"Tomori, Hitori, what do you say?"
Kitahara continued to ask for opinions.
Hitori's shame hadn't cooled down yet; her small head was buried in her chest, and she didn't dare make a sound, let alone express an opinion.
Tomori, meanwhile, said softly:
"Makoto-kun, you decide. If anything unexpected happens, I'll face it with Makoto-kun."
"…"
It must be said that Tomori was super well-behaved and cute. Although she didn't act spoiled like Anon, she always made people want to cherish her in unexpected ways.
The problem returned to Kitahara.
Anon suggested hypnotizing, brainwashing, and modifying memories, and Sakiko voted in favor.
Kita, because of her friend, hoped to stop at that.
Hitori abstained from voting.
Tomori, meanwhile, cast her vote for Kitahara…
"This makes it very difficult for me."
Kitahara lightly clicked his tongue, looking down at the two trembling student council girls. He had already made up his mind.
"If you were strangers, then you would have been in big trouble today, but Reiko is Kita's friend, so I'll let you off the hook for now…"
Kitahara paused slightly, his tone suddenly deepening:
"However, you must offer a pledge of allegiance."
"Wh-what is that?"
Reiko looked over nervously.
"It's leverage." Kitahara looked down, "Oaths are unreliable, but with leverage in hand, we don't have to worry about you two spilling the beans."
Anon's eyes lit up, and she raised her hand to answer quickly:
"I know! Make them take off their clothes and write 'I am Master Kitahara's pet' on their bodies, then we take photos. That way, we don't have to worry about them revealing the secret."
Wait, isn't this a manga plot we watched before?
Applying a manga plot to reality, no matter how you think about it, it's too terrible!
"S-Sorry…" Reiko trembled with fear, tears welling up, "Please don't write that kind of thing on me. If mom sees it, she'll definitely be very disappointed…"
Matsuzaka's expression changed slightly, wanting to struggle, but unfortunately, the question had not been completed, and her body was still in a puppet-like state. A hint of despair flashed in her eyes as she bit her lower lip tightly:
"Having that kind of thing written on me… it's better to have my memories wiped."
"Don't worry, Kitahara-kun wouldn't be that excessive." Seeing her friend crying from fright, Kita quickly spoke to comfort her, "You don't have to write strange things on your body, at most… at most, just a few photos will do."
"…"
After the discussion, it was time for the quiz.
Kita had reminded them beforehand that 'wrong answers will be punished,' so the two student council girls were naturally nervous.
"What is thirty thousand times forty thousand?"
Kitahara pondered for a moment and asked a simple elementary school math question.
Reiko was probably too nervous and instinctively blurted out:
"One hundred twenty thousand!"
Kitahara: "…"
The girls: "…"
To think she's another one who slipped through the cracks of nine-year compulsory education... Just how did you pass the screening to get into the student council?!
"Reiko-chan, you got it wrong." Kita couldn't help but remind her, "Three times four is twelve, thirty thousand times forty thousand is twelve hundred million."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Reiko immediately panicked:
"I-I want to change my answer!"
"Sorry, no changes after answering." Kitahara shook his head decisively, "Others, please answer."
Such a simple question, the others naturally wouldn't get it wrong, and all gave correct answers.
After answering the questions, it was time for the punishment.
"My a-arm is moving on its own…!"
Reiko's voice was tense as she watched her arm uncontrollably lift.
"Reiko-chan, don't be nervous." Kita comforted her from the side, "The punishment shouldn't be too difficult; it'll be over if you just bear with it."
Under everyone's watchful eyes,Reiko's hands directly unbuttoned her school uniform…
"Is the punishment taking off all her clothes?"
Anon speculated from the side.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
Reiko immediately panicked:
"N-No!"
Taking off clothes in front of others, especially with a boy present, was too shameful no matter how you thought about it!
"Kitahara-kun, close your eyes, don't look!"
Kita quickly shouted.
