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Ichigaya Arisa faced a dilemma.Mind-reading was a tiring ability. Not mind-reading was also draining. She could control it to an extent, but she preferred to not have to make the effort. Yet she was now back at school on a regular basis, so some effort had to be made. Things couldn't go back to how they had been. She wouldn't allow that.The library was like a sanctuary. It wasn't terribly crowded. If she found the right spot to sit, there weren't people passing by outside whom she could hear loud and clear. The further away they were, the easier they were to not read. And anyone who was in there was usually occupied with something. Someone focused on reading or writing was typically easier to deal with. A focused mind wasn't so distracting.There were still some people who went there to think, but there weren't a lot of them, and in a sense she could say she knew most of them by now. Not that she had actually spoken much to any of them, but the minds of the regulars had become familiar to her. That also made them easier to deal with. Then she had heard something that genuinely surprised her.Arisa was aware of a few others in the school with special abilities. It was hard not to. Even if she only saw their surface thoughts, it was something that was liable to pop up if she was around them often enough. So she probably didn't know everyone, but there was a handful.One of them was Shirokane Rinko. She was in the library even more than Arisa was, and her thoughts were a bit of a mess. Arisa could empathise with her, and her anxieties, even if they came from somewhat different sources. But she had also heard a lot about Rinko and her band, and it was very sweet. It sounded like they did well by her. Arisa didn't really know the others in Roselia, though she knew that Kasumi admired Minato Yukina.Rinko had the ability to turn invisible, and to 'go home'. It had taken Arisa a bit of time to puzzle that last one out. A teleportation ability, it sounded like. She wished she had something like that.Then something new had appeared in Rinko's thoughts a few days ago. A support group. For people with... 'superpowers', as Rinko thought of them. Arisa wasn't sure if she would call her ability 'super', but from one nerd to another, she could understand. There were others, and they had had a meeting. Five of them.She hadn't meant to dig. She really hadn't. Even when she relaxed, she kept her reading at surface thoughts. That was for the best. But she had gotten so curious. Whether anyone else from school was part of it. Anyone else she was aware of. She hadn't meant to. But before she could stop herself she had found out that there was one other person from this school who took part: Hikawa Sayo. The other three were from Haneoka. While she was aware they were also from bands in the area, she couldn't say she knew them.Not that she could really say she knew Sayo either. She was on the disciplinary committee, and Arisa thought she was a bit scary. So she had avoided her as best she could, and hadn't even known she had powers. Rinko thought highly of her, though.Normally it suited Arisa fine to leave the others alone. Knowing she wasn't the only one was comfort enough. And she would die before betraying their secrets. But... and she sort of hated herself for thinking so... this group sounded kind of fun.Things had gone well with Kasumi, but she couldn't exactly understand what Arisa had gone through. Was going through. Maybe ultimately no one could. But the idea of meeting with other people who had superhuman abilities had a certain appeal. They had already formed a group. They were looking for others. Surely it would be easier to speak to them about stuff. Right? Or maybe it would go horribly wrong. Even if they were all abnormal, she felt like she was still even more different. She was afraid that she'd just hear them all judging her, even if they didn't say anything out loud.Therein lay her dilemma. Did she try to approach them, hoping to take part? Or should she ignore it, and let it pass?
