"Um, Aizono-san, don't you ever feel embarrassed?"
Kuroba Akira couldn't help but ask.
The contrast was just way too much.
A shy, blushing moe girl, suddenly discussing all kinds of dirty topics with the kind of ease you usually only see between guys—this impact was on the same level as finding out your lifelong bro, the guy you shared pants with as a kid, was actually a girl.
"Eh?"
Aizono Momo blinked, tilting her head in confusion.
"I mean, Aizono-san, you always seem so reserved, so I thought maybe you wouldn't be comfortable talking about, uh... H topics like this."
Now Aizono Momo understood. She blushed again, fidgeting with her index fingers.
"Ah... well... If it was something happening in real life, I'd definitely be super embarrassed... But this is just novel stuff, right? It's not really happening for real."
"Yeah, hahaha..."
Kuroba Akira could only let out an awkward laugh.
After all, the reason he wrote that scene—where the little sister flashes her panties at the protagonist—was because of what happened the first time he met Class Rep.
The plot in the novel is basically a copy-paste of Akira's real experience. In the end, the protagonist actually gets handed his little sister's panties, and even goes a step further—puts them on his head! (Something Akira himself never managed.)
So when Class Rep read that part, she shot Akira a very meaningful look.
But Anri Hitomi didn't say anything more; after all, that was a secret just between the two of them.
Still, the idea that a scene based on real life would end up in front of readers all across the country... Even Anri Hitomi felt a rare twinge of shame. It was like airing out your secret PLAY for the whole world to see.
"Like here—taking off your panties and handing them to someone else... Only a total pervert would do something that shameless in real life, right?"
Direct Hit: Anri Hitomi.
Direct Hit: Shiroi Shiori.
Kuroba Akira felt a little awkward too, since he'd already accepted two pairs of JK panties.
Class Rep managed to keep a straight face, though her gaze drifted a little. But Shiroi Shiori just couldn't hold it together—she buried her head in her arms on the table.
Her bestie just called her a pervert!
If this secret ever got out, she'd never be able to face Momo again... No way, it must never be revealed!
Shiroi Shiori lifted her head and glared fiercely at Kuroba Akira—a look that said, Don't you dare tell Momo! Akira caught the signal and blinked twice: Relax, I get it. Your panties are hidden away, safe and sound.
Last time, Class Rep's panties got found (and used) by Shiginomiya Shion, so this time, Akira learned his lesson. The two pairs of JK panties are hidden somewhere no one would ever find them—inside the paneling of the lower bunk!
Only problem: it's a pain to get them out. No way to just pull them out on demand... Not that Akira had any plans to use them as spell components anymore. He'd already admitted he'd lost the right to jerk off in his own room.
Ever since Shion started sticking to Akira whenever he's home—except for when he's in the bath or bathroom—he has zero private space left.
And really, panties are best when they're being worn by a beautiful girl, not just fabric. So Akira focused on legs wrapped in silky webbing, and decided those friendship panties would just stay collector's items.
Meanwhile, Anri Hitomi had also noticed the whole silent conversation between Akira and Shiroi Shiori. She thought about it and immediately realized what must have happened.
Looks like Shiori didn't just take them off—she even gave away her underwear...
Given what Anri Hitomi knew about Shiroi Shiori, she didn't think this was any kind of "token of love." That just wasn't Shiori's style.
Most likely, Shiori just got a rush and wanted to pull some prank, so she tossed them, and Akira ended up with them.
But being able to joke around with her own underwear like that... It showed she'd opened her heart to Akira completely.
Does Shiori... like Akira-kun? Or maybe... she already does?
If Shiori wanted to go out with Akira-kun, what would I do?
Logically, she should support it. But Anri Hitomi realized she didn't want things to go that way, and quickly came up with a "reasonable" excuse.
Romantic partners always end up more important than friends. If those two started dating, she and Aizono Momo would get left out, which would cause discord within the Literature Club.
And the Literature Club must be protected at all costs—every variable must be eliminated.
So even though she felt bad, Anri Hitomi couldn't bring herself to support love between her friends.
And anyway, why is it that boys and girls have to fall in love at all...?
Can't things just stay the way they are...?
Even someone as sharp as Anri Hitomi couldn't think of a perfect solution for once. Now she had one more thing to worry about—how to preserve the peace of the Literature Club, and keep their relationships from changing.
Only Aizono Momo was still totally out of the loop, still explaining why she didn't get embarrassed about drawing.
"And, um, actually in the art world, R-18 works are super common... Ah! But I don't draw dirty stuff! Really, I don't!"
Aizono Momo flailed, blushing furiously—but that was basically a confession.
Way to give yourself away, Aizono-san.
Looks like she really does draw spicy stuff in private. Maybe drawing those borderline ecchi illustrations is actually wasting her talents.
Honestly, light novels with a little erotic flavor are already the mainstream, but Akira's Imouto Travel hadn't gotten to that level yet—at most, it was 16+.
"I just think, it's because so many of these scenes never happen in real life that we need art to bring our fantasies to life... And I can totally tell reality and fantasy apart."
So Aizono Momo's the type who can keep her work and life totally separate.
Come to think of it, most art students have seen the human body plenty of times by now. If you're still embarrassed about drawing, you'd never be able to draw anything at all.
It's all art! An appreciation for beauty! No need to be so shy!
Actually, Akira remembered, back when he worked at a game company in his previous life, the girls in the art team had no problem with dirty jokes—and their fetishes were even scarier than the guys'.
There was one junior he was pretty close with, who'd openly discuss all sorts of fetishes and even talk about doujinshi. She was seriously open.
Of course, that was partly because the writing team and art team worked closely together—scripts, character designs, and story all came from the writing side, while the art team brought the characters to life. Their desks were right next to each other, so they got along well.
But that also meant more shouting matches... All of which could go straight into Imouto Travel.
Aizono Momo gave a shy smile and continued.
"So, as long as it's about drawing, I don't really get embarrassed..."
"That's great, I like you more and more, Aizono-san."
"Hehe..."
Working with someone like this was nothing but relaxing—honestly, it was a joy.