Natsumi was huddled behind a rock in the indoor pool.
"Ugh... my stomach hurts."
An indescribable pressure weighed on her shoulders, making Natsumi clutch her stomach with a pale face.
She had been hiding here since the very beginning, peeking at the Yamai sisters' date with Shido. She wasn't surprised by the result of the two successfully claiming the first victory. After all, with the brimming confidence of Kaguya and the hidden large breasts of Yuzuru, if the beautiful twin girls went to such lengths, there probably wasn't a man alive who wouldn't be moved.
But, the problem was herself.
Unlike the other Spirits, Natsumi knew she had neither a proud figure nor heavenly beauty, and her personality was twisted beyond belief. Among the radiant Spirits, she was the only one below average.
To make Shido's heart throb was as difficult as ascending to heaven for Natsumi, who hoped to reincarnate as a parthenogenic organism. Natsumi even started to suspect that Shido was deliberately making things difficult for her.
The frustration of probably being the only one unable to achieve this, and the fear of dragging everyone down, made Natsumi feel suffocated by an unprecedented pressure right now.
"Natsumi, are you okay?"
"Ah!"
Perhaps because she was too nervous and ignored her surroundings, hearing a voice right by her ear made Natsumi couldn't help but cry out.
"Eh? Sorry, did I interrupt your concentration?"
"Ah... Yutsuki..."
Relieved that it wasn't Shido looking for her, upon seeing who it was, Natsumi couldn't help but let out a long breath.
"Are you okay? You look terrible. Do you want to go rest for a bit? I can go tell Kotori."
Yutsuki asked with so concern.
"Really? Then pleas..... No, I'm fine."
Natsumi gritted her teeth and shook her head, refusing Yutsuki's concern. It was undoubtedly a very tempting proposal, but Natsumi knew that if she escaped and rested now, she probably wouldn't have the courage to stand up again later.
"Yutsuki, why are you here?"
To adjust her mood, Natsumi changed the subject and asked Yutsuki.
"? Well, how should I put it... I lack confidence, I guess. I'm not sure what to do to make Shido's heart throb, so I was observing Shido and the Yamai sisters's date nearby, hoping to learn and use it as a reference. And then I happened to find you here, Natsumi."
Seemingly feeling a bit embarrassed, Yutsuki scratched her cheek with a bitter smile.
"Lacking confidence? You, Yutsuki?"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, Natsumi widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Well, you see. Don't I usually give off a very casual vibe? And I know very well that I lack femininity. Right now, it feels like I'm cramming at the last minute, so... I have absolutely no confidence."
"No! No! That's absolutely not true!"
Natsumi unhesitatingly denied Yutsuki's words.
Although the everyday Yutsuki didn't exactly give off a first impression of "beautiful" or "cute", it definitely wasn't because she lacked femininity. Rather, her straightforward and considerate side had already left a deep impression on everyone before they could notice.
"You are very beautiful, Yutsuki! If I were Shido, just seeing you at first glance would make my heart pound."
Seeing Natsumi's rare, forceful attitude, Yutsuki was a bit surprised.
"Is that so? Thank you, Natsumi, for comforting like this."
"No! I'm telling the truth!"
Seeing that Yutsuki misunderstood her aning, Natsumi hurriedly and anxiously explained.
Her silk soft brown hair, amber lustrous eyes, and porcelain white skin ford a strong visual impact with her dark blue bikini. Especially the rounded curves faintly revealed under the swimsuit at her chest—it aroused an endless desire for exploration.
Honestly, if Shido wasn't moved, then he wasn't a man.
"Your inferiority complex is too much of a luxury, Yutsuki! Look at , these breasts, these legs, compared to you I'm practically... ah..."
Indignantly pointing at her own flat chest, Natsumi suddenly realized what she had said, turned pale, and fell to her knees in an instant.
"No! That's not true! Natsumi is also very cute!"
Seeing Natsumi suddenly fall into negativity, Yutsuki thought "Oh crap" and hurriedly comforted her.
"Haha... it's fine, Yutsuki... I know exactly how much I'm worth... Honestly, I don't have the slightest confidence in making Shido blush... The pressure is so great I'm about to faint... If possible... could you let forfeit... and just force kiss Shido after it's over? Ah, I can only resort to cheating like this... I'm very sorry..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter. Natsumi felt that right now, she was just a piece of salted fish (slang for soone who does nothing).
(Ah, this is bad...)
Watching Natsumi sink deeper and deeper into her inferiority mode, Yutsuki couldn't help but feel anxious.
(Is there any way? Is there any way—I've got it!)
A flash of inspiration struck her mind. Yutsuki hurriedly shook Natsumi's shoulders and said,
"Wake up! Natsumi, listen to . Actually, it doesn't matter at all whether Shido's heart throbs or not."
"...Eh?"
Hearing Yutsuki's words, a hint of confusion appeared in Natsumi's hollow eyes.
"Think about it carefully, Natsumi. Didn't Shido plan to agree to our request from the very beginning? He's doing this purely because he wants to make mories. Although on the surface he says he'll refuse the kiss if we don't make his heart throb. But in reality, his true goal is to use this excuse to go on a date with us!"
