I opened my eyes slowly.
For a moment I thought it had all been a dream.
The rooftop.
The wind.
Yuuna.
And then…
My fingers moved on their own to touch my lips.
…
No.
It hadn't been a dream.
"…"
Why did they still feel so soft?
I shook my head hard.
What the hell was I thinking?!
"Calm down, Aika…" I murmured, giving myself a couple of slaps on the cheeks.
Nothing weird had happened.
It was just a kiss.
…
A kiss.
…
One that was possibly longer than it should have been.
…
And with Yuuna.
"Aaaaah!"
I buried my face in the pillow.
I didn't want to think about it.
I didn't want to remember it.
I didn't want to…
Flash.
"…Problem solved."
"AAAAAAAAH!" I screamed into the pillow.
This is impossible…
When I arrived at school my brain was still completely melted.
The fact that it had taken me so long to fall asleep wasn't helping — if I didn't have that system skill I'd probably have terrible bags under my eyes right now…
Once I got to class I just stared at the board and pretended to understand something.
"Shimizu."
…
Flash.
Yuuna holding my chin.
"Shimizu."
…
Flash.
The warmth of her breath.
"SHIMIZU!"
"Y-YES?!"
I jumped up so fast the chair screeched across the entire room.
Everyone turned to look at me.
The teacher sighed deeply.
"I'm glad to know you've finally returned to this dimension."
Snickers started immediately.
I sank slowly back into my seat.
"S-sorry…"
The teacher adjusted his glasses.
"Could you give us the answer?"
…
…
…
I blinked.
…
…
…
The answer to what?!
"U-uh… w-well… I…"
…
"Saturated…" Mei said, then quickly covered her mouth.
"Sorry, it slipped out."
The teacher looked at her.
"Very good, Hirano-san, it's a saturated hydrocarbon… but next time let the other students answer."
The teacher turned back to the board and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. When I looked at Mei she just smiled back at me.
"Thank you!" I mouthed silently, pressing my hands together.
When the bell rang my exhaustion had multiplied by ten, and I couldn't stop thinking about Yuuna and the kiss.
I needed to clear my head.
I couldn't keep remembering that.
I stepped out into the hallway.
Turned a corner.
And then I saw her.
Black hair, tall, impeccable uniform.
Yuuna.
I turned a hundred and eighty degrees.
Nope.
Strategic retreat.
I took three steps.
Crashed into someone.
"Ow!"
"Sorry…"
I looked up.
It wasn't Yuuna.
It was the literature teacher.
"Shimizu."
"I-I'm so sorry!"
I bowed so exaggeratedly I nearly lost my balance again.
I kept walking.
No.
Running.
No.
Retreating with dignity.
I turned another corner.
Breathed.
Okay.
I was safe now.
I looked ahead.
Yuuna was walking down that hallway too.
What kind of final boss appears on every single map?!
I ducked into the first empty classroom I found.
Waited a few seconds.
Peeked my head out carefully.
She wasn't there.
Perfect.
I stepped out.
"Good morning."
"KYAAAA!!"
I jumped what was probably an Olympic record.
Yuuna was standing right behind me.
How the hell did she do that?
Did she have teleportation?
Was she a ninja?
A ghost?
She looked at me with the same calm expression as always.
My heart felt like it was trying to escape through my throat.
"G-good…"
"…morning…"
Silence.
Yuuna stood there watching me for a few seconds.
"How's your practice going?"
"Practice?"
"The pl—"
"Ah right, the p-play, of course."
I was so nervous I didn't even let her finish.
"It's going much better," I said, smiling.
Yuuna tilted her head slightly.
"I see. Glad to hear it."
She didn't mention the kiss.
She didn't say anything else.
She simply…
Kept walking.
I watched her disappear down the hallway.
I was still completely frozen.
…
That was it?
After kissing me like that… she was going to act like nothing happened?
I pressed both hands to my head.
How the hell could she be so calm about it?!
"…"
I gently knocked my forehead against the wall.
"This is a disaster…"
And for some reason…
I had the terrible feeling that it was only just beginning.
I walked into the Dark Lotus dressing room carrying a mix of resignation and exhaustion.
"…I can't believe I have to put this on again…"
I sighed as I held the lingerie in my hands.
I put it on slowly, followed by the corset, the short tulle skirt, the garter stockings, and finally, the heels.
When I finished I stared at myself in the mirror for a few seconds.
…
Honestly it fits really well, and that gives me a complicated kind of satisfaction.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that," I murmured.
PIIING.
[New mission detected.]
I flinched slightly.
"Again?"
[Mission: Post a new photo on Lonely Fans.]
[Condition 1: The photo must be taken inside Dark Lotus.]
[Condition 2: You must be wearing your current outfit.]
[Time Remaining: 20 minutes.]
[Reward: ¥40,000.]
[Additional Reward: Skill improvement.]
[Penalty for Failure: ¥80,000 fine.]
