The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

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"Well, Shizuku's goal has been achieved, hasn't it?"

The slender young man chuckled softly, covering his lips and gesturing towards Kurogane Shizuku.

Following his gaze, Shizuku realized that her elder brother was staring at her with a blank expression on his face as if overwhelmed by the sudden impact of her beauty. He seemed utterly captivated.

Shizuku's mood instantly brightened. The frustration of wearing the same outfit as someone else vanished. Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she laughed happily.

"Well, I guess this isn't so bad!"

As long as her elder brother was impressed and saw her in a new light, the opinions of others— or even the accidental outfit clash— didn't matter anymore.

"Disgusting Siscon."

"Cough, cough!"

Stella's icy glare snapped Ikki out of his daze. He coughed awkwardly to cover his embarrassment.

"Getting mesmerized by your own little sister? I must've really misjudged you."

"T-this..."

Ikki stammered, utterly speechless.

Though it had been four years since he last saw his little sister, and some sense of novelty was natural, staring so intently at her was clearly inappropriate. 

It wasn't like he had been entranced by Saikyou Nene's appearance earlier, yet Shizuku's arrival had immediately left him stunned. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder: 'Am I really a siscon?'

The young woman, Nene, was undeniably as cute as Shizuku (?), but Ikki hadn't been captivated by her. His attention had been entirely focused on her extraordinary aura the moment they met. She moved with silent grace, and while her posture seemed casual, it exuded the potential to erupt with volcanic power at any moment. 

This might have gone unnoticed by someone thick-skinned like Stella, but as a swordsman, Ikki had keenly perceived it. This was someone far beyond his imagination in skill.

Compared to that, Nene's appearance hardly seemed relevant.

Swordsmen— such strange creatures.

"S-so, Shizuku, who is this?"

To avoid Stella's piercing glare, Ikki quickly changed the subject, turning his attention to the slender male next to Shizuku.

"Hehe, this is my roommate and friend, Arisuin Nagi. She's amazing at makeup! My whole look today was her work," Shizuku said, puffing out her chest proudly, her mood clearly uplifted by her earlier "victory."

She?

Ryoji and the others froze in confusion.

The person named Arisuin Nagi wore a modest outfit similar to Shizuku's, complete with a round-brimmed hat. His demeanor was gentlemanly, his smile warm and sincere—everything about him screamed male.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Arisuin Nagi, a girl who was accidentally born into a boy's body. I don't like being called by my full name, so please call me Alice~!"

With that, he removed his hat and bowed politely, extending a friendly hand to the group.

"Ahaha..."

Ikki let out a dry laugh as he shook Alice's hand.

What is this?

Ikki wasn't sure how to categorize Alice. He didn't seem to have gender dysphoria but was very aware of his male body. So, was he just a sissy? A cross-dresser?

Though Ikki had heard about such people online, meeting one in real life was a first for both him and Stella, leaving them visibly awkward.

"Hey, hey, I've been meaning to ask you since earlier— what's your name?"

After shaking hands with Ikki and Stella, Alice quickly turned to Ryoji, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Now that I get a closer look, aren't you a super handsome boy? Would you mind telling me your name?"

"Eh… my name is Ryoji—"

"Ara! Ma! What a wonderful name!"

Before Ryoji could even finish speaking, the other party interrupted with a burst of praise.

But no, by Japanese standards, Ryoji's name was quite peculiar and couldn't reasonably be called a "good name."

"Can I be your friend? Or, better yet, do you have a girlfriend? If not, could you consider me?"

With a beaming smile, Alice eagerly leaned closer, clasping Ryoji's hands in his own.

To be fair, Ryoji was fully aware of his current allure. Walking down the street, he not only turned heads among women but also drew the gazes of men, some of whom occasionally looked at him with shy admiration.

But this kind of person? This was his first encounter. To be openly shown affection on the spot? That was completely unprecedented. The smile on Ryoji's face became visibly strained.

Thanks, but I'd really like to leave now.

Certainly, he'd been hoping to tease Stella and the others for some fun. But if it meant attracting the attention of someone this odd, the price for entertainment was simply too high— he risked losing something far more precious!

"Hey, brat! If you keep pushing your luck, don't blame me for turning you into a flat photo!"

An icy voice, laced with killing intent, shattered the moment.

The young woman, Nene, spoke from the side. Though her voice was sweet and carried an intellectual tone, her words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Turning his head, Ryoji saw Nene's face clouded with cold anger. Her sharp eyes were fixed on Alice's hands holding Ryoji's as if intending to annihilate them with her gaze alone.

"Ahaha... just kidding! Just kidding! Actually, it's Ikki I'm interested in!"

Alice's expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly laughed it off, releasing Ryoji's hands and turning to energetically grasp Ikki's hands instead.

"Eh?"

"Um!?"

"Alice, I'll kill you."

Ikki looked utterly bewildered, Stella's pupils trembled with fury, and Shizuku—at some point— had summoned a small, silver katana shimmering with the fluid glow of clear water. Her voice, though soft, carried a thinly veiled threat.

A true Japanese roommate: Kurogane Shizuku.

"Ahaha! Shizuku, put away the Device! I was only joking! Just joking! I apologize, okay?"

Alice paled and hastily bowed in apology, frantically pleading until Shizuku, though visibly dissatisfied, finally retracted her Device.

Alice felt defeated.

Ryoji, with his near-perfect charm, needed no explanation, but even Ikki was an attractive and kind-hearted boy with a welcoming aura. Unfortunately, both were fiercely guarded by their respective "tigers," making any approach perilous and life-threatening.

To be honest, Alice himself was quite the handsome guy. If Ryoji weren't currently stealing all the spotlight at Hagun Academy, plenty of girls would probably have taken a liking to him by now.

"Phew, that scared me... I've never been so grateful for you, First Senior Sister!"

Ryoji let out a relieved sigh, subtly wiping his hands on his back, his expression filled with lingering fear as he offered his gratitude.

"Hmph! As long as you understand."

The young woman, Nene, snapped her folding fan shut and covered her faintly upturned lips, speaking with a proud demeanor.

(End of Chapter)