Chapter 1

The library was still fairly crowded with visitors. At one table, four model students were studying quietly. I was one of them.

"Do you get this part, Ko?"

"Uh. This one's pretty tricky."

"Let me explain it again. Pay close attention."

And he went back to breaking down the formula for this problem again. He talked like a private tutor racing to hit a quota—fast and to the point. But that's exactly why I had a hard time keeping up. The young man sitting across from me, Sakurada Matsuo, is one of those genius students who got into our elite school without breaking a sweat—literally, he pulled it off with ease. But as you can see, his teaching skills still need some polishing. Even so, complaining feels like more trouble than it's worth. At this rate, I have to follow him like a sailor chasing the North Star if I don't want to get lost. Besides, he's generous enough to give me free tutoring, right? Kindness like that deserves some appreciation.

"Got it now?" Matsuo asked, flashing the faint smile of a young teacher.

"So, long story short, I need to swap the variable here first, then I can find the result. After that, I combine it with the result from this one. Is that it?"

"Exactly! Glad you caught on." He gave my shoulder a little pat, looking genuinely proud.

I could only smile back at his compliment. He does tend to go overboard in many ways—especially when it comes to watching a less competent student like me struggle with math. A really attentive guy.

After finishing that problem, we moved on to the next. Matsuo launched into his explanation again. This one was even harder to grasp. But he stayed patient and kept guiding me diligently. I'm impressed he's stuck with me this long just to make sure I understand. Sakurada Matsuo is truly a student everyone should look up to. He's got that model student council president face every school needs. Good-looking, too, with natural leadership charisma. He really stands out. A little tough to deal with because he's firm about everything, but he's responsible. He's the kind of modern student that's becoming a rare breed.

"All correct," Matsuo said as he checked my answers, smiling with that over-the-top expression of his.

"See? I can do it if I try."

"Then you should start taking studying seriously. You pick things up fast and you've got great analytical skills. That means you've got a sharp mind. You know, maybe you should join me in the student council campaign later. With someone like you on board, our chances of winning would skyrocket. I'm sure of it!"

Matsuo punched the air with his right fist. One punch, proclaiming his enthusiasm. He's too honest. So does this mean you helped me study just to rope me into your cabinet? A pretty mutualistic move. Should I call him cunning now?

"But I'm already in the Literature Club. No way I can join the student council too, right?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. At Frederick Sayoko, you can do both extracurriculars and serve on a committee. You can still join as a partisan, no problem."

He flashed a victory thumbs-up. Somehow, I felt like I'd just been sweet-talked by a beauty product salesperson. Matsuo really is cut out for persuasion-based work. Or at the very least, manipulation. Plus, this school has some pretty annoying rules with that dual extracurricular system. But hey, from the start, this high school was never what you'd call normal. So no surprise there. Even the name is weird: Frederick Sayoko Private High School.

They say the name comes from the school's founders. Frederick Wolfszahn and Shirakami Sayoko. Two nobles from two different countries.

Frederick Wolfszahn was a genius architect from Germany, and Shirakami Sayoko was the eldest daughter of an ancient Japanese clan. But there's a deeper story behind these two. They weren't just big names in the human world—they were also famous in cryptid circles as two legendary monster-slaying knights. We call that realm the World of Realm.

Alright, how do I know all this while the people around me don't? Rhetorical question. It's obviously because I'm part of this world too. By day, I play the role of a regular high school kid—like right now—and when night falls, I transform into a monster hunter, protecting everyone's lives from the shadows. At least, that's how my days normally go. It's just that right now, I'm on inactive duty, recovering after being in a coma for a year. It's a miracle I'm even alive after that incident.

Now I'm on my break, living each day as just a normal high school student, without getting tangled up in the underworld's business. Something I never thought much of before. But honestly, I'm enjoying it. I think it's because I've got friends now. Matsuo and the two girls next to him, who seem busy reading a magazine all about sweets. They look like they're having a blast. Seems like they can't wait to get out and try every item listed in that magazine.

Meanwhile, Matsuo turned back to me and said, "Next up, can you try this one on your own now?"

"I'll give it a shot," I replied casually.

Yeah, this is a peaceful, simple life. I'm glad I made friends after spending so long just working as a Realm Knight—or Right, for short. We're the group tasked with hunting monsters, whether under state orders or private contract. For the last ten years, that's how my life went. I didn't grow up as a normal kid. Because from a young age, I was destined to become a Right. It's been a tradition for my clan since the Meiji Era, after all.

Kind of irrelevant to the real world, right? But this is a world that was never relevant to begin with. So it makes sense, doesn't it? That's just how it is.

And so I, Yuuki Ko, go about my daily life, living peacefully and normally. As an ordinary high school kid. At least until I've fully recovered.

Being a normal human is actually pretty nice.

"It's hot!" The person sitting next to me croaked.

Her body was drenched in sweat, like a kettle boiling over a wood fire. Her dark brown bob looked like a field of dried-out grass. Even her pale Northern Japanese face had darkened a bit. Looks like she's starting to really suffer living in this region.

"It's summer, so of course it's supposed to be hot, right?" I said, answering her outburst that no one else seemed to pay any mind to.

