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60.97% Roshidere : Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian / Chapter 50: Beauty and the Bonehead

Chapter 50: Beauty and the Bonehead

"I-I-I-I'm in love with you! P-p-p-please go out with me!"

Is this guy okay? That was the first thought that came to Chisaki's mind when she heard

this boy's unrestrained, stuttered confession.

"..."

It all started in Seirei Academy's disciplinary committee room. Chisaki was sitting in

a chair, leaning back with her arms crossed, staring hard at the boy in front of her. At a

glance, he seemed to be your run-of-the-mill otaku. He was big both in height and width and

would probably move like a sloth. His hair was wild and unkempt, and he had the face of

a middle-aged man, save for the plethora of pimples. His eyes behind black-framed glasses

were restlessly darting in every direction. That, in addition to his hunched shoulders, made

him look extremely sheepish.

I feel like I've seen him somewhere before…but we've never talked.

The color of his tie made it clear they were in the same grade, and she could vaguely

remember seeing him in middle school as well, but they had never had class together, let

alone a conversation. So why would he randomly stop by the disciplinary committee room

today to confess his feelings like this?

Did he lose a bet or something? Is this some form of bullying?

The school year had just started a month ago, so students were being grouped together,

and the classroom hierarchy was beginning to take form. Therefore…although it may be rude

to admit it, it would be no surprise if obviously low-caste students were being bullied and

made to confess their feelings to the most coldhearted member of the student disciplinary

committee.

Bullying… When will it ever end? I thought I put a stop to it in middle school.

But there were new students who transferred to Seirei Academy from different schools,

so maybe that had something to do with it. Chisaki considered the possibility and asked

directly, "Are you being forced to do this? If you're being bullied, I can help you."

"Huh…?"

The student stared in bewilderment for a moment, his mouth agape, then promptly shook

his head wildly.

"N-n-no, I'm not being bullied! Th-that's not it… I'm seriously…"

"…What?"

Chisaki squinted, having absolutely no idea what he was trying to say. Of course, she

knew what most guys at school thought about her. She heard the rumors. Some said she was

like a coldhearted drill sergeant, while others called her Donna, as if she were some sort of

mafia leader. At any rate, Chisaki struck fear in the hearts of most boys at school, and she

liked it that way. After all, it was far better to be feared than underestimated and looked down

upon, and that was why she couldn't comprehend the fact that this boy liked her. It would

make more sense to her if he had transferred from a different school, since even she knew

that she was extremely attractive. It would be no surprise if a guy or two asked her out just

because she was pretty. However, the student in front of her had known of her since at least

middle school.

"So… What's your name?"

"Huh? Oh, uh. Kenzaki. Touya Kenzaki."

"Okay then, Kenzaki. What is it about me that you like?" she asked with a cold stare.

"Oh, uh…"

He ducked his head and rounded his shoulders, seeming to shrink in on himself further.

"You're strong and brave and so cool…but you still have very feminine qualities as well.

I fell in love with how honest and true to yourself you are."

"…! O-oh. Uh…!"

Chisaki was caught off guard by how direct and honest he was with his feelings. After

all, this was the first time someone of the opposite sex had ever been so straightforward about

their love for her before. It wasn't that nobody had ever confessed their feelings to her, but

most of them were cocky, like "Oh, you don't have a boyfriend? Well, today's your lucky

day. I'll be your boyfriend" or "I like strong-willed girls. Be mine." They were all just trying

to control her. Of course, she put each of these pieces of trash in their place before separating

them by burnable and nonburnable and throwing them out, but that was a different story

altogether. At any rate, Chisaki was shaken by the unexpected, genuine display of affection.

"Ahem!!"

She cleared her throat as if to persuade herself she wasn't bothered, then put on a

confident, indifferent grin.

"Okay, I appreciate it and all…but I have no idea who you even are."

"Oh! O-of course. That's why…maybe we could be friends first…?"

His voice gradually trailed off until it was almost inaudible, and Touya continued to

hunch forward as if he wished he were invisible. There was something about his pathetic,

timid behavior that reminded Chisaki of her old self—which annoyed her—and she callously

replied, "I hate guys who don't say what they want."

"…! Oh…"

"And I hate indecisive guys, too. Wishy-washy, weak guys are a no go as well. On

second thought, I basically hate all men, so there's no way I'm ever going to date one."

"D-do you think you could make an exception…?"

He persisted (meekly) despite her purposely being extra harsh to get him to leave.

Chisaki was genuinely taken aback, finding herself once again shaken by his unclouded eyes,

so she promptly looked away to make sure he wouldn't notice, then dismissively waved him

off.

"Then do you think you could become at least a little bit cooler? Hmm… Like becoming

the student council president? Yeah, how about this: I will consider dating you if you become

the student council president."

"Th-the student council president?!"

"What? You can't even do that?" taunted Chisaki, though she was well aware that it was

a completely unreasonable demand. Student council president was a surprisingly valuable

position at this school, which was why student council students were always after it. There

was absolutely no way for your average, inexperienced student to become the student council

president, let alone make it to the election. They would be squished like a bug long before

that.

Nevertheless, that was far from a problem. Chisaki simply said the first thing that came

to mind, and it would make this easier for him to give up and leave her alone. However…

"…All right."

"…What?"

"I'll be back when I become president."

It wasthe first clear, confident thing he had said to her. He then swiftly bowed and exited

the room, leaving Chisaki to stare in a daze with her mouth agape in mute amazement…

"…Wait. Is he being serious?" she muttered almost unconsciously, before shaking her

head and adding:

"No, there's no way."

He probably realized I wasn't planning on giving in, so he just said that so he could

leave with some dignity.

She continuously told herself that while trying to erase that intruder from her memory.

Little did she know that having to consciously force herself to forget about him meant that

she was at least somewhat interested in him.

Around a month had gone by since that day.

I haven't heard from him since… Hmph. And he said he was in love with me… Not like

I care or anything!

Although she wouldn't admit it, Chisaki was slightly disappointed while she patrolled

the school… She suddenly heard the suppressed giggling of a boy and girl coming from

the art room. She softly sighed. There were tons of kids like this, even at a school with a

relatively high number of wealthy students. Once school was out, couples would secretly

meet in clubrooms—or any empty room, for that matter—for some fun. But unfortunately

for them, illicit sexual relations were prohibited on school grounds. Even a kiss was a major

issue if a teacher caught them.

Tsk! School is not a place for flirting and fooling around!

When she swung her bamboo sword, a piercing whiplike sound echoed down the hall,

causing the giggling students in the art room to instantly cease.

"The gate's about to be closed and locked!" she yelled before promptly walking away.

Normally, the disciplinary committee would handle indecent actslike this, but Chisaki wasn't

the kind of person who would walk inside and reprimand them. As long as they went home,

she was happy, and if they stayed, then whatever happened to them was their own fault. If a

teacher caught these students in the act, it was none of her concern.

"Tsk. Ridiculous."

