Although Yan Liuzhuan was rambling on about how a perfect body needed no covering, urging me to cast aside meaningless sexual desires and appreciate the pure beauty of the human form from an artistic perspective—dragging in Renaissance artists' philosophies and even the ancient Greek traditions of nudity—I didn’t take in a single word.

I just wanted to get away from this terrifying exhibitionist as fast as possible!

"Listen up, Rinka. No matter what happens, you must never become the kind of person who has no sense of shame about nudity."

"As if! What kind of pervert do you take me for, Kai-chan?"

Oh? So are you implying that your childhood crush is a pervert?

By the time she and I left Yan Liuzhuan’s apartment, it was already past three.

We hadn’t even done a single sketch, yet we’d been there that long?

The moment I stepped outside the building, as if sensing that I was about to start sweating, my dear notebook vanished from my back, probably teleporting home ahead of me.

Instant teleportation… What a great ability. Will I be able to do that once I become a full-fledged god?

After getting off the metro, Rinka suddenly looped her arm around mine. My elbow nudged a certain soft spot, making my throat go dry… They may be small, but they were there.

She either didn’t notice or simply did it on purpose. Tilting her head playfully, she said, "It’s a bit early for dinner. Want to hang out at my place first, then head out for the BBQ later?"

"Sure."

I figured I might as well find out where Rinka lived, so I agreed.

She claimed it was only a five-minute walk, but in reality, it wasn’t even that—her apartment complex was right next to Exit 3 of the metro station.

And her unit? Seventh floor, first building. Incredibly convenient.

…The rent must be insane.

As soon as we stepped inside, before even taking off her shoes, Rinka grabbed the remote from the wall and turned on the air conditioning. Cool air flowed through the room, driving out the stuffiness.

It was a two-bedroom apartment—small, yet spacious for just one person.

Whether it was Rinka’s own touch or the previous owner’s, the entire place was brimming with an overwhelmingly cutesy, girly aesthetic: pastel purple wallpaper, a plush fabric sofa, frilly lace decorations everywhere, and stuffed animals scattered about.

Even the bathroom tiles were patterned with hearts.

The interior styling looked almost identical to her secret base at school.

"Kai-chan, do you want to take a shower? My washer here also has a quick-dry feature, so your clothes will be ready by the time we go to eat."

That actually made sense. "Alright. I’ll change back into my own clothes too—yours are a bit too stuffy."

"If you want, there’s a bathtub too~"

"No need, just a quick rinse is fine."

My place didn’t have a bathtub, so the idea was tempting—especially if I could float a little rubber duck in it.

But in this overwhelmingly girly atmosphere? I felt like I’d come out of the bath a real maiden.

"O-okay then. I’ll get you a towel. You can go ahead and undress first."

For some reason, she seemed a little nervous.

Despite the apartment being small, the bathroom was surprisingly spacious—well, of course, otherwise, there wouldn’t be room for a tub.
One entire wall was taken up by a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror. She probably used it to check her outfits before heading out.

For someone who dressed better than most actual girls, it made sense.

But for me? Having such a huge mirror in the bathroom just made me feel…awkward.

So I shut my eyes, quickly stripped, and darted into the shower stall.

Warm water streamed from the showerhead, washing away the sweat and grime.

The bathroom door creaked open.

"Kai-chan, here’s a fresh towel."

"Thanks."

She tossed the towel over the frosted glass wall.

Through the blurred outline, I could make out her figure as she picked up my discarded clothes. Soon after, the hum of the washing machine filled the air.

…She was like a doting wife tidying up after her husband.

Yan Liuzhuan’s warning suddenly resurfaced in my mind—was this domestic and considerate side of hers just another mask?

Foamy shampoo stung my eyes. A lavender scent filled the air—don’t ask how I knew it was lavender; the bottle literally said so.

Damn, this shower felt too good. I didn’t want to leave.

Then—

Slide.
Just as I was letting my guard down and enjoying my bath, the shower door suddenly slid open.

Rinka stepped inside, her face flushed, wrapped in nothing but a white bath towel.

She was 100% a girl now.

"Rinka?"

"Kai-chan, let me help you wash up…"

She bit her lip and took another step closer. A scent—different from the lavender shampoo—wafted toward me. Her snow-white neck, delicate collarbones, and soft, rosy shoulders completely filled my vision.

