Vol. 2 Chapter 2 – An Unavoidable Opponent
by PinkPantherIt was morning. Although Ryousuke had his sexual energy sucked out by Lisara last night, thanks to receiving various restorative items, his crotch was now standing tall, pitching a firm tent.
“Haha, a man’s morning has got to be like this, right?”
Nodding in satisfaction, Ryousuke stood up from the bed. When he opened the curtains, a bright summer sky spread out before him. The rainy season had already ended and it was finally pool season. That meant he could legally enjoy the sight of girls in healthy swimsuits.
Yes, being able to gaze at school swimsuits for free was a privilege reserved for high school students.
“Phew, there’s Oosawa from Class C, Asakura from Class D, and yeah, even Ootsuka from Class A’s been growing all at once this year. Looks like it’ll be a fun summer.”
Thanks to such happy thoughts, Ryousuke’s thing wasn’t calming down anytime soon.
In the end, even after getting ready for school, it wouldn’t go down. After about three minutes of deep breathing, he finally managed to settle it and headed toward the dining table where Lisara had prepared breakfast.
“…Ryousuke, you’re late.”
Lisara pouted slightly the moment he entered.
“Sorry, sorry, guys have their own circumstances, y’know.”
“Yeah, yeah, you probably had some dream about huge boobs and went back to sleep, right?”
“Uh, are you… still holding a grudge about last night?”
“Not really. Whether Ryousuke hates flat chests or not, it’s got nothing to do with me. I’m just glad I now know that not all men in the human world are obsessed with big boobs.”
Don! She placed a bowl of rice in front of Ryousuke.
“Well, I guess that’s good to hear.”
Unable to meet Lisara’s eyes, he looked at the breakfast laid out before him. Three portions were already set—Ryousuke’s, Lisara’s and Kyuru’s. This morning’s meal seemed to be traditional Japanese style: salted salmon, natto, rice and miso soup.
“Jeez, I’m not that bothered by it. Back in the Shinigami Realm, I got teased way more about this bust size stuff. And they’d always whisper behind your back about your family background. Honestly, having someone as straightforward as you, Ryousuke, is kind of refreshing.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, really. And even if my bust is small, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m a first-class Shinigami. I’ll definitely find the Singular One and make a contract.”
“Right. What matters more than my tastes is what the Singular One prefers.”
“……”
For a moment, Lisara glared at Ryousuke.
“Yes, exactly.”
She gave a wry smile.
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Anyway, Kyuru’s late. What is she even doing, that girl?”
Still smiling bitterly, Lisara looked toward the entrance to the dining hall. Feeling slightly brushed off, Ryousuke also turned to look at the entrance.
“Yeah, right. Unlike you, Lisara-san, who forged documents to become my relative, Kyuru doesn’t need to get ready for school.”
“It couldn’t be helped, could it? The largest population of uncontracted humans is students. That means Momozono Academy has the highest chance of having a Singular One in this area.”
“Well, yeah. Shinigami contracts can’t be made until you’re sixteen.”
“Exactly. Most people already make their contracts by the time they graduate high school.”
“Still, you didn’t need to become my classmate.”
“Oh, come on. You’re my source of spiritual energy and my partner in finding the Singular One. Of course I’d need your full support.”
Lisara gave a provocatively confident smile.
“Usually, it’s the Shinigami who supports the human, y’know…”
“Who was it that said he’d help me? And that he’d do his best?”
“……That would be me.”
Ryousuke hung his head in defeat. That’s right. The day he first met Lisara, on that rainy day. Seeing her standing there like a soaked puppy, he had vowed, under his belief that girls were treasures to be protected, that he would help her however he could.
“That’s what I thought. If you’re a man, take responsibility for your words.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
“Fufu, thank you.”
Lisara smiled sweetly. So beautiful it was like a flower blooming.
‘Well… yeah. For a loser like me to be living with a beauty like her, I guess I’m seriously lucky. Yeah… that’s right…’
Even if he reached out, his sexual energy would immediately be drained, and the urge would disappear. In other words, she was like a rice cake in a painting—visually appealing but untouchable, an exquisite delicacy he couldn’t lay hands on. Not that Ryousuke even had the courage to actually make a move…
As Ryousuke was bitterly reflecting on this.
“Kyuru!”
Lisara’s sudden shout rang out. Ryousuke quickly followed her line of sight.
“Kyuru, what’s with that cosplay?!”
He ended up yelling too.
“This is not cosplay! Fuwaaah, how rude!”
Suppressing a yawn, Kyuru walked in with Caesar in tow.
The problem was her outfit. Instead of her usual elegant dress that screamed Ojou-sama, she was wearing the middle school uniform of Momozono Academy. It had a similar design to the high school uniform Lisara wore, but with a slightly different color. The uniform made Kyuru look younger—anyone could tell she looked like a junior high student.
“What are you thinking?”
Lisara glared at Kyuru in her school uniform without even trying to hide her suspicion.
“I’m not thinking anything weird. There are examples of precocious geniuses, aren’t there? I believe it’s perfectly reasonable to search for the Singular One in middle school.”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
“Besides, it’s boring just staying home. I can’t spend all day watching recorded anime. Also, in the Shinigami Realm, Kyuru is a student too, you know? I was just so bored, so I decided to look for the Singular One while getting a taste of the human world.”
Looking exasperated, Kyuru took her seat.
And with an『Itadakimasu』, breakfast finally began.
The salted salmon was perfectly seasoned and grilled just right. With fluffy white rice, it made for a meal Ryousuke devoured eagerly.
Before Lisara came, breakfast had been a bother—he’d either skip it or just eat some bulk-bought bread. Just the fact that it was a home-cooked meal was enough to make him happy. And Lisara’s cooking? It was delicious.
And so, the meal went straight into his stomach with incredible speed, leaving the two Shinigami girls overwhelmed by how fast he finished.
With nothing to do, Ryousuke sipped his tea… then suddenly realized something.
“Hey, Kyuru. You said you were a student in the Shinigami Realm, right?”
Kyuru had definitely said that earlier.
“Yes, of course. I attend a prestigious school for Shinigami destined to work in the human world.”
“Wait, then isn’t this bad? Staying here the whole time?”
“No problem. I submitted a leave-of-absence notice.”
“Leave of absence?”
As Ryousuke blinked in surprise, Lisara added.
“Kyuru is officially my assistant as a first-class Shinigami. She’s supposedly helping with research into old spell systems. If we say we’re looking for the Singular One, others will definitely come here too. And since we’re still inexperienced, we’d be cast aside. So we filed a false report.”
“I see, so that’s how you covered it.”
“Exactly. For now, this should prevent any trouble.”
“Hahh… do you know how much that whole setup cost? Thanks to Lisara-oneesama, Kyuru’s secret stash is completely wiped out. Ah, which is why, Ryousuke-san, I’ll be counting on you to cover the living expenses.”
“You too?!”
Lisara only brought ten thousand yen with her and Kyuru wasn’t any better. With just the allowance sent from their parents overseas, Ryousuke was now seriously worried whether they’d be able to manage.
“But Kyuru, what about your transfer paperwork and the cost of the uniform?”
“Obviously, I created them from scratch.”
“Where’d you get the spell resources, the Spirit Money?”
“Of course, I got it from Caesar. Early this morning, just a quick zap. Thanks to that, Kyuru’s sooo sleepy… fwaaaahhh.”
Kyuru covered her yawn with her small hand.
But Ryousuke had bigger concerns.
“Caeessaaaarrrr!!”
He kicked back his chair and leapt at his beloved dog and charisma mentor Caesar, wrapping him in a hug.
“Waan?”
