195. Black Bullet : Manaka Secret and Understanding Protagonist Situation.

While Rentaro is looking for his partner Enju in the forest and coaxing her back (as in the original plot), Kaito, Manaka, and their 2 partners are sitting waiting while chatting and enjoying the snacks that Kaito has prepared earlier.

"Even though the plot has been affected greatly by our presence, it seems like the plot's core remains unchanged."

"Enju is still expelled from school, and Rentaro is desperate to find her."

"If we remember what happened in the plot, Enju will return to Rentaro, and their relationship will become closer." Manaka commented casually, "So we can only wait~."

"I guess that's plot correction power after all." Kaito commented as well, then fell silent with sadness, "And yet, Rentaro still thinks that there's nothing wrong with this situation."

"What a dumbass!"

To say Kaito is upset with Rentaro's position is an understatement. Even though Enju did nothing wrong and those racist humans are the ones who kicked her out of school unfairly, Rentaro still believes that's not everyone's fault and chooses to endure and accept it.

Kaito swore that if such a thing happened to Midori, he would probably have already destroyed that school and beaten everyone who dared to bully his partner!

...

"You can't change him, Kaito. Just give up~" Manaka, who seems able to feel Kaito's distressed thoughts, then calmly advised him, "Unless you want to brainwash him?"

"No." Kaito shook his head. "Is it impossible to change him?"

"So farm I think I have a good read on the protagonist in this world, and I would say it's impossible since his ideology is already rooted in his mind and couldn't be changed." Manaka explained calmly, "Like me, Rentaro grew up and was educated to think like that by others, and it's hard, if it's not impossible, to change."

"Like you?" Kaito raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes. Since I was connected to the root since I was born, in my original world, there were no secrets at all, making the world feel boring." Manaka put her cup down and continued explaining, "For me, who can even see my future in my world-- all actions feel pointless because I know all the results regardless of what I want to do."

"Ah, now I think about it, you are that omnipotent in your world." Kaito nodded in agreement, remembering there was indeed such a ridiculous setting for Manaka.

"I am connected with root, the source of the world, after all."  Manaka smiled a little bit, "I can do anything I want, but what's the point? I already know what the result will be regardless of what I want to do."

"Even my decision to fall in love with male King Arthur mainly happened not because I don't understand love that much, but more importantly, to end it at all because I don't care anymore." 

"That's... sounds boring and painful."

The ability to know the future sounds great, but it means there's no excitement for the future because you know all of it. Kaito himself can't imagine how boring his life would be if he got such a buggy ability.

"It was very boring. Torturous. Like... What's the point of living if I already know everything?"

Manaka then stared at Kaito seriously, "Have you thought that everything feels pointless because you already know the result? For example, let's say you are participating in a competition and become the winner of it 3 times in a row every single year because you are just that good. With that case, what's the point of continuing to participate in the 4th year since you probably win the competition again anyway?"

"Might as well try to quit it, and do something else that has more fun in it, right?" Manaka teased, "And that's mainly the reason why in the original I let male King Arthur become the savior and let him kill me."

"Because at least, ending it in that way would make me feel excited a little bit, as it's the best outcome out of all the possibilities I have done in my original."

"...I see. Now I understand you a little bit, and it kinda helps me understand Rentaro's thought."

"Fufufu... you are my darling after all, and you know how possessive I am. If not because chat group and your strength, there's no way I would tolerate any other woman that gets close to you~"

"Also. I am glad you feel much better, Kaito. At least you didn't seem so angry like when you argued with Rentaro."

"Yeah... thank you for that. I should have realized protagonist isn't exactly normal to begin with, considering he's growing up and survive in this cursed world."

...

Hearing Manaka's stories, Kaito now understands a little bit why her personality has become so crazy. It's because she knows everything, everything becomes boring; no excitement whatsoever, only despair and desperate finding the reason why she continues to live in her world, finding a way to make her life more exciting and fun.

Manaka herself isn't that crazy, but her situation makes her feel crazy and desperate. No wonder she is desperate to join the chat group, because this is the only way she can escape from her world and feel excitement from the outside world. Kaito guessed that, despite being the latest to join, Manaka is the member who obsessed with the chat group the most, even more than those who think of it as chat group members a family.

From this talk, Kaito now also understands a little bit of the reason behind the protagonist's (Rentaro) thoughts.

Because, like Manaka's growing-up circumstances, Kaito had forgotten that Satomi Rentaro grew up being educated directly by Tendo Kikunojo, a big politician who certainly emphasized ideas like politicians to Rentaro, where individual opinion is no more important than public opinion, and the law is under government regulations.

Hence, Rentaro becomes a nice guy who is kind to everyone, instead of the people close to him. Since he was trained to become an excellent politician, he always reminded everyone how important to follow the law and work for the greater good, even if it would cost anyone close to him.

