Who Hates Men
“Am I just imagining it, or are people staring at me…?”
April 20th — Shibuya, Tokyo.
Here I am, walking through the crowded area near the station, dressed as a girl.
Following my grandmother’s orders, I’m heading toward the home of my protection target, dressed in this ridiculous outfit. But seriously, how did I end up in this situation?
Until recently, I was part of a special training facility, surrounded by rugged men aspiring to be mercenaries, where we endured tough training every day.
It was the kind of place where brawls between trainees were a daily occurrence, and vulgar slang constantly filled the air. It reeked of masculinity.
And now, after five years in that environment, here I am, dressed as a girl, walking through Shibuya.
When I think about it, this situation is utterly ridiculous.
The unfamiliar skirt makes my legs feel uncomfortably breezy, my heart is racing from embarrassment, and I feel like my face is about to burst into flames… This is horrible in every way.
Ugh… I swear people passing by are staring at me, right?
…I am a shadow. Yes, I must remain in the shadows to maintain my composure. This is part of my mission, after all. Yes, just a mission…
As I tug at the hem of my skirt and walk with my head down, someone suddenly calls out to me from in front.
“Hey, hey, you there! Got a minute?”
“Huh?”
I look up to see a tanned guy with brown hair standing in front of me.
As I stand there, stunned by his sudden approach, the guy steps closer and closer.
W-What is this guy? Is it possible he realized I’m actually a guy!?
Damn it, if it comes to this, I’ll have to drag him into an empty alley and break a some of his arms to shut him up… No, if I did that here in peaceful Japan, it’d probably turn into a huge news story…!! This isn’t the lawless area I used to live in!!
W-What should I… do…!?
As I panic and step backward, the guy grabs my arm and smiles.
“You’re really cute. Hey, how about grabbing some tea with me?”
“H-Huh!? T-Tea!?”
Tea!? Is that some kind of code!? Has he figured me out and is now trying to blackmail me!?
“Your face is all red. Cute. Huh? Now that I look closer, your eyes are blue… Are you half-Japanese?”
H-His face is too close…!! S-Stay away!! I don’t swing that way!!!
“P-Please, let me go…!!”
“C’mon, let’s grab tea. I’ll treat you!”
It seems this guy isn’t going to budge.
Looking at him closely, he’s clearly just a regular guy.
If I resorted to force, I could get rid of him easily.
But if I do that, I’ll end up drawing attention in the middle of the city.
W-What should I do… What on earth should I do…!?
As I wrestle with this dilemma — that’s when it happens.
I hear a girl’s voice from behind me.
“Hey, you. That girl clearly doesn’t want this. Why don’t you let her go?”
“Huh?”
Turning around, I see a petite girl with orange hair tied in twin tails.
The guy snorts at her sudden appearance.
“Tch. Who are you? This has nothing to do with you. Just butt out, will ya—”
“Hey everyone! There’s a creep here! Somebody call the police!!”
“What!? What are you talking about…!!”
“Ha! Why don’t you take a look in the mirror? Do you really think a guy with a tacky, trendy haircut like yours is a match for this girl? You’re delusional. A sleazeball like you will only ever attract the kind of girls just as sleazy as you are. Now run home to your mommy and drink some milk, you disgusting scumbag!”
W-Whoa… This girl’s got a foul mouth, completely at odds with her appearance. She’s reminding me of my old training ground…
But provoking him like that… this guy’s probably going to…
“You little…!! Don’t think I won’t hit you just ’cause you’re a girl!!”
“Huh!? Y-You’re going to hit me!? I’m a girl, you know!?”
“Like I careeeee!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Yeah, that’s exactly what I expected.
I quickly step in front of the girl to shield her.
I effortlessly catch the guy’s punch with my palm.
The sound of a crisp slap fills the air, and the guy’s eyes widen in shock.
“Wha—!?”
“…”
Expressionless, I tighten my grip on his fist.
But he must’ve sensed something, because he quickly pulls his hand away.
“H-Huh? W-What…?”
The guy stares at me in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.
But before he can say anything, he notices the crowd that’s gathered around us. Scowling, he turns and quickly leaves.
Afterward, I let out a short breath and turn to the girl behind me.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah. You… You’re really cool. Uh, thanks. I tried to help, but you ended up saving me instead.”
As she speaks, she twirls her hair with her fingers, her cheeks flushing red.
…No doubt about it. This girl is—
“But honestly, men are all just scum! They’re nothing but lust-driven beasts! Don’t you agree?”
“Uh, well…”
I mean, biologically speaking, I’m a guy too, so… I really don’t know how to respond to that…
No, more importantly, I have to confirm something. This girl must be…
“Excuse me, could it be that you’re—”
“Oh, sorry! I have an important guest coming to my place today! Bye! And be careful out there next time, Cool Girl!”
“Ah! Wait!”
Ignoring my words, the girl disappeared into the crowd.
…Well, at least I got the sense that she’s really impatient and self-centered.
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“So… this is the apartment building where Charlotte L. Jay Wilford, the person I’m supposed to protect, is staying.”
I gaze up at the towering skyscraper in front of me and let out a small sigh of awe.
It looks like a luxury apartment with at least forty floors.
This prime real estate in Shirokane is fitting for the daughter of a president.
After looking up at the building, I pull a compact mirror out of my blazer pocket for a final check of my appearance.
Reflected in the mirror is a cool-looking girl with blue bobbed hair… but, of course, it’s just me in disguise.
The sharp blue eyes glaring back at me give off a completely different vibe than my usual self.
“But still…”
But still, I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.
Tsukino-san did a great job with the makeup, but… is this really okay?
I just hope she doesn’t figure out I’m a guy as soon as we meet…
“Well, there’s no point worrying now. Let’s go meet Charlotte—”
“Mmphh… Someone… Help me…”
A muffled voice reaches my ears from somewhere.
I turn toward the source of the sound and spot a girl with orange twin tails flailing her legs, her head stuck in a trash can in front of the apartment.