"If you two had taken even a few more minutes, you really would've missed the closing ceremony. I should've just called you earlier," said Eiren Kanagawa as she started the car and took the shortcut toward the art museum. As was her habit when driving, she popped a mint into her mouth.
"Sorry, Professor Kanagawa," Kotomi Izumi said apologetically, pressing her palms together in a gesture of sincere regret.
Eiren, of course, wasn't actually upset. In fact, if Kotomi and Mashiro had taken any longer to come down, she might've started imagining that the two had already taken their relationship to the next level—and happily called Chihiro Sengoku to report.
Earlier, when she saw Kotomi instinctively holding Mashiro's hand while running toward her, her first reaction was one of delight. A friend's cousin falling in love? That was something to be happy about. But now that she had calmed down, Eiren remembered the issue that had always left Chihiro Sengoku feeling troubled.
Mashiro Shiina would be taken back to the UK by her parents in less than a year—no later than the end of spring break in her second year of high school.
Even if the two of them truly loved each other, it would be incredibly difficult for them to stay together.
Chihiro had arranged for Kotomi and Mashiro to share the same room—and even upgraded them to the presidential suite—for one simple reason: to give them the chance to make as many beautiful memories together as possible before their inevitable separation.
...If the good memories were enough, maybe the pain of parting wouldn't be quite so heavy?
Eiren Kanagawa let out a silent sigh, unable to bear looking at the happiness radiating from Mashiro's face. She was smiling so sweetly, leaning against Kotomi so blissfully—how loudly would she cry when the time came to say goodbye?
"By the way, Naegi-senpai called me earlier and said she's already at the museum," Kotomi mentioned casually.
"Yes, she is. I actually tried to bring her along, but she declined," Eiren nodded.
Hibiki Naegi had already headed to the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art on her own. Before she left, she had run into Eiren at the hotel entrance. Eiren had politely offered to give her a lift, but Hibiki had gently declined.
After being turned down, Eiren didn't press further—just reminded her to be careful on the road.
Hibiki had wanted to ask Eiren many things in that rare moment alone, but after hesitating for a long while, she had only opened her mouth slightly, said nothing, and walked away.
Watching her leave with that resolute yet melancholic posture, Eiren found herself deeply unsettled.
She admitted she hadn't liked Hibiki very much when they first met. A girl with little talent, still stubbornly pushing forward on the path of art—Eiren had seen too many like her.
Too many students who lacked the gift, but insisted on pursuing art anyway, only to be crushed by the mountain of setbacks they eventually faced. That breakdown wasn't just figurative—it sometimes came at the cost of their lives.
In university art departments, every few years, at least one student would die. It wasn't some eerie campus legend—it was something that had become disturbingly common.
Maybe it was just one student per department, but even one was too many.
These were the kids who truly believed that effort could make up for talent. And when they were finally forced to face the harsh truth, when they had already exhausted all their strength and courage, they chose death—without hesitation.
Eiren Kanagawa often felt like a train conductor. The first time she witnessed a student suicide, she was crushed, unable to sleep for half a month. But after seeing it happen again... and again... she began to feel numb.
She even found herself thinking:
What a bunch of fools. If you knew it would end like this, why throw yourselves headlong into art in the first place?
When Eiren Kanagawa first saw Hibiki's artwork, she thought it was decent—but nothing remarkable. She immediately guessed that Hibiki might be another student with no real talent, simply relying on effort. That piece was likely the peak of her ability, now and in the future.
Later, after meeting her in person, the light in Hibiki's eyes only confirmed her suspicion: Hibiki was someone who sincerely believed effort could make up for a lack of talent.
Eiren chose to treat her coldly, pouring bucket after bucket of cold water on her in hopes that she'd wake up sooner rather than later. Art might help her pass a university entrance exam, and that was already a worthy outcome. Eiren didn't care if others thought she was a terrible teacher who discriminated among her students.
But...
Just like she had said earlier, when she saw Hibiki's figure walking away alone, Eiren couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. Like Hibiki had come to some realization—or maybe she was still trapped in her own thoughts.
While waiting at a red light, Eiren rubbed her forehead and looked out the window, murmuring to herself:
"How strange... Since when did I start caring this much about Hibiki?"
