[…Uhm, Rui-chan? It’s your turn to talk.]
” “——! ” “
No escape.
Rui’s eyes darted.
“O-Oh, right. Um…”
[About… why you’ve been down lately?]
“R-Right!”
A pause.
[…You look kinda red?]
“Hn…!”
Rui twitched—and I felt it.
Her soft warmth pressed against me.
“N-No, that’s not it! It’s just… the lighting’s dark, so it looks that way, right?”
(…Wait, is her breathing a little ragged?)
“I-It’s just a little hot…!”
(Hot…? Really?)
“Y-Yeah…!”
The confession booth was cramped and dimly lit—so much so that our breaths tangled together.
There I was, perched on the lap of a stunning girl who supposedly despised me like I was vermin, lips pressed into a thin line with a solemn expression.
All I’d wanted was to make it clear I wasn’t getting in the way of her and Hinata’s friendship.
But now? Now I looked like some sleazy adulterer hiding from a cheating scandal!!
♢♢♢♢♢
—Where did Onii san go…?
For a while after entering the confession booth,
Hinata waited, half-expecting “Ibuki to follow in after her”—but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Realizing that staying silent too long would just make Rui suspicious, she quietly prompted him to share his troubles.
But…
[Um…]
Rui’ words came out slow and hesitant.
She’d even mentioned feeling “hot” earlier…
Peering through the wooden lattice window, Hinata noticed Rui occasionally bowing her head, shoulders trembling.
…Maybe she isn’t feeling well?
A faint worry crept in.
[……Mm…]
She thought she heard her mumbling something under her breath, but the sound was muffled—maybe just noise from outside.
Dismissing it, she waited patiently for her best friend’s words.
[Hey…]
“Yeah?”
[…Sorry. I can’t really explain right now.]
Her voice was cautious, as if someone she didn’t want overhearing was nearby.
Not that anyone outside the booth could hear the details anyway.
…Guess she just doesn’t want to talk about it.
Hinata understood.
Back when she’d struggled with her unawakened [Talent Lux], she’d felt the same.
And with that realization, another followed:
Her strange behavior earlier must be because of whatever’s bothering her.
Slowly, thoughts of Ibuki faded from her mind.
Right now, all she wanted was to lighten the burden weighing on her friend.
So she softened her voice.
“I see… Yeah, that happens sometimes.”
[Ah, no, that’s not—]
“It’s okay. Even just the gist is fine. Can you tell me?”
[Ngh…]
At Rui’s pained voice, she smiled faintly.
Hesitation means she’s taking it seriously.
“When did it start?”
[…After the training school internship ended.]
“I figured.”
[Lately, I keep remembering things from back then. —Ah, wai…!]
“Huh?”
[N-Nothing…!]
“…………?”
“Lately” probably meant since the last major offensive.
Hinata quietly pieced it together—
[…Mm.]
[……! ……!!]
The muffled sounds from outside still lingered.
♢♢♢♢♢
Meanwhile…
Tsukumo stood alone in the great hall, blinking.
“Where did everyone go…?”
After spinning in a slow circle, she finally spotted—
“Ah.”
Not the three she was looking for.
Instead, her gaze landed on a crest above: a scale and wings.
Different from the [Negi-Messiah] emblem she always saw, but unmistakably…
“A flag.”
♢♢♢♢♢
Let’s be real—how the hell was I supposed to stay calm on my Oshi’s lap?!
My Oshi.
Do you get it? Oshis are supposed to be distant—that’s why they’re oshis!
Why was she this close?!
She wasn’t just some ultra-beauty.
Even in [Watayume], Rui was designed as an untouchable beauty standing beside the cute protagonist, Hinata.
And now, in hyper-realistic 3D? The only one who could rival her was Kushina.
My point is—
—The stimuli were too much. I was overdosing. Someone help me before I die!!!
[“In the name of the Lord, I have heard your confession.”]
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
With those words, Hinata finally ended this heaven-and-hell experience.
To me, it was nothing short of salvation.
Truly, the archangel Hina-tael.
Objectively, it’d only been five minutes—but subjectively, it felt like an entire day.
My brain, fried from sensory overload, had missed most of their conversation.
[“Should we head out now?”]
“W-Wait…!”
Flustered, Rui shifted.
“I’ll go first!”
[“Oh? Okay.”]
Still pinning my throat (for some reason), Rui glared down and hissed:
“R-Remember this… I’ll kill you later…!!”