I stood completely still.
Then looked at the message.
Then at my outfit.
Then back at the message.
"…Seriously?"
[System Suggestion.]
I raised an eyebrow.
[This time try not to get caught.]
…
…
An immediate flashback of Yuuna and that day in the auditorium hit me.
I felt a twitch start in my eye.
"Don't remind me of that…"
[It was objectively hilarious.]
"Hilarious for you!"
I looked in both directions across the dressing room.
The other girls were busy.
Reiko hadn't arrived yet.
Neither had Bibi.
I took a deep breath.
Pulled out my phone.
"Fast…"
Very fast.
I found a corner with an elegant mirror that didn't show anything connected to the club's name.
Perfect.
That would work.
I raised the phone.
Tried to put on a cute expression.
No.
I tried another.
Another.
Another.
Until I finally found one where, rather than smiling, I looked slightly embarrassed.
…
I suppose because I genuinely was.
"This one works…"
What do I write in the caption?
[Suggestion: How does it look on me?]
…
I hate you.
…
I wrote that along with a few heart emojis.
Post.
Publish.
Done.
I let out a long sigh.
"I will never get used to this…"
It was exactly then that I heard footsteps approaching.
"Aika-chaaaan!"
Bibi!
I pocketed my phone so fast I nearly launched it across the room.
The door opened.
Bibi and Reiko walked in.
"Huh?"
Bibi looked me up and down.
"Why are you standing so stiff?"
"M-me?"
"Yes, you."
"N-no… it's nothing."
Reiko smiled from the side.
"She has the face of a kid caught copying on an exam."
"I do not!"
"You do."
"You really, really do," Bibi confirmed with complete seriousness.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I said with a nervous laugh.
…
PIIING.
[Mission Complete.]
[Rewards Delivered.]
[¥40,000 transferred.]
[Porcelain Skin Lv2 → Lv3.]
[Silky Hair Lv2 → Lv3.]
A pleasant tingle ran through my entire body.
The same feeling as always.
Like a warm current passing through me for just a second.
I instinctively touched my hair.
Softer.
Again.
This was getting scary.
"Alright."
Bibi clapped his hands.
"Tonight you two do the duo again."
I blinked.
"Again?"
"The crowd loved it last time."
Reiko crossed her arms with an amused smile.
"Seems like they really liked our chemistry."
A small shiver ran through me as I remembered exactly what kind of choreography we'd done.
"I want you two to make the whole club sigh tonight."
I just wanted to survive…
That was all.
I walked over to a small table and picked up a bottle of water.
I needed something to drink.
"At least I just earned forty thousand yen, not everything can be bad…"
…for posting a single photo.
I took a long sip.
It didn't make sense.
It really didn't.
Now that I think about it…
How much was the debt exactly?
So much had happened since the yakuza told me…
I'd forgotten to ask.
PIIING.
[Current debt: ¥10,000,000.]
…
…
…
I spat out all the water.
"PFFFFFF!!"
The stream shot out like a fire hose…
…directly into Bibi's face.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Bibi stood completely still.
Soaked.
A single drop sliding slowly down his nose.
I was still holding the bottle.
Frozen.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…Did you just…"
His voice came out dangerously low.
"…spit on me?"
"I-It wasn't on purpose!!"
"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!"
"I DID NOT!!"
Bibi started chasing me around the dressing room.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"
"IT WAS THE WATER!!"
"YOU'LL BE CLEANING BATHROOMS FOR THREE MONTHS!!"
"THAT'S SLAVERY!!"
"WITH A TOOTHBRUSH!!"
"THAT'S WORSE!!"
I ran a complete lap around a chair while he tried to catch me.
"GET BACK HERE!!"
"I DON'T WANT TO!!"
Reiko pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Good lord…"
She finally stepped between us.
She grabbed Bibi by both shoulders.
"Bibi."
"SHE SPAT ON ME!!"
"It was an accident."
"I SAW IT IN HER EYES!!"
"I don't think she planned a biological attack of that scale."
"I KNOW SHE DID!!"
Reiko let out a small laugh.
"Come on. We go on in a few minutes. You can't go on stage looking like that."
Bibi huffed dramatically.
Then pointed a trembling finger at me.
"This…"
"Isn't over."
"I-I'm sorry…"
Reiko gently pushed him toward the door.
"Let's go."
Before leaving she looked back at me.
Smiled with amusement.
"Don't be long, Aika."
The door closed.
Silence returned.
I let out a long sigh.
"…"
"Thank goodness…"
I dropped into a chair.
Ten million.
Ten.
Million.
"System…"
That's insane…
[Additional information.]
I slowly raised my head.
[The original Aika Shimizu had already paid off ¥420,000 of the debt.]
I blinked.
"…"
Really?
For a few seconds I stayed completely quiet.
I gently squeezed the bottle between my hands.
That girl…
Had worked alone.
No family, no friends, no one to help her.
