Chapter 6: Love Brain
For some reason I donât quite understand, it seems you need an appointment to go to a beauty salon.
So, I checked my schedule.
âNo free days.
âUgh, ugh, uuuuuughâŚ!â
Slumping against the hallway wall of the Army base, I groaned in defeat.
Mission tomorrow. Mission the day after. Mission the day after that. Missions, missions, missionsâŚ
Sure, schedules could change last minute if another department butted in, but that didnât help me book an appointment.
If I couldnât go to a beauty salon, I figured Iâd at least try reading beauty magazines or cosmetics catalogs. But flipping through them felt like trying to understand the latest
and new card packs without even knowing the rules.âP-paid leaveâŚâ
Itâs not like I donât have any.
I do have paid leave. Technically.
But, well, this is the Army.
Depending on the department, itâs not exactly the kind of place where you can just take time off whenever you feel like it. Emergencies happen.
You need to apply at least a month in advance. And even then, if the stars donât align, it could just get canceled.
Especially now, with the main story approaching. More enemies, stronger enemies, higher stakesâpeak busy season. At worst, even asking for time off might affect my evaluationâ
ââHey, what are you doing here, slacking off?â
âWhaâ!?â
I whipped around.
Standing behind me was my department commanderâa tall woman in a black suit, sharp-eyed and imposing as ever.
ââŚIf youâre feeling unwell, I can contact the medical team.â
âAh, no, thatâs not it, I just wanted some time off⌠ah.â
I said it.
The commander narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing me.
I donât blame her. Iâve been working my hardest to improve my standing in the Army for Lady Misoraâs sake, and Iâve never made this kind of request before.
âTime off⌠Are you unwell? If so, the Armyâs medical facilities would be more convenient than a civilian hospital. While not as potent as the universal cure, we offer comprehensive treatments combining science, magic, and the supernaturalââ
âN-no, thatâs not it! Iâm not sick or anything, itâs justâŚâ
âThen what is it?â
Her expression didnât change.
Her voice was calm.
But I could feel the pressure.
If I tried to dodge the question, sheâd hunt the truth down like a bloodhound.
I fidgeted with my split ends.
Then, voice barely above a whisper, I confessed.
ââŚBeâŚâ
âBe?â
âBe⌠beauty salon⌠I want to goâŚâ
âWhat?â
âI mean, like, if I donât, itâll be a problem when I meet people⌠itâs, um, something I really needâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Silence.
The commander gave me a long, unreadable look.
And thenâher gaze flicked down.
To the cosmetics catalog Iâd been desperately trying to hide behind my back.
My body went rigid.
Without a word, she pulled out her tablet and started checking something.
ââŚItâs tough to squeeze in time off at such short notice.â
âY-y-yeah, rightâŚ! Please forget I said anything! My hair doesnât really matter anywayââ
âYou. Werenât todayâs mission postponed? Do you have any plans after this?â
âHuhâŚ? N-no, not reallyâŚâ
The commander muttered, âI see,â then turned on her heel and started walking awayâwithout even looking back, signaling for me to follow.
I scrambled after her.
Down the hallway, out of the military facility, through the parking lot, into the car, onto the city streetsâŚ
ââŚ???â
A high-end beauty salon?
âUh, umâŚ? But, I mean, donât you need an appointmentâŚ?â
Ignoring me completely, the commander walked right in. I had no choice but to chase after her.
âWelcome! Do you have a reservationââ
âNo. But I have money.â
Thud.
The unmistakable weight of a thick stack of bills landed on the counter.
I froze. So did the staff. Their wide eyes darted between the money and the commander.
But obviously, that didnât mean theyâd just say, Oh, sure, come right in!
As the flustered stylist kept stammering about how difficult it would be, the commander smoothly reached into her pocketâ
âand tore off what looked like a ticket.
ââThe Very Convenient IOU: Love Kingâs Speech.â A supernatural item that, under specific conditions and upon payment of an appropriate price, allows the user to temporarily bypass laws, contracts, rights, ethics, and all manner of rules and procedures to take ownership of the target. For a while, Iâll be borrowing this establishment.â
The ticket burned away into nothing.