Caesar tilted his head in confusion.
“I get it, I understand your pain! Your life energy was sucked out, and now you feel empty inside, don’t you? Ugh, I get it. That feeling where no matter what you think or see, you feel no sexual desire… the pain of it… as a man, it’s like youth has ended. Damn it, I’m sorry Caesar—I never thought you’d get dragged into this!”
Tears flowed as Ryousuke gently stroked Caesar. Even for him, once his life energy was drained, it took a while for his libido to recover. For a dog like Caesar? Who knew how much was sucked out for transfer forms and uniform creation alone?
It wouldn’t be surprising if Caesar had turned into a discarded mutt from going beyond his potential…
Just walking around the neighborhood, male dogs would tuck their tails while female dogs flocked to him. Caesar used to walk with pride, calmly taking it all in. Whenever Ryousuke walked with Caesar, he too could strut down the street without giving way to the usual scary delinquents.
But now… now, that gallant figure was gone.
Faced with the tragic downfall of his beloved charisma mentor, Ryousuke couldn’t stop his tears.
“Um… aren’t you misunderstanding something?”
Kyuru lightly tapped Ryousuke’s shoulder.
“What are you talking about?! Don’t you have any compassion?!”
“I’m telling you, Caesar didn’t become a washed-up mutt or anything.”
“Huh?”
“In fact, he still has plenty of life energy left. Seriously, Caesar is a legendary hero among dogs. He had nearly a million units of spiritual energy.”
That amount of spiritual energy was indeed comparable to Mina’s. For reference, the average human has around 30,000 units. Ryousuke had 15,000. Singular Ones supposedly surpassed ten million easily.
“Which means, with the amount of spiritual energy used for this spell, Caesar wasn’t even fazed. He shouldn’t feel any different at all.”
“…Ryousuke, live strong.”
Lisara gently patted Ryousuke’s head. That gentleness hurt.
“Ah, right. That reminds me of something. Onee-sama, how did you handle this?”
“Huh? Handle what?”
“Um, the outfit mentioned here. I couldn’t figure out the materials and couldn’t reproduce it.”
Kyuru pulled out a student guide and some pamphlets.
“This… I didn’t make this either. Oops, we’re supposed to be using it already.”
Curious what they were looking at, Ryousuke leaned in—and tilted his head.
“It’s just a school swimsuit.”
“School swimsuit? What’s that, Ryousuke?”
“What do you mean what? It’s the swimsuit designated by the school.”
“Swimsuit… oh right, I remember learning that. Humans wear clothes just for swimming.”
Lisara answered vaguely, rummaging through her memory shelves. She really seemed not to understand the concept of a『swimsuit』.
“Kyuru too?”
“Yes, Kyuru only learned about it in class.”
“Wait a sec…so when Shinigami swim, d-don’t tell me… they all go nude? Like a nudist beach?!”
Ryousuke’s eyes sparkled in an instant. He wanted to go. No, perhaps somewhere in the human world, a secret Shinigami-only beach existed…
“Ero-suke…don’t be stupid! We swim in our 《Binding Attire Disurard》, you saw that form, right? In that Shinigami outfit. Our physical strength is enhanced, so drowning’s never an issue.”
“Ah… I see.”
Ryousuke’s eyes lost all spark and interest.
“Jeez, this guy. Still, swimsuits were a blind spot. Hmm… even looking at photos, I’m not sure what it’s made of. Can’t synthesize it without knowing the material.”
“So even you, Onee-sama? Then Kyuru definitely can’t do it either.”
“This is trouble. The student handbook says we need swimsuits for tomorrow…”
“Hey, even if there aren’t swimsuits in the Shinigami Realm, isn’t that inconvenient when working here? You should’ve learned about it beforehand.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Unless you’re a contracted exclusive Shinigami, you don’t often get a chance to swim. And seriously, what kind of Singular One can’t even buy a swimsuit? No way that kind of useless man exists~.”
“Indeed. A man without such reliability is unthinkable.”
Just in this moment, Lisara and Kyuru got along perfectly, casting meaningful glances at Ryousuke.
“Well, but…I mean, household budgets aren’t unlimited…”
“We know. That’s why we’ve been generating our own clothes and underwear. Though that’s probably unheard of.”
“To expect that much from someone who’s not even a Singular One…honestly, we’re starting to feel pathetic.”
Both of them slumped their shoulders with gloomy expressions and fell into silence.
The air grew heavy—unbearably heavy. For some reason, Ryousuke felt a deep sense of guilt. It was suffocating.
Moreover, Lisara and Kyuru continued to eat in silence with that same somber mood, as if attending a wake.
But… suspicious. The way both of them behaved identically—it was hard not to think they were hinting for him to buy swimsuits.
‘Damn it, am I really gonna get played like this?!’
Determined to resist the pressure, Ryousuke took another sip of his tea. The two girls continued to eat without a word. In the dead silence of the dining table, only the clinking of chopsticks echoed.
Kyuru dropped a grain of rice, picked it up, dropped it again, and repeated the cycle. Lisara broke her salted salmon into pieces so fine, it looked like she was splitting cells. Every now and then, she’d drop her chopsticks, then sluggishly pick them up and wash them in the sink.
Every movement was agonizingly slow and heavy.
“DAAAH, fine! FINE! I’ll buy you both school swimsuits, okay?! I’ll buy them!!”
He couldn’t take it anymore.
More than wanting to be kind to the girls, he couldn’t stand this oppressive atmosphere.
It wasn’t like his heart broke with a snap—it felt more like sinking slowly into a bottomless swamp of despair.
“Fufu, Ryousuke really is so kind, isn’t he?♡”
“Kyaa~ Ryousuke-san, you’re so wonderful♡”
In an instant, the expressions and atmosphere of both girls changed. From sluggish slug-like movements to quick, energetic actions—with overly bright smiles on their faces.
“Damn it! You two were totally in on it!”
“Come now, don’t say that. It can’t be helped. We need swimsuits for P.E. anyway. Either way, we had to get them.”
“That’s right, Ryousuke-san. Girls are treasures, right? You should feel glad you could help.”
They spoke cheerfully, completely ignoring Ryousuke’s inner suffering.
“Ugh… I’m already stretched so thin on expenses. Do you even realize what that means?”
“Like… our electricity might get cut off?”
“No.”
“Then… maybe we’ll have to skip breakfast?”
“Wrong.”
Ryousuke took a slow breath. Then calmly, slowly, he said it.
“If I don’t pay from my savings, we won’t have the money.”
He sighed heavily after speaking.
But—
“Well then, Kyuru, let’s clean up breakfast.”
“Understood, Onee-sama.”
Neither of them had been listening. They didn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation at all!
“Listen! If I don’t have any pocket money, I can’t even rent any Er-… DVDs or buy any Er-… books!”
“You don’t need to rephrase it, it’s obvious, totally obvious.”
Lisara smirked as she went back and forth between the sink and the table.
“Really? You think it’s that obvious?”
“The fact that you think it isn’t is what’s weird. Well, anyway, it’s fine.”
“What’s fine?”
“If your desires get out of control and you end up attacking us, that’d be a problem.”
“I told you I wouldn’t!!”
“But I mean, you peeked before, didn’t you?”
As she came to collect the last rice bowl, Kyuru shot him a cold look.
“Well, that…”
Ryousuke couldn’t argue. Having once intentionally tried to peek at Lisara while she was naked, he couldn’t deny it outright. He knew well just how powerful his pervy urges could be.
“Well, as a reward for buying them, we’ll let you be the first to see us in our swimsuits.”
“Eh?”
“H-Hold on, Onee-sama!”
