Uh, Sure, Dessler Does Look Like He’d Be Good at Billiards – Part 03

Haruna pointed the cue stick at her. “What the hell are you doing here?!” she growled like a dog, her cowlick shooting straight up.

“Haruna, Aikawa. It’s been a while.” Kyouko’s radiant customer service smile was angelic, the kind that would make the average guy to want to shout, “I’m in love!”

“Nice one, Aikawa! She’s way beyond anything I imagined.” From Orito’s nostrils shot a blast of excited breath.

Wipe your drool first, man.

“Cute, right?”

I tried to gloat, but Orito ignored me. Putting on his best cool-guy voice, he grabbed Kyouko’s hand. “What’s your name?”

He was every bit the storybook prince.

“Ah, you must be Orito? It’s an honor to meet you.”

Her brilliant smile made Orito tear up on the spot.

“D-Did you hear that, Aikawa?! My time has finally come!”

God, you’re annoying. Orito, you’re getting played.

“How’s your little sister doing?” Kyouko asked.

“Huh? You already know my personal details? She’s so energetic I had to smack her on the head yesterday.” Orito roared with laughter, completely pleased with himself.

Come to think of it, Kyouko used to live in this world and was friends with Orito’s sister. In fact, I first met Kyouko through Orito.

So really, those two should’ve been closer than me. But Magiclad Girls had the power to erase memories. Most likely, when Kyouko got thrown into Villiers for her crimes, she erased herself from the memories of everyone she’d met in this world.

Seeing them talk like strangers now, it seemed there was no way to restore those erased memories.

“So, who are these two?” Mihara looked on sourly as Orito rubbed up against Kyouko’s hand.

“Uh… the busty loli is Kyouko,” I said, “and the one with the pigtails is…”

Big Teach’s name was… Ariel or something?

“A-Arie… Rie… Rie!”

A blinding flash of genius!

“I’m Kyouko, Aikawa’s junior. Pleased to meet you.”

Kyouko bowed deeply. Her neckline dipped low, showing off her large, well-formed chest. I didn’t look directly, but judging by Orito’s angle, it was obvious he did.

“I’m Haruna’s friend, Rie. Thanks so much for having us today,” Big Teach said with a casual bow.

Kyouko flashed a gentle, angelic smile.

With those two together, the guys practically lost it. Especially with Kyouko’s face not matching her big chest, all eyes were glued to her. Well, with jewels like those, it was impossible not to look. Even I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

With two knockout beauties joining, the group dynamic shifted a little. The girls were all over Anderson, Hiramatsu and Eu stuck to their shogi, and Haruna and Orito made no sense. For any normal person, this mixer wasn’t much fun.

And then—bam!—two stunning beauties walked in. Of course everyone wanted to crowd around them.

People tend to give special treatment to bright girls that smile a lot. I believed being pretty was a talent in itself. A gift you’re born with.

People aren’t always what they seem, but people always judge by appearances.

The guys treated the two like princesses, and the girls just kept smiling.

As soon as Kyouko and Big Teach sat down, the guys fought fiercely for the seats beside them.

“Want a drink? This stuff’s really good.”

The guys rushed to offer sodas.

“Here’s a glass. I’ll pour it for you.”

“Oh no! That’s too much trouble.” Kyouko flapped her hands in refusal, looking so cute that everyone’s faces softened.

I wanted her to hurry up and tell me Chris’s weakness since I’d kept my word, but when I tried to approach, the guys around her growled like lions. I hesitated on what to do.

“Please give it to Rie instead of me.”

That sweet voice and smile were more than enough to make you think she was a good girl.

Who was Rie again? Oh, right. I’d forgotten I made that up. Big Teach.

“Rie, it is.”

“Ah, I don’t really drink soda.”

Big Teach’s slow, gentle voice made me forget the time. I could’ve listened to it forever.

“Hey, Ayumu!” Haruna, owl perched on her shoulder, waved me over while hiding behind the billiards table. All I could see were her hand and cowlick. Even without her face, the cowlick gave her away.

I sighed and turned toward her, wondering what she wanted. Eu was there too, the same Eu who’d been playing shogi with Hiramatsu earlier.

Hiramatsu stayed frozen in place, glaring at the board. It wasn’t even a tense position, but she seemed deep in thought. She hadn’t noticed Kyouko and Big Teach arriving? Incredible concentration.

As soon as I got close, Haruna yanked my ear.

“What the hell?”

