"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Kazuma's seemingly nonsensical words left the white-haired gal completely bewildered.
"I'm saying that you could have walked away safely, with nothing happening at all. Yet you insisted on walking straight into my trap," Kazuma said with a smile as he looked at the arrogant gal before him. "It would be rude of me not to do something."
Ai Kitagami suddenly felt that the boy standing before her was completely different. It was hard to describe. Back in the warehouse, he had seemed like a weak little lamb.
Now, however, he was like a fierce wolf.
It was as though he had shed his sheep's clothing and revealed his true nature. Ai Kitagami felt the same way Sachi had before. More than anything, Kazuma's aura had changed so drastically that it gave them that illusion.
For a brief instant, under the pressure of his presence, Ai Kitagami actually felt a trace of fear. But the next second, embarrassment turned into anger.
"You... you're just a mere Kazuma! Don't get so full of yourself!"
He was just a boy she had bullied and toyed with. How dare he intimidate her?
Snapping back to her senses, Ai Kitagami's face flushed red as she glared at him. Just as she was about to explode in anger, Kazuma suddenly grabbed her arm.
The overwhelming strength in his grip startled her.
"H-Hey! What are you doing?!"
This guy... his strength is incredible! She couldn't break free no matter how hard she struggled. Ai Kitagami increasingly felt that something was terribly wrong. Why hadn't she noticed this back in the warehouse?
Wait... had he been pretending all along?
Countless thoughts raced through her mind, and for the first time, genuine panic began to creep into her heart.
"Y-You... let go of me, Kazuma! Have you forgotten that I still have leverage over you? Those videos and photos—I definitely will... Mmph!"
Her mouth was suddenly covered by Kazuma's hand. Before she could react, he stuffed something into her mouth. Unable to resist, she instinctively swallowed it.
"Ai Kitagami-san, you're really not very cute. With such a pretty face, it's a shame your personality is so awful. If you became a little gentler and cuter, I'm sure you'd be incredibly popular."
Kazuma smiled like a mischievous little devil as he withdrew his hand.
"W-What... what did you make me eat?!"
Ai Kitagami panicked. She had no chance to spit it out. The strange little pill slid down her throat, making the white-haired, red-eyed girl shiver.
"Just something that'll make you more popular. No need to thank me," Kazuma said with a grin as he watched her flustered expression. "It's called the Personality Reversal Pill. I'm curious to see what kind of changes it'll bring."
The [Personality Reversal Pill] was one of the secret items he had obtained from the previous lottery draw. It had been practically useless to him, so he'd never had a reason to use it.
Now, however, this gal made for the perfect test subject.
As its name suggested, its effect was to completely reverse a person's personality. Kazuma was genuinely curious to see what Ai Kitagami would become.
Meanwhile, Chizuru Shiina stood nearby, stunned into silence.
She had never had a good impression of gals to begin with. Besides, Kazuma was someone she liked, so naturally she wasn't about to defend Ai Kitagami.
She was unquestionably on Kazuma's side.
However...
"Kazuma, does that mean everything you told me before about being bullied and harassed by her was all an act?"
Chizuru moved closer, staring expressionlessly at his face.
"Uh... Chizuru, I just wanted you to worry about me a little more."
Kazuma quickly wrapped an arm around her waist in an apologetic gesture.
"Honestly..."
Chizuru Shiina puffed out her soft pink lips, though she wasn't actually angry. Hearing Kazuma say that secretly made her happy. He really did have a silver tongue. Maybe that was why he got along so well with all the girls in class.
Thinking about it, however, Chizuru quickly rejected that idea. After experiencing how Kazuma had saved her, she believed that was the real reason so many girls were willing to stay by his side.
No wonder he could build a harem. With that thought, the jealousy in her heart gradually faded.
"You two... don't just flirt by yourselves... ugh..."
The Personality Reversal Pill took effect almost instantly.
Only moments ago, Ai Kitagami had been an aggressive, sharp-tongued gal. The next moment, her eyes became unfocused, and the atmosphere around her visibly changed.
The domineering aura surrounding her quickly melted away.
Her fair, delicate face remained blank for several seconds before gradually softening.
Although she looked exactly the same, with no change to her appearance whatsoever, to Kazuma and Chizuru Shiina, it felt as though they were looking at a completely different person.
The girl looked timidly at Kazuma, then at Chizuru Shiina. She shrank back like a frightened rabbit before suddenly bowing deeply.
"I'm sorry, Kazuma-kun... Shiina-san... I'm truly sorry! I actually... I actually did something so unforgivable..."
The fierce expression that had once defined Ai Kitagami had vanished completely. In its place were panic, timidity, guilt, and heartfelt remorse. She genuinely seemed heartbroken over everything she had done.