With a gachaan, Kyuru slammed her rice bowl into the sink and stepped up to Lisara, brimming with indignation.
“Oh, come on. You were going to show it off at the pool anyway”
“We’re not even in the same grade, the same grade!”
“You should actually read the student handbook. Apparently, the pool opening is for all grades, middle and high school.”
That’s right—Momozono Academy’s pool opening was like a festival. Making full use of the giant pool, students from both middle and high school came together to celebrate the arrival of summer. More importantly, it was a celebration of the girls in swimsuits.
“Ugh… it really does say that…”
“But still… just the idea of wearing such a revealing outfit in private… for this guy… it makes me feel… tainted…”
“Give it up. As a Shinigami, this level of service is the least you can do for the guy footing the bill.”
“So frustrating! My maidenly soft skin… defiled…!”
Kyuru bit her lip, looking genuinely mortified.
“Oh, but didn’t he already see it once?”
“Ughghgh! Kyuru is not like you, Onee-sama, who constantly shows off her body and flashes her panties like some kind of a perv woman!”
“W-Who are you calling a perv woman?!”
“You’ve exposed your skin to Ryousuke-san more than once!”
“Those were all accidents! It’s not like I’m showing him on purpose!”
“Riiight, suuure~”
“No way! Absolutely not! That’s impossible!”
Lisara shook her head violently, denying it with everything she had.
“Oh my, overreacting~ Ufufufu.”
“Kyuruuuuu!!”
Lisara began to inch threateningly toward Kyuru.
“Kya! Onee-sama’s mad~!”
Kyuru shrieked playfully and ran away. Lisara chased after her, but it was clear Kyuru had the upper hand. Laughing gleefully, she toyed with Lisara.
Lisara, meanwhile, was completely red in the face, being played like a fiddle.
Watching this whole commotion, Ryousuke had a thought.
Lisara and Kyuru… changing into school swimsuits right there in the living room.
That would be, without a doubt, a feast for the eyes. In fact, depending on the angle… he might just lean forward instinctively for a better look.
Lisara—with her slender, streamlined figure, completely lacking any wasted flesh or excess, and in some ways also lacking assets—had a perfectly balanced body. In a school swimsuit, she would no doubt resemble a competitive swimmer, brimming with grace and vitality. If she actually swam, she’d wear a swim cap, exposing that elegant nape he once saw in the bath. Plus, her skin soaked in water—ahh, what a lovely and wholesome eroticism!
And then there was Kyuru. She was just around 150 centimeters tall, with a body that still held onto a childlike frame. And yet, Ryousuke had calculated that her bust surpassed 80 cm and was at least a C-cup.
That youthful body, wrapped in a school swimsuit. Her chest pressed tightly, creating visible cleavage. The line from her still-developing waist to hips. Droplets of water trailing down it all. Her wavy, fluffy hair likely wouldn’t stay neatly tucked under a swim cap—it would come loose, clinging wetly to her nape and ears.
“Ahhh, the beauty of youth! Long live loli breast!”
It was the eruption of Ryousuke’s manly spirit. A volcanic burst of pathos. A surge of primal instinct.
To put it bluntly… yeah, he said that part out loud.
“Uh, w-wait, why are you both glaring at me…?”
He tried to stand, but it was like being a frog caught in a snake’s gaze. He couldn’t move.
“Um, well…”
Timidly, Ryousuke looked back and forth between the two of them.
Kyuru was fine. She, surprisingly, looked pure and modest, her face beet red as she glared at him. She was probably more embarrassed than angry about Ryousuke’s pervy outburst.
‘Yeah, even that look is kinda sexy… no, gotta apologize later…’
After a small nod to himself, Ryousuke dared to glance at Lisara’s face—but immediately looked back down to the dining table.
It wasn’t just scary.
Because… she was smiling.
Only with her mouth.
Her eyes weren’t just narrowed—they were tilted upward. Sharp. Her brow twitched with a pulsing vein. Her mouth was curved into a grin, yet it trembled with fury. And her gaze… sharp as a spear.
“U-Uh, Lisara-san… your cute face is being totally ruined right now…”
“Ryousuke, say what you were thinking. Honestly.”
Her voice echoed as if from the depths of hell.
“Onee-sama, are you seriously asking?! No matter what he says, it’s just going to be sexually harassing criminal delusions that’ll land him in jail!”
“W-Well, when I said what I was thinking, that’s what led us to… this situation…”
“Who said anything about Kyuru?! I’m asking about me, Lisara Restall! What were your thoughts about me? I know how your mind works—you were fantasizing about both of us, weren’t you?!”
This must be what they mean by being at a total loss for words.
“Come on now, say it honestly. You fantasized about both of us, right? Then what was I in your little imagination?!”
Lisara and Kyuru—both of them…With that accusation, Ryousuke’s brain filled with hazy, swelling fantasies.
“Onee-sama, look at his face. He’s got that completely indecent expression.”
“W-Wait, Ryousuke?”
Wet school swimsuits… swim caps… bare napes… tousled, damp hair… the two of them embracing tightly. And those busts—
“An astounding bust-size disparity?”
Ryousuke answered honestly—without thinking.
He heard the sound of molars grinding together. Yes, it was coming from Lisara.
“Wait, wait, I didn’t mean anything bad by it! It just… slipped out, you know, just…”
Slowly, he pulled back his chair, bracing his legs.
“Just what, exactly?”
Lisara’s right arm, trembling with fury, reached out toward Ryousuke’s chest.
Seeing that, Ryousuke gently lifted his hips off the seat.
“I forgot to lie!!”
“Ryo-sukeeeeee!!”
With a spring, Ryousuke jumped to his feet just as Lisara’s arm lunged toward his chest.
In the nick of time, he ducked under her arm and bolted.
“Get back here and let me drain that perverted energy of yours!”
“No way in hell! You just drained it yesterday—shouldn’t that have been enough?!”
Still running, Ryousuke grabbed his bag and made a dash for the front door. Naturally, Lisara was chasing right behind him.
“That perverted energy of yours would be better off dried up—for the sake of all the girls in the world!”
“What about my youth, huh?!”
He threw on his shoes and burst out the door.
“Like it’s worth much anyway!”
“That’s cold, damn it!”
Screaming at each other, Ryousuke—and Lisara, of course—ran out of the house.
Kyuru shrugged her shoulders, then sat back down at the dining table now that the two were gone. She took a sip of tea that had already gone lukewarm.
“Haaah, delicious. Japanese tea really is nice sometimes.”
Nearby, Caesar let out a huge yawn.
“Honestly, your master and Lisara-onee-sama are just… loud, or restless, or… sigh, there’s still time before school starts, you know?”
“Waan!”
Caesar barked, as if to say, 『Exactly』.
“Well, I suppose they’re enjoying themselves in their own way. Really, I can’t be bothered to keep up with all that.”
Sluuurp—Kyuru sipped her tea and turned on the TV, starting to watch the morning news.
A calm, peaceful morning—Kyuru’s morning—was finally about to begin.
※ ※ ※
“Ryousuke-kun, so you really were already at school.”
Mina, who entered the classroom—which still had very few students—looked slightly surprised.
“A lot happened”
Ryousuke replied by fanning his chest with his unbuttoned uniform. Lisara had been chasing him nonstop from home to school and the heat was unbearable.
“I was waiting at our usual corner, but you never showed up, so I started wondering what was going on. Then Kyuru-chan showed up in a middle school uniform and said you and Lisara had gone on ahead.”
“Sorry about that. I made you wait in this heat.”
“No, I’m okay with that… but… am I, maybe… being a bother?”
“Hey now, no way.”
