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In the end, it didn’t end at the two shots.

“Hehehehe, so cute~~~”

“You’re right.¹”

Right now, I’m seated on Sakura-chan’s knees and both of my hands are being twiddled with by Karen².

“Haa… Alice-chan is cute… can I take her home?”

“You can’t. You have to come over if you want to play with Alice.”

As implied by them, I’m right now Alice Rose. I’m seated on Sakura-chan’s knees, and on top of it, the rabbit that came with my transformation was seated on my knees.

Maybe because I was so small, Sakura-chan hugged me tightly and kept sighing sweetly.

As of Karen, she kept squeezing both of my facing up hands while in front of me, playing with them, while Shin seem to be recording us– hey!!

“Shin, don’t record this!”

“I won’t stop until you call you Onii-chan, okay?”

“Onii-chan, stop recording!”

“Yes, I got Rose’s ‘Onii-chan’~³”

“Wha-!?”

Damn it! I fell into his trap!

I naively followed his lead and called him Onii-chan. Khuu, Shin’s smug is really irritating right now!!

“Howaa… Alice-chan said Onii-chan! Hey hey, Alice-chan, can you try calling me ‘Onee-chan’?”

“No!”

“Eh, please~!”

“Definitely no!”

Over my dead body! I’m not repeating the blunder!

I turned away in a huff. However, a pair of hands hold my face and strongly turn from the opposite direction.

Of course, the one in the opposite direction is Karen. Karen was looking at me seriously, “Alice.”

“W, what?” I felt pressured from the rarely seen seriousness from her.

What matter is so important that she’s this serious?

“Can you say “Onee-chan?””

There is not a shred of seriousness at all, oi.

I spontaneously stared back at Karen scornfully, “No.”

“Say it.”

“No.”

“…Otherwise, I will call you Kurona without adding -san or -chan.”

W, what did she say!?

I received emotional damage⁴ from her words.

Does she mean that she won’t call me Onii-san or Onii-chan anymore?

“U, clank clank clank” the dread was so strong that my teeth were clattering.

“Hey!? Alice-chan is making a face unbefitting of a girl!?”

“Onii-san, it’s a joke, so stop with that face! A magical girl can’t be making that face!”

“Buahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

While Karen and Sakura-chan was busy making me stop, Shin heartily bellowed. Not to mention that he is strategically taking photos of me. This won’t do. At this rate, Shin will have a blackmail material against me.

I readjust my expression, and both of them slump their shoulders in reassurance.

“I’m not going to pull Onii-san’s leg with this material anymore.”

“That would be for the best, Karen-chan…”

“It was amusing for me though. That’s the first time Kurona make that face.” Shin was giggling as he look at his phone alone. I need to delete that data and along with Shin’s memory.

Wait, for how much longer will I be in this form? It should be fine for me to return soon, right?

“Hey, can I return already?”

“Eeh~? Stay like this a little longer~” Sakura-chan rubbed her cheeks to my head as she said she wanted more.

“Sakura-chan should also know this, but transforming is tiring, you know? Moreover, this is also Form Change.”

“Uu, if you say it like that… I understand, I’m reluctant, but let’s stop here for today.⁵” She let me off her knees after saying that. Fuu… finally, freedom…

I release my transformation after getting down.

Dazzling light wrapped me in a flash, and after the light dispersed, my form returned to normal.

“I won’t be transforming into Alice for a while, okay~”

“”Eeh-“”

“There’s no use to complain! I won’t do it again!”

Those two boo me in dissatisfaction.

I won’t do it again no matter what they say. I won’t do it anymore unless I’m the one at fault like this time.

“Nn? Oi, Kurona, your phone is ringing.” Shin passed over my phone.

“Eh, who, I wonder…. Ukh.” I grunted the moment I see the displayed name.

“What’s wrong, Onii-san?”

“No, it’s nothing. I will be outside for a little.”

“Nn.”

I went out to the corridor to pick up my call.

Odd, you say? I always go out if there’s someone in the room and I need to pick up a call. Karen and Shin knew about this too. Only Sakura-chan didn’t know about this, but those two shouldn’t leave her in the dark out of ignorance.

