Chapter 178: "The Monster of the Human Heart" Becomes a Huge Success 

Hitori Gotoh really hadn't expected it—she had done nothing but lie low the entire time, yet somehow, she had ended up as the unexpected winner.

B-But… this isn't bad either!

Feeling Minami Shouji's hand gently patting her head, her cheeks flushed bright red, and a soft giggle escaped her lips.

Hehehe…

She made up her mind—she would keep her mouth shut.

No one needed to know that the only reason she hadn't joined in on the confessions… was because she had been too scared to stand up and say anything.

And from there, things progressed much more smoothly.

With Minami Shouji and Ijichi Nijika steering the conversation, the atmosphere gradually shifted in a better direction.

Hitori Gotoh never expected this outcome—she had done nothing but lie low, yet somehow, she had ended up as the unexpected winner.

B-But… this isn't bad either!

Feeling Minami Shouji's hand gently patting her head, her cheeks flushed bright red, and a soft giggle escaped her lips.

Hehehe…

She decided to stay silent—no one needed to know that the only reason she hadn't joined the confessions was simply because she had been too scared.

From there, things progressed much more smoothly.

With Minami Shouji and Ijichi Nijika guiding the conversation, the atmosphere gradually shifted in a better direction.

To put it simply, all the girls here were around the same age, meaning they had plenty of shared topics to talk about.

Even though they were technically rivals in love, that didn't stop them from engaging in casual conversation.

For example, Shinjo Akane's vast knowledge surprised Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue, while their practical daily life experiences gave Shinjo Akane a fresh perspective.

After all, Shinjo Akane was planning to leave the Shinjo family after entering university.

As the heiress of a prestigious household, she had never handled things like budgeting or housework, so she was genuinely curious about Chisato and Takina's real-world experiences.

Besides, by talking to them, she could also gauge the strength of her "opponents."

As the saying goes:

"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you'll win every battle."

With their own thoughts and motivations, the group continued walking forward together.

At the same time, Minami Shouji couldn't help but admire Ijichi Nijika's ability to keep the mood lively—it was no wonder she was called the "Shimokitazawa Angel" by fans in his previous life.

With her sunny personality and natural social skills, she had a unique talent for bringing people together.

Her gentle words and considerate demeanor gave off a glow similar to an angel's radiance.

Of course, unlike those fans on Bilibili, Minami Shouji wasn't about to start calling her "Mom", but… he still respected her a lot.

Just then—

"It's about time, Shinjo-san."

Minami Shouji checked his watch and suddenly spoke up.

"Hm? Time for what?"

Shinjo Akane, who had been deep in discussion with Chisato and Takina about whether to soak laundry detergent before washing or not, blinked in confusion.

Then, as if suddenly remembering, she let out a soft "Ah."

It was almost time.

Time for the performance of "The Monster of the Human Heart."

Since it was a tokusatsu stage play, the set pieces and miniature city models had to be carefully arranged beforehand.

Not to mention the high-cost LED screens, Minami Shouji's narration, and Rikka Takarada's costume change.

Because of all these elements, "The Monster of the Human Heart" was scheduled as the first major performance of Shuka Festival.

Just setting everything up took over ten minutes.

Hearing Shinjo Akane's explanation, Ijichi Nijika suddenly realized something:

"Oh! That means we need to start getting ready too!"

Since her band, Kessoku Band, was also performing, they needed time to mentally prepare and do final checks.

"Looks like this is where our little stroll ends."

Unlike the others, Chisato Nishikigi didn't seem too disappointed.

She grinned and playfully latched onto Minami Shouji's arm:

"I really wanted to watch your performance, Minami-kun! But Takina and I are on food supply duty at 'Riko-Riko' today, so we have to go!"

But—

"Next time."

Her bright golden-red eyes turned to Shinjo Akane and Yamada Ryo, completely overlooking Hitori Gotoh's barely-there presence.

"The one who'll win Shouji-kun's heart will definitely be me and Takina!"

As if declaring war, she confidently raised her fist:

"For now, we'll let you borrow him, but next time, he's ours!"

She laughed cheerfully, then let go of Minami Shouji's arm and turned to Takina:

"Come on, let's go!"

Takina politely bowed to the group before leaving:

"Thank you for your time."

"Ahhh, come on, Takina! You don't need to be so formal with our rivals!"

"But… manners…"

"It's fine, let's just go!"

Their voices mixed together, Takina's confusion blending with Chisato's carefree energy as they left.

"Those two are really something else."

Kita Ikuyo watched them go and let out a small sigh of admiration.

She was outgoing, but she could never be as blunt as Chisato—openly using the word "rival" in front of everyone.

Even Shinjo Akane found herself nodding slightly in agreement.

Most people would hesitate to call others "romantic rivals" so openly, yet somehow, Chisato made it sound completely natural.

If she were a boy, Akane thought, she might have fallen for her too.

With Riko-Riko's pair gone, only Shinjo Akane, Minami Shouji, and Kessoku Band remained.

Since both groups were heading to the gymnasium, they decided to walk together.

Upon arriving at the backstage area, they split up to prepare for their respective performances.

"I wonder what kind of show Shinjo-san and Minami-san will put on…"

Already dressed in her Kessoku Band outfit, Ijichi Nijika stood backstage, full of anticipation.

