Mayo Chiki!

Welcome to Musashino Land

Musashino Land is an amusement park about two hours away from our town, assuming you use both trains and busses at your disposal. In terms of scale, it probably is about average when it comes to the number of attractions, and the name comes from the person who founded it. To be perfectly honest, I came here with my family several times before. Today, it’s the 9th of October, and this is the second Saturday of the month. Our destination today was that amusement park.

“Woah, this is pretty amazing.”

After we got our free tickets from the employee, we walked through the ticket gate, to which the young Suzutsuki let out a voice of admiration. Roller coasters, coffee cups, a Merry-Go-Round…and various other attractions. I heard the screaming voices from the thrill ride. This isn’t half bad. I haven’t seen an amusement park in a while, but I always liked this atmosphere.

“Still, lots of people here today.”

The place was crawling with families and couples. Even if this was the weekend, is there really a need to gather such a crowd?

“You don’t know, Onii-chan? Today is the last day for this amusement park.”

“The last?”

“I heard that they’ll be doing a renewal, since the recession made their management and finances drop.”

“What a harsh world we live in.”

“But, the staff will stay the same, they said. They only got a new sponsor, so today is the final day before the renewal.”

“Is that why you wanted to come here today?”

“Yup! With it being the last day, it’ll remain in your memories longer, right! That’s what I thought when I heard about this two weeks ago!” Suzutsuki showed an innocent smile.

That’s right, this was decided two weeks ago. This plan was born two weeks ago, when she happened to see a billboard of this amusement park. It was a very childish decision, but perfect for us—Or rather, it was our perfect chance. After all, two whole weeks have passed since we watched that video.

—If you manage to satisfy the current me, I might turn back to normal.

Hearing these words from Suzutsuki, I did what I could. Every single day, I played with Derechuki-san. Thanks to that, I didn’t even attend school. Normally I should be worrying about my grades for the upcoming exams, but…this ain’t the time for that.

It’s been two whole weeks. I seriously didn’t expect things to stay this way for so long. Recently, both Masamune and Kureha have started to panic, fearing that maybe Suzutsuki might never return to normal. It’s enough, this is the limit. Suzutsuki hasn’t attended school for those two weeks either. The board at school was told about her being sick, but any longer, and they might grow suspicious, and she can’t be missing too much as the honor student.

That’s why, today is the day. An amusement park is filled with attractions where children can have fun. So, we’ll bring a conclusion to this whole mess here. Satisfy Suzutsuki, and return her memories. That…is what we decided through these two weeks, Konoe and I.

“Onii-chan, how do these clothes look?”

“Yeah, you look like a doll, it’s great.”

“Ehehe, thanks!”

Suzutsuki seemed to have grown even more excited because of my answer, as she twirled around me. She wore a long one-piece with frills all over. Seems to be a part of Ichigo-san’s hobby, as Suzutsuki looked more dressed up than usual. Talking about that Ichigo-san, she is taking care of the house. As she feels deep LOVE towards Suzutsuki, she naturally fiercely protested and stated her desire to join us, but…

“NO. Let go, Odd Jobs-san.”

“Calm down, Ichigo-san! You need to stay home!”

This happened in front of the Suzutsuki Residence. There, I was desperately trying to hold down Ichigo-san, embracing her from behind. This began a few minutes ago. We were preparing to head off to the amusement park, where Ichigo-san started acting weird. Hearing her out, one of the servant’s who should be discharged from the hospital suddenly ended up worse again, and although it wasn’t anything life threatening, they had to stay for a bit longer. As a result of that, Ichigo-san had even more work on her plate, which forced her to take up more duties at home…

“Not today! You still have a fever, right!?”

“Urk…” Ichigo-san suddenly grew silent.

That’s right, she caught a cold. Since she was plagued with endless amounts of work for the past few days, her body couldn’t keep up.

“No problem. A fever like this will only get me more motivated.”

“What are you talking about! You’re sick, so you need rest!”

“NO. I am totally fine. As proof of that…See, I’ll show you some dangerous juggling now.”

“Don’t bring out weapons while you’re sick!”

Metallic sounds rang out, as countless weapons belonging to Ichigo-san fell to the ground. A bar, chainsaw, Japanese katana…Waah, how many more weapons is she hiding? It’s like a black market at this point.

“Let go, Odd Jobs-san, it is my duty to protect Kanade-ojousama.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with her.”

“That worries me even more.”

“What do you even mean by that!?”

“You probably plan on doing this and that to Kanade-ojousama while I’m not watching, right?”

“Like hell I would!”

“‘Wohoo! I wanna ride the coffee cups!’ ‘Young lady, there’s something even more interesting that you could ride’ ‘Eh? What is that? I wanna try it!’ ‘Fufu, then hope on my lap first’ …is what will happen, and then you’ll start assaulting her…”

“You should get some rest as quickly as possible!”

No matter how you look at it, her fever has gone up. Having such fantasies is the best proof for that. Maybe using a sedative is our best bet here.

“Also, leaving aside the maid with the appendix, the chef was overworked, right? Why is she still hospitalized?”

“That’s because of Subaru, who visited her the other day. The chef went ‘Subaru-tan! I’ve been waiting to meet you! I’ll give you lots of lickies now!’, and started harassing Subaru, so she was hit with a Butler Knuckle, which didn’t help her case.”

“What an awful development!”

“More importantly, let me go, Odd Jobs-san, I’m going to the amusement park myself.”

“Ah, I told you not to grow rampant like that!”

I was forced to hold down Ichigo-san more. Because of her cold, she didn’t pack much strength, but…Damn it, my gynophobia really isn’t helping my case! At this rate, I’ll get a nosebleed, and Ichigo-san will find out about my disposition!

“Stop, Ichigo.”

Thus, I was considering calling the little monster of my family, and forcefully rendering Ichigo-san unconscious—Using a wrestling move, of course. However, before I could use my final trump card, Suzutsuki arrived at the entrance, and called out to Ichigo-san.

“You’re not feeling well, right? You need to sleep.”

“Urk…However, Kanade-ojousama…”

“Ichigo, this is for your well-being, okay? It’s a shame that you can’t come with us, but we’ll bring some souvenirs with us.”

“…Kanade-ojousama!” Ichigo-san started tearing up. “You’ve grown up so well…”

You do remember that it’s still the child Suzutsuki inside of her, right?

“…Understood, I will protect the house.”

“Yup, that’s just fine.”

Ichigo-san was finally broken, and stayed calm…Thank god. Letting a sick person come with us was against my calm mind, but there’s also the part where letting her leave this place and roam into the free world. She’s constantly swinging around her chainsaw, right? If she did that in the middle of town, she’d be arrested. That’s why, as long as she stays at the residence…

“Odd Jobs-san.”

However, as if to betray my expectations, Ichigo-san called out to me. In her hand, she held a familiar piece of clothing.

“I-Ichigo-san, is that…”

“YES. A costume.”

“But, it’s different from the one before.”

“I worked all night to make it. You wear this during your trip at the amusement park.”

“Huuh!? Don’t joke with me! Why would I have to walk around like an eccentric weirdo!”

“Do you not like it?”

“Of course not!? Like hell I would…Waaah, don’t push the chainsaw against my neck! You’re scaring me!”

Ichigo-san’s chainsaw was on a rendezvous with my neck muscles. This ain’t no joke. Even if it’s a blunt chainsaw, it still is terrifying.

“Odd Jobs-san, I’m begging you, please wear this.”

“Even if you force this on me…!”

“I don’t want to become a criminal at my age.”

“What do you plan on doing!?”

“Don’t worry, I will guarantee as the president of Rouran Academy’s handicrafts club president. This costume feels great to wear.”

“…Really?”

“It’s like you’re in heaven.”

“I feel like I’ll be in heaven for a different reason!”

It took another 15 minutes until this whole conversation ended.

That’s the end of the flashback. As a result of that, Ichigo-san stayed in the residence. She’s probably sleeping right about now, or depressed at home, going ‘To think I can’t go to the amusement park with Kanade-ojousama…’. To be honest, it’s not that I can’t sympathize with her…But, I have my own problems.

“Urk…”

The passing visitors of the park all gave me dubious gazes. I can’t blame them—I’m wearing a costume after all, not to mention the one I wear during my work hours. Because Ichigo-san forced me, I had no other choice but to wear it after all. Now you can’t even tell who’s the customer and employee here. Just now, I got kicked by a brat as well.

“Suzutsuki, this costume is supposed to be different from the previous one, right?”

“Yeah, this one is a Mk2.”

“Mk2…”

“Ichigo did her best while making it.” Suzutsuki showed an innocent grin.

…Scary. What do you mean by Mk2? The original version already had countless other functions, like a nipple massage or electrical shocks. There’s no doubt in my mind that that weird maid added more dangerous functions.

“Tell me, what functions does this one have?”

“It makes you lose weight if you wear it.”

“Ahhh, so like a diet? So, how effective is it?”

“You’ll lose 30kg in 2 days.”

“Isn’t that a bit too much!?”

“Also, it has a fireworks function.”

“Fireworks?”

“If you do anything weird to me, you’ll turn into fireworks, is what Ichigo said.”

“………”

…Yup, I’ll blow up. What a violent function to add, seriously. Then again, I doubt it’s an explosive. After all, Suzutsuki might fall victim to the explosion if she’s close by. This is probably just a warning from Ichigo-san, namely that I don’t do anything weird to the young lady.

“Hey, what do you mean by weird, Onii-chan?”

“A child like you doesn’t have to know.”

“Hmm…Ah, right. I’m wearing new underwear today, wanna take a look? It’s cute, right?”

“Stop that! Don’t pull up your skirt!”

“Should I take it off and give it to you, then?”

“The law forbids children to strike deals like that!”

No, seriously, I’ll be arrested at this rate. What’s wrong with playing at an amusement park with a child!? Of course, that excuse won’t run at all, it’ll surely turn into some erotic play.

“You lolicon, you’re not even holding back in public?”

See what I mean? Masamune threw cold words at me with a harsh tone. She wore a similar one-piece like Suzutsuki, but her skirt was oddly short…Waah, I don’t know where to look. She’s really styled up herself, didn’t she. But, she seemed a bit restless, as she looked around. I wonder, (is there missing text here?)

“Young lady, how about we ride this first?”

Without Ichigo-san around, Konoe took the lead, and called out to her master. She wore stylish pants paired with a tight shirt, together with a cool-looking necktie. No matter how you looked at it, she was a handsome guy, but a girl in reality. As I was inspecting her clothes, our eyes met for a second, but she let out a faint ‘Hmpf’, and looked away.

…Still no good, huh. During these past two weeks, as we were working together to return Suzutsuki back to normal, I tried to make up with Konoe. However, things didn’t quite work out. I feel like we’re both feeling awkward towards each other…

“Nii-san, what’s that complicated expression for.”

As I was lost in thought, Kureha called out to me. She wore a jacket with hot pants, as well as kneesocks reaching up to her knees. It looks like she can move easily in that, but isn’t she cold?

“Are you unsure what to ride first?”

“Not at all.”

“The thrill ride seems interesting though.”

“I’m not too interested.”

“Why? It looks scary, and enjoyable.”

“It doesn’t seem all that scary to me.”

The reason for that is simple. Rather than some roller coaster or free fall, the wrestling training held at my home is far more terrifying, and gives me a much greater thrill.

“Also, the one who’ll decide what we ride is Suzutsuki, right?”

All people present here are Suzutsuki’s servants. Just now, Konoe asked for Suzutsuki’s opinion, so it’d be a basic idea to prioritize her desires, right?

“Hmmm…which one should I do?” Suzutsuki swallowed the tip of her index finger, as she showed a childish thinking gesture.

According to the pamphlet of this amusement park, there’s about 30 different attractions here, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t know which one to pick.

“I don’t think I need to see the Merry-Go-Round. I can always do that when I feel like it after all.”

“Always do that? I thought this park was closing today?”

“At home, you know.”

“What?”

“Onii-chan will be the horse.”

“Why!?”

Ichigo said ‘Odd Jobs-san has this odd interest in wanting to be treated like a horse and mounted’, you know?”

“Can you please not believe everything you hear?”

What misleading propaganda is this. That damn yandere maid. How low is she trying to pull my reputation? Her love for Suzutsuki is no joke.

“Come on, what about the sea lion show?”

“I can do that at home as well.”

“Am I supposed to be the sea lion?”

“It’s where you let others do your bidding while giving them fodder, right?”

“What an awful way to phrase it!”

“That’s your role after all, Onii-chan.”

“Why thank you for telling me.”

“Ehehe, no problem!”

“I was being sarcastic, you hear me!?”

Rather than being the odd jobs guy, I was demoted to a pet. What hurt the most is that I was already wearing a costume. When will the collar come?

“Young lady, how about that hero show over there?” Konoe offered an option since the young Suzutsuki apparently had trouble deciding.

A hero show…Now that’s aimed for even smaller children. Though I heard about some housewives watching those shows because of the handsome actors.

“No can do, we’d have to wait too long before the show starts.”

“I-Is that so…” The butler showed a dejected reaction.

She’s so dejected? I thought something was weird, and looked over at the billboard belonging to the hero show, reading the title—

‘Butler Squadron: The ButRanger’.

“……”

For a second, I felt dizziness assault me. The hell am I looking at? Butler Squadron? ButRanger? They probably combined Butler and Ranger for that, but it sounds obscene as a result of that. Also, why would there be allies of peace who work as butlers? This almost feels like it was directed at a real butler who was present, namely Konoe Subaru…

“Ah, look at that, Nii-san. They’re handing out balloons.”

“Balloons?”

I looked over, and found costumed people handing out balloons to the children around. I guess they must be the actors of that show, huh? I could see one handsome guy wearing a butler uniform, and another with glasses…Wait, hold on. This is just my imagination, right? These costumes look far too familiar…

“J-Jirou…”

It seems like Subaru-sama had a similar reaction.

“C-Calm down, Konoe.” I said, all in order to calm myself down.

After all, these costumes looked like they were modeled after me and Konoe. Although they looked a bit more cartoon-ish, I could clearly see the resemblance. Not to mention those balloons, they have the design of a certain murder sheep…

“Nya? Nii-san, you didn’t know?”

As we were shaking in terror, Kureha explained it with a natural tone of voice.

“The one who came up with that hero show was NaruNaru.”

“……”

I knew it. What an awful timeline this is. With NaruNaru, Kureha is referring to the glasses junkie Narumi Nakuru. She basically lives off creating BL material starring me and Konoe. And now, she created this hero show. Weird…wasn’t an amusement park supposed to sell hope and dreams? Why does this feel like I was pushed into a nightmare?

“K-Kureha-san, why did Nakuru come up with a hero show?”

“Well, this amusement park is going through a renovation soon, yeah? The sponsor for this is NaruNaru’s family.”

“Oh yeah, her family’s that toy manufacturer…”

So it’s basically her influence which allowed this. That wench, she’s relying on the fact that her parents are sponsors for this park in order to push through her own convenience and desires. I can already see the plot of her hero show. Maybe I could call for public slander.

“But, why did Nakuru’s family sponsor this place?”

“Did you not hear about it from Onee-sama? This amusement park here was having trouble with management and economy for a while, so the vice captain…”

“What did Schrö-senpai do?”

With vice captain, Kureha must be referring to Nakuru’s older sister Narumi Schrödinger. But, why does her name appear now?

“When they came here before, she couldn’t ride the roller coaster.”

“What?”

“The roller coaster, you know. When the vice captain tried to ride it, she was told ‘You’re not tall enough’ or ‘Grade school students can’t ride it’, which is why…”

“……”

Is that why they bought it? I can see the angered Schrö-senpai run to her parents and beg them to buy up this park, all because they made fun of her for being small. I mean, in the end, it’s all her fault, although I get angry at that.

“That being the case, Musashino Land will be reborn as Narumi Land next year. NaruNaru said that ‘Once the renovation is done, Nakuru will invite Senpai and the others’, but what do you think?”

“You politely decline that offer once you get a chance.”

“Ehh, why?”

“I feel like the attractions will be filled to the brim with BL nonsense.”

I don’t even want to imagine it. Knowing that glasses junkie, she’ll probably say ‘All BL couples get free entry!’ or something like that.

“Hey, Onii-chan, what’s BL?”

“Eh…?”

