Translator: Soafp “S-Stop it!!” “You can’t move your body, can you? I’m going to train you properly!” “No... Help me!” “Your childhood friend isn’t coming to save you. Kukuku!” That night, for some reason, I was reading a certain manga I had found online. It was just another two-page spread among the countless manga scattered across the internet—an erotic comic centered on hypnosis, and one that happened to suit my tastes quite well. As always, the protagonist was a disgusting, ugly guy. Why did protagonists in these kinds of works always end up like that? It was an eternal mystery. “Still, I really like this artist’s work. They draw incredibly well.” The doujin manga I was reading was hypnosis-themed, but the artist behind it had produced many other works as well, including pure romance stories. The artist had openly stated that they loved drawing scenes where girls fell deeper and deeper under hypnosis, which probably explained why such detailed works were being created. “And this person is a woman, right? That’s amazing.” There were quite a few people online—women included—who had tastes like this. The manga also had a distinctly female perspective, carefully explaining which kinds of stimulation made characters weak and how they reacted. That was one of the artist’s strengths. “Toki Konoe-san... Thank you for everything you’ve done so far, and...

Translator: Soafp Emu had been dragging a male student by the hand with a severe expression, so I became curious and followed them. At first, I wondered whether this was some kind of romantic situation—or perhaps one of those dramatic moments from youth. Apparently, it was nothing like that. “I’ve never seen Emu look like that before.” Even from a distance, it was obvious how stern her expression was. Since Emu was familiar with hypnosis-themed stories and other suggestive material, I briefly wondered whether the boy had somehow discovered one of her secrets. But that did not seem to be the case either. “Alright, I should be able to hear them from here.” Emu had taken the boy to a secluded place where they were unlikely to be seen. Since it was after school, teachers might occasionally pass through, but hardly anyone would be paying attention to the area. It seemed a little careless to me, but for the moment, I focused on listening. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re doing all this over something so stupid?” “Stupid!? This is your fault! You rejected my confession, then kept clinging to someone like him!” “Oh... I think I understand what started this conversation.” “Clinging to him? At least I enjoy being with Senpai. You have no right to complain about that when you’re only my classmate.”...

Translator: Soafp Several days had passed since I had dealt with the situation before my sister could become a victim. Summer vacation was almost upon us, and through my sister I had received a fair amount of information about Busujima. “Well, that figures.” His attempt to attack my sister was certainly a problem, but from society’s perspective, it was not the most serious issue. The truly serious issue was that he possessed photographs showing the naked bodies of underage girls. “That’s an ordinary crime.” “C**** P******** (CP).” It was a term most people only heard in the news during an otherwise ordinary life, but Busujima had violated that taboo completely. Naturally, he had been expelled and was now in police custody. Yet, predictably, he had no idea why he had gone to the police station so obediently. “I suspected he was that kind of person, but I never imagined he’d go that far... Wait! Does that mean you think I have a childlike body? Hey, Kai! I’m a proper adult woman, right?” I laughed at the fact that that was what upset her. But the moment she saw me snicker, my sister realized what I was thinking. She put me in a hold with enough force to make me wonder where someone so small had found that kind of strength. In the end,...

Translator: Soafp “So, who are they?” “...Ah.” Just as my shopping trip with my sister was coming to an end, I unexpectedly ran into the three girls. Mari and the others walked toward us awkwardly after making eye contact with me, but they only gave us polite smiles and said nothing. Saika, in particular, wore an almost expressionless face, which was a little frightening. I wondered why the three of them were there and decided to ask. “Um... what are you three doing here?” There was no point in standing around in silence. Mari answered first. “We were shopping together. Then we saw you with her...” So they hadn’t been following me. They had simply happened to notice us. They had met my sister before, but apparently had no memory of it—probably because of the hypnosis. “I see. Oh, and these three are—” I briefly explained the situation to my sister. Mari and Saika were my classmates, while Emu was my junior. My sister seemed surprised that I knew such beautiful girls, then laughed as though impressed. “Not bad, Kai.” “Who is she?” “Yeah. I’m curious.” Saika and Emu stepped forward and asked at the same time. There was no reason to keep it a secret, so I was about to introduce my sister. But before I could, she grabbed my arm. “So,...

Translator: Soafp To me—or rather, to anyone—family is probably the closest and most important presence in life. Of course, someone like Saika might come to believe that family is unnecessary after enduring violence and years of mistreatment. But for people living relatively ordinary lives, family should still be precious. “I was interested in her from the moment I saw her. Her childish appearance, so different from her age, was adorable. I wanted to be the one to corrupt that seemingly innocent body.” That was why I could not forgive the man standing before me—the man whose filthy thoughts were directed toward my own family, and especially toward my sister. After sensing something in the way he had been looking at her, I immediately used the hypnosis app. “Come with me. Onee-chan, wait here.” “Okay.” “I’ll wait.” I had my sister sit on a nearby chair, then led the man—whose name, apparently, was Busujima—to a secluded spot. I asked him simply what he thought about my sister. His answer was the same statement I had just heard. It made it painfully clear that he had been entertaining malicious thoughts about her. “...So people like this really do exist. I have no right to call anyone else a piece of trash, but you really are one.” I knew I was being hypocritical by saying that....

Translator: Soafp “The final summer vacation of high school... Man! Spending it buried in studying would be awful.” “Sure, but what choice do we have? Even if we get regular jobs, and especially if we want to attend a reasonably good university, studying is important.” Summer vacation would begin in just a few days. We would have roughly a month of free time, but for those of us graduating from high school this year, it could also be a difficult period in some ways. “Still, because it’s our final summer vacation as high-school students, we should study, but we should also have fun and make some memories.” I said that to Akira and Shougo, who were talking in front of me. Studying with the future in mind was important, but since this was our final year of high school, I wanted to enjoy it too. “...Yeah, I guess you’re right.” “If you’re not aiming for a famous university in a major city, you don’t have to study yourself to death. Studying moderately and playing moderately sounds good.” In the end, having fun was what made us happiest. I still had no clear vision of my future. My family had told me that they would support me whether I chose university or employment. I was grateful for the freedom they gave me. But my...

Translator: Soafp Emu Honma was an M. She understood that fact better than anyone, but it was something she intended to keep to herself. She had no desire to tell anyone else. “...Am I strange?” She had often asked her reflection that question. She did not know why she had developed this preference. Even so, the idea of being dominated by someone excited Emu more than anything. “Go out with me!” “No. Know your place.” Boys who confessed to her continued to appear one after another, unaware of her true nature. Each time, Emu rejected them with harsh words. A part of her had once possessed a destructive, hopeless fantasy: that one of them might become enraged and attack her because of those words. But by now, she knew that way of thinking had been wrong. “Emu! Let’s have lunch.” “Alright.” It was an ordinary lunch break. After finishing her meal with her close friends, Emu suddenly felt her head become hazy and stood up. At first, this strange sensation had confused her. But that was no longer the case. If she followed it, she would be able to meet her Master. “Hey, Emu. You’ve been going somewhere a lot lately. What are you doing?” “I have something to take care of. I’ll be back.” With that, Emu left the classroom. As she...

Translator: Soafp After school, my options were usually limited. I could hang out with my friends, wander around town alone, go home and relax, or spend time being affectionate with the girls I had hypnotized. Lately, I had been spending far more time with the girls than doing anything else. Today was no different. “...This is pretty nice.” “Is it?” “Ah, that tickles, Aika.” In front of me were two beautiful women, Sasaki and Someya, sitting close together and interacting affectionately. I hadn’t originally planned to meet them today. But Sasaki had contacted me and asked whether I wanted to have tea again. After talking at the café we had visited before, I hypnotized them and ended up going to Someya’s home with them. “A beautiful garden of yuri... Seeing beautiful girls being affectionate in real life really is something else.” Both Sasaki and Someya were deeply afraid of men. Their fear had been so prominent that I had forgotten something important: They were a couple who loved each other. I had asked them to show me how they spent time alone together, and now they were demonstrating it right in front of me. “W-Wait, are you really going that far?” “What are you talking about? This is nothing new.” Perhaps because I was watching, Someya seemed slightly embarrassed as she accepted Sasaki’s...

