"Dusk has fallen—the hour when the supernatural stirs."
Nijika stood by the window; the slanting rays of the setting sun bathed the room in light, making the golden side-ponytail framing her face glow brilliantly:
"Kitahara-kun, it's about time we headed to Otherworld."
Kitahara gave a slight nod, his expression turning serious:
"Before we set off, there are a few things I need to say."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the girls' faces with a grave look:
"None of you are strangers to Otherworld anymore, but there are certain reminders that bear repeating. If you encounter anything unusual—like hearing strange noises, or experiencing auditory or visual hallucinations—you absolutely must not keep it to yourselves like the idiots in horror movies. Remember to speak up immediately."
Seika: "..."
She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but Seika felt that Kitahara's gaze lingered on her for an extra two seconds when he said that.
Could it be that the secret about her and Ryo swapping bodies had been discovered?
Surely not?
"Before we set off, let's share some abilities—just in case the need arises," Kitahara said with a composed expression. "Who wants to go first?"
"I will."
Mutsumi was the first to step forward; while she wasn't devoid of a sense of shame, she certainly didn't have much of it.
"Alright, let's start with Mutsumi..."
Kitahara nodded and stepped right up to Mutsumi.
Mutsumi was neither reserved nor shy; she didn't wait for Kitahara to make the first move. Instead, she stood on her own tiptoes and pressed her soft, lips directly against his.
The other girls were already accustomed to Mutsumi's boldness, though the corner of Seika's eye twitched slightly.
(She's just going for a kiss like that, right in front of everyone?)
(Doesn't she feel even a shred of embarrassment?)
(At least go to the restroom—don't do things like that in public!)
A hint of resentment quietly welled up from deep within her heart. Seika was loath to admit it, but this heavy, uncomfortable feeling... well, perhaps—just maybe—it was jealousy.
Seika shifted her gaze, quietly observing the others.
(None of them look upset at all?)
(Your tolerance levels are way too high!)
(Especially you, Nijika—how can you still smile at a time like this?)
"Huh?"
Nijika, who was holding Hana and playing a "parent-child game," noticed Ryo's gaze and tilted her head curiously.
"Ryo, you've got a weird look on your face. What's wrong?"
"N-nothing..."
Seika guiltily looked away.
(If Nijika doesn't care, I certainly have no right to interfere...)
"Share successful," Kitahara's voice rang out. "Following the order, how about Tomori goes next?"
"Kitahara-kun, please."
Tomori stepped forward, obediently tilting up her slightly flushed face.
"What ability do you want to share, Tomori?"
Kitahara asked softly. Tomori Takamatsu had clearly given it some thought beforehand: "I'd like [Supernatural Vision]."
"Alright."
Kitahara leaned forward slightly and planted a gentle kiss.
The process of sharing abilities was much the same each time; naturally, with so many people watching, Kitahara couldn't go too far—it was just a simple kiss. The only real difference lay in the specific abilities the girls chose to share.
A moment later.
Kitahara stepped over to stand in front of Ryo.
"Senpai Ryo, it's your turn," Kitahara said with a smile. "What ability do you want today?"
"...Damn it!"
Seika clenched her small fists, fighting the urge to punch someone.
(You're so gentle when kissing others, but you were incredibly rough when sharing abilities with me last night, weren't you?)
(If you hadn't refused to let go when you kissed me, Ryo wouldn't have been able to snap that photo!)
(If not for that photo, I wouldn't have come over last night, and I wouldn't have swapped bodies with Ryo...)
(It's all that lecherous brat's fault!)
"Why aren't you saying anything, Senpai Ryo?" Kitahara asked, feigning ignorance as he reached out to ruffle Seika's hair. "You aren't feeling unwell, are you?"
"Hmph."
Seika let out a soft hmph. She wanted to swat Kitahara's hand away but worried it might arouse suspicion, so she simply bit her lower lip and said:
"I want [Supernatural Vision] too."
So far, [Supernatural Vision] had been the most popular choice. Aside from lacking combat attributes, it offered a massive boost to visual acuity, unlocked night vision, and even allowed one to see through illusions—making it a highly practical ability.
