The early summer sunlight was bright, casting its scorching heat onto the rooftop and prompting Aozawa to seek refuge in the shade.

With his back against the wall, he used chopsticks to pick up a mini octopus from his lunchbox, chewed on it, and enjoyed the slight sauce that gave the ham-made creature a savory flavor.

After swallowing, he twisted open the bottle of vegetable juice beside him and drank the remaining half.

"PHEW."

A satisfied exhale escaped Aozawa, his forehead dotted with sweat.

He casually wiped his brow and said, "Tetsuji, I'm going down to find a place for an afternoon nap."

"Alright," Hojo Tetsuji replied offhandedly, tossing the third-year senior he had been scuffling with onto the ground. He grumbled, "Are you guys idiots? You still don't learn your lesson even after I've beaten you up."

No one responded.

Eight third-year seniors lay on the ground in agony, their bodies curled up like cooked shrimp.

They had heard that Hojo Tetsuji had shown weakness to the new English teacher and thought their chance to rule Brilliant High School had come, so they provoked him again.

The result was that they were beaten and left sprawling on the ground.

Aozawa packed up his lunchbox and grabbed his thermos, planning not to clean them until after his afternoon classes.

DING-DONG, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

The subtle sound caught Aozawa's ear.

He wedged the thermos under his arm and, with his other hand, pulled out his phone to unlock it and check the message. It was from Ayatsuki Ayaka.

"Aozawa, clean the thermos and bring it to me behind the gymnasium."

Ayatsuki Ayaka had never pressed him to return the thermos before.

Why is she suddenly so insistent today?

A moment of confusion flashed through Aozawa's mind, but he didn't dwell on it.

If Iroha wants it, then I might as well clean it and return it to her early.

Aozawa went to the restroom sink and washed both the thermos and the lunchbox.

He first made a trip to the club building to return the lunchbox, then ran toward the gymnasium.

Circling to the back, Aozawa saw Ayatsuki Ayaka lying on the grass.

She was doing sit-ups.

Takahashi Saeko, her hair cut short to her ears, was holding down Ayaka's feet.

"Eighty!" Ayatsuki Ayaka clenched her teeth, and as she powered her abdomen up, it seemed like her neckline was about to rip.

Entering June, early summer allowed everyone to switch to summer school uniforms.

The change in the girls' uniforms was noticeable: a white sailor blouse on top with a dark indigo collar, tied with a black bow.

Below was also a dark indigo skirt.

Whether to wear stockings or not was up to individual students.

Ayatsuki Ayaka wore flesh-colored stockings, giving her legs an extra sheen.

Aozawa approached and said, "Iroha, here's your thermos."

"Thanks."

Ayatsuki Ayaka smiled and gave up the pretense of doing sit-ups; knowing her usual aversion to exercise, she could never actually do eighty.

It was Maru who had observed Aozawa coming this way and had told her to start pretending to do sit-ups here. Maru had said it would show off her figure.

With her level of activity, plus the heat of the day, just a few sit-ups had her sweating heavily and panting.

Saying she did eighty wouldn't raise any suspicions.

Ayatsuki Ayaka got up to take the thermos.

Takahashi Saeko took the opportunity to scream, "AH! Iroha! There's a rat on your foot!"

"What?!" Ayatsuki Ayaka, who was deathly afraid of rats, screamed in fright and leaped up, wrapping her arms around Aozawa's neck.

She clung to him, seeking a sense of security.

"AH, get the rat away!"

Ayatsuki Ayaka's shriek echoed in Aozawa's ear.

Normally, he detested girls screaming, but at this moment, he suddenly found the noise tolerable.

The girl's warm, elastic body pressed close to him, her fragrant scent drifting to his nose, almost drawing out the fervor of early summer from Aozawa.

He naturally swept her into a princess carry, looking down to see where the rat might be.

However, from this angle, as he looked down, he couldn't see the ground at all, only the taut white sailor blouse.

At such close proximity, he could just make out the hint of a teddy bear on her underwear.

Aozawa diverted his gaze. The sensation in his hands was quite pleasant.

Ayatsuki Ayaka seemed slim, but her legs were surprisingly soft, making them very comfortable to hold.

Those flesh-colored stockings weren't as smooth as Iroha's thighs. It was proof that her skin was superior to the stockings.

Aozawa's thoughts began to wander, but he managed to say calmly, "I don't see any rat."

"Really?"

Ayatsuki Ayaka whispered in his ear, her eyes cautious like a stray dog that had just found a home, as she scanned the ground below.

Sure enough, no detestable rat was in sight.

She sighed in relief internally. Then she realized her current position was quite compromising.

She could feel the broad touch of his hands on her back and legs.

Ayatsuki Ayaka's face turned even redder. She quickly scrambled down, her eyes darting around guiltily, and said, "Sorry, I overreacted just now."

"No problem."

Aozawa laughed. Looking at Iroha's blushing cheeks, he felt an urge to bite them to see if they were as sweet as they looked.

The shy blush on her wheat-colored cheeks was like strawberry jam spread on freshly baked French bread.

"If you don't need anything else, I'll be on my way," Aozawa said.

"Oh."