And still…
She had managed to pay back over four hundred thousand yen.
I looked down.
A small knot formed in my chest.
"…You gave everything you had, didn't you, Aika?"
There were a few seconds of silence.
Then I quickly did the mental math.
Ten million.
Minus four hundred and twenty thousand.
…
…
…
I slowly raised my head.
"…"
"BUT YOU COULD HAVE TRIED A LITTLE HARDER!!"
I threw the empty bottle at a nearby sofa.
It bounced off ridiculously.
"YOU LEFT ME NINE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND YEN!!"
I grabbed my head.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY ALL OF THAT?!"
The system responded with complete calm.
[Working on it.]
"THAT'S NOT AN ANSWER!!"
[Technically it is.]
"YOU'RE USELESS!!"
I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night.
Then I stood up.
Adjusted the corset.
Took a deep breath.
And walked toward the exit while muttering under my breath.
"Ten million…"
Strange thing to say out loud…
"But… my mother has to be a real piece of work."
How do you abandon your daughter…
…and also leave her a debt like that?
…
…
…
…
The following days passed so fast I barely had time to breathe.
My life became a succession of stages.
Different stages.
Different characters.
"Shimizu-san! That banner is crooked!"
"Coming!"
I ran across the auditorium with a roll of tape in my hands while Harada pointed at the enormous Cultural Festival banner.
The place was organized chaos.
Ladders.
Paint.
Banners.
Wooden boards.
Students coming and going nonstop.
Rika was sitting on the floor cutting out colored letters while humming an anime opening.
"Senpai…" she looked up. "If this festival goes well I promise I'll buy the limited edition of volume twelve."
"What does one thing have to do with the other?"
"Nothing."
She kept cutting like that made perfect sense.
…
…
At another point I was painting part of the stage with Mei.
We were wearing old aprons to keep from staining our uniforms.
Well…
That didn't stop Mei from ending up with a streak of white paint on her cheek.
I pointed at it.
"You have…"
She touched her face.
"Here?"
"Higher."
"Here?"
"No."
"Here?"
I sighed.
"Hold still."
I took a tissue and carefully wiped the paint off.
For a moment our faces were too close.
Again.
My heart gave a completely unnecessary little jump.
"A-all done…"
"Thank you."
…
…
"Take five minutes!"
Harada clapped.
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
The rehearsals were entering their final stretch.
This time the play was coming out almost perfectly.
Yuuna was still demanding.
Very much so.
But she was no longer throwing me murderous glares every ten seconds.
That was progress.
"More emotion in scene four."
"Yes."
"The entrance in the second act is still half a second late."
"Yes."
"And Shimizu."
I swallowed.
"Y-yes?"
"Excellent work."
…
…
…
The nights still belonged to Dark Lotus.
Each show with Reiko was a little less terrifying.
I still died of embarrassment going on stage.
I still felt my cheeks burn when I appeared in that outfit.
I still thought it was complete insanity.
But…
I was no longer paralyzed by it.
The heels had stopped feeling like deadly weapons.
The movements were starting to come naturally.
"That was nice."
Reiko smiled at the end of one performance.
"Huh?"
"The smile."
"It didn't look forced."
I stood there thinking for a few seconds.
Was I not acting?
…
…
PIIING.
[Stage Presence Lv2 → Lv3.]
[Dance Lv1 → Lv2.]
…
…
Time kept moving.
Rehearsals.
Classes.
Library.
Dark Lotus.
Stage.
Home.
Library again.
It felt like I hadn't had a single truly free day in forever.
And yet…
It wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
For the first time since I woke up in this body…
I felt like I belonged somewhere.
Even if it was too many places at once.
The night before the festival.
The drama club room was practically empty.
The decorations were ready.
The lights installed.
The curtains checked.
The costumes hanging neatly.
Harada looked at the stage with his arms crossed.
Then smiled, satisfied.
"Good work."
Rika let her body collapse into a chair.
"We survived…"
"Not yet."
"Let me enjoy five seconds."
Yuuna let out a small laugh.
Almost imperceptible.
But it was there.
Harada pulled out several drinks and some snack bags.
"It's not a party."
"Just a small celebration."
Everyone took a can.
We clinked them together.
"To the festival!"
"To the play!"
Laughter filled the room.
For a few minutes nobody talked about rehearsals.
Or mistakes.
Or nerves.
We were just a group of students enjoying the end of weeks of hard work together.
I looked around.
Harada laughing.
Rika telling some silly story.
Yuuna leaning against the wall with a much more relaxed expression than usual.
In my life as Ren I never got to experience something like this… it felt pretty good.
Mei was sitting next to me.
Smiling as she held her can in both hands.
She turned her head slightly.
Our eyes met.
"What?"
"Nothing."
I answered too fast.
She tilted her head a little.
…
…
The festival is tomorrow…
There's no time left to be nervous.
Whether the play goes well or not…
It all depends on whether I can kiss Mei.