Translator: Soafp “...Damn. I avoided failing, but that was rough.” Akira was clutching his head in front of me. All our tests had been returned today, and the classroom was in complete chaos. Some students were celebrating because their hard work had paid off. Others had studied but received disappointing scores. And some were crying out because their grades were too low and they had been assigned remedial lessons. “What about you, Shougo?” “Hmph. A flawless performance.” “What...?” Shougo was the type who was relatively good at studying, so he looked completely at ease. I had him show me his results, and, as expected, his scores were high enough that failing was nowhere near his concerns. Akira glared at him resentfully, but apparently understood that he couldn’t compete with Shougo academically. He soon let out a sigh. “So? What about you, Mr. Confident?” “I’m glad you asked.” I hadn’t intended to look confident, but apparently that was how I seemed. I proudly held my test papers out in front of them. Shougo looked surprised, while Akira stared at me as though he couldn’t believe it. “Since when were you this good at studying?” “Did you forget? I studied with Mari and Saika.” The two of them suddenly realized something and glared at me. “You lucky bastard!” “Come on!” Akira shouted and slapped me...

Translator: Soafp “Thank you for what you did back then.” “Not at all... Um...” At a café, I sat across from Sasaki and Someya. I had assumed we would part ways immediately afterward, but Sasaki had seen that Someya still hadn’t let go of my hand and suggested that they thank me properly. “No, it’s fine. I’ll be going, then...” I had tried to escape, but in the end, I accepted their invitation. Since they had caught me, leaving halfway through might have made things awkward if we met again. Being approached by beautiful women like them was certainly pleasant, but if I knew I couldn’t pursue anything further, there was no real benefit for me. (They both have such huge chests...) That was all I could think about while drinking my tea. I had already seen both of them undressed, so I knew exactly what their figures were like. Even fully clothed, however, they were still incredibly striking. Sasaki was roughly comparable to Mari, while Someya seemed about the same size as Saika. “Honestly, we had wanted to thank you ever since that day. Fiana and I agreed that we would definitely thank you if we ever met you again.” “Really?” “Yeah. So... thank you.” “...You’re welcome.” Beautiful girls really did look wonderful when they smiled. I had just said I had...

Translator: Soafp “...Me, huh?” The words Emu had spoken continued echoing in my mind. I had encountered the hypnosis app by chance, and I hadn’t used its power because I wanted the girls to thank me. I’d said that countless times already. “...It’s a complicated feeling. Happy, but complicated.” At first, I thought it was enough to let my desires guide me. But now that I knew about the troubles and emotional wounds the girls had been carrying, I wanted to help them, at least a little. There were things I could never do ordinarily. But because I had this app, I could do something to help them. “Hey, partner. Why did you come to me?” I asked the mysterious app that sat boldly on my home screen. Naturally, it was only an app, so it did not answer. “Kai? Can I come in?” “Onee-chan? Sure.” My sister entered the room. She was still short, with a small figure that made it hard to believe she was a university student. But her delicate charm more than made up for that. “Here we go.” With a little hop, my sister jumped onto the bed. That naturally put her beside me, where I had been lying down. But since we were siblings, I didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous. (...I don’t feel any desire to...

Translator: Soafp The standardized tests had always been a nuisance to me. They were supposedly meant to assess our academic abilities during student life, but there probably weren’t many students who actually liked tests. I certainly didn’t. This time, however, was different. (I can see it... I can see the answers! Even I can see them!) That’s right—I could see the answers to the test questions. Not in the sense that I was cheating. I could simply solve the problems with ease. (This one uses the formula Mari taught me while I was admiring her... And this one uses the formula Saika taught me while I was admiring her...) You think that’s an impure way to remember things? Shut up, shut up! I hadn’t forgotten what they taught me. I was solving the problems while properly recalling what I had learned. It was just that remembering the lessons also brought back some rather pleasant memories. “Kukuku...” I avoided glancing around too much, since I didn’t want anyone to suspect me of cheating. Every now and then, I heard students groaning as they struggled with difficult problems. Most of the class seemed to be having a hard time with the test. “Kai-kun, touch me more.” “You’re not satisfied yet, are you?” I continued working steadily, but memories from my study sessions kept flooding back....

Translator: Soafp Somewhere in an apartment building, a woman opened her eyes with a scream. “...Hah... hah...” Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes and let out a groan, pressing a hand over her mouth. It looked as though she might vomit, but she somehow managed to hold it back. “Damn it... that dream again...” What she had seen was a strange dream—and, at the same time, a horrifying memory of something she had actually experienced. It had all begun when a man approached her in the street. “Kukuku. You’ve got a pretty nice body. How about becoming my toy for a while?” Before she could even feel disgust at his greasy, unpleasant voice, some kind of power possessed by the man violated her body. At first, she had not remembered what had been done to her or what she herself had done. But the revulsion her body had unconsciously retained gradually caused her awareness to return. “This power really is the best. You don’t remember anything, do you? You looked down on me the moment you saw me, but now you’re my toy. I can do whatever I want with your body while you remain unaware. You’re even accepting my bodily fluids without knowing it!” Even after her consciousness became clear, she could not resist. She wanted to tell him to stop, but...

Translator: Soafp “And then, when Saika and I were leaving school, we happened to run into Emu-chan. So we thought, why not spend some time together from then on?” “Yes. I was very happy that they invited me.” I listened as they explained how the three of them had ended up together. It was presumptuous of me to think that I was the one thing the three of them had in common, but seeing the three of them getting along like this was still a wonderful sight. When three beautiful girls who could no longer be called strangers to me were sitting together like this… well, there was no other way to describe it than a feast for the eyes. “Putting aside Mari and Emu, I really didn’t expect you to become this close with Honma too.” “That’s right. The three of us were all helped by Kai-kun♪” Hearing her say that made me happy, but even though I had helped them, I had never thought of it as doing them a favor so that they would owe me something. Sure, I was a guy their age, so it wasn’t like there had been absolutely no ulterior motives in the back of my mind. Even so, I was genuinely satisfied just seeing them smile like this. “Well, it’s not like I did nothing...

Translator: Soafp “Man, this is nice.” “Yeah, it is.” “Absolutely fantastic.” Akira, Shougo, and I muttered those words as we watched a group of girls. It was gym class, and the girls in our line of sight were playing volleyball in their gym uniforms. Today’s class was a joint session with the neighboring class, which meant we could observe girls we normally never got to see. “Hey, Agatsuma’s incredible, huh?” “Not saying what part, but... yeah, incredible.” Akira and Shougo were staring at Agatsuma. She was on the same team as Mari, happily chatting with her while they played. Seeing her laugh like that, I felt relieved that she had finally reached a point where she could smile so naturally. Of course, alongside that touching thought, I was also watching her enormous chest sway whenever she moved. Still... it really was good to see. “This is why joint classes are great. There are more people, so naturally there are more students taking breaks too.” I nodded in agreement with Akira. With two classes together, there were more students, which meant more people—boys and girls alike—were sitting out. That was why nobody complained when we spent our break watching the game like this. “...Oh.” While we were watching, the ball came flying toward us, apparently after a particularly bad serve. A girl from the...