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Shirasagi Chisato plopped down on the bench. She really didn't like exercise. A few months in Pastel*Palettes wasn't going to change her mind on something she had felt for centuries. But she was still going to do her best, because she was a professional. She was not going make the group look bad on stage with a subpar performance. Her pride would not allow it.She looked at the others, in particular Maruyama Aya. Aya was the band's vocalist, and their centre-stage idol. And they were dating. Though it was off to a slow start. Aya was cautious, which was understandable, since she knew that Chisato was a vampire. She had a feeling that no matter her assurances, the amount of stories floating around about vampires would make Aya hesitate. It didn't help that a lot of the stories were, or at least had been, true. Things were different for vampire society these days, but they didn't exactly have a history of treating humans well.But Aya was incredibly soft, adorable, and sweet. She was a bit of klutz, and she didn't have a lot of natural talent, though she certainly worked as hard as she could to make up for it. She was admirable, and had a natural charm that made her extremely lovable. So when she had been found out, Chisato figured she didn't have anything else to lose, and asked her out. It hadn't exactly been a smooth start, but after thinking it over for a few days Aya had agreed to try it out. Then Chisato had found out that Aya was also a magical girl. She hadn't even been sure those were real, as her mother's stories had sounded like tall tales.Chisato sighed. Her mother kept telling her to not find partners who were nothing but trouble. And when she had felt absolutely sure she was safe in her pick, it turned out she had asked out someone who was possibly the most powerful being on the planet. Just her luck. Consulting her mother was probably wise, but she had no idea how to explain any of this in a way that would turn out well. She hadn't even told her she had been found out. She had desperately been hoping she wouldn't have to. But she might not be able to keep that secret for long.Her mother was already a little on edge due to the triggering event last decade. There were several humans about with superhuman abilities, and they were all in Chisato's current physical age range. As she had told Aya, everyone affected by the event should be in middle or high school by now. It was sort of amazing that there hadn't been any major incidents. The human mind had an incredible ability to dismiss anything that didn't fit their mundane idea for how the world should be. To come up with some 'logical' or 'rational' explanation. It was part of how vampires managed to stay a secret as well. Some people knew, but the general public did not. Most people simply didn't want to believe. They already had enough issues to deal with.And unless you caught them in the act, it was pretty much impossible to tell who was superhuman, and who was not. Though there were a few abilities that gave themselves away. For instance, Chisato knew there was a mind-reader at Hanasakigawa. She didn't know who, but there were telltale signs.In communication terms, a mind-reader was both a receiver, and a transmitter. An experienced mind-reader could reduce their presence to a mere receiver, and go unnoticed. While there were none in Chisato's family, there were vampires with telepathic abilities. They said it was a strain to suppress themselves, but with training they could maintain that state for as long as they needed. Whomever it was at the school had no such skill.Chisato knew how to covertly shield her mind from such things, so she wasn't in danger of being discovered that way, but she could still feel the signals transmitted by the mind-reader. Always probing, even when they probably didn't mean to. If she had any telepathic ability of her own, she probably could have traced its source. But there wasn't exactly a pressing need.Though she did wonder about Aya. Did the mind-reader know about her? Considering Aya's demonstration of how it was impossible to capture footage of her, it wouldn't have surprised Chisato to learn a similar filtering existed for her thoughts. Maybe it was simply unavailable to anyone who tried to look into her mind.Chisato had done some research after learning about Aya, and she could find precious little information on the 'magic' that gave Aya her powers, and protected her. It didn't seem like vampires had managed to learn much about it. Someone had done the work of collecting everything they knew into one treatise, but it seemed to amount to mostly speculation based on observation. Magical girls were exceedingly rare, and no one had ever managed to interview one. Occasionally their battles would be detected, and observed. In that sense Chisato had an unprecedented opportunity, but she felt hesitant to take advantage of it.She downed several gulps from her water bottle, before looking at Aya again. Streaks of sweat made her skin glisten slightly. Which included her pretty little neck. The vampire felt a pang of longing.Modern life sure was convenient. They had ways of circumventing the need for blood. But... "It's not even about the feeding, really," she mumbled. "I just miss the intimacy of a bite...""Hm? What did you say, Chisato-chan?"Chisato nearly jumped out of her skin. "W-wha- H-Hina-chan?!" When had she gotten there?"Whooaaa~, you were totally lost in thought. Boppin! But I couldn't really hear what you said..." Hina's face scrunched up. "You miss... when it was bright? No... that wasn't it...""I-it wasn't anything, Hina-chan!"Hikawa Hina could also be aptly described as 'nothing but trouble'. And too smart for her own good. Chisato had to think of some way to distract her, and fast.