There were countless graduates from this school and parents of students who were

politicians and businessmen—important representatives of Japan, and they took notice of

what happened at the school, so if someone were suspended, then there was no hope for them

after they graduated. All that awaited was darkness. Their paths to any of the top companies

in Japan would be permanently blocked, and that was not hyperbole.

Was a temporary feeling of intense passion worth the risk? It didn't make any sense to

Chisaki. Perhaps love fried the brain to the point that it made people stupid. With that thought

in mind, she casually shifted her gaze to the world outside the window…

"Hmm…? Is that…?"

She narrowed her eyes at two students wearing their gym clothes, standing near the

school gate. She leaned closer to the window and observed them for another few seconds

until she was sure that it was the student council president and vice president.

"…? What in the world are they doing?"

They were standing side by side right outside the school gate, facing Chisaki's left,

and looked to be waving and talking to someone. There was nothing unusual about student

council members staying after school, but there was something odd about them wearing gym

clothes in front of the school gate. Chisaki watched, puzzled, until the person talking to them

suddenly came into view.

"…?!"

Running over to greet the two student council members was the guy she had just been

thinking about a few moments ago, and even from a distance, she could tell how utterly

exhausted he was. Although his silhouette seemed to be a bit slimmer, his massive body and

rounded shoulders left no doubt as to who he was. With both hands on his knees, he breathed

heavily, trying to catch his breath, as the student council president and vice president warmly

patted him on the back.

"..."

Why was he with two student council members? The answer was obvious. Because he

was also a member of the student council…which meant…

"Is he really serious about doing this…?"

Those were the wordsthatslipped off her tongue before she immediately shook her head.

Even if he is serious, so what? she thought. Surely, there had to be something wrong with

him for taking her suggestion seriously, since it was merely something she came up with on

the spot to turn him down.

Isaid that to break it to him gently,so there'ssomething really wrong with him fortaking

me seriously… I didn't do anything wrong.

I didn't do anything wrong, and none of this is my fault…but I guess I could throw him

a bone, thought Chisaki with a faint sense of guilt. After descending the stairs to the first

floor, she bought a sports drink at the vending machine and waited for Touya in front of the

school building's entrance, but…

"You've really improved your endurance, Kenzaki."

"Yeah, for real. I'm guessing you don't really feel thatsore after your workouts anymore,

huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I have improved…compared with a month ago, at least."

When Chisaki heard their voices getting closer, she quickly hid behind one of the shoe

lockers. After giving it some thought, she immediately realized that there was no need for

her to hide…but after declaring that she hated men, she was too embarrassed to actually be

seen talking to one. Plus, simply explaining what she was doing there was a daunting task.

I don't have any other choice now.

After going back and forth between ideas, Chisaki placed her bamboo sword and sports

drink down, waited for the student council president and vice president to change into their

indoor shoes, then attacked them the instant they stepped into the hallway.

"Huh—?"

"Wha—?"

Once the surprise attack knocked them both unconscious, she gently leaned them against

the shoe lockers.

"Hmm? Guys? Is—?"

Chisaki instantly turned around when she heard Touya's voice, and their eyes met.

"Hmm? Chisaki? What are you—? What the…?! What happened to them?!"

His eyes opened wide in astonishment the instant he saw their limp bodies lying against

the shoe lockers, but Chisaki couldn't focus on that right now. She stood up with a calm

expression and grabbed the sports drink.

"Long time no see," she commented as she tried to act normal.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Long time no see. So about the student council president and vice

president…"

"You decided to join the student council? Just assuming since you were with these two."

"Y-yeah, but, uh… They—"

"Wow. You're a member of the student council now."

"Wh-what unwavering resolution and strength… I'm so in love with you."

"Wh-what?!" she goofily shrieked.

"Oh, sorry. It just came out."

Flustered, Touya began to dart his gaze around, so there was no way for Chisaki to

pretend to be mad and yell at him for teasing her. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, smugly

lifted her chin, and roared:

"Don't tell me you took what I said that day seriously? I'm going to be honest with you.

I only said that to get rid of you, so if you're foolishly thinking about becoming the student

council president or something, then stop."

She was trying to be as clear and arrogant as possible to make sure he understood…but

what she got in return completely took her by surprise.

"O-oh yeah… I mean, I figured as much…," replied Touya uncomfortably as he

scratched his cheek.

"…?!"

While she stood in mute amazement, Touya stared off into space and calmly continued,

"I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't doing this to get your attention at least a little…but

even without that, I figured this would be a good opportunity to change…to change myself."

"…To change yourself?"

"Y-yeah, I realize I'm not that attractive…and I wanted to change that."

"…And yet you still confessed your feelings to me? Wow."

"Er…! That's, uh… I heard that you should tell women how you feel assoon as possible,

so…I did."

"…Wouldn't that usually be after you have some sort of relationship?"

"Y-yeah, I had a feeling that was the case…," he admitted, meekly rounding his

shoulders…before immediately straightening his back and standing tall. His eyes faintly

trembling, he gazed right into hers, and he clearly stated with a somewhat quavering voice:

"But I don't regret a thing. I got the chance to improve as a person thanks to you! So there's

nothing you need to worry about…"

His voice suddenly lowered into almost a whisper as he trailed off, and he averted his

gaze. However, Chisaki's eyes opened wide as if he had read her mind.

"E-excuse me?! I'm not worried about a thing! I just thought I'd make sure you didn't

take what I said seriously!"

"Hmm? Doesn't that mean you were worried—?"

"What?! Don't get cocky! I would never concern myself over a man! Anyway, here! We

had extra, and I don't want it, so you can have it! Bye!" she sputtered in almost one rambling

breath before pushing the sports drink into Touya's hand, grabbing her bamboo sword, and

running away.

"Oh, uh… What about these two? Did—? …She's fast."

Before he could finish his sentence, she was gone, harboring a heart confused like never

before.

Me? Worried? Pfft! Not in the slightest! If you're going to be like that, then I'm going

to intentionally make sure I don't care, even if it's the last thing I do! From now on, I'm not

going to care what you do or where you do it, no matter what!

Like a stubborn child, Chisaki made this vow to herself. Regardless, she stuck to it and

worked hard to make sure she didn't have any contact with Touya after that.

"Chisaki! We'll patrol the school building this week, so—"

"I'll handle things inside the school building."

"Why…?"

Touya was always jogging after school around the schoolyard, so she needed to make

sure there was no way she would accidentally run into him.

"Chisaki, you have a minute?"

"What?"

"I wanted to talk to you about putting up flyers for the exercise—"

"Please ask someone else to do it."

"…! Oh… Okay…?"

The leader of the disciplinary committee seemed taken aback by Chisaki's harsh, pointblank refusal, but Chisaki didn't have a choice…because the school newspaper had plastered

the bulletin board with a special article about Touya. She did everything she could to keep

him out of her sight, but some things simply weren't avoidable.

"Now, a word from the student body treasurer, Touya Kenzaki."

Each student council member spoke at the closing ceremony for the first semester.

Chisaki tried to look away from the stage when she heard the familiar name, but when she

accidentally caught sight of the man in the wings, her eyes naturally opened wide.

