Ichinose Honami didn't feel that Ichinose Ayano's earlier response had anything strange, but how could Mikado Ryouko not notice?
Although she might be a cosmic leftover woman far beyond Hiratsuka Shizuka, whose age couldn't be disclosed, as a universally renowned underground doctor, so famous that even while hiding on Earth, beings from many planets still came to her, her theoretical knowledge was still extremely vast.
Even if she hadn't experienced it herself, hadn't she seen study materials?
From the physical condition of Ichinose Ayano discovered earlier, combined with the abnormality now being hidden by bed curtains, it was easy to associate it with certain plots.
'Ichinose Ayano behind the bed curtains. Could it be that she can't resist again…'
'Could it be one of those strange cases of not being able to restrain oneself?'
'If that is the case, then Ichinose Ayano's bold actions can be explained.'
She had only heard of such a condition, but never truly seen it. If such an illness really existed, it would rival the most beautiful race in the universe. The "Charmers," who possessed the ability to make any man lose his sanity upon seeing their faces.
'Hmm, one is a condition of not being able to restrain oneself, the other is an ability that causes others to lose control, there might be a connection. If studied thoroughly, maybe it can help suppress the Charmer's powers.'
Just as Mikado Ryouko was contemplating whether Earthlings really had such addiction-prone and uncontrollable diseases, she suddenly looked up again at the bed curtain, eyes narrowing slightly.
'Something is wrong. Why did I suddenly stopped hearing anything?'
When Ichinose Ayano replied just now, her breathing was still heavy, yet now, after replying, it had suddenly vanished.
Behind the bed curtain, it was completely silent. No sound of breathing, no sound of heartbeat. As if there was no one there.
Mikado Ryouko muttered to herself, picked up the oral supplement from the table, and under Ichinose Honami's confused gaze, slowly walked to the curtain. Suddenly, she lifted a corner and blocked Ichinose Honami's line of sight with her body. She poked her head in and smiled.
"Ayano-chan, did you fall asleep? Want to drink a little supplement first? It can quickly relieve physical fatigue and help you recover."
Behind the curtain, it wasn't as Mikado Ryouko imagined. It wasn't empty either. Ichinose Ayano was sitting on the bed covered with a blanket, biting her lips. When she saw Ryouko enter, she revealed a shy and embarrassed smile.
Aside from the sweat-drenched hair strands slightly sticking to her cheeks, her snow-white neck and delicate face overly flushed, there was nothing abnormal.
"Okay, thank you, Mikado-sensei…", Ichinose Ayano, slumped on the bed like a duck, took Mikado Ryouko's supplement with slightly trembling hands, slightly parted her tender pink lips, gently bit down on the transparent straw, and her throat visibly gulped as she drank.
"Ayano-chan, go ahead and rest," After confirming that the blanket on the bed wasn't obviously arched and there was no one under the empty bed, Mikado Ryouko took back the empty bottle Ayano had finished drinking from, pulled the curtain closed, and returned to her seat.
"Mikado-sensei, is that supplement very effective? Why did you suddenly give it to Ayano?", Ichinose Honami still didn't know what had just happened. She looked curiously at the little bottle in Mikado Ryouko's hand.
"Mm, it's quite nourishing. Just a bit expensive. But for Ayano-chan, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll get you both a few more to take home later. Now let's continue talking about your sister," Mikado Ryouko glanced at the nearly invisible white traces on the transparent straw of the bottle, gently placed it aside, and smiled while shaking her head.
'To think she will do something like that right under my nose, I have to catch that bold brat later.'
———
["Ding~"]
["Quest 'Maiden's Plea' completed."]
["Quest Reward — Succubus-Attracting Physique."]
["Unlocked Transferable Character from Love List — Sakurase Shino."]
After several days of guidance, Hachiman finally succeeded in completely opening up Sakurase Shino's heart this afternoon before school ended.
Sakurase Shino's quest was also completed, and he received a new reward.
[Succubus-Attracting Physique: Immune to mental control, and possesses irresistible physical attraction toward female succubus-type beings.]
The moment he saw this reward, Hachiman felt a little helpless.
'Normally, shouldn't the reward be a succubus-like physique that attracts the opposite sex? Why is it a physique that attracts succubi instead?'