The staff, still dazed, hesitated for a momentâthen wordlessly accepted the stack of bills and guided the commander inside.
âW-wait, Commanderâwhat are you doing!?â
âThis item canât be destroyed except by using it. Iâm simply making effective use of a highly dangerous supernatural ability while disposing of it.â
âY-you canât just use something like that on civiliansâŚ! And there are penalties for personal useâŚ!â
âAs commander, I decide whether this counts as personal use. Now hurry up.â
W-what kind of abuse of authority is thisâŚ!?
Well, itâs true that in the game, she betrays us and becomes an enemy in the late stages, but up until then, sheâs generally a serious commander.
She doesnât get much screen time, but⌠Iâve never seen her pull this kind of stunt, either in the game or in this world.
Did something happen that made her want to cut loose�
As I watched the commander casually erase the memories of the salon staff and customers with a flashy memory-altering device (seriously, didnât that make the supernatural item completely unnecessary?), I couldnât help but ask:
âUm⌠but, the moneyâŚâ
âThis is a termination mission for a supernatural item that requires special disposal procedures. In other words, itâs an expense. âGot it?â
âY-yes, maâam!â
One sharp glare shut me up completely.
I hadnât even done anything wrong, but I still felt inexplicably guilty. I tried to make my escapeâonly to be grabbed by the scruff of my neck and shoved into a salon chair.
âSo, how do you want it done, Arizhiro?â
âUh, uh, um⌠I-I donât knowâŚâ
âI see.â
Without hesitation, the commander turned to the stylist and rattled off a request using words that werenât even in my vocabulary.
Before I knew itâ
âHmm. Well, thisâll do.â
ââŚâŚ???â
I left the salon with her, my now silky-smooth hair being idly stroked by her fingertips.
Every little movement made my head feel strangely light, and the pleasant scent of my shampoo filled my senses. It wasnât like theyâd cut it super short, but somehow, everything felt different.
The commander, her tone as cold and precise as when handling supernatural termination procedures, emotionlessly lectured me about hair maintenance.
I nodded along, still overwhelmedâuntil she suddenly went silent.
âWh-what is iâah!?â
She grabbed my chin.
Forcing me to look up, she scrutinized my face with a piercing stare.
ââŚI couldnât tell before because of your bangs, but your dark circles are terrible.â
âAh, y-yeah⌠um, I havenât been sleeping wellâŚâ
âDo you have an orange-based concealer?â
ââŚ? ConâŚcealerâŚ??â
âTch, starting from scratch, huh?â
And just like that, our next stop wasnât the Army baseâit was the cosmetics section.
âSome time later.
ââSo, Iâve covered the basics of makeup. These techniques can also be used to conceal injuries. I relied on them a lot when I was in the field. Even with your healing abilities, itâs useful to prevent civilians from noticing signs of combat. Maybe I should add this to the Armyâs training curriculum⌠Well, Iâll think about that later.â
She barely paused before continuing, as if she were briefing me on weapon maintenance.
âUnlike handling firearms, thereâs no single correct answer for this. But there are key principles to avoid rookie mistakes. And Arizhiro, if youâre struggling with sleep deprivation, cut back on caffeine. Youâre completely addicted. At this rate, even sleeping pills wonât work. You donât have to quit entirely, but limit both the amount and the time you drink it. If you need to stay awake, use eye drops. And to improve blood circulation around your eyesââ
Somewhere between the lecture on makeup and the intervention for my caffeine addiction, I realized something horrifying.
Iâd been kidnapped.
By my own commander.
And she wasnât letting me go anytime soon.
After returning to the base, I was bombarded with an overwhelming flood of informationâso intense it rivaled the brutal lectures I endured when I first joined the Army. By the end of it, my head was spinning.
Somehow, I managed to keep up. Following the instructions, I applied the makeup as best as I could, using cosmetics whose names I hadnât even known until today. It was a light application, but stillâ
ââŚAh.â
I stared at the mirror.