Translator: Soafp That day, one student was acting strangely. “Strangely” might not be the most accurate word. More precisely, something about him was off... Actually, no—“strange” was probably exactly right. “...” During an otherwise ordinary class, he—Kai Masaki—was taking his studies seriously. His best friends, Akira and Shougo, kept glancing at him and tilting their heads in confusion. Mari, who had recently grown much closer to Kai, was doing the same. “...I wonder what’s gotten into Kai-kun.” She murmured it under her breath, puzzled by his behavior. And no wonder. Whatever had happened to Kai was continuing in an unmistakably obvious way. “Alright, let’s try this one... Masaki, why don’t you solve it?” “Certainly.” It was mathematics. When the teacher called on him, Kai stood up at once. He walked confidently to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and solved the equation without hesitation. Even the teacher watching him nodded approvingly. “How does this look?” “Excellent. A perfect answer. You only learned this today, yet you solved it wonderfully.” “Not at all. That is only thanks to your teaching. Meeting such a wonderful educator as yourself has been the greatest happiness of my life.” “...Masaki... you...” Moved, the teacher embraced Kai. Kai’s words had struck a chord in him as an educator, and he seemed genuinely grateful to have chosen this...

Translator: Soafp That was the first time she felt a distinctly clear sense of consciousness. “...Ah... Kai-kun?” When she suddenly came to, she was giving Kai a lap pillow. Seeing him relax peacefully on her lap, wearing such a content expression, Mari felt less confusion or surprise than simple, pure happiness. “...Hehe, you’re cute. Hey, Kai-kun—does my lap pillow feel nice?” It was a question that sounded as though she understood everything. To avoid misunderstandings, however, she did not clearly remember or comprehend what had happened until just moments ago. She had merely spent that time in a hazy, floating state, obeying Kai’s commands and letting him do as he pleased. “...I don’t understand. But this feeling that matches my vague memories... Hey, Kai-kun. The things you and I did in my dreams—were they really not dreams? When you leaned on me and sought comfort from me... that wasn’t a lie, was it?” Mari gave a small, self-conscious laugh at what she was saying, but she never stopped stroking Kai’s hair. “Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm.♪” Wanting him to sleep as soundly as possible, Mari hummed a tune. Kai’s lips twitched slightly, as though her humming had reached him. That made Mari happier still, and she slowly reflected on everything that had happened up to now. “How have things been lately? Nothing happen?” There was a...

Translator: Soafp Mari gripped my hand tightly, and I was utterly confused by how obviously strange she was acting. I had started wondering whether there might be something more to the hypnosis app. Since I wasn’t really in the mood today, I told her that we would skip it this time... But Mari’s demeanor completely changed. She looked like an abandoned puppy. “...” No, calling her a puppy would at least make it sound cute. Her eyes were fixed solely on me. It felt as though, not just in this moment but in the entire world, nobody besides me existed for her. As though I was the only person she could rely on... Maybe I was just being self-conscious, but that was the overwhelming thing I felt in her gaze. “Mari... um, what’s wrong?” She was under my hypnosis, so she should answer anything I asked. “I don’t want this... Hey, why? Why aren’t we doing anything? Are you tired of me? Is there something wrong with me? What don’t you like? Tell me what I should change—I’ll change everything I can... Please... please, please, please, please?” “Th-That’s scary...” Honestly, there was no denying how serious and unsettling the atmosphere had become. Still, considering that she was hypnotized and that I held absolute authority over her in that state, I had enough composure...

Translator: Soafp “Kai, how are you feel—” The door flew open, and my sister appeared. Was this supposed to be punishment for getting carried away after obtaining the hypnosis app? Don’t underestimate me. I wasn’t giving up yet. I wasn’t dead yet! “To hell with it!” I instantly grabbed my phone and switched the target in the hypnosis app. Whenever I used it on someone else, I had to release the current targets first. What happened next was, in a sense, a gamble for me too. To hypnotize my sister, I first removed the hypnosis affecting Mari and the others. As expected, confused voices immediately slipped out. “...Huh?” “What...?” “Senpai...” Then, without delay, I selected all four of them as targets and placed them under hypnosis again. The danger had lasted only an instant. Now, all four of them had become inhabitants of a world under my control. I couldn’t help letting out a sigh. Even someone as scummy as me didn’t want his blood-related sister to see him in a situation like that. “Onee-chan, go back to your room.” “Okay.” Just as I ordered, my sister left the room. “...She came because she was worried about my health, too. This is really making my conscience hurt.” She was kind like that—that was why I genuinely loved my sister. Of course, this was...

Translator: Soafp “...Oh, shit.” One morning, I muttered those words with a foggy head. Ever since I woke up, my body had felt strangely heavy. Thinking it might be something, I took my temperature—and, sure enough, it was an ordinary cold. I measured it again, thinking I might have misread it, but the number only changed slightly. There was no denying it, so I ended up taking the day off school. “Make sure you rest properly, okay? Seriously. You’re sturdy, so I’m sure your fever will go down soon. Once you feel better, you can go out or play games if you want. But while you’re feeling rough, be patient.” My sister gave me those kind words, and Mom and Dad also made sure to tell me to rest. “Yeah, I really do feel awful... but my lower half is doing just fine.” My other self was pitching a tent big enough to fit ten people on a camping trip. Apparently, even a cold couldn’t suppress my sex drive. If nothing had changed from before, it probably wouldn’t have been this bad. But thanks to the hypnosis app, I now knew exactly what Mari and the others’ bodies felt like. Just remembering it—not merely imagining it—was enough to get me incredibly worked up. “...Man, this sucks. I wanna see Mari, Honma, and Agatsuma....

Translator: Soafp “…Ahh, this is seriously the best.” Being sandwiched between two beautiful girls like this was truly a supreme moment. Yesterday’s feeling of unfinished business had already disappeared. I hugged Agatsuma, who was quietly sitting in my arms. Every so often, I had her change positions so I could bury my face in her chest or smell her hair, doing whatever I wanted. “Hugging Agatsuma like this is great, and being hugged by Mari is great too.” That’s right—Mari was hugging me from behind as well. “Does it feel good?” “Yeah. It’s the best.” “I’m happy.” I was the happy one. When I turned around, Mari leaned in as if she had been waiting for it and kissed me. It caught me by surprise, but I had no resistance to kissing her while she was hypnotized. “…Heh… hehehe.” This was bad. An incredibly creepy laugh kept slipping out. Using the delayed hypnosis state I had started calling “scheduled hypnosis,” I summoned the two of them here like usual. Naturally, I had made them do all kinds of things. “You two don’t need to fully undress. Just open up your shirts.” “Good. Now come up behind me and press your ch*sts around my face.” “All right, then have both of you hold me between them like that!” Just remembering it was exciting—and also...

Translator: Soafp “Hey, food’s here.” “…Just leave it there, damn it.” It was somewhere inside a prison. In a solitary cell occupied by only one man, a meal had been quietly placed down. The man looked at it with a sulky expression. Still, since he was in prison, perhaps a bad attitude like that was nothing unusual; the guard simply turned around and walked away. “…Why… why is this happening to me…!?” The man muttered as he bit into a plain piece of bread. “Wasn’t the hypnosis… wasn’t that app supposed to be perfect!?” The words “hypnosis” and “app” coming out of his mouth were extremely relevant. The reason he was in prison was simple: he had been arrested for sexually assaulting multiple women. He believed that he would never be caught. No matter how horrible the things he did were, he thought nobody would ever find out. But now, the result of that betrayal was his arrest. “It was going well at first… So why did they get their memories back!?” The hypnosis app had somehow appeared on the man’s phone. Using its power, he ran wild according to his desires. When he spoke to women normally, they gave him unpleasant looks. But once he put them under hypnosis, they became obedient and he believed he could do anything he wanted to...