"A wise choice."
Kitahara reached out and pulled Seika into an embrace, then leaned down to kiss her.
"Mmph..."
Seika's eyelashes fluttered as she hurriedly closed her eyes; though she tried to remain composed, the heat rising in her cheeks was beyond her control.
"Huh? Why is Ryo blushing?"
Soyo Nagasaki looked over with curiosity. "Ahem..."
Seika hurriedly cleared her throat twice, looking away with a guilty air:
"I... I suddenly feel a bit unwell..."
(Kissing in public is so embarrassing—it's only natural to blush!)
Nijika widened her eyes and looked over: "Ryo seems a bit strange today."
"N-no, really?"
Seika felt a sudden pang of panic.
(Stay calm! Don't panic!)
(Even if Nijika suspects something, I absolutely must deny it to the end!)
Fortunately, Kitahara spoke up just in time to break the tension:
"The ability sharing is complete. Everyone get ready—we're heading to Otherworld."
"..."
The girls changed into their swimwear and quickly formed a circle, holding hands to ensure they wouldn't land too far apart upon entering Otherworld.
Kitahara looked down at the beast-eared girl:
"Hana-chan, let's head to Otherworld. I'll buy you ten cupcakes when we get back."
The beast-eared girl's eyes lit up; countless fresh flowers quietly sprouted from around her body, piercing through the spatial nodes.
The next second.
The group vanished instantly.
Splash, splash, splash.
The sounds of bodies hitting the water—like dumplings being dropped into a pot—rang out in quick succession.
"Ptoo, ptoo..."
Seika quickly surfaced, wiped her cheek with her hand, and spat out the seawater.
"We really made it in... So this is Otherworld?"
With a sky as colorful as an oil painting, an endless black ocean, and a towering, massive island in the distance, Seika felt an overwhelming sense of awe wash over her. Kitahara's voice rang out:
"Let's do a roll call first... answer if you hear me. Sakiko?"
"Here."
"Soyo?"
"Right here."
"Ryo-senpai?"
"..."
Seika hadn't quite adjusted to the fact that Ryo was currently inhabited by the Shop Manager's soul, so she didn't react immediately when her name was called. It was Nijika who prompted her:
"Ryo, don't zone out; Kitahara-kun is calling your name."
Only then did Seika snap to attention and hurriedly reply:
"I'm here...!"
"Good, no one's missing." Floating in the sea, Kitahara spoke in a booming voice. "Swim toward me now. I'll send you to the Hot Spring Realm first, and call you out once we reach Eden Island."
The girls didn't hesitate; they swam over one by one.
Kitahara had initially considered having the girls enter the [Hot Spring Realm] while still in the real world, then entering Otherworld with Hana. He would have released the girls only after landing on Eden Island, but upon further reflection, he decided that approach wasn't secure enough.
After all, Ryo's body currently housed the Shop Manager's soul. Bringing people in via the [Hot Spring Realm] was akin to exploiting a glitch—it could potentially create unnecessary security risks.
Although he could use the Book of Answers to gather intelligence, he was about to enter Otherworld, so he needed to save his limited questions for critical moments.
As he spoke, the girls swam up to him.
"Let's go. To the [Hot Spring Realm] first."
Kitahara attempted to open the Hot Spring Realm; relieved to find it unaffected by Otherworld, he watched as the light warped slightly and the girls' figures vanished in an instant.
Things were simple from there on out. With those concerns settled, only Kitahara and Hana remained on the open sea—well, Hana wasn't human.
No longer needing to look after anyone else, Kitahara simply tossed Hana onto his shoulder and swam at full speed toward the distant Eden Island.
The journey would normally have taken half an hour, but Kitahara reached the island in just a few minutes. Once ashore, he had Hana weave a vine ladder, allowing him to quickly scale the cliff and enter Eden Island. "Everything is fine; it's business as usual."
Kitahara arrived at the cave where he had previously stayed. After scouting the area and confirming there were no anomalies, he entered Otherworld and brought the girls out.
