"No, no."
Touko shook her head and explained with a slightly awkward tone, "That girl was bewitched by Diarmuid—or, to put it more bluntly, that pretty boy was so handsome he made the girl faint."
"Me?"
Diarmuid looked bewildered. He hadn't expected the gossip to come around to him.
"Huh? Are you kidding me?"
Shinji wore an expression that said, Are you fucking with me?!
"Didn't you mention it before?" Touko pointed at Diarmuid. "You wondered whether his mole would have a magical effect if it were filmed. Well, it really does."
Shinji shook his head. "Don't joke around. If that were true, I should have gotten feedback about it when I released the movie trailer."
"Because the effect is extremely weak. In most cases, it doesn't have any effect at all." Touko wiped her glasses with her shirt as she explained. "But movie theaters are a somewhat special case. The dim surroundings create a kind of 'suspension bridge effect,' making it easier for girls to open their hearts."
Shinji nodded and instinctively added, "That's true. Every time I go to the movies with a girl, I make sure we're ready to get a room afterward."
Everyone in the office looked up at that, even Red A, who had been dozing with his eyes closed.
"Ahem. Touko, go on."
With so many people staring at him, Shinji felt a little uneasy. He cleared his throat, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
Touko tapped on the desk and said impatiently, "It wasn't just the audience's own predisposition. There was the huge screen, and the fact that Diarmuid filled their entire field of vision... All those factors brought his bewitching charm to its peak."
"Then why was she the only one?" Shinji asked his second question.
If Touko was right, surely that