Suzutsuki must have heard our conversation, and asked me this with an innocent tone…….This is bad. How should I explain this? Explaining BL to a young girl is way too dangerous, especially with no preparation at all.

“Hey hey, tell me!”

“Well, BL is…an abbreviation for bacon lettuce.”

“Bacon lettuce?”

“Y-Yeah. You often use it for sandwiches, right?”

“Yup! I love it! What about you, Onii-chan?”

“I-I like it myself.”

“Really? Then we’re the same!” Suzutsuki showed a bright smile.

Alright, this is going great. Explaining boys love to a girl who has yet to go through sex ed is way too hard of a task. Not to mention hearing that from a guy is a bit…

“Stupid chicken, what have you two been talking about? Did you decide on the attraction you want to check out?” Masamune seemingly got curious about our conversation, and called out to us.

Suzutsuki didn’t waste a breath, and spoke up.

“Hey, Usamin, do you like BL?”

“Huuuuuh!?”

Because of this sudden question, Masamune started panicking…Not good. This will definitely get even more annoying.

“Tell me. Do you like it? Do you not?”

“T-There’s no way I would like that!”

“Ehh, I really love it though.”

“Are you being serious!?”

“Yup, I eat it everyday.”

“Huuuh!? E-Eating? Is that some BL-related vocabulary?” The nasty rabbit was baffled.

Clearly, their conversations didn’t match up at all. Of course, bacon and lettuce don’t match up with boys’ love.

“D-Do you like it that much?”

“Why don’t you try it as well, Usamin? I’m sure you’ll get addicted to it.”

“Don’t scare me like that!”

“It’s fine, it’ll only be scary in the beginning.”

“E-E-E-Even if you tell me that…!”

“Also, Onii-chan said he likes it as well.”

“Why!?”

“It’s not weird for boys to like BL, right?”

“~~~!” Masamune looked at me with an awfully scornful gaze.

Gyaaaa, she totally has the wrong idea about things! Now I’ll turn into a BL lolicon! Seriously, how bad could that be.

“Stupid chicken, you…”

“C-Calm down, Masamune, the BL Suzutsuki is talking about refers to—”

“Don’t just explain it! There’s only one BL she could mean!”

“No, it’s not! Hear out Suzutsuki’s explanation then!”

“…Hey, Suzutsuki Kanade, what do you think BL is?”

“I mean, it’s the BL you use for sandwiches…”

“Sandwiches!?”

“You don’t know? Basically, you sandwich it, and—”

“S-S-S-Sandwich it!?” Masamune grew pale, as she panicked.

…This one’s done for. At this rate, no matter how much I explain, it’ll only cause her to panic more. My best bet is to change the topic entirely.

“H-Hey, Suzutsuki, did you decide on the attraction you wanted to see?” I asked, to which Suzutsuki nodded energetically.

Following that, she pointed in a certain direction.

“I want to try out that over there.”

“That?”

I followed Suzutsuki’s gaze…and found a large building that resembled an abandoned hospital—It’s a haunted house, a template attraction at an amusement park. Not to mention that the one they have here takes you at least 30 minutes to clear, which makes it pretty popular.

“A-A haunted house…”

A single maid started quivering in fear upon hearing her master’s request. Of course, it was none other than Sakamachi Kureha. She is absolutely terrified of anything occult related.

“What’s wrong, Kureha-chan? Are you scared?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

“Weird, you’re older than me, right?”

“!”

“Yet, you’re afraid of ghosts…Maybe you really are a chi—”

“No! I’m not scared at all! Haunted houses have nothing on me!” Kureha puffed out her chest, acting tough.

You can just be honest with yourself, being afraid of ghosts isn’t that childish.

“Then, that’s decided. Are you fine with that, Subaru?”

“Yes, whatever you wish for, young lady.”

“Fufu, then let’s go!”

The young lady walked on ahead, with us walking after her. Since this was the final day, we had to wait around thirty minutes, but because I was talking with everyone, it didn’t feel that long at all. And then, it was finally our turn. We showed the employee our tickets, and set foot inside the haunted house.

“Stop.” Suzutsuki stopped us. “Going in there together isn’t scary at all, so let’s split up.”

“So we’ll go one by one?”

“Nah, since we’re five people, it’s fine if we go as a group of two and a group of three, right? We’ll decide the teams with rock paper scissors, and the first two to win will be the group of two.” Suzutsuki said, and immediately took the fitting stance.

Wah, hold on, how am I supposed to prepare myself here! Ahhh, rock paper scissors it is! We all joined in with energetic voices, and at the end of it all…

“Ah, I won.”

“Urk…”

Three people put out paper, and two chose scissors. The two winners were Masamune and me, which also concluded the team building. Basically, Masamune and I were the first ones to set foot inside the haunted house.

“…Hmpf, so it’s you two first.” Having flashed paper during the decisive battle, Konoe now sounded clearly disgruntled.

Did she want to go first that badly? I feel like entering first is the scariest. Not to mention…

“Stupid chicken, why do you look so bothered?”

“I mean, that’s because you’re my partner.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Because…you have a feeling for ghosts, right?”

“It’s not such a big deal, honestly. I sometimes hear voices, or any pictures I take have silhouettes of ghosts in them.”

“That’s why I hate this!”

“W-Why? No need to worry, if a real one appears, I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t need that!”

“Just to let you know, there are some in there.”

“Gyaaaaaah!?”

Who are you, I*o Junji!? That sounds awfully convincing! I don’t want this. I don’t want to walk through a haunted house with her of all people. This is the kind of development where we joke around, but a real ghost will actually appear. I might not be as bad as Kureha, but I’m not the biggest fan of ghosts and so on.

“It’s fine, I figured this might happen, so I studied horror movies.”

“Horror movies?”

“‘Exor*ist’, for example.”

“You’re basically asking to get possessed, right.”

“Also, ‘Nau*icaa of the Valley of the Wind’.”

“That’s a leap in genre alright!”

“It’s the same. In the end, you just have to tame them, right? Tell them you’re not scared, it’ll be fine.”

“I’m honestly more scared of what you’re trying to do!”

Is she some kind of exorcist? What’s there to tame, it’s a ghost. Either way, this haunted house sure as hell doesn’t feel great to me. My antenna was going off like crazy. It wouldn’t be weird if my old man suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Y-Yeah, got it.”

That being said, running away now would make me way too much of a chicken bastard, so I followed Masamune. As you’d expect, the inside was awfully dark. I heard that they’ll be adding Silent Sheep after the renovation is done. I’m glad I came today, I definitely don’t want to see that.

“Urk…”

Walking down a dimly lit hallway was as eerie as always. And for some reason, we need to walk like this for another thirty minutes. As a result of that, there’s an emergency exit on the way in case you started to feel sick or if you couldn’t handle the haunted house anymore.

“…Stupid chicken.” Masamune muttered with an awfully serious tone.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“Well, you know.”

“I know?”

“Behind you…No, it’s nothing.”

“It definitely isn’t nothing, right!?”

At least be honest with me! That’ll at least save me from some severe damage!

“Do your shoulders feel heavy?”

“N-Now that you mention it, my shoulders started feeling a bit heavier compared to before we entered…”

“Listen, you definitely, under no circumstances, can turn around, okay!”

“Y-Yes…” I turned into a robot that was only capable of nodding my head.

Let’s run away. This is the Demon Lord’s hideout. I’m sure some kind of urban legend will jump at me. A staircase to a different world would be fitting as well.

“…Not good, we’re leaving.”

“Eh?”

“We’re using the emergency exit. We can’t stay here.”

“Why…”

“Long and white fingers…around your neck…”

I did not waste a second, and immediately started dashing towards the emergency exit. Upon opening the door, I was showered with the dazzling sunlight. It seems like we made it outside. That being said, it was quite a ways away from the entrance. Did Suzutsuki and the others already enter? If they don’t escape soon, they’ll end up like ghost food…

“Stupid chicken, what are you doing?”

I was about to take out my smartphone and contact Konoe, when Masamune stopped me.

“Well, I was thinking of informing Konoe so that they escape themselves.”

“Why?”

“I mean, the poltergeist…”

“No need to worry, that was just me making stuff up.”

“…What?”

Making stuff up…Wait, don’t tell me…

“That’s right, I was lying. There’s no ghosts here, it’s just your average haunted house.” Masamune spoiled me with no remorse.

This damn nasty rabbit…She’s done me dirty. She just nonchalantly deceived me. Ahh, that’s so annoying. Even if I was scared, I can’t believe I just fell for that. And since I left already, there’s no way to get back inside again. No, more than anything, why did Masamune force me to go outside?

“—Stupid chicken.” As I was filled with doubts, Masamune pointed at me in embarrassment. “You—go on a date with me right now!”

“…What?”

In the midst of all the attractions that Musashino Land offered, from thrill rides, haunted houses, the one thing that shocked me the most were Masamune’s words.

“…Um, a date? Why?”

“Eh? Haven’t I told you enough already?”

In the face of my question, Masamune enjoyed some soft ice cream as she answered. Right now, we’re waiting in line for the attraction—of the water splash coaster. From a height of 30m, it was almost a straight drop, right into a pool of water, where you’re guaranteed to end up wet. Right after we left the haunted house, we lined up here. Don’t ask me why.

“I figured that today would be a great opportunity to work on your gynophobia. By going on a date with a girl, you’ll surely get used to them, right?”

“Well, you’re probably not wrong in that, but…”

“I really don’t want you to become a lolicon, or tread the path of BL. You want to fix your gynophobia…and experience love with girls, right? That’s why I’ll help you. Since we’re friends.”

“What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but why did you force me to pay for the ice cream?”

“It’s a date, so the man is supposed to pay, right?” Masamune said, and got another taste of the ice cream.

It was pretty expensive, okay? Not to mention that vanilla ice cream sounds great right now…Ahh, I should have bought some myself.

“You better be ready, I’ll have you repay me for that.”

“Eh? W-With…my body?”

“No.”

“E-Even if my body is filled with cream right now, saying ‘Eat me~’ is too much…”

“Is the inside of your head filled with a wedding cake!?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“It’s something worth celebrating!”

“Don’t use an example that’s hard to understand!” Masamune was fuming in anger. “Also, I wouldn’t be able to do this if Suzutsuki Kanade was here…”

“Why?”

“Isn’t that obvious? There’s no way she would give the okay to the two of us going on a date.”

“Ahhhh…”

I get what she’s on about. I’m not too sure if I can even say that, but the Suzutsuki right now—Derechuki-san is practically glued to me. Even if this is to fix my gynophobia, she most likely wouldn’t give the green light for us to go on a date like this.

“Not to mention…I was looking forward to this.”

“What?”

“B-Because…I’ve been waiting for this day to come…This is my first time coming to an amusement park.”

Normally you’d go at least once with your family…Well, I guess not. Masamune’s been plagued with family-related problems for a long time. Because of her harsh attitude and cold voice, she doesn’t have any friends either. That’s why it makes sense that this is her first actual visit to an amusement park.

“But, why was there such a need to move separately from Konoe and the others?”

“B-Because…”

“?”

“Enjoying the amusement park too much…would make me seem like a child, and it’s embarrassing…” Masamune muttered with a flustered voice that was about to vanish into thin air.

……Well, whatever. I’m sure that it’ll still take a bit longer until Konoe and the others leave the haunted house. I can also understand Masamune’s sentiments, but even more than that…

“Alright, I got it, so don’t look like you’re about to break out in tears.”

“W-Who’s about to cry!?” Masamune averted her face with a pout.

She probably was worried if I was going to agree or not. That’s why, it’s probably my best bet to just simply agree, and—

“!?”

Immediately after, I started thinking that maybe my choice was wrong after all. At a moment’s notice, Masamune wrapped her arms around mine.

“U-Um, Masamune-san?”

“No complaining. This is to fix your gynophobia.” She threw these words at me, but her tone of voice almost made it sound like she was enjoying this.

Waaah, this nasty rabbit, did she awaken to her sadistic side now? Or, is she just enjoying the amusement park that much? Whichever it may be, I wasn’t given much time to think about it, as my gynophobia symptoms were flaring up. Not to mention…

“…!”

Her chest…because she’s pressing her body against mine, her breasts were directly touching my elbow, and gyaaaaa! What is this sensation! This is much more terrifying than any thrill ride!

“Hey, stupid chicken.”

“W-What do you want?”

“There’s two more things I want to ask you, can I?”

“W-Why do I have to answer your questions?”

“You don’t need to answer me, you know? I have my own way of getting that out of you.” She muttered with a teasing tone of voice, as she pressed her chest onto me even further.

T-This woman, she’s clearly trying to make things worse. I’m at my limit now, my nose is burning up.

“A-Alright, ask me anything.”

“Fufu, very well.”

The promise was formed. I-I’m saved…But, I wonder what she wants to ask?

“First…about Suzutsuki Kanade.” She started talking. “You’re hiding something in regards to Suzutsuki Kanade, right?”

“Urk.”

“Seems like I hit the jackpot. I thought something was off. After all, you were so focused on playing with her all the time, simply because of her order. That must have had some special reason, right?”

“T-That’s…”

“Just be honest with me. If not…”

“…! O-Okay, I’ll say it! So please, stop clinging to my arm like that!”

I surrendered quickly in order for me to not pass out…It can’t be helped. I kept quiet about the DVD, but I think it’s about time I told her.

“The thing is…”

From there on out, I revealed everything. The fact that Konoe and I saw that DVD, that Suzutsuki herself chose to become a young girl, and that we tried our hardest to satisfy Suzutsuki so that she returned back to normal.

“Hmm, I see.” After hearing everything, Masamune let out a sigh. “So she chose to become an 8-year old girl, huh. And now, she can’t turn back. In order to fix her, you want to satisfy her.”

“That’s about it.”

However, there’s one thing I didn’t tell Masamune about. Namely, the reason why Suzutsuki chose this method. I mean, what good would telling her do? If I confessed the real reason, these two would only hate each other more. Well, it’s already pretty bad. They’re rich lady and commoner, they live in different worlds.

“But…it makes sense that you would quickly want to fix that.”

“Eh?”

To my surprise, Masamune sounded oddly worried about her natural enemy Suzutsuki.

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea. This is for my sake. I’m not good at dealing with children. When Suzutsuki’s like this, I can never get angry at her.”

“Masamune…”

That damn tsundere. She’s probably exhausted from always being considerate of young Suzutsuki. I get her. Having to deal with this innocent attitude all the time can be troublesome.

“Not to mention…I can’t stand her always clinging to you…”

“Agreed. Any more than this, and people will see me as a lolicon.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Masamune bit her lip, sounding like there was something else she wanted to say.

And now, it was our turn in line. Around ten people can ride this water coaster at the same time. You ride as pairs, in five lines.

“…First row, huh.”

Masamune’s and my seats were at the very front of the coaster. It had to be these seats, huh. We’ll probably end up drenched thanks to that.

“Stupid chicken, I got this from an employee, we’re supposed to put these on our heads.” Masamune handed me what looked like a small vinyl sheet.

I see, I’m using this as a guard, huh.

‘The coaster ride will now depart!’

After we sat down on our seats and put down the safety bar, the ride started moving up the lane. Hmm, this is pretty high. I haven’t ridden this kind of attraction in a while, so my heart is racing in excitement.

“Hey, what about that other question you had?” I asked, remembering our previous conversation.

“…Yeah.”

However, only silence followed, and the mere sound of metallic rattling could be heard. Finally, she opened her mouth, and…

“Did something happen between you and Subaru-sama?” She asked.

“What do you…”

“I mean, recently you don’t seem that close anymore, right? Or rather than that, things feel awkward between the two of you.”

“……”

“Did you…have a fight?” Her eyes looked at me in uncertainty.

Being met with such an honest gaze, I could only answer with a faint ‘…Yeah’. And then, another silence ensued. We were still going up the rails. Despite the metallic sound still filling our ears, this silence felt longer than before.

“………”

I wouldn’t even know how much time has passed. With a bit more, we would reach the summit.

“—It’s fine.” Masamune said.

“Eh?”

“Like I said, it’ll be fine. I’ll help you out. Luckily, we’re at an amusement park today, so this is your perfect chance to make up, right.”

“………”

“You were really close with Subaru-sama, right? Since you’re friends, you naturally would want to make up.”

“…Yeah, thanks.” I gave my honest gratitude.

