"You… you aren't suggesting that I should be the one, are you?" Koakuma asked, her heart racing slightly. She clearly hadn't expected Kars to approach her directly.
"Why not? There are only a few people here willing to help me. Aside from my little aunts, do you think I can arrange something like this with them? Sakuya has things to do every day, and it would be wrong to bother her to spend time with me. And Patchouli feels much like my aunts. That leaves just you and Meiling."
"And between the two, I think you, Koakuma, are the better fit."
Hearing Kars's analysis, Koakuma had to admit it made some sense. Even so, being suddenly asked to do this was too much to handle. Engaging in a mock courtship with him, only for him to successfully date someone else afterward—that felt incredibly scummy!
"Koakuma…" Kars hugged her leg, looking up at her with pitiful eyes. That look was too much for Koakuma to handle.
"Ah, ah!! I get it! I understand! Honestly, don't look at me like that!" After reluctantly agreeing, Koakuma covered her head, feeling utterly drained. Why did I get stuck with this? Did this little brat know exactly that I couldn't refuse him?
"Yay! Koakuma is the best to me!"
"Hahaha…" Koakuma gave a dry laugh, watching Kars's happy reaction. After his excitement subsided, Kars asked her:
"So, what should we do next?"
"That… you're asking me all of a sudden. I don't really know what to say." Koakuma, who was inexperienced herself, wasn't sure how to proceed with the relationship exercise.
"What? You mean we can't even try? Honestly, Koakuma." Kars's face immediately fell into a pout. He began to wonder if choosing Koakuma was a mistake. Maybe I should have asked Meiling instead?
"Hey! I just agreed to this, and you're already giving me this attitude! That's absolutely unacceptable behavior! If the other person felt rejected like that over a similar thing, it would seriously lower their opinion of you!"
"Oh, oh, oh! Is that right! See, you're capable after all, Koakuma!" Kars's praise made Koakuma feel slightly smug, but she quickly snapped out of it. Why am I getting pleased just because this guy complimented me?
"Ahem. In short, I think we should just interact and live our daily lives together, but we also need to have some physical contact. That might help you understand everything more easily."
"But if we just live together, I don't feel anything different now than before?" Kars asked, confused.
"That's because your underlying assumption is wrong. You usually treat us like family, right? Your actions and way of treating someone you like will be different. For example… for example, like Sakuya! She's always thinking of caring for and protecting the Mistresses, giving the best to the people she cares about. And she would never want them to be hurt or upset, or things like that."
"Oh, that makes a bit more sense. Like Sakuya, then? But in that case, should I learn from Sakuya?"
"No, you don't need to. I only said like her, not copy her entirely. If you do that, you'll just become her servant." Koakuma shuddered at the thought of that happening to him.
"I will explain the details to you slowly, so you understand the extent of what to do. Once you get it, I believe you'll succeed quickly!"
"Oh, oh!! I understand! I'll work hard! Thank you so much, Koakuma!" Kars threw himself into Koakuma's arms, rubbing his face affectionately against hers.
"You didn't act like this before when I helped you."
"Well, you just said that the way I treat you should be different from before, right? Since you're special now, I should use a more special approach. So I thought, maybe doing this would make you happy."
"I… is that so? Well, it does make me a little happy." Being treated like this did make Koakuma feel a certain degree of happiness.
"Really? Speaking of which, when I see you looking happy, I also feel a sense of happiness inside. Is this the situation you were talking about, Koakuma?" Kars looked at Koakuma with a serious expression. Being stared at so intently made Koakuma nervous.
"Well, I suppose so."
"Then does that mean I really like you, Koakuma? No, it must mean I do."
Koakuma: ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
"Wh-why are you suddenly confessing… honestly…"
"Koakuma, your face is so red. But you look very beautiful when you blush!"
This… why did this little brat suddenly start saying things like this! Does he genuinely not understand anything?! Feeling her face hot and flushed, Koakuma thought if Kars had acted like this before, he wouldn't need her help; he would have been able to handle everything himself.
O-or does he only say things like this to the person he likes?
"Koakuma?" Kars looked at Koakuma, who was staring blankly and didn't answer him. Her face was very red, similar to when he sunbathed for too long. Is something wrong because she's too hot?
Recalling her earlier words, Kars wondered if he should do something.
I should probably try to cool her down. But he had no cooling powers. Maybe blow on her face?
Kars decided to try. Koakuma, who was still lost in thought, felt a breeze on her face, which brought her back to reality. She looked at Kars, who was puffing out his cheeks and blowing air at her, confused.
"What are you doing?"
"Your face was very red and hot, and you weren't answering me, so I thought you might be overheating. I don't have cooling powers, so I thought I'd try blowing on you to see if it helped. It seems like it did." Kars continued to blow on Koakuma's face. His action made Koakuma laugh, and she gently rubbed her face against his.
"You really know how to make a girl happy."