"Huh? Where did Anon go?"
Kita quickly realized her friend had vanished.
"That's strange; she was just chatting with me a moment ago..."
Kita glanced around in confusion, then her eyes widened:
"Wait, why is Kitahara-kun missing too?"
In the vast onsen bath, only she, Hitori, and Tomori remained; both Anon and Kitahara were nowhere to be seen.
"One person going missing might be an accident, but two disappearing together? That definitely isn't a coincidence..."
Kita blinked, and a thought quickly crossed her mind.
"Sneaking off without a word—they must be trying to keep it a secret from everyone. So... could it be that they're hiding away to do that kind of thing?"
Ever since the subway incident, Kita and Anon had become close friends who shared everything, so they both knew the other had crossed that final line.
"Not necessarily; maybe I'm just guessing wrong..."
"..."
Kita hesitated for a few seconds, then—blushing and covering her chest with her right hand—she quietly stood up, muttering to herself to justify her actions:
"I'll just take a quick peek; I shouldn't wrongly accuse Kitahara-kun and Anon..."
Girls are naturally curious creatures; once an idea takes root, they can't stop themselves, even if they know the behavior is risky.
Meanwhile.
At the edge of the onsen, not far from Kita.
Watching Kita sneakily stand up and look around like a little squirrel foraging for food, Kitahara leaned down and bit Anon's ear:
"Looks like Kita realized we're missing."
Anon was teary-eyed and tense, her voice trembling with a faint, tearful note:
"Yo-you're so mean, small fry..."
"Hmm?"
Kitahara raised an eyebrow slightly.
"S-sorry! I'm the small fry!"
Anon's neck arched sharply backward like a swan about to break its wing; after catching her breath, she hurriedly apologized through her tears. "Don't worry, Kita can't see us."
"B-but if she can see Kita... whimper..."
Anon pressed the back of her hand firmly against her lips, struggling to stifle the sound escaping her mouth. Suddenly, her body shuddered, and she fell into a panic:
"K-Kita-chan is walking right toward us!"
"..."
Kitahara raised his eyebrows slightly.
He hadn't expected Kita to be so unlucky—or perhaps lucky—as to walk straight toward their location.
"Q-quick, let's get out of the way..." Anon stammered, her voice trembling. "We're going to get caught by Kita-chan..."
Get out of the way?
They were dating, after all; it wasn't as if he was cheating on Kita behind her back—there was absolutely no need to hide!
Kitahara remained as immovable as a mountain. He watched Kita approach without budging an inch; in fact, he even expanded the range of his "domain."
Kita felt a faint ripple sweep over her, and a strong sense of familiarity washed over her.
"This sensation... is it Kitahara-kun's domain ability?"
Kita realized it instantly. The very next moment, two figures materialized out of thin air in the space before her—the hidden zone had been unlocked.
"Huh?! Ehh?!"
Although the lighting around the onsen was dim, Kita saw the situation clearly at a glance. Her beautiful eyes widened, and a deep blush spread across her face with visible speed.
"W-what are you two doing?!"
I never imagined you'd actually be doing that... You should at least go to the lounge or somewhere private!
Doing it right here, with everyone else around—that's just too much!
Lewd!
It's absolutely lewd!
"Whimper..."
With her secret exposed, Anon's body went rigid. The young girl's sense of shame erupted like a volcano, hitting its absolute limit until her mind finally snapped.
She had fought side-by-side with Sakiko and Soyo before, but she had been mentally prepared for those situations.
Now, however, she had been caught off guard by Kita; Anon's embarrassment was far more intense than it had been during those earlier battles. "I... I was such a fool..."
As her soul drifted in a hazy, ethereal daze, nothing remained in Anon's heart but a sense of profound grievance and regret:
"If only I'd known... I shouldn't have teased 'small fry'..."
"Th-that's insane!"
It wasn't until the splash of water hit her that Kita snapped out of her shock, hurriedly scrambling to the side to dodge.
(Anon, actually... that's just too much!)
(Could it be that Anon has a special constitution like me?)
"Kita, you wouldn't want to just stand there and watch Anon break down, would you?"
Kitahara released Anon—who looked as though she'd already short-circuited—and fixed an intense, burning gaze on Kita.