I guess it’s true that all you need in life are friends. To think that Masamune herself would offer to help me.

“Not to mention…Subaru-sama is a boy, so there’s no problem even if you’re close…”

“Eh?”

“N-Nothing. But, no setting foot onto the path of BL, okay! No matter how close you may be! Ah, right, I’ll help you cure Suzutsuki’s problem while I’m at it as well.”

That one’s just the added bonus!? — I really wanted to retort, but just getting help from Masamune in regards to Suzutsuki is something I should be thankful for. Yeah, all you need is a good friend…

“Masamune.”

“Hm? What?”

“I mean, this is going to sound a bit cheesy, but…I’m glad that you and I are friends.”

I got swept along with the mood, and uttered something awfully embarrassing.

“Eh—”

I felt my body floating, and the wind blew past me at higher speeds than before. Following that, a great amount of screams rang out—We were descending down the coaster. We reached the summit without me even realizing, and now we were nearing the water—directly hitting it. Water splashed up around us everywhere. After that, it started raining down on us.

Good thing I covered my body with the vinyl a split-second before that. I almost forgot that I was given that thing, but I’m glad I remembered it in time. Now I got away without being drench…

“—Um, Masamune?”

What are you doing—I wanted to complain, but I lost all my words. She was drenched. Water was dripping off her clothes. It’s like she was training under a waterfall…

“You…”

Did she forget to put on the vinyl guard?

“Wha…wha…wha…!?”

However, Masamune was blushing furiously, without even realizing that she ended up like that. She completely forgot herself.

“Y-You, what embarrassing nonsense are you saying!”

“Wha?”

“You said something weird like that, surprising me!”

“Surprising you…”

Was it that weird? I don’t think you need to freeze up like that. I do agree that it was mighty embarrassing though.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, okay! It’s not…like I was happy or anything!”

Upon reaching the end of the ride, even after we walked away from our seats, Masamune was still rambling on and on…I mean, that’s fine and all, but…

“…Um, Masamune-san.”

“What do you want!?”

“Well, your clothes…”

“…Eh?”

As friends, I thought of informing Masamune of her current appearance, to which she blushed even more aggressively. The one-piece she was wearing was utterly drenched, which led the fabric to stick to her skin, revealing her slender and feminine lines, as well as emphasizing her underwear…

“Stop looking, stupid chicken!”

“Guha!?”

Immediately after, Masamune’s crescent kick slammed right into my flank. T-This damn nasty rabbit, she never holds back, huh…!

“Idiot! Dummy! Big big dummy! You’re the worst! Why did things have to end up this way!?”

“You got splashed by water, right?”

“It’s your fault because you said something embarrassing like that!”

“You still didn’t have to kick me like that!” I screamed while dodging another incoming kick.

Think about the other people watching us!

“What is that? A fight?”

“It’s nice being young.”

“You’re flirting way too much, alright.”

These and many other words could be heard, all of them misunderstanding the situation.

“Geez, you dummy…” Masamune said, but still accepted the towel from the employee, and dried herself.

I’m glad it’s a considerate employee helping us. It is a clear day today, but having it dry naturally would take too long. However, that still hasn’t cleared up all my problems. I definitely made Masamune angry. Maybe she’ll reconsider helping me now…

“…You don’t have to be so worried, okay.” There, right after we stepped out of the attraction, Masamune opened her mouth after getting a good look at my face. “Whether it’s you getting along with Subaru-sama, or turning Suzutsuki back to normal, I’ll help you. Because…we’re friends, right?”

“…Yeah, thanks.”

She did sound a bit embarrassed, but I still gave her my gratitude…Yeah, no matter what she may say or do—Masamune is a great person.

“…Jirou, what are you doing here with Usami?”

Right there, I heard an awfully displeased alto voice. When I turned towards the source of that voice, I spotted Konoe Subaru. She gave me and Masamune a harsh glare.

“…Ah.”

Crap, I totally forgot. It was around time that these guys got out of the haunted house, yeah. But then, why is it just Konoe here?

“Right after we left the haunted house, we split up to look for you and Usami…but to think you two were enjoying yourselves like this.” Her voice was shaking in anger.

Crap, I need to quickly explain everything. After all, Masamune is now going to help us with Suzutsuki, so—

“Gohu!?”

Right as I tried to make up excuses, a butler knuckle rammed right into my solar plexus.

“I thought you were better than this…” Konoe spoke with watery eyes.

She looked like a child that was about to break out in tears.

“We planned to work hard for the young lady’s sake today, and yet you left her alone to have fun with Usami instead…”

“…! Wait, Konoe! I need to tell you about what Masamune and I talked—”

“Shut up! Like I’d listen to your excuses now!” Konoe averted her face, and walked away.

She’s probably going back to where Suzutsuki and Kureha are waiting.

“S-Stupid chicken…Um, sorry about that. I might have just made things worse…”

“…No, it’s fine. I’m partially to blame as well.” I cheered up the apologizing Masamune.

In fact, it’s not her fault. However, after that kiss incident before, I feel like our relationship moved into the opposite direction. It was almost noon now, with a clear blue sky above us, and yet my heart was clouded with fear about where this would go.

As expected, Konoe would not forgive me no matter what I said. Or rather, she wouldn’t even hear me out. Immediately after that, we grouped up with Suzutsuki and the others, so I tried to immediately explain myself, but I couldn’t even properly talk with her. Although I was clearly to blame, that still didn’t sit right with me. I mean, not even responding to me? Masamune and I merely rode an attraction together, why is there a need to be this angry?

But, if I retaliated now, it would break out into a real fight. That’s why I held my tongue for now. I know how stubborn Subaru-sama can be, but with time, her anger should subside. So, after we finished lunch, we went to adventure the amusement park again. Biking, a free-fall, a roller coaster, a mirror house, one-person bungee jumping that I was forced into by the young lady, and right after the hero show, we moved to a game center. There was countless playing, and even more playing. In the meantime, the time of day moved to evening.

“…Phew.” I let out a sigh.

It’s no use, I’m not seeing any progress at all. And no, I’m not talking about Suzutsuki. Derechuki-san was thoroughly enjoying the amusement park, and looked happy as could be. I feel like we got a lot of points in regards to satisfying her.

The real problem is Konoe Subaru. She wouldn’t even let me talk to her, and just averted her gaze.

“Stupid chicken, what do you plan on doing?”

Masamune must have felt guilty, because she called out to me with an anxious voice. Even if you ask me that…I should be able to clear up the misunderstanding regarding Masamune. The problem is what comes after—Namely, the kiss. That’s the main reason things turned awkward between the two of us. Without clearing that up, we won’t improve our relationship. So in order to put an end to this—

“Onii-chan.”

As I was lost in thought, Suzutsuki pulled on my costume.

“What’s up?”

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“Um, I want to ride that thing next.” She smiled, and pointed towards a single spot.

As it turns out—she wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel, yet another template attraction you would find at an amusement park. Looking at the pamphlet, this Ferris Wheel was at least 100m tall, and one ride could take 19 minutes.

“Hey, Onii-chan.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Yaaay! Ferris Wheel!” Derechuki-san jumped in joy.

Judging from that, she seems satisfied alright.

“The gondola seems big enough for all of us to fit as well.” Masamune commented after looking at the billboard next to the line.

I bet the sight must be great, yeah. With these thoughts, we lined up, and it took us around ten minutes when it was our turn.

“Then, you hop on first, Onii-chan.”

“Hm? Y-Yeah.”

Urged by Suzutsuki, I stepped onto the gondola. Oh, it’s shaking a bit. Now that I think about it, this is my first time taking a ride on a Ferris Wheel.

“Next it’s me. Onii-chan, lend me your hand.”

“Yeah yeah, I understand, young lady.” I stuck out one hand from the Ferris Wheel, and grabbed Suzutsuki’s hand.

For just a bit, it should be fine even with my gynophobia.

“Fufu, thank you.” She showed a teasing smile, and hopped on the gondola.

Immediately after—

“…Eh?”

A clicking sound rang out, and the door of the gondola closed. Of course, the Ferris Wheel did not stop to wait for us. While leaving behind Kureha, Masamune, and even Konoe, we moved forward. They definitely can’t join our gondola anymore.

“Onii-chan.” Her voice sounded seductive for some reason.

After the door closed, Derechuki-san sat down next to me, and smiled.

“S-Suzutsuki, what are you…”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to enjoy a brief date with Onii-chan, that’s all.”

“A date…”

“Come on, sit down. We’ll talk a bit during this ride, what do you think?”

“……”

Seeing no other option, I sat down facing Suzutsuki…She set me up. She probably suggested the Ferris Wheel with that exact plot in mind. That’s Suzutsuki Kanade for you, she’s still a young child, but she knows how to use her surroundings. But…what is this? What does she want to talk about with me?

“First, let me ask something.”

As the Ferris Wheel continued to turn, we were looking outside. It would take 19 minutes until we’re back on the ground. In the midst of this date that was far too short, Suzutsuki began the questioning.

“Why did you play this much with me for the past two weeks?”

“W-Why…? Because I’m your servant.”

“Nonsense, I see. You were weird this entire time. And to be perfectly honest, the same goes for Subaru. You were almost desperate when it came to playing with me, weren’t you. Before, you would be very hesitant when I invited you. Tell me, why?” Suzutsuki tilted her head.

…Are you serious? To think she realized what we were trying to do. She’s got way too good of an intuition. Damn Devil Suzutsuki, even as a child she doesn’t hold back with her devilish power.

“Onii-chan?”

“…Alright.”

Having come this far, I probably won’t be able to hide it. Once we made it down to the ground, she’ll ask Konoe the same thing, and she won’t be able to go against her master. For now, I decided to explain everything. After hearing out everything—

“Hmm, I see.” Derechuki-san nodded. “Basically, you were constantly playing with me in order to satisfy me, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Ahaha, thank you, Onii-chan. I’m lucky to have such great servants, really. Because of that…I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.”

“Eh…?” I couldn’t hide my shock in the face of these words.

“These past two weeks, you always played with me. You, Subaru, Kureha-chan, even Ichigo-san and Usamin, getting to play and have fun with all of you, how could I not be fulfilled.”

“S-So then…”

Will you turn back to normal? Will you turn back to the high school girl Suzutsuki Kanade.

“But, it’s still not enough.” She smiled. “There’s still something lacking.”

“Lacking?”

“I am satisfied, really. But, that’s just one. Judging from the conclusion I came up with over the past two weeks, there is one more thing left to do. Once you execute that, I should be able to return back to how I previously was.”

“R-Really!?” I jumped up in shock.

“Calm down, Onii-chan. My question comes first.” She said, and looked outside the window.

I followed her gaze, and realized that the gondola reached quite the height. From up here, I could see the orange-colored town. Everywhere I looked, it was illuminated.

“So then, my second question.” Suzutsuki spoke with a somewhat mature tone, and opened her mouth again. “Did something happen between you and Subaru?”

“Wha…”

Now hold on. Why is she asking me that? How is that related to turning her back to normal?

“Ah, before that.” As I was baffled, Suzutsuki grinned. “You know about Subaru’s secret, right?”

“…!?”

I was speechless. Suzutsuki saw my reaction, and let out a snicker.

“You don’t need to hide it. You know that Subaru is a girl. I’ve been with you these two weeks, I know at least that much.”

“…You…”

“Of course, I haven’t told anybody. That would force Subaru to quit as my butler after all. This is just a secret between you and me.” She said, and put her index finger on her lips.

I sighed in relief. Thank god, if Suzutsuki were to tell Ichigo-san about this, things would definitely go south.

“Yes, that confirms everything. Let’s get back on the main topic. Onii-chan, why did things end up like this between you and Subaru?”

“Urk…”

“You had a fight?”

“No, not really…”

“Did you force a kiss on her by any chance?”

“…! N-No! I might have been a bit forceful, but it was an accident!”

—Wait no no! Why does she know that I kissed Konoe?

“I knew it.”

Seeing my reaction, Suzutsuki nodded.

“H-How did you know?”

“Eh? Intuition, of course?”

“Are you an esper!?”

“Fufu, just kidding. I heard it from Subaru’s sleeping talk. I often sleep together with her, right? She suddenly started muttering ‘Kiss with Jirou…’, you know. She’s so cute, I couldn’t hold back my desire to hug her.”

“…’zat so.”

“I also kissed her.”

“Why did you go that far!?”

“Fufu, calm down, Onii-chan, it was just on the cheek.”

“You can’t just assault your servants…”

I mean, Konoe sure is cute, but…this isn’t the time to be thinking about that. Why? How is this kiss important now? Where does this lead to the way of curing Suzutsuki? What does she want me to do? There’s only six minutes left. A bit more, and this stroll through the sky will be over.

“…Onii-chan.”

There, Suzutsuki suddenly called out to me with an oddly serious voice. A bit of silence passed, and she moved her soft lips—

“How…do you feel about Subaru?”

With this question I could never have expected, I was left speechless.

“How…”

“Tell me. If you explain this to me, I’ll teach you the method to turn me back to normal.”

“…!”

“Come on, Onii-chan, we don’t have much time.” She said, and showed me her wristwatch.

Time was moving on rapidly. We’re slowly reaching the ground. But…what should I say here? How do I feel about Konoe? What is she to me? No, that’s obvious. She’s my best friend. That’s what we promised during last summer break. That we’d be best friends. That’s why I want to make up with her again. It’s all so that I don’t have to see her saddened face…that I don’t have to see her tears.

“…I don’t really know how to say it, but I don’t want her to be sad.” I spoke with a clumsy tone, but with my honest thoughts. “I can’t stand seeing her sad, I can’t stand seeing her cry…and it makes me restless, forcing me to do something. I can’t sit still when she’s suffering.”

Thinking back on it, I’ve been feeling this way ever since the incident at the pool back in April—Stand By Me. The promise I shared with my late old man, asking her to stay with me so that I can protect her. That’s right…I simply wanted to tell her these words, so I…

“…Onii-chan.” Suddenly, Suzutsuki let out an exhausted sigh. “You’re an idiot, right?”

“…What?”

“You’re a moron. A big, big dummy. A mega dummy. You’re a chicken bastard, and a dense dummy. Not even realizing your own feelings like this, you’re history’s greatest mega dummy.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Hmpf, I’m frustrated, so I won’t tell you. Think about it yourself.” Suzutsuki stuck out her tongue, like a cheeky child. “But, it’s fine. I’ll save you.”

“Wha?”

“I’ll save you. Both you and Subaru. It’s my job as your master to ensure that my servants get along. Don’t you worry, just leave it all to me.”

“L-Leave it to you…”

No, before that, what about turning you back to normal?

“Ah, I forgot. For that, we need to turn me back to normal, right. Ehehe, oopsies~”

“That’s the problem. What idea do you have in mind?”

“Fufu, it’s fine. It’s super simple~ And, time is perfect too.” She said, and looked at her wristwatch.

Three more minutes. We have merely 180 seconds left in this date, so what does she—

“—Onii-chan.”

“What?”

“Um…—I love you!”

There, she declared with a cute voice, and smiled bright like a sunflower. Right after that…

“—!”

With no warning whatsoever, she pressed her lips on mine.

“Wha—”

I wanted to scream ‘W-W-What are you doing!?’, but by jumping away, I hit my head on the wall behind me. Gaaaah, curse this narrow gondola!

“Are you okay, Jirou-kun?”

“!?”

Hearing a dignified voice, my body shook. It was the confident and familiar voice of a certain rich lady. Not to mention, calling me ‘Jirou-kun’…

“S-Suzutsuki…”

“Fufu, it’s been a while.” Nonchalantly, acting like nothing had happened, my master—Suzutsuki Kanade smiled.

“……”

You wench, showing such a calm expression. Do you know how worried we were about you? Yet you’re back this easily…

“I’m sorry, I must have caused a lot of trouble for you.”

“…It’s fine. I won’t forgive you this easily, so don’t apologize.”

“Oh my, then what should I do for you to forgive me?”

“Hell do I know.”

“Pay with my body?”

“Where did that choice even come from!”

“Right, if my body is your goal, then you would have already laid your hands on me when we slept in the same bed.”

“Wha…You…”

“Yes, I have all the memories that my younger self acquired over the past two weeks. You were quite attached to the young me, weren’t you.”

“~~~!”

“You lolicon bastard.”