“Of course not! Absolutely not!”
A deep, emphatic voice rang out from Lisara.
“L-Lisara?”
“This idiot—this idiot…”
She bowed her head, her clenched fists trembling atop the desk.
“Lisara, are you okay?”
“Mina!”
At Mina’s concerned voice, Lisara suddenly snapped her head up—
“…No, it’s nothing.”
After a brief pause, her eyes drifted to Mina—or rather, to Mina’s bust—and she muttered weakly.
Estimated to be an F-cup, Mina’s bust was among the top three in the entire school.
For Lisara, who was thought to be an A-cup and had already suffered crushing defeat to the little-sister-like Kyuru, Mina must have felt like an impossibly blessed creature.
Wanting to cheer her up, Ryousuke turned around to face her.
“Listen, Lisara. You’re overthinking it. Sure, boobs are full of dreams and hope. They’re a man’s romance. But you know, small boobs have their own deep charm too. Like, when a girl lies down and there’s just a gentle curve—”
Ryousuke swallowed his words.
Lisara’s face was hidden beneath her red bangs as she bowed her head. But beneath those strands of hair, glowing with killing intent, her crimson eyes shimmered with the hue of blood—more intense than a red lantern.
“Ahem. I’m sorry.”
He apologized immediately.
“Lisara is beautiful. Gorgeous. One of the most beautiful girls in school.”
He praised her. Flattered her. But even as he spoke, Ryousuke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation. Why did Lisara get so hung up about her bust? There was no need for that.
Because—
“No, really. I’m not lying, it’s the truth. You know, your personality—well, it’s got its quirks—but you’re definitely beautiful. I mean, I’ve seen every kind of gravure and DVD out there, and when I first met you, I genuinely thought you were beautiful. So hold your head high.”
He spoke directly to Lisara, who still had her head down.
“Come on now, seriously—”
He leaned down to look into her face.
“—!”
He gasped. Lisara’s face was beet red. Seeing her like that made Ryousuke embarrassed, too. Just as he was thinking that—
He suddenly realized.
There were eyes on him. Multiple sets of them. Watching.
“What the…?”
Wondering what was going on, Ryousuke raised his head and looked around—only to find that the classroom had filled up with students at some point. And they were all staring directly at him.
When he listened closely, he could hear the surrounding whispers with perfect clarity.
“As expected, those two really are…”
“Flirting in public like this—classic Ero-suke.”
“Rather than passionate, that was just an embarrassing confession.”
“I mean, he’s definitely going to get rejected though.”
“Ehh, you never know?”
“I’m jealous.”
“I wanna kill him.”
“I envy him.”
“Not fair.”
“Murder.”
Before he knew it, the idle gossip had gradually transformed into venomous muttering filled with hate.
“Wait a sec, Oohira! That whole stretch from『I’m jealous』to『Murder』—that was all you, wasn’t it?!”
But in the back of the classroom, Oohira just grinned and swept his gaze from right to left.
…All the guys were now looking at Ryousuke with eyes full of blazing hatred.
“Don’t think you’re the only one we’re jealous of, you damn ladies’ man.”
Oohira muttered, then chuckled. That laugh spread quickly—soon all the other boys were laughing along with him.
“Help me…”
“……Ryousuke.”
Lisara whispered softly.
“Huh?”
“I’ll save you.”
“Save me—?”
Before he could even ask for clarification, Lisara stood up.
“Everyone, I’m sorry for causing a misunderstanding. But please, think about this rationally. Even if someone were to make a life-or-death love confession to me, would it really succeed?”
At her words, the classroom instantly fell silent—and then everyone nodded in unison.
“HEY!”
Ryousuke tried to protest, but no one stopped nodding.
“I mean, yeah, makes sense. It is Ero-suke.”
“True, I couldn’t do it either.”
“Given how he usually acts…”
“Pitiful man.”
“Serves him right.”
“But still gonna kill him.”
That last one was Oohira again.
“Seriously?!”
“Breathing the same air as Lisara-san… bathing in the same tub… damn it alllll!”
He slammed his desk in frustration. Yeah, Ryousuke decided to just ignore that.
“So, Lisara. That’s your way of saving me?”
“Of course.”
Lisara replied smoothly, sitting back down without a trace of shame.
“Demon… devil…”
“Oh my, thanks. But it’s fine, right? You’re only interested in breasts, aren’t you?”
“You’re definitely still holding a grudge… ugh…”
“So, Mina. That thing I asked you for last night—is it ready?”
Ignoring Ryousuke, who was slumped over his desk, Lisara turned to speak with Mina.
“I pulled their names and class numbers from the attendance roster.”
On the notepad Mina took out were clearly written the names of three of Momozono Academy’s most infamous eccentrics.
“Third-years from Class C, D, and F, huh. Nicely spread out.”
“I think the teachers did that on purpose.”
“Though considering that, your homeroom teacher is that Ranbashi-chan, right? And she’s one of the Eight Weirdos herself, isn’t she?”
“Class changes happen in third year, so I doubt they could’ve known about Ryousuke-kun’s true nature right after enrollment.”
“I see. Well, if they had known what he’s really like, I’m sure any teacher would’ve hated getting stuck with him.”
Having been insulted left and right while lying face-down, Ryousuke glared at Lisara.
“Hey, Lisara. Who do you think’s been helping you all this time, thanks to that 『true nature』 of mine?”
“Yes, I’m grateful. But…”
As Ryousuke lifted his face with a look of proud benevolence, Lisara also leaned in, closing the distance until their noses nearly touched. He instinctively held his breath.
“And just who do you think it is… that keeps restoring that『true nature』?”
“Eh?!”
Mina, who knew the context, gasped out loud before hurriedly covering her mouth. Then she whispered softly:
“Um… restore… as in, Ryousuke-kun’s life energy is, um… y-you know, his erotic urges, right? So… um, if she’s restoring that, isn’t that… not good? W-We’re still in high school!”
“Mina, you’ve got it all wrong.”
Lisara’s voice was laced with exasperation, like she was begging Mina to stop.
“Eh?”
“Who in their right mind would willingly satisfy this pervert’s instincts? Sure, he did try to crawl into the bath with me last night…”
The moment she said that, Mina slammed her hands on the desk and leaned forward.
“Ryousuke-kun! Lewd crimes are not okay!”
“N-No! It’s a misunderstanding! That was an accident! Also, Lisara, quit spreading lies!”
“Oh? But the fact that my chastity was in danger is true.”
She said it with a completely straight face.
“Is that true…?”
Mina gave him a look of deep suspicion.
“Look into these pure, innocent eyes of mine. Can you honestly see even a hint of a lie?!”
“U-Uuu…”
Staring into his eyes, Mina’s gaze started to waver.
“And besides, if I were gonna sneak a peek at a naked girl in the bath, I’d go for the changing room and catch the part where she’s taking off her stockings. You know, where she slowly stretches her legs and slides them off with a tsu-tsuuu~ motion… wait, huh?”
Without noticing, both Lisara and Mina had taken a full meter’s distance from Ryousuke. And then, as if completely forgetting he existed, they resumed their conversation.
“But Lisara, there’s one problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
Ryousuke felt immensely lonely. With no other choice, he looked out the window at the summer sky.
“That cloud kinda looks like a naked lady…”
His eyes began to tear up slightly.
“Actually, Igarashi-senpai and Onizaki-senpai aren’t at school today.”
“They’re not? Are they out sick or something?”
“I messaged a friend last night, and apparently Igarashi-senpai from the tea ceremony club got into trouble helping a classmate who was being harassed by a thug and ended up sending the guy to the hospital. He’s suspended now.”
