My Classmate Whom I Helped Seems to Be Mentally Sick, So I've Been Trying My Best to Hide My True Identity, But It Seems Like I've Been Found Out - Chapter 0.0

Prologue 1

“Hey, hey, did you hear? There was a random attacker near the station yesterday.”

“Of course, I know. Some kids from our school almost got attacked, right?”

“Yeah, exactly. But it’s amazing, isn’t it? Real-life heroes actually exist.”

“I wonder who’s inside the Momo-nyan costume.”

The hot topic among all the students in school is the incident that occurred near the station yesterday.

The incident took place at a flea market set up in the station plaza.

Yesterday evening, an unemployed middle-aged man lunged at several high school girls with a knife.

The crowded station turned into a massive panic.

The fact that something like this could happen in this deserted countryside town, an area that seems to have nothing to do with any incidents, made it the talk of not just the school but the entire community.

Well, as for how the incident turned out, the perpetrator was apprehended without injuring anyone.

And what added fuel to the fire of rumors was the person who captured him——a mysterious individual dressed as Momo-nyan, the town’s local mascot.

“I heard a rumor that a high schooler was wearing the Momo-nyan costume that day. Do you think that’s true?”

“Really? Could they be from our school then?”

“If so, that would be insane. It must be a guy, right? He must be brave and definitely good-looking.”

“Yeah.”

I always wonder how information like this leaks and spreads.

Already, people within the school are speculating that the individual inside the Momo-nyan costume, the one who caught the perpetrator, is a male high school student.

And they are correct.

I, the only one who knows the answer, quietly nod several times as I eavesdrop on the excited conversation among the girls.

Hayate Takizawa, a first-year high school student.

Neither particularly noticeable nor affiliated with any clubs, I am just an ordinary person who ranks low in the school’s social hierarchy.

And yesterday, I was working part-time at the station, wearing a mascot costume.

Momo-nyan.

It’s a local mascot famous in our hometown: a pink character, which for some unknown reason, probably just for cuteness, combines a peach with a cat.

A cat that looks like a peach.

A peach that looks like a cat.

Though clearly a knock-off born after the peak of the mascot boom, I was dressed as this local mascot, doing the mundane job of handing out balloons to little kids at the flea market.

That’s when the incident happened.

Right in front of me, a girl was about to be attacked, and reflexively, my body moved to shield the girl.

With poor visibility, I unintentionally tackled the assailant while still in the mascot costume, taking him down.

That’s all there was to it.

However, for some reason, the rumors have taken on a life of their own, and I was being treated like a hero.

Well, I don’t mind.

I’ve never stood out and never been fawned over by girls.

Now they’re talking about me, and I appreciate the attention.

But I think revealing my identity wouldn’t be right.

I feel like the value of what happened would be halved.

Plus, there’s the fear of being a disappointment when they find out that the hero who caught the criminal is just a skinny guy like me.

It’s a shame, but the mystique of being the subject of rumors is its own allure.

I understand that.

I think it suits me better to bask in a sense of superiority while watching the situation from the sidelines.

“Hey, if you know anything about the person inside Momo-nyan, could you tell me?”

It’s after school now.

A girl from another class approaches the group of my female classmates, who are all excitedly discussing the topic.

I know her name.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her up close, but she’s stunningly beautiful.

“Oh, it’s Sumire Murasaki! Wait, were you at the venue too, Murasaki-san?”

“Yes, I was. I was actually one of the girls about to be attacked at that time. I have something I want to convey to the person who saved me right before my eyes. So, please, if you have any information, let me know, no matter how trivial.”

“Of course. I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

Sumire Murasaki.

She’s characterized by her auburn hair that reaches down to her waist, a striking beauty.

Deep within her large almond-shaped eyes, her pupils seem so clear that they could draw you in.

She’s fair-skinned, and while she’s on the taller side for a girl, her figure possesses the curvature and style to tickle men’s hearts.

Known as the most beautiful girl in our school, she’s famous beyond the confines of her grade level.

Even someone like me knew her name and face.

However, I had no idea that the girl I saved yesterday was Sumire Murasaki.

Facing a man with a blade, I was too busy suppressing my own fear.

After I knocked the culprit out, I got scared looking at the unconscious man and ran from the scene.

Of course, a few of the staff knew I was the one inside the Momo-nyan costume, so the police later called me in to give a statement.

But the police said they wouldn’t disclose any personal information, so I guess there’s no worry about my identity getting out from there.

I can’t help but harbor a strange hope.

That Sumire Murasaki is looking for me.

If she found out that I was the Momo-nyan from yesterday, would something develop from there?

Such silly thoughts were happening inside my mind.

Lost in this daydream, I noticed that Sumire Murasaki had already left the classroom.

***

“Hey, were you the one from yesterday?”

“Ah, hello. Thank you for your hard work.”

On my way home.

As I was passing through the station front, the scene of the incident on my usual route to school, a policeman called out to me.

He was the one who interviewed me yesterday.

He looked like a refreshing, handsome man in his twenties, and since he was kind, I remembered his face.

He was probably investigating something related to yesterday’s incident.

“Such incidents can be quite tough for you, can’t they?”

“Well, it’s my job. But thanks to you, we were fortunate that there were no victims. Are you really going to turn down the award?”

“Yes, well, it was just by chance, and I don’t want it to become an awkward topic at school.”

“Kids these days are so humble. Well, I truly can’t thank you enough for what happened yesterday, but don’t do anything too reckless in the future, alright?”

“Yes. See you around.”

I bowed and continued past the station.

My house is in the residential area behind the station.

As part of the go-home club, my routine is to head straight home, eat, study, play games, and then sleep.

If everyone found out that an ordinary guy like me became a hero who took down a random assailant, would they be disappointed?

I bet Sumire Murasaki would be.

If I were handsome, maybe our chance encounter could have led to a friendly relationship with a girl like her.

But for someone like me, that’s out of the question.

It’s better not to harbor unrealistic hopes.

Now, I can see my house… Huh?

“Excuse me.”

“…Yes?”

Just as I was about to reach my house, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

When I turned around, a beautiful girl stood there.

It’s Sumire Murasaki.

“You’re Takizawa-kun, right?”

“What, you know me?”

“We go to the same school, so of course.”

“Ah, I guess so…”

My heart raced as an unfairly gorgeous beauty suddenly approached me, and what’s more, she knew my name.

And up close, her beauty is even more apparent.

Her skin has a clear, radiant glow, and her eyes shimmer like gemstones.

Just looking at her almost makes me feel blissful, and I completely forget to care why she might be here.

She looks at me with a hint of curiosity.

And as I’m getting lost in her eyes, she says,

“Are you, by any chance, the person inside Momo-nyan?”