Translator: Soafp “Stop…” “I’m scared… Don’t touch me…” “…” My hands were still resting on both of their chests, but even though they were under hypnosis, seeing the two of them sobbing and shedding tears made me lose any desire to torment them further. Their reaction was entirely different from Mari, Honma, and Agatsuma. I removed my hands. “…Again. Is it happening again, God?” God, you really are the worst, I cursed internally. Sasaki and Someya were expressionless under hypnosis, yet tears streamed down their faces as they choked back sobs. It felt as though they were not afraid specifically of me, but of men themselves. “What happened?” Honestly, I no longer wanted to touch them. Well, I was still looking at their fresh, naked bodies, but forgive that much for the sake of a scumbag like me. Sasaki was the one who answered my question. “Two years ago, we were nearly assaulted.” “…Whoa.” A rather heavy subject had come up—coming from me, that was saying something. Perhaps remembering it made Someya’s shoulders shake. Sensing that unconsciously, Sasaki tightly took her hand. Even in a hypnotized state, the strength of their bond and love for each other was clear. It made me truly understand once again why people said a man had no right to insert himself between a yuri couple. “The people...

Translator: Soafp The day after I decided to target the two beautiful girls from a girls’ high school whose names I did not even know… It had been too late to make a move that same day, so I had given up. But the next time I saw them, I would definitely enjoy both of their bodies. “…Well, assuming I can even find them again.” That was the problem. I had only spotted them by chance in town yesterday. I did not know their names, where they lived, or anything else that could help me search for them. All I knew was which girls’ school they attended. I had selected them as targets, but whether I could actually encounter them again was another matter. “Maybe I’m not as interested in girls’ bodies now because I spend time with Mari and the others? No, no, there’s no way that’s true.” Maybe I was satisfied with my current situation, which meant that although I wanted new stimulation, I did not crave it quite that desperately. Still, the er*s inside me had locked onto those two girls. There was no question that I still wanted stimulation. I would definitely make it happen! “Hey, Kai, want to go to the bathroom?” “I’m good. I’m going to buy a drink from the vending machine.” I told Akira that...

Translator: Soafp “Looks like another brave hero has fallen today.” “A tragic loss… amen.” “Nobody died.” I replied to Akira and Shogo while eating lunch. Honma’s confession rejections had become something of a regular attraction by now. It seemed another boy had confessed to her today—and, as always, nobody had succeeded. What made it worse was that he was from our class. At that moment, he was surrounded by his friends, being comforted. “Damn it… I got to talk to her a little the other day, so I thought I had a chance… I really thought I had a chanceee!!” “Don’t think you have a chance just because you talked to her…” “Still, even someone with a good-looking face like yours gets rejected by Honma.” “Isn’t she getting a little full of herself lately?” “Right?” Oops. This might be turning into an unpleasant situation. Sure, because she was so popular, maybe people thought she was arrogant. It was not exactly that “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” but it was perhaps inevitable that some people would see her that way. “Hey, don’t say bad things about an underclassman just because of that. If someone confesses and she isn’t interested, it’s natural for her not to date them. Honma-san hasn’t done anything wrong by rejecting him, has she?” “Mari… You’re right. I...

Translator: Soafp “What are you doing, you little naked-running brat?” I said that as I approached the two of them. “Ah, Masaki-kun!” “…You!” The moment Aisaka saw me, she moved away from him—Honda, I think his name was—and ran over to my side. I had no idea why Honda was approaching Aisaka now. It was impressive, in a terrible way, that he could still speak to her after what he had done. “I might not be the most reliable guy, but stay behind me.” “…Masaki-kun.” Well, even without relying on hypnosis, a man wanted to show a girl his cool side. With Aisaka behind me, looking strangely moved—or perhaps emotional—I stared back at Honda, who was glaring at me. He was still as handsome as ever, but the shame of having run naked in public was now permanently attached to him. Everything he had built up until then had probably come crashing down. “I’ve heard all kinds of rumors. Sounds like you did something pretty incredible.” Honestly, I could not deny that everything going well lately had gone to my head a little. Maybe my words and expression looked especially provocative, because Honda raised his voice so loudly it was as though he might spit while shouting. “You… Ever since I met you, something has been wrong. Everything went wrong because you had...

Translator: Soafp About two weeks had passed since the situation with Agatsuma. July had arrived, and the temperature was steadily rising. It was getting hot. “Man, it’s hot.” “Yeah, seriously hot.” Akira and Shogo muttered beside me. It was not unbearably hot, but it certainly was warm. Still, there was enough visual enjoyment to make enduring the heat worthwhile. “What a nice sight.” I said that while looking at the girls, who were showing slightly more skin because of the seasonal uniform change. The boys had changed uniforms too, but the girls were now wearing white shirts under their jackets, which made for an excellent view. You could faintly see underwear lines, and when they got wet in the rain, the fabric clung to their skin enough to show its color through it… Damn, I really was a massive pervert. “Well, it’s kind of late to realize that.” After all, I was still using the hypnosis app to play around with Aisaka and the others. I had no right to say anything. That said… there had been a small change in me. For some reason, I had stopped looking at the erotic manga and similar things I used to browse online all the time. (It’s not that I don’t want to look at them. I just don’t feel like looking at them to...

Translator: Soafp “…Phew. I’m glad they were such reasonable grandparents.” The day after my encounter with Agatsuma’s father, I immediately went to visit her grandparents. Even with clear video evidence of what her father had said, I had wondered whether they would believe it. But they turned out to be a far more understanding elderly couple than I expected. “We’ll take action right away. Thank you.” I put them under hypnosis just in case and drew out their true feelings, but they were not lying. They genuinely intended to help Agatsuma. I had told them that she was staying somewhere else for the moment, so I could leave the situation with her father and mother to them for now. “From how they acted, they’ll probably take her in. If they find out he’s been like that since she started high school, then no matter how much he reforms, it’ll probably be… impossible.” I showed them the video of him saying everything, including that he might as well assault his daughter because she had such an attractive body. There was no way they would allow Agatsuma to return to him after that. There would probably be moving arrangements and other complications. Fortunately, Agatsuma’s grandparents lived in the same town, so the sudden environmental change would likely be less overwhelming for her. “…Maybe I’ll go...

Translator: Soafp “Hello. I’m nobody worth introducing myself as… though I suppose that would be inappropriate in this situation. I attend the same school as your daughter.” “…That’s rather sudden, isn’t it?” There was a slight pause before he answered, but his expression did not change. It was late in the evening, so the area was dark. It was rude to say so, but combined with the impression that he might be someone prone to violence, he was a little intimidating. “Sorry to approach you out of nowhere, but you hit your daughter, don’t you?” I started with a light jab. His eyebrow twitched, but he put on a playful smile as he denied it. “What are you talking about all of a sudden? There’s no way I would hit my own daughter. Did that girl tell you?” The instant he said, “Did that girl tell you?” I felt that he had visibly become irritated. Dealing with a person like this was still scary, but the only reason I could stand here so confidently was thanks to the hypnosis app. “Yes, she told me directly. She also showed me the bruises on her body. It seems you’ve made her suffer for quite a long time. What kind of parent does that make you, huh?” My wording came out a little provocative. Maybe possessing...

Translator: Soafp “...All right. For now, I’ve got their names and photos.” I lay on my bed in my room, looking at my phone screen. Displayed on it were photos of Agatsuma, her father, and her mother. I could have simply waited near their house, but knowing what they looked like would make a difference. “Still, abuse, huh? It comes up in the news all the time, but it really is one of society’s problems.” It happened to students and children, of course, but lately you also heard plenty of stories about newborn babies being abused to death. To me, it still felt like something from another world. But Agatsuma, someone close by, was actually being subjected to violence. “…Even if she was hypnotized, seeing a girl cry like that makes me want to do something for her.” How easy would it be if I could simply decide that I didn’t care what happened to her, as long as I could enjoy her body? But apparently, I could not bring myself to be that much of a scumbag. “If Agatsuma’s grandparents really care about her, I think they will take her side. If they don’t, I’ll have to resort to force again—but first, I need to get Agatsuma out of that environment.” I had at least thought through the general plan. I had...