“………………”
“As for Onizaki-senpai… it seems he’s currently participating in a pro wrestling tournament in the Tohoku region…”
“Wait a second.”
Lisara pressed her fingers to her temple and let out a low groan.
“I’ve heard that Onizaki-senpai is the president of the Girls’ Pro-Wrestling Club. But that’s just a high school club, right?”
“Yes, that’s true, but… apparently she’s pretty popular. Local wrestling organizations frequently invite her. I mean, she looks like a total bishoujo, but she goes around knocking out massive guys with her fists.”
“U-Uwaa… she’s strong?”
“Yes. There are even rumors she got scouted by a mixed martial arts league.”
“I’m surprised the school allows it.”
“Well, um… there are rumors that she, uh,『persuaded』the principal… in various ways.”
“As expected from the school that Ryousuke goes to. What a ridiculously sloppy place…”
Haaah, Lisara sighed and looked back at the memo paper to reconfirm the names.
“So that means only this Sugiura-senpai from Class F is actually here?”
“Right. Unless he came down with a cold, he should be at school today.”
“Jeez, we’re starting with the least promising one, huh. He’s the guy who always scores exactly 69 points on tests, right? No matter how you look at it, he doesn’t seem like a Singular One. I mean, sure, he’s smart…”
“So, what should we do? Want to go see him during the next break?”
“Yeah. Morning homeroom’s about to start anyway—”
Before Lisara could finish, an out-of-place, silly pan-pon-piro-porooon sound echoed across the classroom.
『Ahem, testing, testing—kohon, test-test~ This is Paoi Malbec, temporary instructor on Shinigami Contracts. I’d like your cooperation with a special survey related to contract compatibility. I’ll now be calling on a few students, so if your name is read, please come to the Student Guidance Room.』
Malbec’s voice rang out clearly from the speaker system.
『From 3rd year, Class A—Tamano-san. Class C—Igarashi-san. Class D—Onizaki-san… ah, looks like those two aren’t here. Ahem. Class A—Tamano-san. Class F—Sugira-san. 2nd year, Class A—Hirose-kun. Also, Class B—Ookura-san and Kaga… Ryousuke-kun. Finally, Class D—Yoshida-kun. That makes six students. After being called, please proceed to the Student Guidance Room. First up, Hirose-kun, please come.』
As expected, Malbec ended the announcement unilaterally after saying only what he wanted. Ryousuke was left wondering why he had been called, and how this even lined up with class time.
“Ryousuke-kun, did you do something?”
Mina looked at him with concern.
“Why is it just me? You were called too, Mina”
“Tch… I haven’t caused any trouble lately, especially with how much Lisara’s been dragging me around… Lisara?”
Lisara had her hand on her chin, her expression serious.
“Hey, Ryousuke. What did you think about that list just now?”
“Are those the ones who were called?”
“Yes. Don’t you think it’s a little too coincidental that they’re the same group we’re targeting?”
“By target, you mean candidates for the Singular One?”
Now that she mentioned it, it was exactly that. Yoshida, the ace of the baseball club, and Hirose, the top student in their grade, were both students Lisara had investigated before Tamano as potential candidates for the Singular One.
Then there were Gojou, Onizaki, and Sugira. These three had just last night been newly marked as candidates by the Eight Weirdoes for further investigation.
Although Mina wasn’t on the list of eccentrics, she was ranked in the top three for biggest busts in the school, had excellent grades, a timid personality, a cute face, and was quite popular. She was definitely well-known.
Lastly, Tamano had been investigated as the most promising candidate for the Singular One, but turned out to be a dud, and ended up being pitifully manipulated by Kyuru like a sad little clown.
“You’re right, it doesn’t really seem like a coincidence. Could it be that Malbec-sensei is also searching for the Singular One?”
At Mina’s comment, Lisara nodded firmly.
“Since the info on the Singular One originally came from Melro and was intercepted by Kyuru, it wouldn’t be strange if Malbec-sensei, who belongs to Melro, is also on the move. Come to think of it, having a Shinigami dispatched as a teacher was already pretty strange in the first place. We’re going to need to be a bit more cautious now…”
At that moment, the chime echoed through the classroom. It was time for morning homeroom.
“Okay~ everyone, please take your seats~”
The homeroom teacher, Ranbashi, entered the classroom. She walked with tiny steps up to the podium, placed the attendance sheet on the desk, and looked around at the students. Some were still chatting, but when she flashed a confident smirk, she finally opened her mouth.
“Alright everyone, this Saturday is finally the pool opening~!”
The classroom chatter halted instantly, and after a beat, erupted into cheers. The boys imagined the girls in swimsuits, and the girls simply looked forward to the cool water—though their thoughts differed, they all shared the same explosive excitement.
“This year too, the student council has put together a pool opening event with lots of fun gimmicks, so everyone, please get your swimsuits ready while looking forward to it with excitement~”
“I have a question, Ranbashi-chan!”
Oohira shot his hand up energetically.
“Yes~?”
“Are you aiming to appeal to the niche crowd again this year with a floral print kiddie one-piece swimsuit?”
“No, I’m not! This year I’ve prepared a proper swimsuit!”
Without missing a beat, Ranbashi slammed both hands on the desk.
Up until last year, Ranbashi had worn a straw hat, a floral one-piece, and a floaty around her waist—a full-on elementary schooler look. She herself had seemed blissfully unaware and always smiled brightly.
But then, a newly appointed teacher had mistaken her for a real elementary schooler and kicked her out, which finally made her realize just how off she was.
“This year, I’ve bought a properly age-appropriate, sexy and dangerous swimsuit~. Nfu, fufufu, it might be a liiittle too stimulating for you young boys~”
She grinned smugly, striking a pose—or so she thought. Placing her right hand on the back of her head, her left hand on her waist, and wiggling her body back and forth, she looked… nothing but comical.
“Ranbashi-chan really is… an eccentric, huh.”
Seated next to her, Lisara let out an exasperated sigh.
“Rather than eccentric, maybe… kind of pitiful”
Mina sighed from the front seat.
“Pitiful? More like disappointing? A disappointing woman—a『zanjo』, maybe?” zanjo1
“Don’t go making up words..”
“Actually, Lisara, when you look at that in kanji, it seems more like a『leftover woman』than just 『disappointing』…”
“Hmm, well, pretty much the same either way?”
“You keep saying stuff like that and you’re gonna end up being the leftover.”
“Oh please, with my good family background, good personality, and pure, delicate charm, there’s no way I’ll be left behind.”
With a light flick of her hair, Lisara smiled faintly.
She really was beautiful. Even in the humid, sticky air of summer, only Lisara remained untouched by the moisture, shining gracefully like an angel’s wings.
To be honest, someone like me, Ryousuke, isn’t even at the level where I should be allowed to talk to her.
There’s a difference in level so great that, under normal circumstances, I shouldn’t even be able to get close.
‘Should I consider myself lucky…?’
No doubt, I am lucky. If only she didn’t mercilessly suck away all my lecherous thoughts…
Panponpiroporon♪
That silly chime rang out again.
『Second-year Class B, Ookura Mina-san, please come to the student guidance office.』
“Ah, y-yes!”
Mina jumped up in a fluster at the announcement, which prompted laughter from the surrounding students. Her face turned bright red.
“Ookura-san, no need to hold back, please go right ahead~”
From Ranbashi’s words, it was clear that this『mental evaluation』had received official permission from the school.
“Yes! Right away!”
Mina rushed out of the classroom, occasionally catching her foot on the desks as she went.
“But homeroom just ended, and it’s already class time. They’re seriously calling students out during lessons too?”