Although this reward was a perfect match with Sakurase Shino's Weak-Succubus Physique, with it, he no longer had to worry about being seduced or controlled by Shino's passive charm aura.
But besides the side effect of attracting succubi, the immunity to mental control also overlapped with the effect of the Service Collar.
'Hmm… oh well, this physique isn't bad either. I can't possibly keep wearing the Service Collar all the time,' These past few days, every time he showered, the girls would weirdly ask about the collar on his hand.
After thinking about it, Hachiman felt that since the process of completing Shino's quest was so easy, he had no complaints about the reward.
Because it really could be said he earned it lying down.
"Shino, Yukinoshita will be here soon. You can't act like a shut-in girl anymore. Even if you're not used to talking, at least say a few words," Hachiman hugged Sakurase Shino, who was sitting on his thigh, played with her soft and delicate hands, and looked at her rosy face, reminding her in a low voice.
Since she'd been fully enlightened, it was time to reap the results.
Shino's side had been dealt with. Next would be Yukinoshita Yukino's turn.
He was already looking forward to seeing Yukinoshita Yukino calling him "President-sama," maybe even with a "Nya~" at the end.
"Mm…", Sakurase Shino, her plump soft body leaning against Hachiman, responded faintly.
"Mm?"
Hachiman gently squeezed Shino's small hand, placed both hands on her slender waist, and lifted her from his lap to adjust her posture, letting them face each other.
"Yes… President… I'll listen obediently…", Feeling Hachiman's burning gaze, Shino had no choice but to speak in a small voice with a flushed face and slightly opened mouth.
She really couldn't hold on anymore, her legs were trembling…
Even though she still didn't want to interact much with others, fearing her passive succubus charm might harm someone else.
But now, beside the President, she wasn't harming others. The President was harming her.
She didn't know why the President was so strong. She was nearly fainting, yet he was still full of energy with no sign of fatigue.
But she didn't even know why he was immune to her succubus charm, maybe it didn't matter anymore.
Perhaps… just obediently listening to the President was the right thing to do, because only he didn't have to fear the misfortune she brought, and could calmly accept her sinful self.
Although there were many girls around the President, if there weren't, maybe she wouldn't be able to handle it either.
"As long as you're obedient, it's fine. I'm not abusing you. When you're in the Service Club, you can try being more cheerful and make friends. Even if you aren't cheerful, it's okay. There are quite a few timid girls in the Service Club, you can be friends with them too."
Seeing this weak succubus who had always acted as a quiet shut-in finally speak a few more words, Hachiman nodded with satisfaction, patted her head, and gently massaged her soft and powerless fair thighs.
It was already after school. He and Sakurase Shino had just sat down in the Service Club. Ichinose Ayano, who hadn't recovered after lying in the infirmary for a whole class period, had been taken home by Ichinose Honami to rest.
Hmm… although Shino was the one who physically received the "education" today, the effect of the Empathy Bracelet was too strong. With such vivid synchronization, Ayano's stimulation was no less than Shino's.
When Shino was too tired to continue, Ayano, after taking off the bracelet, was "guided" personally again via Love Mode, experiencing everything Shino had.
If begging for mercy worked, she'd be done already. But since begging didn't help and she had to endure the whole week, Ayano would probably also be "enlightened" like Shino by today.
Now that Ayano had been taken care of, the Empathy Bracelet no longer had to stay on her, so it had been reclaimed by Hachiman. Ready for use when needed.
Ssss—
Just as Hachiman was slowly teasing Shino in his arms, he suddenly looked up toward the open Service Club door.
No one was at the entrance.
However, with his sharp senses, Hachiman had already noticed someone had arrived in the hallway outside, dragging their feet, hesitating, not yet approaching the clubroom door.
"Bocchi-chan?"
Hachiman hesitated, then guessed that it must be Gotou Hitori, who had promised to join the Service Club.
The club was located in a remote special building, with few visitors. Among all the club members, aside from Yukinoshita Yukino who had no friends, no one else would come here alone.
But the girl's footsteps outside were a bit heavy, not as light as Yukinoshita's. So it must be Gotou Hitori, who hadn't joined yet but was forced to come due to his request.
After setting Shino down to rest, Hachiman walked alone to the doorway and looked in the direction of the sound.