Anyway, I have to pick up the call immediately. It is something that should be dealt with ASAP when it cropped up.

I resolved myself and press the answer button.

“Yes, this is Kisaragi.”

“Aah, Kurona-san, is it? This is Sakaki.”

“To be honest, I thought I already ask you not to call me anymore…” I immediately let my thought ooze out without regard.

“Kisaragi-san may not like this, but we have already invested too much in you to stop now.”

“You have a point…” I can only meekly answered her.

This lady, Sakaki-san, was the manager and designer from that shop in the shopping mall, the one that gave me the clothes for free last month⁶.

In exchange for the clothes, I would become the model for Sakaki-san’s poster.

The fact that she calls me means that the schedule has been finalized.

“In that case, since I’m also short on time, I will just brief you the shooting day and any other important information.”

“…Yes, great to be your acquaintance.” I internally nodded.

“I have considered this Saturday to be the shooting day, do Kisaragi-san have anything planned for that day?”

“No, I will be free the whole day then.”

“That’s great. If we can’t finish everything at that day, we might need to extend it to summertime. Kisaragi-san, you wouldn’t want to be a swimsuit model, would you?”

“T, that’s a given! Besides, I can’t wear it in the first place!!” I instinctively retorted. I was a little rude, but it is natural I think.

I mean, it is a swimsuit!? Sakaki-san runs a ladies’ fashion store, so of course her swimsuits are also for ladies, right!? I can’t wear them, nor do I want to!

“Yes, of course I cannot request a man to do that.”

“Hoo… I’m glad… did you say something just now?”

“? I said, I wouldn’t ask a man to fulfill that request…”

“Did you notice that I’m a male!?”

“I do. I didn’t notice it at a first glance, but your behavior was lacking too much femininity. Furthermore, you weren’t careful even while wearing a skirt. If that’s all, then I would just assumed that you weren’t used to wearing a skirt at all, but all nearby schools require female students to wear a skirt. In conclusion, there is no girl around here who wouldn’t be used to wearing a skirt. Even if we consider the possibility that you may be a very young-looking adult woman, any girl who have received compulsory education would have wore a skirt sometime during their life. Any girl that isn’t used to wearing a skirt would be an outlier. And so, I concluded that Kisaragi-san is actually a male.⁷”

“A-amazing…” I was impressed with Sakaki-san’s perception and deductive ability.

I didn’t try to look girly, but I’m aware that some people look at me that way. Even Sakura-chan called me a tomboy beauty back then. I understood that people see me like that, so I had come to expect that people around sees me as a girl.

Not that it would have mattered if I had been found out, but even so, I thought Sakaki-san’s powers of observation were amazing.

“Furthermore, when you looked feel a little bad, I had a suspicion that you are actually a boy. In the world of commerce, we can always tell apart between suspicious person and ‘someone who isn’t what they seem to be’. Well, if you are working in the service industry, just this much is a child’s play.”

“No, that’s amazing. You look like a detective.”

Sakaki-san said so shyly but a little happily to my honest comment.

“Ahem. And so, let’s return to the topic.”

“Yes… hey, please wait a minute!!” I almost yelled. I felt very uncomfortable when she was about to wrap up the topic. There’s something I need answered immediately.

“What is it?”

“It’s not “what is it?”! Sakaki-san, you knew I’m a boy, yet you still asked me to be your model!?”

“Yes. Even if you’re a boy, I think you are pretty.”

“How could this…” I immediately drop on the spot.

She asked me to be her model even after knowing that… I’m even more shocked than being mistaken as a girl and asked to be a model…

“Sex is a trivial thing. Everything is about what meets the eye.”

“You’re pushing the use of that phrase to its limit.”

It seems to be one of those phrase which, if you use on the wrong occasion, might increase the number of your enemy instead.

“Well, that’s a joke. The truth is that, Kisaragi-san has the perfect image as a summer fashion model. Your little sister was good, but Kisaragi-san matched my image.”

“This can’t be…”

“And so, I personally would like for Kisaragi-san to be our model at all cost. Of course, you will receive modeling remuneration. We also wouldn’t mind for you to take home any clothes that you wear that day.”