“That’s right~”
Before Ryousuke could finish wondering aloud, Ranbashi’s sharp ears picked up on it and she cut in.
“The principal got all gooey for Maru-san, so if you get called, you have to go no matter what—even during class~”
“That principal… Is he really that weak to seduction?”
At Lisara’s exasperated question, Ryousuke shook his head with a tired sigh.
“What?”
“There are times when a guy knows he shouldn’t give in, but just can’t resist. When a girl’s in trouble, when you’re invited to barbecue, when a skirt flutters up, and when a girl tries to seduce you. In those moments, you just quietly open the lid of your heart and follow your instincts.”
“Ryousuke.”
Goton—Lisara dropped her head onto the desk.
“You can think those things, but only say up to the second one aloud. Any more than that, and even I start feeling embarrassed…”
Still pressing her face against the desk, Lisara muttered.
“U~n, but even I might not be able to resist if I get invited for yakiniku and drinks.”
“Sensei, please do your job properly as a teacher.”
For some reason, Lisara’s voice sounded just a little tearful.
***
“U~n, there really wasn’t anything in particular.”
Mina answered Lisara’s question while sitting in her chair. After morning homeroom ended, during the short break before Math II, Mina had returned from the student guidance office.
“Malbec-san just asked me a few questions, like whether I wanted to sign a Shinigami contract already, or which Shinigami organization I was considering.”
“There wasn’t any movement to measure your spiritual energy? Like holding your hand strangely or being made to use some kind of tool?”
“Nothing like that. He really just asked normal questions.”
Lisara groaned at Mina’s response.
“That’s strange. There’s no way it was just that…”
“Maybe we’re just overthinking it?”
“You think it’s a coincidence that the people he called in are the exact same ones I’ve been investigating? You’re saying that overlap was just by chance?”
Lisara didn’t even try to hide her displeasure.
“Well, even if you say that…”
As Ryousuke scratched his head—
Panponpiroporon♪
『Second-year Class B, Kaga Ryousuke-kun, please come to the student guidance office.』
“My turn, huh.”
Just as Ryousuke stood up, Lisara grabbed the hem of his shirt.
“Ryousuke, I’m coming with you.”
“Wait, what about class?”
“Unlike you, I’m keeping up just fine with the lessons. Skipping one won’t be a problem.”
Lisara stood up and began walking ahead.
“You only just transferred to this school and you’re already that confident?”
“My score on the last quiz was 85 points. Yours?”
“Ugh… thirty-five points…”
“So, anything to say?”
“No, nothing at all.”
Nodding weakly, Ryousuke walked alongside Lisara toward the student guidance office.
The office was tucked away in a corner on the first floor of the school building, a bit removed from where students and teachers usually were.
“It’s pretty isolated.”
Lisara looked at the door to the student guidance office with interest.
“Well, people usually get called here for things like breaking school rules or being warned about their grades. It’s not exactly a happy place, so I guess the teachers were considerate enough to keep it away from the regular classrooms.”
“I see.”
She nodded lightly and reached for the door.
“Hey, at least let me be the one to open it. I’m the one being called, after all.”
“That’s true.”
“But still, is it okay to bring someone who wasn’t called?”
“I’ll just say I’m interested in a Shinigami contract. No problem.”
She said it so casually.
“You sure talk big for a Shinigami.”
“Malbec-sensei hasn’t figured it out. No problem at all.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
Resigned, Ryousuke opened the door to the student guidance office.
“Second-year B, Kaga Ryousuke, reporting i──”
He was so shocked he lost his voice. His mouth opened and closed several times like a fish before any sound finally came out. And when it did, it was an enormous shout.
“II—Iiiiiii—Iria-chan!?”
“What the heck is going── Wait, Iria!?”
Lisara peeked her face out from beside Ryousuke and also let out a scream.
For some reason, she was there—in the student guidance office. Iria, who had appeared in the Melro Life Insurance commercial and had now become a nationwide gravure idol, was seated in the chair like she was the one in charge, with Malbec standing next to her like some side accessory.
She was wearing the same black leather bikini from the commercial, and the black contrasted beautifully with her sun-like golden hair. Ryousuke felt as if the Iria from the commercial had jumped straight out of the screen.
“No way… Why… Is this some kind of commercial tie-in?”
And then, Iria smiled.
“Lisara-san wasn’t called, but it’s been so long since we’ve met, Iria is super moved~♡”
Her voice was sweet and cute.
“Oh really. I feel absolutely awful.”
In contrast, Lisara’s voice was laced with venom.
“Ehh~, Iria feels so sad hearing you say that~”
“Shut up, you traitor!”
“How cold~. Even though we studied together~”
Despite her words, Iria continued smiling.
“Um, you two… know each other?”
Malbec, unable to grasp the situation, glanced nervously back and forth between their faces.
“Know each other? Aha, Lisara-chan is a friend from when Iria was studying at the Restall family’s Shinigami Training School~”
“Shinigami!?”
Ryousuke instinctively pointed at Iria and shouted. Lisara shot him a glare.
“Geez, you’ve been loud this whole time!”
“But, Iria-chan… a Shinigami? Wait, seriously? For real?”
Just seeing Iria here was already shocking enough—hearing she was a Shinigami completely broke Ryousuke’s brain.
“She’s a Shinigami. And not just that—she’s a Shinigami under Melro Life Insurance!”
Lisara spat the words with obvious disgust.
“Aww, don’t say it like that~ You’ll bring shame to the Restall family name~”
“Restallllll!?”
This time, it was Malbec who shouted.
“Kaga Lisara-san is that Lisara Restall!? Wait, then that means she’s also a Shinigami!?”
She helplessly glanced between Lisara and Iria, clearly flustered.
“I think you’re an idiot for not realizing it.”
Iria said something awful with a gentle smile.
“Uugh… I deeply apologize.”
“Malbec-san, Kaga Ryousuke-kun is living with Lisara-san, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Uh, I believe they’re… relatives or something…”
“Oh Malbec-san, you really are a dummy. You’re already useless and if your brain doesn’t work either, I might have to fire you, you know? There’s no such thing as Shinigami being related to humans. Ahh~ having such a worthless subordinate is so exhausting~”
Her voice was cute, but her gaze was ice cold—and her words were sharp.
‘C-Could it be… Iria-chan has a terrible personality!?’
A clean crack ran right through the image in Ryousuke’s mind of the always-smiling, kind Iria…
“Well, who cares about some incompetent subordinate.”
Iria stood up, her chest bouncing.
“You know, I just find it so odd. Lisara-san isn’t using any of Restall’s branch facilities, so why would she be living in a normal human’s house, hmm~?”
Still smiling, Iria drew closer.
“There are a lot of reasons. None of which are your concern, Iria.”
Lisara stepped forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Ryousuke.
“So sad~. We shared the top two spots on our graduation exams, you know. Fufu, Iria was first and Lisara-san was second—just so you know♡”
“Shut up! Our scores on both the written and practical were exactly the same!”
Falling for the provocation, Lisara closed the distance between them.
“Yeah, that’s true~ But Lisara-san lost because of her tinyyy boobies. Aha~ Iria’s so glad she had big ones♡”
“I-Iriaaaaaaa!”
“Aha, just joking~! Getting so mad’ll ruin your pretty face. And if even your face becomes scary, then flat-chested Lisara-san won’t be able to land any contracts~”
Pachin—something clearly snapped.
“Ryousuke!”
“Y-Yes!?”
Drawn by her voice, Ryousuke stepped just behind Lisara. Her hand reached toward his chest.
“W-Wait a sec—!”