Gradually, expectation surfaced in Natsumi's eyes, and she hurriedly asked,
"I-Is that really true? You an, it's not a problem even if we don't make Shido's heart throb?"
Yutsuki smiled and shrugged.
"Natsumi, what kind of person do you think Shido is? That idiot is willing to give up everything to save us. Even though he's berserk, that gentleness hasn't changed, has it?"
"Um... really?"
"I would never lie to my family."
Seeing the lingering unease on Natsumi's face, Yutsuki firmly guaranteed it.
(Well, actually those aren't lies, just my guesses.)
She whispered internally. However, Yutsuki knew that words like these were exactly what Natsumi needed. Bearing too much pressure would only be harmful and not beneficial.
"Is that so... thank goodness..."
Natsumi breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart. Although still sowhat half-believing, she accepted this explanation for now.
"Also, think about it from another angle. Natsumi, don't you want to go on a date with Shido?"
"—Eeeeeeeh!?"
At Yutsuki's sudden attack, the just-cald Natsumi instantly turned bright red, her eyes spinning into swirls.
"N-No, I don't! But Yutsuki, and everyone else is so pretty. Rather than dating soone like , it would be better for Shido to be with the others—"
Yutsuki interrupted Natsumi and asked in return,
"Natsumi is Natsumi. You have no obligation to compare yourself to others. Or is it that you don't like Shido, Natsumi?"
"Ugh... I don't hate him, that's for sure. A date... I guess I have... a tiny bit of expectation..."
Burying her head in her knees, Natsumi answered in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's. A satisfied smile appeared on Yutsuki's face.
"Then there's no problem. Heave-ho—"
"Eh? Yutsuki! Wait—"
"Hey—! Shido!"
Yutsuki picked Natsumi up from behind the rocks and called out in Shido's direction.
"Hm? What is it, Yutsuki?"
Coming over to Yutsuki, Shido asked curiously.
"Natsumi just said she wants to date you next."
"No! I didn't say that! I absolutely never said such a thing!"
Natsumi denied it at almost a roaring volu.
"Hoh..."
Shido looked at Yutsuki and Natsumi thoughtfully. Then, seemingly understanding sothing, he chuckled lightly and bowed slightly.
"I understand. To be nad is truly an honor. Then, Natsumi, I look forward to making precious mories with you."
"Ugh... Yutsuki, you—"
Unable to back down, being half-forced into a date by Shido, Natsumi glared at Yutsuki with eyes full of resentnt.
"It's fine, no problem!"
To this, Yutsuki gave a thumbs up, showing off her pearly white teeth.
Then, Natsumi, dating Shido, was so nervous the entire ti that she acted as stiff as a robot. Left with no choice, she accepted the Fraxinus's proposal and used her remaining Spirit power to transform into a mature woman to seduce Shido.
However, in the middle of seducing him, Natsumi ran out of Spirit power and reverted to her original form.
"—Pfft, hahahahahahaha!"
"S-Shut up! Don't laugh!"
Clutching her chest, exposed because her swimsuit slipped down, Natsumi glared at Shido in humiliation and anger, her voice carrying a grieved sob.
"Haha... sorry, I was just a little surprised."
"I know! I know it! You wouldn't want to kiss an ugly girl like anyway, right?! Adding a condition like making your heart throb is clearly just to make things difficult for . If you didn't want to, you should have just said so! You were just going to publicly execute in front of everyone at the end with 'Well, there's only one person here who didn't make my heart throb,' right!? Damn it, damn it, damn it—Even I wanted to make your heart throb, you know!? Even though I tried so hard, I—?!"
Just then, the "stage clear" music suddenly playing in her ear made the crying Natsumi pause.
Then, feeling sothing draped over her shoulders, Natsumi looked up and saw Shido's gentle smile.
"Hehe... Um, sorry about that, Natsumi. You really are cute, you know."
...
"Honey, don't stop , the current Natsumi-chan is too cute! I can't resist the urge to hold her in my arms and pamper her!!!"
"You stay right here and behave."
Yutsuki unhesitatingly restrained the certain idol lady who harbored wicked intentions toward the currently disheveled Natsumi, preventing her from taking a single step forward.
(Natsumi, there's sothing I feel bad saying to your face. Um, your personality is indeed a bit twisted...)
Sighing helplessly, Yutsuki looked towards Shido and Natsumi.
...
"What are you saying so suddenly...! Are you blind?"
"No, of course not. Natsumi is very cute, I can guarantee it."
"Ugh... ugh... that's not true..."
"So cute. Natsumi is so cute, super cute!"
"Hey..."
"Really cute, indeed very cute."
"...Ugh..."
"Very cute, you know, Natsumi."
"...Ah, ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
In the end, seemingly unable to bear the barrage of complints, Natsumi, her face bright red, pushed Shido into the swimming pool.
(But this twisted part is also your cutest trait.)
Yutsuki sighed with heartfelt emotion.
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