As expected, a pink-haired figure was pacing the hallway with her head down.
She took a few slow steps toward the club, then turned and walked away a few steps, then slowly returned again, mumbling incomprehensibly as she walked.
"Bocchi-chan?", Hachiman walked up behind Gotou Hitori and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Ahh? A ghost?", Gotou Hitori, just about to turn and retreat, suddenly jumped in shock and screamed to run away.
"???", Hachiman grabbed the panicked Gotou Hitori, turned her head to face him, and asked word by word, "Bocchi-chan, what did you just say?"
"Not… nothing…", Gotou Hitori realized the person who tapped her wasn't a ghost but Hachiman. Her body still trembled as she forced a stiff smile.
"Come in and sit. You're making it look like I kidnapped you," Seeing her nervousness, Hachiman shook his head helplessly, let go of her, and walked back to the club.
"Y-yes…", Looking at Hachiman's back, Gotou Hitori had the urge to run, but she held herself back, swallowed hard, and dragged her heavy steps into the clubroom.
"Bocchi-chan, sit here. You came so early today, did you head over right after school? I thought you'd delay until late, or wait until the school was about to close," Hachiman placed an empty chair in front of him, gestured for her to sit, then returned to his seat and embraced Shino again.
"This…", Seeing how Shino obediently sat in Hachiman's lap, Gotou Hitori stiffly sat in the chair, shrank her head, and didn't know how to answer.
Honestly, she had thought about pretending not to find the Service Club, or dragging her feet and coming very late.
But once she thought about that day when the elf princess Iris instantly teleported her from the corner of the playground to the student guidance office, she didn't dare pretend to be late or not show up.
What if Hachiman, because she didn't go to the Service Club, decided to come directly to her house?
That would be a disaster. Facing an elf princess who mastered magic, even her mom wouldn't be able to save her.
"Bocchi-chan, you really didn't get what I meant at all... Didn't I say you're my friend? I invited you to the Service Club because I want you to make friends with the members here," Looking at the shrinking, stammering Gotou Hitori who couldn't even speak fluently, Hachiman wasn't surprised. He simply shook his head and continued to emphasize.
Gotou Hitori had been a shut-in at home for a long time, almost without any communication with people other than family, spending her days living in her own imagination. Her level of social anxiety could be called deep, even pathological.
But the treatment was simple. Just let her make more friends, and have those friends bring her along to play.
The only difficult part was making Gotou Hitori accept them as friends in the beginning. It would take frequent contact and conversations. But in the Service Club, there was no shortage of problem girls. For a socially anxious person like Gotou Hitori, finding friends here would be too easy.
"R-really...?", Gotou Hitori still looked a bit doubtful as she stared at Hachiman, who was close and intimate with Sakurase Shino.
Was it really just to have her make friends in the Service Club and not for some other reason?
She had personally seen what Sakurase Shino and Hachiman did in the student guidance office. She had even joined in a little herself...
If they hadn't stopped in the end, her mom might've already made her celebratory red bean rice.
"I call you Bocchi-chan, so what should you call me?", Hachiman looked at Gotou Hitori speechlessly, no longer explaining, and directly changed the topic.
"Ha-Hachiman?", Gotou Hitori looked at Hachiman, cautiously trying it out.
That day, Hachiman had said they were friends, and she had been happy for a long time over having her first friend in life, and for the nickname "Bocchi-chan." But everything that happened afterward made her question her life, wondering if her very first good friend didn't simply want to be just friends with her...
"Mm, we're friends. Although everyone in the club calls me 'President,' and you'll probably only dare call me that when with them, when it's just us, you can just call me by my name," Hachiman reached out and patted Gotou Hitori's head, softly reassuring her.
Although "Absolute Taming" wasn't an active skill and could only work passively, in situations like this, it should help lower Gotou Hitori's mental defenses. Hopefully, she would stop acting like an epileptic whenever she was in front of him.
After all, if she couldn't let her guard down, how would she slowly start listening to him and get molded into a cute little Bocchi-chan?
[T/N: Hey everyone! If you're into mystery, magic, and a whole new twist on the wizarding world, check out my new fanfic "Harry Potter: Transmigrated Detective Link." A sharp-minded detective finds himself in the world of Hogwarts, and things are about to get interesting. Give it a read and let me know what you think!]
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