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"Hey, Kasumi.""Arisa~!"Kasumi's expression lit up so bright that Arisa nearly had to look away.She hadn't gotten far with her dilemma, so she had wondered if it would help to talk to someone. And she only had one option."Oof!" Arisa didn't even get her shoes off before Kasumi hugged her. It was certainly flattering to have someone be so happy to see her, even if it could be a tad much. "H-hey, give me a minute!""Eheh, sorry," Kasumi said, even though she clearly wasn't. At least she had learned to listen, and actually let go. "What's up, Arisa?"Arisa had thought of a dozen ways to get this conversation started. In the end she settled for a simple approach. "Could I talk to you about something?" she asked."Hm?""No, it's not-" Arisa stopped herself. "Sorry... I'll let you... talk..." She was still working on that part. Kasumi got past her defences with ease, for good and for ill, and Arisa still wasn't used to dealing with someone who knew about her.Kasumi put her hands behind her back, and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Go on.""Uh..." Arisa could hear Asuka in the living room, but apparently Kasumi's parents weren't home. "In private. Upstairs." She tried to keep her voice low enough that Asuka wouldn't overhear. Even if she wasn't sure why. If they went upstairs, then Asuka would probably think the same regardless of whether or not she heard that first.Arisa took a seat on the bed as Kasumi closed the door."What's up?" Kasumi asked again."Um... well..." Arisa considered her options. Unfortunately precognition was not part of her abilities. She couldn't know beforehand how Kasumi would react to what she was going to say. So she wanted to be careful of how she said it. "You see..."Kasumi moved her chair so she could sit and face Arisa. While she was doing her best to be patient, Arisa could feel the rising curiosity in her mind."There are others... like me..." Arisa said."Huh? Other mind-readers?" Kasumi was surprised, and confused."No, not exactly like me, but... others with special abilities," Arisa clarified.Kasumi cocked her head to the side. "Like who?""I can't tell you that!" Arisa's outburst surprised even herself. "Ah, sorry, I mean... I... I can't just give someone else's secret away... sorry...""... then why-""It's related. I can't tell you who, but... I found out something... and... um... I'm not sure what to do..." Arisa knew she wasn't explaining this well, but the words all seemed to be stumbling over each other."Hey, Arisa." Kasumi caught her attention. "Can I...?" This time she deliberately finished her sentence in her mind rather than saying it out loud.Arisa blushed. "Uh... w-what... you..." She sighed. "Alright.""Yay!" Kasumi got up, and bounced over to Arisa.Arisa sat back, allowing Kasumi to come snuggle against her. And use her bosom as a pillow.Arisa is so soft! Kasumi thought happily."Yeah, yeah... you have such a one-track mind, Kasumi. And that's nothing to be proud of!""Ehehe~." Kasumi was very proud nonetheless. "Now, continue.""Huh? Oh..." Arisa realised that the distraction had helped clear her mind. And Kasumi's warmth was comforting. "Well, I overheard that some of the others with abilities have formed a group. You know, to meet up, and talk about things, and... stuff... only by accident! I didn't pry or anything!""Okay.""And... um... well...""You want to join?""Huh?""But you don't know how to approach them?""Huh?! Hey, I'm the mind-reader here!" Arisa said that maybe a bit too loud. Hopefully Asuka hadn't heard anything."Ufufu~.""You're so damn smug..." Arisa grumbled. "But... yeah, you're pretty much right..." She sighed deeply, causing Kasumi to rise and fall with her chest. "I don't really know any of them... how do I even explain that I know? What if I make them upset..." What if I make them hate me? She squeezed Kasumi's shoulder."You're very sweet, Arisa. I don't think you're going to upset them. Everyone who gets to know you, loves you!" Kasumi said cheerfully."Bullshit." Just because Kasumi loved her, it didn't mean anyone else would. Okay... maybe the rest of Poppin Party were also fond of her... and her classmates were happy to see her... but none of them knew about her secret."It's true! If you just act like yourself, they're bound to accept you!" If nothing else, at least Kasumi was absolutely convinced.Arisa wished she had the same confidence. And what did acting like herself even mean?"I guess I can try..." Though who should she approach? On the one hand Rinko might literally disappear on her if she said the wrong thing. On the other she still thought Sayo was scary. "Thanks, Kasumi.""See? I'm pretty smart too, you know. You should praise me."Arisa rolled her eyes. "Fuck you.""Oh~?""You know that's not what I meant!" Arisa's cheeks grew hot really fast in response to Kasumi's indecent thoughts. But... "Ah, what the hell. Just keep it quiet, okay? If Asuka hears us, I will kill you."It might be good to release some of the tension she had built up because of this. And Kasumi certainly wasn't wasting any time. Arisa was fine with letting her take charge. One-track mind, indeed.
