**Chapter 43: Is This Child a Closet Seducer?**
“Zou… Although I have said this many times, let me say it once more.”
After everyone gathered as planned today, Ling pulled Zou aside and whispered in his ear:
“Isn’t there just too~~~many beautiful girls around you?”
As they spoke, both of them glanced towards the girls.
Yukino was elegantly introducing herself to the newcomers, Chika and Kozuka, with an air of nobility, and she even threw in some etiquette from the Tsukimi family.
This left Chika at a loss for words while Kozuka burst out laughing.
It had been a long time since Kozuka, now a high school student, had seen them.
She currently sported fashionable shoulder-length hair, with slightly curled ends, and her refined and beautiful features were accentuated by a light makeup. Her outfit of a T-shirt paired with a mini skirt, combined with her outgoing and cheerful personality, made her appear like a trendy city girl.
Standing beside Kozuka, Chika had also changed drastically in appearance compared to last year.
Her water-colored hair was now styled in a trendy side ponytail, fluffy and smooth, reflecting a charming sheen under the sun.
She seemed to have been taken to the same hair salon as Kozuka.
But what surprised Zou the most was that Chika had already taken off her heavy, clunky glasses.
Now wearing contact lenses, her originally above-average looks were even more pronounced, enhanced by her more voluptuous and perky bust compared to her peers.
It was now hard for any boy to look away from her.
These two seniors, from any angle, were undeniably captivating beauties.
Along with Yukino, Mana, and Nagi, it was no wonder Ling couldn’t help but comment.
Mana, who had always missed such gatherings in the past, was the only girl among them today wearing pants.
Yet her off-shoulder shirt paired with long pants accentuated her model-like slender and tall figure, and combined with her deep and three-dimensional features that hinted at mixed ancestry, she looked both fresh and energetic.
Without a doubt, she was also a top-notch beauty.
Finally, there was Ling.
With a cute appearance resembling that of a girl, he was dressed in a more androgynous style today.
To someone unaware, they would certainly think he was a delicate and slim girl.
So it was just like last year, in the eyes of others, it was a harem feast for Zou.
Surprisingly, this time Zou felt none of the inner tension he had felt last year.
What was going on? Was it because he had gotten used to it?
In front of Zou and Ling’s group of beautiful girls, Chika was nervously gripping Nagi’s hands.
She knew Nagi was currently in a state of amnesia, so they had a brief self-introduction.
“Nagi-chan, it’s so good that you’re okay…”
Chika said, “I was really worried when I heard from Tsukimi that you were in a car accident…”
“Are you really okay? That was a car accident, right?”
Nagi seemed a bit shy in front of Chika.
She waved her hands in a fluster, indicating she was really fine.
But Chika kept asking repeatedly, seemingly not quite believing the fact that “Nagi was in a car accident yet was unharmed.”
This caught Mana’s attention.
Because neither she nor Zou had reported Nagi’s unusual condition to Chika last night.
Logically, Chika should find it quite “normal” that Nagi was fine.
Just like Kozuka, who was rescuing Nagi from what seemed to be some worry.
Was Chika unaffected by this supernatural power? Mana speculated.
After some pleasantries, the group set off to the large shopping mall.
On the way, Mana intentionally had Yukino and Ling walk beside Nagi.
While she and Zou lagged behind, she began discussing the strange occurrences related to Nagi with Chika and Kozuka, who were also following behind.
“Right? Right! I said it was strange! Yet my senior kept saying it was no big deal!” Chika pouted, speaking to Kozuka beside her.
Kozuka rubbed her temple, as if handling the discordant feelings surging in her mind.
“…Another supernatural phenomenon, huh.” Kozuka sighed deeply, “Perhaps it’s best to dissolve the supernatural research club?”
It seemed that even Kozuka hadn’t heard of the “cursed couple” and felt powerless against it.
“Has this news been communicated to Alice?” Chika asked.
For them, asking Alice was the most reliable way to handle such matters.
“Yeah, I messaged her right away yesterday, but she hasn’t replied yet…” Zou took out his phone. The message sent to Alice was still marked as unread in the Line app.