"Wait! Get out!"

It felt like someone had smashed me over the head with a hammer—I had no idea what was happening.

Panicking, I grabbed the only towel I had and held it in front of me, but it did nothing to stop Rinka from approaching.

"If this body only lasts until midnight… then let’s do something exciting, shall we?"

Her voice trembled—not just from nerves, but something else.

"What the hell are you trying to do?!"

Even though her face and neck were burning red with embarrassment, she still refused to back down.

"Kai-chan, don’t you want to do it with me?"

My back hit the cold tiles. There was nowhere left to run. As Rinka spread her arms and pressed closer—

—I mustered all my strength and shoved her aside.

Then, before she could react, I leaped out of the shower, slammed the door shut, and held it closed with everything I had.

"You literally confessed to me before, didn’t you?!"

"That’s not the same thing!"

The washing machine rumbled on, but I had no clothes to escape in. Hell, I didn’t even have time to put them on. The shower door had no lock—just a magnetic strip. If I loosened my grip, this crazy Rinka might barge out and pounce on me.

Yes—I was scared.

Even if I was interested in this kind of thing, it definitely wouldn’t be with this version of her!

We stayed locked in a stalemate until…

A soft sniffle.

Then quiet sobs.

…Was this another trap?

"The hell are you doing in there?" I barked.

"I’m sorry, Kai-chan… I don’t know what to do…"

"I seriously don’t get you! What’s going on?!"

"I don’t want you to hate me…"

Normally, when a girl says that, guys will forgive anything.

But not this time.

She knew exactly how to manipulate men.

She knew exactly how to manipulate me.

I needed to turn the tables.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I said, "Rinka… Keeping up a façade all the time must be exhausting, huh?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

She sounded startled—she hadn’t expected this.

"I used to think you were too perfect. Even more like a girl than real girls."

She didn’t argue, but I knew she was listening.

"You’re cute and pretty, but only you know how much effort it takes to maintain that image."

"You’re open-minded and forgiving, laughing off the cruel rumors people spread about you at school."

It was like she was an angel.

But she wasn’t.

She was just… a person.

And people get tired.

"Am I not good enough?" she asked quietly.

I smacked my palm against the glass.

"If that was the real you, then sure! But it’s not, is it?"

That was the conclusion I had reached—piecing together my own observations and Yan Liuzhuan’s words.

"Everything you’ve done—every part of that perfect persona—is just an attempt to become the ideal woman. You’re afraid of being disliked. You want to be accepted. You want to be seen as a real girl."

"Kai…"

"And then today, after using the power of the moonstone, your wish finally came true. You turned into a real girl. But at the time, you didn’t know the effect would wear off at midnight."

I leaned my forehead against the frosted glass.

"So, deep down, you thought—I don’t need to wear a mask anymore. Even if I’m not perfect, I’ll still be a girl. And then… what did you do?"

"I was jealous of you, Kai-chan."

Perhaps sensing the sincerity in my words, Rinka slowly began to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I was jealous that Liuliu treasured you so much. I was jealous that even though you’re a guy, you’re still so beautiful. So… I told him the truth about you."

So it was about Yan Liuzhuan, huh?

Now that she had started, she couldn’t stop.

"Kai, I’m actually really petty. I don’t want to help others. Letting you use my secret base? I hated it. It was annoying as hell. And all those people at school who call me disgusting? I want to strangle them. Just looking at them makes me sick."

"That’s a normal reaction."

"So… please. Let me meet the so-called Divine Emissary. I don’t care what I have to do—just let me see them. Even this body, I—"

Thud.

I slammed my hand against the glass, cutting her off.

"You really don’t understand me, do you?" I muttered. "I, Chang Kai, may be a bit of a cheapskate—but there are some lines I won’t cross."

"I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Kai-chan. I didn’t mean to upset you."

Her voice was meek and apologetic, and somehow, that made me feel worse.

Was this her true self? Or just another mask?

After a pause, I let out a breath and adjusted my tone, making it lighter.

"…Alright, Rinka. Let’s make a deal."

"A deal?"

"It’s simple. Drop the act. Spend a day with me, just being yourself. If you can do that, I’ll help you find the Divine Emissary."

"But isn’t the Divine Emissary in hell, fighting some great battle?"

"Then I’ll go to hell and find them."