God's Blessing on This Wonderful Academy! - A Goddess, Living as a Freeloader — Between Housekeeping Skills and Explosion Magic

Morning light slipped through the gap in the curtains, and I woke up. I reached for my phone on the pillow. Seven-oh-two. Two minutes before my alarm. (Again, huh.) For the past week, it'd been the same every morning. Waking up before the alarm, with this weird tightness in my chest. Restless. Like someone was watching me. Satou Kazuma, sixteen years old. First-year at Tokio Mirage Academy High School. My mom's overseas on assignment, so I live alone in a regular house inside the academy city. I can handle most household chores. Cooking, laundry, cleaning — I'm decent at all of it. I got out of bed and opened the curtains. An April morning. The sky was blue. In the distance, I could see the fifty-meter soundproof wall surrounding the academy city — no, technically it's called the "Mirage Wall," a special barrier. Though to normal human eyes, it just looks like a plain white wall. Mine included. (You know about this? The GPS in this city always shows fake coordinates.) Some guy sitting next to me on entrance ceremony day told me that. I laughed and said no way. But apparently it's true. When I open the map app on my phone, my current location always shows as "Central Tokyo." Even though this place is forty-five kilometers west of the city center. Whatever. Doesn't matter. I changed into my uniform and headed to the kitchen. I pulled eggs and miso out of the fridge. With practiced hands, I made miso soup and fried some eggs. Breakfast for one. No — starting today, for two. —No, wait. I hadn't actually officially agreed to anything yet. Last night, she showed up at my door out of nowhere. Dragging two suitcases. "The goddess of fate led me here." That's what she said, trying to waltz right in. I stopped her with everything I had. We argued at the front door for thirty minutes. The neighbors must've loved that. In the end, I couldn't kick her out, so I let her stay one night. (One night. Just one.) I told myself that. The miso soup pot bubbled. A nice smell filled the air. That's when it happened. "Good morning, Kazuma!" A voice came from behind me. I turned around. Standing there was a girl with long, light-blue hair swaying around her. Her clear blue eyes sparkled, and she wore an innocent smile. Around her neck hung a small wing-shaped pendant. According to her, it's the "proof of a goddess." Aqua. Sixteen years old. Self-proclaimed goddess. The one who saved me from getting hit by a truck. And as of yesterday, my annoying freeloading roommate. "When the hell did you wake up? And I told you to ring the intercom!" "But Kazuma's house is my house too. A goddess doesn't ring the intercom every time she enters her own home." "It's not your house! And I don't remember ever agreeing to let you freeload!" "Ehh? But you were so kind yesterday? You let me use the bath, and you laid out a futon for me." "That's because you insisted on sleeping at the front door! I had no choice!" "You're so kind, Kazuma. Truly a human worthy of a goddess like me." She plopped herself down at the dining table without asking. "Wow, smells so good! Kazuma, is this the legendary miso soup I've heard about?" "Legendary...? Have you never had miso soup before?" "Goddesses normally only eat food from the divine realm. But since I'm here, I suppose I'll grace human food with my palate." "Oh, how generous." I poured the miso soup into a bowl and set it in front of her. I also plated the fried eggs on a small dish. Aqua pressed her hands together. "Thank you for this meal." She took a sip of the miso soup. "...Oh my." "What's wrong? Not to your taste?" "It's delicious! Kazuma, you're a good cook! Human food isn't bad at all!" "O-oh. ...It's nothing special." "It IS special! This dashi aroma, the richness of the miso, and the sweetness of the fried egg! It rivals divine cuisine!" "What's divine cuisine even like?" "Dishes made from radiant fruit and water from the seven-colored spring. So beautiful and delicious that words can't describe them." "Huh. I'd love to try that someday." "I'll take you there someday! I, a goddess, guarantee it!" She happily stuffed the fried egg into her mouth. (...Well, watching her eat with such gusto isn't the worst feeling.) I sipped my miso soup too. Yeah, I'd done pretty well today. "Hey, Kazuma. What's on the schedule today?" "School. You too." "Oh, right! I'm a student, aren't I!" "You forgot?! It's been a week since we enrolled!" "Goddesses are busy. I don't have time to be distracted by mundane human affairs." "Mundane...? School is mundane?" "But I'm happy I get to go to school with you, Kazuma! This must be the guidance of the goddess of fate!" "How bored is this goddess of fate, exactly?" We finished breakfast, and I cleared the dishes. Aqua tried to help, so I politely declined. "I can at least do the washing up!" "You broke three glasses yesterday." "That was... well, the glasses were slippery." "Blame the glasses, huh." "That's right! It wasn't my fault! A goddess's hands are delicate!" "Delicate hands that destroyed three glasses. Amazing." In the end, I did the dishes. --- While I was getting ready to leave, Aqua was peering into the washing machine. "Kazuma, how do you use this thing?" "You did laundry yesterday. What did you mess up?" "I didn't mess anything up! I just washed a white shirt and a red hoodie together, and the shirt turned pink!" "That IS messing up!" "But I didn't know you're supposed to separate colors..." "...Sigh. Forget it. I'll do the laundry. Don't touch anything." "Kazuma, you're really good at housework! Even I, a goddess, am impressed!" "If you're impressed, learn some housework yourself." "Goddesses don't need to do housework. That's for humans." "Oh, aren't we high and mighty." When I went back to the living room, Aqua was staring up at a light bulb. "Kazuma, this light bulb is about to burn out. I'll purify it for you!" "Hey, stop! That's a light bulb! You don't purify those!" Before I