Upon Returning Home As A Military Major General, I Was Told To Attend School, Even Though It’s Quite Late Now - Chapter 135

Chapter 135. A Sudden Turn

“So, everyone suddenly left, like the tide quickly receding.”

“Exactly. Heh, what do you think, Suou-senpai? My Soul Armament abilities aren’t just about shooting guns, you know. I can pull off a subtle trick like this too.”

After that, we successfully diverted people’s attention away from Mina, allowing us to slip into the indoor heated pool area of the hot springs amusement park and head to the changing rooms, which were divided by gender.

Changing into swimsuits is a quick affair for guys like Suou-senpai and me, so now we’re just waiting for the girls to finish changing.

“I’m genuinely surprised that Kamiyama’s ability includes mental influence techniques.”

“Yeah, but using it can make people lose all interest in the target, so it’s hard to control.”

Due to the inherent properties of saturation in my ability, its effects are always extreme.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuu.”

“We’re ready, Yuu-sama.”

“Oh, here you are.”

The girls, now changed, joined us.

“Oh, you’re wearing the swimsuit from our Okinawa trip.”

“My apologies. It was a sudden outing, and being this close to winter, there aren’t many options in swimsuit shops.”

Hayami-san seemed embarrassed, as if she’d made a lazy choice by wearing an older swimsuit.

“No, that back-dress-style swimsuit suits you well, Hayami-san.”

“Really? Thank you.”

Honestly, guys only replace their swimsuits if they fade or if the waist strings snap, so it seems tough for women.

“I didn’t buy a new one either… I thought I’d have to get a replacement if the old one didn’t fit, but when I tried it on at home, I hadn’t grown even a centimeter…”

“…Well, it’s only been a few months since summer.”

Sensitive topics should be handled gently, so I decide to tread lightly around Kotomi.

“Why am I stuck wearing a child’s school swimsuit…”

Misuzu appears in what is commonly known as a school swimsuit, clearly unhappy.

“Again with an outfit that’ll attract a certain crowd, huh, Misuzu?”

“Misuzu-chan wouldn’t want my hand-me-downs, and there’s not much available for girls’ swimsuits off-season, so this was all we could get,” Kotomi explains beside a visibly displeased Misuzu.

It seems their choice wasn’t intended to cater to any niche audience.

“By the way… where’s Mina?”

“Come on, young lady. Stop hiding behind me and come out.”

“Uh… okay…”

Mina emerges from behind Hayami-san, looking shy.

“Oh, Mina’s wearing a swim cap and goggles. Planning on competitive swimming?”

With her hair neatly tucked under a competition swim cap and wearing black racing goggles, Mina in her white bikini is quite the mismatched sight.

“I mean… my silver hair and blue eyes draw too much attention, so…”

“If anything, I think you’re drawing more attention now.”

After all, this is a leisure indoor pool, and no one but small children wear swim caps.

“But maybe… it would be better if I stayed apart from everyone…”

“No need to worry. If people crowd around you again, like earlier, I’ll just use my Soul Armament technique to redirect their attention.”

“But still…”

“Come on, it’s our day off. Let’s have fun. I’ll be by your side the whole time.”

“Yuu-kun…”

“And if anyone bothers you, Chuusuke and I can stun any flirtatious guys,” Kotomi adds.

“See? With Kotomi and her waterproof backpack housing Chuusuke, you’ll be fine.”

Kotomi’s commitment to carrying her stuffed animal, even poolside, is impressive. It feels like a new kind of ‘explosive’ girl.

“Yuu-sama, I often attract unwanted attention too, so please protect me as well.”

“Yes, yes. Hayami-san, stay close to me too.”

“Ugh…”

“Big brother, you’ll protect me, right?”

“Of course. I’ll crush any sleazy guys who approach.”

“Alright, let’s all have fun! Let’s head to the wave pool! Come on, Mina.”

“O-okay!”

Seeing everyone’s carefree demeanor, Mina finally works up the courage to remove her cap and run toward the wave pool with us.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Ah~ Why does salty ramen taste so good after swimming?”

“Yuu, you swam way too much. Who tries to swim against the current in a lazy river? Are you a grade-schooler?”

“It was fun, okay?”

“Heh heh.”

After working up quite an appetite swimming, we decided to have an early lunch at the poolside food court. We’d had an early breakfast through a drive-thru, so hunger struck earlier than usual.

“Even so, it was remarkable how often people noticed Tiger Roar.”

“Sorry, Yuu-kun…”

“Don’t worry, the mental saturation ability isn’t a heavy burden.”

Mina’s silver hair is eye-catching, so it’s only natural that it draws attention. Compared to that…

“Still, no one recognized you, Yuu.”

“Well… my hair’s wet, and I’m wearing a swimsuit…”

“That didn’t stop Tiger Roar from being noticed.”

“Shut up! I guess I’m just destined to be a background character.”

Whenever my saturation technique was used, it attracted people interested in Mina, Kotomi, Hayami-san, or even Misuzu. I never even had a chance to activate it for my own sake.

“But Kamiyama-senpai’s mental saturation technique is fascinating. It could be useful for infiltration missions.”

While munching on a sandwich, Marin-chan, intrigued, shared her thoughts on my technique that removed people’s interest in Mina earlier.

As a fellow user of information-related Soul Armament abilities, it makes sense she’d be curious.

“Yeah, it was handy during the infiltration mission to take Dr. Kirigaya out of the Euro Third Capital Operation.”

“That doctor must’ve been quite the handful, even during covert ops. Maybe you should’ve used that technique on him to make him lose interest in Soul Armaments altogether.”

“That would’ve been too big of a loss for the state. Though I did want to leave him behind more than once due to his incessant chatter.”

Even at a tropical-themed indoor pool, work-related topics still worm their way in—part of life at a special school, I suppose.

“But relaxing like this in a tropical spa is nice. We couldn’t swim much during our summer trip to Okinawa.”

“We were busy playing beach volleyball. It feels nostalgic now.”

“Yeah, I’d like to go again, without work this time.”

With the war finally over, we have time to enjoy these moments. Returning to Japan was emotional, but back then, I was still remotely engaged in battle. Now, real peace might be starting.

“Alright, once we’re done with lunch, let’s head to the hot springs.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to Japan’s hot springs.”

“Misuzu, you were most excited about that part, weren’t you? Okay, let’s…”

[We interrupt this broadcast for a breaking news update.]

The massive screen, which had been displaying serene Caribbean beaches, switched to the Prime Minister’s Office press conference room, where the Chief Cabinet Secretary stood in a suit.

“What the heck? Way to kill the tropical vibe.”

I muttered my discontent aloud.

[Regarding the recent information leak involving Major General Kamiyama, the government has issued warrants for Colonel Kirigaya Touko and Lieutenant Colonel Kobako Toshiaki on charges of high treason. Both are currently at large, and a nationwide manhunt is underway…]

I sprang to my feet, abandoning my half-eaten ramen, and dashed to the changing room.