Hibiki's departing figure had carved itself into her memory like a chisel. And before she knew it, it wasn't just the image—it was Hibiki herself that lingered.
Kotomi Izumi hadn't been listening to Eiren's mumbling. Her attention had been locked on the box of mints sitting up front.
She really wanted one.
Kotomi swallowed hard but couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. What was she supposed to do—admit she wanted a mint? What was she, a kindergartener drooling over candy?
But that box of mints just looked so good, and she could even smell the refreshing scent in the air.
Fidgeting with her hands and feet, Kotomi wiggled left and right, wanting one but too embarrassed to ask.
Mashiro Shiina, noticing Kotomi's restless behavior, watched her for a bit—then suddenly understood.
Without a word, Mashiro leaned forward and handed the mint box to Kotomi.
"Th-Thank you..." Kotomi blushed. Mashiro had noticed she was craving candy. How embarrassing!
She opened the box and popped a mint into her mouth. As the cool, sharp flavor burst across her tongue, her expression subtly shifted.
Something felt... strange.
It was as if she had been half-asleep, and the mint had jolted her awake.
"What... is this?" Kotomi rubbed her cheeks. When she glanced out the window, she suddenly realized—
Time had stopped.
Under the night sky, the normally bustling streets should've been filled with cars and people. But now, it was as if someone had hit a pause button.
Everything around her was frozen.
She turned toward Mashiro. Her expression, too, was locked in that exact moment.
"Good evening~"
A familiar voice rang out beside her. Kotomi turned to find Kazumi—when had she appeared?—sitting calmly on her right.
"Kazumi, what is this...?!"
"Hehe, don't worry. I just needed to talk to you for a bit. To make sure we're not interrupted, I used time stop. Don't be fooled by my usually flaky behavior—your system here has a few powerful tricks up her sleeve."
With her hands on her hips, Kazumi looked quite smug. If the car roof had been any taller, she probably would've stood up in pride.
But then her expression turned serious.
"Kotomi, the side effects of your Queen of All Females are about to erupt!"
Kazumi's single sentence struck like lightning from the sky. Kotomi pressed her lips tightly together, hands trembling as they clutched the mint box—completely overwhelmed.
Seeing Kotomi in prolonged silence, Kazumi thought she was strategizing. She was just about to praise her beloved Kotomi: Look at you, so grown up now—unshaken even after hearing that the Queen of All Females's side effects were about to explode. Such calm in the face of crisis... truly the mindset of someone destined for greatness!
Kazumi was mentally congratulating herself, ready to give Kotomi a comforting pat on the shoulder and say, "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up with you."
Then she took a proper look—and her face darkened. Kotomi wasn't strategizing at all. She was trembling from head to toe, face on the verge of tears.
Worse yet... Kazumi needed to intervene fast before Kotomi completely lost it—otherwise, she'd be dealing with a ruined skirt.
"Kotomi, don't be scared! Sure, you've accumulated a lot of Queen Physique side effects, but it's not like it's going to erupt right now. You just had an outburst a little while ago, remember? You're safe for at least another two weeks! H-Hey, don't cry! See? You were fine just now, weren't you?"
But instead of comforting her, Kazumi's unintentional slip only made Kotomi cry harder.
And who could blame her? Anyone would cry.
First you're told the side effects are about to explode, and before you've even recovered from the shock, you're told that they already did explode earlier without you knowing.
Forget roller coasters—this was like being dropped from the top of a free-fall ride with no warning.
Kazumi did everything she could to comfort her. She was practically one step away from calling Kotomi her wife to calm her down.
"Wuwuwu, what's going on?! You suddenly show up and drop this bomb on me—and before I can even mentally prepare, you're telling me it already happened?! Of course I'm crying!"
Tears welled up in Kotomi's peach-colored eyes, her delicate face wet and reddened. Her glossy pink lips quivered as she whimpered, looking utterly pitiful.
Kazumi forgot all about her smug time-freezing entrance. She was now full-on in damage control mode—like a clumsy partner trying to make amends for accidentally upsetting their beloved.
One wife, one husband.
Yes.
Very logical.
"I didn't think the side effects would flare up that fast either! Stop crying, please! You can do whatever you want, I'll even kneel on a washboard if that helps! Wait... didn't you feel anything just now?" Kazumi asked, puzzled.