“No, I don’t need any remuneration! I also won’t wear any of the clothes either!”

“You are free to take home any clothes or not, but I must insist that you take the pay. My store have branches basically all over the country, and your poster will be hanged and stuck all over the country. We also anticipate that more people than ever will see this poster. This was what I meant by investment back then.”

“But, to accept a cut even before a sale is made…”

“The cut from the advertisement and the modeling remuneration are different. At the day of the photo shoot, you will be changing to many clothes, and we will also be moving to many different location. The clothes you received won’t cover the effort you will exert. I would call it a fair pay.”

“U, uuu…”

If that’s what she said, then I can’t refuse. If it is not a preferential measure, if it is a reward that I can legitimately receive, it would make them feel uncomfortable if I said no, and others might think that I am working for free.

I cannot refuse this one. I feel embarrassed, but I can’t tell her that…

“I understand. In that case, I will gladly accept the model remuneration.”

“We appreciate your acceptance. Feel free to take any clothes you would like too. I have mentioned this before, but any clothes that you wear outside will be free advertisement for us.”

“What am I, a walking advertisement tower?”

“I would think that it would be exactly that when the poster is publicized to the world though? Well, if you are going to wear ordinary clothes, then it can’t be helped, however unfortunate it is.”

“Is this the part where I’m supposed to be glad that I’m a man?”

“I wonder? That would depend on you.”

“Then, I will try to be happy.”

“I’m terribly disheartened to hear that.”

“So that’s Sakaki-san’s real intention!”

“Hehe, I’m joking. If Kisaragi-san wasn’t a boy, then we might have not met. And so, I’m glad that you are a boy. It’s a little unfortunate that you can’t wear a swimsuit though.⁸”

“I don’t know what’s your real intention anymore…” I figuratively fixed my gaze on her.

“All of them are my real motive, you know. I know, if we are talking about being honest with each other, I would be extremely happy if you would turn into a girl.”

“~~~~~!” I gasped from her words.

I’m guessing that Sakaki-san didn’t mean it, but I couldn’t help but to react to her words that hit at the very heart of the matter.

“? What’s wrong?”

“N, n, no! Sakaki-san, I’m simply surprised with the strange things you said!”

“…Is that so. I was very serious when I said that though.”

“So you were serious…”

I was concerned about the slight pause, but Sakaki-san did not seem to intend to make any further comment of it. I patted my chest in relief.

After I felt relieved, I heard someone else’s voice from the speaker. Even so, the voice was so distant that I can’t make out what he said.

Sakaki-san replied to that voice briefly, and returned to the phone.

“I’m really sorry, the time is almost up. We ended up chatting for a while, I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

“No, I’m happy to hear your deductions too,” I teasingly said.

“D, don’t make fun of me,” she shyly replied.

“Ahem. I will send the detailed schedule by mail.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“That’s all I have to say. Thank you for your cooperation at the photo shoot day.”

“Yes, I will give my best.”

“Yes, please. Aah, also, once the posters begin making its returns, I will come to thank you personally. Then.”

“Hey, wait!”

Before I can call her out, Sakaki-san closed the call.

“To run right after saying that… that’s not fair…” I grumbled as I slid my phone into my pocket.

And so, immediately after I turned around to return to the living room, our eyes met.

I saw three persons’ gaze coming out from the opening of the living room door.

1. TN: Oh my God, Karen had a vested interest after all.
2. Hands get squeezed.
3. Kakuyomu version revised “Rose” into “Black Rose”, but I feel like it is supposed to be “Rose”. After all, she got Alice Rose’s, who he can affectionately call “Rose”, and he didn’t get Black Rose’s.
4. Now, try repeat this in your head, but in Steven He’s voice.
5. We are going to see Alice Rose in the future again, apparently.
6. TN: Oh, Sakaki-san, where’s Pii-chan? Oh wait, that’s Sasaki-san, pardon me.
7. Richie: A man and a woman’s skeletal structure is different though, and you should be able to tell from how they walk, more than if they are walking briskly or not. Are you saying that Kurona’s skeletal structure is also similar enough?
8. Ignoring what Kurona might think, I think we can make him a girl swimsuit model with no problem.

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