"Good morning, everyone. I am the student body treasurer, Touya Kenzaki."

So this was what it felt like to hardly recognize someone. His body had clearly changed

over the past month and a half, and while he was still somewhat chubby, he didn't look

like a lazy sloth anymore. He even looked dignified, with his back straight as he stood tall

and proud. Chisaki forgot to look away as she gazed intently at him onstage, and Touya

immediately looked back at her, straight in the eyes. It wasn't merely her imagination, and

it was Touya's words that would prove it.

"I plan on running forstudent council president next year, but Istill do not have a running

mate. There is someone I have in mind, though. In fact, I don't plan on running for president

with anyone but her!"

Chisaki's heart began to race violently when she heard the declaration. Meanwhile, the

surrounding students, mainly the boys, began to show excitement.

"And I will do whatever it takes to make her my partner!"

What is he doing? wondered Chisaki in somewhat of a daze; all the students around her

erupted into applause. It even made her clap two—three times as well…before she lowered

her hands in a fluster, feeling her cheeks getting warm. Was it because she'd reflexively

started clapping? Or was there another reason why she was blushing? It was still far too early

for Chisaki to know why.

The day after the new semester began post-summer break, Touya stopped by the

disciplinary committee's room just like he had some time before, taking Chisaki completely

by surprise.

"Chisaki! Please run alongside me for student council president as my vice president!"

The man bowing his head right now was a completely different person from the boy who

had stood there over four months ago. The fat he had all over his body had vanished and was

replaced with ripped muscles. His hair was trimmed nicely and combed, and his eyes were

brimming with confidence as he gazed straight into hers.

"…!"

His transformation struck Chisaki silent for a moment, but after she cleared her throat,

she looked him back in the eyes.

"…Why? I told you to become the student council president before I would even consider

anything else, but if I run with you, that would mean I'd be helping you."

"I understand that, but I cannot imagine having a running partner other than you!"

"Er…"

She looked away because he was being so direct, but he continued, "Of course, if I am

elected with your help, I'm not going to use that to pressure you into dating me. But…I'm

no longer that indecisive, weak boy anymore, and I plan on continuing to grow into a man

you can respect! I want you to be there by my side to see for yourself, so will you do me

the honor? I beg you!"

"U-uh…"

Despite it being a very selfish request, Chisaki couldn't immediately turn him down

when he was being so straightforward and genuine, and before she realized it, her mouth was

moving on its own.

"You claim you're not weak anymore, but maybe you only look strong? I'd have to see

it for myself to believe it. Hmm… How about this: You beat me in a kendo match, and I'll

consider your proposal."

What am I saying? thought Chisaki the moment the words came out of her mouth. If she

didn't want to do it, then she could have just told him so without setting any conditions.

"…All right, I'll meet you in the second kendo training hall after school."

Unsurprisingly, Touya made this declaration after only a two-second pause. Chisaki agonized

over why she couldn't just turn him down as she watched him bow and leave the room.

"You are the scoundrel who has been trying to woo my lady, aren't you?!"

"…! Uh…"

Touya was taken by surprise the instant he stepped inside the kendo training hall after

school. And who could blame him? Some random girl wearing a kendo gi, her hair in two

spiral-curled pigtails like an aristocrat in the 1800s, suddenly started to verbally attack him.

Moreover, she was accompanied by three girls who somehow looked very natural standing

there (positioned asymmetrically for some reason), as if they had been lying in wait for him.

"Wh-who is 'my lady'?"

"Why must you waste my time asking questions you already know the answer to? Who

else could it be other than the noblest lady of them all: Chisaki!"

"O-oh…" Touya nodded, overwhelmed by the noblewoman's presence.

"I know why you came. You irreverently wish to challenge my lady to a duel, yes?" the

noblewoman claimed, flipping her hair (one large curl) back.

"Know your place!"

"It's troubling, isn't it? How arrogant can one man be?"

"You are in for a rude awakening if you think you can beat her that easily just because

you are a man."

"I don't think that at all… Anyway, why are you allstanding kind ofsidewayslike that?"

"That is none of your concern! If you wish to challenge my lady…"

The noblewoman paused, then snapped her fingers.

"Ayame Shinbashi!" On the right, an energetic girl with simpler pigtails announced her

name with her head held high.

"Kikyou Oomori," stated the tomboy to her right with a hand over one eye.

"Kurasawa Hiiragi," stated the girl standing on the opposite side, pushing her glasses

up the bridge of her nose. Only after the three footmen introduced themselves did the

noblewoman in the middle with spiral curls speak up.

"I am Sumire Kiryuuin, and if you wish to fight my lady, you will have to get past us

first!" she proclaimed loudly, flipping her hair back again. It was a declaration of war so

explosive that nobody would be surprised if something actually exploded in the background.

It was as if Touya had just met the four generals of the demon lord's army. He took a step

back…and shifted his gaze toward Chisaki, who was holding her head behind them as if she

had a headache.

"Hey, uh… Chisaki? Who are these…pleasant individuals?"

"…They were my kendo team'ssenpou, jihou, chuuken, and fukushou in middle school."

"…And you have them call you 'my lady'?"

"No, never. I'm not their boss or a noblewoman or anything like that. If anything, I

should be calling Sumire 'my lady,' since she's older than me. And you know she only calls

herself Sumire to fit in. Her real name is Viol—"

"How dare you speak to my lady and ignore me!" shouted Viol—Sumire as she leaned

toward Touya and blocked Chisaki from his sight. She then snapped her fingers once more,

and the smallest girl of the bunch, Ayame, took a step forward.

"If you wish to fight her, then you have to get past me first!"

"U-uh…?" said Touya hesitantly as he looked straight down at the little girl in front

of him. There was a thirty-centimeter height difference at the very least, so it was hard to

believe she would even stand a chance, regardless of Touya's sex.

"Uh… I mean, if I have to…"

Touya decided to accept her challenge, seeing as there didn't seem to be any other way

around this…

"Hmph! Absolutely pathetic!"

"Heh! He lost the very first match…"

"What a letdown."

"Oh my. How embarrassing."

The match was over in the blink of an eye. The moment they were given the signal to

fight, she vanished right before his eyes, only to reappear with her bamboo sword already

thrusting into his throat.

"Cough! Hack! Hack!"

"A-are you o—?"

"My lady! He does not deserve your concern!"

"But he's seriously—"

Chisaki tried to run over and check on Touya, who was crouching and coughing

violently, but Sumire promptly stood in her way, looked Chisaki right in the eye, and

whispered, "Your sympathy would only hurt a man with such resolve. He would feel like

you aren't taking him seriously."

"…!"

Chisaki froze, and after a few more seconds went by, Touya managed to stand up on his

own and got back into stance with his bamboo sword.

"Cough…! I would like to request a rematch!"

"Oh? Still haven't had enough, huh? All right, I'll beat you up as many times as you'd

like!"

And just as Ayame claimed, she made Touya kiss the floor multiple times over the next

two hours, but even then, he didn't give up. He started practicing kendo at the dojo after

that day and continued to challenge the four demon generals—the four kendo "sisters"—to

matches until he eventually managed to beat every single one of them once.

