"Natsuki?"
Shichen felt a small foot pressing on his face and, for a moment, couldn't process what was happening. The feel of the stockings was surprisingly nice—silky and sheer; he could even sense the fineness of her skin through them. This puppet body of Minamiya Natsuki's really was no different from the real thing.
"Haven't woken up yet?"
Natsuki's voice was cold as her little foot stepped on his face, lightly grinding down. She was angry.
Dumping a mountain of trouble on her was one thing—but he'd gone and "finished off" Kaguya and the others behind her back. Even if they were the Fourth Primogenitor's vessels and had lived a long time, their appearance was that of underage girls! Calling them lolis wasn't wrong. How could he bring himself to do it? So he really was a lolicon!
But that wasn't even the main point—the point was that he'd actually done something she didn't want to see happen at all.
"Natsuki? What's wrong?" Shichen could hear the anger in her tone, yet he didn't push her foot away. He didn't feel humiliated—if anything, a little excited. Minamiya Natsuki's little foot really was exquisite. Even if it wasn't her real body. And precisely because it wasn't, there'd be no athlete's foot to worry about…
No, wait—in a fantasy world, would someone with supernatural powers even get athlete's foot? They probably could, right? If they're still human…
"Heh."
Natsuki gave a chilly laugh. "You've got the nerve to ask what's wrong? Forgotten what you did?"
"What did I… uh."
He didn't finish the question before it hit him. Of all people, he knew exactly what he'd been up to these last few days. He'd even worried Natsuki would find out—and with her acting like this now, there was nothing left to guess.
"So, Natsuki, you're free today?"
"Free—and that disappoints you, doesn't it? Were you planning to polish off Aurora today too?" Natsuki's pitch climbed as she spoke, completely unlike her usual flat tone. She really was mad.
"Natsuki… maybe there's a misunderstanding?"
"I saw it with my own eyes. What misunderstanding? You still won't admit it?"
"Alright, I admit it. I did it," Shichen said bluntly.
His directness made Natsuki blink. She scowled. "Why all of a sudden? And why eleven of them? Just how starved are you?"
"Natsuki, I'm a normal man. How am I supposed to resist being surrounded by beauties every day? Holding out this long is already impressive."
"Oh, so now you're proud of it? Why couldn't you hold out a little longer?" She pressed her foot into his face again—this time with almost no force; it was more teasing than punishment. She didn't want to hurt him, that was all.
"These last few days have had me overheated. Couldn't help it."
"'These last few days'?"
"You know who I am, Natsuki. Yukina and the others are with me every day—it's not exactly easy."
Vampires, after all, were easily roused—especially by young women who were pretty, cute, and sweet-scented. Never mind vampires—even ordinary people might cave.
But shouldn't "being roused" for a vampire mean blood?
Natsuki felt a flicker of doubt.
"So what—you're saying it's not your fault, it's theirs?"
"Not exactly…"
"Even so, how could you lay hands on Kaguya and the rest? They're so small…"
"They're not small…"
"I mean their build!"
"Ahem… It's fine—their bodies are sturdy."
They certainly were. Petite as they were, he could scoop them up and "bully" them like hugging a pillow, their little bellies pushed into a round curve. And even so, they were lively again the next day, as if nothing had happened. Maybe because they were vampires, they recovered too well—back to mint condition. Next time there'd be blood again.
"That is not a reason for you to lay hands on them!" This time she used a touch more force with her foot.
"Mm…" Shichen bore it silently. No resistance—though it didn't exactly hurt.
"So—how could you bring yourself to do it?"
"Kaguya and the others are so cute."
"You really are a lolicon…"
"I am not! The girls I like just happen to look loli," he said righteously, cheek pressed to her foot.
"…You're hopeless." Natsuki withdrew her foot and looked down at him from above.
"Eh? That's it?"
"Hm?" She blinked—then realized what he meant.
"You… are you a pervert?"
"It's that your foot feels nice," Shichen said with a smile.
"…I'm leaving." A shiver ran through her borrowed body. She didn't want to stay another second. Clearly, she didn't know him as well as she thought.
"Wait." Shichen sat up and caught her wrist.
"What are you doing?"
"You're still mad, aren't you? Let me comfort you."
"What would I need your comfort for? And I'm not angry," Natsuki said, face blank.
"I know you better than that."
Smiling, he gave a gentle tug. She tipped backward; he caught her and sat her in his lap. The position felt uncomfortable; she frowned. "Let me go."
"Heh~ I know you're jealous," he said, hugging her like a pillow. The tiny Natsuki was surprisingly comfortable to hold—cool to the touch, with none of a girl's scent. Not the real body, after all.
"Jealous? Of what?" she asked calmly, arching a brow.
She wriggled, found she couldn't break his hold, couldn't even use space shift, and gave up. …Though it did feel like she'd sat on something?
Shichen had forgotten his early-morning "condition." Rare chance to hold Natsuki; he was a little too excited. "Not jealous? Then why mad?"
"I'm mad that you dared lay hands on Tritos and the others! You're barely human!"
"That's going a bit far, isn't it?" he said, resting his chin on her left shoulder, a little wounded.
She sat with her back to him, frowning; his breath on her ear was… distracting. Was he getting a bit full of himself?
"Let me go."
"No way. It wasn't easy getting you in my arms—I'm not letting you run off that fast."
"…Isn't it easy for you to hold me?"
"Not the point. I don't like forcing you."
"Aren't you forcing me right now?"
"It's different. Today was… going with the flow. Right time, right place, right people."
"…Nonsense."
"Anyway, let me hold you a bit longer," he said with a grin.
"What's the point of holding this body?"
"I'm not holding your body. I'm holding you—your mind. As long as you know I'm holding you, that's what matters."
"Insane… I haven't even lectured you properly for touching Tritos and the others, and you've got the gall to take advantage of me?" She changed the subject; his words had a bit too much impact.
"So you are jealous."
"No. I'm just displeased with the line you crossed," she said coolly. "They're vampires who've lived a long time."
"That still isn't a reason—and eleven in a few days? How did you even—"
"Well…"
"You didn't make them skip classes, did you? Or is it—" Natsuki turned to look at him, eyes going dark. If he hadn't done them one by one, there was only one other possibility. Otherwise how had he "finished off" eleven in three or four days? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Why do you care about that? I'm telling you—jealous," Shichen deflected; he had no good answer.
"I said I'm not jealous!"
"Really? I was actually thinking of… compensating you."
"Compensate? For what would I—mm!" She froze mid-sentence, staring blankly at Shichen inches away.
He had kissed her. Out of nowhere.
This guy… so sudden… That's a kiss?
Shichen pulled back quickly, savoring it. "Not bad at all."
Maybe the mental satisfaction was even stronger.
"You—let go of me!" Natsuki snapped, voice cold.
"Uh…" He released her reflexively.
She vanished in a blink of space magic, leaving Shichen sitting there, stunned.
So… embarrassed, was she?