Ayatsuki Ayaka murmured faintly, feeling very embarrassed. Her plan with Saeko was to do sit-ups and show off her figure.

Suddenly jumping on Aozawa like that was not something she had anticipated.

Watching Aozawa walk away, Ayatsuki Ayaka turned to Saeko, puffing her cheeks angrily. "Saeko, why did you lie to me just now?"

Takahashi Saeko wasn't flustered at all, speaking leisurely, "If I hadn't said that, how would you have had the chance to jump onto Aozawa, to experience his solid arms and press your softest flesh against his firm chest muscles?"

Tama Chan emerged from the nearby grass, laughing. "I took a quick peek just now. Aozawa definitely had the impulse to devour you whole in that moment."

"With such a cute Iroha, who wouldn't have that kind of thought?" Miyahara Kaoru chimed in with a laugh from the side.

Ayatsuki Ayaka said in annoyance, "Don't talk nonsense."

Though she verbally reprimanded her friends, deep down, she felt a tinge of happiness.

The feeling of being princess-carried by Aozawa was great; it was very comforting. Were men's hands generally so strong? Or was it just that Aozawa's arms were particularly strong?

It must be that Aozawa's arms were strong, Ayatsuki Ayaka thought to herself.

Takahashi Saeko laughed. "You say that, but in your heart, you actually wanted Aozawa to keep holding you, like this, caressing your thighs with his hands."

Looking at Takahashi Saeko's suggestive gestures, Ayatsuki Ayaka glared at her. "Saeko, don't be so lewd."

"I get it. You want Aozawa to be lewd with you, right?" Takahashi Saeko replied with a smile.

Ayatsuki Ayaka pouted. Deep down, she wouldn't allow anyone to call Aozawa lewd; he was clearly a very decent and good boy.

"Saeko, take this!"

Ayatsuki Ayaka pounced forward, intending to tickle Takahashi Saeko's slim waist.

Takahashi Saeko swiftly got up and dodged, feigning panic. "Don't come any closer!"

"HEE HEE! It's too late for regrets now. I'll tickle you until you kneel and beg for mercy!" Ayatsuki Ayaka chased after her, her expression full of playful excitement.

The sound of the girls' laughter echoed behind the gymnasium.

「Time stealthily slipped by.」

Thick white clouds covered the sky. Aozawa said goodbye to the Kendo club members at the school gate and returned to Ayase Apartment.

Another day was about to end.

A tinge of reflection rose in Aozawa's heart; looking back, it always seemed like the days passed too quickly.

Friday was approaching.

Just three days left in this week.

What kind of Superpower would he get next week?

With these thoughts, he leisurely walked back to Ayase Apartment.

The security guard was still absorbed in reading a magazine, completely oblivious to anyone coming or going.

With just a sideways glance through the window, Aozawa could glimpse the magazine cover, which clearly featured some risqué images.

You could only say the old man was still vigorous for his age.

Could he still get a reaction at his age?

A twinge of curiosity rose in his mind. He stepped into the elevator and was about to press the close-door button.

"Wait."

A call came from ahead.

He pressed the open-door button, allowing the elevator doors that were about to close to slide open again.

A woman dressed in business attire hurried over.

Her high heels CLACKED on the ground.

Aozawa realized it was the female resident from downstairs.

The woman entered the elevator, smiling. "Thanks, young man."

"No problem."

Aozawa closed the door, pressed the button for the sixth floor, and also pressed the fifth for her. "Miss," he ventured, "lately I haven't seen you and that gentleman together."

"We broke up," the woman stated nonchalantly.

Aozawa was surprised.

He remembered how physically compatible they were, how wild they were together. How could they break up just like that?

"Did he cheat on you?"

"Yeah. He was declaring his love for me while getting entangled with his supervisor."

At that point, the woman suddenly held back. She felt she was being rather pathetic, shamefully sharing her failed romantic experiences with a teenager.

The elevator reached the fifth floor, and she abruptly changed the subject. "This is my stop. Goodbye."

Aozawa watched as she hurried out of the elevator, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Japan was certainly not Africa.

In this society, trying to juggle multiple relationships was undeniably a difficult task.

Yet it is such romantic entanglements that are full of challenge.

Aozawa's mind flickered through images of them. He felt resolute in his desire to bring happiness to everyone.

The elevator DINGED.

He reached his apartment door, turned the knob, and said, "Chitose, I'm back."

Morimoto Chiyoda responded, "Wash your hands and sit down first. The tofu will take a bit more time."

Aozawa closed the door behind him, complaining, "Chitose, you've slacked off, not having dinner ready when I got back.

"Today you procrastinate a bit, tomorrow a bit more, and the day after that even more. Remember to pay attention to the time next time."

"You're not some important national figure; a little hunger won't kill you," Morimoto Chiyoda retorted, flipping the tofu.

She couldn't help that she hadn't gotten her return time right today.

Even though progress was slim and hope seemed nonexistent, the special task force had not yet given up on finding a second Superpower User to confront Dio. Just before finishing time, she had been questioning a priest about any Superpowers he might possess.

Morimoto Chiyoda couldn't just leave when it was time; she had to finish the work at hand.