“Shut up! It’s all because…”

“Knowing you, you probably gave me a new nickname as well, right? Something like…Derechuki-san?”

“Gyaaaaaa!”

“Oh my, I was just joking, but it seems like I was right.” Suzutsuki-san let out a snicker.

…Ahh, farewell, Derechuki-san, I won’t ever forget about you. And, welcome back, Yamitsuki-san. I want to forget about you as quickly as possible. However, that probably won’t happen, because you are Devil Suzutsuki. After all, you are like the devil reincarnated.

“Damn it, do you not have any weaknesses? You managed to deceive Masamune, so are you invincible now?” I complained with all my heart.

By using the technique of ‘Lying even to herself’, she managed to deceive Masamune. Now that she’s done it once, it’s over.

“—Not quite.” However, as if she guessed my own thoughts, Suzutsuki let out a dejected sigh. “That method is far too dangerous for me to use. After all, I won’t know when I will return to the real me. That’s why this experiment is a failure, and Usami-san will stay as my mortal enemy.”

“R-Really now.” I was a bit relieved.

Just as Suzutsuki stated, this method had far too many drawbacks to be used accurately.

“And this time, I fully understood everything. What’s important doesn’t change. Whether she sees through my lies or not—Usami-san will always be my archnemesis.” Suzutsuki muttered with an awfully serious tone.

“…? What do you mean by that?”

“………” Suzutsuki stayed quiet for a while, only to continue. “I’ll teach you about that another time. For now, we need to have you and Subaru make up, right?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right.”

Now that Suzutsuki’s case was resolved, the bigger problem is how I can make up with Konoe. That being said, with Suzutsuki Kanade, I have a strong ally at my side. She’ll surely lend me her knowledge. We just promised that after all…Well, everything feels a bit awkward now because of that kiss. However, now that Suzutsuki returned to normal—

“Hm?”

…Wait, what is this sensation? It feels like something doesn’t sit right with me. Like something doesn’t add up. Hmm…I can’t seem to remember. Well, I will probably remember it eventually.

“Then, first we should tell Konoe that you’re back to normal.”

That should be our first step. I’m sure that both Konoe and Kureha would be happy to hear that. No clue about Masamune though. Either way, now that that’s decided…

“You can’t do that, Jirou-kun.”

However, Suzutsuki immediately denied my suggestion. She flashed a mature smile, almost like Derechuki-san never existed.

“There’s no need to tell Subaru and the others just yet. After all—that makes things much more interesting.”

“……”

Ahh, I miss Derechuki-san after all. That’s what I thought while seeing her smile. At the same time, the gondola shook a bit, and the door was opened from the outside. Our jolly Ferris Wheel ride ended, and we reached the goal. It’s been a clean 19 minutes, and the ultimate length of my short date with Suzutsuki.

After getting off the Ferris Wheel, the sun had already started to set, with the night quickly approaching. It was the final day of Musashino Land. Since the renovation will start tomorrow, they even had some event planned for tonight. Looking at the pamphlet, it was planned as a small parade, which allowed visitors to participate, and fireworks to finish it off.

“Jirou-kun, you understand our plan, right?” Suzutsuki was back to her usual self, and went through everything with me. “I will keep acting like Derechuki-san, and make it so that you and Subaru can be alone for a bit.”

“Huh!? J-Just the two of us…I didn’t hear about that!”

“How much of a chicken bastard are you? You’re the one at fault for kissing Subaru like that. You have to be the one to resolve things. I’ll set up everything, but that’s about it.”

“Urk…”

Damn it, she’s not wrong, and I hate it. Although it was to protect Konoe’s secret, I still forced myself onto her. If so, then I have to be the one to resolve things. There’s also the misunderstanding regarding Masamune now that I think about it…

“Come on, Subaru and the others are coming down, you best pull this off.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Our first strategy meeting ended, and the gondola reached the ground at a similar time. Seems like the three got off at the same time, and they all came storming outside once the door opened.

“Young lady! Why did you leave us behind like that!?”

“S-Sorry, Subaru, I just wanted to play a prank on Onii-chan.” She spoke with a childish voice.

…Amazing, it’s perfect acting. I wouldn’t be able to tell that she’s back to normal. That’s Suzutsuki Kanade for you. She definitely should start working for some scam company.

“No more pranks, okay?” Konoe scolded Suzutsuki, but still sighed in relief.

It seems like she hasn’t realized that Suzutsuki has returned to her usual self. At the same time, I’m betting on the fact that she didn’t see what happened inside the gondola, so the fact that Suzutsuki kissed me should be safe.

“Oh yeah, there’s going to be a parade soon, right.”

“Yup, I’m looking forward to it, Kureha-chan.”

Kureha stood behind Konoe, smiling. Alright, she’s in the dark as well. So far, everything is going according to our plan. This only leaves…Usami Masamune. She’s the only one who can see through Suzutsuki’s acting.

“Ah, Usamiiin, come with me for a second~” Suzutsuki beckoned Masamune over.

Immediately after that, Masamune’s expression froze up in shock. As I guessed, she saw through Suzutsuki immediately.

“Y-You…” Her mouth opened and closed in confusion.

Ah, this is bad. She’s going to spill the beans about Suzutsuki.

“Quiet, Usami-san.” Suzutsuki whispered into Masamune’s ear, using a voice where the others couldn’t hear her.

“S-Suzutsuki Kanade, so you are back!”

“Indeed. Amazing, to think you could see through me this quickly.”

“Your nonsense and lies aren’t going to deceive me!” Masamune was a bit flustered, but continued her conversation with Suzutsuki. “It must have happened during your Ferris Wheel ride, right!? During that time, you turned back to normal!”

“Yes, I somehow managed to return.”

“So, why do you still continue to act like a child!?”

“Calm down, Usami-san. This is all to help Jirou-kun.”

“For his sake…? Do you mean…” Masamune thought for a second.

Alright, great progress. Just now, Masamune said that she’d help me to make up with Konoe, so at this rate, she’ll become my ally.

“Did…he ask you to keep acting like a child? Something like ‘Please continue to call me Onii-chan’, maybe?”

“………”

Hey now, won’t you have a bit more trust in me, Masamune-san? I don’t have any interest in forcing my classmate into such a messed up roleplay, okay?

“That would be just fine for me, but that sadly isn’t the case. There’s something he needs to do.”

“…What are you plotting?”

“I’m glad you caught on. I’m trying to help Jirou-kun and Subaru make up again.”

“Those two? Oh yeah, I heard they were having a fight, but…”

“As their master, I don’t want my servants to fight. That’s why, won’t you help me out?”

“I-I was planning on helping him from the very beginning!”

“Oh, really? Quite convenient, then. You help with our plan. I need to make sure that Jirou-kun and Subaru can be alone together. So, don’t tell the others that I’ve already returned to being normal.”

“Why?”

“As a child, I have more options.”

“…You really have a nasty personality. Well, it’s for the stupid chicken’s sake, and since we’re friends, I’ll help you out…” Masamune nodded.

Alright, that’s another hurdle cleared. With this, I have Masamune as another ally. I wonder what kind of plan Suzutsuki came up with…

“Usami, what are you and the young lady whispering about?”

“…!? S-Subaru-sama…” Masamune twitched in shock.

The person in question, Konoe Subaru, was glaring at Masamune with a dubious look in his eyes. I guess their strategy meeting was a bit too long after all.

“I-I wasn’t …!”

“Really?”

“Urk…” Masamune grew silent in the face of Konoe emitting so much pressure.

Woah, this ain’t a joke. Unlike Suzutsuki, Masamune isn’t good at lying. At this rate, Konoe might catch on that the usual Suzutsuki is back, and our plan will be ruined.

“Subaru, it can’t be helped that Usamin feels embarrassed.” Suzutsuki showed a wry smile, and supported Masamune. “After all, she gave me a very delicate question just now.”

“M-Meaning?”

“Namely, she wants her breasts to grow, and she wondered what she could do.”

“Huuuuh!?” Masamune screamed in shock at this sudden revelation.

Suzutsuki however ignored her, and continued making up excuses.

“So, I offered to give Usamin a breast massage.”

“I-I did hear that a girl’s breasts can grow with a massage, but…why would the young lady have to…”

“It’s fine, Subaru. This is for Usamin’s sake. As her master, I want to resolve whatever she may be worried about, as that is my duty.”

“Young lady…” Konoe felt her heart broken at her master’s devotion, and nodded in consent.

“Usami, be thankful for the young lady’s kindness.”

“H-Hold on! Just wait a moment, Subaru-sama! Don’t listen to Suzutsuki Kanade’s non—”

“Come on, don’t be so embarrassed. Just leave everything to me~”

“No!? Stop! What are you…No…Wha…Not this forcefully…”

“Did that hurt? Then, I’ll be a bit more gentle.”

“Fuwah!? N-No…not there…Mmm…!”

Suzutsuki had wrapped her arms around Masamune from behind her back, now fondling her breasts. Sorry, Masamune, there can be no victory without sacrifices. This is necessary for our plan. Of course, this just looks like Suzutsuki is using this situation to have fun again, but leaving that aside.

“S-Suzutsuki Kanade, you…!”

“What’s wrong? Would you have preferred the longer course?”

“I-I-I’m fine, really! I feel like I’ll just end up completely lost if you keep touching me!”

“Completely lost…in what way?”

“Shut up! Don’t make me say any more, or I’ll kick you for real!” Masamune covered her own chest, and screamed.

Completely lost…how? I really wanted to ask that myself, but stopped myself right before that. I felt like I’d be the one to get kicked if I did. If there is one thing I can state, then it’s the fact that Suzutsuki is absolutely terrifying.

“Hey, Suzutsuki, aren’t you taking things a bit too far now?”

I felt like that went too far, so I threw in a warning. I understand that acting like a girl must be fun, but there’s a line she shouldn’t cross.

“Right, I feel like I went too far a bit. However…”

“What?”

“…No, it’s fine. I just wanted her to use the master ticket she got before, but she really knows how to hold back.”

“Master ticket…”

Oh yeah, the ticket that allows Masamune to give Suzutsuki any kind of order, no matter what it is. Hmmm, maybe Suzutsuki regretted giving her that ticket after all. Well, it was Derechuki-san who gave it out to Masamune.

“For crying out loud, I was such an innocent child. I didn’t think I would make such a thing and give it to her. Well, I don’t think that will get in the way of our plan this time.” She let out a faint sigh, and then flashed an innocent smile again.

I guess she’s back to acting like Derechuki-san now. It’s crazy at the speed she’s doing that. She’d be a great Hollywood actress, seriously.

“Hey, Kureha-chan, they said that visitors can dress up and participate at the parade, right?”

“Eh? Y-Yes. That’s what it said in the pamphlet.”

“Fufu, I see.” Suzutsuki flashed a joyful smile.

And then…she started thinking.

“Hey, Subaru, why don’t you participate in the parade as well?”

“Eh?!”

Met with this sudden order, the butler was left baffled.

“I mean, today is the last day before the renovation, so wouldn’t you want to make some memories?”

“However, young lady…”

“Come on, they offer to dress you up, even.”

“Eh!?”

“Now, let’s go.” Suzutsuki dragged Konoe into a nearby building, which had a big, large billboard in front of it, saying ‘Costume Parade Reception’.

Roughly ten minutes later, after we had been waiting, Suzutsuki and Konoe returned—However.

“…!”

Getting a good look at Konoe after her return, I was flabbergasted. She was wearing a dress. Not to mention one of the princesses you would see in fairy tales. Her dress consisted of a faint green color, covering Konoe’s entire body. We’ve met Konoe Subaru in her princess mode.

“Young lady, this is way too embarrassing…”

“Really? I think it looks great on you. Right, Kureha-chan?”

“Y-Yes, it looks wonderful. I have trouble even seeing you as a boy. Not to mention, are you using pads?”

“O-O-O-Of course, I’m a boy! I have no breasts!”

“R-Right! It just looked so natural…” Kureha was utterly entranced, because it looked too good on Konoe almost.

A green dress…Crap, what is this. She looked like a boy not too long ago, so now the gap is just making her look even more adorable. Not to mention that the dress was very prim and proper. Despite that, her shoulders were in the open, giving her an alluring feeling all the same. She even had a tiara on her head, looking like she was part of some movie screening. Amazing, they might get her for that mouse land park.

“Cute. It’s truly cute, Subaru.”

“T-Thank you very much…”

“But, what are you wearing beneath that dress? You’re not wearing girl’s underwear beneath that, are you?”

“!”

“I’d like to check, so can you let me take a look?”

“!?”

“What’s wrong? You’re a boy, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? Just lift up your skirt a bit.”

“~~~!” Even while being embarrassed, Konoe nodded with a ‘U-Understood’ and started lifting her skirt.

Waaah, what is she doing!?

“Konoe! You don’t have to go that far!”

“B-But, the young lady’s orders are…”

“It’s just a child talking nonsense, don’t take it so seriously!”

“Ehhh, I wanna see some underwear!”

“You be quiet for a second!”

Damn Yamitsuki-san, you’re playing around way too much. She’s using her position as a child way too much.

“Ah, Subaru. The participants of the parade are gathering over there.” Suzutsuki said, and pointed at an open plaza.

Looking over, I saw several people that wore familiar fashion to Konoe. For example, Dracula, Frankenstein, or a werewolf. A lot of horror-themed costumes, huh. Oh yeah, this is the season of Halloween after all. There’s some people who are wearing pumpkin heads.

“Come on, over with you. We’ll be waiting here.”

“Ah…Understood, young lady.” Konoe sounded embarrassed, but still walked towards the plaza.

There, Suzutsuki whispered into my ear.

“Jirou-kun, what are you spacing out for?”

“Eh?”

“I gave you this chance to become alone.”

“But, Konoe will participate in the…”

“Look at yourself, I think you’re plenty equipped for the parade yourself.”

I was confused at first, but I quickly realized what Suzutsuki was talking about. Right now, I’m still wearing the costume. I wouldn’t stick out in the middle of that parade.

“Not to mention, you can just dip out if push comes to shove. Just call for Subaru and skip it.”

“Quite the forceful method, alright.”

“You want to make up with her, right? You might as well kiss her again, you know?”

“Wha…S-Stop joking around! Where did that come from?”

“You forced yourself onto her before, right?”

“That’s the whole reason things ended up as messy as they are now!”

That’s right, I kissed Konoe in that closet. Without that, things would have not ended so miserably.

“…Ah.”

I get it. Now I understand it. This feeling like something didn’t sit right with me, which I felt inside the Ferris Wheel, the reason for that was…

“Hey, Suzutsuki.”

“Hm? You sound awfully serious now.”

“Well, I was just wondering——Why did you turn back to normal after kissing me?” I asked with a quiet voice.

That’s right, why did a kiss with me trigger her return? I’ve been curious about that this entire time. This isn’t some fairy tale with a sleeping princess. Only children believe that a kiss could relieve a curse.

“……”

Silence followed. The young lady was thinking.

“That’s…because I wanted to be spoiled by you, Jirou-kun.”

“Huh?”

“My childish self said it, right? ‘Once I’m satisfied, I can turn back to normal’. If I had to guess, my childish self wanted to get all your attention, and be spoiled…that’s why I returned with a kiss. That’s the ultimate form of being spoiled by someone.”

“Being spoiled…”

“I’ve been rather cold lately, acting as Yamitsuki-san, right? Because of that, my childish self wanted to be with you as much as possible, and enjoy her time. But, things couldn’t always stay like this.”

“……”

“That’s why that was my final piece of being spoiled by you. That kiss acted as the final cut. That’s why I decided to not act that way towards you anymore.”

“Does that mean…you’re going back to Yamitsuki-san?”

“Indeed. That’s what I told you, right? I’ll continue to bully you forever…”

“That’s true, but…”

Why? She wanted to be spoiled. Basically, she wanted us to be good friends, as we’ve been, right? Yet, why is she saying that she’ll become Yamitsuki-san? It doesn’t make any sense. She’s contradicting her words and actions.

“Now, go after Subaru. I’ll explain everything to Kureha-chan.”

“Y-Yeah…”

I was pressed by Suzutsuki’s words, I started running down the same path Konoe took.

“—Farewell, Jirou-kun.”

I felt like I heard Suzutsuki’s voice in the distance. I turned around, but she was already facing the others. However, for a split second, it felt like I saw a saddened expression on her face, right as she turned it away from me.

