Ch.153Season of Pure Love (7)

“Did you see it during gym class today? How Siyoung dodged all the boys’ blocks and made that shot.”

“When I first met her after so long and she told me to call her ‘Scarlet Swordmaster,’ I thought she’d lost her mind… But that solo breakthrough ending with a dunk shot was actually pretty cool.”

“Hmph, I was planning to go easy on them, but the skill gap was just too wide to hold back.”

“Oh, as expected of the world kendo champion!”

“They’re lucky I wasn’t holding a sword… If it had been a real match, they’d have been sprawled out on the court until the end.”

“No, you’d be disqualified if you brought a sword…”

“As expected of the world kendo champion…”

After finishing her studies abroad, Siyoung returned to a Korean school.

She adapted to her new school life more quickly than expected.

Perhaps it was only natural.

Going from elementary school to middle school,

and then on to high school in the same neighborhood.

That wasn’t particularly uncommon in the area where Siyoung lived.

As soon as she stepped into her new classroom after completing the transfer paperwork,

childhood friends she had played with in elementary school

sent welcoming signals from various seats, recognizing her.

Some had kept in regular contact through social media even after she went abroad,

so there was no reason for things to be awkward between them.

“Since Siyoung is back after so long, should we go get something to eat? You liked shaved ice, right Siyoung?”

“Oh, sounds good. I’ve been craving something cool since gym class ended. Let’s go.”

The kids wanted to welcome their friend who had returned from studying abroad.

Since it was a hot summer day, many voices called for shaved ice.

“What kind of shaved ice do you want? Let’s order in advance. Siyoung, tell us what you’d like.”

“I want mango! I want mango shaved ice!”

“Hey, I wasn’t asking you, I was asking Siyoung.”

“Ban Siyoung always liked mango shaved ice, you know? I remember everything.”

“Well then, should we order mango shaved ice, Siyoung?”

“Hmm….”

Siyoung was looking at the lime-scented bracelet on her wrist with a deeply contemplative expression.

“I’ll have… lime shaved ice.”

“Lime shaved ice? Did you always like lime, Siyoung?”

“No, I don’t like it. But it seems wrong to dislike it forever. I thought I’d give it a try this time.”

“That’s a strange reason to choose a menu item.”

“Okay then, we’ll order one lime shaved ice… and for the other one…”

After finishing their order, Siyoung’s group was just about to leave the school gates

and head to the shaved ice specialty shop in town.

“Hey, Siyoung. That person running over there. Isn’t that your sister?”

“…What?”

Siyoung turned her head toward the Bulsago building that her friends were pointing at.

“Uwaaaaah!”

A female student was running out of the school gates, letting out a strange shriek in a clear, ringing voice.

Deep black hair resembling Siyoung’s.

Striking features that gave people the impression of beauty even at a passing glance.

A summer uniform shirt with buttons that had popped open, unable to contain her chest’s growth, and a flowing black skirt.

And decisively, an orange bracelet on her left arm that gave off the scent of mango.

It was unmistakably Siyoung’s sister, Ban Doyoung.

“Uwaaaaah! Just you wait, Do Hamin! We’ll see who pounces on whom first!”

“What are you saying in the middle of school?! Are you crazy, Ban Thief sister?”

“Uooooh!”

Doyoung didn’t seem to notice Siyoung near the school gate,

and ran straight past Siyoung and her friends toward the dojo.

“She really deserves to be called the Goddess of Bulsajung. Even though I only saw her briefly after so long, I couldn’t help thinking how incredibly beautiful she is despite being so peculiar.”

“Right? People called her a goddess, and I wondered how pretty she could really be. But she truly is beautiful.”

“You know what, because of that goddess nickname, for a moment I thought that sister wasn’t wearing any underwear? Like those naked goddesses from mythology?”

“Come on, no way. You probably mistook it for white or flesh-colored panties. No one’s crazy enough to come to school without underwear.”

“That must be it, right? The power of nicknames is really something. Hahaha.”

“…”

Siyoung’s face turned bright red as she watched her sister’s retreating figure.

**

“I’m home!”

“Ah, welcome back. You’re a bit late today.”

“Did you get some snacks with Hamin?”

“I just gave him side dishes!”

“Huh?”

Since Mom and Siyoung had returned home, whenever the front door opened after school,

Mom in the kitchen and Dad sitting in the living room would often welcome Ban Doyoung home together.

