Chapter Ten: The Romantic Comedy Unfolds (Extra 1/7)
After school.
At a café aimed at students.
Kanade and Rinne found a relatively secluded corner to sit down.
The two sat across from each other, their faces heavy with worry.
Choosing friends poorly.
Kanade experienced the true meaning of this phrase for the first time.
The small booklet that her friend had stuffed into her backpack was seen by the boy she had a crush on, her childhood friend.
If this were a romance manga, Kanade would have laughed out loud.
But as the person involved, she couldn’t find it funny at all.
What a coincidence this was!!!
…..
…..
Time rewinds to that morning.
Today was Nagine’s day to return to school.
After waking up, she nervously styled her bangs in front of the mirror.
Her usual cheerful and sunny face now bore a hint of shyness and tension.
The Nagine without starlight.
Although she still looked like the alluring black-haired beauty, something was missing.
To give an example, she was like Cinderella without the magic.
Even though she was the same person, the impression she gave off had changed greatly.
Now, Nagine was no longer the “perfect childhood friend.”
Since the cultural festival last year, she had been living as “Hoshimiya Nagine” without the starlight.
At that time, she had simply worn light, airy clothes to get used to the feeling, reducing the starlight consumption when she stepped onto the stage.
There was no need to play a role.
But this time.
She would do her utmost to recreate her former self.
That top-tier, sunny, cheerful beauty.
Since mastering the starlight, she hadn’t confronted her identity as “Hoshimiya Nagine.”
“Ah, I used to always tell others not to get lost in power, but I didn’t expect to make the same mistake myself.”
Nagine sighed.
Her usual adorable movements now carried a hint of lingering heroic spirit.
Even though she had lived as a girl for over ten years, her self-awareness retained only the memories of her early childhood years.
Realizing this, guilt surged within her.
If it were usual, she would have already entered the starlight state by now.
Because what she had to do was so cruel, yet she had always used her ability to escape this torment from her conscience.
“I’m sorry, Kanade, for lying to you for so long…” Nagine softly spoke to her reflection, as if she had made a certain resolution.
“This time, I won’t run away anymore.”
—Let us bear this pain together.
Having made her decision, Nagine changed into her uniform and went to the living room.
“Nagine, did you oversleep today?”
Her mother, seeing Nagine, approached with a wry smile and helped her tidy up her slightly disheveled uniform.
“Come, sit here—”
“……”
Then Nagine was guided to a corner of the living room, where her mother used a comb to fix her hair.
—Is my skills really that poor?
Nagine’s freshly gathered courage suddenly felt deflated.
At the same time, she felt inexplicably ashamed.
Someone who couldn’t even dress properly dared to show a determined expression in front of the mirror.
Fortunately, no one saw it.
—Is it that I’ve become so bad at femininity without starlight?
—How could I charm Kanade to stay by my side like this?
Especially now with that unknown “Tenjouin Amane” emerging.
Nagine’s heart grew restless once again.
—It looks like I’ll need to resort to some unorthodox methods.
……
On the way to school.
“I feel like Hoshimiya-chan looks a bit handsome today~”
“Yes, yes! Although Hoshimiya-senpai seems a bit strange today, that cute yet cool vibe is awesome~”
“No, no, no! What are you all talking about? This shy look today is the best for Hoshimiya-kun, okay?”
The students who encountered Nagine on the way could vaguely sense something different about her today.
But fortunately, Nagine’s high beauty kept her in the hearts of everyone as the “adorable beauty.”
Just on that foundation, people noticed her oddities.
For instance, her cheeks constantly flushed with a light blush.
Or her tiny hands that were overly conscious of the hem of her skirt.
However, in terms of demeanor, Nagine’s aura felt stronger and cooler than usual.
The balance between “strength” and “frailty” seemed to have reached perfection in her.
Those who witnessed the scene couldn’t help but develop a craving to see a strong woman shy away.
Adolescents first understood what it meant to have a “conqueror’s urge.”
Meanwhile, for Nagine herself,
The school journey tormented her reason.
Whether it was the floaty hem of her skirt or the swaying weight in front of her, it kept her on edge.
Especially those legs wrapped in black stockings, the smooth feeling created by their friction was too pleasurable and made Nagine’s mind quiver.
Plus, the gazes drifting towards her were incessant.
That familiar “pleasant discomfort” returned.
She had a feeling that before long, she would awaken an affinity for the attention others directed toward her.
“Little Nagi—!”
As she passed by Kanade’s classroom, Kanade, who had been watching the corridor, spotted her.
His face lit up in joy as he hurried over to Nagine.
This startled her a little.
Despite previously planning to keep his distance in public, he was now so close to her.
“Little Nagi, are you okay?” Kanade asked with concern.
His enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for Nagine, causing her to timidly shrink back.
—Was this boy always so close to me?
—When was the last time I faced Kanade like this?
A sudden question sparked memories within Nagine.
(“—Even someone like me, can I become your princess?”)
The image of Kanade dressed in prince’s clothing flashed in her mind.
Nagine suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment, as if someone had opened her past black history.
“Little Nagi?”
“Mm? Um, I’m fine, Kanade, you worry too much…”
Although Nagine now lacked starlight, the skills she had genuinely learned came in handy.
She quickly adjusted her mindset and flashed a smile she believed was full of energy.
If it were the old her, shouldn’t she make a move here?
As she pondered, she leaned forward, wanting to thank Kanade in a sweet tone by his ear.
“Thank you for your concern… Kanade…”
But when the words came out, it turned into a near-whisper.
Deliberately making a sweet voice in someone else’s ear was indeed too shy!
However, Kanade’s reaction was beyond Nagine’s expectations.
He suddenly leaned back, turning beet red.
“Kanade?”
Nagine was a bit curious about his reaction.
Could it be that—
—He has no resistance to whispers in his ear?
“I, I, by the way, the class notes you borrowed last night, I have them now…”
Realizing his reaction was a bit strange, Kanade hurriedly changed the subject.
Flustered, he took out the notebook and handed it to Nagine.
He didn’t notice that there was something that didn’t belong to him tucked inside.
Nagine caught sight of it.
—Are Japanese students that mature? How could they circulate such things in class already?
But thinking about this being a Galgame world, where one can become engaged at 3 and married at 16, it was quite normal for them to be a bit precocious.
So when she realized what it was, she didn’t say anything.
Instead, she quickly took it and stuffed it into her backpack.
Because a good idea flashed through her mind.
However, even Nagine—
Couldn’t figure out what kind of genre the small booklet was, judging by the corners that peeked out of the notebook.
