"Tch, so what if I call you a lecherous brat?"
Seika crossed her arms over her chest and glared daggers at him.
She'd already been thoroughly ravished the night before—even forced to call Nijika for help... Having lost every shred of dignity—both inside and out—there was simply nothing left in this world that could scare her anymore!
"That makes two."
Kitahara leisurely held up a second finger and offered a well-intentioned warning:
"Manager, you really ought to think twice before you act; otherwise, things could get dangerous."
"...Ugh."
Seika had intended to keep provoking him, but she ultimately thought better of it at the last moment; with a soft hmph, she reached out and took the flower from him.
"Hurry up and get going—just looking at you makes me mad."
Old habits die hard; even after becoming intimate, the manager Seika's tsundere personality remained unchanged. Anyone else might have truly felt disheartened and walked away.
But Kitahara already knew her true feelings from the scenarios he'd played out in his head—she was already secretly thinking about their future marriage, so her affection for him went without saying.
So, instead of leaving, Kitahara leaned over the counter and lowered his voice slightly:
"I like you, Seika-nee."
"Huh?"
Seika glared at him, flustered and annoyed.
"You brat, stop spouting nonsense!"
Kitahara just smiled.
"I want to marry you after I graduate from university."
Seika's pretty face flushed bright red; embarrassed and irritated, she clenched her fist and lightly punched him.
"You really are asking for a beating, aren't you?"
Kitahara stepped back half a pace and said with shameless confidence:
"Your mom has already agreed to the marriage, so you don't really have a choice in the matter."
"..."
Watching Kitahara turn and walk toward the bar counter, Seika quietly let out a breath; she pressed her right hand against her chest, where she could clearly hear her heart pounding rapidly.
(He talks a big game... but wouldn't marriage count as bigamy?)
"One glass of 'Guitarhero-sensei's' kuchikamizake (mouth-chewed sake), please."
Kitahara walked up to the bar and placed an order with Hitori.
"I'm sorry..." Hitori hurriedly shook her head, her face turning red. "We don't have anything like that."
"Then how about a glass of 'Lord Hitori's' foot-stomped grape juice?"
"We don't have grape juice..."
"A kiss from little Hitori would work, then?" "
"N-no, you can't..."
"..."
After teasing Hitori, Kitahara ordered a ginger ale and chatted with her while he drank:
"How's the second song coming along?"
Hitori hurriedly whispered back, "It's already finished."
Kitahara asked again:
"Have the side effects worn off?"
"They have." Hitori nodded gently. "Futari almost fell down the stairs this evening; I caught her, and nothing happened."
"What a shame." Kitahara sounded genuinely regretful. "It's such an interesting ability—it would be great if you could keep it forever, Hitori."
Hitori: "..."
An awful ability that results in public humiliation—either for herself or for others—is the last thing she wants!
Just then, Ryo walked over carrying a tray.
"I'm so tired; the place is absolutely swamped with customers." Ryo set down the tray, radiating the aura of a lazy, lethargic slacker. "I really miss the days of sitting behind the counter like a lucky cat."
Hearing this, Hitori hurriedly lowered her head in a panic.
(If Ryo says things like that out of the blue, Kitahara-kun is bound to get suspicious, right?)
(Besides, she only swapped bodies back with the manager last night—she's getting tired way too fast!)
"Have a drink." Kitahara handed her his beverage. "If you're tired, just take a few days off." "Ah..."
Ryo opened her mouth, signaling for Kitahara to feed her the drink.
Although the shop was crowded with customers, everyone was focused on the band's performance; aside from Hitori, there was no one else near the counter—though, given Ryo's personality, she wouldn't have cared even if there were.
Resigned, Kitahara swirled the straw and held it up to Ryo's lips.
Glug, glug...
Ryo drank contentedly.
Hitori, on the other hand, furtively lifted her face. Peeking through her long bangs and realizing the position the two were in, she quickly lowered her gaze to her toes, her mind racing with wild thoughts.
(Ryo has changed so much, and she said those things earlier... yet Kitahara-kun doesn't seem to mind at all; he didn't even ask a single question...)
(Does that mean Kitahara-kun knew the truth about Ryo and the manager swapping bodies all along?)