Welcome to Musashino Land

Musashino Land is an amusement park about two hours away from our town, assuming you use both trains and busses at your disposal. In terms of scale, it probably is about average when it comes to the number of attractions, and the name comes from the person who founded it. To be perfectly honest, I came here with my family several times before. Today, it’s the 9th of October, and this is the second Saturday of the month. Our destination today was that amusement park.

“Woah, this is pretty amazing.”

After we got our free tickets from the employee, we walked through the ticket gate, to which the young Suzutsuki let out a voice of admiration. Roller coasters, coffee cups, a Merry-Go-Round…and various other attractions. I heard the screaming voices from the thrill ride. This isn’t half bad. I haven’t seen an amusement park in a while, but I always liked this atmosphere.

“Still, lots of people here today.”

The place was crawling with families and couples. Even if this was the weekend, is there really a need to gather such a crowd?

“You don’t know, Onii-chan? Today is the last day for this amusement park.”

“The last?”

“I heard that they’ll be doing a renewal, since the recession made their management and finances drop.”

“What a harsh world we live in.”

“But, the staff will stay the same, they said. They only got a new sponsor, so today is the final day before the renewal.”

“Is that why you wanted to come here today?”

“Yup! With it being the last day, it’ll remain in your memories longer, right! That’s what I thought when I heard about this two weeks ago!” Suzutsuki showed an innocent smile.

That’s right, this was decided two weeks ago. This plan was born two weeks ago, when she happened to see a billboard of this amusement park. It was a very childish decision, but perfect for us—Or rather, it was our perfect chance. After all, two whole weeks have passed since we watched that video.

—If you manage to satisfy the current me, I might turn back to normal.

Hearing these words from Suzutsuki, I did what I could. Every single day, I played with Derechuki-san. Thanks to that, I didn’t even attend school. Normally I should be worrying about my grades for the upcoming exams, but…this ain’t the time for that.

It’s been two whole weeks. I seriously didn’t expect things to stay this way for so long. Recently, both Masamune and Kureha have started to panic, fearing that maybe Suzutsuki might never return to normal. It’s enough, this is the limit. Suzutsuki hasn’t attended school for those two weeks either. The board at school was told about her being sick, but any longer, and they might grow suspicious, and she can’t be missing too much as the honor student.

That’s why, today is the day. An amusement park is filled with attractions where children can have fun. So, we’ll bring a conclusion to this whole mess here. Satisfy Suzutsuki, and return her memories. That…is what we decided through these two weeks, Konoe and I.

“Onii-chan, how do these clothes look?”

“Yeah, you look like a doll, it’s great.”

“Ehehe, thanks!”

Suzutsuki seemed to have grown even more excited because of my answer, as she twirled around me. She wore a long one-piece with frills all over. Seems to be a part of Ichigo-san’s hobby, as Suzutsuki looked more dressed up than usual. Talking about that Ichigo-san, she is taking care of the house. As she feels deep LOVE towards Suzutsuki, she naturally fiercely protested and stated her desire to join us, but…

“NO. Let go, Odd Jobs-san.”

“Calm down, Ichigo-san! You need to stay home!”

This happened in front of the Suzutsuki Residence. There, I was desperately trying to hold down Ichigo-san, embracing her from behind. This began a few minutes ago. We were preparing to head off to the amusement park, where Ichigo-san started acting weird. Hearing her out, one of the servant’s who should be discharged from the hospital suddenly ended up worse again, and although it wasn’t anything life threatening, they had to stay for a bit longer. As a result of that, Ichigo-san had even more work on her plate, which forced her to take up more duties at home…

“Not today! You still have a fever, right!?”

“Urk…” Ichigo-san suddenly grew silent.

That’s right, she caught a cold. Since she was plagued with endless amounts of work for the past few days, her body couldn’t keep up.

“No problem. A fever like this will only get me more motivated.”

“What are you talking about! You’re sick, so you need rest!”

“NO. I am totally fine. As proof of that…See, I’ll show you some dangerous juggling now.”

“Don’t bring out weapons while you’re sick!”

Metallic sounds rang out, as countless weapons belonging to Ichigo-san fell to the ground. A bar, chainsaw, Japanese katana…Waah, how many more weapons is she hiding? It’s like a black market at this point.

“Let go, Odd Jobs-san, it is my duty to protect Kanade-ojousama.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with her.”

“That worries me even more.”

“What do you even mean by that!?”

“You probably plan on doing this and that to Kanade-ojousama while I’m not watching, right?”

“Like hell I would!”

“‘Wohoo! I wanna ride the coffee cups!’ ‘Young lady, there’s something even more interesting that you could ride’ ‘Eh? What is that? I wanna try it!’ ‘Fufu, then hope on my lap first’ …is what will happen, and then you’ll start assaulting her…”

“You should get some rest as quickly as possible!”

No matter how you look at it, her fever has gone up. Having such fantasies is the best proof for that. Maybe using a sedative is our best bet here.

“Also, leaving aside the maid with the appendix, the chef was overworked, right? Why is she still hospitalized?”

“That’s because of Subaru, who visited her the other day. The chef went ‘Subaru-tan! I’ve been waiting to meet you! I’ll give you lots of lickies now!’, and started harassing Subaru, so she was hit with a Butler Knuckle, which didn’t help her case.”

“What an awful development!”

“More importantly, let me go, Odd Jobs-san, I’m going to the amusement park myself.”

“Ah, I told you not to grow rampant like that!”

I was forced to hold down Ichigo-san more. Because of her cold, she didn’t pack much strength, but…Damn it, my gynophobia really isn’t helping my case! At this rate, I’ll get a nosebleed, and Ichigo-san will find out about my disposition!

“Stop, Ichigo.”

Thus, I was considering calling the little monster of my family, and forcefully rendering Ichigo-san unconscious—Using a wrestling move, of course. However, before I could use my final trump card, Suzutsuki arrived at the entrance, and called out to Ichigo-san.

“You’re not feeling well, right? You need to sleep.”

“Urk…However, Kanade-ojousama…”

“Ichigo, this is for your well-being, okay? It’s a shame that you can’t come with us, but we’ll bring some souvenirs with us.”

“…Kanade-ojousama!” Ichigo-san started tearing up. “You’ve grown up so well…”

You do remember that it’s still the child Suzutsuki inside of her, right?

“…Understood, I will protect the house.”

“Yup, that’s just fine.”

Ichigo-san was finally broken, and stayed calm…Thank god. Letting a sick person come with us was against my calm mind, but there’s also the part where letting her leave this place and roam into the free world. She’s constantly swinging around her chainsaw, right? If she did that in the middle of town, she’d be arrested. That’s why, as long as she stays at the residence…

“Odd Jobs-san.”

However, as if to betray my expectations, Ichigo-san called out to me. In her hand, she held a familiar piece of clothing.

“I-Ichigo-san, is that…”

“YES. A costume.”

“But, it’s different from the one before.”

“I worked all night to make it. You wear this during your trip at the amusement park.”

“Huuh!? Don’t joke with me! Why would I have to walk around like an eccentric weirdo!”

“Do you not like it?”

“Of course not!? Like hell I would…Waaah, don’t push the chainsaw against my neck! You’re scaring me!”

Ichigo-san’s chainsaw was on a rendezvous with my neck muscles. This ain’t no joke. Even if it’s a blunt chainsaw, it still is terrifying.

“Odd Jobs-san, I’m begging you, please wear this.”

“Even if you force this on me…!”

“I don’t want to become a criminal at my age.”

“What do you plan on doing!?”

“Don’t worry, I will guarantee as the president of Rouran Academy’s handicrafts club president. This costume feels great to wear.”

“…Really?”

“It’s like you’re in heaven.”

“I feel like I’ll be in heaven for a different reason!”

It took another 15 minutes until this whole conversation ended.

That’s the end of the flashback. As a result of that, Ichigo-san stayed in the residence. She’s probably sleeping right about now, or depressed at home, going ‘To think I can’t go to the amusement park with Kanade-ojousama…’. To be honest, it’s not that I can’t sympathize with her…But, I have my own problems.

“Urk…”

The passing visitors of the park all gave me dubious gazes. I can’t blame them—I’m wearing a costume after all, not to mention the one I wear during my work hours. Because Ichigo-san forced me, I had no other choice but to wear it after all. Now you can’t even tell who’s the customer and employee here. Just now, I got kicked by a brat as well.

“Suzutsuki, this costume is supposed to be different from the previous one, right?”

“Yeah, this one is a Mk2.”

“Mk2…”

“Ichigo did her best while making it.” Suzutsuki showed an innocent grin.

…Scary. What do you mean by Mk2? The original version already had countless other functions, like a nipple massage or electrical shocks. There’s no doubt in my mind that that weird maid added more dangerous functions.

“Tell me, what functions does this one have?”

“It makes you lose weight if you wear it.”

“Ahhh, so like a diet? So, how effective is it?”

“You’ll lose 30kg in 2 days.”

“Isn’t that a bit too much!?”

“Also, it has a fireworks function.”

“Fireworks?”

“If you do anything weird to me, you’ll turn into fireworks, is what Ichigo said.”

“………”

…Yup, I’ll blow up. What a violent function to add, seriously. Then again, I doubt it’s an explosive. After all, Suzutsuki might fall victim to the explosion if she’s close by. This is probably just a warning from Ichigo-san, namely that I don’t do anything weird to the young lady.

“Hey, what do you mean by weird, Onii-chan?”

“A child like you doesn’t have to know.”

“Hmm…Ah, right. I’m wearing new underwear today, wanna take a look? It’s cute, right?”

“Stop that! Don’t pull up your skirt!”

“Should I take it off and give it to you, then?”

“The law forbids children to strike deals like that!”

No, seriously, I’ll be arrested at this rate. What’s wrong with playing at an amusement park with a child!? Of course, that excuse won’t run at all, it’ll surely turn into some erotic play.

“You lolicon, you’re not even holding back in public?”

See what I mean? Masamune threw cold words at me with a harsh tone. She wore a similar one-piece like Suzutsuki, but her skirt was oddly short…Waah, I don’t know where to look. She’s really styled up herself, didn’t she. But, she seemed a bit restless, as she looked around. I wonder, (is there missing text here?)

“Young lady, how about we ride this first?”

Without Ichigo-san around, Konoe took the lead, and called out to her master. She wore stylish pants paired with a tight shirt, together with a cool-looking necktie. No matter how you looked at it, she was a handsome guy, but a girl in reality. As I was inspecting her clothes, our eyes met for a second, but she let out a faint ‘Hmpf’, and looked away.

…Still no good, huh. During these past two weeks, as we were working together to return Suzutsuki back to normal, I tried to make up with Konoe. However, things didn’t quite work out. I feel like we’re both feeling awkward towards each other…

“Nii-san, what’s that complicated expression for.”

As I was lost in thought, Kureha called out to me. She wore a jacket with hot pants, as well as kneesocks reaching up to her knees. It looks like she can move easily in that, but isn’t she cold?

“Are you unsure what to ride first?”

“Not at all.”

“The thrill ride seems interesting though.”

“I’m not too interested.”

“Why? It looks scary, and enjoyable.”

“It doesn’t seem all that scary to me.”

The reason for that is simple. Rather than some roller coaster or free fall, the wrestling training held at my home is far more terrifying, and gives me a much greater thrill.

“Also, the one who’ll decide what we ride is Suzutsuki, right?”

All people present here are Suzutsuki’s servants. Just now, Konoe asked for Suzutsuki’s opinion, so it’d be a basic idea to prioritize her desires, right?

“Hmmm…which one should I do?” Suzutsuki swallowed the tip of her index finger, as she showed a childish thinking gesture.

According to the pamphlet of this amusement park, there’s about 30 different attractions here, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t know which one to pick.

“I don’t think I need to see the Merry-Go-Round. I can always do that when I feel like it after all.”

“Always do that? I thought this park was closing today?”

“At home, you know.”

“What?”

“Onii-chan will be the horse.”

“Why!?”

Ichigo said ‘Odd Jobs-san has this odd interest in wanting to be treated like a horse and mounted’, you know?”

“Can you please not believe everything you hear?”

What misleading propaganda is this. That damn yandere maid. How low is she trying to pull my reputation? Her love for Suzutsuki is no joke.

“Come on, what about the sea lion show?”

“I can do that at home as well.”

“Am I supposed to be the sea lion?”

“It’s where you let others do your bidding while giving them fodder, right?”

“What an awful way to phrase it!”

“That’s your role after all, Onii-chan.”
“Why thank you for telling me.”

“Ehehe, no problem!”

“I was being sarcastic, you hear me!?”

Rather than being the odd jobs guy, I was demoted to a pet. What hurt the most is that I was already wearing a costume. When will the collar come?

“Young lady, how about that hero show over there?” Konoe offered an option since the young Suzutsuki apparently had trouble deciding.

A hero show…Now that’s aimed for even smaller children. Though I heard about some housewives watching those shows because of the handsome actors.

“No can do, we’d have to wait too long before the show starts.”

“I-Is that so…” The butler showed a dejected reaction.

She’s so dejected? I thought something was weird, and looked over at the billboard belonging to the hero show, reading the title—

‘Butler Squadron: The ButRanger’.

“……”

For a second, I felt dizziness assault me. The hell am I looking at? Butler Squadron? ButRanger? They probably combined Butler and Ranger for that, but it sounds obscene as a result of that. Also, why would there be allies of peace who work as butlers? This almost feels like it was directed at a real butler who was present, namely Konoe Subaru…

“Ah, look at that, Nii-san. They’re handing out balloons.”

“Balloons?”

I looked over, and found costumed people handing out balloons to the children around. I guess they must be the actors of that show, huh? I could see one handsome guy wearing a butler uniform, and another with glasses…Wait, hold on. This is just my imagination, right? These costumes look far too familiar…

“J-Jirou…”

It seems like Subaru-sama had a similar reaction.

“C-Calm down, Konoe.” I said, all in order to calm myself down.

After all, these costumes looked like they were modeled after me and Konoe. Although they looked a bit more cartoon-ish, I could clearly see the resemblance. Not to mention those balloons, they have the design of a certain murder sheep…

“Nya? Nii-san, you didn’t know?”

As we were shaking in terror, Kureha explained it with a natural tone of voice.

“The one who came up with that hero show was NaruNaru.”

“……”

I knew it. What an awful timeline this is. With NaruNaru, Kureha is referring to the glasses junkie Narumi Nakuru. She basically lives off creating BL material starring me and Konoe. And now, she created this hero show. Weird…wasn’t an amusement park supposed to sell hope and dreams? Why does this feel like I was pushed into a nightmare?

“K-Kureha-san, why did Nakuru come up with a hero show?”

“Well, this amusement park is going through a renovation soon, yeah? The sponsor for this is NaruNaru’s family.”

“Oh yeah, her family’s that toy manufacturer…”

So it’s basically her influence which allowed this. That wench, she’s relying on the fact that her parents are sponsors for this park in order to push through her own convenience and desires. I can already see the plot of her hero show. Maybe I could call for public slander.

“But, why did Nakuru’s family sponsor this place?”

“Did you not hear about it from Onee-sama? This amusement park here was having trouble with management and economy for a while, so the vice captain…”

“What did Schrö-senpai do?”

With vice captain, Kureha must be referring to Nakuru’s older sister Narumi Schrödinger. But, why does her name appear now?

“When they came here before, she couldn’t ride the roller coaster.”

“What?”

“The roller coaster, you know. When the vice captain tried to ride it, she was told ‘You’re not tall enough’ or ‘Grade school students can’t ride it’, which is why…”

“……”

Is that why they bought it? I can see the angered Schrö-senpai run to her parents and beg them to buy up this park, all because they made fun of her for being small. I mean, in the end, it’s all her fault, although I get angry at that.

“That being the case, Musashino Land will be reborn as Narumi Land next year. NaruNaru said that ‘Once the renovation is done, Nakuru will invite Senpai and the others’, but what do you think?”

“You politely decline that offer once you get a chance.”

“Ehh, why?”

“I feel like the attractions will be filled to the brim with BL nonsense.”

I don’t even want to imagine it. Knowing that glasses junkie, she’ll probably say ‘All BL couples get free entry!’ or something like that.

“Hey, Onii-chan, what’s BL?”

“Eh…?”