"It smells amazing..."
Seika sniffed the air; an indescribable fragrance wafted toward her, making every cell in her body feel like it was rejoicing.
"It's... it's huge!"
Her gaze fell upon the center of the island, landing on the towering tree that dominated the entire landscape. Seika let out an involuntary gasp of awe.
The largest trees on Earth were the redwoods of North America, but compared to the Eden Tree before her, they were nothing—mere saplings. Although that "scum" Ryo had described it to her verbally before, seeing the Eden Tree with her own eyes left Seika utterly dumbfounded.
Kitahara feigned confusion as he spoke:
"It's not like Ryo-senpai is seeing the Eden Tree for the first time; why are you so shocked?"
"...Shut it!"
Seika quickly snapped back to reality, hurriedly masking her shock. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, feeling a twinge of guilt.
"Nijika-senpai."
Kitahara suddenly turned and called out.
Seika was startled, holding her breath in sudden tension.
(Why is that lecherous brat calling for Nijika?)
(Could he be suspicious of my identity?)
Fortunately, her fears proved unfounded; Kitahara simply called Nijika over and handed her the Book of Answers:
"Nijika-senpai, ask the Book of Answers if staying inside the [Onsen Village] will reset Otherworld's curse."
Although the presence of the Eden Tree made the island seem safe, this was still Otherworld—absolute safety was impossible. Given the choice, Kitahara would prefer the girls to remain within the [Onsen Village].
"Okay."
Nijika nodded gently, took the Book of Answers, and assumed the role of the question-asker.
Rustle, rustle.
The Book of Answers flipped its pages without any wind, and a line of text quietly emerged.
"Tsk~"
Kitahara let out a soft tsk, his tone tinged with regret:
"Alright, as expected, hiding in the [Onsen Village] won't work."
"Don't be too greedy, Kitahara-kun. Eden Island is already very safe," Nijika gently comforted him. "At least it's many, many times safer than the places we used to go to."
"That's true." Soyo raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice gentle. "There's no such thing as perfection in this world... We haven't been here in so long, the cave must have gathered a lot of dust. Why don't we all clean it up together?"
Kitahara nodded slightly: "There really is a lot of dust... How about this: you girls clean the cave, Hana will stay behind to protect you, and Ryo-senpai and I will go patrol the island."
The girls naturally had no objections to Kitahara's arrangement.
"Then it's settled... Ryo-senpai, let's head out."
Kitahara waved his hand and stepped forward toward the distance.
Seika hesitated for two seconds, but still stepped forward to follow him.
Although she didn't want to be alone with Kitahara, Ryo had sent a message during the day saying that whenever they came to Otherworld in the past, she and the brat would always patrol the island together... If she suddenly refused to go, it would definitely arouse suspicion, right?
"Don't be nervous, Ryo-senpai. With the Eden Tree here, there's usually no danger on the island."
As Kitahara spoke, he naturally took hold of 'scummy Ryo's' right hand.
"You..."
Seika glared over in shame and anger.
"What about me?"
Kitahara pretended to be confused, then took the opportunity to switch to an interlocking fingers grip.
Seika: "..."
Damn it!
This brat is crossing the line!
Although Seika really wanted to punch him, when she thought about how Ryo and Kitahara had already done the most intimate things, holding hands was nothing. If she insisted on breaking free, it would instead make him suspicious.
Left with no choice, Seika could only swallow her anger. Her face grew slightly hot as she tried to find a way to change the subject:
"Nijika and the others won't be in any danger, right?"
"Don't worry, Ryo-senpai," Kitahara said softly. "Hana is actually quite a good fighter. If we truly encounter an irresistible accident, we can also travel back quickly through the mirror."
"It's still better to be careful, don't be careless..."
"..."
The two chatted while patrolling the island. As time passed, Seika's sense of shame quietly faded. She finally stopped resisting the hand-holding posture, and occasionally, she would even secretly and quietly squeeze back.
It had to be said, the feeling of doing something secretly was indeed quite thrilling. Seika even gradually grew to like this feeling.
