I Joined the Sentai Heroes Who Were Beautiful Girls Other Than Me but the Heroines Were All Yanderangers

73. Gentian’s Scheme

*

“I’m a researcher before I’m a woman.”

I can’t help but smile as I recall the words I just uttered.

“A researcher dedicated to world peace, hahahahaha. I’m quite the fraud, aren’t I? Maybe I’m more suited to being a con artist than a researcher.”

While muttering a monologue devoid of any emotion, I clicked on the word “Sleep.” The projector on the table retracted upward with a quiet mechanical sound, revealing the white wall and the unobtrusive row of unopened tea cans on the shelf in the corner of the room.

A secret projector room that no one except the current Philans Blue has ever entered. With trepidation at the thought of the further secrets that lie beyond it, I left the sealed room with my tablet in hand.

“Well, I wonder if he’ll do a good job.”

Asagi Sora. He’s an odd young man. When you talk to him, he’s surprisingly conventional and ordinary, and while he has some guts, he’s not very interesting. For me, who have been dominated by the blood of researchers since I was a child , I couldn’t understand the current situation where Akane, the best material, has her heart stolen by such an ordinary young man.

At first, I couldn’t help but wonder why such a man had captured Akane’s heart and why he was also popular with other heroes. I had arbitrarily concluded that it was because I was uninterested in romance and had values that were the polar opposite of a yandere. But now, I can admit that conclusion was wrong.

“There’s no point in dwelling on useless things. We have a mountain of things to do.”

Today’s meeting included sharing information with Sora-kun. The changes in Nightingale and the fact that Akane is in a very unbalanced state. As for Nightingale, there’s no choice but to maintain the status quo, and Sora-kun has also succeeded in creating an ambiguous relationship called an engagement by his own judgment.

As for Akane’s problem, I don’t know how to solve it, but the best thing to do would be to have Akane and Sora-kun meet face to face. It was my decision in the first place to keep the two of them apart for a long time after Akane’s reunion with Sora-kun. It was simply because I was afraid that Akane’s eyes would open.

Akane had idealized a small memory from the past, and as a result, she had become unnaturally fixed on Sora-kun. If the person in question wasn’t there, the memory would continue to be idealized forever, but if she were to meet the current Sora-kun, that would no longer be possible. If Akane were to become disillusioned with Sora-kun, if she were to realize that her feelings were a misunderstanding, there was a risk that her powerful love would be lost.

If it were just a romantic feeling, it would rarely fade away in an instant. Unless the person in question said or did something that was a major “landmine” for the other person, goodwill would fade away slowly. But that’s not the case when that goodwill is created solely from memories and delusions. When she learns the gap between her ideal and the reality of Sora-kun, the love that Akane has created may vanish like a bubble.

“Well, but his talent as a yandere maker has been proven genuine. That worry is no longer necessary.”

I pick up a dating magazine that I bought on a whim. This vulgar item, which doesn’t match this room full of computers and monitors, was returned to me by Sora-kun earlier. I wanted him to use it as a reference for his encounters with Akane and the other heroes, but he’s just a college student living at home, and he was apparently embarrassed to have his family see him with such a book.

A young man who has the guts to propose to a woman he doesn’t even like and the talent to make that self-absorbed girl blush, yet he’s also a timid man who worries about his mother finding out about his flirtations. Strangely enough, This young man, who has no abilities, is the most important person who will shape the future of this world.

He must never be hurt or allowed to escape. I don’t think he’ll worry about that, because he’ll understand that running away will only shorten his life.

“If it were just Nightingale or Akane, he’d have it a lot easier dealing with just one person. Talent is a sin.”

I was surprised by the proposal, but fortunately, Peach and Sunflower know the facts leading up to the confession. As for Sunflower, she’s less likely to hold a grudge because she feels guilty for hurting Nightingale. An unwanted engagement is rather convenient for a yandere girl who dreams of love. Sora-kun can just be ambiguous about it, and they’ll interpret it as “I know you really like me.”

I’m a little concerned that the way Sunflower’s feelings have changed since we first met, but I’ll leave that to Sora-kun to report on since I’ve asked him to contact me. The love of a young girl can take leaps and bounds that we adults can’t imagine. The yandere heroes of the past also tended to have more uneven abilities the younger they were.

Now that I’ve reconfirmed that I’ve completed the immediate tasks of exchanging information with Sora-kun and giving him instructions on the direction to take, let’s take a break. I was about to sit down in front of the monitor to take a breather when the buzzer sounded, announcing the arrival of a visitor.

“It was her, after all.”

It seems that my break will have to wait a little longer.

I opened the automatic door without connecting the voice, and there, as expected, stood the person I had been expecting.

The reason I opened the door without hesitation was because I trusted that she wasn’t foolish enough to attack me here and because I knew that if she had come with the intention to kill, she would have brought her suit under her uniform. If she had looked at the surveillance camera footage today, she would have known that she wasn’t wearing her hero suit. Other heroes wouldn’t have been able to do that, but she always carries her suit with her and changes into it before going on a mission. She’s one of the few heroes in history who has managed to blend seamlessly into society without being noticed by those around her.

“Peach. I thought you were off duty today.”

When I called her name calmly, she immediately put on a forced smile.

“Yes, I just wanted to see your face, Doctor.”

Of course, I know why Peach has come here. However, it’s better to make her a little anxious for the time being.

“I haven’t talked to you much lately, so I’ll just drop in for a little while.”

Without waiting for my permission, she walked into the monitor room. Peach looked around the room before turning back to me.

“Are you alone today?”

“Yeah, he was here until just now. But he’s already gone.”

She spoke as if she knew that someone had been here until just a moment ago. In the first place, it would be impossible to locate my room in this unnecessarily large base without surveillance.

“…What were you doing with my senior?”

When she realized that I was just teasing her, Momo peeled away the smile she had plastered on earlier and bared her hostility. It seemed she had given up on hiding the fact that she knew I was in this room and that Sora-kun had been here.

I had thought so ever since I scouted her, but Momo is quite a gutsy hero. Even now, she was glaring at me, her superior officer, with a sharp gaze like that of a cat looking at a thief.

“Nothing, we were just talking about work.”

“Don’t you feel ashamed, pressing a subordinate who’s younger than you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you going out with Sora-senpai?”

“If that’s what you think, then maybe you’re right.”

“…!”

She trembled and, with both fists clenched, looked down at the ground. It seemed I had teased her a bit too much.

“No, no, I’m sorry. That was just an act. Sora-kun and I have no such lewd connection.”

“…”

It seemed I was far from gaining her trust. Momo kept sending me sharp glances while glaring at her school bag in a threatening manner. She probably meant that she could kill me anytime, even if I was wearing a suit.

Unfortunately, I have no intention of letting her get the upper hand so easily.