Suzutsuki must have heard our conversation, and asked me this with an innocent tone…….This is bad. How should I explain this? Explaining BL to a young girl is way too dangerous, especially with no preparation at all.

“Hey hey, tell me!”

“Well, BL is…an abbreviation for bacon lettuce.”

“Bacon lettuce?”

“Y-Yeah. You often use it for sandwiches, right?”

“Yup! I love it! What about you, Onii-chan?”

“I-I like it myself.”

“Really? Then we’re the same!” Suzutsuki showed a bright smile.

Alright, this is going great. Explaining boys love to a girl who has yet to go through sex ed is way too hard of a task. Not to mention hearing that from a guy is a bit…

“Stupid chicken, what have you two been talking about? Did you decide on the attraction you want to check out?” Masamune seemingly got curious about our conversation, and called out to us.

Suzutsuki didn’t waste a breath, and spoke up.

“Hey, Usamin, do you like BL?”

“Huuuuuh!?”

Because of this sudden question, Masamune started panicking…Not good. This will definitely get even more annoying.

“Tell me. Do you like it? Do you not?”

“T-There’s no way I would like that!”

“Ehh, I really love it though.”

“Are you being serious!?”

“Yup, I eat it everyday.”
“Huuuh!? E-Eating? Is that some BL-related vocabulary?” The nasty rabbit was baffled.

Clearly, their conversations didn’t match up at all. Of course, bacon and lettuce don’t match up with boys’ love.

“D-Do you like it that much?”

“Why don’t you try it as well, Usamin? I’m sure you’ll get addicted to it.”

“Don’t scare me like that!”

“It’s fine, it’ll only be scary in the beginning.”

“E-E-E-Even if you tell me that…!”

“Also, Onii-chan said he likes it as well.”

“Why!?”

“It’s not weird for boys to like BL, right?”

“~~~!” Masamune looked at me with an awfully scornful gaze.

Gyaaaa, she totally has the wrong idea about things! Now I’ll turn into a BL lolicon! Seriously, how bad could that be.

“Stupid chicken, you…”

“C-Calm down, Masamune, the BL Suzutsuki is talking about refers to—”

“Don’t just explain it! There’s only one BL she could mean!”

“No, it’s not! Hear out Suzutsuki’s explanation then!”

“…Hey, Suzutsuki Kanade, what do you think BL is?”

“I mean, it’s the BL you use for sandwiches…”

“Sandwiches!?”

“You don’t know? Basically, you sandwich it, and—”

“S-S-S-Sandwich it!?” Masamune grew pale, as she panicked.

…This one’s done for. At this rate, no matter how much I explain, it’ll only cause her to panic more. My best bet is to change the topic entirely.

“H-Hey, Suzutsuki, did you decide on the attraction you wanted to see?” I asked, to which Suzutsuki nodded energetically.

Following that, she pointed in a certain direction.

“I want to try out that over there.”

“That?”

I followed Suzutsuki’s gaze…and found a large building that resembled an abandoned hospital—It’s a haunted house, a template attraction at an amusement park. Not to mention that the one they have here takes you at least 30 minutes to clear, which makes it pretty popular.

“A-A haunted house…”

A single maid started quivering in fear upon hearing her master’s request. Of course, it was none other than Sakamachi Kureha. She is absolutely terrified of anything occult related.

“What’s wrong, Kureha-chan? Are you scared?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

“Weird, you’re older than me, right?”

“!”

“Yet, you’re afraid of ghosts…Maybe you really are a chi—”

“No! I’m not scared at all! Haunted houses have nothing on me!” Kureha puffed out her chest, acting tough.

You can just be honest with yourself, being afraid of ghosts isn’t that childish.

“Then, that’s decided. Are you fine with that, Subaru?”

“Yes, whatever you wish for, young lady.”

“Fufu, then let’s go!”

The young lady walked on ahead, with us walking after her. Since this was the final day, we had to wait around thirty minutes, but because I was talking with everyone, it didn’t feel that long at all. And then, it was finally our turn. We showed the employee our tickets, and set foot inside the haunted house.

“Stop.” Suzutsuki stopped us. “Going in there together isn’t scary at all, so let’s split up.”

“So we’ll go one by one?”

“Nah, since we’re five people, it’s fine if we go as a group of two and a group of three, right? We’ll decide the teams with rock paper scissors, and the first two to win will be the group of two.” Suzutsuki said, and immediately took the fitting stance.

Wah, hold on, how am I supposed to prepare myself here! Ahhh, rock paper scissors it is! We all joined in with energetic voices, and at the end of it all…

“Ah, I won.”

“Urk…”

Three people put out paper, and two chose scissors. The two winners were Masamune and me, which also concluded the team building. Basically, Masamune and I were the first ones to set foot inside the haunted house.

“…Hmpf, so it’s you two first.” Having flashed paper during the decisive battle, Konoe now sounded clearly disgruntled.

Did she want to go first that badly? I feel like entering first is the scariest. Not to mention…

“Stupid chicken, why do you look so bothered?”

“I mean, that’s because you’re my partner.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Because…you have a feeling for ghosts, right?”

“It’s not such a big deal, honestly. I sometimes hear voices, or any pictures I take have silhouettes of ghosts in them.”

“That’s why I hate this!”

“W-Why? No need to worry, if a real one appears, I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t need that!”

“Just to let you know, there are some in there.”

“Gyaaaaaah!?”

Who are you, I*o Junji!? That sounds awfully convincing! I don’t want this. I don’t want to walk through a haunted house with her of all people. This is the kind of development where we joke around, but a real ghost will actually appear. I might not be as bad as Kureha, but I’m not the biggest fan of ghosts and so on.

“It’s fine, I figured this might happen, so I studied horror movies.”

“Horror movies?”

“‘Exor*ist’, for example.”

“You’re basically asking to get possessed, right.”

“Also, ‘Nau*icaa of the Valley of the Wind’.”

“That’s a leap in genre alright!”

“It’s the same. In the end, you just have to tame them, right? Tell them you’re not scared, it’ll be fine.”

“I’m honestly more scared of what you’re trying to do!”

Is she some kind of exorcist? What’s there to tame, it’s a ghost. Either way, this haunted house sure as hell doesn’t feel great to me. My antenna was going off like crazy. It wouldn’t be weird if my old man suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Y-Yeah, got it.”

That being said, running away now would make me way too much of a chicken bastard, so I followed Masamune. As you’d expect, the inside was awfully dark. I heard that they’ll be adding Silent Sheep after the renovation is done. I’m glad I came today, I definitely don’t want to see that.

“Urk…”

Walking down a dimly lit hallway was as eerie as always. And for some reason, we need to walk like this for another thirty minutes. As a result of that, there’s an emergency exit on the way in case you started to feel sick or if you couldn’t handle the haunted house anymore.

“…Stupid chicken.” Masamune muttered with an awfully serious tone.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“Well, you know.”

“I know?”

“Behind you…No, it’s nothing.”

“It definitely isn’t nothing, right!?”

At least be honest with me! That’ll at least save me from some severe damage!

“Do your shoulders feel heavy?”

“N-Now that you mention it, my shoulders started feeling a bit heavier compared to before we entered…”
“Listen, you definitely, under no circumstances, can turn around, okay!”

“Y-Yes…” I turned into a robot that was only capable of nodding my head.

Let’s run away. This is the Demon Lord’s hideout. I’m sure some kind of urban legend will jump at me. A staircase to a different world would be fitting as well.

“…Not good, we’re leaving.”

“Eh?”

“We’re using the emergency exit. We can’t stay here.”

“Why…”

“Long and white fingers…around your neck…”

I did not waste a second, and immediately started dashing towards the emergency exit. Upon opening the door, I was showered with the dazzling sunlight. It seems like we made it outside. That being said, it was quite a ways away from the entrance. Did Suzutsuki and the others already enter? If they don’t escape soon, they’ll end up like ghost food…

“Stupid chicken, what are you doing?”

I was about to take out my smartphone and contact Konoe, when Masamune stopped me.

“Well, I was thinking of informing Konoe so that they escape themselves.”

“Why?”

“I mean, the poltergeist…”

“No need to worry, that was just me making stuff up.”

“…What?”

Making stuff up…Wait, don’t tell me…

“That’s right, I was lying. There’s no ghosts here, it’s just your average haunted house.” Masamune spoiled me with no remorse.

This damn nasty rabbit…She’s done me dirty. She just nonchalantly deceived me. Ahh, that’s so annoying. Even if I was scared, I can’t believe I just fell for that. And since I left already, there’s no way to get back inside again. No, more than anything, why did Masamune force me to go outside?

“—Stupid chicken.” As I was filled with doubts, Masamune pointed at me in embarrassment. “You—go on a date with me right now!”

“…What?”

In the midst of all the attractions that Musashino Land offered, from thrill rides, haunted houses, the one thing that shocked me the most were Masamune’s words.

“…Um, a date? Why?”

“Eh? Haven’t I told you enough already?”

In the face of my question, Masamune enjoyed some soft ice cream as she answered. Right now, we’re waiting in line for the attraction—of the water splash coaster. From a height of 30m, it was almost a straight drop, right into a pool of water, where you’re guaranteed to end up wet. Right after we left the haunted house, we lined up here. Don’t ask me why.

“I figured that today would be a great opportunity to work on your gynophobia. By going on a date with a girl, you’ll surely get used to them, right?”

“Well, you’re probably not wrong in that, but…”

“I really don’t want you to become a lolicon, or tread the path of BL. You want to fix your gynophobia…and experience love with girls, right? That’s why I’ll help you. Since we’re friends.”

“What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but why did you force me to pay for the ice cream?”

“It’s a date, so the man is supposed to pay, right?” Masamune said, and got another taste of the ice cream.

It was pretty expensive, okay? Not to mention that vanilla ice cream sounds great right now…Ahh, I should have bought some myself.

“You better be ready, I’ll have you repay me for that.”

“Eh? W-With…my body?”

“No.”

“E-Even if my body is filled with cream right now, saying ‘Eat me~’ is too much…”

“Is the inside of your head filled with a wedding cake!?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“It’s something worth celebrating!”

“Don’t use an example that’s hard to understand!” Masamune was fuming in anger. “Also, I wouldn’t be able to do this if Suzutsuki Kanade was here…”

“Why?”

“Isn’t that obvious? There’s no way she would give the okay to the two of us going on a date.”

“Ahhhh…”

I get what she’s on about. I’m not too sure if I can even say that, but the Suzutsuki right now—Derechuki-san is practically glued to me. Even if this is to fix my gynophobia, she most likely wouldn’t give the green light for us to go on a date like this.

“Not to mention…I was looking forward to this.”

“What?”

“B-Because…I’ve been waiting for this day to come…This is my first time coming to an amusement park.”

Normally you’d go at least once with your family…Well, I guess not. Masamune’s been plagued with family-related problems for a long time. Because of her harsh attitude and cold voice, she doesn’t have any friends either. That’s why it makes sense that this is her first actual visit to an amusement park.

“But, why was there such a need to move separately from Konoe and the others?”

“B-Because…”

“?”

“Enjoying the amusement park too much…would make me seem like a child, and it’s embarrassing…” Masamune muttered with a flustered voice that was about to vanish into thin air.

……Well, whatever. I’m sure that it’ll still take a bit longer until Konoe and the others leave the haunted house. I can also understand Masamune’s sentiments, but even more than that…

“Alright, I got it, so don’t look like you’re about to break out in tears.”

“W-Who’s about to cry!?” Masamune averted her face with a pout.

She probably was worried if I was going to agree or not. That’s why, it’s probably my best bet to just simply agree, and—

“!?”

Immediately after, I started thinking that maybe my choice was wrong after all. At a moment’s notice, Masamune wrapped her arms around mine.

“U-Um, Masamune-san?”

“No complaining. This is to fix your gynophobia.” She threw these words at me, but her tone of voice almost made it sound like she was enjoying this.

Waaah, this nasty rabbit, did she awaken to her sadistic side now? Or, is she just enjoying the amusement park that much? Whichever it may be, I wasn’t given much time to think about it, as my gynophobia symptoms were flaring up. Not to mention…

“…!”

Her chest…because she’s pressing her body against mine, her breasts were directly touching my elbow, and gyaaaaa! What is this sensation! This is much more terrifying than any thrill ride!

“Hey, stupid chicken.”

“W-What do you want?”

“There’s two more things I want to ask you, can I?”

“W-Why do I have to answer your questions?”

“You don’t need to answer me, you know? I have my own way of getting that out of you.” She muttered with a teasing tone of voice, as she pressed her chest onto me even further.

T-This woman, she’s clearly trying to make things worse. I’m at my limit now, my nose is burning up.

“A-Alright, ask me anything.”

“Fufu, very well.”

The promise was formed. I-I’m saved…But, I wonder what she wants to ask?

“First…about Suzutsuki Kanade.” She started talking. “You’re hiding something in regards to Suzutsuki Kanade, right?”

“Urk.”

“Seems like I hit the jackpot. I thought something was off. After all, you were so focused on playing with her all the time, simply because of her order. That must have had some special reason, right?”

“T-That’s…”

“Just be honest with me. If not…”

“…! O-Okay, I’ll say it! So please, stop clinging to my arm like that!”

I surrendered quickly in order for me to not pass out…It can’t be helped. I kept quiet about the DVD, but I think it’s about time I told her.

“The thing is…”

From there on out, I revealed everything. The fact that Konoe and I saw that DVD, that Suzutsuki herself chose to become a young girl, and that we tried our hardest to satisfy Suzutsuki so that she returned back to normal.

“Hmm, I see.” After hearing everything, Masamune let out a sigh. “So she chose to become an 8-year old girl, huh. And now, she can’t turn back. In order to fix her, you want to satisfy her.”

“That’s about it.”

However, there’s one thing I didn’t tell Masamune about. Namely, the reason why Suzutsuki chose this method. I mean, what good would telling her do? If I confessed the real reason, these two would only hate each other more. Well, it’s already pretty bad. They’re rich lady and commoner, they live in different worlds.

“But…it makes sense that you would quickly want to fix that.”

“Eh?”

To my surprise, Masamune sounded oddly worried about her natural enemy Suzutsuki.

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea. This is for my sake. I’m not good at dealing with children. When Suzutsuki’s like this, I can never get angry at her.”

“Masamune…”

That damn tsundere. She’s probably exhausted from always being considerate of young Suzutsuki. I get her. Having to deal with this innocent attitude all the time can be troublesome.

“Not to mention…I can’t stand her always clinging to you…”

“Agreed. Any more than this, and people will see me as a lolicon.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Masamune bit her lip, sounding like there was something else she wanted to say.

And now, it was our turn in line. Around ten people can ride this water coaster at the same time. You ride as pairs, in five lines.

“…First row, huh.”

Masamune’s and my seats were at the very front of the coaster. It had to be these seats, huh. We’ll probably end up drenched thanks to that.

“Stupid chicken, I got this from an employee, we’re supposed to put these on our heads.” Masamune handed me what looked like a small vinyl sheet.

I see, I’m using this as a guard, huh.

‘The coaster ride will now depart!’

After we sat down on our seats and put down the safety bar, the ride started moving up the lane. Hmm, this is pretty high. I haven’t ridden this kind of attraction in a while, so my heart is racing in excitement.

“Hey, what about that other question you had?” I asked, remembering our previous conversation.

“…Yeah.”

However, only silence followed, and the mere sound of metallic rattling could be heard. Finally, she opened her mouth, and…

“Did something happen between you and Subaru-sama?” She asked.

“What do you…”

“I mean, recently you don’t seem that close anymore, right? Or rather than that, things feel awkward between the two of you.”

“……”

“Did you…have a fight?” Her eyes looked at me in uncertainty.

Being met with such an honest gaze, I could only answer with a faint ‘…Yeah’. And then, another silence ensued. We were still going up the rails. Despite the metallic sound still filling our ears, this silence felt longer than before.

“………”

I wouldn’t even know how much time has passed. With a bit more, we would reach the summit.

“—It’s fine.” Masamune said.

“Eh?”

“Like I said, it’ll be fine. I’ll help you out. Luckily, we’re at an amusement park today, so this is your perfect chance to make up, right.”

“………”

“You were really close with Subaru-sama, right? Since you’re friends, you naturally would want to make up.”

“…Yeah, thanks.” I gave my honest gratitude.