Kitahara was about to close his eyes when he saw that after unbuttoning her uniform,Reiko didn't continue to undress but instead reached into her school uniform to fumble. Soon after, two brownish-black sponge pads were taken out…
Kita: "…"
Looking at the brownish-black sponge pads on the ground, Kita suddenly felt a distant memory wash over her.
It was a day not long after the beginning of last semester. She went to the Togawa residence to play, and an evil spirit chased Soyo, who was then controlled by Kitahara's answering ability. In the end, she answered incorrectly and also took out pads from her clothes…
Ah, ah, ah! That shameful memory, disappear quickly!
"Wahhh…"
Reiko, publicly executed, let out a shameful wail, clutching her chest with teary eyes. If her body could move, she would have already dashed out the door.
Anon crossed her arms over her chest:
"Eh, there are even brownish-black bra pads. I've never seen those before."
As a flat-chested person, Anon naturally recognized what the items on the ground were at a glance.
Reiko looked over suspiciously, her face flushed:
"It-It's clearly red…"
"Red?" Anon was startled, "This is clearly brownish-black, okay?"
"Impossible…" Reiko shook her head, "I specifically bought red ones at the convenience store to match my underwear…"
Kita said softly from the side:
"Reiko-chan, those are indeed brownish-black."
"Eh?"
"…"
The other girls all stated that the bra pads on the ground were indeed brownish-black.
"Mistaking brownish-black for red…" Anon tilted her head and looked over, "Reiko must be colorblind, right?"
"I-I don't know either…"
Reiko's gaze drifted, clearly she knew something.
"It's okay." Kita softly comforted her, "Many people have problems with color blindness and color weakness. For example, me, I also can't distinguish between yellow and green."
"…"
The small talk ended, and the quiz continued.
After the shameful public execution just now, the two student council girls became exceptionally well-behaved. No one rushed to answer anymore, and coupled with Kitahara intentionally asking simple questions, the next two questions were easily passed, and everyone quickly regained their ability to move.
"Now it's up to you."
Kitahara waved his hand and left the club room first, going out into the hallway to get some fresh air.
As for whether the two student council girls would cooperate and leave leverage… Kitahara actually didn't care.
He had an exclusive liaison in the government, and coupled with the cooperation with Togawa on the rejuvenation business, it could be said that as long as he didn't act like an arrogant person, he could completely walk around the school with impunity, without worrying about exposure. The reason he asked the other party to hand over leverage was merely to let Anon vent her anger.
A moment later.
The two student council girls walked out of the club room, their faces flushed, and were startled when they saw Kitahara standing in the hallway, getting some fresh air.
"K-Kitahara-kun, I'm sorry…"
Reiko was startled and quickly bowed to apologize.
Matsuzaka, on the other hand, bit her lower lip, not saying a word, her face clearly still flushed with shame.
Kitahara nodded slightly:
"You are not allowed to speak of today's events, or the consequences will be severe."
Reiko quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth:
"I promise not to say anything!"
"…"
Watching the two student council girls leave, Kitahara turned and returned to the club room.
"We'll be running in half an hour." Kitahara smoothly closed the door and smiled, "Now I need to share my ability to lock you into a buff state, so… who wants to go first?"
The girls exchanged glances, all a little flushed.
Sharing abilities required kissing, which everyone knew. Kissing in private was one thing, but kissing in front of others… it felt shameful no matter how you thought about it.
"I'll go first."
Anon stepped forward, her pretty face slightly flushed, and explained:
"I still have to help the teacher move things soon, so I need to hurry…"
As this pink-haired girl spoke, she walked in front of Kitahara, then stood on tiptoe and kissed him, appearing gentle and exceptionally reserved.
This was a disguise.
If it were in private, Anon wouldn't be reserved at all; she would be hugging his neck and kissing him non-stop!
"Sharing successful."
Kitahara nodded lightly.
In front of everyone, he was also honest and proper.
The ability sharing went quite smoothly, and soon only Hitori was left.
"Hitori, it's your turn."
Kitahara stepped in front of Hitori.