It didn’t hurt. Knowing that, Haruna tugged hard, leaning in close.

But instead of whispering, she blurted out, “Why is she here?!”

My ear rang, and I squinted one eye shut. “You mean Kyouko? Because she’s cuter than you.”

“What?! There’s no way anyone’s cuter than me!”

“Is that so? First I’ve heard of it.”

“Ayumu, answer.” Eu’s emotionless eyes were telling me to stop joking around.

“Kyouko might know a way to beat Chris. I hope you understand.”

After some thought, Haruna threw up her hands in protest. “No way in hell!”

She had a point. Kyouko had caused us a lot of trouble, and just because she knew how to beat Chris didn’t mean she could sit here and enjoy the party with us.

“I understand.”

“Really?”

“What? You can’t be serious, negamancer.”

“This is for you, Haruna.”

Determination shone in Eu’s clear blue eyes. She still regretted making Haruna suffer during the school festival because of her selfishness. That was why she wanted to do anything for Haruna right now.

“Hmph. If it’s for me, then fine,” Haruna relented. “Besides, as long as she’s wearing that bracelet, she can’t pull any stunt.”

“Bracelet?”

“It reacts to mana and zaps you. I saw prisoners at school wearing it. One got shocked so much they passed out.”

I see. An item that blocked magic. That meant Kyouko couldn’t use her Magiclad Girl powers. If so, she really couldn’t try anything.

“I feel a little better now,” I said. “I was against bringing such a dangerous person here too.”

“It was Big Teach, wasn’t it? I bet she was the one who suggested it. Word is, her love of parties echoes all the way to the deep sea. All right! We’re definitely getting some info out of her.”

Eu and I nodded at the same time.

I looked over at Kyouko.

“That’s not true at all.”

“I’m serious. You’re very pretty.”

“Ahaha, thank you. Gosh, this is embarrassing.”

What a very lively conversation.

“It’s true, though. So, do you have a boyfriend?”

Orito sat across from Kyouko, holding the perfect position to talk—not to her face, but to her boobs.

“No way, I’m nothing special at all. I’d never have a boyfriend.” Her face flushed bright red, hands flapping, laughter mixed into her words.

A zombie or a necromancer didn’t have the guts to barge into that space. How was I supposed to break in?

“Girls who deny it like that definitely know they’re pretty,” Mihara, eating pizza nearby, muttered sorrowfully. “Why do guys always fall for such obvious fakery? It’s just small talk.”

That might give me a lead.

“What do you mean, small talk?” I asked Mihara.

“Oh, it’s the perv Aikawa,” she said. “Okay, say I get into an accident and break a bone. I show up at school in a cast. What’s the first thing people say to me?”

“Huh? Well, I guess, What happened? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little accident.’” Mihara flapped her hands like Kyouko, widened her eyes, and spoke in an impossibly cute voice. Then she slumped again. “Like hell I’m fine. My bone’s broken. When someone asks, are you okay? you say I’m okay. When someone says, you’re pretty, you answer, no, I’m not. That’s small talk.”

“Ah, yeah, I see that all the time.”

“Actually, I’m sure they do it because they think, See? I’m even prettier when I say I’m not. Acting all cutesy like that.”

Well, I knew Kyouko’s real nature. Wait, if they learned the truth, wouldn’t they all just get absorbed into Big Teach’s orbit? All right.

“Haruna, what do you think about Kyouko?” I asked. “Jealous of the big boobs?”

“Huh? Those are useless boobs!”

That was when Haruna’s brash nature came in handy.

Kyouko, who’d been smiling like an angel, froze with the same expression on her face.

Useless boobs. Being told that her proud chest was nothing but a waste by flat-chested Haruna must’ve really gotten under her skin.

“I’m actually jealous of you, Haruna,” Kyouko said. “Having basically nothing is so rare that it’s considered valuable. A status symbol, really.”

‘They’re there! They’re just invisible.”

Her boobs were dark matter, apparently.

“Yes, that’s more than enough,” Kyouko said.

The guys around her burst into laughter. That was enough to tear apart Haruna’s patience. Not that it was sturdy to begin with. Her patience snapped easier than a strand of somen noodles.

“Let’s have a showdown!” Haruna pointed the cue at Kyouko. “We’ll settle right here whose chest is better.”

“Billiards? I’m actually pretty good at it.” Kyouko made a small fist pump and stood up.

This whole turn of events just killed my chance to talk to Kyouko. Haruna was such a handful.