Until just recently, opening the front door at this hour would reveal

only the pitiful sight of Mr. Ban Doche napping on the sofa,

trying to rest his body tired from dealing with children until his evening class started, with no one else to welcome anyone.

Perhaps it was because the days had grown longer with the change of seasons, brightening the entire house.

In this stable and peaceful living room scene, I found myself unconsciously shouting “I’m home!” in a confident voice as if I’d returned to those innocent days of the past.

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing making my voice excited today.

“By the way, Doyoung. Your final exam scores should be out by now…”

“Ah, right! Here, take this, Dad!”

Before Dad could finish speaking,

I dumped a pile of papers that had been under my bag onto the living room table.

“W-what are all these papers?”

“My test papers and grading results!”

“D-Doyoung, you’re voluntarily showing me your test results?”

“Of course, because they improved! From an average of 72 to 74 points!”

“R-really, they improved? Final exams must have covered more material and had more subjects, right?”

“Yes, so I brought every single subject here, so don’t think about coming into my room later asking about my test scores, okay?”

This would preemptively block any unexpected situations where Mom and Dad might suddenly enter my room.

Especially since the lock on my door was broken thanks to that Ban Siyoung girl.

I wanted to avoid others’ gazes as much as possible while preparing for Do Hamin’s wish.

“Well then, I’m going up to my room first!”

“W-wait a moment, Doyoung!”

At that moment, my arm was caught firmly in Dad’s hand.

Ban Doyoung’s steps halted as she was about to climb the stairs to her room.

“Didn’t Hamin come with you today? Did you decide to skip kendo lessons today?”

“Today I had a much more important lesson than kendo!”

“A m-more important lesson? Than kendo?”

Dad’s face showed shock.

A hint of disappointment was visible on his face as well.

A daughter saying there’s a more important lesson than kendo in front of the kendo dojo master.

Probably in Dad’s eyes, I must look like

a student doing math homework from an academy during school ethics class.

“W-what is it, this lesson more important than kendo…?”

“Um… something like finding deficiencies that even the other person doesn’t know about and figuring out how to satisfy them… Ah, I don’t know! Anyway, there is such a thing!”

I left my panties with Do Hamin until I could prepare a wish that would satisfy him.

I certainly couldn’t say that in front of Dad.

“Don’t just say ‘such a thing exists,’ tell me what kind it is!”

“Ah, this is so annoying…!”

I tried to brush it off and return to my room, but Dad wouldn’t let go of my hand.

He needed to know what lesson had become more important than kendo in our relationship.

That determination showed in the bulging veins visible on the back of Dad’s hand.

“Just roughly tell me what kind of lesson it is. It makes me feel too sad if I don’t even know what lesson is more important than kendo!”

“Ugh… then just think of it as something like bride training!”

“W-what?”

The bulging veins on the back of Dad’s hand disappeared.

With a “pop” sound, my captured arm was released, and I was finally able to go up to my room.

“Doyoung’s mom… Did Doyoung just…”

“Yes, I heard everything. From the beginning.”

“I know it’s natural that after Solyoung, it would be Doyoung’s turn… but should that turn come so quickly? At this rate, soon Siyoung will also say she’s found a boy she likes…”

“Heh, need a fourth child?”

“Ah, it’s time for my evening class. Doyoung’s mom, I’m heading back to the dojo.”

“Yes, make sure to shower thoroughly when you’re done with classes. Top and bottom.”

“Ugh…”

.

.

.

Though it might be a bit early,

I realized it was time to finally bring out the secret weapon I had been hiding.

“First, let’s block the door.”

Since I couldn’t lock the door, I placed a full-length mirror in the doorway gap.

What I was about to do was something that shouldn’t be seen by anyone.

This would probably require considerable courage even for the “real” Ban Doyoung—not me acting as her,

but the one who has been aware since birth that she is the world’s most beautiful girl—to attempt for Do Hamin’s sake.

Originally, I had planned to keep it sealed until January 1st, Do Hamin’s birthday.

But I’ve concluded that I can no longer hesitate to bring this out.

I need to show the protagonist, who hasn’t wielded the power to command the world’s most beautiful girl despite having the opportunity,

just how significant that opportunity is.

“Phew… Alright. Let’s do this.”

With a deep breath to steady my mind,

I stood before the mirror and took out the secret weapon that had been sleeping in Ban Doyoung’s closet.

“Pu… Pure Change…!”

The protagonist of [Magical Girl Marina★Hwarina].

Marina-chan’s white dress for cosplay.

The time has come to grant the wish deep within Do Hamin’s heart.