On the road away from Chouhu’s group base, Kuro Gal Shoubu bombarded Tsukasa with questions.
“Isn’t it just that Takano was really close to Chi-ichan? How did you even get her?”
“I, getting with her is… um…”
“I came up with the Harem System, and on that desert island, I decided to share Soukun with everyone.”
Chiyu stated this with absolute nonchalance.
“No way. So he’s basically everyone’s boyfriend?”
“It’s not like it applies to all of us yet, but… yeah, something like that, I guess?”
Tsukasa answered, blushing.
“Wait? First off, isn’t it Chi-ichan? Then you and Shion?”
“Hehe, yeah.
I’m his girlfriend, I suppose,” Shion nodded, her cheeks turning red.
“No way. Shion was terrible with guys. To think Takano could actually make her blush… he’s really got some moves…”
Shoubu remarked in admiration.
“Runme-chan, if you spend enough time with Sou-suke-kun, you’ll surely come to understand.”
“Understand what? In that case, most of our group would end up being Takano’s girlfriends. And then there’s Seirena, Myao, and Ao-ichi?”
“Seirena-chan is already included.”
“Huh, really? I didn’t think she’d be in the circle, since Tsukasa barely interacts with anyone else.”
“Now I’m completely integrated. Plus, Minori’s there too.”
“Who? Oh, wait—do you mean the Boss?”
“Yeah, that’s her.”
After traveling for a while, the phantoms stopped moving. “Huh?
What’s wrong?”
Obviously, it was too harsh to keep rocking around in the basket forever, so we had planned to exit at the same point where we’d originally infiltrated.
Normally, there would have been no problem at all… but…
Once I confirmed that Microton had landed, I carefully stepped out of the basket.
“Wha-what is this…!? —K-kudo!?”
“Ah… yeah. It’s you, Shozu, right? Nice to meet you.”
“Why are you over there!?”
“Oh, um… let’s have the Sensei explain that,” said Lumias-sensei.
Lumias-sensei explained the situation to Shozu.
“Hmm, hmm—I have no idea what’s going on!”
It was a refreshingly blunt reaction.
“Hey, Ryouka, you were trying to poach Soujirou in that situation too, right?”
Shion continued her explanation, refusing to let the matter drop.
“Hmm, I guess we did talk about something like that. In truth, Kuno’s ability is definitely the strongest on this island.”
“So, if Soujirou had shown his face directly, it might have turned into a situation where they tried to secure him personally before the deal could be discussed. That’s why we asked him to stay hidden.”
“Oh, I think I get it now.
It’s like… if you paid someone their wages before they even started working, nobody would bother to do the job, right?” …Huh?
That analogy felt a bit off somehow.
Well, as long as she understood, that was good enough.
“But just thinking about how you’ve been listening in on everything makes me so embarrassed!”
“Yeah, I know. I feel terrible about it.”
It wasn’t just Shoji’s story; the conversations at Sumi’s base had a certain vibe to them because it was a space with only women, so there was a sense of guilt regarding eavesdropping on such things.
“It’s not really an apology, but if there’s something Shoji wants that I can make for you, I’ll do it.”
“I forgive you~!”
Her mood switch was abnormally fast.
It was grateful for them, though.
“That said, I’ve got the basics covered with what you just gave me. I did forget to pack the emulsion, though.”
Shoubu pulled a small, round wooden case from his pocket. Opening the lid revealed the emulsion inside.
“I couldn’t bring it this time, but I’ve started making toner lately.”
As the name ‘water’ suggests, it consists mostly of water.
Regarding clean water, he could produce it by separating out impurities using his [Craft] ability.
Since he had been purifying seawater into drinking water all along anyway, this was no problem.
As for the moisturizing ingredients, he extracted [Glycerin] from soybeans.
In addition, he blended in vitamins and fragrances extracted from fruits and plants, formulated to suit women’s preferences.
I didn’t really understand it, but his theory was that toner hydrates the skin, while emulsion locks the moisture in.
“Man, nice. Sano, why are you so thoughtful? I have no idea why you weren’t popular in Japan.”
Wasn’t it because he was just an ordinary otaku who didn’t possess any special powers?
“So, were you popular with this childhood friend of yours?”
Chiyu puffed out her chest proudly.
“Ahh, you’re right. Chiyu has a good eye. Plus, Shouko seemed to be paying attention too, so he’s pretty popular with the girls, huh?”
“Popularity isn’t exactly my thing.”
“But why is everyone finding out that I was worried about Sou-suke!?”
Shouko screamed, her face burning red.
“Everyone noticed it except for Sō-kun.”
…No, I did think he was a nice guy who often talked to me.
I just tried my best not to get the wrong idea about him.
“Uwaa…”
“Well, well. It could even be said that because Shouko-chan was concerned about Sou-suke-kun, various girls were able to gain their abilities. Besides, I met Sou-suke-kun thanks to you, didn’t I? So I’m really grateful.”
Shion patted Shouko’s back in a comforting manner.
“…But Shi-chan, doesn’t that mean you knew he was interested and pursued him on purpose?”
“…Heh heh, it seems like that would be the case.”
“It’s not like I didn’t realize it now. It just felt a bit regretful because I felt like you beat me to it.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Tsuchiya, you’re seriously super popular, aren’t you? Wait? Then Loah-nee, Setsrina, and Lummy-chan too…?”
“The only thing I can say right now is that I am serving my master.”
Roa placed a hand on his cheek and spoke in a suggestive manner.
