Kikyo Really Was Still That Little Devil

After saying goodbye to Ayanokoji, Ju Ji had completely abandoned the idea of going back to his room to rest. He urgently needed to find somewhere to enjoy the scenery and unwind.

There was just such a place beside the dormitory: the riverbank nearby. There were even benches where people could sit and rest, making it an excellent choice.

"That woman Horikita acts so high and mighty just because she's cute. I was the first to meet her and become her friend. She's just the worst... The absolute worst... Why doesn't someone like Horikita just go die!"

As soon as Ju Ji arrived at the riverbank, he saw Kikyo ranting at the railing. Her words were full of curses directed at Horikita. Ju Ji had originally thought that this wouldn't happen with him around.

But he hadn't expected to become the catalyst. He'd just learned the specific reason from Ayanokoji. No, that was only one of the reasons.

The main reason was Ju Ji's own arrogance. He'd thought that with the system's [Permanent Hypnosis], he could rest easy. But that wasn't how things had turned out. After the system hypnotized Kikyo, she hadn't lost her will and become a marionette under his control. She still had a will of her own.

She simply wouldn't betray him or [truly] refuse his suggestions. Her human emotions—joy, anger, and pain—were still there. And what had Ju Ji done during this time?

Every day, he'd spent the daytime with Suzune. He'd never invited Kikyo to go out with them, or even started a conversation with her. Was that really what he should have done as her best friend?

There was only one thing he ought to do now: go over and apologize to Kikyo. But seeing her like this, his legs felt as if they'd turned to lead, and he couldn't move. He couldn't even get a word out.

Bzz, bzz, bzz...

[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is requesting a call]

Perhaps even the heavens couldn't stand to watch anymore, because Ayanokoji called him at that very moment. Phones couldn't be silenced at this school, so naturally, his target was exposed.

"Who's there? Come out... Ju Ji? What are you doing here? Did you hear what I just said? No... I didn't mean to—"

"That's right, I heard all of it. But... you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who should apologize. I've been neglecting you lately... I really haven't been much of a best friend. You've been waiting for me to invite you out, haven't you? And the way you were just now—that's the real you I know. There's no need for us to hide things from each other. I'm your best friend. How could I not accept the real you?"

To keep Kikyo from running away, Ju Ji spread his arms and hugged her. They were used to this level of physical contact, so neither of them felt embarrassed. But for the first time, he felt that Kikyo, who had beaten him before and seemed as cold and cruel as a queen, was actually so delicate.

"You're only realizing that now...? You really are an idiot. But from now on, you can't ignore me... Or I'll smash that thing down there... Don't look so panicked. I was only joking."

No, Kikyo, you really didn't look like you were joking just now. And was it a little crude for a girl to say something like that? Well, Kikyo had always been like this, so never mind.

But something had changed. The cold, cruel gaze that had seemed almost demonic to Ju Ji was gone. He even thought Kikyo looked a little cute right now. Was something wrong with him?

"By the way, let's go out tomorrow. It's the weekend, after all."

"So now you know to invite me. But I'll let you off with a passing grade. Do you mind if I bring a friend? We'd already agreed to go shopping together this weekend."

"Of course. I know it was unreasonable of me to spring the idea on you so suddenly."

After Kikyo had been hypnotized, she was no longer able to refuse Ju Ji's requests. But she would fulfill them in her own way. That was what the system meant by [truly]. Still, Ju Ji preferred this Kikyo to a marionette.

"She's a really cute girl, so you'd better not be rude to her. Otherwise, I won't let you off!"

Kikyo suddenly switched into angel mode. That adorable smile, her pleading gesture, and her gaze tilted upward were a lethal combination. Even though Ju Ji knew she was putting on an act, his heart still couldn't help pounding.

"Who is it, anyway? Can you tell me first so I can prepare myself?"

"No... It's a secret!"

There were limits to Kikyo's inability to refuse. She could still say no to things like this, when Ju Ji had no strong desire to make them happen. As for the exact criteria and limits, Ju Ji would have to figure them out for himself.

"Then can I bring someone along?"

"Of course! The more people, the better, when you're going out. I didn't know you had someone you wanted to invite, when you barely have any friends besides me."

"That's rude. I do have... Well, I have at least one friend."

When Ju Ji tried to argue, he suddenly realized that besides Kikyo, Ike, Suzune, and maybe Sudo, he wasn't sure whether Ayanokoji even counted. He really didn't have many friends. The realization stung a little.

"See you tomorrow, Kikyo."

"Wait, you think you can just run away? We haven't done our usual routine today."

"No, if you mean martial arts training, you graduated ages ago. And if you mean blowing off steam, didn't you just do that? Look, the railing seems a little bent. Poor thing. That little railing had to bear a weight it was never meant to carry."

To make his argument more convincing, Ju Ji walked over to the railing by the river and touched it. Of course, there was no way a railing that sturdy could bend just because Kikyo had kicked it a few times. It wasn't that poorly made. Everything at this school was top-notch.

"Of course it's not enough. If I haven't had my fill today, you're not going to sleep."

"Please, no...!"

I take it back. Kikyo really was still the same little devil as before. Nothing had changed. But she was clearly in a good mood now, so he'd take this as compensation for neglecting her lately. He'd go wild with her today. Hopefully, he'd be able to get up at a normal time tomorrow... He still had to find someone to go shopping with them, after all. Falling asleep halfway through would be so rude.