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Eve was helping Maya get her hair done that day. Maya didn't really have that much to work with, but Eve had skilled fingers. It felt nice to have them roam about up there. Maya shivered slightly."Are you okay, Maya-san?""Huh? O-oh, yeah, it just... feels good, huhehe." Maya's cheeks felt warm. There wasn't a lot they were able to do at work, but they liked finding things that could be reasonably excused, or abruptly ended if someone walked in.Part of her wanted to come clean with the agency, to not have to hide it any longer, but she was also afraid that they would get kicked out, or separated. If she was honest, she was far more likely to get booted than Eve was. Eve still did some modelling gigs on the side, on top of everything else. So she had more value, as it were.She looked up, and saw Eve smiling down at her. An angel's smile. It just made her feel even warmer, so she quickly looked down at the table.Eve worked for a few more minutes, then said: "There we go. What do you think?"Maya looked in the mirror. "Whoa..." She put on her glasses to see clearer. The contact lenses were still in their holder. She preferred to wait to put them in for as long as possible. "Hard to believe I can look this cute..." she said. It was as if Eve had cast a spell on her. Her hair looked neat, and soft. Eve had even managed to add a small braid on the side.Eve bent forwards, put her arms around Maya, and pressed their cheeks together. "You are always cute, Maya-san.""E-Eve-san?""Maya-san. I don't want to keep hiding our relationship," Eve said."Huh?""Bushido says you must face your struggles head-on. I will stay with you no matter what. And I want to be open about that."Eve sounded serious, but Maya wasn't sure what to say."And I..." Eve suddenly sounded a lot more shy. "Want to be able to... kiss you... and stuff..."Maya's brain shut down. "H-huh?"Eve carefully removed Maya's glasses. "Like so." She kissed Maya's cheek. "And so." Then her mouth. She tasted faintly of mint. They were short, fairly chaste kisses, but Maya still felt overwhelmed.E-Eve-san, I..." She tried to think of something, but thinking was hard."You don't want to?" There was a tremble in Eve's voice."No, I- I mean- ugh!" Maya put her hands over her face, and tried to calm down. It wasn't working very well. "Of course I do... but I'm... scared...""Maya-san..." Eve put a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Don't worry, for I shall protect you."Maybe peeked out between her fingers, and Eve's determined look made her smile. Maya was supposed to be the older one, and yet..."You're right, Eve-san," she said, and put her hands down. Then reached over and placed one on top of Eve's hand. "We should tell them. We'll figure out some way."There was suddenly a knock on the door, and the both of them jumped. "Eve-chan. Maya-chan." It was Chisato's voice. "The staff are arriving in 10 minutes. Whatever you're doing, be sure you're decent by then.""Thank you, Chisato-san," Eve said, hopefully loud enough for their bandmate to hear.That was right. They weren't alone. Chisato, Hina, and Aya all had their back. Chisato especially went out of her way to look after them. When they first formed Pastel*Palettes she had seemed like the one who cared the least, but much had changed since then. They should ask her for advice with how to come forth.Something seemed to have changed quite recently too. Maybe it was just Maya's imagination, but Chisato and Aya had been acting a bit strange for the past few weeks. She wondered if anything had happened between them. They didn't seem to be on bad terms, but something was definitely unusual. Very curious."Hm? What are you doing?" she asked Eve, whom she had noticed was fiddling with her phone."Setting an alarm. Five minutes should be enough to fix you up again, meaning I have five minutes where I can make you messy." Eve smiled brightly, put her phone on the table, and got onto Maya's lap.Maya's brain shut down again.
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Rinko was in the library as usual. Even though she had become a bit more open with people, it was unlikely she would ever become a super social person. Which was fine. She had her friends, she got out more, and did things she would have never even have imagined a year ago. She loved Roselia. All they had given her. All she had been able to experience. And Ako, who had guided her into a larger world. She felt like she still had some room to grow, too.The light from the computer screen made her face glow slightly. There were some things coming up that she was considering taking part in. They were some time away yet, so she would have time to prepare. Hopefully the support group would help boost her courage. Though as they had only just started, it didn't seem like any of them were really sure where it was going to go, or what they were going to do. But meeting the others, and hearing about their powers, was interesting. She had to wonder who else was out there, and what they could do.When Ako had first brought it up, Rinko had felt a little scared. But she was glad she had said yes. Finding out Sayo had superpowers had been a shock. She was so close to the Hero stereotype in her power set, yet Rinko had never suspected a thing. So in essence it could be anyone, couldn't it? Tsugumi wanted to find more, and ask them to join the group, though no one was sure how to do that. They couldn't exactly put up posters, and while posting ads online was theoretically safer, they would need some code language. Or a secure means of communication. Difficult, and risky. But it was something she could try to work