Like Chiyu, Shiin, and Meko, he hadn’t yet progressed to the real thing, but since Roa had also benefited from our services, I found myself unable to say anything.
“It’s different for Selenia. …Different, right, Sousuke?”
Meko looked up at me, as if checking. “There’s nothing between the dream world and her.” “Mm-hmm. And finally—”
Shou’s gaze shifted toward Sensei.
“Inter-species intercourse with impure intent… no, judging by appearances, you’re all good kids, and it’s an inevitable part of being young, so there’s no help for it. Dr. Izami says contraception is being handled properly, so as long as the individuals involved are satisfied, it’s not something for outsiders to butt into… Besides, looking at this team’s cohesion, it’s hard to deny that it has a certain effect… And dragging Japanese values into an otherworld would be somewhat inelegant… In this case, what should a teacher say…”
Sensei Luminas was spinning his eyes and muttering rapidly to herself.
“Oh, Lumis-chan isn’t really the same, is she?”
“Naturally. She only became part of the group this morning.”
“That’s certainly true.”
Probably due to Shou’s social skills, everyone’s romantic relationships were laid bare in an instant.
Though once you became companions, finding out was inevitable; it was simply a matter of timing timeframe.
“So, have you decided what you want, Shou? Of course, you can decide later if you need to.”
“Hmm. There was lip balm too. What about colored lip products?”
I looked to Meko, my eyes asking for help.
“Oh. Colored lip balm, right?”
“Is there such a thing?”
Apparently, it’s not intended to deliver the heavy pigmentation of lipstick; rather, it’s a product that adds a subtle tint as an extra feature on top of the moisturizing benefits of regular lip balm.
”…I wear it on dates with So-kun too, though.”
Sengu murmured, sounding slightly displeased.
More than just dates, of course; we’ve hung out on our days off as childhood friends plenty of times in the past.
”…I did notice your lips looked glossier than usual?”
“Hmph.”
“It’s true! I just didn’t say anything because I thought you might find it creepy if I mentioned it.”
“Got it. Next time, if I notice something like that, I’ll complement you.”
“I will.”
Although Sengu often appears expressionless, she’s actually quite emotionally expressive, so perhaps she had been worrying about this kind of thing all along.
I carved into my heart a resolve to stay vigilant for even the subtlest changes.
“So… back to the colored lip stuff. I think I can make it.” “Eh? Really?”
“Ah, right. I’m also categorizing items that might work for dyeing the fabric… and among those, there are actually a few that could be useful.”
Miyoko looked surprised.
“Did you ask Mino?”
“No, it’s just that the recipe for ‘lipstick’ was unlocked. That stuff is basically pigment and colorants mixed with oil to form a solid, right? I thought maybe I could adapt that process for colored lips.”
Since I had obtained some safflower, which should have been in my Inventory by now, I figured I’d be able to produce the basic red shade needed for lipstick and the like.
“Is Kuno actually a genius?”
The makeup artist looked at me with eyes full of respect.
“No, not really. My abilities are just convenient, and I usually borrow knowledge from everyone else.”
“Sure enough, you’re one-of-a-kind, Kuno-kun. Can I ask for something too?”
“Of course. I’ll give it to anyone who wants it.”
“…Wait, does that mean if we have Kuno around, we can do our makeup back in Japan like before?”
“Ch-Okay, Uruchī…”
Miyoko scolded her gently.
“Ah, of course, I know the other girls take priority, and I’m not trying to force myself on you.”
Shoube said, a bit flustered.
“Crafting is fun for me too, so just ask if you want any. It helps to know ahead of time. I might need your help scavenging for materials, though.”
Thinking about it more, it’s not really that rare to see high schoolers wearing makeup these days.
I knew Mairiko and Shoube had guys who did the same, and if we’re talking about cosmetics subtle enough that dull-headed guys like me wouldn’t notice, the number of girls wearing them was probably even higher.
“Of course I’d help! That goes without saying. Anyway, here’s your share for the tinted lip balm—catch.”
Saying this, Shoube flicked her skirt up just a bit.
My gaze was inevitably drawn to it.
It was pure instinct, something beyond resistance.
—H-Holy shit, sheer, pale purple…!?
While I panicked internally, time kept moving on the desert island.
“Uuuuruchi!” “Shoube-san! That’s indecent!”
Mairiko and Professor Lumines cried out.
“Nah, this isn’t a loss leader, you know? If anything, there might not be enough left?”
“That is NOT the issue!”
“Wait, then how’s Lumi planning to thank Takano? Just taking over the negotiation isn’t enough, is it?”
“Ugh… W-well, since Sensei can use magic…”
“No way, that’s sick. But my ability is kinda lame, so I doubt I’d be of much help to Takano with that.”
“What is Mabuse’s ability, though?”
“Hm? Mine is the ‘Ability to Finish Makeup Instantly.’ Doing makeup takes forever and it’s tedious, plus my vibe changes depending on the day. So I made it so I can skip all of that and finish perfectly. But then, punchline: there was no makeup on the desert island, so it was totally useless. Though now that Takano has helped us out, I’m glad I might actually get to use it from now on.”
In that moment, every woman closed the distance to Mabuse.
“That’s amazing!”
“Truly a magnificent power.”
“Mugume-chan, can you do it for other people too?” “Yeah. That part is important.”
“T-that… Sensei wants to know too.”
The women were completely hooked.
“W-Whoa. Yeah, I can. I can. Does… does that sound pretty useful?”
Judging by the atmosphere, there wouldn’t be any objections to Mabuse joining us.
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