[Even Suguru Geto and Yu Haibara, who had been standing to the side all along, looked so shocked that their jaws nearly dropped.]
[Suguru Geto's foxlike eyes, usually so composed, widened into circles, their corners twitching uncontrollably twice, while the guileless Yu Haibara gaped, disbelief written all over his face.]
[They clearly never would have dreamed that Li Shunchen, who was always calm, rational, and even somewhat unfathomable, would respond to a Special Grade Sorcerer's advances by delivering such an outrageous "hardcore otaku declaration" in such a matter-of-fact tone.]
[And naturally, you had profoundly considered reasons for choosing such a seemingly absurd answer.]
[For one thing, it perfectly explained why you could remain as unmoved as dead wood in the presence of a mature woman as captivating as Yuki Tsukumo. For another, though the answer did not come from your heart, the absolute support of your exclusive passive skill, "Life Is Like a Play," forced the falsehood into reality.]
[You controlled even your breathing rate and the dilation of your pupils flawlessly, leaving even the exceptionally perceptive Yuki Tsukumo unable to glean any tangible flaws or information from your seemingly joking remark.]
[But clearly, as one of the Special Grades at the pinnacle of Jujutsu Society, Yuki Tsukumo was certainly not someone who could be easily brushed off with a few absurd remarks.]
[She had no intention of letting it go. Even though you had delivered that answer with an exquisite, utterly flawless performance, the casual smile gradually faded from her face, replaced by scrutiny so sharp it seemed almost tangible.]
[Her beastlike, unerring intuition told her that she did not accept your answer in the slightest.]
[Yuki Tsukumo narrowed her eyes slightly, parted her red lips, and spoke with utter certainty.]
["That's a lie, isn't it, Li?"]
[Before you