"Chisaki, I've finally made it."

It was October by the time Touya was finally able to challenge Chisaki to a match…but

that obviously still wasn't enough reason to go easy on him.

"…I will train hard, and I will be back."

Though he had somewhat improved through his matches against the four kendo

(unrelated) sisters, Chisaki was a whole different beast. Match after match, he went home

battered and bruised, hardly exchanging a word with her as she quietly continued to accept

each of his challenges. She kept her heart buried deep inside her because if she didn't, she

wouldn't be able to keep her inconvenient emotions from bursting out.

But one day, out of the blue…

Wait. Aiming for his hand before exams would be… He said he was studying hard, too…

Touya was putting all his muscle into his next swing as he aimed for the face, so Chisaki

was just about to capitalize on this opening and strike his hand…when that thought suddenly

crossed her mind. That second of hesitation alone led her aim astray, and she missed. So by

the time she realized what was happening, Touya's bamboo sword was right before her eyes.

Whack.

The soft impact shook her head, but it was soft—far too soft for a bamboo sword.

"…Huh?"

He'd gone easy on her. The moment Chisaki's brain recognized this, countless pent-up

emotions were suddenly freed.

"Seriously?!" she yelled, her voice a mix of humiliation and rage. She then grabbed the

bamboo sword touching her head, ripped it out of his hands, and threw it at him.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

She glared at Touya through her mask, making her anger no secret.

"Oh, uh…! I'm sorry! I know it's rude to hold back, but when I realized I was about

to hit the girl I'm in love with, my body just tensed," he exclaimed in a fluster, cradling the

bamboo sword he'd caught in his arms.

"What…?!"

She was speechless for a few moments after that, angrily grinding her teeth, until she

eventually shouted furiously, "Ugh! Whatever! Fine! You win by default! The upcoming

election?! Sure, fine! I'll be your running mate!"

"…?! Y-yesss!!"

Although it took him a split second to process it all, Touya was now raising his arms

into the air and cheering like a child. Chisaki huffed and puffed while she glared at him.

"Are you sure, my lady?" Sumire, who had been acting as the referee, asked suddenly.

"…Yeah, why not?" replied Chisaki, looking away with a pout, despite her face not

being visible behind the mask.

"Besides, all we're doing is running for student council president and vice president

together. It's not like this means we're going to be dating," she quickly added, butshe realized

that it sounded like an excuse.

"Yesssssssss!!"

Still dressed in his kendo gear, Touya was aggressively posing with his hands in the air

as if he had just won gold at the Olympics. While she watched him out of the corner of her

eye, Chisaki started to get the feeling that one day soon, she was going to start genuinely

wanting him to win the election…

"And after that, Touya got even cooler…"

"U-uh… That's nice…"

Chisaki was sitting in one of the spectator seats at her family-owned dojo's arena as she

bragged about her boyfriend to her cousin whom she had not seen in ages. However, this

younger, female cousin couldn't help but grimace…

"Hey, uh… Chisaki? That cool boyfriend of yours is about to get himself killed, like…

right now."

"Oh, come on. Touya beat me. There's no way he's gonna lose to anyone here."

"He won by default, though, right? Plus, this isn't kendo. It's hand-to-hand combat."

Her cousin's worried gaze shifted toward Touya, who was grimacing in the center of the

arena. Looking down at him with bloodthirsty eyes was a man even larger and more muscular.

"His opponent's the disciple you relentlessly turned down when he asked you out, right?

I mean, he looks pissed. Like he wants to kill Touya."

"What? I honestly don't remember that," commented Chisaki flippantly, which made

it crueler.

"Touya, you can do it!" she then cheered innocently. Touya raised his right arm and

smiled, which only made his opponent more enraged.

"I—I get this is an amateur match, but maybe letting an actual amateur participate in the

martial arts festival wasn't a good idea… H-hey, we can still throw in the towel, you know?

It's still not too late to give up."

"What? But Touya looks really pumped for this."

"Only because he has to act tough when his girlfriend is yelling and cheering for him

like this!"

"Right? He's so manly and cool."

"You are being overly optimistic! Open your eyes!"

But the worried cousin's cries were in vain as the referee swung his arm, starting the

match. It was only a matter of seconds before the match ended…with Touya face-first on

the mat. So being a good sport, Chisaki personally made sure to run down and greet the

opponent…with her fist…before burying him in the corner of the arena.


next chapter

Chapter 51: Adoration and Arrogance

One day during summer break…

"I wonder if my dear brother can be hypnotized, too?" Yuki muttered, sitting on the

bed in her room with a book on hypnosis in hand. The book was titled Hypnosis for Idiots:

Welcome to the Hypnotist Club, and it had an interesting history. Namely, it had been used

that fateful day in the student council room, which had ended in tragedy. Despite promising

her brother that they would seal this book away so that nobody would ever get hurt again,

Yuki couldn't give up something so fascinating simply because they had failed once. She

had purchased this book with her own money, and ever since then, she had been testing

various types of hypnosis on her guinea pig, Ayano. Nevertheless, the samples proved to be

far from adequate, since Ayano's "Loyalty" was already at max level, and she would submit

to and serve Yuki, regardless of what she was ordered to do. I really want to try this out on

someone, but if I tried it on a friend, and it didn't work, then…, she thought. Suddenly, it

hit her: Masachika.

"What do you think?"

"Meow?"

Ayano, who was snuggled up with her head in Yuki's lap, looked up at her with eyes

full of wonder, then sat up and began brushing her bangs to the side with her right hand

curled into a ball.

"Oh…," Yuki muttered. She then raised both hands to clap…but froze. Her eyes were

locked on Ayano, who was sitting femininely on her knees with her legs somewhat spread

open, and she suddenly got the urge to reach out and massage the maid's chest.

"Hmm…? Have you gotten a little bigger since I last checked?"

She tilted her head to the side, ignoring Ayano's curious gaze, and rubbed her maid's

chest with a serious expression.

"O-oh? Oooh! They're so big, you can lift them…," murmured Yuki with admiration as

she lifted Ayano's chest. She continued to enjoy her maid's bosom for a few more minutes

after that before finally clapping with clear satisfaction. Immediately, Ayano froze in place,

slowly blinked a few times, then curiously tilted her head.

"…Did it work?"

"Yep. Mission Kitty-Cat was a success… Do you think it will work on Masachika,

though?"

"Sir Masachika? …I believe it would be difficult."

Ayano tilted her head to the other side, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that she

had been hypnotized to act like a cat.

"Yeah, they say the hypnotists are resistant to hypnosis, too." Yuki shrugged. "Oh, look

at the time. I have to get ready for violin practice."

After Yuki stood up from her bed and began getting ready, Ayano immediately went to

her aid, pressing her lips tightly together as if she had formed some sort of resolution.

A few days later, when Yuki was getting ready to go to the Kuze residence to hang out,

Ayano suddenly approached her.

"Lady Yuki."

"Hmm?"