Although Alice had told Zou beforehand that she might not be able to check messages in a timely manner, why was it especially at this moment? Wasn’t it too coincidental?
“Well~ we shouldn’t be too worried, right? I think Nagi looks pretty lively,” Kozuka tried to ease the situation, “It’s hard to imagine she’s lost her memory.”
At this, everyone present couldn’t help but nod.
After all, Nagi right now was completely different from their impression of someone who “lost their memory.”
“So, let’s take it easy today, shall we? Whatever, we can discuss it after the school trip…”
Kozuka ended a bit gritting her teeth.
It seemed she was quite dissatisfied with having just graduated, and the school trip being changed to a luxury cruise.
Because of the mysterious Shirakawa’s influence, Kozuka had repeated her third year and was now in high school alongside Amamiya.
Thus, she was also part of those who missed out on the “luxury cruise.”
…..
…..
“Alright~ Next up is girl time~”
Upon arriving at the mall.
Kozuka said to Zou and Ling.
Since the girls were planning to select swimsuits for the upcoming school trip, they would temporarily split up.
Although Kozuka and Yukino initially thought of letting Zou join in for fun, Mana stopped that with a severe glare.
Chika vigorously nodded in agreement.
So the gender groups separated here.
After Yukino watched Zou and Ling leave, she couldn’t help but let out a gentle sigh.
“Even without the boys… I still feel a lot of mental pressure being with these two…”
Yukino said, placing her hands on her chest.
Though not entirely flat, she had the curves symbolizing a growing girl.
But when compared to the flat-chested Nagi and Chika behind her…
“Hmm, I understand your feelings…” Kozuka also showed a sad expression and patted Yukino on the shoulder.
Kozuka deeply understood Yukino’s current feelings.
She mimicked Yukino by placing her hand on her chest, realizing that it was a normal size comparable to her peers.
Yet for some reason, it always felt a bit empty.
…..
…..
“This is it.”
After parting from the girls.
Zou and Ling arrived at the accessories store where they had bought Nagi’s bracelet last time.
Zou found the front-desk owner, who seemed to recognize him from last year’s visit.
“Hello, I’d like to ask if this can be repaired?”
The “star bracelet” that Nagi had been thinking about since she awoke was now in Zou’s hand.
The star bracelet, which should have been worn by Nagi, seemed to have fallen by the roadside on the day of the car accident.
It was picked up by the police who rushed to the scene and delivered to the hospital after they finished their related investigation along with the large sticker photo Zou had left behind at the aquarium.
At that moment, Zou was watching over Nagi, so this broken star bracelet ended up in his hands.
Seeing how concerned Nagi was about this bracelet upon waking, Zou decided to take this opportunity to see if the originally selling accessories store could repair it.
After carefully examining it, the owner looked at the visibly anxious Zou and smiled reassuringly:
“Don’t worry, it’s not a big issue. I can help you fix it today.”
Hearing this, Zou let out a long sigh of relief.
“May I ask about the fee…?”
“No need~ Since you seem so worried… it shows you really care for that girl. For me, knowing that someone likes and cherishes it is enough to make me happy.”
…..
Meanwhile.
“Speaking of which, Nagi-chan, do you have any swimsuit styles you fancy?”
The group of girls arrived at the women’s clothing store.
They politely declined the enthusiastic greeting from the sales assistant and headed to the swimsuit section.
During this time, Mana asked with some concern.
Her original intent was to pick out swimsuits that weren’t too revealing, something a bit more modest for Nagi.
After all, Nagi’s curvaceous figure was already very striking, whether it was her ample bust or the perky curves of her backside. Even in school-issue swimsuits, she had attracted countless unwanted gazes from boys.
Adding to that her completely innocent and naive personality, Mana couldn’t help but worry like an overprotective mother.
“Nagi-senpai would probably choose something a bit cuter, right?”
Yukino spoke up from the side.
In her understanding, Nagi liked cute things, so she tried to pull out a one-piece swimsuit with white lace on the chest from a hanger.
To Yukino’s recommendation, Chika nodded vigorously from the side, seeming to agree with her selection.