“Fufu, fufufufu, Iria… I’ll settle this once and for all, right here and now. Just like you wanted!”
She wasn’t listening to Ryousuke’s protest at all. With eyes that seemed to stab Iria, Lisara began draining life force from Ryousuke through the 《Broken Sword Gram》 pierced into his soul.
“…Hmm, so that’s how it is. Now Iria gets it. Ryousuke-kun is your spiritual energy supply source, huh~”
Iria grinned smugly.
“Eh… A-Ahh! Crap! She found out!”
Lisara shouted reflexively.
“You showed her right in front of her eyes—of course she’d figure it out!”
“I couldn’t help it! It’s all Iria’s fault anyway! It’s fine—I’ll just knock her out and wipe her memory!”
Spitting words that sounded like pure desperation, Lisara sucked out more spiritual energy.
“Ugh… Damn, she drained me last night and now again today…”
“There’s no choice. It’s Iria we’re up against.”
Lisara pulled her hand away from Ryousuke and slammed a fist into her own palm.
“Prepare yourself, Iria!”
“Aha, I think that was supposed to be my line~ I even waited for you to get ready, Lisara-san. Kukuku… at least entertain me a little♡”
Iria grasped the necklace on her chest bearing the emblem of Melro Life Insurance—a Moo-Moo Rabbit decorated with cows, rabbits, and milk bottles—with her left hand.
“《Binding Attire Disurard》”
They spoke in unison. Lisara and Iria both chanted the incantation to don their Shinigami battle gear. Dust and debris began swirling around them. In seconds, the debris morphed into fragments that resembled sleek, black leather, wrapping tightly around their bodies.
Both of them wore outfits completely different from what a human would typically imagine a Shinigami to wear.
No cloaks—just black, glossy fabric that clung tightly to their bodies, emphasizing every curve. No skull decorations—only horns. Lisara’s horns sprouted from both sides of her head, while Iria’s horn protruded singularly from her forehead.
“《Carnun Pladur》, awaken.”
Flames writhed like serpents atop Lisara’s right hand, forming into a scythe. At the same time, Iria also extended her hand and shouted:
“Come out, Flotti-chan!”
Golden light gathered. As if piercing through space itself, a radiant golden sword appeared.
“Fufu, I bet this brings back memories, Lisara-san. It’s the treasure I received as a special reward when I graduated top of our class from the Restall Shinigami Academy. But but—why won’t you bring out your 《Broken Sword Gram》?”
Stroking her blade lovingly, Iria looked at Lisara.
“Does it matter? That’s my business.”
“Aha, I’m just kidding~ It’s stuck in Ryousuke-kun’s soul, right? 《Gram》, I mean.”
“Kh…”
“You used a pretty unusual ritual. Fufu, must’ve been real desperate.”
“It’s none of your business!”
Lisara raised 《Carnun Pladur》 and kicked off the floor. Iria stepped in, as if to expose herself to the swinging blade. For a split second, doubt flickered across Lisara’s face—but she brought the weapon down regardless.
“Geez, Lisara-san, you always leave yourself wide open.”
At that moment, 《Flotti》 clashed with the shaft of 《Carnun Pladur》. Iria ducked and moved with fluid grace, slamming her right elbow into Lisara’s stomach.
“Gah!”
Lisara doubled over, coughing out her breath, but somehow managed to leap backward and put distance between them.
“Haa… haa…”
Her breathing was ragged. But to Ryousuke’s eyes, Lisara didn’t look like she had any advantage. In fact, she looked completely overwhelmed by Iria.
“Well then, should we settle this now~?”
Iria licked her lips with a perori.
“N-Not yet!”
Staggering to her feet, Lisara once again raised 《Carnun Pladur》.
A sharp, electric tension filled the air between the two. And in the middle of that suffocating seriousness, Ryousuke reached out and gripped Lisara’s shoulder—completely ignoring the mood.
“Just stop already. A fight between girls shouldn’t look like this.”
Ryousuke said plainly. He was worried about Lisara. At the same time, all he felt watching this battle… was emptiness. No matter how tightly Iria’s bust bounced in that tight Shinigami outfit, no matter how cutely Lisara’s butt wiggled in front of him—it only felt hollow.
“It’s empty, isn’t it?”
“Ryousuke?”
Lisara, startled, reflexively turned around. That moment was more than enough for Iria to charge forward.
But—
“Exactly. Just as Ero-suke said—watching girls fight like this, I just can’t bear it. It’s truly meaningless. A waste of beauty!”
With those words, a boy entered the student guidance office, and Iria instinctively leapt back.
“Who are you~?”
“Me? The number one most huggable guy at Momozono Academy. Top ranker in money, looks and skill—the unrivaled Ikemen Guy, Tamano Hikaru. Iria-kun, you’ll be falling for me in no time.”
“…Malbec-san, is this the Pink Boxer of the Eight Weirdoes?”
Iria lowered her 《Flotti》.
“Yes, that’s correct. Supposedly, he’s the right-wing ace among the Singular One candidates…”
Malbec’s expression didn’t look confident at all.
“This is?”
“Fufu, that’s right—me.”
Tamano raised a hand to his mouth and gave a sparkly smile.
“The summons was taking way too long, so I came to check things out… and what’s this? A fight over the Singular One, huh? That’s what it looks like—Lisara-kun, Iria-kun.”
The moment he said that, Iria turned her 《Flotti》 toward Tamano. His face instantly went pale with frightening speed.
“…P-Please, stop joking like that…”
Even his voice was shaking.
“How do you know about that, Tamano-san?”
“Ah, well, I-I got dragged into all of Lisara-kun’s ruckus over there…i-it just sort of happened naturally…”
“Hm, I see~ So since you haven’t made a contract, that means you’re not one either. Well, just looking at you kinda makes that obvious.”
Iria smiled wryly as she lowered 《Flotti》 again.
“So, Tamano-kun… why did you get in the way of Iria and Lisara-san’s showdown?”
“Phew… Isn’t it obvious?”
With a sigh of relief, Tamano once again flashed a smug and composed expression.
“Girls should be competing over beauty. Yes, in the blazing summer sunlight, they should be battling it out for radiance!”
Tamano spread his arms wide.
“…Iria has no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Hahaha! You see, there’s going to be a swimsuit contest at the upcoming pool opening event. So how about this—you two settle it there, by competing in beauty!”
Clutching his chest with both arms, Tamano looked utterly enraptured.
“Ahh, maidens wearing swimsuits for the first time this summer. The radiant sunshine, the sparkling water surface, the giggles and flirty laughter of enchanting girls. And the Venus-like bodies of teens on the verge of maturity…Don’t you think that battlefield—a once-in-a-summer stage—is the perfect place for fruity and sweet girls like you two to fight it out?”
Pachin—Tamano winked.
The temperature in the student guidance office dropped—icy cold. Iria, Lisara and even Malbec threw frozen stares in Tamano’s direction.
Only Tamano himself was on fire.
As for Ryousuke, feeling like his role had ended, he just sighed and began silently drawing spirals on the floor with his finger.
“Listen up. Let me declare this now. This year’s pool event will be the most exciting one yet. Yes—Momozono Academy will become a garden of pathos! Beautiful flowers become even more beautiful when admired. It is my duty to bring their beauty to completion! Ahh, long live youth!”
With that passionate cry, Tamano shed hot tears.
“Hm, that actually sounds kinda fun.”
Iria grinned, her lips twisting as she glanced at Lisara.
“Fun or not, you’re not even a student here.”
“Aha~ Did you chicken out『cause you have no boobs~』?”
“W-Who did!?”
“But just competing over who wins the contest isn’t fun enough. Hey, Lisara-san, how about we place a little bet?”
