Before I knew it, she pulled me gently against her—and I was enveloped in something soft.
My entire face was buried, and a sweet fragrance and comforting warmth washed away all the negativity inside me… Oh, right—this was her chest, the same sensation I’d wanted to feel before but couldn’t!
“Something must’ve happened… but it’s okay. I’m on your side, Kai-kun.”
The soothing strokes and her gentle whisper in my ear radiated such overwhelming maternal energy that I just wanted to melt into her even more… and this wasn’t even her hypnotized state.
“I wouldn’t do this for just anyone… It’s because it’s you. Ever since you helped me, we’ve gotten closer, and… I want to cherish that even more. So when you’re struggling, I’ll wrap you up like this, okay?”
“…Matsuri, you’re way too nice.”
“It’s not just me. Saika and Emu-chan are the same, and even Murai-kun, Endou-kun, and your sister are on your side, right?”
“Haha, yeah… Thanks.”
Reluctantly, I pulled away, and we exchanged smiles.
Honestly, I would’ve loved to savor the feel of Matsuri’s chest a little longer, but pushing my luck further would be too selfish… Still, having someone like her to comfort me like this—life would be pretty damn good.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“…Nah, it’s nothing.”
I averted my gaze and looked ahead.
If a girl like Matsuri became my girlfriend… I could do all the things I’d only dreamed of with the real her, and when it came down to it, I’m sure we’d… Wait, god, I’m such a scumbag—not only did Matsuri’s face pop into my head, but Saika’s and Emu’s too. Hell, I even caught myself thinking how amazing it’d be if I could have all three as girlfriends… Yeah, that’s some real degenerate thinking right there.
“Alright, let’s head back!”.
“O-oh, yeah!”
With Matsuri at my side, I steeled myself and returned to the classroom.
The moment the door opened, countless eyes turned toward me—proof of the attention I’d drawn while playing the part of a fake handsome guy.
“Okay, okay, everyone! Quit staring! The truth is, Kai-kun pulled an all-nighter and didn’t get any sleep. That’s why he was acting weird!”
“Matsuri?”
“Leave it to me~!”
Thanks to her spinning the story as me being sleep-deprived, the stares shifted from what a freak to seriously?
Then, Akira and Shougo immediately came over and slung their arms around my shoulders.
“Dude… You’re back?”
“Y-yeah…”
“Hell yeah… That version of you wasn’t you.”
“Was it that bad…?”
Seeing how genuinely relieved my friends were, part of me felt glad things had smoothed over—but another part just felt hollow, wondering what the hell my idea of handsome even was.
(From what I heard, I answered questions in class flawlessly… but since I don’t remember any of it, it’s useless. Even if I tried acting handsome, it’d just end up like this… Huh. Maybe this is a message—that using hypnosis to take shortcuts is a bad idea.)
It wasn’t like I wanted an easy way out—I’d just treated it as an experiment.
Still, seeing my own flaws laid bare like this was eye-opening. My partner’s power really does shine brightest when used for perverted goals (and occasional good deeds).
(If I hypnotized myself before tests, I could probably score well without studying… but that wouldn’t help me in the long run. No, my partner’s power is staying in the realm of ecchi and sometimes saving people!)
While Akira and the others roughed me up, I made sure to thank Matsuri again.
My phone battery was still nearly dead, but since Matsuri had charged me up, I was at full power now.
After surviving afternoon classes, I started thinking about how to spend the rest of the day.
“Kai-kun.”
“Hm?”
Matsuri, who’d just slung her bag over her shoulder after standing up, walked over.
“What’s up?”
“…Oh, right. You forgot about our promise, huh?”
“Promise?”
What promise?
“Actually, we made plans to hang out together after school today.”
Ah… So Handsome Kai had set this up.
Of course, I didn’t remember a thing—but I had been wondering how to spend the afternoon. More importantly, passing up the chance to go out with a girl after school? That’d be a crime.
“If you don’t remember, we can cancel… I’d be sad, but—”
“No! If you’re okay with it, I definitely wanna go!”
“Ahaha! Then it’s settled~!”
With our plans set, we left school together.
We wandered into town without a real destination, but the topic turned to the swimsuits we’d bought recently.