"S-sorry! I'm sorry for interrupting!"
Kita's heart pounded wildly and her face burned hot; she felt no trace of jealousy—only a panicked urge to flee.
But the moment Kita stepped into that "territory," her fate was already sealed.
Escape?
Of course, there was no getting away.
Kitahara simply reached out and hauled Kita toward him, his eyes smoldering:
"Besties share the good times and the bad; it would be pretty mean to just abandon Anon and run off."
"You're the one being mean here, Kitahara-kun!"
Kita puffed out her cheeks in a mix of embarrassment and indignation:
"Lunch break is supposed to be for resting, and we were right there... yet you were bullying Anon right inside the onsen... Mmph..."
Before Kita could finish her sentence, her words were stifled; soon, nothing remained but soft, plaintive whimpers.
A short while later.
"So weak. You two are just too weak."
Kitahara sighed regretfully.
One girl was a total pushover in combat, while the other possessed a special constitution; even fighting side-by-side, they were no match for Kitahara and could only tearfully wave the white flag of surrender.
Meanwhile... "Huh? Where did Kita-chan go?"
Hitori quickly noticed that Kita had quietly 'vanished.' She turned her head to scan the surroundings, a look of panic rapidly spreading across her face:
"It's not just Kita—Kitahara-kun and Anon-chan are gone too... Could a monster have invaded the onsen?"
"There's no need to be nervous, Hitori-chan." Tomori's voice drifted softly through the air. She sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, only her head visible above the steaming water; whether due to the rising mist or something else, a distinct flush colored her cheeks. "No monsters have invaded."
Hitori clutched her chest anxiously. "But everyone has mysteriously disappeared..."
"They didn't disappear." Tomori lowered her voice. "I saw Kita-chan fading away bit by bit just now... It's Makoto-kun's Domain ability."
"Huh? Why would Kitahara-kun activate his Domain while we're in the onsen?"
Hitori stared blankly, slow to grasp the situation. It wasn't until she noticed the blush on Tomori's face that the realization finally struck her; her own face instantly turned bright red, and she hurriedly lowered her head, too flustered to ask any more questions.
Lunch break ended.
The light warped slightly, and Kitahara appeared out of thin air in the clubroom alongside the four girls.
"Class starts in a few minutes—let's go, let's go!"
Anon glanced at her phone and let out a small cry of surprise, urging everyone to hurry back to the classroom. Of course, before leaving, she didn't forget to give Kitahara a sharp pinch on the waist.
Kita, Hitori, and Tomori followed Anon out, their faces flushed and their heads bowed.
Kitahara, however, remained unhurried; he first made a quick stop at the restroom and had Hana return Pandora's Box to the amusement park to continue absorbing conceptual energy, before strolling leisurely back.
The two afternoon classes flew by.
Before long, the school day was over.
"See you tomorrow, Rin-chan."
Sakiko wore a bright, warm smile as she waved goodbye to Shimizu Rin.
"...See you tomorrow."
Shimizu Rin replied in a low voice, glanced up at Kitahara, and then silently turned to leave the classroom.
Kitahara watched her walk away, then gave a soft snap of his fingers to activate a barrier, enclosing both himself and Sakiko within it.
"How are you finding it? Is there anything troubling you?"
Kitahara asked softly.
"Not really." Sakiko raised a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear—looking no different from a real human—and spoke in a crisp, cheerful voice. "I was a bit nervous at first, but luckily no one tried to strike up a conversation. Back then, whenever get out of class ended, a bunch of friends would always crowd around me..."
"Oh, and another thing—subjects like Japanese, history, and English are manageable, but high school math is incredibly hard." Sakiko made a pitiful face. "Especially trigonometry; I just don't get it—I don't understand it at all."
Kitahara: "..."
It was perfectly normal not to understand it. Math is a subject where a shaky foundation leads to total collapse; expecting a junior high student to suddenly jump into trigonometry halfway through was like asking the impossible!
She wasn't even a real human, yet she approached her studies with such diligence—the slackers in the class ought to die of shame!