I guess it’s true that all you need in life are friends. To think that Masamune herself would offer to help me.

“Not to mention…Subaru-sama is a boy, so there’s no problem even if you’re close…”

“Eh?”

“N-Nothing. But, no setting foot onto the path of BL, okay! No matter how close you may be! Ah, right, I’ll help you cure Suzutsuki’s problem while I’m at it as well.”

That one’s just the added bonus!? — I really wanted to retort, but just getting help from Masamune in regards to Suzutsuki is something I should be thankful for. Yeah, all you need is a good friend…

“Masamune.”

“Hm? What?”

“I mean, this is going to sound a bit cheesy, but…I’m glad that you and I are friends.”

I got swept along with the mood, and uttered something awfully embarrassing.

“Eh—”

I felt my body floating, and the wind blew past me at higher speeds than before. Following that, a great amount of screams rang out—We were descending down the coaster. We reached the summit without me even realizing, and now we were nearing the water—directly hitting it. Water splashed up around us everywhere. After that, it started raining down on us.

Good thing I covered my body with the vinyl a split-second before that. I almost forgot that I was given that thing, but I’m glad I remembered it in time. Now I got away without being drench…

“—Um, Masamune?”

What are you doing—I wanted to complain, but I lost all my words. She was drenched. Water was dripping off her clothes. It’s like she was training under a waterfall…

“You…”

Did she forget to put on the vinyl guard?

“Wha…wha…wha…!?”

However, Masamune was blushing furiously, without even realizing that she ended up like that. She completely forgot herself.

“Y-You, what embarrassing nonsense are you saying!”

“Wha?”

“You said something weird like that, surprising me!”

“Surprising you…”

Was it that weird? I don’t think you need to freeze up like that. I do agree that it was mighty embarrassing though.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, okay! It’s not…like I was happy or anything!”

Upon reaching the end of the ride, even after we walked away from our seats, Masamune was still rambling on and on…I mean, that’s fine and all, but…

“…Um, Masamune-san.”

“What do you want!?”

“Well, your clothes…”

“…Eh?”

As friends, I thought of informing Masamune of her current appearance, to which she blushed even more aggressively. The one-piece she was wearing was utterly drenched, which led the fabric to stick to her skin, revealing her slender and feminine lines, as well as emphasizing her underwear…

“Stop looking, stupid chicken!”

“Guha!?”

Immediately after, Masamune’s crescent kick slammed right into my flank. T-This damn nasty rabbit, she never holds back, huh…!

“Idiot! Dummy! Big big dummy! You’re the worst! Why did things have to end up this way!?”

“You got splashed by water, right?”

“It’s your fault because you said something embarrassing like that!”

“You still didn’t have to kick me like that!” I screamed while dodging another incoming kick.

Think about the other people watching us!

“What is that? A fight?”

“It’s nice being young.”

“You’re flirting way too much, alright.”

These and many other words could be heard, all of them misunderstanding the situation.

“Geez, you dummy…” Masamune said, but still accepted the towel from the employee, and dried herself.

I’m glad it’s a considerate employee helping us. It is a clear day today, but having it dry naturally would take too long. However, that still hasn’t cleared up all my problems. I definitely made Masamune angry. Maybe she’ll reconsider helping me now…

“…You don’t have to be so worried, okay.” There, right after we stepped out of the attraction, Masamune opened her mouth after getting a good look at my face. “Whether it’s you getting along with Subaru-sama, or turning Suzutsuki back to normal, I’ll help you. Because…we’re friends, right?”

“…Yeah, thanks.”

She did sound a bit embarrassed, but I still gave her my gratitude…Yeah, no matter what she may say or do—Masamune is a great person.

“…Jirou, what are you doing here with Usami?”

Right there, I heard an awfully displeased alto voice. When I turned towards the source of that voice, I spotted Konoe Subaru. She gave me and Masamune a harsh glare.

“…Ah.”

Crap, I totally forgot. It was around time that these guys got out of the haunted house, yeah. But then, why is it just Konoe here?

“Right after we left the haunted house, we split up to look for you and Usami…but to think you two were enjoying yourselves like this.” Her voice was shaking in anger.

Crap, I need to quickly explain everything. After all, Masamune is now going to help us with Suzutsuki, so—

“Gohu!?”

Right as I tried to make up excuses, a butler knuckle rammed right into my solar plexus.

“I thought you were better than this…” Konoe spoke with watery eyes.

She looked like a child that was about to break out in tears.

“We planned to work hard for the young lady’s sake today, and yet you left her alone to have fun with Usami instead…”

“…! Wait, Konoe! I need to tell you about what Masamune and I talked—”

“Shut up! Like I’d listen to your excuses now!” Konoe averted her face, and walked away.

She’s probably going back to where Suzutsuki and Kureha are waiting.

“S-Stupid chicken…Um, sorry about that. I might have just made things worse…”

“…No, it’s fine. I’m partially to blame as well.” I cheered up the apologizing Masamune.

In fact, it’s not her fault. However, after that kiss incident before, I feel like our relationship moved into the opposite direction. It was almost noon now, with a clear blue sky above us, and yet my heart was clouded with fear about where this would go.

As expected, Konoe would not forgive me no matter what I said. Or rather, she wouldn’t even hear me out. Immediately after that, we grouped up with Suzutsuki and the others, so I tried to immediately explain myself, but I couldn’t even properly talk with her. Although I was clearly to blame, that still didn’t sit right with me. I mean, not even responding to me? Masamune and I merely rode an attraction together, why is there a need to be this angry?

But, if I retaliated now, it would break out into a real fight. That’s why I held my tongue for now. I know how stubborn Subaru-sama can be, but with time, her anger should subside. So, after we finished lunch, we went to adventure the amusement park again. Biking, a free-fall, a roller coaster, a mirror house, one-person bungee jumping that I was forced into by the young lady, and right after the hero show, we moved to a game center. There was countless playing, and even more playing. In the meantime, the time of day moved to evening.

“…Phew.” I let out a sigh.

It’s no use, I’m not seeing any progress at all. And no, I’m not talking about Suzutsuki. Derechuki-san was thoroughly enjoying the amusement park, and looked happy as could be. I feel like we got a lot of points in regards to satisfying her.

The real problem is Konoe Subaru. She wouldn’t even let me talk to her, and just averted her gaze.

“Stupid chicken, what do you plan on doing?”

Masamune must have felt guilty, because she called out to me with an anxious voice. Even if you ask me that…I should be able to clear up the misunderstanding regarding Masamune. The problem is what comes after—Namely, the kiss. That’s the main reason things turned awkward between the two of us. Without clearing that up, we won’t improve our relationship. So in order to put an end to this—

“Onii-chan.”

As I was lost in thought, Suzutsuki pulled on my costume.

“What’s up?”

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“Um, I want to ride that thing next.” She smiled, and pointed towards a single spot.

As it turns out—she wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel, yet another template attraction you would find at an amusement park. Looking at the pamphlet, this Ferris Wheel was at least 100m tall, and one ride could take 19 minutes.

“Hey, Onii-chan.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Yaaay! Ferris Wheel!” Derechuki-san jumped in joy.

Judging from that, she seems satisfied alright.

“The gondola seems big enough for all of us to fit as well.” Masamune commented after looking at the billboard next to the line.

I bet the sight must be great, yeah. With these thoughts, we lined up, and it took us around ten minutes when it was our turn.

“Then, you hop on first, Onii-chan.”

“Hm? Y-Yeah.”

Urged by Suzutsuki, I stepped onto the gondola. Oh, it’s shaking a bit. Now that I think about it, this is my first time taking a ride on a Ferris Wheel.

“Next it’s me. Onii-chan, lend me your hand.”

“Yeah yeah, I understand, young lady.” I stuck out one hand from the Ferris Wheel, and grabbed Suzutsuki’s hand.

For just a bit, it should be fine even with my gynophobia.

“Fufu, thank you.” She showed a teasing smile, and hopped on the gondola.

Immediately after—

“…Eh?”

A clicking sound rang out, and the door of the gondola closed. Of course, the Ferris Wheel did not stop to wait for us. While leaving behind Kureha, Masamune, and even Konoe, we moved forward. They definitely can’t join our gondola anymore.

“Onii-chan.” Her voice sounded seductive for some reason.

After the door closed, Derechuki-san sat down next to me, and smiled.

“S-Suzutsuki, what are you…”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to enjoy a brief date with Onii-chan, that’s all.”

“A date…”

“Come on, sit down. We’ll talk a bit during this ride, what do you think?”

“……”

Seeing no other option, I sat down facing Suzutsuki…She set me up. She probably suggested the Ferris Wheel with that exact plot in mind. That’s Suzutsuki Kanade for you, she’s still a young child, but she knows how to use her surroundings. But…what is this? What does she want to talk about with me?

“First, let me ask something.”

As the Ferris Wheel continued to turn, we were looking outside. It would take 19 minutes until we’re back on the ground. In the midst of this date that was far too short, Suzutsuki began the questioning.

“Why did you play this much with me for the past two weeks?”

“W-Why…? Because I’m your servant.”

“Nonsense, I see. You were weird this entire time. And to be perfectly honest, the same goes for Subaru. You were almost desperate when it came to playing with me, weren’t you. Before, you would be very hesitant when I invited you. Tell me, why?” Suzutsuki tilted her head.

…Are you serious? To think she realized what we were trying to do. She’s got way too good of an intuition. Damn Devil Suzutsuki, even as a child she doesn’t hold back with her devilish power.

“Onii-chan?”

“…Alright.”

Having come this far, I probably won’t be able to hide it. Once we made it down to the ground, she’ll ask Konoe the same thing, and she won’t be able to go against her master. For now, I decided to explain everything. After hearing out everything—

“Hmm, I see.” Derechuki-san nodded. “Basically, you were constantly playing with me in order to satisfy me, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Ahaha, thank you, Onii-chan. I’m lucky to have such great servants, really. Because of that…I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.”

“Eh…?” I couldn’t hide my shock in the face of these words.

“These past two weeks, you always played with me. You, Subaru, Kureha-chan, even Ichigo-san and Usamin, getting to play and have fun with all of you, how could I not be fulfilled.”

“S-So then…”

Will you turn back to normal? Will you turn back to the high school girl Suzutsuki Kanade.

“But, it’s still not enough.” She smiled. “There’s still something lacking.”

“Lacking?”

“I am satisfied, really. But, that’s just one. Judging from the conclusion I came up with over the past two weeks, there is one more thing left to do. Once you execute that, I should be able to return back to how I previously was.”

“R-Really!?” I jumped up in shock.

“Calm down, Onii-chan. My question comes first.” She said, and looked outside the window.

I followed her gaze, and realized that the gondola reached quite the height. From up here, I could see the orange-colored town. Everywhere I looked, it was illuminated.

“So then, my second question.” Suzutsuki spoke with a somewhat mature tone, and opened her mouth again. “Did something happen between you and Subaru?”

“Wha…”
Now hold on. Why is she asking me that? How is that related to turning her back to normal?

“Ah, before that.” As I was baffled, Suzutsuki grinned. “You know about Subaru’s secret, right?”

“…!?”

I was speechless. Suzutsuki saw my reaction, and let out a snicker.

“You don’t need to hide it. You know that Subaru is a girl. I’ve been with you these two weeks, I know at least that much.”

“…You…”

“Of course, I haven’t told anybody. That would force Subaru to quit as my butler after all. This is just a secret between you and me.” She said, and put her index finger on her lips.

I sighed in relief. Thank god, if Suzutsuki were to tell Ichigo-san about this, things would definitely go south.

“Yes, that confirms everything. Let’s get back on the main topic. Onii-chan, why did things end up like this between you and Subaru?”

“Urk…”

“You had a fight?”

“No, not really…”

“Did you force a kiss on her by any chance?”

“…! N-No! I might have been a bit forceful, but it was an accident!”

—Wait no no! Why does she know that I kissed Konoe?

“I knew it.”

Seeing my reaction, Suzutsuki nodded.

“H-How did you know?”

“Eh? Intuition, of course?”

“Are you an esper!?”

“Fufu, just kidding. I heard it from Subaru’s sleeping talk. I often sleep together with her, right? She suddenly started muttering ‘Kiss with Jirou…’, you know. She’s so cute, I couldn’t hold back my desire to hug her.”

“…’zat so.”

“I also kissed her.”

“Why did you go that far!?”

“Fufu, calm down, Onii-chan, it was just on the cheek.”

“You can’t just assault your servants…”

I mean, Konoe sure is cute, but…this isn’t the time to be thinking about that. Why? How is this kiss important now? Where does this lead to the way of curing Suzutsuki? What does she want me to do? There’s only six minutes left. A bit more, and this stroll through the sky will be over.

“…Onii-chan.”

There, Suzutsuki suddenly called out to me with an oddly serious voice. A bit of silence passed, and she moved her soft lips—

“How…do you feel about Subaru?”

With this question I could never have expected, I was left speechless.

“How…”

“Tell me. If you explain this to me, I’ll teach you the method to turn me back to normal.”

“…!”

“Come on, Onii-chan, we don’t have much time.” She said, and showed me her wristwatch.

Time was moving on rapidly. We’re slowly reaching the ground. But…what should I say here? How do I feel about Konoe? What is she to me? No, that’s obvious. She’s my best friend. That’s what we promised during last summer break. That we’d be best friends. That’s why I want to make up with her again. It’s all so that I don’t have to see her saddened face…that I don’t have to see her tears.

“…I don’t really know how to say it, but I don’t want her to be sad.” I spoke with a clumsy tone, but with my honest thoughts. “I can’t stand seeing her sad, I can’t stand seeing her cry…and it makes me restless, forcing me to do something. I can’t sit still when she’s suffering.”

Thinking back on it, I’ve been feeling this way ever since the incident at the pool back in April—Stand By Me. The promise I shared with my late old man, asking her to stay with me so that I can protect her. That’s right…I simply wanted to tell her these words, so I…

“…Onii-chan.” Suddenly, Suzutsuki let out an exhausted sigh. “You’re an idiot, right?”

“…What?”

“You’re a moron. A big, big dummy. A mega dummy. You’re a chicken bastard, and a dense dummy. Not even realizing your own feelings like this, you’re history’s greatest mega dummy.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Hmpf, I’m frustrated, so I won’t tell you. Think about it yourself.” Suzutsuki stuck out her tongue, like a cheeky child. “But, it’s fine. I’ll save you.”

“Wha?”

“I’ll save you. Both you and Subaru. It’s my job as your master to ensure that my servants get along. Don’t you worry, just leave it all to me.”

“L-Leave it to you…”

No, before that, what about turning you back to normal?

“Ah, I forgot. For that, we need to turn me back to normal, right. Ehehe, oopsies~”

“That’s the problem. What idea do you have in mind?”

“Fufu, it’s fine. It’s super simple~ And, time is perfect too.” She said, and looked at her wristwatch.

Three more minutes. We have merely 180 seconds left in this date, so what does she—

“—Onii-chan.”

“What?”

“Um…—I love you!”

There, she declared with a cute voice, and smiled bright like a sunflower. Right after that…

“—!”

With no warning whatsoever, she pressed her lips on mine.

“Wha—”

I wanted to scream ‘W-W-What are you doing!?’, but by jumping away, I hit my head on the wall behind me. Gaaaah, curse this narrow gondola!

“Are you okay, Jirou-kun?”

“!?”

Hearing a dignified voice, my body shook. It was the confident and familiar voice of a certain rich lady. Not to mention, calling me ‘Jirou-kun’…

“S-Suzutsuki…”

“Fufu, it’s been a while.” Nonchalantly, acting like nothing had happened, my master—Suzutsuki Kanade smiled.

“……”

You wench, showing such a calm expression. Do you know how worried we were about you? Yet you’re back this easily…

“I’m sorry, I must have caused a lot of trouble for you.”

“…It’s fine. I won’t forgive you this easily, so don’t apologize.”

“Oh my, then what should I do for you to forgive me?”

“Hell do I know.”

“Pay with my body?”

“Where did that choice even come from!”

“Right, if my body is your goal, then you would have already laid your hands on me when we slept in the same bed.”

“Wha…You…”

“Yes, I have all the memories that my younger self acquired over the past two weeks. You were quite attached to the young me, weren’t you.”

“~~~!”

“You lolicon bastard.”

