"Uh… what am I even supposed to do here?"
I was half-dazed, watching the bizarre scene unfolding before me.
I mean, I was all pumped up, you know? This was basically the first event in this gender-skewed world that was actually in my favor. Yeah, I admit it—I got a little carried away. And I feel really bad that I let my guard down and put Kouta in danger. I genuinely apologize, and I plan to do it again properly, with him present, later on.
Even though I'm kind of a coward, I decided to step in when my childhood best friend was in trouble. I was ready to get punched if that's what it took to break up the fight.
But then...
Out of nowhere, this 'alpha male' type shows up.
He had that typical "I'm the boss" attitude, but without looking down on the women involved. He handled them like the heroine of a drama. And the way he subtly took care of Kouta, the victim—wow.
It was unbelievable. Who is this guy? He's our age, right? Elementary school, maybe middle school? And yet, he exudes that much charm? Maybe not quite on the level of Hiroshi-sama, but still, probably the most impressive guy I've seen since the old man who runs the candy shop.
Man, the world is wide.
Also, how did that alpha dude calm down those wild women so effortlessly? He tamed them like a beast master handling lions.
He cupped the woman's cheek and said:
"Why do you demean yourself so much? (Pause)
Your eyes are so beautiful, yet you're the one distorting that beauty.
(Looking deep into her eyes)
You must cherish yourself more." (Finishing with a compassionate smile)
Whoa! Who *is* this guy? Some kind of protagonist? The women were blushing furiously, and now the bystanders are getting all fidgety. Some of them even collapsed—this is like one of those "Not Suitable for Under 18" moments!
Wait a second…
I swear I've seen him somewhere before.
No way… is that Kimura?
It is! That's *One-Punch Kimura*!
But his vibe is completely different! Kimura used to be the textbook definition of a spoiled alpha male. He even left permanent emotional scars on the class, especially among the boys (and the girls, too, after the infamous *incident* that hit my jaw). Wasn't he supposed to be in the hospital recovering? What's he doing here? And why does he have a ridiculously beautiful older woman in tow, fawning over him?
Oh, Kouta's free. Looks like he's rejoined his mom safely. I'd better head over there too.
Wait, what's with Kimura? As soon as he spotted the girl who looks like the wild woman's daughter, he froze. He looks pale and… is he trembling? And now he's being escorted away by the beautiful woman…
Ah, this is probably about *that*—the *One-Punch Incident*. (Long sigh)
I'll have to be nice to him once he returns to school. The other guys should know too, though the girls… that's gonna be impossible.
But more importantly—Kouta.
"Kouta, are you okay? I was nearby, but I couldn't do anything. I'm really sorry. I was too caught up in my own excitement… I should've been more careful."
"Kouta, I'm so sorry too. I let my guard down for just a moment… This is no excuse, though. This was supposed to be a safe place, but I failed to protect you. I'm so sorry, my dear."
Both Kouta's mom and I bowed our heads, apologizing in unison.
In a world like this, where the male-to-female ratio is absurdly skewed, losing sight of a boy in a crowd of women is simply not acceptable. I guess the boys' life at school had lulled us into a false sense of security—our district handles boys so differently compared to the rest of the world.
But none of this was the women's fault—it was ours for being so careless. My memories from a previous life? They were useless when it really mattered. If this had traumatized Kouta and turned him into a recluse…
"What's with the long faces, you two? Especially you, my best friend—your tragic expression is so out of place it's scary. Are you messing with me?"
Kouta, to our surprise, was completely unfazed.
Huh? Isn't this the kind of thing that leaves people scarred for life? I've read news reports about cases where boys withdraw from the world after unwanted contact like that…
Kouta's mom and I had been spiraling, unsure of how to comfort him, but…
He's fine.
"Yeah, sure, I was scared. But I'm used to seeing girls swarm around Hiroshi-kun, right? Recently, they've been creating their own little world of madness around him. After seeing the way the girls in our class look at him all the time… this didn't feel like a big deal."
Wait, the Hiroshi-sama effect extends even here?
Well, if Kouta's not shaken up, that's a relief.
But seriously, this feels like a *domino effect*, like "When the wind blows, the barrel makers profit." Hiroshi-sama's influence extends even into other people's emotions and thoughts.
He really is something else.