Translator: Soafp “………” “……….” After realizing that every girl I had set my sights on since getting the hypnosis app was dealing with some kind of serious issue, I let out a sigh. Aisaka had a history of self-harm. Honma was an extreme masochist and had been stalked. And now Agatsuma, standing in front of me, was being physically abused by her father. “What about sexual abuse?” “That hasn’t happened yet.” “Yet…?” The way Agatsuma said it made it sound as though there was a chance she could be assaulted in the near future. Well, with a girl as attractive as her around, I could almost imagine someone trying something sexual with her. “Just as I thought—you do have a pretty face.” Agatsuma looked beautiful once her bangs were lifted. But her lifeless expression ruined the entire effect. She was similar to Aisaka in that way, but the darkness in her face was even worse. “Since when?” “…The violence started after I entered high school.” “You’ve endured it all this time?” “Yeah. I don’t have anyone I can rely on.” “…” There it was again. That feeling. I had felt it with Aisaka too: while I spent my days happily with my family and friends, there were people living painful lives as though it were normal. For a child, family was supposed to...

Translator: Soafp About a week had passed since I drove away the stalker who had been following Honma. Since Honma was directly involved, the police apparently questioned her about various things. From what she had learned, it seemed the man had turned himself in just as I had ordered him to. “Um… Apparently, he seemed somewhat strange, but his answers were clear. But after some time had passed, he began denying the allegations… The police officers apparently found it unsettling too.” Even after that incident, I continued seeing Honma. Well, it was a one-sided relationship where I hypnotized her, called her out, and did whatever I wanted. But during those times, just like with Aisaka, I heard various updates about what had been going on in her life. “Good morning, Senpai.” But there was one unexpected development. She had started talking to me whenever she saw me, even when she was not hypnotized. “…Well, in a way, I’m like her benefactor.” I had overlooked the fact that trying to hypnotize a second person while one person was already under hypnosis would cause the first person to return to normal. I never expected Honma to regain her senses and follow me all the way to the police station. In Honma’s eyes, I was an upperclassman who had somehow driven off her stalker. Every time...

Translator: Soafp “This hypnosis app is primarily intended to target one individual at a time. You cannot hypnotize another person while someone else is already under hypnosis; if you do, the person who was hypnotized first will return to normal. However, hypnosis is effective when multiple people are present before you at the same time.” “…There he is.” I quietly stepped outside Honma’s house, but the man I suspected was stalking her was still hiding behind the utility pole. He had been there since before I started doing whatever I wanted with Honma, which meant he had probably been standing there for around an hour. “He’s just blatantly suspicious.” It was strange no one had reported him. I had asked Honma about him in a little more detail. She said she didn’t recognize the man and had no idea where she might have met him. Apparently, he didn’t show up every day. But whenever he did appear, he sometimes stayed there until around six in the evening. “Well, even someone with perverted thoughts has to draw the line at a stalker.” I gave a wry laugh at that obvious realization. All right, then. Just as promised, it was time to meet the stalker. “Hey.” “!?” I called out to the man hiding behind the utility pole. He jerked, his shoulders trembling, and turned...

Translator: Soafp “...?” I noticed it while looking over the app’s description again. “This app is by no means all-powerful. Depending on how it is used, it may cause the target to develop strong feelings. Whether those feelings become hatred or affection is up to you, so please be careful.” That sentence made me tilt my head. The target wasn’t supposed to retain any memories from their hypnotized state, so maybe this was a warning that forcibly changing someone’s feelings through hypnosis could cause something like that. “Well, it has nothing to do with me. Sure, forcing a girl to develop feelings for me might be exciting in its own way, but I’m fine as long as I can do whatever I want.” In other words, there was no problem. I was simply going to use this hypnosis app to live however I pleased. Manipulating someone’s feelings too would be a truly despicable thing to do. “…Wait, isn’t that a little late to be saying?” Sheesh. Realizing that thinking too hard about that kind of thing was enough to kill my mood was one of my bad habits. After what I did with Aisaka yesterday, there was nothing left for me to fear. I just needed to act confidently. No one would ever find out. “Let’s go to the bathroom.” “Sure.” Akira called...

Translator: Soafp Looking up at the night sky, a pale yellow moon floated lazily above. It should have been no different from the moon you see in the city, yet for some reason it looked more beautiful than usual. The handle of the plastic bag holding the ice cream dug slightly into the fingers of my right hand. From my left hand, which was holding Shinonome’s, her warmth seeped gently into mine. She blushed shyly, then pressed her lips together as if trying to hold back a grin. “Hehe.” “What is it?” “Nothing, nothing at all.” I matched my pace to hers. The walk to the convenience store had felt faster, but on the way back everything seemed more relaxed, and her short steps were even shorter than usual. It was summer, so if we didn’t hurry, the ice cream would probably melt, but pointing that out would likely be tactless. “Hey, Hatsukade, I know it’s not really my place to say this, but I think it’s kind of questionable to hold hands with girls this easily. You look like a player.” “Is that so? I only did it because you seemed to want to. Should I stop?” “N-No, it’s fine for now. I mean, it’s bad with lots of people, but if you limit it to just one person, there’s no problem,...

Translator: Soafp “………” “Kai?” “What’s wrong?” “…Huh!?” Akira and Shogo called my name, snapping me back to my senses. “…It’s nothing.” “??” “You’re completely different from yesterday.” I wanted to loudly declare that of course I was. Yesterday after school, I hypnotized Honma and went into her house. Naturally, my goal was to do something lewd while going “Kukuku,” but I ended up learning an unexpected secret she had been hiding—and it scared me instead. “…Damn it.” Honestly, I wanted to punch myself for what I was doing. I hypnotized her because I wanted to do something s*xual with her, and yet after learning about her preferences—or rather, her secret—I was the one who backed out. If anything, that should have made me even more determined to go through with it! “…No. A day has passed, and I’ve calmed down. Today, I’ll do it.” To be honest, I had definitely been aroused enough by imagining her naked and revealing those preferences. For the first time, I had seen a real woman’s body rather than one on a screen. The color, the shape—those details had been burned into my memory. “…Heh.” Even after hearing her confess to those kinds of preferences, if I thought it through, Honma was unquestionably a beautiful girl. And if I considered that preference something exciting instead… I could do...

Translator: Soafp “You’ve been in an awfully good mood lately, haven’t you?” “Have I?” “Yes. Did something good happen?” The night I decided to make the junior known as the Ice Queen my next target, my older sister came into my room and suddenly said that to me. It was normal for her to barge in without hesitation like this. Maybe she was trying to look imposing with her hands on her hips, but somehow it only made her seem endearing. “Well, you could say something good happened.” “Hmmm? What is it? Tell me.” Grinning, my sister came over beside the bed where I was lying down. She hopped onto the bed and lay down next to me. She was very close, and since she’d just gotten out of the bath, a pleasant scent drifted from her. Of course, the person beside me was my sister, not some stranger, so it wasn’t like I was getting excited or my heart was racing. “…Heh.” “What was that supposed to be?” Oops. I’d creeped my sister out. What I remembered was my exchange with Aisaka. The memory of doing whatever I wanted to her while she was hypnotized was truly wonderful. The feeling in my palms, the sensation of having her press her face against me, that sweet fragrance—every bit of it was the ultimate...