Witnessing such a dramatic transformation, Chizuru Shiina was completely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe her eyes.
So this is the effect of the Personality Reversal Pill... Kazuma was equally shocked.
A single tiny pill had completely transformed a person.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of the arrogant gal from before. The girl standing before him was practically someone else.
It reminded Kazuma of the saying that one's appearance reflects one's heart.
A change within could even alter how others perceived one's outward appearance.
Although Ai Kitagami's physical appearance hadn't actually changed, in Kazuma's eyes she looked like an entirely different person.
If Sachi and Kaho were here, they probably wouldn't even believe this timid girl was their friend.
"That's right, Ai Kitagami." Kazuma looked expressionlessly at the white-haired girl, who nervously twisted her fingers together. "You did something truly terrible. You still remember what you did to me back in the warehouse, don't you?"
"I remember." Ai Kitagami bit her lip before bowing once more. "I'm sorry, Kazuma-kun. The me back then was an awful, wicked girl who treated you so horribly. I'm truly sorry."
"Oh?" Kazuma raised an eyebrow.
"So you realize you're different from who you used to be? You're actually aware that you've changed?"
"I do." She nodded gently.
"You were the one who changed me, weren't you, Kazuma-kun? Thank you. It was because you gave me that pill that I was finally able to recognize my mistakes and understand just how terrible I used to be."
As she spoke, she bowed deeply toward Chizuru Shiina as well. "Shiina-san, I'm so sorry!!"
Chizuru blinked in confusion.
"Uh... you didn't really do anything to me, so you don't need to apologize... Kazuma, what exactly did you feed her to make her change like this?"
No one understood better than Chizuru just how troublesome these gals normally were. Seeing such a drastic transformation left her completely dazed.
"Chizuru, if you're curious, why don't you try one too?"
She immediately shook her head like a rattle.
While it was certainly a good thing that the gal had turned over a new leaf, the pill seemed even more frightening than the potion from that man, Murano. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.
"It's not actually dangerous," Kazuma explained. "It simply reverses a person's personality."
Leaving the school grounds, Kazuma walked along the sidewalk with Chizuru Shiina and Ai Kitagami following at his left and right.
Throughout the walk, Chizuru quietly observed Ai Kitagami.
According to Kazuma, the [Personality Reversal Pill] completely reversed someone's personality. The once-arrogant gal had now become an obedient, gentle girl.
Holding her school bag with both hands, she quietly followed Kazuma with a meek expression. She looked just like a cute, gentle girl.
The rebellious expression that had once covered her face had disappeared. Instead, she now looked fragile and uneasy, filled with guilt and self-reproach.
Kazuma noticed it all. "Ai Kitagami, you really don't seem to like the old version of yourself."
"That's right."
The white-haired girl nodded softly, gently pursing her red lips.
"The old me was truly terrible. I did so many awful things. If I could, I'd never want to become that person again."
"But you will eventually change back. You'll return to your original personality."
Although the [Personality Reversal Pill] was powerful, its effects weren't permanent.
"Kazuma-kun... can you help me? I want to stay like this forever."
Kazuma couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth. This girl's transformation was astonishingly thorough. But once the effect wore off, she certainly wouldn't feel that way anymore.
He chose not to answer.
"Don't worry. The effect won't wear off anytime soon. Before that, let's settle my business."
He looked at her. "If I remember correctly, those photos you used to threaten me with..."
"I'll delete them immediately!"
Without hesitation, Ai Kitagami pulled out her phone and searched through its files. "Besides the copies on my phone, I also uploaded them to my computer. There are five backups in total."
Kazuma: "Are you even human?"
Ai Kitagami blushed with embarrassment. "Kazuma-kun... I'm sorry. I'll delete every single one of them!"
After the personality reversal, apologizing had practically become her default response.
"As for Sachi and Kaho, I'll delete everything involving them as well. Kazuma-kun, I'll take care of everything. I'll never threaten you again. Please... believe me."
After speaking, she looked at him timidly, hoping he would trust her.
Kazuma nodded seriously. "I believe you, Ai Kitagami. Even though you used to be a troublesome gal, you're undoubtedly a good person now. I'll leave those other two gals to you."
"I won't just delete the records. I'll also help them become normal girls, and they'll never bully Kazuma-kun again."
As she spoke, she nervously fidgeted with her fingers, her cheeks turning bright red.
"Um... Kazuma-kun... you can just call me by my name. You can simply call me Ai."
Kazuma remained expressionless.
Ai Kitagami... you're so obedient and adorable now that it's actually making me uncomfortable.
*****
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