Because of the skirt incident just now, Hitori had been keeping her head down and still dared not look up. Now, having no choice, she shyly raised her small face, only to find that her face was still burning red, with no sign of her shame cooling down.
"I just wanted to remind Hitori that my transformation time was about to end…"
Kitahara explained the reason in a low voice.
"…"
Hitori blinked her peach blossom eyes, a wronged expression appearing on her small face.
Kitahara raised his right hand:
"I swear, there won't be a next time today."
Hitori hesitated: "…Today?"
Today's oath was only valid for today; tomorrow, of course, didn't count.
Half an hour later.
All the students had changed into their sports uniforms and gathered on the playground by class. Then, led by their teachers, they ran out of the campus, and the school marathon officially began.
At first, the team was quite neat, but less than a kilometer into the run, people started to fall behind, eventually forming small groups of two or three.
"Sakiko, how do you feel? Are you tired?"
Kitahara maintained a steady pace, running with Sakiko.
Sakiko was slightly out of breath, adjusting her breathing as she replied:
"It's still quite easy now. After eating the biscuits, my physical strength has indeed become much stronger… Hmph, have you asked about Mutsumi-chan's situation?"
"Not yet." Kitahara shook his head, "I'll save the questions and ask clearly when we go to the onsen tonight."
Sakiko exhaled lightly, her beautiful hair tied in a ponytail swaying in the air, showcasing the unique youth and vitality of a girl:
"Then I'll ask tonight… What is Kitahara-kun looking at?"
Sakiko keenly noticed that Kitahara's gaze was off and turned to look back:
"Is there something in my hair?"
"There's nothing in your hair." Kitahara said in a low voice, "I want to see Sakiko wear pigtails tonight."
Sakiko's pretty face flushed, and she immediately understood Kitahara's wicked thoughts, glaring at him with her bright eyes:
"Kitahara-kun, don't have such lewd thoughts all the time!"
She tied her hair into pigtails, surely planning to do something terrible, right?
Kitahara said righteously, "Lewdness is a pillar industry of Japan, why can't it be done?"
"Pfft~"
Sakiko spat lightly, "I still have to work tonight."
As the 'Rejuvenation' business expanded, more and more people regained their youth. After its reputation spread, business volume greatly increased. Kitahara didn't find it hard at all; five million yen per session, private car pick-up and drop-off, complete confidentiality, and free to leave once the session ended. There was no reason to refuse.
"Work is work, pigtails are life." Kitahara argued eloquently, "If I had to choose, Sakiko's pigtails are more important."
Sakiko: "…"
As they spoke, a panting pink-haired girl suddenly came into view ahead. Kitahara's eyes lit up.
"Sakiko, you run slowly, I'm going to talk to Hitori."
Watching Kitahara's accelerating back, Sakiko's cheeks involuntarily puffed out.
You want me to wear pigtails tonight?
Not a chance now!
"Hitori, how do you feel?"
Kitahara quickly ran up to Hitori.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Hitori was panting, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. She looked over pitifully at his words.
"My shoulders… my shoulders are so sore…"
"Shoulder soreness is normal, you'll just have to bear with it."
Kitahara complained while his gaze shifted downwards, landing on Hitori's sportswear.
Although the sportswear wasn't form-fitting, it looked exceptionally upright on Hitori, and it swayed gently with her running motion. It would be strange if her shoulders didn't hurt carrying such heavy things while running!
"Ugh…"
Hitori's small face quickly flushed red. She clearly noticed Kitahara's subtle gaze and quickly raised her hands to cover her chest.
Don't cover them! They're already swaying. Without your arms to maintain balance, you might fall while running!
"Breathing rhythm is very important." Kitahara shared his experience. "Two steps exhale, three steps inhale. Don't mess up the rhythm."
"Exhale… inhale…"
Hitori tried hard to absorb the experience. It had some effect, but her stamina was limited, so the effect wasn't significant.
In contrast, Kitahara was exceptionally relaxed. If it weren't for the hot weather, this amount of exercise wouldn't even make him sweat.
