"Hahahahaha!!"
"So, please stop laughing." Patchouli looked at Kars, who couldn't stop laughing, with a frustrated expression. When she decided to help Kars learn how to deal with dangerous individuals, she had tried to play the role seriously. Yet, the moment she opened her mouth, Kars instantly started laughing.
"Hahahaha! But… but it's genuinely hilarious! Patchouli, your expression combined with what you just said was so funny!" Kars struggled to say, then imitated Patchouli's earlier attempt, pulling his face into a slightly twitchy smile.
"'Little brother, would you like to come play a fun game with your older sister?'"
After saying this, Kars burst into laughter again. Kars's imitation made Patchouli realize just how awkward her expression must have looked, even though she felt she had tried her best to embody the character.
"Patchouli, you really aren't suited for this kind of thing." After laughing until he wiped away tears, Kars concluded that this type of roleplaying was completely unsuitable for Patchouli.
"I was only trying to let you know how to react; I didn't need to act perfectly." Patchouli, however, felt embarrassed by Kars's laughter and decided not to continue with the role-play for the time being.
"Is Patchouli angry?" Seeing that Patchouli seemed upset, Kars realized his behavior was inappropriate and became instantly remorseful.
"Patchouli, I shouldn't have laughed at you like that. I was wrong." Kars hurried to Patchouli, taking her hand and apologizing. His action made Patchouli feel much better.
"I'm not angry with you."
"You're lying. I thought you looked angry just now. I promise I won't do it again." Faced with Kars's sincere apology, any lingering displeasure she felt vanished.
"It's alright. I know. I'm truly not angry anymore." Patchouli patted Kars's head, assuring him she wasn't mad, which finally made Kars relax.
"So, should we continue what we were doing?"
Hearing Kars bring it up again, Patchouli's face clouded with hesitation. After a moment's thought, she decided it would be better to let Koakuma handle this particular exercise.
"Let Koakuma do it. She might be better suited for this kind of thing."
"Eh? Koakuma is suitable?" Kars didn't understand why Patchouli said that, but she offered no explanation and instead sought out Koakuma to brief her on the situation.
"I understand! I will do my best, Lady Patchouli!" Koakuma happily accepted the task, and Patchouli settled in to watch the two of them perform.
As Kars and Koakuma approached each other, Koakuma placed a hand in front of Kars, a mischievously wicked smile—one Kars had never seen before—on her face.
"Well, aren't you a cute little thing? It's fate that we ran into each other. Why don't you come play some adult games with your older sister?" Koakuma used her index finger to lift Kars's chin, gazing at him with a seductive smile and ambiguous eyes. Patchouli was impressed by Koakuma's performance, making her wonder if Koakuma actually had experience with this kind of thing.
"Oh, wow!! Koakuma, you look so cool and great!" However, Kars was immediately taken by Koakuma's act and couldn't help but praise her.
"Oh? R-really?" Koakuma instantly dropped the act and looked slightly flustered.
"Yeah! You look really pretty doing that, Koakuma! But I'm more used to you looking like you do normally."
Patchouli watched the two of them forget the exercise and fall into casual conversation. She covered her face, though the way Kars completely and naturally diverted the danger made her wonder if he was still playing his part. The sudden and seamless shift made it difficult for her to tell if Kars was deliberately continuing the role-play.
"Uh… wait! I shouldn't be talking to you like this! Shouldn't you be figuring out how to escape the danger?" Koakuma, noticing Patchouli's reaction, quickly remembered the task at hand.
"I am figuring out a way, aren't I? Didn't I successfully distract you, Koakuma?"
"Th-that is true." Koakuma couldn't argue with that; Kars had indeed diverted her attention.
"I don't know how I should act with others, but I know you well, Koakuma, so I used this method. Why would I say things like that to anyone else?" Kars's logic was sound. Based on the current situation, his performance was effective.
"Alright, let's stop here for now." Patchouli spoke up, officially ending the practice session. She felt it was best not to continue. This approach felt less like a serious exercise and more like a game.
"Now, let's focus on studying your magic knowledge." Patchouli decided that spending more time on magic would be a better investment, ensuring Kars had more self-preservation power. That way, he could escape from these situations on his own, which was far more reliable than role-playing. She realized her prior focus had been too influenced by the idea of an 'experiment.'
It's a bit embarrassing to think about now…
"Come and sit down properly." Patchouli instructed Kars to sit in her lap, then opened a magic book and began explaining the key concepts. Kars, with his head resting on Patchouli's chest as usual, listened intently. Whenever he felt confused, he would frown and instinctively scratch his head—with his hand resting directly on her breast.
"Don't scratch. Let me explain that point again…" Patchouli's face flushed slightly at the recurring action. Every time Kars was confused, this happened, which in a strange way let her know exactly which part he didn't understand, allowing her to offer a new explanation.