“Shut up! It’s all because…”

“Knowing you, you probably gave me a new nickname as well, right? Something like…Derechuki-san?”

“Gyaaaaaa!”

“Oh my, I was just joking, but it seems like I was right.” Suzutsuki-san let out a snicker.

…Ahh, farewell, Derechuki-san, I won’t ever forget about you. And, welcome back, Yamitsuki-san. I want to forget about you as quickly as possible. However, that probably won’t happen, because you are Devil Suzutsuki. After all, you are like the devil reincarnated.

“Damn it, do you not have any weaknesses? You managed to deceive Masamune, so are you invincible now?” I complained with all my heart.

By using the technique of ‘Lying even to herself’, she managed to deceive Masamune. Now that she’s done it once, it’s over.

“—Not quite.” However, as if she guessed my own thoughts, Suzutsuki let out a dejected sigh. “That method is far too dangerous for me to use. After all, I won’t know when I will return to the real me. That’s why this experiment is a failure, and Usami-san will stay as my mortal enemy.”

“R-Really now.” I was a bit relieved.

Just as Suzutsuki stated, this method had far too many drawbacks to be used accurately.

“And this time, I fully understood everything. What’s important doesn’t change. Whether she sees through my lies or not—Usami-san will always be my archnemesis.” Suzutsuki muttered with an awfully serious tone.

“…? What do you mean by that?”

“………” Suzutsuki stayed quiet for a while, only to continue. “I’ll teach you about that another time. For now, we need to have you and Subaru make up, right?”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right.”

Now that Suzutsuki’s case was resolved, the bigger problem is how I can make up with Konoe. That being said, with Suzutsuki Kanade, I have a strong ally at my side. She’ll surely lend me her knowledge. We just promised that after all…Well, everything feels a bit awkward now because of that kiss. However, now that Suzutsuki returned to normal—

“Hm?”

…Wait, what is this sensation? It feels like something doesn’t sit right with me. Like something doesn’t add up. Hmm…I can’t seem to remember. Well, I will probably remember it eventually.

“Then, first we should tell Konoe that you’re back to normal.”

That should be our first step. I’m sure that both Konoe and Kureha would be happy to hear that. No clue about Masamune though. Either way, now that that’s decided…

“You can’t do that, Jirou-kun.”

However, Suzutsuki immediately denied my suggestion. She flashed a mature smile, almost like Derechuki-san never existed.

“There’s no need to tell Subaru and the others just yet. After all—that makes things much more interesting.”

“……”

Ahh, I miss Derechuki-san after all. That’s what I thought while seeing her smile. At the same time, the gondola shook a bit, and the door was opened from the outside. Our jolly Ferris Wheel ride ended, and we reached the goal. It’s been a clean 19 minutes, and the ultimate length of my short date with Suzutsuki.

After getting off the Ferris Wheel, the sun had already started to set, with the night quickly approaching. It was the final day of Musashino Land. Since the renovation will start tomorrow, they even had some event planned for tonight. Looking at the pamphlet, it was planned as a small parade, which allowed visitors to participate, and fireworks to finish it off.

“Jirou-kun, you understand our plan, right?” Suzutsuki was back to her usual self, and went through everything with me. “I will keep acting like Derechuki-san, and make it so that you and Subaru can be alone for a bit.”

“Huh!? J-Just the two of us…I didn’t hear about that!”

“How much of a chicken bastard are you? You’re the one at fault for kissing Subaru like that. You have to be the one to resolve things. I’ll set up everything, but that’s about it.”

“Urk…”

Damn it, she’s not wrong, and I hate it. Although it was to protect Konoe’s secret, I still forced myself onto her. If so, then I have to be the one to resolve things. There’s also the misunderstanding regarding Masamune now that I think about it…

“Come on, Subaru and the others are coming down, you best pull this off.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Our first strategy meeting ended, and the gondola reached the ground at a similar time. Seems like the three got off at the same time, and they all came storming outside once the door opened.

“Young lady! Why did you leave us behind like that!?”

“S-Sorry, Subaru, I just wanted to play a prank on Onii-chan.” She spoke with a childish voice.

…Amazing, it’s perfect acting. I wouldn’t be able to tell that she’s back to normal. That’s Suzutsuki Kanade for you. She definitely should start working for some scam company.

“No more pranks, okay?” Konoe scolded Suzutsuki, but still sighed in relief.

It seems like she hasn’t realized that Suzutsuki has returned to her usual self. At the same time, I’m betting on the fact that she didn’t see what happened inside the gondola, so the fact that Suzutsuki kissed me should be safe.

“Oh yeah, there’s going to be a parade soon, right.”

“Yup, I’m looking forward to it, Kureha-chan.”

Kureha stood behind Konoe, smiling. Alright, she’s in the dark as well. So far, everything is going according to our plan. This only leaves…Usami Masamune. She’s the only one who can see through Suzutsuki’s acting.

“Ah, Usamiiin, come with me for a second~” Suzutsuki beckoned Masamune over.

Immediately after that, Masamune’s expression froze up in shock. As I guessed, she saw through Suzutsuki immediately.

“Y-You…” Her mouth opened and closed in confusion.

Ah, this is bad. She’s going to spill the beans about Suzutsuki.

“Quiet, Usami-san.” Suzutsuki whispered into Masamune’s ear, using a voice where the others couldn’t hear her.

“S-Suzutsuki Kanade, so you are back!”

“Indeed. Amazing, to think you could see through me this quickly.”

“Your nonsense and lies aren’t going to deceive me!” Masamune was a bit flustered, but continued her conversation with Suzutsuki. “It must have happened during your Ferris Wheel ride, right!? During that time, you turned back to normal!”

“Yes, I somehow managed to return.”

“So, why do you still continue to act like a child!?”

“Calm down, Usami-san. This is all to help Jirou-kun.”

“For his sake…? Do you mean…” Masamune thought for a second.

Alright, great progress. Just now, Masamune said that she’d help me to make up with Konoe, so at this rate, she’ll become my ally.

“Did…he ask you to keep acting like a child? Something like ‘Please continue to call me Onii-chan’, maybe?”

“………”

Hey now, won’t you have a bit more trust in me, Masamune-san? I don’t have any interest in forcing my classmate into such a messed up roleplay, okay?

“That would be just fine for me, but that sadly isn’t the case. There’s something he needs to do.”

“…What are you plotting?”

“I’m glad you caught on. I’m trying to help Jirou-kun and Subaru make up again.”

“Those two? Oh yeah, I heard they were having a fight, but…”

“As their master, I don’t want my servants to fight. That’s why, won’t you help me out?”

“I-I was planning on helping him from the very beginning!”

“Oh, really? Quite convenient, then. You help with our plan. I need to make sure that Jirou-kun and Subaru can be alone together. So, don’t tell the others that I’ve already returned to being normal.”

“Why?”

“As a child, I have more options.”

“…You really have a nasty personality. Well, it’s for the stupid chicken’s sake, and since we’re friends, I’ll help you out…” Masamune nodded.

Alright, that’s another hurdle cleared. With this, I have Masamune as another ally. I wonder what kind of plan Suzutsuki came up with…

“Usami, what are you and the young lady whispering about?”

“…!? S-Subaru-sama…” Masamune twitched in shock.

The person in question, Konoe Subaru, was glaring at Masamune with a dubious look in his eyes. I guess their strategy meeting was a bit too long after all.

“I-I wasn’t …!”

“Really?”

“Urk…” Masamune grew silent in the face of Konoe emitting so much pressure.

Woah, this ain’t a joke. Unlike Suzutsuki, Masamune isn’t good at lying. At this rate, Konoe might catch on that the usual Suzutsuki is back, and our plan will be ruined.

“Subaru, it can’t be helped that Usamin feels embarrassed.” Suzutsuki showed a wry smile, and supported Masamune. “After all, she gave me a very delicate question just now.”

“M-Meaning?”

“Namely, she wants her breasts to grow, and she wondered what she could do.”

“Huuuuh!?” Masamune screamed in shock at this sudden revelation.

Suzutsuki however ignored her, and continued making up excuses.

“So, I offered to give Usamin a breast massage.”

“I-I did hear that a girl’s breasts can grow with a massage, but…why would the young lady have to…”

“It’s fine, Subaru. This is for Usamin’s sake. As her master, I want to resolve whatever she may be worried about, as that is my duty.”

“Young lady…” Konoe felt her heart broken at her master’s devotion, and nodded in consent.

“Usami, be thankful for the young lady’s kindness.”

“H-Hold on! Just wait a moment, Subaru-sama! Don’t listen to Suzutsuki Kanade’s non—”

“Come on, don’t be so embarrassed. Just leave everything to me~”

“No!? Stop! What are you…No…Wha…Not this forcefully…”

“Did that hurt? Then, I’ll be a bit more gentle.”

“Fuwah!? N-No…not there…Mmm…!”

Suzutsuki had wrapped her arms around Masamune from behind her back, now fondling her breasts. Sorry, Masamune, there can be no victory without sacrifices. This is necessary for our plan. Of course, this just looks like Suzutsuki is using this situation to have fun again, but leaving that aside.

“S-Suzutsuki Kanade, you…!”

“What’s wrong? Would you have preferred the longer course?”

“I-I-I’m fine, really! I feel like I’ll just end up completely lost if you keep touching me!”

“Completely lost…in what way?”

“Shut up! Don’t make me say any more, or I’ll kick you for real!” Masamune covered her own chest, and screamed.

Completely lost…how? I really wanted to ask that myself, but stopped myself right before that. I felt like I’d be the one to get kicked if I did. If there is one thing I can state, then it’s the fact that Suzutsuki is absolutely terrifying.

“Hey, Suzutsuki, aren’t you taking things a bit too far now?”

I felt like that went too far, so I threw in a warning. I understand that acting like a girl must be fun, but there’s a line she shouldn’t cross.

“Right, I feel like I went too far a bit. However…”

“What?”

“…No, it’s fine. I just wanted her to use the master ticket she got before, but she really knows how to hold back.”

“Master ticket…”

Oh yeah, the ticket that allows Masamune to give Suzutsuki any kind of order, no matter what it is. Hmmm, maybe Suzutsuki regretted giving her that ticket after all. Well, it was Derechuki-san who gave it out to Masamune.

“For crying out loud, I was such an innocent child. I didn’t think I would make such a thing and give it to her. Well, I don’t think that will get in the way of our plan this time.” She let out a faint sigh, and then flashed an innocent smile again.

I guess she’s back to acting like Derechuki-san now. It’s crazy at the speed she’s doing that. She’d be a great Hollywood actress, seriously.

“Hey, Kureha-chan, they said that visitors can dress up and participate at the parade, right?”

“Eh? Y-Yes. That’s what it said in the pamphlet.”

“Fufu, I see.” Suzutsuki flashed a joyful smile.

And then…she started thinking.

“Hey, Subaru, why don’t you participate in the parade as well?”

“Eh?!”

Met with this sudden order, the butler was left baffled.

“I mean, today is the last day before the renovation, so wouldn’t you want to make some memories?”

“However, young lady…”

“Come on, they offer to dress you up, even.”

“Eh!?”

“Now, let’s go.” Suzutsuki dragged Konoe into a nearby building, which had a big, large billboard in front of it, saying ‘Costume Parade Reception’.

Roughly ten minutes later, after we had been waiting, Suzutsuki and Konoe returned—However.

“…!”

Getting a good look at Konoe after her return, I was flabbergasted. She was wearing a dress. Not to mention one of the princesses you would see in fairy tales. Her dress consisted of a faint green color, covering Konoe’s entire body. We’ve met Konoe Subaru in her princess mode.

“Young lady, this is way too embarrassing…”

“Really? I think it looks great on you. Right, Kureha-chan?”

“Y-Yes, it looks wonderful. I have trouble even seeing you as a boy. Not to mention, are you using pads?”

“O-O-O-Of course, I’m a boy! I have no breasts!”

“R-Right! It just looked so natural…” Kureha was utterly entranced, because it looked too good on Konoe almost.

A green dress…Crap, what is this. She looked like a boy not too long ago, so now the gap is just making her look even more adorable. Not to mention that the dress was very prim and proper. Despite that, her shoulders were in the open, giving her an alluring feeling all the same. She even had a tiara on her head, looking like she was part of some movie screening. Amazing, they might get her for that mouse land park.

“Cute. It’s truly cute, Subaru.”

“T-Thank you very much…”

“But, what are you wearing beneath that dress? You’re not wearing girl’s underwear beneath that, are you?”

“!”

“I’d like to check, so can you let me take a look?”

“!?”

“What’s wrong? You’re a boy, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? Just lift up your skirt a bit.”

“~~~!” Even while being embarrassed, Konoe nodded with a ‘U-Understood’ and started lifting her skirt.

Waaah, what is she doing!?

“Konoe! You don’t have to go that far!”

“B-But, the young lady’s orders are…”

“It’s just a child talking nonsense, don’t take it so seriously!”

“Ehhh, I wanna see some underwear!”

“You be quiet for a second!”

Damn Yamitsuki-san, you’re playing around way too much. She’s using her position as a child way too much.

“Ah, Subaru. The participants of the parade are gathering over there.” Suzutsuki said, and pointed at an open plaza.

Looking over, I saw several people that wore familiar fashion to Konoe. For example, Dracula, Frankenstein, or a werewolf. A lot of horror-themed costumes, huh. Oh yeah, this is the season of Halloween after all. There’s some people who are wearing pumpkin heads.

“Come on, over with you. We’ll be waiting here.”

“Ah…Understood, young lady.” Konoe sounded embarrassed, but still walked towards the plaza.

There, Suzutsuki whispered into my ear.

“Jirou-kun, what are you spacing out for?”

“Eh?”

“I gave you this chance to become alone.”

“But, Konoe will participate in the…”

“Look at yourself, I think you’re plenty equipped for the parade yourself.”

I was confused at first, but I quickly realized what Suzutsuki was talking about. Right now, I’m still wearing the costume. I wouldn’t stick out in the middle of that parade.

“Not to mention, you can just dip out if push comes to shove. Just call for Subaru and skip it.”

“Quite the forceful method, alright.”

“You want to make up with her, right? You might as well kiss her again, you know?”

“Wha…S-Stop joking around! Where did that come from?”

“You forced yourself onto her before, right?”

“That’s the whole reason things ended up as messy as they are now!”

That’s right, I kissed Konoe in that closet. Without that, things would have not ended so miserably.

“…Ah.”

I get it. Now I understand it. This feeling like something didn’t sit right with me, which I felt inside the Ferris Wheel, the reason for that was…

“Hey, Suzutsuki.”

“Hm? You sound awfully serious now.”

“Well, I was just wondering——Why did you turn back to normal after kissing me?” I asked with a quiet voice.

That’s right, why did a kiss with me trigger her return? I’ve been curious about that this entire time. This isn’t some fairy tale with a sleeping princess. Only children believe that a kiss could relieve a curse.

“……”

Silence followed. The young lady was thinking.

“That’s…because I wanted to be spoiled by you, Jirou-kun.”

“Huh?”

“My childish self said it, right? ‘Once I’m satisfied, I can turn back to normal’. If I had to guess, my childish self wanted to get all your attention, and be spoiled…that’s why I returned with a kiss. That’s the ultimate form of being spoiled by someone.”

“Being spoiled…”

“I’ve been rather cold lately, acting as Yamitsuki-san, right? Because of that, my childish self wanted to be with you as much as possible, and enjoy her time. But, things couldn’t always stay like this.”

“……”

“That’s why that was my final piece of being spoiled by you. That kiss acted as the final cut. That’s why I decided to not act that way towards you anymore.”

“Does that mean…you’re going back to Yamitsuki-san?”

“Indeed. That’s what I told you, right? I’ll continue to bully you forever…”

“That’s true, but…”

Why? She wanted to be spoiled. Basically, she wanted us to be good friends, as we’ve been, right? Yet, why is she saying that she’ll become Yamitsuki-san? It doesn’t make any sense. She’s contradicting her words and actions.

“Now, go after Subaru. I’ll explain everything to Kureha-chan.”

“Y-Yeah…”

I was pressed by Suzutsuki’s words, I started running down the same path Konoe took.

“—Farewell, Jirou-kun.”

I felt like I heard Suzutsuki’s voice in the distance. I turned around, but she was already facing the others. However, for a split second, it felt like I saw a saddened expression on her face, right as she turned it away from me.