Ch.222222. Demerit Sticker

Since I couldn’t carry a tail around outside, I decided to contain it and take it with me.

But… why did it have to be in this container?

“Why on earth are we using a children’s clothing shopping bag?”

“It was the only sturdy paper bag I had in my room.”

One of those bags with cute, pastel-colored cartoon characters all over it.

“…This has to be one of the most embarrassing things to carry around in public.”

“Why? Considering the clothes you wear.”

“That’s exactly why it’s more embarrassing.”

How could I, as an adult, openly admit to wearing children’s clothes?

“It’s not like you have any other clothes that fit your body, right?”

“No, sigh…”

I appreciate that she’s carrying it for me since I absolutely refuse to, but…

Even this scene gives off the impression of a little child shopping with an older sister, which doesn’t exactly make me feel great…

“Still, we’re finishing early and heading back, right? There wasn’t really anything else we needed to do anyway.”

“Well… if you think about it, there was probably more to do. There were many things to handle.”

“You didn’t particularly need to exert yourself. We could have taken care of it. Eden and… other annoying things like that.”

The Association ID card hanging around my neck.

There’s a sticker attached to the corner of the ID.

A cute red horn-shaped sticker.

“What is it?”

“Nothing… I was just wondering why you put this on.”

“What… are you feeling down because you think it’s some kind of stigma? I just decorated it for you.”

“It clearly has more meaning than just decoration, doesn’t it?”

For example…

“You caused trouble once. So I put this on instead of a praise sticker. A demerit sticker.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“I’ll replace it with a praise sticker later if you do something good.”

“Do you think I’m going to be motivated by something like that… I’m not a baby. No, this is something you’d normally do for elementary school kids at most. It’s not like I have something I want anyway.”

“That demerit sticker is a promise between us. It’s a warning that you should be prepared if you do something strange again and turn our lives upside down. Of course, the other people at the Association wouldn’t know about it.”

“What…?”

I looked at Blanc, wondering what that meant.

She looked like she couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Pfft… when we said ‘be prepared,’ it meant you’d have to grant our wishes.”

“I’m already granting your wishes, aren’t I?”

“Hmm… this time it’ll be more proper wishes? Wishes you’ll have to fulfill even if you don’t want to.”

“…I do things for you even when I don’t want to now. Though, to be fair, there hasn’t been anything I’ve disliked so far.”

Then, Blanc whispered something in my ear.

It was truly beyond my imagination.

How could a human being, well, a monster actually, but anyway, how could someone boldly do such things…?

Hearing something that would be genuinely dangerous if actually done,

My face flushed so severely, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“A-are you insane…!?”

“Well, since we’re lovers, don’t you think this kind of punishment could be fun?”

“Fun?! You’re talking about completely destroying a person’s life—their social life!”

“Well… I can assure you that no one besides us would ever see such things… doesn’t it sound fun?”

“Ugh… it doesn’t sound fun at all…”

“Then, all you have to do is not get a demerit sticker… hmm. A ‘bad behavior’ sticker, right?”

I stared at Blanc, completely dumbfounded.

I mean, even now without such things, my body is already pushed to its limits…

If I were to receive what Blanc is suggesting to her satisfaction.

Should I seriously cancel that plan?

The magical girls here will take care of everything anyway, won’t they?

Then there’s no need for me to step in and handle it.

No need to risk my body…

Sigh.

But I still have to do it.

I can only sincerely pray for leniency.

At least I’ve dealt with the Association President somehow…

Surprisingly, the tail came into my possession easily.

The only concern is that people shouldn’t be harmed.

I need to operate quietly, targeting precisely that aspect.

Hmm.

Then maybe I won’t get a sticker.

And at the same time… actions to increase their affection.

Ah.

Why am I worrying about this?

It’s all because of Blanc again.

…Isn’t my life actually being shaped by Blanc?

At this point…

Well, Blanc isn’t the only one around me, but doesn’t she take up a significantly large portion?

With these thoughts, I returned home and decided to do housework with my tail attached after a long time.

I’ll need to use it again later anyway.

Then, with the sensation of watching a monkey at the zoo.

Ah.

I’ve felt this before.

“Is it that fascinating to you?”

“Hmm…? Isn’t it? Both Hyewon and I were captivated by this, and now seeing you cooking with it…”

“Wasn’t that tail sensitive when pulled?”

“Of course it’s sensitive. It’s connected to the spine.”

“…Don’t you think it would be cute with a cat tail attached there?”

“I agree.”

Setting aside whatever scheme Hyewon and Blanc were plotting.

Behind them,

“Cat tail… do you want to try one?”

“Meee? I think a puppy tail might suit me better?”

“You never know until you try a cat tail too.”

“But I don’t have a place to connect it like that. I’m a magical girl, not a monster.”

“You do have a place, why wouldn’t you?”

“…Eh?”