(And if so, does he know about the times we all swapped bodies in the past?)
Although Hitori had no concrete proof, her intuition told her that Kitahara likely knew everything from the very beginning and was simply pretending not to.
(No... oh no! I absolutely do not want him to know about such embarrassing things!)
"Hitori, what's wrong?"
Seeing steam practically rising from Hitori's head, Kitahara asked curiously.
"..."
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Hitori had lost the ability to speak; she could only shake her head frantically, flustered and mortified.
"Stop picking on Hitori."
A girl with blonde hair tied in a side-ponytail walked over, casting a reproachful look at Kitahara—it was Nijika.
Kitahara looked completely innocent.
"I was just talking to Ryo-senpai; I wasn't picking on Hitori at all."
"Kitahara-kun, you big liar." Kita appeared next, her voice bright and clear as she stood with her hands on her hips. "If you weren't picking on Hitori, her face wouldn't be turning bright red like that." "Alright, alright, so you're accusing me of things, huh?
None of you are getting away after the hot springs tonight!"
"Back in the lounge this evening, we tried playing the two new songs Hitori wrote—they all sounded amazing," Nijika said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with sparkling eyes. "We just need to practice a bit more, and by the time the school festival performance rolls around, we're sure to bring the house down."
"Hitori-chan is seriously incredible." Kita gave a sincere thumbs-up, her voice bright and clear. "I hereby declare Hitori the world's top-tier music producer."
"Hehehe~"
Basking in the praise, Hitori involuntarily slipped into a smug, triumphant mode. However, catching Kitahara's gaze, she quickly reined in her smile, lowered her head again, and stammered softly:
"It's all thanks to the Wish Sticky Note."
Nijika nodded in agreement. "Sticky notes really do come in handy sometimes."
Kitahara looked over at her. "Do you want a sticky note, Nijika-senpai?"
"No way."
Nijika shook her head in a firm refusal.
It was because she'd used a sticky note on a whim back then that her sister had ended up bedridden and spiraling into disaster; she was never going to make that same mistake again!
"Even though the way the wish comes true is unpredictable, surely there's no danger in making a harmless little wish..."
As he spoke, Kitahara turned to look at Kita and Ryo:
"Do you two want a sticky note?"
"Huh..."
Kita looked conflicted; she clearly wanted one, yet worried about the potentially disastrous way the wish might manifest.
In contrast, Ryo's attitude was far more nonchalant:
"Kitahara, please give me a sticky note."
"Here you go."
Ryo took the sticky note with both hands, produced a pen from somewhere, and immediately began writing down her wish:
"Time to make a little wish... That latest bass model on Amazon looks amazing; I want to snag that new bass for free without any effort."
"Ryo, you're being too impulsive." Nijika looked over helplessly and earnestly advised, "Don't just go making wishes so casually; there might be danger involved."
Ryo—that "trashy" upperclassman—lifted her chin defiantly. "With Kitahara by my side, I'm not afraid at all."
"..."
Snap.
Kitahara raised his right hand and snapped his fingers lightly, deploying a Domain that quietly sealed off the surrounding space.
As Ryo completed the wishing ritual, the sticky note quickly dissolved into a spray of stardust, which then drifted toward Kitahara.
"Huh?" Nijika looked over in surprise. "I've never seen anything like that before."
Kita was curious too; she tilted her head and looked at Kitahara. "That's strange. Usually, after a wish succeeds, the sticky note turns into stardust and vanishes. Why is it drifting toward Kitahara-kun? Did something go wrong?"
Kitahara gave a faint, enigmatic smile as he spoke:
"There's nothing wrong with the sticky note."
"Does that mean you know what's happening, Kitahara-kun?"
Nijika looked at him inquisitively.
"It's simple: Ryo-senpai's 'destined one' is me..."
Kitahara instantly shifted into the onsen realm; when he reappeared, he was holding a beautiful, brand-new bass guitar.
The girls: "..."
Seeing the bass in Kitahara's hands, the girls immediately understood why the stardust from the sticky note had drifted toward him—
The reason was simple.
Kitahara had prepared the latest model bass as a gift in advance but hadn't brought it out until that moment.
"Ryo-senpai, your wish has come true."
