Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

「Takatsuki-san, what do you like about Izumi?」

After school that day, Kanako stopped Takatsuki Aika and asked her.

Naturally, her [Beautiful Voice] is in effect.

Aika replied with her usual calm tone, while Kanako took every opportunity to get to know her.

「Well... I guess. He's kind?」

As expected, her answer is full of flaws.

And while smiling inwardly, Kanako sent her a negative image of Chihiro, pretending to be making small talk.

「But, doesn't that mean he's unreliable as a man?」

Kanako's voice has a charm that makes one want to agree with her.

Of course, getting Aika to agree here has no great effect in itself. It's just a small talk to make her agree with her.

However, if she continues to make small talk and makes a bad impression over and over again, it is a different story.

Aika will be led to think that "Chihiro is not a great boy", even if she doesn't know it. This is exactly what Kanako is trying to do. 

Kanako's motive is more like revenge. Retaliation for making Riko go away from her favorite character.

If Aika breaks up with Chihiro because of this, or if the story gets complicated, so be it. It's not Kanako's fault that the bond between them is fragile. There is no evidence to criticize Kanako after the fact, and Aika is the one who acted rashly because of her personal opinion.

She just wanted her to dance around her palm.

...Or so she thought.

「Yeah. I guess so」

To her surprise, Aika replied in the affirmative very easily.

Kanako's [Beautiful Voice] seemed to have no such effect. So this must be Aika's own intention.

She tilted her head and said to a puzzled Kanako.

「But you know, that's why I want to be there for him. Is that weird?」

「Well... normally, if it's Izumi and Kamishiro, wouldn't you choose Kamishiro? Takatsuki-san, didn't Kamishiro confess his love to you?」

Calm down. The flow of the story itself is not bad. If it doesn't work the first time, she can do it two or three times.

And as she thought that, Aika said,

「Well, yeah. Maybe I'm a little weird」

Again, Aika simply replied.

...What is this strange feeling?

It's as if her intentions are being completely crushed, even though her words are being acknowledged.

No way.

Suddenly, Aika narrowed her eyes.

「Hey, Sashiro-san」

Aika's expression instantly changed, and a cold gaze shot through Kanako.

「If you want to use your abilities to incite me, it's no use. Because I won't leave Chihiro-kun in such a cowardly way」

...Kanako has been exposed.

Her ability itself is well-known. But to be wary of the influence of the [Beautiful Voice] when it's just an unexpected small talk...

Really, up until now, Kanako hasn't caused any problems with this ability.

Especially when it doesn't cause discomfort like Chihiro's [Mind-reading].

While Kanako thinking that, Aika tells her plainly.

「Unlike Chihiro's ability, Kanako-chan's ability has malicious intent. It's like you're trying to forcibly change people's minds to your liking」

「...Does that mean my ability is worse than Izumi's?」

「Yes. I like Chihiro's ability, and I don't want to say this to my friend, but honestly, I don't like Kanako-chan's ability」

After saying that, Aika turned around and left, but Kanako couldn't stop her.

☆　　　☆　　　☆

Kanako was frustrated.

She couldn't allow people to talk to her like that.

...even though she hadn't done anything "wrong".

After all, for Kanako, she is just giving Aika a chance. She should not be blamed for anything, since it is Aika herself who makes the final decision.

And yet, Aika has been looking at Kanako with contempt.

But because of that, she wants to pay her back. To do that...

She sets her mind to thinking with clear malice and decides on a plan.

And the next day she began her plan――contact with Kamishiro.

「Good morning, Kamishiro-kun」

「It's still hot. I hope it gets cooler soon」

They started with a normal greeting.

Instead of pestering him out of the blue, Kanako talk to him several times a day when they pass each other in the hallway.

She tries to impress him in a casual way and leave an image of her in his mind.

After one and a half days of this, from the afternoon of the second day, Kanako will talk to him during class training and after classes with the words "I like" mixed in.

「It's cool to see a boy working hard. "I like" that」

「Which do you like more, water or sports drink? "I like" the sweet kind」

This is not effective once.

But if Kanako repeat it, the words will remain in his ears. The word "I like" and the image of Kanako who said it wrapped around Kamishiro and attracted him.

This is a subliminal message using her ability [Beautiful Voice].

Perhaps because of this effect, Kamishiro's reaction seemed to change a little on the morning of the third day.

「Good morning, Sashiro-san」

When she greeted by him, Kanako replied with a smile.

「Kamishiro-kun is looking good today」

「Yes, thank you. I'm flattered」

「...I'm not flattered, though」

「Eh? What?」

「It's nothing」

Kanako shake her head and walk away.

She then walks away, shaking her head. She keeps in touch with him during breaks and lunch breaks, and after school.

When the time is right, she will place a love letter in Kamishiro's desk and call him to the far end of a deserted hallway.

And now, in the middle of the corridor, while the students are buzzing.

The quiet hallway was like another world.

Just the two of them. Even if Kamishiro is a stiff man, he should be able to understand what it means to be alone with a female student.

It's a pity that Kanako herself is not as good looking enough, but she had tried her best to look good.

She wears make-up casually and has adjusted the length of her skirt so that it doesn't look too short. She has also arranged her underwear so that if she is approached for "that", she will be able to do so.

「Sashiro-san. What do you want to talk about?」

「...Well... Umm... If you don't mind, that's fine」

Win Kamishiro Yuuki.

Seduce him, get him, and make him look back at Riko and Aika.

Even if she regrets not choosing Kamishiro later, it will be too late.

「Kamishiro-kun, I like you. Will you go out with me...?」

Kanako tries her best to be sober.

After all, this is the first time she's ever confessed her love to a boy, and her heart is beating fast even though she tries to act it out. She thinks her face must have been red.

And since Kanako's confession must have sounded pleasant due to her [Beautiful Voice].

The "Love" she had prepared since yesterday would be effective, and it would seep into his heart.