Chapter 442: A Blank Canvas and a Sore Spot
In the end, spurred on by a wave of collective curiosity, Aoandon couldn't resist looking up the folklore version of her namesake. As the images of the terrifying, blue-skinned demon appeared on the screen, a ripple of distaste went through the group. Compared to that monstrous depiction, the elegant woman sitting before them was an entirely different, and far more beautiful, being.
Aoandon herself looked a little unsettled. "Um... who is this Kirari you mentioned? Does she truly resemble me so much?"
With a few deft taps, Lucifer pulled up a photograph of Momobami Kirari, specifically choosing one where her long, silver hair was down. Aoandon leaned in for a look and her breath caught in her throat. Good heavens—the eye color, the pale complexion, the shade of her lips... aside from a slight difference in their hair, the resemblance was uncanny. On closer inspection, of course, there were countless subtle distinctions, but the initial impression was staggering.
Letting out a soft sigh, Aoandon murmured, "I feel as though I simply must meet this person named Kirari when the opportunity arises..."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ren added with a hint of helplessness in his voice, "The main thing is, very few people can pull off that shade of lipstick. It's a color that demands a very specific look and aura, something most people just don't have."
The others nodded again, remembering. Lucifer and the rest had seen it firsthand during the Kengan matches. There was a president of some art design company who had attempted to wear the same striking blue lipstick. The result... well, it had been memorable for all the wrong reasons.
After breakfast, Kasugano Sora began trudging up the stairs, the very picture of exhaustion.
Lanterby called out, tilting her head in confusion. "Sora! Where are you off to? Didn't Akemi ask you to join her at the gym?"
Sora paused on the steps and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm going back to change... I can't possibly wear my school uniform to a gym... I feel like I can't even move... I have absolutely no motivation..."
A cheerful grin spread across Lanterby's face. "Mashiro is waiting for you, you know. We'll head out first, then. See you tonight! Bye-bye!"
Watching the others leave, Sora let out another quiet sigh. The mention of Shiina Mashiro sent a strange flutter through her chest. Mashiro gave her the impression of a cute, utterly innocent older sister, and Sora found herself at a complete loss as to how she should interact with someone so pure.
'Ah... why am I getting nervous just thinking about it...?'
At that very moment, Sōryūin Akemi was staring, completely dumbfounded, at the girl standing before her. After a long, stunned silence, she finally managed to cry out, "Mashiro! You... you... wh-what... how could you just walk out like that?!"
Shiina Mashiro tilted her head, her expression placid. "Hm? I came to find Akemi after my shower."
"But... but... what... Ah! Mashiro! Come with me, now!"
"Eh? Oh..."
Ten minutes later, looking at a properly dressed Shiina Mashiro, Sōryūin Akemi finally let out a massive sigh of relief. Good heavens, her heart had nearly given out. Who knew what kind of shock awaited her when she turned around after drying her hair, only to find Mashiro standing there in nothing but a loosely tied bath towel.
"Akemi..."
"Where's your sister, Shion?"
"My sister went to work," Mashiro replied in her usual monotone. "She doesn't have rest days like Saturday or Sunday. Every day is a workday for her. Honestly, if it weren't for Brother Ren, she might even have to go on blind dates. It's such a hassle."
Shiina Mashiro nodded, then looked over at Akemi, who was digging into a second breakfast beside her. "Akemi, can I draw in the gym?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Akemi froze mid-chew. She slowly turned to look at Mashiro, her eyes screaming, 'Are you kidding me?' But she was met with disappointment; Mashiro's gaze was completely calm, devoid of any hint of a joke.
Sighing, Akemi asked, "Mashiro, do you know what a gym is for?"
The unthinking, direct answer almost made Akemi choke. It was confirmed: the naive, otherworldly Shiina Mashiro was exactly as advertised.
She was suddenly reminded of last night. A slightly tipsy Sengoku Chihiro, before leaving, had pulled Sōryūin Shion aside and warned her that Mashiro was a child purer than a blank sheet of paper, possessing almost zero common life skills. She had asked them to take good care of her. Akemi had been stunned when Shion relayed the message this morning, but she hadn't quite grasped the full extent of it until now.
After a lengthy explanation from Akemi, Mashiro finally seemed to understand, nodding slowly.
"Mashiro," Akemi asked, a new thought occurring to her, "you've always been drawing, right? Were you painting oil paintings?"
Mashiro nodded.
Akemi's eyes went wide, a look of delighted surprise dawning on her face. "So... so... so that genius painter was you! Mashiro, you're incredible!"
Mashiro simply nodded again.
Akemi beamed. "So, Mashiro, is your goal to become a world-renowned master painter?"
Shiina Mashiro shook her head. "I want to become a manga artist."
The declaration was so unexpected that it left Akemi speechless for a moment.
"Because," Mashiro continued, her voice as even as ever, "I once saw a boy at an art exhibition. He wasn't looking at my paintings. He was looking at a manga. I was very curious about that."
Akemi took a moment to process this, then a warm smile spread across her face. "Although it feels like a bit of a shame, if someone with your drawing skills were to create manga, I'm sure it would be absolutely amazing!"
"Akemi, don't you think it's strange?"
"That you want to draw manga?"
"Ah, that," Akemi waved a hand dismissively. "While it might seem like a waste of your fine-art talent to some, manga is still drawing. It's just like any profession. There's no distinction of high or low, noble or humble."
Shiina Mashiro looked at Sōryūin Akemi, gave a small nod, and said nothing more.
A grin stretched across Akemi's face. "However... there is one difference that matters... and that's whether your lifestyle is healthy! You must be persistent with your exercise! You need a good physique! You need healthy muscles!"
Mashiro blinked, her expression blank. "Akemi... you're strange..."
"Eh?! No, I'm not! This is a lifelong goal!"
"Strange..."
---
On the other side of town, Hiratsuka Shizuka stared down with deep exasperation at the lump on the futon. Sengoku Chihiro was hugging a quilt and pillow, her sleeping posture atrocious, her hair a tangled mess.
A muscle in Shizuka's cheek twitched. "Senior! Wake up!"
Chihiro sat up slowly, rubbing her stomach. "Shizuka... why are you here?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
"Idiot Senior! We have to go see the school and process your new employee registration!"
Hearing this, Chihiro immediately flopped back down, pulling the covers over her head. "Ugh... Shizuka... why don't you just register for me..." she whined.
"Idiot Senior! I'm a Japanese language teacher, not an administrator!"
"Tsk... this is why you can't find a boyfriend, Shizuka..."
Shizuka's fists clenched at her sides, her voice trembling with barely suppressed rage. "Senior... what does my relationship status have to do with any of this?! Get up! We're going to be late!"
A while later, Chihiro emerged from the bathroom, freshly washed but still looking half-asleep. She saw the breakfast laid out on the table and narrowed her eyes. "So... Shizuka, you're the type to eat beef ramen first thing in the morning?"
"Hm? It's because their shop is the only one open nearby. Hurry up and eat!"
"Oh… Shizuka, you know, mmph mmph mmph…" Chihiro mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.
Shizuka's eyebrow twitched. "What was that, Senpai?"
Chihiro swallowed the large bite before stating casually, "This is why you can't find a boyfriend."
"Shut up! You're single too!" Shizuka snapped, her composure finally breaking.
"But I don't have to go on blind dates."
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