Noticing Kitahara's speechless expression, Sakiko blushed. She quickly gave a soft cough, clasped her hands over her lower abdomen, and switched into the persona of an elegant, refined young lady:
"I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away rambling... Is there anything else you need me to do? If not, I'll head back into the poster now?"
"No rush." Kitahara looked out the window; Shimizu Rin—the girl with the eye patch—had already left the school building and was walking alone toward the school gate. "How was the meal at lunch today?"
"It was amazing." Sakiko's eyes lit up, and a sweet smile bloomed on her face. "Kitahara-kun, you're incredible—it tasted even better than the food made by top-tier chefs."
Looking into Sakiko's clear, bright eyes and seeing that sweet, radiant smile, Kitahara felt his heart start to race uncontrollably.
Terrifying. Sakiko, the succubus who remained completely untainted by the world, was truly formidable—no wonder she could captivate both men and women alike.
Kitahara shifted his gaze slightly:
"Is there any particular dish that Shimizu-san really likes?"
"There were many dishes in the bento box, and I shared a bit of everything with Rin-chan. But Rin-chan just ate silently; she didn't offer a single word of feedback from start to finish..."
Sakiko raised a slender finger to her lips, tilted her head slightly, and wore an expression of deep concentration as she recalled the moment:
"Ah, I remember now!"
Sakiko lifted her lovely face, beaming:
"It was Mapo Tofu!"
"Even though Rin-chan didn't say it was delicious while eating, I noticed her eyes crinkle ever so slightly when she tasted the Mapo Tofu."
Kitahara: "..."
Mapo Tofu, of all things?
It truly lived up to its reputation as the most popular dish in Japan; even a girl who was a living doll couldn't resist it.
"I thought today's Mapo Tofu was the best, too," Sakiko said, her voice clear and her eyes sparkling. "It felt like the number one dish of them all."
"I'll make a note of that," Kitahara nodded gently. "I'll prepare Mapo Tofu again when I get back tonight."
Now that he knew her preference, the natural next step was to cater to it.
"Huh?"
Sakiko blinked, then her lovely face flushed crimson, and she shyly looked away:
"Kitahara-kun, you don't need to consider me; just make whatever dishes you like..."
Kitahara: "..."
Sorry, but I was planning to make the meal for Shimizu Rin, not specifically for you—you've misunderstood.
However, seeing Sakiko's blushing face, Kitahara wisely chose to keep his mouth shut.
Some misunderstandings didn't need to be clarified; it was perfectly fine to let them be.
"Thanks for your hard work today."
Kitahara thanked Sakiko softly, then took out the poster and put it up on the wall:
"You should go back into the poster and rest now. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Kitahara-kun."
Sakiko said her goodbyes softly, her face still flushed, before her body dissolved into a stream of light and quietly returned to the poster. Kitahara took down the band poster, folded it up, and grabbed his schoolbag to leave the classroom. He stopped by the club room for a bit before meeting up with Hitori to ride their scooters home together.
They didn't say a word along the way.
Shortly after getting home and finishing a shower, he received a message from Sakiko:
"Kitahara-kun, someone else has booked the 'Reliving Youth' service. Guess who it is?"
Kitahara: "You want me to guess...? So, it's someone I know?"
Sakiko: "Keep going."
Kitahara: "Give me a hint."
Sakiko: "No hints."
Kitahara: "I like Sakiko."
Sakiko: "Sorry, I don't feel any sincerity in that at all."
"..."
After chatting for a bit, Sakiko quickly revealed the answer:
"It's that wealthy guy who handled the transfer paperwork for Shimizu-san. Want to take the job tonight?"
"I see." Kitahara raised his eyebrows slightly and replied decisively, "Of course we'll keep doing it. We've had so few clients lately—gotta grab 'em whenever we can."
An enemy is an enemy, and business is business; the two certainly couldn't be conflated.
Sakiko: "How about 7:00 PM, then?"
Kitahara: "Works for me. I'll head straight there."
"..."
In the blink of an eye, it was 7:00 PM.
Kitahara stepped out from the full-length mirror and into Sakiko's room at the Togawa residence.
"Good evening, Kitahara-kun."
Sakiko was wearing a puffy skirt, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
If it were Anon, she would have pounced on him for a hug by now; however, having received an aristocratic upbringing, Sakiko was noticeably more restrained and reserved when it came to emotions. So...