Translator: Soafp "Hasn't he seemed really happy lately?" "Ah, yeah. I've noticed that too." "...Have I?" It was during break. Two friends I usually talked with had said that to me, and it was true that I'd been having a really good time lately and was in a great mood. Why? Obviously, it was because I had the hypnosis app. "...Heh." "You're creepy." "...Seriously, what happened to you?" Oops. I'd let a creepy grin slip out without realizing it. "Don't worry about it, you two. I'm just the same as always." Though I didn't particularly like the idea of them thinking this creepy behavior was normal for me, that was just how good my mood had been lately. My two friends looked at me suspiciously. I'd known them since middle school, and we were actually quite close. "Hmm?" The suspicious-looking guy with the shaved head was Akira Mukai. Much to my annoyance, he was a fairly good-looking guy. He was on the soccer team, and while he wasn't quite the ace, he was good enough to make a real contribution whenever he played in a match. "Don't tell me... you've awakened some kind of mysterious power!?" "What the hell are you talking about?" The guy who'd displayed an unexpectedly sharp insight was Shogo Endo. His chubby build was his trademark, and he was...

Translator: Soafp One afternoon after school, I found myself standing in front of a certain pair of people. "What do you want?" "Who are you?" The two of them, a boy and a girl, stood close together as they stared at me. Just as the two of them had said, we weren't acquainted. Today was the first time we'd ever seen each other face-to-face. (So... these are the two. Aisaka's ex-boyfriend and the girl he cheated with.) That's right. These were the two people Aisaka had told me about. I knew what the guy looked like because there was a photograph of him, but I didn't know what the girl looked like. Still, considering how lovey-dovey they were together, there was no mistaking them. "……………" Honestly, now that I was actually here, I couldn't help wondering why the hell I'd come. I'd only used the hypnosis app because I wanted to do something naughty with Aisaka. But after learning about the past she'd kept hidden, I'd ended up taking action like this. There was nothing in it for me. I couldn't exactly demand that she thank me for saving her, either... "...Haa." "What are you sighing about?" "He's kinda creepy~." Of course I wanted to sigh. I looked at their faces. The guy was handsome, unlike me, while the girl was a black...

Translator: Soafp "...Why do you have scars like that?" Aisaka had stripped down to her underwear right in front of me, but before I could focus on her alluring body, my eyes were drawn to the scars on her arm from cutting herself. To be honest, even though I had been aroused by her body, seeing those scars made me lose all of it in an instant. "……………" Under the effects of hypnosis, Aisaka said nothing. She simply stared straight at me. She had no sense of self right now. She was nothing more than a puppet who would obey whatever I told her. "What am I hesitating for? If there's a woman right in front of me who isn't going to resist, then I can do whatever I want with her..." She had invited me into her house, and she shouldn't even retain any memories of me having my way with her. Sure, I'd have to take care of various things afterward, but as long as I was careful about that, she'd simply believe that nothing had happened and go back to her normal daily life tomorrow. "Why..." That said... If she would answer anything I asked, maybe I should ask her what had happened to her. "What happened to those scars on your arm?" "Ah..." Aisaka's body jolted at my question....

Translator: Soafp “Ah… I wanna spend a sweet-and-sour youth with a girl!” That voice echoed through the park, where no one but me was around. Of course, that voice belonged to me. What I’d just said out loud was my honest wish—my desire—about high school life. “…Haa.” Just saying things like this without ever actually doing anything is why I can’t get a girlfriend, and why a rosy, perfect school life like all those “normies” have is nothing but a dream within a dream. My name is Kai Masaki, and I’m just sitting here on a swing after school, lost in thought. I’m an utterly ordinary male high school student, and my age is exactly equal to the number of years I’ve gone without a girlfriend—a pretty lonely track record. “Not having had a girlfriend even though I’m a third-year in high school… man, that’s just sad.” I do love anime and manga, so there was a time when I’d get attached to tons of characters and call them “my wife.” Because of that, I used to think I wasn’t lonely even without a real-life girlfriend, but after spending my entire school life alone like this, I’ve started to feel lonely after all. I don’t mean I have no one—I do have friends, and we hang out often—but still, there’s no sparkle, no...

Translator: Soafp The three of us walked together beneath the summer night sky. Unlike the muggy heat of the city, the night breeze cooled the warmth on our skin. The croaking of frogs could be heard coming from the rice fields. Shinonome, walking through the dark streets with few streetlights, was incredibly awkward. "G-Great weather, huh? The stars are really pretty too..." "...Yeah." Our conversation continued like this, consisting of nothing but short, broken exchanges. She really should just relax a little. Maybe because she had such a strangely determined look on her face, I was having trouble figuring out what to say to her as well. "The convenience store is farther than I thought." "That's the countryside for you. About fifteen minutes on foot each way." "That's way too inconvenient... Maybe I'm actually more of a city girl after all." Finally, we'd started having something resembling an actual conversation. If I let it die out here, she'd probably get awkward again, so I should try to keep it going from my end. "I like the countryside. You know, there was actually a time when I seriously thought about where I'd want to live in the future." "Ugh, that's obviously an easy choice. There are tons of bugs, there's nowhere to hang out, and you can't just casually go to cute cafes. I...

Translator: Soafp Starting today, we're going to help out a watermelon farmer. There was a large warehouse on the grounds of Uncle Tomiyasu's house. That's where we'd be bringing the watermelons. And today, we were going to harvest the watermelons we'd be taking there, but... After gathering in front of the warehouse, Sakura stretched in the morning sun and called out energetically. "Man, this is gonna be fun! Let's pull those watermelons out like crazy!" "Wait, 'pull them out'? Watermelons aren't buried in the ground." "Since they're fruit, I wonder if they grow on trees?" Shinonome and Nakina immediately shot back with exasperated looks. Incidentally, Nakina, watermelons don't grow on trees either... Everyone, myself included, had already changed into work clothes. We were wearing the rubber boots and work gloves we'd been provided, along with the hats we'd brought to protect ourselves from the sun. The girls were casually chatting among themselves while waiting for Uncle Tomiyasu to drive us to the fields. It was certainly nice to see them having fun, but did they actually understand what kind of work we were going to be doing? "Sorry to keep you waiting! All right, let's head to the fields." Uncle Tomiyasu called out to us, and we climbed into the car. "My arms are dead!" Shinonome's scream echoed across the vast watermelon field...

Translator: Soafp “—The cultural festival has now come to an end.” With everything that had happened with the president, this year’s hectic cultural festival had finally drawn to a close. Had I ever put this much effort into a school event in my entire life before? All the strength suddenly drained from my body. “Ren-kun, are you going to the after-party?” Airi asked while supporting me. “No, not at all…” “Hehe, I thought so. Then, shall we enjoy our own little after-party?” “Huh? Did you prepare something?” She smiled brightly and nodded. Then, as though she had coordinated it with Nodoka, she took my arm and started walking. Before I even understood what was happening, they led me to the rooftop. Just like earlier, there was no one else here. “Yui-san, then please do as we discussed.” “Yes…!” Had Yui been in on this too? Before I could even wonder about it, Yui moved behind me and whispered softly into my ear. “Just sit down and relax.” “O-Okay.” I sat down on the rooftop floor, and Yui immediately wrapped her arms around me from behind, covering my eyes with both hands. I could vividly feel her chest against my back. Airi was quite well-endowed herself, but Yui was clearly on another level. “Um, if I make you uncomfortable, please tell me. I’ll move...

Translator: Soafp After we finished playing at the dog run, we visited a few dog-friendly establishments before eventually going our separate ways. On the way home, I wanted to tell Naginaki something, so the two of us stayed behind for a little while. We walked along a quiet park path at dusk, with few people around. Naginaki fidgeted nervously as she looked up at me. “H-Hatsukade-kun, w-what did you want to talk about?” “It’s nothing important, so don’t get so worked up.” This was starting to look like I was about to confess to her. I didn’t know what to do with that hopeful look in her eyes. “It’s basically just some casual conversation.” “R-right, I figured! Yeah, yeah, that’s what I thought, so I’m not disappointed or anything!” ...Really? Well, if that’s what she wanted to believe, there was no point in calling her out on it. “A long time ago, I told you about my childhood friend. The girl who gave me that fake confession.” “Ugh... Of course I remember.” Naginaki turned her face away. She was probably feeling awkward because she was still bothered by the fact that she had done the same thing to me. “I went to see her last week and talked things out.” “Huh?” “We made up.” I told Naginaki everything that had happened, including the...