“A bet?”
Lisara blinked in confusion. To that, Iria responded with a beaming smile.
“If Lisara wins against Iria, I’ll give you intel on the Singular One from Melro.”
“Wha… Then, if you win?”
Swallowing her surprise, Lisara narrowed her eyes in caution.
“Ufufu♡”
Iria giggled happily.
“I’ll be taking that《Broken Sword Gram》. How about I form a contract with that sword instead?”
“W-What are you saying!? There’s no way I could agree to such a condition!”
“Ara~ Lisara-san, are you saying you’re planning to lose before the fight even starts?”
“T-That’s not what I meant… but still…”
“Right~? You’ve been losing to Iria this whole time, after all~ Maybe that was a bit harsh of me to say, hmm?”
“Who’s been losing!? Who!?”
“Ahaa, then it’s fine, right? Who knows~ maybe you’ll win by a fluke?”
“Kh… Fine. Fiiine! I accept. I just need to beat you this time, right?”
“Aha~ ahahaha~ Even if you regret it later, Iria won’t~ be~ responsible~”
Already, Iria was laughing in triumph, overflowing with confidence.
※ ※ ※
“But now that I think about it, Mina didn’t say anything about Iria-cha… I mean, Iria.”
On the way back to the classroom from the student guidance office, Ryousuke voiced his doubt. For the record, he nearly said『Iria-chan』but got glared at by Lisara, so he quickly corrected himself to just『Iria』.
“Since it’s a top-secret investigation, they probably tampered with her memory.”
“Ah, that makes sense. No wonder no one’s making a fuss about it.”
Satisfied with that explanation, Ryousuke lowered his voice.
“But hey, Lisara… are you seriously going through with that bet?”
“Yes, I am.”
“But if the ownership of 《Gram》 changes… what happens to me?”
“Ah.”
A small mutter.
“『Ah』? What do you mean, 『Ah』…?”
“I, um… let the heat of the moment get to me, and… sorry, I didn’t think that far ahead. If Iria wants to make use of your current state, she could just keep it lodged there and start draining you herself. But… there’s a chance she might agree to cancel it too…”
Lisara trailed off, then looked Ryousuke directly in the eye.
“I’m sorry.”
She gave a polite bow.
And just like that, Ryousuke found himself unable to stay mad.
“Haaa… Is Iria really that special to you?”
“…Yeah… I guess so.”
Lisara sighed and lowered her shoulders.
“Iria and I studied together at the Restall Shinigami Training Academy. We were always fighting for the top spot.”
“You were second, and Iria was first, right?”
“Exactly. I lost. Even though I was supposed to be the heir to the Restall family. And I didn’t just lose in grades… but in bust size too. Ugh, my relatives ripped me apart for that. My grandfather even went out of his way to prepare 《Flotti》 as a reward, expecting me to become top graduate.”
“So that sword was supposed to go to you?”
“That’s right. But she snatched it away like it was nothing. And to make things worse, she defected to Melro afterward—so it’s not even considered a Restall item anymore. It’s beyond humiliating.”
As she spoke, Lisara’s rage seemed to bubble up, and she clenched her fists tightly.
“She defected… wait, so after graduating from the Restall academy, you’re supposed to become a Shinigami for Restall?”
“Yes. And Iria even got a scholarship to study there. It’s nothing short of betrayal. Not only that, but the top graduate defected. It was a total disgrace for Restall.”
“D-Damn…”
“There was a storm of criticism. I guess you could say I was traumatized. I shut myself in for a while. Maybe he was worried about me or maybe he just didn’t want the family to fall into chaos but my grandfather gave me one of the Restall family’s most treasured heirloom.”
She poked Ryousuke’s chest with her finger.
“The 《Broken Sword Gram》 that’s pierced into your soul. That calmed down the public criticism for a while, but the whispers and gossip never really stopped. And now, more than ever, there are efforts to remove me as heir.”
“I see… and that’s why you’re sneaking around on your own looking for the Singular One.”
“Exactly. All of this… it’s all Iria’s fault. Do you have any idea how many times she’s made me swallow my pride!?”
Lisara stomped hard on the floor, her anger exploding.
“But just you watch! Sure, I might be a little behind in bust size—”
“A little?”
“A little! Got a problem with that!?”
“N-Nope! S-Sorry!”
“Anyway! I may be a little behind in bust size, but in the human world, bust size doesn’t matter, right? That means I can win! I will win! There’s no way my beautiful face is losing to whatever that thing on Iria’s face is supposed to be!”
Clenching both fists tightly, Lisara let out a triumphant fufufufufu laugh.
‘It’s not like bust size doesn’t matter at all, though…’
Ryousuke thought to himself, consumed by unease…
A Certain Single Shinigami and Single Teacher’s Monologue – Part 2 ~ At the Izakaya “Gunsha Torimoichi” ~
“Kuuhhh, deep-fried shamo chicken really goes perfectly with beer!”
“Told you, Maru-san! The shamo dishes here are suuuper tasty and pair perfectly with alcohol~”
“As expected of Ran—you know your way around a good place.”
“Ehehe, leave it to me~ Okay then, cheers!”
“Cheers~! …Gulp gulp, glug glug, Phaaaah! Delicious! With this, all thoughts of those selfish bosses just fly right out of my head. Alcohol really is the best!”
“Bosses, huh? Gulp gulp Sounds just like an actual company~”
“Pretty much. Ever since our ties to the human world deepened, it’s been leaning more and more that way. Gulp… Phaah!”
“Um, so then, do you have, like, section chiefs or something too?”
“We dooo~ Gulp gulp… PUAHHHHHHH! Though it’s a bit different—more like… Gulp kind of like a military structure, if you want to compare it to the human world?”
“Ughhh, military, huh… Gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp… Phaaa~”
“Exactly, absolute obedience to orders from above. Absolute! Gulp Even if they’re younger than you, or total sadists, or the orders are completely insane—you obey. Obey! Who the hell can keep up with that!? Dammit! Gulp gulp gulp gulp… BUHAAAAAAH!”
“W-Wow, you’re really knocking them back, Maru-san… Gulp Sounds like your boss is pretty awful, huh~?”
“The worst. Like, the worst of the worst. He was headhunted into the top division called the Executive Corps, but he’s violent, full of elitist pride, a total country bumpkin, treats people like garbage, obsessed with climbing the ranks… Haaah… If I don’t drink, I can’t function! Gulp gulp… Ugh—cough cough!”
“Maru-san, don’t rush or the sake’ll get angry with you~ Gulp gulp gulp… Haah, but that really does sound rough…”
“It’s more than rough. Outwardly I’m just a regular Shinigami, you know? I still have to meet my Melro Shinigami contract quotas, and on top of that, I do jobs for the Executive Corps directly—which barely pay extra—while being tossed around by that evil boss’s insane demands!”
“That really is tough… Phaaa!”
“Right!? They’re gonna hit me with another impossible task, just watch! Ugggh, of course it’s impossible! I’m gonna work myself to death—literally!”
“There there, calm down, calm down~”
“Uwaaaaah! With a job like this, how am I ever supposed to meet a guy!? Gulp gulp gulp… Phaaaaaah! I’ll end up living a life where I just attend friends’ weddings, seeing the venues but never using one myself! Me!! Damn it aaaaall! Oi, boss! Bring me some sake!”
“Ah, I’ll have some too, please~”
“Ran… don’t you dare betray me. Hic You’re not allowed to get ahead without me, okay?”
“Okay, okay, I got it~”
And so, in a quiet corner of the izakaya once again tonight, the lamenting feast of two single women with nowhere to go was being held…