Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

“Could you send me home?”.

Yotsuba had said so, but when she left the school, she led Chihiro to a park near the school, not to her house or the station.

Because the sky was still bright, the lights in the park were not turned on.

――Yotsuba chose to be outdoors instead of in a private training area in order not to cause trouble. Moreover, even if some members of the student council pass by, they could simply say that they were taking a break.

And now, the two of them, Chihiro and Yotsuba, sit on a bench in the corner, watching children who might be residents of the neighborhood running around.

No, the word "two" is wrong. After all――

「...Nee-san, you are here, aren't you?

Suzu answered in a languid voice to Yotsuba's partially convinced voice. 

「Do you need me too?」

The feud between the sisters continues. In fact, it could be said that yesterday's argument has deepened the rift between them. Still, considering the fact that Yotsuba went out of her way to talk to her sister, it is easy to imagine that it was an important matter.

With that, Chihiro sat on the left and Yotsuba sat in the middle, and Suzu sat on the right of the bench.

The width of the bench was not so wide and their shoulders were almost touching each other.

「Just so you know, the people around here can't recognize me」

「Then Izumi kun won't be able to hear you?」

「Chihiro-kun can see and hear me even when I turn on my ability. But Yotsuba, you won't be able to hear me, so it's better to keep touching me」

Suzu proudly puts her palm on Yotsuba's lap. Although Chihiro was a little nervous, he put his hand on top of Suzu's.

Yotsuba looked at them quizzically, but finally exhaled without saying anything.

「...Let's not pursue the matter. Now is not the time for unnecessary talk」

In fact, Yotsuba probably does not have much time to spare.

Her cheeks are still flushed as if she had a cold. She looks as if she is too lazy to even open her mouth, which is painful to see.

That is probably why the student council members make Chihiro accompany Yotsuba without any hesitation.

「I don't catch a cold. Although I haven't been sleeping well... but in case of emergency, I'll call someone from home, so it's not difficult for me to go home alone」

Yotsuba told this with her eyes narrowed, as if she was having trouble saying it.

The guilt of lying to someone close to her. It must have made her heart ache.

After all, she would not have wanted to tell a lie if she did not have to.

「...it's my fault, huh?」

「Yes, that's right」

A firm affirmative answer.

Then, Yotsuba continued to speak, apologetic but not slurring her words.

「What Izumi kun did to me yesterday...it's still lingering in my mind」

Glance...

She looked at Chihiro sideways, and there was a thorn in her expression.

[Desire Exposure] - the ability to invade another's personal space at a level far beyond that of [Mind Reading]. Of course, her reaction is like that.

If there is anything that is not clear, it is this.

「Are you saying that the images are still intact?」

Chihiro has used [Desire Exposure] with a total of five girls so far.

Excluding the one who could not successfully read, there were four. All of them showed a good understanding of the images shown to them in their minds.

Although some of them became emotionally unstable due to excitement, there was no situation in which the images invaded their consciousness even after almost a day of exposure.

At Chihiro's question, Yotsuba shook her head slowly.

「I'd like to say yes...but no. The image itself disappeared just as Izumi said. But...」

Her words trailed off.

Chihiro looked at her sideways and saw that her cheeks were more reddish.

Her pretty lips opened and closed repeatedly as if she was lost in thought, and then she finally said

「...I can't get rid of that experience, it's still burned in my mind」

...It is true that it takes a lot of determination to talk about it.

After all, it's a lewd image that she consensually accepted. Despite the fact that the person who showed it to her could lie about it, Yotsuba has never been able to forget the one and only sexual experience she had.

It's a hard thing for her, who was raised as a young lady and cherished by her fiancé, and who is still a novice.

In addition, her lack of sexual knowledge and experience made it such a strong shock to her.

This is the same way that childhood experiences have a great impact on one's sexuality later in life.

The less experienced and innocent a person is, the more the sexual excitement leaves a strong impression on his/her mind.

It must have bothered her.

Perhaps, she was troubled right up to the moment when she asked Chihiro to send her home, but then she made her decision.

「I can't discuss this with principal...」

Yotsuba shook her head with her eyes downcast. And she spoke again.

「I can't do that. I can't tell him that I am suffering on my own because of a decision I made on my own――at least not to the principal」

Because he is her fiancée, she is hesitant to discuss her sexuality with him.

Also, if she were to tell him, she might provoke Principal Ootori into a rage, regardless of whether or not there is any fault in her actions.

And Yotsuba is not willing to go back on a promise made once for her own reasons, she said.

Basically, she is too good.

Chihiro, who is taking advantage of her good intentions, has no right to say anything. 

「I'm sorry, Kurohane-senpai. It's one thing if the ability is still affected you, but if it's already gone, I can't do anything」

「...Yeah, you're right」

The student council president, probably expecting Chihiro's answer, turns her head weakly to the side.

Is her current situation that hard for her?

「Maybe you're not sleeping well because you've been pleasuring yourself too much」

「Suzu-san!」

The direct and sarcastic line caused Chihiro's voice to become hoarse. But Suzu just stuck out her tongue without seeming to be offended.

「Sorry, sorry. But you should listen to me, okay? Otherwise, I can't give you any advice or anything」

「But that doesn't mean...」

「...No, it's fine」

Yotsuba interrupted Chihiro and shook her head slowly.

「Nee-san is right. In fact, I could not restrain myself from the indecent act. ...Yesterday's experience was the first time I experienced anything like this」