The murderous whisper was way too direct.
“ ………… ”
Then, she fell silent.
Just as I wondered why, she muttered in a voice barely above a breath:
“…L-Lift your head.”
“! O-Oh.”
Turns out, my head was in her way.
I hurriedly raised it—
“—Hhk!?”
The moment I did, Rui let out a soundless scream.
My face was promptly slammed back into her lap.
“Ghk…!”
“D-Don’t bring your f-face closer, trash…!!”
This is so unfair!!
[Rui?]
“I’m coming out now!”
Shoving my head aside, Rui bolted like a startled rabbit—
but not before peeking outside to check the coast was clear.
The small window clicked shut, followed by the door.
“Finally…”
I sat up, rubbing my now-sore neck.
Muffled voices carried through the door:
[Rui, you’re still red…?]
[I-It’s nothing! That room just… had bad ventilation!]
[Hmm, I guess…?]
[L-Let’s just go back, okay?]
[Yeah.]
Once their footsteps faded, I sighed.
…Why do I keep ending up in deadly lap situations?
As my brain rebooted, it hit me:
“—Wait, I never even made my ‘I’m-not-interfering’ declaration!!”
♢♢♢♢♢
My perfect plan had somehow backfired spectacularly.
Heart thoroughly wounded, I slunk out of the booth.
Spotting Hinata and the others by a corner bench, I braced myself—
Rui’s glare hit me with 170% killing intent.
I pretended not to see it.
Next, Tsukumo noticed me, lighting up with an “Oh!” and waving.
Too cute. I waved back and approached.
Finally, Hinata turned.
“Onii san, where’d you go?”
“Uh, bathroom…?”
“I see… Hey, can we talk?”
Before I could reply, she tugged my sleeve.
Rui kept glaring until Tsukumo distracted her.
—The second she looked away, Hinata yanked me behind a pillar.
“W-Woah, Hinata?!”
Pinning me against the pillar, she stared up with narrowed eyes.
“You said you’d wait in the booth.”
“W-Well, y’know… sudden stomachache, haha…”
A flicker of suspicion crossed her face—but it vanished as she softened.
“…Are you okay?”
“…………!?”
Critical hit to my soul!!
I can’t tell her I was getting lap-pillow guillotined by her best friend!!
Her purity would obliterate my evil heart…!
“Onii san?”
“I-It’s nothing! Just ate too much earlier…”
Mentally groveling, I lied through my teeth.
Hinata stared at me with eyes completely free of judgment and said:
“Well, I went ahead and questioned Rui myself.”
“Huh? Questioned?”
“? Yeah.”
“…………”
…Ohhh?
So that’s the misunderstanding here.
No way would she “question” her in a confession booth unless wires got crossed.
Interrogations happen in interrogation rooms!!
You should not do anything other than confession in the confessional!
…Whatever. Moving on.
“Find out anything?”
“Well…”
She lowered her eyes guiltily.
“Not much. Rui was… unusually quiet today.”
…Yeah, that was my fault.
“After the tour, I’ll try asking again.”
“…Sounds good.”
That line felt suspiciously like a flag.
“Let me know if anything’s up, okay?”
“Okay!”
Her smile bloomed like a flower.
I’ll back you up—count on it.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Oh, right.”
Backup required intel, though.
I’d forgotten to ask something important.
“How long have you and Rui been close? Since training school?”
“Huh? We’ve been best friends since elementary school.”
“What?”
“What?”
We stared at each other.
“You’re the one who told me to make real friends, remember?”
A hazy memory surfaced—maybe.
—Wait, so Rui went to the same elementary school as us?!
In my mind, Imaginary Kushina stared at me with extreme disappointment.
…… No, no, no, no.
…C’mon, how was I supposed to remember a girl three grades below me?!
Just as I mentally defended myself, Hinata’s voice cut in like ice water:
“…You don’t remember?”
“N-No, I mean—”
Hinata looked down.
Her downcast expression said it all—this was a big deal.
“I-It’s not that, just…”
Floundering under her gaze—
“Pfft… Ahaha!”
Hinata suddenly burst out laughing.
“Of course you’d think it was that normal.”
Cheeks pink, she smiled brighter than ever.
“That’s just how you are…”
Eyes crinkling, she looked up at me.
“Uh… Hinata?”
“C’mon, we should go back before they wonder where we are!”
With that, she skipped off, leaving me baffled.
“Huh…? What was that…?”
The mysteries just kept piling up.
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