"After the run, Hitori, do you want to go to the Onsen Village for a bath?"
"No, no…"
Hitori quickly shook her head, her small face red.
(Going to the Onsen Village will lead to bullying, and it's still at school… No, no! That kind of thing is too shameful!)
"You'll be covered in sweat after running, it'll definitely be uncomfortable not to take a bath, right?"
Kitahara was like the Big Bad Wolf tempting Little Red Riding Hood, luring Hitori into a trap.
Hitori stammered softly, "I, I can go to the swimming pool to shower…"
"So many people go to the swimming pool, who knows how long it will take for Hitori's turn. The waiting time will be at least an hour." Kitahara continued to persuade, "But if you go to the Onsen Village, you can be clean and refreshed in a few minutes, and you don't have to queue."
"That…"
Hitori blinked, slightly out of breath.
"If everyone goes to bathe together, then I'll go…"
Kitahara's mouth twitched slightly, his tone faint, "How did Hitori get so smart?"
Hitori showed a smug little expression, "I wasn't stupid to begin with…"
"…"
No need to say more about what happened next.
After eating the stamina biscuits, Hitori was able to complete the entire run, though she was panting and quite tired. The others, needless to say, were even better. Kita, who exercised regularly, was relaxed throughout, laughing and chatting with her friends along the way, exceptionally happy.
After finishing the marathon and returning to school, Kitahara sent a message for the girls to gather in the activity room, and then they all went to the Onsen Village for a bath and a soak.
After returning refreshed, it was just past eleven o'clock.
Buzz buzz buzz.
The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
Kitahara took out his phone, looked down, and saw a message from Manager-san.
"You brat, you said there wouldn't be any side effects!"
"Now I'm ruined because of you!"
"Come over quickly during lunch break and remove the side effects from me, ahhhhh!"
"…"
Looking at the string of messages from Seika, Kitahara couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Side effects appeared late?"
Kitahara curiously sent a message, "Seika-nee, don't worry yet, what's the situation with the side effects?"
Seika: "I shrunk!!"
Kitahara's mind conjured up images of small steamed buns: "No way, there's still room to shrink?"
They weren't big to begin with, if they shrunk more, they'd really be flat as a board!
Seika sent a three-in-one emoji, a small dried fish continuously tapping her head: "I'm not talking about my chest, I'm talking about my body!"
Kitahara: "What do you mean?"
Seika: "You'll know when you come over during lunch break!"
Kitahara: "I just finished the school marathon, I'm free now, I'll be right over."
"…"
Kitahara greeted the girls, summoned Hana Hana, and then quickly traveled directly away.
The landing spot was Seika's bedroom. Kitahara glanced around, saw no one, so he took out his phone and messaged Manager-san.
"Seika-nee, I'm already in your room."
The message quickly showed as read.
Seika: "I'm in the kitchen, hurry over and help."
Kitahara pushed open the door and left the room, soon seeing a waist-length blonde-haired elementary school student standing at the kitchen door, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him menacingly.
As the saying goes, 'three years old, look at the small'. Although the blonde elementary school student at the kitchen door was petite, just as tall as the table, her brows and appearance felt exceptionally familiar…
"Seika-nee?"
Kitahara raised an eyebrow in surprise, quickly recognizing her identity.
"It's me!"
Seika clenched her small fists, gritting her teeth, "You stinky brat, you said there were no side effects, how did I wake up as an elementary school student?!"
Seika had shrunk into an elementary school student at this moment. Although she was questioning him, she gave off a fierce yet cute vibe, unexpectedly hitting a soft spot.
"Tsk…"
Kitahara exhaled lightly, his gaze burning as he walked forward.
The manager had turned into an elementary school student, so… could the task of proposing be completed?
"W-what are you doing?"
Seika keenly sensed danger approaching, looking up and glaring at him vigilantly.
Kitahara simply extended his hands and directly lifted the tiny Seika, a seamless sequence of kissing, hugging, and lifting high, then said, "Seika-chan, please marry me!"