âŚHuh. This is⌠actually pretty nice.
I just followed the steps I was given, but with my freshly styled hair, I somehow looked more put together. The usual gloominessâthe exhausted look that always clung to meâwas gone.
Before, sure, I was cute, but there was always this lingering sense that I was a bit of a joke. But now⌠I looked like an actual, classic beauty. Like Lady Misora or Nijisaki.
It was my own face. And yet, seeing it like this made my heart race.
âUm, Commander, h-how is thisâŚ!?â
âItâs passable. Seventy points.â
âUghâŚâ
Just as my newfound confidence was about to shatter, the commander grabbed my shoulders and pulled me straight.
âFirst, fix your posture. Straighten your back, puff out your chest. Thatâll get you to eighty points.â
âHuh, ahââ
âNext, have some confidence. Stop making that gloomy face. Thatâll get you to ninety.â
âB-but even if you say thatââ
âFinallyâŚâ
She paused. Thenâ
âEven if itâs fake, smile. Just sometimes is fine. Like this.â
The commander, usually so stern, let her expression softenâjust a little. A faint, gentle smile appeared on her lips.
I froze, eyes wide.
Then, just as quickly as it came, the smile was gone, and her usual sharp expression returned.
She looked at me directly, her gaze steady and unwaveringâwaiting, expecting.
ââŚL-like this?â
âPerfect.â
She nodded, satisfied, and stood up.
âArizhiro. As the commander of the Army, thereâs nothing I can do for you. Nor do I intend to.â
ââŚâ
âBut as a private individual, itâs different. Adults donât need a reason to look after kids. Next time, just say something. Iâm not good at picking up hints.â
With a final, casual, âGo home early if you donât have anything else to do,â she turned on her heel and left, tablet in hand.
I stood there, silent.
Why does someone like her⌠end up betraying us?
âŚI wonder if Moribe-kun, the protagonist, can fix this too.
That thought lingering in my mind, I left the Army base for the day.
The Next Morning
I stood in front of the mirror, checking my reflection.
âŚIt doesnât look weird, right?
My hair, which I had always let grow without much thought, was now neatly styled.
My makeup was subtle enough to stay within school rules, and my uniform had been adjusted just enough to avoid complaints.
I let my jacket hang loosely, my skirt a little shorter. The bandages on my thighs were slightly visible, but not enough to be noticeable at a glance.
The plain school-issued ribbon had been swapped for a cute one I picked up yesterday.
Even my usual, purely functional hairpin had been replaced with something a little more stylish.
ââŚUghâŚâ
Why am I suddenly so embarrassed?
Itâs not like I havenât dressed like a girl countless times over the past fifteen years. And itâs not like I feel particularly ashamed or uncomfortable about it now. Heck, my combat dress for missions is way flashierâand far more revealingâthan this uniform.
Sure, I have my own complicated thoughts about gender, but Iâve always been satisfied with my appearance.
Even though I still have lingering perspectives from my past life as a guy, thereâs no denying that being good-looking is a major plus.
Iâve even struck cute poses in front of the mirror before.
Whether itâs genetics or some side effect of my healing ability, Iâve somehow managed to maintain a certain level of cuteness despite my rough lifestyle.
So having that polished even further should be something Iâm happy about.
And yet, the unfamiliar excitement bubbling up inside me feels almost overwhelming.
Honestly⌠I look ridiculously cute.
Until now, Iâd only ever played the role of Lady Misoraâs stand-in, going through the motions without truly embodying it.
But now⌠now, I feel like I could actually be the heroine.
I place a fist on my hip, making a peace sign near my chin while winking.
No matter what pose I try, it works. And itâs fun.
Even from a playerâs perspectiveâif I had this character design in the game, I could definitely be the main heroine. If I were on the package, thereâs a good chance people might buy it just for me.
And if I were in their shoes, Iâd have a hard time staying calm if a girl like this wanted to be friends.
And Moribe-kun⌠wellâŚ
Heâd probably fall for me, right?