Kitahara handed the bass to Ryo.
"Wow, thank you, Mr. God!"
Ryo happily cradled the bass in her arms and looked over with a sweet smile. She winked, raised her left hand to her lips, and blew a kiss:
"Love ya~"
So, you call me Kitahara normally, but "Mr. God" when you get a gift, huh?
You haven't got a shred of genuine reverence in you!
Kitahara put on a stern face. "Verbal thanks are meaningless." "Hmm..."
Ryo—that shameless senpai—blinked her eyes:
"How about I show my gratitude properly with my body tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Kita and Hitori's faces instantly flushed bright red.
It was obvious: the old Ryo might have been coy about things, but now she wasn't even bothering to put on an act.
"Ryo, stop saying such weird things!"
Nijika quickly puffed out her cheeks, crossed her arms over her chest, and made a 'stop' gesture:
"That's enough chit-chat—get to work, you two!"
..."
It was still working hours, so naturally, they couldn't slack off indefinitely; once the chit-chat ended, the girls quickly busied themselves.
Kitahara, meanwhile, leisurely strolled over to watch the performance, a drink in hand.
Before long, it was 8:30 PM.
"Seika-san, do you want to share abilities today?"
Kitahara walked up to the counter.
Seika was playing a "parent-child game" with Hana. Upon seeing Kitahara approach, the gentle smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a disdainful huff:
"No need. You can go now."
Kitahara smiled at her. "Aoi is fully recharged and currently unlinked. Do you want to activate the symbiosis mode, Seika-san?"
Seika: "..."
Damn it!
That lecherous brat is clearly trying to tempt me on purpose!
"If the manager isn't interested, then never mind." Kitahara sighed and took Hana into his arms. "I'm heading home."
Watching Kitahara turn to leave, Seika gritted her teeth. Ultimately unable to resist the temptation, she stood up and chased after him from behind the counter:
"Wait a second."
"What did you want to say, Seika-san?"
Kitahara smiled at her.
It's itching...
My fist is itching!
Seeing the playful, teasing smile on Kitahara's face, Seika instinctively clenched her fists, feeling a surge of irritation.
That lecherous brat knew exactly why she'd come over, yet he was deliberately making her say it out loud—he had the same distorted sense of humor as Ryo.
"Haa..."
Seika took a deep breath, her gaze quickly hardening with resolve.
(No, I have to take the initiative. Otherwise, that lecherous brat will definitely make all sorts of outrageous demands—like making me act cutesy, or even...)
With that thought, Seika simply raised both hands, shoved Kitahara against the wall, and—flipping the script—assertively seized the initiative:
"The special ability and Aoi's symbiosis—I want it all!"
"Wait a sec..."
"Less talking! I'm in a hurry!" Seika's pretty face flushed slightly; she rose onto her tiptoes and playfully nipped at him.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next day.
At 7:00 AM sharp, Kitahara opened his eyes, got dressed, and went downstairs to wash up. At the same time, he opened his mission panel to check the daily tasks that had refreshed for the day.
The last time he'd successfully completed a "delivery" mission was before the Imposter incident; a week had flown by since then, and he was overdue for another one, so he was highly motivated.
The first two fitness tasks went without saying—consistency would strengthen his physique. The third was the familiar "Commit One Act of Mischief a Day," while the fourth turned out to be a limited-time mission.
"Is the designated character Tomori?"
Kitahara continued scanning the list while brushing his teeth:
"The mission objective is 'Date Operation,' and the goal is to achieve a perfect score of 100..."
"Excellent. This one's in the bag."
Kitahara felt reassured.
Asking Taki or Seika out on a date would be difficult, and getting a perfect rating would be even harder; but with Tomori as the date, it seemed like a breeze.
After washing up and having a quick breakfast, Kitahara headed out on his scooter with Hitori, making their way to school.
Upon arriving at school, Kitahara went straight to the club room.
Knock, knock.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Please, come in."
A girl's gentle, pleasant voice drifted out from the room.
Kitahara pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Good morning, Tomori."
Tomori was sitting by the window with a notebook and pencil, earnestly writing lyrics. The bright sunlight fell across her profile, creating an indescribably serene and beautiful scene.