In reality, they couldn't hold hands. As an adult, holding hands with a high schooler with interlocked fingers was incredibly embarrassing, not to mention that he was her younger sister's boyfriend. But right now, this was Ryo's body... so it should be fine to sneak a touch occasionally, right?
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Seika's forehead was slightly beaded with sweat, and her breathing quietly grew heavier.
"Ryo-senpai, let's rest for a bit."
Kitahara sat down on a flat, clean large rock, then pulled out some drinks and snacks:
"Eat a piece of Magic Cookie to quickly replenish your stamina."
"Eh, Magic Cookie?"
Seika looked over curiously. She had heard of it before, but she had never actually eaten a Magic Cookie.
Crunch, crunch.
Seika ate the cookie in two bites and gave her review: "It just tastes like a normal cookie."
"The taste isn't important, what's important is the effect." Kitahara unscrewed the drink and handed it to Seika. "Drink some of this to stay hydrated."
Seika took the drink, tilted her head back, and downed more than half the bottle in one breath, then let out a comfortable sigh:
"..."
After resting for a moment, the two stood up to continue patrolling the island. However, the moment their hands met, Seika suddenly felt a jolt of electricity violently strike her, causing her entire body to shiver involuntarily.
"What's wrong, Ryo-senpai?"
Kitahara looked over with a subtle gaze.
"I-I don't know..." Seika tightly pursed her lips, clearly hearing her own heartbeat accelerating. "My body... feels a little strange..."
The shock-like trembling sensation kept coming. Although Seika didn't know exactly how to describe it, her body was clearly very out of sorts.
"Could the Magic Cookie have side effects?"
Seika asked nervously.
Having suffered plenty from side effects before, now that her body felt off, Seika naturally thought of side effects right away.
"The cookies don't have side effects, at most they turn people into animals..." Kitahara shook his head and opened his backpack. "Let me check first to see if I grabbed the wrong thing."
"Oh no..."
Kitahara's apologetic voice soon rang out:
"I took the wrong cookie."
Hearing this, Seika swallowed hard nervously: "Took the wrong cookie... what do you mean? As expected, there are side effects, right?"
"There are no side effects. What I gave Ryo-senpai just now was indeed a Magic Cookie," Kitahara's voice was deep. "But it wasn't a Stamina Cookie; I mistakenly took the Sensitivity Cookie."
"Wait, what is that?"
A bad premonition quickly rushed into Seika's heart.
"Just as the name implies..." Kitahara took a half-step forward, reached out gently, and pulled Seika into his arms. "It's a cookie that can directly max out the human body's sensitivity."
When the school year just started, because they had to participate in the school marathon, Kitahara had specially made Stamina Cookies to help Hitori and Tomori finish the race. Afterward, out of curiosity, he made another box of cookies that could increase sensitivity stats.
"Sen-Sensitivity?!"
Seika's eyes suddenly widened. She finally knew how to describe the strange sensation in her body.
D-Damn it!
No wonder just a simple embrace felt so intense. Maxing out sensitivity is just way too awful!
Sensing as if ants were crawling all over her body, Seika quickly panicked, her voice trembling slightly:
"Y-You, hurry up and let me go..."
"No way," Kitahara's tone was serious. "In a state where sensitivity is maxed out, if Ryo-senpai accidentally falls, it will definitely hurt so much that you'll bawl your eyes out. So, I must carry you the whole way next."
"I don't need—"
Smack.
Kitahara raised his right hand and gently swatted the girl's perky rear.
At the same time the crisp sound of the slap rang out, the girl's trembling, low whimper echoed as well.
"Be good."
"D-Damn it... how dare you..."
Seika quickly bit her lower lip, swallowing back the terrible sounds that followed, and looked up to glare at him in shame and anger.
Unfortunately, before she could finish her sentence, her pink, moist lips were directly blocked by Kitahara.
In a state of maxed-out sensitivity, Seika only felt a loud 'boom' buzzing in her head. Her soul soon floated away, drifting until it completely surrendered to it...