Chapter 75: Rumi's Problem
Author: Geraint
In the middle of the woods, a black car stopped, its tires muddy. The side doors opened, and Ryukyu and Lady Nagant stepped out. Ryukyu was carrying luggage as the two of them walked deeper into the forest.
"Are you sure she's here?" Lady Nagant asked.
Ryukyu smiled confidently. "Yeah, she asked me to bring her some food."
"Have you noticed? Every time she meets him at the Hero Commission, she trains even harder. Isn't that a bit much? I know she's the Number 5 Hero, but… it's really strange."
"I don't really understand it either. Even though they're a couple, they barely see each other. In fact, Rumi's been avoiding him more over the years. But she always says their relationship is fine. Ichika says the same. He doesn't seem to mind."
"Eh? A couple who only sees each other once or twice a year, and barely even talks? Can you really call that a romantic relationship?"
Ryukyu frowned, looking conflicted. "Yeah… it's hard to believe. By all logic, they should've grown apart a long time ago. But who knows what's going on in their heads? Ichika and Mirko are… a strange couple."
As they arrived at a secluded temple, the sound of a waterfall echoed nearby.
Beneath the falls, Mirko stood with her hands together in a meditative stance. Dressed in a white bathrobe, freezing water poured over her as she attempted to cleanse her mind, body, and soul. The robe clung to her soaked, tanned skin, clearly revealing she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
"Begone, earthly desires! I won't let my quirk control my body! I am the Rabbit Hero: Mirko! I won't let this urge defeat me! Ugh… no... Ichika is underage! Even if he can turn into an adult, it still doesn't count! I will overcome this urge!" she trembled from the cold, mumbling her mantra.
Lady Nagant and Ryukyu descended the stairs and stared at the bizarre scene.
"...What is she doing?" Lady Nagant asked, baffled.
"I think... some kind of mental training."
"Does she want to defeat Falcon that badly?"
"I guess so… Mirko is really something. She never slacks off. As expected of the strongest female hero in Japan. She's an amazing role model." Ryukyu said with pride.
Mirko's face turned red as she breathed heavily, continuing to endure her inner struggle.
Meanwhile...
Ichika arrived at the beach with a group of girls—Toru, Momo, Nejire, Little Bel, Roboco, and La Brava. They stood in a line, gazing at the sparkling sea.
"It's the sea!" they shouted in unison, jumping up with excitement.
"Why do I have to come with you guys?!" La Brava grumbled.
"You need to go outside once in a while, Hecker. You've been cooped up in the workshop too long."
"Touch grass? There's no grass here! It's all sand!" she retorted, but Roboco approached her.
I wanted to hang out and relax with Manami-chan at the beach. I asked Father to bring you with us.
"Eh? You should've told me earlier, so I could prepare! I mean, I do want to hang out with my best friend, Roboco..." she mumbled, flustered.
The girls went off to change into their swimsuits, while Ichika stayed behind to pitch a tent and cook.
As he grilled barbecue and vegetables, someone suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
"Guess who~?"
Ichika sighed. He could tell from the voice alone.
"Nejire-senpai… I'm grilling right now."
"Wrong!"
She giggled and let go, stepping in front of him with a playful smile. She wore a turquoise bikini, and her long hair was tied into a ponytail.
"It's your First Lady, Mrs. Fujiwara, Mr. President."
"I told you, don't call us that in public. Just when it's the two of us."
"Hehe~ Don't worry, I snuck ahead just to meet you. So? What do you think of my swimsuit?"
Ichika smiled while flipping the meat. "You look beautiful. It suits you."
"Aw~ Thank you, Ichika-kun~" she beamed.
"How unfair!" Toru called out, arriving with the others.
Toru wore a white swimsuit, Momo was in red, Little Bel had blue with white frills, and Roboco had a teal green suit with a frilly skirt.
Ichika smiled again. "You girls look adorable in those swimsuits."
Toru blushed, clearly pleased. Momo looked a bit skeptical. Roboco remained expressionless, while Little Bel didn't look too thrilled about being called "adorable."
The only one who looked annoyed was La Brava, wearing a pink-striped swimsuit with the word LOVE on her top.
She crossed her arms and scoffed. "No one's gonna believe that. You're obviously forcing yourself to say that crap."
"I'm being sincere, Hecker. When I said 'adorable,' I meant them. Not you."
"Huh?! Are you saying I'm not cute?!"
"...I wonder about that."
They glared at each other, sparks flying.
"There they go again," Momo muttered.
"They've known each other for so long, and they still act like this," Toru added.
It was worse in the past. Roboco chimed in.
"...Actually, I'm kind of jealous of her," Nejire said, watching the two argue.
"Seriously?" Little Bel squinted at her suspiciously.
After that, the group splashed around and played in the water.
"Take this!" Nejire splashed Momo and Toru.
"Kyah~!"
"We won't lose!" Momo retaliated.
La Brava floated on a swim ring while Roboco pushed her.
"Let's gooo!"
Leave it to me.
Roboco swam so fast, the ring became like a motorboat.
Nearby, Little Bel floated silently, unmoving, just vibing.
They all played together happily—until they realized something.
"Wait… Where's Ichika?"
They looked around.
He was nowhere to be seen.
Inside a cubicle in the bathroom, Ichika stared at his smartphone, his expression serious.
On screen was the old man, speaking urgently.
Re-Destro is up to no good again. You need to go check what he's planning.
Ichika nodded and saluted.
Good luck, Agent P.
Without hesitation, Ichika changed into his platypus costume with the fedora and used the Space Stone to teleport away.
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix any mistakes later.