“You’re a woman, aren’t you?”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve already ordered it.”

“W-w-w-wait, wait a second?!”

“What? Don’t you like it?”

“O-of course I don’t like it, no, I mean, what?!”

“Wouldn’t it be pretty?”

“Being pretty isn’t the issue here! H-hey, Elly!? Are you listening?!”

“Yeah, yeah. 3cm? 4cm?”

“W-what are you saying…! I’ll die, I’m going to die!”

“Yes. In various ways.”

Yuri pounces on Elly, who’s frantically scrolling through her smartphone.

Elly nimbly avoids Yuri while continuing to shop.

…I think I have a vague idea of what they’re talking about over there.

But it’s content I’d rather not imagine.

“Blanc. Even if you look at it like that, I won’t let you pull it.”

“…You caught me?”

“It’s really sensitive, I tell you. There’s a reason why I’ve been particularly careful with this.”

“I suppose.”

“And it would be better if you didn’t think about doing anything strange with it. Even though it looks smooth, it’s still metal.”

I showed Blanc by transforming it into various shapes.

Like tentacles and such forms.

“…Hmm? But it’s soft.”

“…Isn’t it cold?”

“It’s warm and feels nice.”

“…What?”

“It feels more like silicone than metal. If you feel carefully, it seems to pulse.”

“That can’t be… huh?”

I hastily withdrew the tip of the tail I had given to Blanc.

When I actually touched it, it felt softer than before.

That squishy sensation was palpable.

“Why…?”

The tail that manifests according to my mental state.

As soon as I had that thought.

“…Ah.”

I realized it.

That I could never bare my fangs and attack these people again.

I might be able to fight under the pretext of training, but there would never be a life-or-death struggle.

With Blanc.

With my nemesis Blanc, I had always presented only a sharply honed sword.

But what I’m revealing now is my weakness.

I was exposing my softened, malleable self to Blanc.

Truly.

Blanc is…

Sigh.

I weakly handed the tail back to Blanc.

“Huh…?”

“It’s fine… since it’s not sharp, I don’t need to warn you to be careful. No, even if it were sharp, someone like you wouldn’t get a single scratch.”

“Why are you so dejected?”

“I’m not particularly dejected.”

“Sometimes softness can be stronger, you know?”

Blanc seemed to know exactly what I was worried about.

“…I won’t use it for that purpose.”

“What purpose? What was our Bine thinking? Something like that perverted couple over there?”

“As if I would.”

“Well. If another threat appears, your sharpness will return someday. It won’t be like this forever.”

“…Being by your side.”

“What’s wrong with that? You can take on other forms too, can’t you?”

Then, she asked me to show her the cat tail shape she was curious about earlier.

I wasn’t sure how this mechanical tail could take such a form.

Surprisingly, when I tried changing its appearance, it actually worked.

“You have two tails now?”

“This is cute in its own way too. Could you become a fox? Our Bine is quite fox-like after all.”

“Yap.”

The tail had a subtle silver color, but it was definitely fox-like in appearance.

“Can’t you change the color too?”

“…You’re more interested in this than I am?”

“Hmm… if it can do this, I think it could be useful in various ways.”

“That’s enough. Making dinner is more important right now. Let’s stop the exploration here.”

I changed the tail back to its familiar form.

The shape most familiar to me, functioning like my arms and legs.

Though it’s become softer now, it still serves well enough as a tool.

“Like this, I couldn’t be a villain even if I wanted to. How disappointing.”

“Indeed.”

“Why are you agreeing?”

“Because a good opportunity to give you a bad behavior sticker has flown away.”

“Just how many of those stickers are needed anyway?”

“It’s up to me, isn’t it? For now, three.”

Three.

…I guess I could get one more.

While having this pointless conversation, I looked at Hyewon.

She hasn’t even confessed yet, but she’s looking at me with eyes similar to Blanc’s.

So, I tried to test the waters.

“Are you thinking about what to do tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Eh…?”

I was taken aback by how quickly she answered.

I didn’t expect such an immediate response.

Of course, given Hyewon’s personality, such honesty is quite…

Charming, if you consider it charming.

“I feel like I’m the most ordinary one here. And I think you’ve wronged me the most.”

“Wronged you?”

“Sigh… I still regret it.”

“…If you’re talking about that day.”

“Yes. Sigh. Whatever happens, happens. It’s not me but you who should be prepared, Bine.”

Suddenly, Hyewon was burning with determination.

“I’m going to make you fall head over heels for me.”

“Oh? Are you trying to seduce my wife?”

“Yunseul, you’re not married yet.”

“Hmm… alright, go ahead and try.”

Blanc patted Hyewon’s head approvingly, and Hyewon swatted her hand away.

…Come to think of it, these two were best friends.

Prepared, huh?

I think I have some idea.

But how much more prepared do I need to be?

Well. It’ll be fine.