| The Love of Three hearts |
Chapter 8 — The Second Day of the Extinct Creature
Souta still lay on the couch.
Two full days.
Same position.
Same pose.
Not even a muscle twitch.
Probably only one cell moved since yesterday.
After drinking Hina's "living soup," Souta was now declared legally not in this timeline.
---
Hana's Feeding Ritual
Hana sat beside him, face pink, eyes sparkling like she was taking care of a rare endangered species.
Hana: "He is very cute now…"
She placed a cookie on his lips.
Then another.
Then a handful.
Souta didn't move.
Not even blink.
So Hana frowned, pouted, and—
Hana: "HMPH!"
She shoved an entire handful of cookies into his mouth.
Souta instinctively gulped.
The cookie literally digested in his throat.
Didn't even reach his stomach.
Himari: "He is sooo cool!!"
Kaede punched Souta's stomach.
Absolutely no reaction.
He didn't move.
He didn't flinch.
He didn't even register existence.
---
Takumi's Suffering Continues
Takumi: "I said he won—"
PUNCH!!
Kaede sent Takumi flying.
Takumi stuck to the wall like modern art.
Himari: "OHHH can I take a photo!?"
Takumi: "NO—!"
Hana walked toward Takumi.
Takumi opened his mouth, thinking she'd feed him gently.
Hana took a cookie…
…and ate it herself.
Hana: "You're not Souta."
Takumi died internally.
Again.
---
Study Time Begins (Painfully)
Takumi dusted himself off, spirit broken.
Takumi: "OKAY! TODAY… WE LEARN ABOUT SOCIAL AND ECONOMICS!!"
He started explaining like his life depended on it.
But Himari slowly pulled out Souta's novel.
The cover:
"LOVE"
Written in giant, scary red letters like a murder manual.
Himari: "What if we read this? It looks romantic!"
Takumi: "NO. We are here to stu—"
Hana: "I'm curious too…"
Still munching. Still blushing.
Kaede: "Tch. OPEN IT."
Takumi: "HELLO!? ANYONE LISTE—"
PUNCH
Kaede sent him flying again.
This time he flew straight into Souta's messy room.
He landed beside a tiny purple creature—
Something that wiggled.
Takumi: "D-DON'T EAT ME!!"
The creature was…
1 cm tall.
Barely alive.
Probably born from Hina soup or from Souta's socks.
---
The Book of LOVE
(aka: The Book of Murder Techniques)
Himari opened the book.
Chapter 1:
"HOW TO KILL SOMEONE WHO TRIES TO WAKE YOU UP"
Chapter 2:
"HOW TO KILL YOUR LOUD BROTHER"
Chapter 3:
"HOW TO TAKE REST FROM REST."
Himari closed the book dramatically.
Her eyes shined.
Himari: "HE IS SO COOL!!!
THIS IS THE BEST ROMANTIC NOVEL EVER!"
Hana blushing intensely like she just read a love confession.
Kaede nodding seriously like she found a life philosophy.