"It's about the hypnosis… I prepared a few things that may help you."

"Huh? Hypnosis…? Ohhh, right! I was going to hypnotize my brother! You went out

of your way to prepare something for me?"

"It was my pleasure. I figured that you would need some sort of tool to aid you if you

wished to hypnotize Sir Masachika."

"Oh? An enhancement item? I could definitely use one of those."

"I did a lot of research…and came up with this," revealed Ayano, pulling a dark-pink

candle out of her maid uniform's pocket. "It's a scented candle that apparently helps relax

the body and thus makes it easier to hypnotize people."

"It's just like those erotic fan comics."

"In addition…I prepared this."

Ayano went through her cell phone for a few seconds, then handed it to Yuki. Displayed

on the screen was a questionable picture of two giant eyes with squiggly waves radiating

from them.

"…What's this?"

"It's apparently a hypnosis app."

"It's just like those erotic fan comics!" Yuki repeated jokingly, but the next thing Ayano

took out of her pocket…was a massive, rugged collar.

"…What's that?"

"A collar that apparently forces the wearer to obey every command."

"It's just like the ones you see in those another-world fantasy shows! …Wait! Don't tell

me you plan on having Masachika wear that?!"

"No. I thought you could make me wear it…"

"That'd be pointless."

"Oh…"

"Why do you look depressed?!"

Yuki turned toward the strangely well-built collar with a hand on her forehead as if she

had a headache. What appeared to be numerous power stones of all colors decorated the

collar, giving it an unusually strong presence, which made it hard to believe this was a gag

gift.

"Where did you even get that sketchy collar?"

"So…when I went shopping the other day, a street vendor wearing a hood called out to

me… And despite not telling them what I was looking for, they gave me this and told me I

didn't need to pay anything for it…"

"Whoa. Sounds less like an another-world fantasy and more like a this-world secret

occult society. You better not even think about using that, okay? I've seen this before.

Whoever usesthat will become a shell of their formerself, and then thatstreet vendor's going

to be like, 'Humans are so foolish,' and laugh."

"Oh…?"

"Wait. Hold up. Don't tell me you got the scented candle from this person, too?"

"I got this at the hundred-yen store."

"Seriously? You really can get anything there."

"It was two hundred yen, though…"

"The hell? That's way too expensive. Lying dirtbag store," joked Yuki. Then she

suddenly noticed that Ayano seemed somewhat depressed.

Oops… Maybe I went a little too far. She went through all that trouble to find this stuff

for me…

After reflecting on her behavior, Yuki softly cleared her throat, shifted her focus back

to the candle, and suggested:

"But, well…why don't we give it a try? The candle and app could work…"

"…! Yes, I completely agree!"

"Thanks for finding this for me, by the way."

"It was nothing."

We'd probably have a better chance of hypnotizing him with a five-yen coin tied to a

string, thought Yuki cynically as she grinned at her attendant's instantly improved mood.

"There was a time when I used to truly believe that, too," muttered Yuki with her eyes

on her brother, who was sitting on the side of the bed with a vacant stare. Last night, she

handed Masachika the scented candle and claimed that it improved sleep; she had him bask

in the smoke for the entire night, then used the hypnosis app when he had just woken up and

was still half asleep…and it actually worked.

"Seriously?"

"Congratulations. It worked."

"Yeah, uh… So… How about we getsome fresh air in here and crack open the window?"

"As you wish."

After maid-mode Ayano did that, she opened the door that led to the living room to air

out the bedroom, allowing the hot air from outside to pass through while simultaneously

diluting the strangely sweet fragrance lingering in the air. And yet Masachika still showed

no signs of returning to normal—he stared idly at the floor with a vacant expression.

"…What should I do now?"

Never in a million years did Yuki think her brother would actually get hypnotized, so

she hadn't considered what she would do if it worked. On top of that, she didn't have the

heart to say, "Well, at least we know it works, so let's call it a day," after all the effort Ayano

put into this, either.

"Hmm…"

Yuki racked her brain for a few moments until she was struck with an epiphany, and she

began looking through her phone. Once she opened the hypnosis app, she pointed the screen

at Masachika and suggested:

"You will become a cool, doting guy who cannot hold back his love any longer."

When she tapped the screen, her phone began to ring eerily, causing Masachika's body

to twitch. His pupils gradually began to focus…until out of nowhere, he looked at Yuki and

smiled sweetly.

"Hey, Yuki… Cute as always, I see."

"Ew! Blech! Gross!" bitterly hissed Yuki, not even pausing between each word, but

Masachika simply shifted his gaze to Ayano without a care in the world.

"You're really cute, too, Ayano."

"Th-thank you?"

"Heh! What's wrong? You look puzzled… Oh?"

He stood from the bed asif he noticed something and gently reached out to touch Ayano's

black hair.

"You have some lint in your hair."

"Ah! P-please accept my sincerest apologies! I'm so embarrassed…"

While the corners of her eyes began to burn and she lowered her head in shame,

Masachika gently placed his right hand on her cheek, kindly lifted her chin, and smiled the

most loving of smiles.

"There's nothing for you to apologize about. This is just proof of how hard you work.

You should relax more, if anything."

"N-no, I couldn't…"

"Really? You're such a hard worker. Thank you for always helping out… I love you,"

he declared as he affectionately caressed her cheek, causing Ayano's eyes to immediately

open wide in shock…

"Fshhh…"

"A-Ayano…!!"

"Uh-oh. ♪"

Ayano's eyes spun, and her knees gave out, but before she hit the ground, Masachika

swiftly grabbed her in his arms, picked her up like a princess, and gently laid her on the bed

before tenderly rubbing her head.

"Ha-ha. You're so cute, Ayano."

He looked back at Yuki as if he was seeking approval, but she immediately got into a

defensive stance and lowered her posture, causing his lips to curl sweetly as he approached

her.

"Wh-what? You want some of this? I hope you don't think you can scare me just by

telling me you love me, because it's not happening. It takes a lot more than that to scare me.

Unlike Ayano, I— Ah! Hey?!"

——Five minutes later.

"I love you. I love you more than anyone else, Yuki."

"Oh-hyo, oh-hyo, oh-hyooo! What is this?! It's…! I'm going to squeal!"

Yuki was sitting in Masachika's lap while he embraced her from behind, whispering

sweet nothings into her ear. Sitting cross-legged, he gently rubbed her head and cheeks,

causing her to shriek and squirm, unable to take it anymore.

At first, something felt wrong about Masachika acting so loving and cool, but seeing

him so confident and unashamed strangely made her more than just okay with it. Once you

start feeling embarrassed, you've already lost the game—there seemed to be some truth to

that saying.

"What's wrong? What are you thrashing about like that for? Aren't you the shy one this

morning?"

"Hff! H-hey, uh… Do you think you could stop whispering into my ear? You're giving

me goose bumps…"

"Really? All right… Then look at me. I want to see that cute face of yours when we talk."

"No, no, no! No way! I probably look so weird right now!"

