>22< The End of the Summer Camp

Chapter 22: The End of the Summer Camp

The summer camp eventually came to an end. The elementary school students were still immersed in the fun they had but wouldn't forget the words of the high school senior from the previous day. They had come to understand that bullying was not a joke among classmates but something that could truly harm others emotionally.

Before boarding the bus, the group of students who had once ostracized Rumi approached her again, causing her to tense up, fearing they might harm her. To her surprise, the leader signaled to the others, and they all bowed and said in unison:

"We're truly sorry, Rumi. We apologize for our previous behavior. After listening to the Onii-chan's speech yesterday, we've done a lot of thinking. Please forgive us."

Rumi exhaled a sigh of relief and smiled as she looked toward Zaimokuza in the distance. Noticing the situation, Zaimokuza gave her a thumbs-up for encouragement.

Rumi responded gently, "It's okay, let's just be friends from now on. Please take care of me."

The group was moved by her forgiveness and quickly replied, "Yes, thank you so much, please take care of us too."

Afterward, Rumi cheerfully hopped over to Zaimokuza's side. Being just a child, her previous aloofness had only been a result of feeling excluded and upset.

"Can I have your LINE, Yoshiteru-niichan?"

Zaimokuza smiled and squatted down to pat her head, saying, "Of course, Rumi-chan. You seem much brighter now than before."

"Yes, it's all thanks to you, Yoshiteru-niichan," Rumi said, tears of gratitude streaming down her face. "Because of you, I made up with Hinata, and your speech made my classmates stop excluding me. It's all because of you."

Zaimokuza gently wiped her tears away and said softly, "Now that you're no longer being excluded, make more friends and help other bullied kids out of their struggles. After all, you can empathize with them. I believe you, Rumi-chan, will become an amazing person!"

Blushing at his kindness, Rumi gathered her courage, stood on her tiptoes, and gently kissed his cheek. "This is a thank you! Don't get the wrong idea," she said before darting away.

"That's not fair, Rumi-chan, I want a turn too!" Hinata, who had been watching, shouted at Zaimokuza.

With a smile, Zaimokuza leaned over, and Hinata kissed his cheek as well before exchanging LINE contacts with him and boarding the bus.

"Such a shameless lolicon," came Yukino's icy voice from behind. Zaimokuza turned to see a group of girls from his school nodding in agreement.

"Now, isn't this just a reward for a brother figure helping them out?" Zaimokuza protested. "Don't view something so innocent with ulterior motives, okay?"

The girls rolled their eyes at him, evidently thinking he was playing innocent.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for us to go. Get on the bus," Shizuka called out. "Zaimokuza, come here for a moment, I need to talk to you."

As everyone else boarded the bus, Zaimokuza approached Shizuka with a curious look on his face.

"Is there something you need, Hiratsuka-sensei?"

"Yes, actually. There's something I'd like your consent on. I recorded your entire speech yesterday with a camcorder, and I'm thinking of uploading it online. I believe it could help more people understand bullying. What do you think?"

"Oh, that's it? Feel free to share it with the world."

"But I'm worried those so-called bullies might target you because of it."

Zaimokuza smirked internally, amused by the notion that any high school student could threaten the "seventh godslayer." He replied confidently, "Don't worry, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'm quite strong myself, and the chance of me getting bullied is practically zero. Trust me."

Shizuka looked at Zaimokuza with slight bewilderment and, after a moment, said, "Alright then. On behalf of the students who suffer from bullying, thank you."

She moved as if to bow, startling Zaimokuza into quickly grabbing her shoulders to stop her, resulting in a moment of eye contact that caused Shizuka to blush as she remembered Zaimokuza's courageous stance in helping others. She thought she must be crazy to nearly develop feelings for her student.

Composing herself, she said to Zaimokuza, "Then, you should take your motorcycle and give Kato-san a ride back with you, since we don't have enough room in the car."

"Thank you, Yoshiteru-kun," Megumi quietly said nearby.

"It's no trouble at all, as long as you can hold on," Zaimokuza replied with a mischievous smile, remembering the thrill of speed.

Megumi froze slightly at his words, recalling the fear of being at the mercy of velocity.

Seeing her reaction, Zaimokuza chuckled and gently ruffled her hair.

"This time, I won't be speeding, don't worry," Zaimokuza reassured.

Feeling the reassuring hand on her head, Megumi blushed a little and said with a slight smile, "Yoshiteru-kun, you really have a mischievous side." With that, everyone got into their respective vehicles and headed back to the school.

After Shizuka uploaded Zaimokuza's video, the editorial committee took notice and immediately began heavily promoting it.

Ever since they received information from Touma Amakasu, they understood not to underestimate a godslayer just because he was a high school student.

As Zaimokuza mentioned, a godslayer held enough power to destroy nations, and they couldn't use righteousness to bind him.

Their previous attempt to reach out had not left the best impression, so now, the committee was focused on pleasing this new "demon king" from all angles.

In just a few hours, Zaimokuza's speech video had gone viral.

Meanwhile, in a detached house, a 15-year-old middle school girl with flaxen hair sat staring at her computer screen, captivated by the video of Zaimokuza's speech.

Next to her, a tomboyish girl with black hair commented on the video, saying, "This guy really speaks well."

The flaxen-haired girl nodded gently, replying, "Yes, this senpai seems to be a kind person."

"Do you want to meet him, sis?"

"Yes, if there's a chance, I'd like to meet him."

In a quiet, dimly lit room on the second floor of a traditional Japanese wooden house, a 14-year-old slender girl with silver hair and blue eyes watched the video on her screen, replaying Zaimokuza's speech repeatedly.

As she watched, tears welled up in her eyes, revealing that she too had experienced the pain of bullying.

The girl was overwhelmed with the desire to meet Zaimokuza after watching his speech, finding herself deeply fascinated by his presence. Her face flushed with an unusual redness, illustrating the classic allure of an unintentional charm.

---

Back at school, Zaimokuza regrouped with Shizuka. She clapped her hands for attention and said, "This summer camp went very well, and your performances were impressive, especially you, Zaimokuza. You helped a young girl rediscover friendship, stopped her from being isolated, and gave the students an unforgettable lesson." She then gave Zaimokuza a hearty pat on the back.

The crowd looked at Zaimokuza with admiration, acknowledging that he had played a significant role in making the event successful.

"That wraps it up. The event is over. Thank you all for your hard work. I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation. Let's dismiss."

"Yes," everyone replied in unison.

After saying their goodbyes, everyone waved and parted ways.

Before leaving, Yumiko and Ebina exchanged LINE contacts with Zaimokuza. Rizu and Fumino exchanged LINE contacts with Yukino and others, planning study sessions at Yukino's house during the break.

Yukino also casually included Yui and Zaimokuza in the tutoring plans. With that, the summer camp came to a peaceful close.