"Excuse me, could you give up your seat? This is a priority seat for the elderly. It'd be better to let this old lady sit."
The blond hunk ignored the girl with the light brown hair. Instead, he pulled out a mirror that looked very luxurious and began combing his hair.
"Pretty girl, did you know? This mirror is called the 'Mirror of Pure Beauty.' Oh! My God, I'm so beautiful!"
The blond hunk struck a flamboyant pose, as though he were the only person in his world.
Clearly, the poor little girl with the light brown hair had been rejected. And so came that classic scene—
"Could someone please give this grandma a seat?"
Amasawa Reigetsu: ?
Was that even something a human would do? If I were that old lady, I'd smash the window and jump out of the bus! This girl looks like she knows how to act, but how can she be so lacking in both brains and common sense!?
Old lady: Protagonist, save me! I'm going to die of embarrassment (இωஇ ).
Amasawa Reigetsu: (whistles)
As if she'd noticed where the old lady was looking, Kushida Kikyo turned her gaze directly toward Amasawa, watching him with a pitiful expression.
Talk about perfect timing. Amasawa Reigetsu had just been wondering whether to use Induction on the girl with the light brown hair and embarrass her in public, just to see how she'd react—
A trace of awkward warmth still lingered in the carriage. The flawless, sweet curve of Kushida Kikyo's smile had yet to fade.
Amasawa Reigetsu watched her. Black bangs fell across his face, partially veiling his pale gray eyes, which glimmered with a murky light.
"Induction" activated.
The perfect smile on Kushida Kikyo's face abruptly froze. Her watery eyes, which had been putting on a pitiful, heart-stirring look, lost all their color under his unguarded gaze, turning vacant and unfocused. But her daze lasted only an instant. Her lashes fluttered violently, and the fog in her eyes was swept away as if by a sudden gale. Her pupils quickly focused again, constricted, and returned to their original clarity.
No one could have noticed such a subtle change—except Ayanokoji, who had been blown up in the White Room more times than he could count.
And so, just as Amasawa Reigetsu was about to plant a suggestion in Kushida Kikyo's mind—
"Chu♡"
A strange sensation came from Amasawa Reigetsu's right cheek. Why did it feel a little like—
"Was I kissed? Impossible, impossible! Ayanokoji Kiyoko is on my right!"
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Amasawa Reigetsu's eyes cleared. The suggestion he'd been planting in Kushida Kikyo's mind was interrupted, and Induction ended.
Kushida Kikyo's gaze was blank for just a moment before she looked elsewhere and continued desperately searching for a kind soul willing to give up a seat.
But Amasawa Reigetsu had a lot to think about. Who was playing a prank on him!? Had Ayanokoji really kissed him? Was she messing with him? Had the White Room drugged him to get revenge? Was this actually a dream?
Amasawa Reigetsu abruptly turned to his right and saw Ayanokoji Kiyoko looking at him expressionlessly. Judging by how moist her lips looked, she really had just kissed him.
But why?
Amasawa Reigetsu stared blankly at the expressionless Ayanokoji, but she didn't say anything.
Ayanokoji: ( ᗜ ‸ ᗜ )
The two stared at each other for a while, until the bus reached its stop—
"Chu♡"
Like a kissing machine, Ayanokoji kissed Amasawa Reigetsu again. From her perspective, she'd kissed the same spot as before, but—
Amasawa Reigetsu was looking right at her now!! Their lips had touched!! Was that okay?!
Amasawa Reigetsu's heart raced. Rather than feeling giddy, he was a little scared. This was Ayanokoji, who'd practice calligraphy while holding up a piano without saying a word! Had the White Room finally decided to kill him to keep him quiet...?
Ayanokoji Atsuomi: Got anything to say for yourself!?
Amasawa Reigetsu: Nothing to say. Hurry up and do it! (a tear slid from the corner of his eye)
"Get off, Reigetsu." Ayanokoji grabbed Amasawa's arm and tugged it to show they were getting off the bus, forcibly dragging him back from his fantasy about the Three Kingdoms.
"Oh... right." Amasawa let Ayanokoji lead him along. As they walked, a devious idea formed in his mind.
"Ayanokoji." At the sound of his voice, Ayanokoji turned around.
Amasawa's pale gray eyes gazed into Ayanokoji's light brown ones, glimmering with a murky light.
Induction, activate!
"Don't hold my arm. Hold my hand as we walk... okay?"
Amasawa's heart was pounding wildly. He wasn't sure why, but halfway through planting the suggestion, he'd already started to lose confidence. And he'd even added an "okay"? That was so lame. Still, this time it felt like it might work?
Ayanokoji's light brown pupils showed no reaction at all. Maybe it was because there were no highlights in her eyes? Amasawa was used to failing to use Induction on this weirdo.
But Amasawa, completely focused on Ayanokoji's eyes, didn't notice the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
Their fingers intertwined.
Turns out both their hearts were beating fast.
"I'm in Class A."
"Class D."
"We're not in the same class... How did you end up in Class D?"
"...I got exactly 50 on every test."
"Idiot?"
"Hmph."
Ayanokoji decided not to respond to Amasawa's taunt—and to shut him up instead.
"Kissing fiend."
"Perverted brainwashing weirdo."
Amasawa Reigetsu: ?
Bro, I give you a cute nickname, and you give me a weirdo's name? If you keep this up, I really am going to turn you into a magical girl.
"Why did you leave back then?"
"..." Amasawa didn't answer.
"Because of Yuki?"
"I should've known better than to leave."
"What do you mean?"
"I realized you're a closet pervert."
"Boom!!!"
Amasawa Reigetsu suddenly slammed his elbow into the tree beside him, making a loud noise.
"Cough, cough, cough!!!" After coughing up a lump of blood, Amasawa watched Ayanokoji flee and couldn't help but reflect:
I think I've awakened some weird side of her?
The girls' dormitory, Ayanokoji's room.
Ayanokoji looked at herself in the mirror. The blush still hadn't faded from her face. Having her mind forcibly altered like that... it was a first. If Amasawa used his ability with all his strength...♡
Ayanokoji Kiyoko didn't dare continue that thought. She simply climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head. She didn't even go to the homeroom meeting for first period. But she should have gone. So, did Ayanokoji end up going or not? Perhaps only Amasawa Reigetsu knew. Don't underestimate Class A's intelligence network! (Intelligence Amasawa mode)
Amasawa Reigetsu: So that's why she's a recluse!?