Yuki stretched her arms and legs and began flailing them about, but that wasn't going to

help her escape Masachika's grasp. Although his touch was gentle, his grip around her was

surprisingly strong, making apparent his unwavering will to never let her go.

"Heh… Ha-ha…! I'm impressed. It takes a lot to make me blush…"

"Heh! It does, huh? You're so cute when you blush, you know? I'll honestly tell you

how much I love you as much as it takes if it means I get to see you like this some more…

because I love you more than anything in the world."

Her lips audaciously curled broadly into a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest

within her brother's embrace.

"All right, bro! You've asked for it! An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! Hypnosis

for hypnosis! I hope you're ready for this brand-new, new move I learned the other day!"

The redundancy of that sentence was only further proof of how uneasy Yuki felt, but

that didn't stop her from curling into a ball as if she were increasing her chi, until all of a

sudden, she swiftly thrust her right fist straight into the air and shouted, "Let's do this! Angel

mode activ—"

"You don't have to do that, Yuki. You're already an angel in my eyes."

"Blarghffaaa."

Against all odds, Masachika promptly put a stop to her secret transformation. The doting

brother did not even consider waiting for her to finish, and all the chi she had built up

dispersed in vain as she froze. Masachika lovingly tightened his arms around her and placed

his chin on her shoulder.

"My sweet angel who loves her family more than anything else and is always doing

whatever she can for her family… I'm so happy to have a sister like you."

"U-uh-huh…"

Yuki was feeling genuinely bashful—far too embarrassed to joke anymore after such

a relentlessly sweet compliment. But as her face slowly got redder, a faint voice suddenly

started to groan behind her.

"M-mmm…"

"A-Ayano! You're awake?! Help!" cried Yuki. She looked over her brother's shoulder

and realized Ayano was sitting up in the bed. However, the moment Masachika laid eyes on

Ayano, she averted her gaze.

"O-oh, right. I just remembered that I was in the middle of preparing breakfast…," she

sputtered before promptly leaving the room and leaving her master behind as well.

"A-Ayano! You traitor!!"

"Hey, now. Don't say that. We're family, right?"

"Stop whispering into my ear!"

She thrashed about like an unruly kitten until she looked like she was struck with an

epiphany.

"Oh! B-bathroom! I need to go to the bathroom!" she claimed out of desperation.

"Hmm? Really? All right. Off you go."

And Masachika simply let her go. After immediately hopping to her feet, she rushed to

the bathroom, slammed the door, and began doing everything she could to catch her breath.

"Oh god… That was intense… Huff… Huff…"

Even Yuki couldn't hide how flustered she was after experiencing her brother's

shameless, sweet love. It wasn't like those videos that talent agencies put out to introduce

their models, where the handsome guy just whispers something sweet into the camera.

Because what Masachika did was…real. Furthermore, Yuki knew that he spoke from the

heart because she herself had hypnotized him so that he wouldn't be able to control the

boundless love inside him any longer.

"W-wow… Seriously? My brother loves me waaay too much," she joked, covering both

her cheeks and twisting her body back and forth…because if she didn't do that, the

embarrassment was going to light her on fire as the butterflies burst out of her stomach.

"Dammit… Damn it all… My brother is too damn cute."

After squirming in the bathroom for a good bit until somewhat calming down, Yuki

returned to the living room… She returned…to the living room…and…

"I love watching you cook, Ayano. Your skills are captivating."

"Ahn…"

"What is this?! Some kind of newlywed role-play?!" jeered Yuki the moment she saw

that her brother was holding Ayano from behind in the kitchen as he whispered sweet

nothings into her ear. Nevertheless, the moment she realized that her brother might target

her again, she lost the courage to take another step forward into the kitchen, grinding her

teeth where she stood in the doorway. Meanwhile, Ayano, who was in the middle of being

showered in Masachika's love, was completely frozen in place with an uncracked egg in

hand. Hints of crimson began to illuminate her cheeks, and her eyes spun on her blank face.

"A-ahhhhhh…"

Her voice trembled like never before, and the egg shook in her violently trembling hand.

"S-S-Sir Masachika! You mustn't! The egg…! The egg…!!" she suddenly shrieked offkey, her voice unbelievably shaky, as if she was worried the egg was about to fall straight

onto the floor.

"Hmm? Oh, we can't have that. Here, you need to be careful when you hold eggs."

With his left hand still wrapped around Ayano's stomach from behind, he gently cupped

his right hand around the hand Ayano was using to hold the egg, immediately causing her to

jump, and her body began to tremble even more intensely.

"We mustn't! The egg…! My eggs—!!"

"Stop trying to get my brother to fertilize them!"

Unable to take it anymore, Yuki rushed into the kitchen and ripped Ayano out of

Masachika's arms.

"Masachika, go watch TV or something and stop bothering Ayano! She needs to cook!"

After forcing her brother out of the kitchen, she turned around and faced Ayano, who

was crouched in place with only her egg-holding hand on the kitchen table.

"…So? Do you have the energy to cook still?"

"Y-yes, of course…"

"Stop rubbing your stomach like there's a baby in there," snapped Yuki, glaring

reproachfully at Ayano, who was rubbing her abdomen and blushing.

"Hmm…"

Yuki glanced at her brother, who was casually watching TV after eating breakfast, and

cocked her head in puzzlement.

"What's up? Something wrong, Yuki?"

"All right, I'm sick of this," she replied with a wry grimace to her sweetly smiling

brother, who had his head curiously tilted.

"…?"

At least an hour and a half had gone by since she hypnotized Masachika into being a

cool, doting brother, and she had finally gotten used to it. In fact, she was genuinely getting

annoyed. Even when they were eating, he kept trying to feed her and wipe her mouth, which

was more than enough sweetness for a lifetime.

The hypnosis isn't wearing off at all… Maybe I should have done a better job airing

out his room?

Since today was a hot day, Yuki closed all the windows and turned on the air conditioner

after airing out Masachika's room, but it appeared she wasn't able to completely get rid of the

scented candle's hypnotic smell. There was absolutely no sign of him ever snapping out of it.

"Hmm… It looks like I need to hypnotize him again," she muttered to herself, pulling

out her smartphone. She then walked around to the other side of the table and wrapped her

arms around him.

"What are you doing? Is this some sort of new game?"

"Yeeeah, exactly. It's a cool new game. Here, check it out."

"Hmm? Check…what…out…?"

While Yukishowed him her phone over hisshoulder, Masachika's voice gradually began

to fade as his unblinking eyes locked on the screen. Once he was ready to be hypnotized

again, Yuki commanded:

"You are a cool guy with an attitude. You're always super confident and as rude as could

be, but it's okay because everyone around you loves you," she almost randomly demanded,

without giving it much thought, then tapped her phone's screen, causing it to ring eerily.

Masachika's arms began to twitch as his wavering eyes gradually focused… All of a sudden,

he lifted his chin with an audacious smirk and looked at Yuki.

"Yo, seriously? You've got your arms wrapped around me, but you still can't take your

eyes off that phone? Bold move…"

"Ew! No," uttered Yuki sincerely with a straight face. She glared back at her smug

brother. She wasfine with the doting brother from earlier, but this wastoo much. She couldn't

even force a smile. In fact, just looking at him kind of irritated her.