could stop her, Aqua held both hands toward the bulb. "O power of the goddess, cleanse this impurity... Purify!" BANG!! The bulb exploded. Glass shards scattered across the floor. "Oh? That's strange. I purified it, though." "That's not purification, that's destruction! What did you do?!" "I-I'm sorry... There must have been evil energy built up inside the bulb..." "Light bulbs don't have evil energy! It was just an old bulb!" "But now the room is brighter, right? Because the evil energy was purged!" "It's darker because there's no light bulb anymore!" I let out a deep sigh. (If we go to school like this, she's definitely going to do something.) The tightness in my chest had gotten worse than before. --- The way to school. A tree-lined path leading from the center of Tokio Mirage Academy City to the school. The cherry blossoms were blooming. No — technically, they were just starting to bloom. "Wow, the cherry blossoms are beautiful! Kazuma, look, look!" Aqua tugged at my arm. "I'm looking, I'm looking. And stop pulling." "When I see cherry blossoms this beautiful, I just want to purify them!" "What? Don't purify cherry blossoms. Absolutely not." "Why not? Some branches look like they're dying. If I purify them, they'll get better." "Your purification has a track record of killing plants! Did you forget the classroom's potted plant?!" "That was just because the purification was too strong! If I do it properly, it'll be fine! Trust me, I'm a goddess!" "Like hell I can trust you." Ignoring my warning, Aqua approached a cherry tree by the roadside. "This branch looks a little weak. I'll purify it for you." "Hey, I said stop!" Before I could stop her, Aqua held both hands toward the cherry tree. "O power of the goddess, cleanse this tree's impurity... Purify!" A pale blue light radiated from her palms. The light enveloped the cherry tree — and the next moment, all the petals scattered at once. No, they didn't just scatter. The branches, the leaves, everything blew off. The cherry tree was left completely bald. Students passing by stopped in their tracks. "Huh... What the hell is that?" "The cherry blossoms... disappeared in an instant." "Wait, even the branches are gone!" The students' eyes all turned to Aqua. "Oh? That's strange. I purified it, though." "I told you! It's not purification, it's destruction!" I grabbed Aqua's hand and ran from the scene. "Wait, Kazuma! Don't just start running!" "If we don't run, everyone will know you did it!" "Calling me the culprit is rude. I'm a goddess. What's wrong with a goddess purifying a tree?" "What kind of goddess leaves a tree completely bald?!" "Bald... That cherry tree, how pitiful..." "...Sigh. Too late for that now." --- When we got to the classroom, homeroom had already started. The homeroom teacher's name was... Tanaka-sensei, I think. A man in his forties, self-conscious about his thinning hair. "Satou, you're late. Also, something's happened to the cherry trees along the school route. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" "Uh, ah... That was, um... lightning. Probably." "Lightning? It's perfectly clear today." "Lightning can strike even on a clear day. A bolt from the blue, as they say." "That's not what 'a bolt from the blue' means." "Well, anyway, the cherry tree going bald was a natural phenomenon, so..." "...Fine. Just take your seat." I sat down at my desk. Aqua, in the seat next to me, was grinning. "Kazuma, thank you. You protected me." "I didn't protect you. I just avoided trouble." "Fufu, you're not honest. But that side of you is lovely too." "Don't say creepy things." (Sigh... Is this what every day is going to be like?) I let out a deep sigh in my heart. --- After school. I took Aqua and headed to Mirage Town. Mirage Town is the commercial district on the south side of the academy city. It's the busiest area in town, lined with shops for students and residents. Population about five thousand. There are cafes, general stores, bookshops, arcades. "Kazuma, where are we going?" "A cafe. I want to talk calmly." "A date! A date with Kazuma!" "It's not a date! We're going to properly discuss your powers!" "My power is a goddess's power. There's nothing to discuss." "...Sigh. Whatever, let's just go." The place we headed to was a shop called "Cafe Nocturnal." A cafe popular with academy students, five hundred yen a cup of coffee. The student cafeteria's set meal is six hundred yen, so it's reasonably priced. But the atmosphere is calm, perfect for a quiet conversation. When I opened the door, the scent of coffee drifted out. The inside was bustling with students. Behind the counter stood a woman in her fifties. Silver hair tied back in a single bundle, wearing a calm navy apron. She had a gentle smile. "Welcome. Two of you? There's an open seat in the back." "Ah, thanks." I sat at the back table. Aqua sat across from me. "Kazuma, this shop is lovely! The coffee smells so good!" "Can you even drink coffee?" "A goddess can drink anything. Though it won't compare to divine beverages." "Oh, I can't wait." The owner, Olga, brought us water. "Your order?" "Two coffees. And a cake for her." "Cake! Kazuma, you're so generous!" "...Sigh. It's just my allowance shrinking." "I, a goddess, shall express my gratitude!" "If your gratitude came in cash, I'd appreciate it more." Olga smiled and noted down the order. "Understood. Please wait a moment." She returned to the counter. (It's a nice, calm shop.) I looked around. The interior had a warm, wooden feel. Old records decorated the walls. Quiet jazz played in the background. Students were spending their time however they liked. "So, Aqua. Tell me properly about your powers." "Powers? I told you, it's a goddess's power." "What can a goddess's power actually do? You made a cherry tree bald, exploded a light bulb, broke dishes... It's all destruction." "Purification. The

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Episode 2

Name: God's Blessing on This Wonderful Academy!
Author: Novelia

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