“Eh? Really? But I think since little Nagi has such a good figure, maybe it’s better if it reveals a little more?” Kozuka, too, picked out a swimsuit from a hanger.
It was a two-piece, but with large ruffles on the chest and hips, looking almost like a little dress.
“Isn’t this revealing a bit too much…?” Mana commented, seeming unsatisfied with this style that exposed the waist.
“No, no, no! Little Nagi’s waist is so slim; this is exactly what she needs.”
“But I still think a one-piece design suits Nagi-senpai more~” “Mmhmhm.”
“It seems like they also have competitive swimsuits here…” Mana looked toward another rack.
“Little Mana, are you Nagi’s mother!? What’s the difference between that kind of swimsuit and the school’s dreadful ones!?”
“Exactly, exactly! Since we rarely go to the beach, it should definitely be something cuter, right… Nagi-senpai?”
As the group argued over what kind of swimsuit would be suitable for Nagi, Yukino noticed Nagi was not participating in the discussion, instead standing a short distance away, quietly looking at a swimsuit in her hands.
“What’s this? Does little Nagi have a style she’s interested in?” Kozuka followed Yukino’s gaze and discovered Nagi was looking at a certain swimsuit, so she excitedly approached.
This startled Nagi, who immediately stuffed the swimsuit back onto the hanger, her cute cheeks flushed an enticing red.
“How pure~ Did you see a swimsuit that caught your eye?”
As Kozuka spoke, she took out the very swimsuit Nagi had been looking at.
The next moment, everyone present froze.
Only Nagi, her face burning, tried to snatch the swimsuit back from Kozuka.
“W-What a bold design…” Even Yukino’s eyes widened at this moment.
She briefly shifted her gaze to Nagi’s voluptuous and sensual figure.
Trying to imagine how Nagi would look in it, thoughts like “immorality” and “indecent” surfaced.
“Eh~ I didn’t expect little Nagi to be such a closet seducer~” Kozuka grinned mischievously.
“T-That, that swimsuit… If you move, it’ll sway a lot…” Chika added, her face reddened, looking just like a ripened apple.
“Well, Nagi-chan probably just wants to take a look, right?” Mana responded dismissively.
Actually, everyone present thought the same.
Assuming that naive Nagi had merely accidentally wandered into this sensual swimsuit section.
But the following words from Nagi left everyone in shock.
“T-That, I want to try it on…”
“Eh!?” “Wow~” The other four reacted completely differently.
“Y-You want to wear it!? Are you really going to wear this one!?” Yukino’s cheeks flushed as she nervously looked at the swimsuit in Kozuka’s hands. My older sister is in danger!
“Is that so? A decisive swimsuit, huh?” Kozuka seemed to have seen through Nagi, who was clearly shy but resolutely choosing this swimsuit. Zou is really lucky~ to have such a cute childhood friend willing to try on such a daring swimsuit~
Even Kozuka felt that there was no way she could wear this swimsuit.
Chika also realized why Nagi chose this swimsuit.
Even with amnesia, she still loved her childhood friend. The thought of this made Chika feel like she might faint with excitement any moment.
As for Mana.
She could already imagine the disastrous scenario of the boys all bending over on that day. No way, a compromise must be found here—
….
…..
When it came time to gather again.
When the group reconvened.
Zou noticed that apart from Kozuka and Chika, who were there to provide suggestions, the other girls all carried a bag.
It seemed everyone had successfully bought their swimsuits.
But for some reason, aside from Kozuka, the faces of the girls present were all flushed.
Even usually aloof Mana had a hint of pink on her cheeks, her eyes subtly glancing at Nagi.
“What’s—what’s wrong?” Zou couldn’t help but ask.
Yukino then took a step forward, patted Zou on the shoulder, and said earnestly:
“Oni-chan… I wish you good luck. If you have insurance, remember to write my name as the beneficiary.”
“???”
Mana let out a quiet sigh from the side.
Although she had tried her best to remedy things.
In the end, Nagi had still purchased a style—
Whose shock value could not be underestimated.