>>>>>

After Rentaro managed to retrieve Enju safely,  Kaito quickly drove back to the city with everyone intact... although Rentaro's right shoulder got injured after trying to save Enju from a dangerous Gastrea creature.

...

"Are you okay, senpai? Do you need me to drive you to the hospital? I think you lost too much blood." Kaito asked with concern.

"No need, Kaito. It's just a minor injury..."

"What minor injury, you idiot, Rentaro!" Enju immediately cut off Rentaro's answer and asked, "Brother Kaito, please take this idiot to the hospital now!"

"Alright." Kaito nodded happily and stated with a relaxed tone, "But at least I am glad you guys are okay and still alive."

"Darling is indeed right." Manaka followed, also adding, "We almost had a heart attack to see both of you back with a lot of Gastrea creatures following you guys."

...

While Kaito and the others wait, Rentaro, of course, manages to find Enju's position in the forest with Kaito's phone and tries to persuade her to come back. However, unlike in the original, where it happened in a safe place (outside area of Tokyo Area), because they made too much noise in the forest, many Gastrea creatures came hunting for them.

Eventually, both Rentaro and Enju make up and work together to get out of the area alive, and in the process, Rentaro gets hit by a Gastrea attack on his shoulder and sustains big injuries on his shoulder.

Fortunately, the two of them still managed to escape and make it to the car, where Kaito, Manaka, Midori, and Jack quickly cleaned up the Gastrea creatures that followed them.

...

"I am sorry, Manaka's older sister." Enju dropped her down, feeling bad about her behavior. "I am so sorry!"

"Don't worry, it's not your fault..." Manaka pats her head to reassure her kindly, "... and welcome back to us, Enju."

"Sister...!!"

Hearing Manaka's words, Enju quickly burst into tears and hugged her in the car while Manaka pampered her. Looking at how easy Manaka gets Enju to like her, Kaito once again thinks how terrifying this girl is when it comes to reading the emotions of people around her and manipulating them.

"Don't be sad, Enju!" (Midori)

"I am willing to play with you." (Jack)

"Midori!! Jack!!" (Enju)

After that, both Jack and Midori also hugged Enju from the right and left, making the situation warm where Manaka, who was in the middle, was hugged by 3 lolis.

Compared to the original, where Enju could occasionally visit the cursed children who lived outside of Tokyo during this time, this time Enju is much more loner and has no friends, and she feels grateful that Jack and Midori are willing to befriend and care about her.

...

"Well, at least the girls are getting along, and Enju looks much better now."

Seeing the situation of the girls who managed to make Enju better in the back seat of the car, Kaito turned to Rentaro, who was sitting next to the driver with him, "So... senpai. What do you want to do about Enju's school situation?"

...!!

Hearing Kaito question, Rentaro remembered how he had made Kaito disgusted with him, felt guilty, and answered him hesitantly, "F-For now... I will talk to them and let them accept Enju back into the school."

"If they don't?"

"Then... Enju can't attend the school, and I need to find another school." Rentaro muttered weakly.

"And if you can't find a school that accepts Enju?"

"Then... I guess I need to teach Enju privately from now on..."

"What an idiot, senpai." Kaito shook his head slightly and then smiled, "Well, at least you managed to protect Enju before. That's what the most important."

"Indeed. As her partner, I would do my best to protect her." Rentaro nodded seriously and then turned to Kaito with an apologetic look, "About before... my attitude... I am sorry, Kaito."

"Well, it's okay. I also understand you better now, senpai. Just get along as usual, okay?"

"Yeah..."

...

Although Kaito still disagrees with Rentaro's outlook on justice, now he understands the reason behind his thought process and doesn't bother to change that because it will take a very long time for him to do so. Kaito admits that at least Rentaro is a good person who is willing to save people around him, regardless of their status. It would be hypocritical for Kaito not to befriend Rentaro, who is an inherently good person, while he has no problem befriending some bad guys like Crocodile, Kayaba, and Minaka.

...

Enju, who happened to overhear Kaito and Rentaro's conversation in the front, quickly exclaimed, "I-It's okay, Rentaro! At least now I have Midori and Jack play with me. W-We can study together at home!"

"Is it that right, everyone?"

""Umm...""

Hearing Enju's exclamation, both Midori and Jack turned away from her, feeling guilty about their answer. Unlike Enju, who can't attend school anymore in Tokyo, both of them are still attending classes at the base with thousands of other cursed children.

Naturally, both Jack and Midori would like to invite Enju to go to school with them, but the problem is that they know Kaito and Manaka don't want to reveal their identity for now, and they don't want to make their master/mother angry at them.

...

Kaito and Manaka, who are watching them, naturally know their struggle, but unfortunately,  they really can't reveal their secret to Rentaro for now. At least until they decide to reveal themselves to the public... which happens sooner than they thought.