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Now that I think about it⌠Iâve never dressed up for someone else before.
That must be why I feel so embarrassed.
Because right now, the person in the mirror looks just like a girl trying her best to look pretty for a boy she likesâ
âUghâŚ!â
âN-no, thatâs not it. Thatâs gross.
Okay, if you just look at the surface, itâs not exactly wrong. But the intent behind it is completely different from what people would normally assume.
First of all, Iâm a guy. And this is just something Iâm doing out of necessity to get his cooperation.
Thatâs right. Out of necessity. Out of necessity.
Iâm only doing this because I have to.
Iâm really a guy. But here I am, pretending to be a girl, dressing up, trying to win over a guy⌠Itâs disgusting. Of course I hate it. Of course itâs embarrassing.
I force myself to move. Quickly finishing the last of my preparations, I straighten my back, lift my chin, and take one final glance at my reflection before heading out the door.
On the Way to School
âŚAm I imagining it, or are there more eyes on me than usual?
Itâs not like anyoneâs outright staring, but I can feel itâthe occasional second glances, the subtle shifts in attention as I walk past.
Brushing off the uneasy feeling, I keep moving forward.
When I arrive at school, I start looking for Moribe-kun.
It doesnât take longâheâs already in the classroom. Peeking through the window of the classroom next door, I spot him at his desk, looking half-asleep.
I reach for the door, ready to call out to himâ
âAnd then, out of the corner of my eye, I catch my own reflection in the window glass.
I freeze.
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Iâm about to meet him like this.
Even objectively evaluating myselfâfrom the perspective of someone who used to be maleâI look⌠pretty attractive.
Compared to the other girls, I might stand out a bit, but itâs not like I look out of place or so unique that itâs off-putting.
By normal standards, thereâs no problem.
Besides, this is his world. The protagonist is constantly surrounded by characters with flashier designs. Compared to themâŚ
âŚI actually look kind of tame.
But compared to how I looked yesterday and how I look today⌠isnât this a bit too much?
If the change had happened gradually over a week, maybe itâd be fine. But overnight? The difference is too drastic.
âŚHe might think itâs weird.
I stood frozen in front of the door, hesitating.
Just then, a flash of blue entered my vision.
âArizhiro-chan?â
âAh, Nijisaki-sanââ
Before I could even finish saying her name, her eyes lit up.
ââSo! Cute!!â
She grabbed my hands, her voice overflowing with excitement.
âThis looks amazing on you! You should always dress like thisâit suits you so well!â
âEh, b-butââ
âHey, Moribe-kun, come here! Hurry up! Look at this, itâs incredible!â She practically dragged him over. âCome on, hurry up!â
Reluctantly, Moribe-kun responded, looking as lethargic as ever.
I instinctively tried to retreat, but Nijisaki-san had a firm grip on my wrist. Crap. Even though my level should be higher than hers, sheâs STR-based. Iâm a VIT buildâI canât win against her.
Then, the classroom door creaked open.
As he stepped out, our eyes met.
Moribe-kun sucked in a quiet breath.
I timidly looked up at him.
He stared, frozen for a moment⌠then, as if embarrassed, quickly turned away.
âAhâŚâ
H-heâs not weirded out, rightâŚ?
Nijisaki-san, still buzzing with excitement, didnât stop.
âRight? Sheâs super cute, isnât she!? Sheâs totally at a level where she could sell herself on visuals alone! You think so too, right, Moribe-kun!?â
âAh⌠yeah, I guess soâŚâ
His response was hesitant.
But he still wouldnât look at me.
A small knot of anxiety formed in my chest. Before I even realized it, my fingers gently tugged at the edge of his sleeve.
What am I doing?
Regret flickered through me, but before I could stop myself, I asked,
âWh-what do you think?â
Moribe-kunâs eyes finally flickered back to me.
Flustered, he quickly looked away again.
âWell⌠I think itâs good. You look⌠really cute.â
âAhââ
His words were awkward, stumbling, laced with embarrassmentâŚ
But thatâs exactly why they felt real.
