The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 25
“Thanks to you, Izumi, the Far Eastern Magic Society has secured another victory! From now on, those guys will finally feel the pressure we’re bringing to bear! The moment when we dominate this school is just around the corner!”
As he walked back, Takanashi Rikka approached him, speaking animatedly with a fist raised, envisioning the future.
“The plan is progressing as expected,” Hasegawa Izumi nodded and said.
They were only slightly talented ordinary people, after all. Triumphing over them should have been no surprise; if he were facing an opponent from the Inner World, perhaps he’d feel some sense of accomplishment.
“Izumi-chan’s even more famous now, and he’s gained quite a few fans. I bet you’ll be able to hold your head high in class from here on out, eh? Heh heh…”
Fujiwara Chika came up to stand on the other side, echoing Rikka’s sentiments.
“Fickle crowds flock to the peak, while true believers stand firm at dusk…” he trailed off. “I don’t care about that sort of thing, so let it be.”
This was probably the sort of thing that worried young girls, but he honestly didn’t care. In fact, he saw right through it.
“Izumi-chan is always so cool when he answers these sorts of things,” Fujiwara Chika leaned in slightly, smiling at his cold expression.
————-
“Look at them, all friendly with each other. How nice.”
Not too far away, Eriri observed the scene, biting her lip. “Izumi, too! To think you’d be so friendly with some random girl behind my back!”
Flames nearly spewed from her eyes.
“Time to wrap up, Sawamura-san!”
One of the Art Club members spoke up beside her.
“O-okay, I got it.” Eriri turned away, a brilliant smile on her face.
“Hostile.”
As Hasegawa Izumi walked out of the tennis court, he suddenly felt as if thorns were digging into his back. But when he turned around, he saw only the Mass Media Club approaching for their post-match interview.
“Excuse me, Hasegawa-san. Could you tell us about the ‘technique’ you used in the match?”
He responded concisely and provided a reasonable explanation for his skill’s principles—how he’d executed the TWIST SERVE, for instance, or the Wave Ball, et cetera—as a form of payback for the tennis club’s brutal defeat.
“And who’s your next challenge?”
Asahi Shizuku held back a smile.
“The soccer club,” he answered based on his earlier assessment.
“As for trash talk…?”
His expression instantly became icy-cold.
“Tell them to wash their necks and wait!”
—————
After bidding farewell to Chika and Rikka, Hasegawa Izumi stepped out of the tram stop, hurrying to a supermarket nearby.
After purchasing the discounted chips and soda, he also stocked up on groceries for the next few days.
It’s said that only those who manage a household truly understand the cost of living. Since taking control of his house, Izumi had also begun to watch his budget carefully. After all, his family wasn’t rich, so he needed to spend his pocket money wisely. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have enough to buy games, novels, and whatnot.
“Seriously, money from the anime crowd is so easy to make,” he grumbled, glancing at the collection of figurines on his bookshelf.
Shuchi’in High School.
The result of yesterday’s challenge spread throughout the school via the internet. No one could doubt Hasegawa Izumi’s performance during the match, and it earned him quite a fanbase at Shuchi’in. His reputation soared, becoming the talk of the school.
When Hasegawa Izumi set foot on campus, he noticed everyone’s eyes on him had changed. No longer were they filled with arrogance, disdain, or superiority; instead, they were replaced with envy, jealousy, and admiration.
He had successfully transformed his image from negative to positive.
………
After lunch, it was time for recess.
“Let’s play a new game today, Izumi-chan! This time, I’m definitely going to beat you!”
Fujiwara Chika cheerfully approached his desk. From the depths of her eyes, Hasegawa Izumi saw the same familiar competitiveness.
“Sure,” he replied, nodding in agreement with their previous arrangement.
“Wait…”
A slim hand stretched out to separate the two.
“Takanashi-san, why are you stopping us? Or do you want to play ‘Old Maid’ too?” Fujiwara Chika turned her head, curious.
“If you want to challenge the Sage, you’ll have to defeat me first!” Takanashi Rikka said coolly, one hand over her blindfold.
“All right, then I’ll defeat you first! And then Izumi-chan!”
Fujiwara Chika agreed without hesitation, her current demeanor bold and assured, as if victory was all but at her fingertips.
Hasegawa Izumi lent his chair to Chika so she could face off against Rikka at the student desk. Each player had a total of fifty-three playing cards. The two took turns drawing, and any pair of matching cards canceled each other out. The loser would be the player left holding the ghost card.
“It looks like a game of luck, but as long as I don’t let my expression slip when I’m picked, I should be fine… Is Chika trying to beat me at luck?”
Hasegawa Izumi watched the game, pondering.
Still, he had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy. After all, this was Chika!
Before long, Fujiwara Chika and Takanashi Rikka had whittled their hands down to just a few cards apiece.
This move would decide the winner.
“Which card is it?”
A sinister glint crept into Fujiwara Chika’s smile. Her right hand touched the three cards in Rikka’s hand, one by one, as if gauging her reaction.
“This is it…”
At a certain moment, Takanashi Rikka’s expression shifted noticeably, and Chika promptly plucked that card from her hand.
Now Chika held only one non-ghost card.
“I lose…”
The blow hit Takanashi Rikka hard, her head drooping.
“You’re no match for me.”
Fujiwara Chika crossed her arms, smug. She even recited a line from a movie: “You were never a match for me in the first place.”
She turned, only to be met with a disapproving glare.
“Chika, you’re such a dirty player!”