Then—

The curtains rose.

At center stage, Shinjo Akane stood confidently, overseeing the final setup.

"A tokusatsu stage play, huh?"

Finally putting down her food, Yamada Ryo muttered in interest.

"Tokusatsu?"

Ijichi Nijika tilted her head, unfamiliar with the term.

"You know—like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai."

Yamada Ryo, a fan of watching movies alone, gave a simple explanation.

"Oh…?"

Ijichi Nijika only vaguely understood.

After her mother passed away, she had grown up under her older sister's influence, falling in love with rock music.

As a result, she had barely any experience with Ultraman or Kamen Rider—they were just names she had heard before.

"I heard Minami-kun wrote the script himself."

Dressed in her band uniform, Hitori Gotoh spoke hesitantly.

"Oh?"

Her words immediately piqued everyone's interest—even Yamada Ryo stopped eating.

Minami's last work, "The Girl Hidden Within the Azalea Fields," was legendary.

If this tokusatsu script was anything like that…

Maybe it would be truly special.

With that thought, Kessoku Band looked up toward the stage.

The huge LED screens Shinjo Akane had rented at great expense were finally fully assembled.

"It's starting…"

The city backdrop, the sound system, and the stage lighting were all in place.

Standing in full military uniform, her short hair neatly tied, Rikka Takarada exuded a sharp, commanding presence.

Finally, Shinjo Akane's gaze settled on a figure in the corner.

There—

Sitting calmly in a chair, flipping through the script, was Minami Shouji.

"Minami-kun…"

She whispered his name, her eyes softening.

This stage was the culmination of all their efforts.

Their first step…

As the curtain fell, Minami's clear, steady narration filled the auditorium—

And so, "The Monster of the Human Heart" began.

"The story takes place in modern-day Japan, during the time when the government decided to release nuclear wastewater…"

Just like his natural talent in social conversation, Minami Shouji's storytelling ability was also exceptional.

His clear, steady voice, free of any emotional fluctuations, effortlessly drew the audience into the narrative, setting up the background of the story without making it feel forced or dull.

"This is amazing… Minami-san."

Kita Ikuyo, watching from the audience, couldn't help but whisper in admiration.

Typically, the most boring part of any tokusatsu stage play is the narrator explaining the story's background.

If the exposition drags on or the narrator lacks skill, it can quickly bore the audience.

However, Minami Shouji had completely avoided that pitfall—his narration was so engaging that even someone uninterested in tokusatsu, like Ijichi Nijika, found herself captivated.

She was genuinely curious about how the story would unfold.

After all, Minami Shouji was now a direct competitor to Kessoku Band's performance in the Shuka Festival.

As she watched, the play continued—

A mutated sea creature caused by nuclear wastewater pollution, a Japanese government that ignored international maritime laws, and the appearance of the Permian-era kaiju, Thanasis…

Then, the main character, Rikka Takarada, entered the scene.

She delivered a powerful monologue, torn between Thanasis' goal of protecting the ocean and its destructive rampage through Japan.

It was… incredible.

The performance was mesmerizing—

Rikka Takarada's flawless acting, the intricately designed kaiju suit, the perfectly crafted dialogue, and even the expensive miniature city sets, meticulously built by Shinjo Akane.

The BGM, the roars of Thanasis, the panic of the fleeing citizens…

Ijichi Nijika couldn't believe it—

"How is this just a high school production?!"

This wasn't just a simple school play—the quality was so high that it could probably be performed commercially without any issue.

She was so completely immersed that she didn't even realize how quiet the audience had become.

At first, some people were skeptical about a tokusatsu play.

After all, in Japan, tokusatsu was often seen as a "kids' genre."

Most high schoolers had outgrown their childhood fascination with superheroes and kaiju battles.

But "The Monster of the Human Heart" shattered their expectations.

With its powerful themes, stunning visuals, and sharp social commentary on nuclear wastewater, the audience found themselves completely absorbed.

Then came the climax—

Thanasis, the guardian of the ocean, lay mortally wounded, its deep crimson blood spreading across the radioactive sea.

As the ocean turned red, the audience fell silent.

Then—

The kaiju's eyes… suddenly flickered open.

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

Due to the effects of nuclear contamination, Thanasis had mutated even further.

The "Gene Missiles", once capable of defeating it, were now completely useless.

Rikka Takarada, kneeling on the destroyed ruins of Tokyo, clenched her fists.

As the sun set behind her (displayed on the LED screens), she delivered her final, heart-wrenching line:

"This is the disaster Japan's government brought upon itself."

The story ended.

The final scene showed the ruined cityscape, bathed in the warm yet sorrowful glow of the setting sun.

The contrast between the breathtaking sunset and the devastation of Tokyo created an atmosphere that was both hauntingly beautiful and deeply tragic.

"Gulp—"

Ijichi Nijika swallowed hard.

Then—

Thunderous applause erupted.

For a moment, she forgot she was supposed to perform next.

Because—

Because…

"Just as expected from Minami," Yamada Ryo muttered as she snapped back to reality.

Beside her, Kita Ikuyo hesitated before voicing exactly what Ijichi Nijika was thinking:

"Minami-san and Shinjo-san's performance was way too good… The pressure on us now is insane."

Yeah…

This first act had already set the bar impossibly high.

How was any performance supposed to follow this?