Translator: Soafp The brilliant sunlight befitting July poured down upon the dog run in a large park in the heart of the city. According to the forecast, today’s high was supposed to be around 36°C. The heat was intense enough to make my skin sting. Normally, I wouldn’t even consider going outside unless I had somewhere to be, but today my steps were so light that I felt like skipping. “Come on, let’s go. Rooney-kun, Pii-chan!” I threw a pink ball, and the Siberian Husky and Samoyed happily chased after it. As I watched the two dogs compete with each other, I crouched down and stroked Hulk, the German Shepherd relaxing at my feet. “You’re always so calm.” As I enjoyed the fluffy texture of Hulk’s fur while he lay there leisurely with his front paws crossed, the corners of my mouth naturally lifted. “Hehehe...” This is it. I couldn’t get this kind of excitement anywhere else. I was so excited about today that I could barely sleep last night. “Hey, Hatsukade.” I raised my head when someone called my name and saw Shinonome looking down at me with half-lidded eyes. Her voice carried an unusually cold tone. “What?” “This gathering is nothing like what I imagined!” Standing beside Shinonome, Naginaki vigorously nodded her head. “We’ve already been at the dog run for...

Translator: Soafp The next day, I packed my things to take the Shinkansen home. “You could stay a little longer.” “That’s right. Why don’t you stay for about a week?” Satsuki and Jun suggested it. “I’m sorry, but I’ve had a lot going on, and my attendance is already in pretty bad shape. I can’t afford to miss school.” The two of them visibly slumped their shoulders. “That’s too bad. But you’re always welcome here, Subaru.” “Yeah. Come visit again and spend some time with Miko, just like you used to.” Even though I had shown up out of nowhere, I couldn’t thank the two of them enough for treating me so warmly. When Miko and I returned home from the park last night, the two of them had been shocked to see her eyes swollen from crying. But when we told them that we had made up, they let out relieved sighs. Satsuki even had tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she silently stroked both Miko’s and my heads. She had acted cheerful in front of me, but she must have been worried about our relationship all this time. I said goodbye to Satsuki and Jun at the entrance of their house. Miko accompanied me to the station where I would catch the Shinkansen. Along the way, we...

Translator: Soafp Miko, whose hand I had grabbed, tried to pull her arm away. But I tightened my grip so she couldn’t get away. “W-what’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” “I don’t want our relationship to end with a ridiculous fake confession like that.” We had spent all those years together. I couldn’t accept having those days end with something as stupid as a fake confession. So I was going to tell her. I was going to tell her everything I had been keeping bottled up inside my chest... “Miko, you might have been right. I think I was looking for a reason to forgive you. And when I couldn’t find one, I took my frustration out on my other classmates and drove them into a corner. The truth is, I just wanted to stay by your side, Miko... But because it was you, and no one else, I couldn’t forgive being betrayed by you.” I continued as I watched her bewildered expression. “You were everything to me, Miko. I genuinely believed that supporting you because you were always so clumsy was my role in life. So when you told me in middle school that you didn’t need me to pick you up anymore, I was honestly furious. I thought, ‘There’s no way that’s true.’ I was so in love with...

Translator: Soafp We walked along a quiet road in the residential neighborhood. We had no particular destination. I simply wanted to talk with Miko, just the two of us, without anyone getting in the way. Miko, walking beside me, had been frowning in confusion ever since I told her that we were going to continue what happened with the fake confession. Perhaps she was wondering why I was bringing it up again now. But maybe we were both still trapped on that rooftop, on that day. Not just her. I was too. That was why we needed this time together. As we walked away from prying eyes, we eventually arrived at a small park. We should be able to talk calmly here. “Shall we sit on this bench?” “…” We sat down side by side. “Being here brings back memories of the past. When we were kids, I was always playing with you, Miko. In fact, it’s probably harder to remember the times we weren’t together.” “Yeah… it is.” After Miko and I were separated, I spent a while wondering how to use my time. There was no one left for me to get revenge on, and the classmates who remained didn’t want to come near me, so I had no idea what to do. “Thanks to that, I got good at exploring...

Translator: Soafp Miko was reluctant to invite me into her home. But I had already made arrangements with her parents. When I convinced her that resisting now was pointless, she gave me a despairing look and reluctantly nodded. After changing trains twice, I arrived at the station nearest to Miko’s house. Her home was a detached house in a residential area. There was almost no dirt or damage on the exterior; it looked like it had been built fairly recently. Even though several years had passed since we split up, I couldn’t help feeling that we had spent that time apart, each of us living in completely different places. When we entered the house, a fresh, clean scent greeted us. Miko’s parents, Satsuki-san and Jun-san, came out to welcome me. “Welcome, Subaru-kun.” “It’s been a while. You’ve gotten big.” “Yes. Just for one day, but I’m in your care.” I had already spoken with them on the phone and arranged many details. They had already apologized to me many times in the past, so I had asked them to act normally when we met again. I thought that would make it easier for Miko to talk… “Come on, Miko, don’t just stand there silently. Say something too.” “…Welcome.” At Miko’s cold, minimal greeting, Satsuki-san gave a wry smile. Miko’s expression was completely stiff,...

Translator: Soafp The night I came home after the class observation day, my father scolded me harshly. Although, it seemed he was angrier about the fact that I hadn’t consulted him beforehand than about what I’d actually done… I had expected to be lectured. I knew that if I had talked to him, he would have stopped me anyway, so I accepted it as a necessary cost. Miko’s parents came to apologize that same day. They clearly hadn’t expected things to escalate this badly, and they were extremely flustered. Miko’s mother kept bowing her head to me. “I’m so sorry, Subaru-kun. This is our family’s responsibility. Come on, Miko, apologize too.” Saying that, she urged Miko to bow her head as well. But… “…” “What are you doing? Apologize!” “…” Even at this point, she only remained silent. Her face twisted and her lips pressed tightly together. Maybe she was holding back tears; a faint sob could be heard. “Miko!?” Why wouldn’t she look at me? Even she must have understood that this was no longer a situation that could be glossed over… Because of Miko’s attitude, the atmosphere became completely unsuitable for continuing the discussion. Of course it did. If the perpetrator wasn’t showing any remorse, the conversation had no meaning. Her father left together with Miko, and her mother, who remained,...

Translator: Soafp The classroom, completely silent, was wrapped in a strange atmosphere as if time itself had stopped. The male teacher, frozen with a piece of white chalk in his hand, had tightened his usually loose tie. On some days his hair was messy, but today it was neatly arranged. He must have been putting extra effort into this class observation day. “H-Hatsukade, what are you suddenly saying? Hahaha, don’t take jokes too far, okay?” When the teacher spoke, the air in the classroom began to move again. Whispers could be heard from the parents seated in the back rows. Amid that, the gazes my classmates turned toward me varied. Some sat with wide eyes, unable to move. Some hurriedly bowed their heads. Others looked at me with curious, interested stares. The male teacher wore a strained, pleading smile. I’m sorry, but I had no reason whatsoever to worry about his position. For this long, some of them had treated me in ways I could clearly call bullying. There was no way he hadn’t noticed at all. He had either pretended not to see, or he was an utter fool. In that case, I had no need to hold back, right? “No, it’s not a joke. There is bullying in this class.” “O-Okay, I understand. We’ll hear the details after class. Is that...

