“You really saved me. I don’t even know how to thank you…”

“No, I just happened to be passing by, so don’t worry about it. More importantly, I have one request—could you say that I was the only one who took these guys down?”

“Ah, ahh… That’s fine, of course, but these guys… I mean, rather than admitting they were beaten by a high schooler like you, they might say it was that strong-looking guy over there who took them down.”

Yeah, punks like these probably have nothing but useless pride. Rather than admit they lost to a high schooler, they might testify that it was Mogi, a well-built martial artist, who took them down. However…

“They’ll be fine with it. Sorry, but I’ll be counting on you.”

“Ah, got it.”

“That settles it then, Mogi-san. Sorry, but I’m taking the credit for this. Don’t worry about me—just get in the taxi and head back to the hotel.”

“...No, I know you’re trying to cover for me, Aniki, but I’ll take responsibility for what I did. I’ll be fine! And besides, this old man here will testify that these guys were in the wrong, so it should all work out.”

I didn’t cause any major injuries, so it should be fine, but if I somehow got disqualified from the tournament, I’d be in serious trouble.

“This is an order. Even if it was self-defense, it’s less of a problem if a regular high school student did it rather than someone trained in martial arts. Besides, you helped me train, so make sure you’re in perfect condition for the tournament and give it your all.”

“...Aniki, I’ll take you up on that! I swear, I’m gonna win that tournament!”

“I’m expecting great things from you. But don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

“Ossu! Just now, Aniki, you were seriously like the kind of hero I looked up to as a kid! When I was little, I really thought about growing up strong and beating up bad guys.”

“I see, so that’s why you took up martial arts. That’s a great reason.”

“Nah, the reason I started MMA was just to be popular with girls. I mean, what guy doesn’t want to show off and look cool in front of them?”

“………………”

…Yeah, Mogi-san is just Mogi-san. Well, I don’t think he’s a bad person, at least.

Before the police arrived, I erased only Mogi-san’s memory from the punks with a forgetfulness spell, and then I made sure they’d never try extorting anyone again by thoroughly intimidating them with my intimidation skill. I didn’t care if it left them traumatized.

Because of that, when the police questioned me, it was established that I had taken them all down alone. Everyone’s testimony matched, and when I lifted a large desk to show I had the strength, the police seemed convinced.

The punks who were caught would be arrested for extortion and assault, and it seemed like they were suspected of other crimes as well.

As for me, they asked for my name and contact information, but they wouldn’t be notifying my family or school, which was a relief. Honestly, if they had threatened to expel me, I might’ve seriously considered running away—but that’s a secret.

After finishing my police statement, I returned to the inn. I got back pretty late, but I covered it up by saying my training session with Mogi-san ran long when Abe and Watanabe asked.

“Hey, Tachihara.”

“What, Abe?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to coming to the beach as much as I have today.”

“...Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.”

The blue ocean, white sand, blazing sun, colorful beach umbrellas—none of that really mattered. After two days of grueling physical labor under the scorching heat (well, I didn’t actually sweat, but still), this moment was our reward!

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?”

““Not you!!””

“Whoa, what’s up with you two all of a sudden!?”

A little late, Watanabe arrived in his swim trunks. Sorry, Watanabe, but we weren’t waiting for you.

“Aniki, sorry to keep you waiting!”

…And Mogi-san, not you either. At this moment, Abe and I were perfectly in sync. We had rushed to change into our swim trunks and came out to the designated meeting spot in front of the changing area, unable to wait a second longer. As men, it couldn’t be helped.

…Though logically, there was no way we would have changed faster than Watanabe or Mogi-san.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. The changing room was really crowded.”

“Everyone, thank you so much for yesterday and the day before. Thanks to you all, the live performance was a success!”

“No worries, we weren’t waiting long at all. Besides, we got paid for the job, and we were thinking of going somewhere fun together anyway, so this is perfect.”

Keeping my face calm with my composure skill, I did a triumphant fist pump in my heart. No doubt Abe and Watanabe felt the same.

I had heard that Mogi-san was in charge of idol costumes, but did that mean he also handled swimsuits? Was he used to seeing girls in swimsuits? If so, I wanted him to explode.

Kawabata-san was wearing a cute two-piece swimsuit with frills, and the bottom half looked like shorts.

Sayama-san, on the other hand, was in a slightly daring bikini with a pareo. She was also wearing a straw hat and sunglasses, probably to hide her face as an idol.

…No, it didn’t matter what kind of swimsuits they wore. Just the fact that I was at the beach with girls my age was already enough to satisfy me.