The girl sitting next to me shouted again, "We should be at a pool or the beach! Not stuck in a classroom like this! Why do we even have school in the summer? This is the worst."

A quiet, despairing cry escaped her dry throat. She looked like a grilled fish someone forgot to take off the fire. I don't blame her—for anything. She's just not used to summer in the South. Or maybe she's just too sensitive. Besides, for some reason, our classroom AC isn't working either. This is a real pickle.

"I'm going to melt if this keeps up. Yuuki, please fan me."

"Sure thing," I said, immediately getting to work, fanning her with my notebook.

The girl propped her overheated body up on the desk. She looked totally wiped out. Her name is Hakone Yui. Originally from Hokkaido. Yeah, really far away. Her parents just moved to Hiroshima this year for work, so she came along. This is her first summer in Hiroshima. Though I think Nagoya is way more scorching than this region. But hey, everyone has different limits, right? Especially if they've lived in a cool place for a long time. Or, put simply, this girl's just a little too sensitive. I think the second option is the main factor.

"Hey, Ko." A familiar voice called out.

I turned toward the source and saw Matsuo walking over with a few cans of drinks in his arms.

"Here." He handed me the iced coffee I ordered.

"Thanks."

I took the drink from him, relieved.

Then Matsuo walked over to Yui's desk and patted her head with the juice box he'd ordered for her.

"Hey, Yui, wake up. Here's your order."

Yui reached out her hand and took the juice without moving from her lazy position. "Thanks a bunch for your help."

"What's wrong with you?" Matsuo asked.

"She said she'd melt if left in the heat, so I'm fanning her to keep her alive."

"Are all people from Hokkaido like that?" Matsuo asked again. "Or is it just her being weird?"

"Don't call me weird," Yui said, slowly sitting up from her slump.

Once she'd recovered a bit thanks to my fanning, Yui stabbed her straw into the juice box and drank it slowly. After she felt better, she let out a sigh of relief. Maybe the cold sensation of the juice made her feel like she was back in Hokkaido's cool breeze.

"Oh, yeah, Ko," Matsuo said from his desk. "There's a German quiz tomorrow, right?"

"Right, right!" Yui cut in before I could answer. "Yuuki, you have to teach us German after school today."

"I'm not that great at teaching others. But if you don't mind, sure."

"Danke!" Yui blurted out in a loud voice. "Was that right?"

I gave her a thumbs-up. But Matsuo chimed in, "You sound like a robot saying that."

Yui narrowed her eyes, looking offended. "Are you saying my tongue isn't cut out for foreign languages?"

"Not really, it just sounds weird. Most Japanese people sound stiff when speaking foreign languages anyway."

"Oh, that makes sense. Still, I feel like I've just been subtly insulted."

"Yeah, I get that. The only person here who can speak a foreign language fluently is our friend right here. Not only that, he's super fluent. Sounds like a real German. Amazing!"

Matsuo gleefully patted my shoulder a few times. For some reason, he looked proud.

"He really is amazing. Yuuki is amazing."

"Well, when it comes to math, I've got him beat. Hm, we all have our strong points, right? That's what you call balance."

"Sakurada can teach us math, and Yuuki handles languages. I'll take arts. Hm, that's balance."

"I don't really get your taste in art, to be honest. But yeah, your skills will definitely play a big role in the fall campaign. I'll be counting on you, Yui."

"You seem really serious about winning the election, Sakurada."

"Of course. I've got dreams for the future, right? So I need to practice running an organization at this school. It's one small step toward a big goal. A once-in-a-lifetime chance! No way I'm letting it slip away!"

As usual, Matsuo ended his short speech with a punch to the air. He's really enthusiastic. In the future, he plans to take over his father's company. So no need to ask why he's this serious. Like I said, Matsuo is a firm and responsible guy.

"Well, do your best. I'll help as much as I can."

"Oh, really, Ko?! You're such a thoughtful friend. Thanks a lot, buddy!"

"Of course. You've helped me a ton too, right? I owe you big time."

Matsuo nodded sharply. He seemed flattered to be seen as such a good samaritan.

"But first, the German quiz has to be the priority," Yui interrupted.

"Right," Matsuo agreed. "So how about we hit the library again this afternoon?"

"Great idea."

"Alright, we're counting on you, Yuuki."

"You got it."

Matsuo and Yui laughed. They looked really happy. Seeing their cheerful faces made me feel like I'd just been subtly roasted.

Conversations like this—

When was the last time I actually enjoyed something like this? I don't remember. Maybe never. I never had a single friend at school before. But since coming to Frederick Sayoko, things have been a little different. Because Matsuo, Yui, and Akane are here with me. I'm actually a year older than them—though everyone in class is the same age as me, technically. By seniority, I should be their upperclassman by now. It's a little embarrassing. But I was in a coma for a year, so what can you do? Besides, this might be part of the plan anyway. Because if it weren't for that long sleep, I never would've met these three, right? I guess we can be grateful for that one thing.

Yeah. I'm starting to like this normal daily life. A regular human existence. I just hope this isn't all just temporary.

***