"What's wrong? Are you jealous that I spend so much time with Ayano?"

"Oh god."

As she held out her phone and began taking a video of her arrogant sibling, he stood

from his chair, turned around, and combed his bangs back while confidently leaning back.

"Hey, yooo. What's going on? I get that you want to save every moment you spend with

me, but could you at least wait until I get dressed?"

And yet he undid the top button of his shirt, casually plopped back down in his seat, and

faced the smartphone camera with a saucy, sideways glance.

"Oh god… Is it just me, or is the cocky bro inside my bro having trouble finding who he

wants to be? I wonder how Masachika's going to feel when he snaps out of it and sees this."

Yuki smirked maliciously because the only thing on her mind was getting revenge for

what her "doting" brother did to her earlier, despite Yuki herself being 100 percent

responsible for it. It was unjustified resentmentsimply because he made her hot and bothered,

but she was able to effortlessly look away from that inconvenient truth. For the next ten

minutes, she continued to record her brother doing various narcissistic poses that only

someone really good-looking could get away with… Just then, the intercom rang softly. Yuki

looked up and immediately felt as if something was off, since Ayano wasn't moving, despite

always being quick to act.

"…? Ayano?"

When she glanced to her side, Ayano was sitting at the table in a daze. Yuki figured the

silence was due to Ayano turning into air like she always did, but it appeared that she still

hadn't recovered from Masachika's assertiveness in the kitchen earlier. Therefore, Yuki had

no choice but to place her phone down and answer the intercom herself.

"Yes? Who could it…be…?"

Assuming it was a delivery, she peeked at the intercom camera…and discovered there

was a silver-haired maiden standing outside.

"…What?"

She froze. Masachika never told her that Alisa was coming over. Did he forget to? That

wasn't like him. Plus, Alisa already came over the day before to study, and they purposely

waited until she went home so that Yuki could come over unnoticed and stay the night.

Therefore, there was no way Masachika would forgetsomething asimportant as Alisa visiting

two days in a row…which meant that Alisa came over unannounced—a surprise visit. But

that said, it was still ten thirty in the morning, which was a little too early to be going to a

friend's house.

…?! Alya? Wh-what is she doing here?

Yuki froze in front of the intercom camera, completely overcome with surprise…

Masachika suddenly popped up behind her, reached out over her shoulder, and pressed the

answer button before Yuki could even process what was going on.

"Alya? What's up?"

"Oh, Masachika? Sorry for coming over out of the blue like this. I think I forgot my

phone at your place yesterday…"

It all finally made sense to Yuki… It made sense, but at the very same time…

She's really dressed-up for someone who just stopped by to grab her phone.

Being a woman herself, she could tell that Alisa clearly came dressed to kill. Now, if

Alisa claimed that she normally dolled up whenever she went out, then that would be the end

of the conversation, but Yuki had a gut feeling that wasn't the case.

"No prob. Come on up."

"…? Okay."

"…?!"

While Yuki was busy staring with suspicion at Alisa on the monitor, Masachika suddenly

unlocked the entrance and invited her in. Although puzzled by the way he was speaking,

Alisa didn't say another word as she stepped inside.

"Oh god. This is bad," muttered Yuki with a blank face as she began rapidly racking

her brain for a solution. There were multiple things bad about this. First off, Masachika was

still hypnotized. Next, there was the fact that Yuki and Ayano were hanging out at the Kuze

residence this early in the morning. And last but not least, Ayano was dressed as a maid,

while Yuki was wearing straight-up loungewear.

Yeah! I can't let her see me dressed like this!

After almost instantaneously coming to that decision, she took a step toward the

bedroom… But she noticed Masachika was already heading toward the front door, and she

froze.

"…! I need to dehypnotize him first!"

Once she came to that split-second decision, Yuki leaped toward her phone.

"Ayano! Slow Masachika down! Wait, no! Hide our shoes!"

"…As you wish."

Yuki unlocked her phone as Ayano headed toward the front door.

First, I need to make sure our shoes are hidden, and I need to make sure Masachika is

himself when he answers the door, too…

Rapidly mapping out a plan in her head, Yuki opened the hypnosis app… She opened

the hypnosis app… She…

"…Where's the dehypnotize function?!" she shouted shrilly, unable to find the one thing

she needed. She was left with no other choice. She had to rely on the only way she knew how

to dehypnotize someone…but before she could even take another step, the doorbell rang,

and she froze.

"Yo, you're here."

And it was almost immediately followed by the sound of a door opening and Masachika

greeting Alisa. Yuki clenched her teeth tightly, for she was now facing the worst possible

scenario.

I've got to change!!

She dashed to her room while undoing her ponytail, then fast-forwarded into something

more formal and appropriate for visitors. After making sure she was wearing a ladylike smile,

she headed to the entrance to greet Alisa…and completely froze yet again. Because

Masachika had one hand against the closed front door with his other hand lifting Alisa's chin.

Ayano was staring in awe, putting no effort toward hiding.

"Wait, wait, wait…"

After Yuki passed by Ayano, who was standing upright and stock-still for some reason,

she immediately tried to cut in between Masachika and Alisa… At that moment, Masachika

grinned at Alisa like a savage beast and exclaimed, "I want you to bear my child."

"Seriously? You're just repeating a line you saw in a lewd video game ad online!"

"…Okay."

"Bffft?! Am I hearing things?!"

Hearing Alisa agree almost made Yuki lose consciousness. But when she turned her

wide eyes to her schoolmate and noticed the vacant look on her face, it all made sense.

"Ack! I completely forgot how easily susceptible she is to hypnosis!"

The lingering fragrance of the hypnosis candle must have gotten her the moment she

walked through the door. Yuki found it hard to believe that any of the candle's scent made

it all the way over there…so Alisa must be more vulnerable to hypnosis than she thought.

Either that, or Alisa had become addicted to being hypnotized by Masachika.

While Yuki was considering all the possibilities, Masachika wrapped his arm around

Alisa's waist and began walking toward the living room. Alisa simply wore a vacant stare

and surrendered herself to him.

"Huh? No, hold up."

But right as he was passing Yuki, she grabbed his shoulder and stopped him with a

serious expression.

"Yuki, read the room," he warned with a somewhat bitter smirk, glancing back at her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted in almost a shriek, then

promptly swung her fist in an attempt to knock him unconscious. However, right as her punch

was about to connect, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Whoa. Nobody likes a disobedient brat, ya know?"

"Shut up and get a hold of yourself, ya filthy cheater! Ayano, grab my br—grab

Masachika for me! …Ayano?"

She saw Ayano take a step in front of her brother, so she asked for help… But she

suddenly noticed the look in her maid's eyes, and it gave her a terrible sense of foreboding.

"Sir Masachika… Very well. I will bear…your child…"

"You too?!"

Yuki finally understood why Ayano had been idly standing there for so long. The

lingering aroma of the scented candle must have hypnotized her as well, and there was only

one person to blame.