“We all got swimsuits, right? Your sister included. Back then, we talked about going somewhere once summer break hit, but lately, I’ve been thinking about checking out that new leisure facility that just opened. Wanna go next week or so?”
The place Matsuri mentioned was a newly built spot with an indoor pool—I’d heard great things about it, and I think my sister mentioned wanting to go too. As for me? Hell yeah, I needed to see Matsuri and Saika in their swimsuits again! My sister’s swimsuit? Who cares about that tiny little—!?
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing…”
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For a second, an icy chill ran down my spine.
Who cares about my sister’s swimsuit—don’t tell me she sensed that thought? If so, my sister’s literally the Demon King.
“Ah! Wait, did you just think something bad about your sister!?”
“H-how’d you know!?”
“Ahaha, you’re so easy to read~!”
“……………”
“Like, Her swimsuit’s so childish or something, right?”
“…Let me ask again. How do you know?”
Tiny and childish aren’t that different—wait, another chill!?
“Please, please don’t snitch on me! I’m getting the worst chills right now! My sister’s scary sharp when it comes to stuff like this—she’s literally the Demon King.”
“W-well, that makes her sound like some kind of supervillain…”
“I bet she was the Demon King in her past life. Some evil bastard who tormented the poor hero tasked with protecting the world.”
Yeah. That had to be it.
“…Well, even if she is the Demon King, she’s got a kind side too… She’s always protected me, and she’s my favorite Demon King sister.”
I wasn’t lying—I adored my sister. Seeing Matsuri smile warmly at that, I scratched my cheek and looked away, trying to hide my embarrassment.
(This conversation means she’s inviting my sister too, right? We did buy swimsuits together, and they must’ve made plans… Still, isn’t bringing my sister along kinda embarrassing?)
Now that I thought about it, was it really okay for a high schooler to bring his sister on an outing with classmates?
(But… Matsuri and the others seemed to enjoy talking with her. They’ve really warmed up to her… Ugh! But skipping her just because I’d feel awkward—or worse, trying to stop her from coming—doesn’t sit right with me…)
After some deliberation, I decided to invite her.
“Uh… So we’re inviting my sister, right?”
“Yep! Oh, and I was thinking of asking Emu-chan too!”
“Emu too?”
“What do you think?”
“If she wants to come, I’m totally fine with it.”
“Okay! I’ll ask her now!”
Even though it was still a week away, Matsuri immediately messaged Emu.
A reply came within minutes—she definitely wanted to join. Which meant… not only would I see Matsuri and Saika in swimsuits, but Emu’s too. I couldn’t wait!
“I hope your sister’s happy about it.”
“She loves cute girls, so she’ll be thrilled.”
“Emu-chan is adorable!”
“Yeah.”
As I imagined what Emu’s swimsuit might look like, we passed by a takoyaki stall.
The delicious smell caught our attention, so Matsuri and I walked over.
“Welcome!”
“Takoyaki… Haven’t had it in a while.”
“I’m kinda hungry. Wanna grab some?”
“Sure. Hey, six pieces, please!”
“You got it!”
We bought a box of six and sat on a nearby bench.
I skewered one with a toothpick, blew on it to cool it down, then popped it into my mouth—the moment I bit in, scalding juice burst out, but it wasn’t unbearably hot.
“Hot!”
“But so good~!”
I hadn’t had it in a while, but takoyaki really is delicious.
We each ate some—three for me, two for Matsuri—leaving just one left… Of course, it was hers, but she took the skewered takoyaki and held it out toward me.
“Here, go ahead.”
“Huh?”
“I’m good. More than that, I’d love to watch you eat it again♪”
“……W-well, in that case, I’ll take it?”
“Mhm. Here, say ‘ah~’.”
I opened my mouth and took the offered takoyaki.
What is this…? I kinda thought it earlier, but doesn’t this feel just like an after-school date…?
“Is it good?”
“So damn good.”
“Hehe, it’s totally like a date, huh~♪”
Seems she’s thinking the same thing.
I was about to agree—yeah, no way this isn’t an after-school date—when Matsuri playfully bumped my shoulder, but then an unwelcome voice froze us both.
“Matsuri.”
A voice calling her name… one I recognized.
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Better not be her ex