Kitahara simply opened his arms and pulled Sakiko straight into an embrace.
Even after sharing the ultimate intimacy, a relationship still requires daily nurturing.
"I want to kiss Sakiko."
Kitahara lowered his head and leaned in. "No..." Sakiko's lovely face flushed slightly as she pressed her hands against Kitahara's chest. "The client is already waiting outside."
Kitahara shamelessly replied, "I'm not going out unless I get a kiss."
"There's no helping you..."
Sakiko shot him a playful, exasperated look; then, standing on tiptoe with a blushing face, she planted a light peck on Kitahara's lips.
"By the way... Sakiko didn't cause any trouble for you, did she, Kitahara-kun?"
To keep Kitahara from pushing his luck, Sakiko hurriedly changed the subject.
"No trouble at all—in fact, she was amazing." Kitahara gave a thumbs-up, offering sincere praise. "She was the spitting image of a succubus; in just a single day, she was already on a first-name basis with Shimizu Rin. It's no wonder Soyo and Tomori can't stop thinking about her—she's just so adorable."
"Ugh..."
Sakiko's rosy cheeks puffed out slightly.
Kitahara looked down at her. "Are you jealous, Sakiko?"
"I am not."
Sakiko turned her lovely face away.
Kitahara was speechless. "How can you be jealous of... yourself?"
"Hmph."
Sakiko gave a soft huff.
"Hurry up and get to work."
Girls aren't exactly rational creatures, after all; getting jealous of oneself is perfectly normal, isn't it?
Next came the business session.
There is no need to elaborate on the process; Kitahara was already well-versed in the routine, and there was absolutely no chance of failure.
During the session, the client chatted casually, hoping to build a rapport. Kitahara responded in kind. When the conversation turned to the dwindling number of people seeking the service lately, the wealthy old man casually dropped a bombshell: it wasn't that the "Cursed Fruits" had become scarce, but rather that the targets for receiving them had changed.
When the Cursed Fruit first appeared, a figure shrouded in a hood would deliver it directly to the recipient's doorstep. They came and went without a trace—security cameras couldn't capture them, and security measures were rendered completely useless.
However, once Kitahara began offering his "Return to Youth" service, the mysterious figure quickly shifted strategies. Instead of targeting the wealthy elite, they began bestowing the fruit upon impoverished, ordinary people whom no one else paid attention to. Although the hooded figure moved with great stealth, the old saying holds true: if you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place.
Over time, wealthy individuals discovered that ordinary people possessed these "Cursed Fruits" and began buying them up at high prices. The secret quietly spread once more; however, since most ordinary people consumed the fruit—which promised restored youth and power—the moment they acquired it, Kitahara's business revenue had dropped significantly compared to before.
"I see..."
Kitahara sighed silently.
"Targeting ordinary people, are they?"
Back when he first started the business, Kitahara had used the Book of Answers to uncover the truth about the Cursed Fruits. While they appeared to restore youth, they actually drained one's life force, ultimately aiming to sacrifice both flesh and soul.
Yet, the world was vast, and so many people received these fruits; even if Kitahara wanted to save them, he simply didn't know where to begin.
Business hours ended; it was exactly 7:30 PM.
After saying goodbye to Sakiko, Kitahara summoned Hana in front of the mirror and headed to Shimokitazawa together.
"Good evening,
Manager."
Kitahara walked up to the counter, holding Hana.
A flat-chested woman with blonde hair reaching her waist was sitting behind the counter, slacking off on her phone with her chin resting on her right hand. Upon seeing Kitahara approach, she gritted her teeth:
"...You lecherous brat!"
That's right—the previous night, Seika had downed half a bottle of alcohol early on. Bolstered by liquid courage, she had successfully managed to swap her body back from that scumbag Ryo.
And even though no one had said it out loud, she had already guessed the truth: Kitahara had likely discovered the secret of the body swap between her and Ryo ages ago and had simply been feigning ignorance all along.
"Tsk."
Kitahara clicked his tongue softly, handed Hana over, and held up a single finger.
"Seika-san, that's one strike."
Seika: "..."