Just moments ago at the hotel, the Queen Physique side effects had surged like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting. The shift had been so sudden that Kazumi didn't even have time to intervene. She could only flail her tentacles in helpless panic.
Prompted by Kazumi's question, Kotomi looked even more confused. Thinking back carefully, she realized—there really hadn't been anything obviously off. It had felt like a normal moment.
But if she had to pinpoint something...
She suddenly recalled the strange emotion that washed over her right after eating the mint.
It had vanished in a flash, but it had felt... very off.
If she had to describe it...
Kotomi wasn't sure how to put it exactly. It felt like she had blacked out after drinking and just snapped awake—or maybe like one of those manga heroines who had just broken free from hypnosis.
Something was off, but she couldn't say what.
Kotomi reluctantly shared the odd, fleeting sense of dissonance she'd felt after eating the mint.
After hearing her out, Kazumi explained:
"That was the impact of the Queen of All Females's side effect just now. To be specific, the reason you felt a sense of dissonance was because the side effect had already passed."
"Actually, the moment you returned to the hotel room this afternoon, the Queen Physique side effect had already started to stir. Once Mashiro woke up, the fuse was lit—and it erupted inside you."
"Maybe because it was your first time, the surge wasn't very intense, which is why you only noticed it afterward, and the sensation faded quickly."
Kotomi was still confused. "After I came back this afternoon? But I was totally normal the whole time—until just now when I felt that little weirdness after eating the mint."
"Are you sure you were normal?" Kazumi asked, smiling slyly. "Think about it again. What did you do in that hotel room? What did you say?"
With Kazumi's voice like a hypnotic guide, Kotomi replayed her actions in her head—and suddenly her eyes flew wide open.
"I kissed Mashiro!"
Kazumi raised two fingers. "Twice, actually."
Kotomi was speechless.
If possible, she wanted to crawl into a hole and vanish.
Seeing her stunned, Kazumi elaborated:
"That was the first Queen Physique side effect in action—silently shifting your perception so that something you'd normally never do, or never dare to do, suddenly felt completely natural."
"It's kind of like... well, you read a lot of those hypnosis-themed manga, right? You know the kind."
With that comparison, Kotomi instantly understood. "Wait—you're saying I was hypnotized by the side effect?! Is it because I read too many of those...?!"
"Uhh... well, let's just say this: take your kiss with Mashiro, for example. At this point in time, there's no way you'd normally initiate that. Which makes me seriously suspect you're one of those types—unassertive, noncommittal, and irresponsible! Hey, hey, let's not get violent! Lower the fists, Kotomi!"
"Tch. Don't say nonsense like that! I despise irresponsible people the most!" Kotomi huffed, blushing as she punched Kazumi lightly.
Rubbing her head, Kazumi resumed the explanation:
"Ahem. Like I was saying, the first Queen Physique side effect silently shifted your thinking. That's why you suddenly kissed Mashiro with such confidence. I was so shocked watching from inside you!"
"But it's not just about changing perception. The first outbreak also comes with another ability: you'll hear the innermost wish of the girl closest to you. No matter how wild or strange the wish is, you'll feel like it's only natural to fulfill it."
"That said, the condition to trigger this effect is really strict. The wish has to be about you."
"It's rare, but guess what—it triggered. And who was the closest girl at that moment? Mashiro."
"So yes, part of why you kissed her—twice—was due to the Queen Physique side effect. But the other part... was because her wish at that moment was for you to kiss her."
"In a way, the Queen Physique effect really outdid itself—helping Mashiro fulfill that little wish. Shame though. That ability only activates once. And Mashiro used it up. Tch."
Kazumi clicked her tongue in mock annoyance, like she'd transformed into a sour little lemon spirit. That wish? That was it? So basic!
Why was she so jealous?
Because she had been hoping she'd get to use that effect.
Her dream was for Kotomi to hear her heartfelt wish: "Kazumi, I want you to be my family forever."
Just imagining that had Kazumi rolling on the ground in excitement.
It was her most cherished little dream.
But before she could even set it up, Mashiro had already gotten there first.
And ever since then, Kazumi had been drowning in a sea of jealousy.
Not naming names, but someone was definitely feeling envious.
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