A warmth bloomed in my chest, soft and overwhelming, as if someone had reached inside and gently stroked my heart.
âŚAh, r-right. I need to say thank you.
The commander told me I should smile more, so I have to show that Iâm genuinely happyâŚ
But before I can even force a smile, Nijisaki-san tilts her head.
âArizhiro-chan, is that what you look like when you smile?â
âHuh?â
I touch my face.
Itâs burning.
And without even realizing itâmy lips had curled into a full-blown smile.
âUghâŚ!â
N-no⌠thatâs not it!
I-itâs not because he called me cute or anything. Iâm just happy that thereâs a chance heâll cooperate with me. Thatâs all.
Yeah, thatâs it. This is purely strategicâan attempt to leverage his, the protagonistâs, power.
Thereâs absolutely no way Iâd be happy about being called cute by a guy. In fact, itâs gross. Thatâs why Iâve been feeling weird since earlier. Definitely. That strange shiver down my spine? Disgust.
âUm, ah⌠th-thank youâŚ! W-well, the bellâs about to ring, soâ!â
Yes, exactly. The reason my face is this hot⌠is pure humiliation.
The humiliation of having to fawn over a guy. Thatâs all this is.
As Kizami Tokizami ran off, Moribe Sabaki stood frozen in place.
Since childhood, through school and even amid the supernatural chaos of their livesâhe had never seen Kizami like that before.
That âI think itâs good.â That âYou look really cute.â
What the hell was that?
She was breathtaking. Unbelievably so. His heart had stoppedâmaybe it still hadnât started again.
He had always known she was beautiful. Selfishly, he had even thought that if she put in a little effort, she could be even cuter. But he hadnât expected that.
Honestly, it was hard to believe she lacked confidence. Even acknowledging his own bias, it was obviousâshe was on a completely different level.
Like Nijisaki, who naturally stood out in any crowd, Kizami had that same undeniable presence. But the difference in their caliber was almost unfair.
A beauty like that, her smile blooming so naturallyâsoft, genuineâonly to realize it moments later, turning bright red in flustered embarrassmentâŚ
If that didnât steal his heart, there had to be something seriously wrong with him.
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâ
Yet, there was something nagging at him.
ââŚHey, Nijisaki, why did Arizhiro suddenlyâŚâ
âHmm? Who knows~? Why do you think~?â
Nijisaki grinned playfully, her usual mischief shining through.
Sabaki scratched his head. What is that supposed to mean?
ââŚDo you and Arizhiro already know about⌠that?â
âHuh? About what?â
Nijisaki tilted her head, looking genuinely confused.
It didnât seem like an act. If it was, she was an incredible actress.
If they knew Sabaki was the Black Mask, why wouldnât they press him about it? Why wouldnât they do something about it?
If Nijisaki didnât know, then Kizami probably didnât either. The Corporation had better intel-gathering capabilities, but judging from what the kids said the other day, the information they got on the Black Mask wasnât much different from what Nijisaki had.
Itâs not like Kizami miraculously uncovered his identity the moment Nijisaki left.
âŚWhich meant that smileâ
That smile wasnât for the Black Mask.
It was for him. Moribe Sabaki.
â(âŚBut what did I even do for her?)â
He racked his brain, trying to figure it out.
âŚHe lent her his jersey.
Wait. No.
Sabakiâs thoughts race. No, no, no. Wait, wait, waitâŚ
Is it really just because of that?
(This⌠this is way too easyâŚ!)
This is bad.
If someone that beautiful can be swayed so easily, then whatâs stopping her from falling for some smooth-talking bastard in the future? Sheâs going to get tricked. Heâs going to get tricked.
Sabaki jolts to his feet, anxiety thrumming through his body. Unable to sit still, he turns to Nijisaki.
âHey, Nijisaki, about Arizhiroââ
âI know, I know, leave it to me, okay?â
âŚDoes she really know?
Sabaki looks at her, confusion and unease swirling in his eyes.
And then, with a bold grin, Nijisaki holds up two tickets.
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