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What do I do?

That big jerk is actually so gentle!

Thinking back on how he had teased her, Natsumi's face felt like it was on fire. It was a deeply stimulating, yet exhilarating feeling.

'In that case, to preserve world peace and save other innocent girls from his clutches, it's my duty as the great Natsumi to take on this burden myself! Yes, that's it! I'll snatch this big jerk for myself and keep him by my side forever!'

Her giddy laughter faded, and her mood suddenly turned somber. A flicker of sadness appeared in her eyes.

'But... what if he doesn't like the real me?'

After a long, hesitant moment, Natsumi crept quietly from the room, her heart pounding with anxiety.

————

As she reached the top of the second-floor staircase, she heard voices from the living room below.

"We've looked everywhere, but still no sign of Natsumi."

"Kyoya, do you think maybe she already left?"

"Agreed. Yuzuru does not believe Natsumi is hiding within the villa."

"My, my. Should I have my clones go search for her?"

Hearing Kurumi's suggestion, Natsumi froze, a terrible feeling rising in her chest.

'If she does that, I'm finished. She'll find me for sure.'

Just as she was about to turn and flee, my voice cut through the air.

"Kurumi, let's not."

"It's fine if we can't find her. Maybe Natsumi was just playing a joke on us. It's no big deal."

Oh... is that what he thinks?

Hearing me defend her, Natsumi's face lit up with a brilliant smile. All thoughts of escape vanished.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Kotori asked, a lollipop stick poking out from her lips.

"Mhm," I said with a firm nod. "Natsumi has always been a kind-hearted girl. There's nothing to worry about."

Natsumi's eyes grew misty, her gaze fixed on me, overflowing with emotion. To be trusted like that would move anyone, let alone someone like her, who had never felt cared for.

"I suppose you're right. Everyone here is a kind-hearted child, aren't we?" Kurumi said, covering a light chuckle.

In truth, she had known of Natsumi for a long time. Back when she was hunting for information about the Second Spirit, she had inevitably come across Natsumi, who frequently caused spacequakes. Curiously, Natsumi always seemed to run and hide the second she saw her, which Kurumi found endlessly frustrating.

"Since that's settled," I announced, making the final call, "let's call it a day!"

The hide-and-seek game was over.

But Natsumi was thrown into a panic. 'You're not going to look for me anymore? What am I supposed to do now? I can't just go back like this! I don't want to be alone!'

In her desperation, she revealed her true form. But before she could make a move, she was caught.

"..." In an instant, Natsumi's mind went blank. 'Huh? What the—? I just changed back, how did I get caught already?'

Kaguya and Yuzuru had her pinned, each holding one of her arms in an iron grip.

"Heehee! Gotcha now, Natsumi!"

"Victory. You lose, Natsumi."

As everyone's eyes fell on her, Natsumi stammered nervously. "H-How did you..."

"How did we know you were pretending to be Tohka?" Kaguya finished for her, grinning as she held Natsumi's arm tight. "Actually, Kyoya secretly told us who you were a while ago. We've been waiting for you to show yourself!"

"!!!"

Natsumi's pupils constricted. 'If that's true, then no wonder they were all so relaxed. That means... Kyoya knew who I was the entire time. And he still bullied me... it was all on purpose?'

A muscle in her cheek twitched. She felt a phantom pain.

Wait... he stole her first kiss!

Her face burned as she looked at me, her lips pressed into a thin line of utter humiliation. She suddenly felt like crying. Not only had I completely outplayed her, but I'd also tricked her out of her first kiss. She felt absolutely miserable.

She shot me a resentful glare.

"Wahahaha! She's so dumb..."

Yoshinon's sudden, heart-piercing taunt was the final blow that shattered Natsumi's composure.

Then, Origami looked at me and proposed, "Kyoya, hand her over to me. Let me retrain... mmmph..."

I leaped forward and clamped my hand over her mouth, cutting off her unhinged suggestion. Looking into her wide, innocent eyes, I felt a headache coming on.

Read the room. Can't you see she looks completely broken? And you're still trying to provoke her?

I let Origami go and walked slowly over to Natsumi. I reached out and gently tapped her on the forehead.

"Boop."

————

When the light faded, a small girl stood where Tohka had been. She was no bigger than Yoshino, with messy green hair and an undeniably cute face.

"Eh?"

"Astonishing. What just happened?"

"Whoa."

"My, my. What an adorable little girl."

"Is this Natsumi's real form?"

The girls murmured in surprise.

But as Natsumi realized her true self had been exposed, her heart began to break. The light in her eyes flickered and died.

'It's over. They've seen me. They've seen the real me.'

...

Flashback.

"What's with this kid?"

"Her green hair is a total mess. She's so sloppy, not cute at all!"

"How can a child look like that?? It's so weird!"

...

A flood of terrible memories rushed through Natsumi's mind, playing on a loop. When she had first arrived in this world, no one would even look at her. She hated that feeling. More than anything, she craved praise, craved acceptance.

That was why she used the power of Haniel to transform herself into the popular, older-sister version that everyone adored.

As that woman, people were kind. They fell over themselves to please her.

But no matter how sweet that felt, a hollow loneliness remained. In the end, no one was truly paying attention to her. No one truly accepted her.

The more praise she received, the more intense the emptiness became.

For a brief moment, she thought she had finally found someone she could depend on.

And now... this.

Her deepest secret was laid bare for all to see, shattering her fragile fantasy. Even the girls' genuine compliments felt like bullets, each word striking her heart and making her face turn deathly pale.

Just as she reached the edge of a complete breakdown, a familiar warmth enveloped her.

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