Translator: Soafp Ever since middle school, I hadn’t been the type to get close to people. Most of the time, if I talked to someone, it was only with Miko in between us. And once I ended up half-cutting ties with her, I became blatantly isolated in class. I noticed that she often looked at me during class and lunch breaks. Did she think that if she kept doing that, I’d eventually talk to her? It was far too childish a way of thinking. Then, one day: I was ignoring her gaze like usual when Ayano came over, grinning lazily. “Oh, look. It’s Hatsukade, the one dumped by his childhood friend.” “…” “Why are you so quiet? Oh, right, that must be awkward. You’ve got someone you’re in love with right here in class.” The classroom fell completely silent. After the fake confession, I heard myself being talked about everywhere, but usually it was just people whispering and mocking me. This was the first time someone had said something directly to my face. “So what?” “Pfft, what’s with the tough act? Come on, don’t get so mad. That was just a prank. Or are you so shocked about being rejected that you’re just putting up a front? In that video, you looked super happy when Miko confessed to you!” A small laugh rose...

Translator: Soafp Honestly, my legs felt like they were about to start shaking. I never imagined singing in front of so many people would put this much pressure on me. Even so, I somehow managed to sing my heart out. I focused only on Airi and Nodoka’s faces in the audience, pretending as though I were singing at karaoke. “Haa… haa…” I had only sung one song, yet sweat was pouring down me like a waterfall, and I was gasping for breath as though I had just sprinted at full speed. I had no idea whether I had sung well or not. That was probably partly because I had been keeping an eye on the president out of the corner of my eye the entire time. The president was completely absorbed in playing the bass, and she seemed to be getting more and more excited, but so far there wasn’t even the slightest sign that she was about to fall. (Now that I think about it, when exactly is she supposed to fall?) All Takagi had said in the “nightmare” was that he had gotten so absorbed in the performance that his excitement had gotten out of control while he was onstage. That was why I had assumed it would happen during the live performance, but so far there was absolutely no sign...

Translator: Xre After standing in line for about twenty minutes, we finally made it into the dome where the pool was located. Ii-chan and I exited the men's locker room and sat under a parasol near the concession stand. We'd agreed to meet the others here. Girls take longer to change than boys. It was a bright, sunny day. Through the transparent ceiling, we could see a flawless blue sky and the shining sun. Thanks to the glass-covered dome, the indoor temperature was comfortably warm—hot enough to feel like summer, but not so hot you'd break a sweat. It felt like midsummer. I wanted to strip right down, but I couldn’t take off my hoodie until I got in the water. There was a reason I couldn’t undress in front of others. I always changed with my back to the wall during PE class. Ayaka had once caught a glimpse, though. That concern was shared by him, too. “Boo, this is boring. I wanna swim with you, Kazu-nii.” Still not changed, Ii-chan clung to my side, mumbling under his breath. He gently rested his head on my shoulder. Seems he was planning to soak up as much affection as he could before the others arrived. “You came along knowing how this would be, right?” “I just… feel uneasy thinking the senpai might get...

Translator: Soafp Three days after the fake confession. I had stopped going to school with Miko, and by now I wasn’t even walking home with her anymore. I didn’t talk to anyone in class. The classmates around me seemed to have filmed the rooftop confession, and they were laughing while bringing it up. Especially Ayano, who went out of his way to spread it even to people who hadn’t even been there, using it as a joke. It would be a lie to say I felt absolutely nothing about that, but honestly, I didn’t care. If anything, joining the circle of people I looked down on and fighting them on their level would only annoy me more. So I just left it alone. The problem was Miko. She kept trying to speak to me, but every time she hesitated and backed away. In the end, the first real conversation we had was on the third day, Friday afternoon. “W-Wait!” On the way home from school, she ran after me and stepped in front of me. “…Subaru, you’re still mad, right?” “Does it matter if I’m mad or not?” When I answered that way, Miko’s shoulders trembled fearfully. I was honestly annoyed. Did she even need to ask? We had spent so long together, and then she betrayed me like that. How could I...

Translator: Soafp We got on the private café’s into the café together. Miko didn’t seem to come to places like this very often, so she had apparently just picked it at random by looking up nearby shops on her phone. Soft classical music drifted through the store. Sitting across from each other, we listened to it in silence. She kept turning her face away awkwardly, looking pale and as though she wanted to bolt from the place at any moment. “Have you been doing well?” “…Yeah.” “You’ve gotten a little taller.” “…Yeah.” No matter what I asked, Miko only nodded. This wasn’t a conversation. Then, finally, Miko looked up at me with gloomy eyes and opened her mouth heavily. “Why did you come to see me?” “I don’t really know either. I just wanted to see you once.” “…” “Can I ask you one thing too?” “What?” “Do you think what you did to me was wrong?” “…!” Miko’s face crumpled. “I know it was wrong. I did something I can never take back.” “Do you regret it?” “I do. That’s why I moved away—I thought I couldn’t face you anymore.” “Then why don’t you apologize now that we’ve met again?” “That’s because…” If she really regretted it that much, a normal person would bow their head. Carrying that guilt forever must be...

Translator: Soafp The Shinkansen window scenery rushed by at high speed. It was Saturday today, the perfect day to go see Miko, who had moved far away. Last night, I asked my father again whether he could contact Miko’s parents. My father didn’t press me for details, as if he had known from the start, and simply put me in touch with them. I wasn’t feeling nearly as composed as usual either, so I was grateful for that consideration. My parents and Miko’s parents had originally been friends through neighborhood ties, and before Miko moved away, our families had gone camping and on trips together, so they had apparently kept in touch even after we drifted apart. Still, was this the first time I’d seen her in three years? It felt much longer than that. Maybe that was because I had deliberately tried not to remember her. That fake-confession incident had torn Miko and me apart completely. Back in middle school, I had accepted a confession on the rooftop without realizing it was fake, only to be made a laughingstock in front of everyone when the truth was revealed. Honestly, I didn’t care how much those bystanders mocked me. I paid each of them back later, but that was just an extra little bonus. What really shocked me was being betrayed by Miko....

Translator: Soafp June was almost over. As for me, I was still treated like some kind of hazardous object in the classroom. About half the boys glared at me as if they were always one step away from punching me. And those three girls came up to complain to me directly once a day. What was going on with them? I had been making a point of treating them kindly, too. What were they even thinking? One Friday, while I was reading in the clubroom, Nakina spoke to me. “…Hatsukade-kun, are you free after this?” “I don’t have any plans after school.” “Then… would you like to go on a d-date with me?” I stopped turning the page and looked up. It was unusual for Nakina to say something like that… No, this was probably the first time. “What brought this on all of a sudden?” “I realized something. Things are bad if they stay like this. The second I take my eyes off you, Hatsukade-kun, you start getting friendly with even Suzuki and her friends. If I don’t do something before it’s too late, a plain girl like me might just fade out of the picture.” “What kind of logic is that? Besides, I’m obviously not friends with Suzuki and the others.” Nakina made a sour face and leaned toward me. “I’m...

Translator: Soafp The three girls’ faces twisted. They narrowed their eyes at me and shouted. “What do you mean, ‘fallen so low’!?” “I mean exactly what I said. You whisper behind people’s backs, badmouth them, and try to drive a wedge between Shinonome and me. However you look at it, that’s shitty behavior.” “N-No, I only said it because I was thinking about what was best for Hatsukade—” “There it is. That classic selfish line: saying ‘I’m doing this for your sake’ when all you really want is to make someone stop doing something you don’t like. You really are awful.” “…” If they wanted to gossip behind someone’s back, they could do as they pleased. Everyone probably had moments when they wanted to vent. But saying it directly to me, someone who had gotten close to Shinonome, made their malice completely obvious. “You wanted me to speak badly about Shinonome too, didn’t you? Sorry, but unlike you, once I trust someone, I intend to keep trusting them until the end.” Upon hearing this, Shinonome, who was standing behind me for some reason, seemed to be affected by it and exclaimed in a groaning voice, "You've opened your heart to me!?" “W-Well, I trust Hatsukade too. A-And I heard you call me cute, so… hehehe.” Why was she so excited when she was...