"Good morning, Makoto-kun."
Tomori looked up, a faint smile playing on her small face.
Kitahara closed the door behind him, sat down across from Tomori, and asked softly:
"How are the lyrics coming along?"
"I've finished one song, and Sakiko said it was really good," Tomori replied quietly. "I'm working on the second one now."
Kitahara made a suggestion: "Do you want to use a 'Wish Sticky Note'?" "Thanks, Makoto-kun, but I don't need a sticky note." Tomori's eyes were clear and bright as she gently pursed her soft, lips. "I want to work hard and write lyrics I'm truly happy with."
Compared to Hitori—who loved slacking off and was always procrastinating—Tomori's attitude toward songwriting was clearly far more earnest and serious.
"You've got this, Tomori." Kitahara reached out and gently patted the top of Tomori's head, then took out a 'wish' sticky note and handed it to her. "Even if you don't use it for songwriting, you can use it to grant a different wish."
"…Okay."
Tomori didn't refuse this time; she took the sticky note with both hands and carefully tucked it into her notebook.
After a brief, casual chat, Kitahara quickly extended an invitation for a date:
"Are you free after school this afternoon, Tomori?"
"Hmm?"
Tomori looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Kitahara extended his right hand, his voice gentle and warm: "Since you're free, how about we go on a date after school?"
"..."
The girl's long eyelashes fluttered gently; her lips parted slightly, and her eyes curved softly into crescents:
"Let's go on a date."
With the invitation accepted, Kitahara quickly stood up, took out the band poster, and put it up on the wall. He then summoned 'Sakiko' and sent her off to continue winning over Shimizu Rin.
Before long, Kita and Anon arrived. They played board games for a while, but as the time for morning classes approached, everyone got up to leave.
"Anon, you go ahead to the classroom." Tomori suddenly stopped walking; her gaze drifted slightly as she spoke in a low voice, "I left something in the club room. I'm going back to get it."
Anon didn't suspect a thing. "Shall I go with you, Tomori-chan?"
"No need." Tomori looked down at her toes. "It's just my notebook; don't worry about it, Anon."
"Alright, I'll head back then." Anon blinked, keenly sensing something unusual about Tomori; however, being a girl of high emotional and intellectual intelligence, she naturally didn't pry. Instead, she smiled, waved, and turned to leave.
"Phew..."
Tomori quietly breathed a sigh of relief, turned back to the club room, and took out the notebook she had stashed in her desk compartment.
Opening the notebook and retrieving the "Wish Sticky Note" tucked inside, a deepening blush spread across Tomori's face. She bit her lower lip gently, picked up a pencil, and wrote down her wish.
Watching as the sticky note dissolved into a shower of fine stardust, Tomori felt at ease; she quietly left the club room, her face still flushed.
The day flew by.
Sakiko was radiating charm at full throttle, already seen constantly in the company of Shimizu Rin—a truly delightful development.
In contrast to the irresistible "succubus" Sakiko, Kitahara sat quietly all day. Only when the school bell rang did he stand up and stretch. He messaged Hitori—telling "Hitori" to head home on her own—and then made his way to the club room, ready to complete the day's "Date Mission."
"Tomori, where would you like to go today?"
Kitahara asked softly.
"I'd like to go to the aquarium." Tomori answered quietly, having clearly given it some thought. "It's been a long time since I've been to one."
"Then the aquarium it is." Kitahara nodded gently. "After we finish there, how about we go to the planetarium to look at the stars tonight?"
Tomori's eyes sparkled.
"I'd love to."
"Then... the date begins."
"..."
The two left the school together and headed straight for the aquarium.
The last time they had visited was during summer vacation; revisiting the same spot brought a unique, nostalgic feeling.
Guided by Tomori, they toured the aquarium—naturally taking plenty of photos along the way—and emerged just as evening was setting in.
Kitahara took Tomori out for dinner, and immediately afterward, they went to the planetarium to gaze at the stars.
"We should probably head back soon." After stargazing, Kitahara opened his mission panel while speaking, only to be surprised to find that the mission was still marked as "in progress" rather than complete.
"The date mission didn't complete? Could the issue be the 'perfect score' rating?"