This is all my fault!

Ayano had been used as a guinea pig to practice hypnosis until she became unbelievably

susceptible…by none other than Yuki. Although she was distressed, she saw Ayano trying

to throw herself on Masachika and immediately gave a flustered command.

"Ayano! Sit!"

"..."

"Dammit! It didn't work! Is the difference in power between us just that great?!" she

desperately shouted, pulling her wrist free. She then stood before her brother, blocking his

path with her arms spread wide as she bravely looked up at him; his arms were wrapped

around Alisa and Ayano.

"When I touch your shoulders, you will wake up from your trance! Got it? Three, two,

one… Wake up!" she clearly stated, desperately placing both hands on his shoulders and

shaking him. However…

"Yuki, what's wrong with you today? Are you jealous? Don't worry. I'll always be your

bro."

"It's not working! Ugh! What should I…?"

Before she could get another word out, Yuki felt her right wrist being grabbed, and her

body suddenly felt like it was floating in the air. But by the time she finally realized what

was happening, she was already staring at the hallway ceiling.

"…Huh?"

Because she unconsciously broke her own fall and Masachika's sweep was gentle, she

didn't really feel any pain, but the fact that she was caught off guard and didn't even see it

coming horrified her. Nevertheless, the instant she caught a glimpse of her brother taking two

girlsinto hisroom,she immediately got up and desperately went after him in full-panic mode.

"M-Masachika, let's calm down and think this through! Having your way with two

hypnotized women is something that's only supposed to happen in fanfics! Wait… I guess

this is kind of unique, since the man's also hypnotized… Ack! What am I thinking? Your

first time isn't supposed to be a threesome! That's only something you're supposed to see as

a bonus harem ending after clearing all the routes! So could you at least start with beating

the individual routes?!"

She clung to his shoulders from behind, desperately trying to stop him, but Yuki's petite

body was fruitlessly being dragged across the floor as he walked.

"…! Ugh! That's it!" she desperately screamed after realizing that they were now inside

the living room, only steps away from his bedroom…

"Hmm? Huh?! Ow! Ouch! What the…?! Did I sleep wrong? My neck is killing me,"

Masachika grunted painfully as he woke up with an aching neck.

"Damn, that hurts… Hmm?"

He sat up with a hand on his neck, then realized that he had been sleeping not in his

pajamas but in plain, everyday clothes. Masachika curiously began surveying his room

when…

"Why am I—? Whoa?!"

…he spotted Ayano on all fours bowing to him, and he jumped.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

"I am truly sorry…"

"For what? I have no idea what's going on."

"The scented candle I gave you last night…was actually a hypnosis candle…and thanks

to its effects, Lady Yuki had you hypnotized all morning."

"What? Hypnotized?"

An image of Alisa, half naked in the student council room, suddenly came to mind…

which he quickly tried to erase from his head while simultaneously remembering that Alisa

had no recollection of what had happened that time.

"O-oh, so that's what happened? I was hypnotized…which is why I don't remember

anything?"

"Yes… That is most likely what happened."

"Uh-huh…," he replied without emotion, genuinely still unable to process what was

going on. There wasn't much he could do, though, since even if he had been hypnotized,

there was no way he would be able to remember.

"…So why does my neck hurt?"

"That's… Well… I only remember bits and pieces of what happened as well, so I am

not exactly sure…but I believe Lady Yuki had to choke you out from behind to stop you."

"What?"

Her explanation only made him more confused.

"…Eh. Whatever. Where's Yuki? And stand up. It's not your fault. You don't need to

apologize."

"I do. I was the one who brought the scented candle and found the hypnosis app…"

"…The what app?"

"This…"

Displayed on the smartphone in Ayano's hand was a giant closed eye accompanied by

a faint, fishy vibrating sound.

"…What's this? And what's that noise?"

"Oh, this is apparently a sound wave that is supposed to wake you up from hypnosis. I

was playing it for you while you were asleep… Oh! Right, you wanted to know where Lady

Yuki was. Lady Yuki has…already returned to the Suou residence…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Um… She wanted me to give this to you…"

With extreme reluctance, Ayano slipped a folded piece of loose-leaf paper out of her

pocket, but when he unfolded it, all that was written was "I'm sorry" in absurdly large letters

in Yuki's handwriting.

"…What's this all about? …Wait. You said she had to 'stop' me? Like, was I doing

something so bad that I needed to be choked out?"

"It's probably better for you to see for yourself…"

Ayano glanced at Masachika's smartphone by his bedside. In spite of the bad feeling

in his gut, he turned it on and immediately saw notifications from the second-year students

in the student council.

> Kuze, what's wrong? If something's bothering you, let me

know.

> Are you okay, Kuze? Were you possessed when investigating

the school's seven mysteries?

> Well, I think you're cool. Yep.

While Touya and Maria seemed concerned about him, Chisaki appeared to be trying

to make him feel better about something. However, all these messages could be traced to a

single source: a video file that Yuki had uploaded. Masachika tapped the screen, opening

the file…

"Hey, yooo. What's going on? I get that you want to save

every moment you spend with me, but could you at least wait

until I get dressed?"

"Huh?!"

Masachika was rendered speechless the moment he witnessed the man in the video—

he was having a hard time believing it was him. The guy in the video was posing like a

narcissist. He promptly locked the screen, unable to take it any longer, but that didn't change

the fact that the upperclassmen in the student council had all seen the video. His entire body

felt like it was on fire.

"Y-Yukiiiiii! What… What have you done?!"

He clenched his jaw, furiously grinding his teeth as he sat on the bed, and desperately

fought against the overwhelming embarrassment…until it suddenly hit him. He still hadn't

receive a text from Alisa.

Which means Alya probably hasn't—… Oh, wait! She left her phone at my house

yesterday, so there's no way she could have seen it! So if I delete it before she spotsit, then…!

The person he was worried about watching the video most still hadn't seen it yet. That

sudden glimmer of hope was enough to make him forget that Yuki had already gone home,

and he dashed out of his room.

"Hey! Yuki—"

Right as he rushed into the living room…he discovered Alisa slumped over the table

and faintly trembling, and he froze.

"…! Pfft! Hfff…!"

Alisa had her face buried into her left arm, her back softly bouncing as she inhaled with

each faint laugh, and in her right hand…was her phone, which was supposed to be on the

table in Masachika's room.

"Hey, when did I tell you to stop shooting? Oh, I get it.

You're tired of looking at me from the other side of the lens.

You want to see me up close with your own two eyes. Heh! Fine…"

"…!!"

Masachika heard what was clearly his own voice coming from the phone and collapsed

to his knees.

"Y-Yuki… Yukiiiiiiiii!" he growled from the depths of his heart while on all fours.

"What did I doooooo?!"

"Pfft!! Hff!!"

Alisa's almost silent cackling as she inhaled with each laugh meshed with the cries of

Masachika's soul. That was when the phone in his hand began to vibrate, so he looked down

at the screen and saw it was a message from Yuki:

> It's your fault for being so popular.


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