on, at least.Ako wanted to try to train her Dark Gaze. To somehow focus, or level it up, so she could see people's auras. At least that was what she had said. While it sounded cool, Rinko was a bit less certain if it would work. Listening to Tsugumi's story made it sound like their powers could grow, but how, and in what ways was hard to say. She had tried her best to teleport anywhere but home, with no results. And unfortunately for Ako, they knew of no examples of anyone gaining new powers. Only the ones they already had growing stronger. But with a sample size of five, they couldn't exactly draw any final conclusions on anything.So the question of how to find more people remained. Rinko had been looking around forums, social sites, and even message-boards for stories, be they personal, or second-hand. But like Ako had said, it was hard to tell what might be genuine, and what was just made up, or wishful thinking. The internet had always had stories like this. Sifting through them was hard. She didn't know all the sites Ako went to, but on those she had found herself, there didn't seem to be a lot set locally. Still, if any of these were true, it might be worth visiting other parts of Tokyo at the very least. Moca and Tsugumi were good with people. Sayo could protect them. Though part of Rinko would prefer to keep doing this with just people they knew."Shirokane-senpai."Rinko was startled out of her thoughts. She looked away from the computer screen, and at a short girl with blonde hair set in twintails. There was something familiar about her. Oh yes. She was in the library a lot. She didn't speak much, but Rinko often saw her sitting in a corner, either reading, or working. The first-year top student Ichigaya Arisa."Ichigaya-san?"Rinko was part of the library committee, and often the person in charge because of how much time she spent there. So occasionally someone would ask her for help with finding something. But this girl had never asked about anything before."Uh... I... how do I even say this..." Arisa was fidgeting, and her eyes were roaming around.It was behaviour Rinko recognised. She did similar things herself when she was feeling awkward around people. Maybe the two of them had some things in common in that regard."D-do you need... help with something?" Rinko asked."Y-yeah... um... I... ugh..." Arisa was clearly having some internal struggle. Rinko could empathise, even if it was also almost endearing to see someone else acting like she did. "I... I know," Arisa said."Hm?" Rinko didn't understand. Know what?Arisa spoke softly. "Ah... about the support group..." Her tone was awkward."Eh?" Rinko didn't get it at first, but then realisation started setting in. "E-eh?" Does she mean...?"Yeah, you see... p-please don't disappear!" Arisa said suddenly, making Rinko jump in her chair. "I-I... I can read minds. I'm a mind-reader. And I overheard- I didn't mean to, I swear, but I heard you think about the group last week, and-" She paused. "And I'm fucking this up..." Her posture slumped. "I... I'm sorry. Please forget about it, Shirokane-senpai." She visibly assembled herself into a visage of composure, and turned around to walk back to where she had been sitting.Rinko was in a state of mild panic, and worried about whether she was about to go invisible, but seeing Arisa look so defeated made her pause. What if she's like me? She had been so relieved when she found out there had been other people with powers. And even though it had been scary, she was glad she had gone along to meet them. If she put herself in Arisa's shoes, she could easily imagine how hard it would be to try to approach someone like that.She got up. Arisa was gathering her things up as Rinko headed over."Ichigaya-san."Arisa didn't even look at her. "Don't worry, Shirokane-senpai. I'm not going to... tell... any... one..." Her head turned towards Rinko, and some of the sparkle had returned to her eyes. "Really?" There was a hopeful note to her voice.Rinko blinked. She hadn't even said anything yet. Then she remembered what Arisa had said. Mind-reader. Which was cool, but it was also a little weird to have someone react to something before she even said it."Ah, sorry!" Arisa said. "I'm trying to get better at... letting people talk..." She looked embarrassed, with a rosy blush on her cheeks.Rinko couldn't help smiling a little. "Then... let's talk, Ichigaya-san."
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Imai Lisa had a feeling that something had been a bit different the past week."Hey, Yukina.""Lisa?""Don't you think Ako has been staring at us a lot lately?" Lisa asked."Really?" Yukina looked over towards Ako, who was indeed watching them quite intently. And suddenly very obviously looking away. "Since it's Ako, I hadn't really noticed.""Ahaha... yeah, she does get some funny ideas at times," Lisa had to concede as much. This felt different, though. "Maybe there's something she wants to tell us.""Hm? Like what?" Yukina looked puzzled."Well... maybe..." Lisa thought it over. What could it possibly be that made Ako all of a sudden so interested in Yukina and Lisa. More than usual. Something must have changed lately. But what... "Oh! I think I have an idea. I'll go talk to her.""Good luck," Yukina said, leaving the matter in Lisa's capable hands."Hey, Ako!" Lisa called out as she headed over."Huh?" Ako jumped as if startled. "Lisa-nee?""So hey, I've noticed you've been staring at me and Yukina a lot lately," Lisa said, getting right to the point."W-what? Me? N-no." Ako didn't sound very convincing."Is there something you want to ask us?""Uh...""Actually, I think I know what it is," Lisa said with a clever smile."Y-you do?!" Ako's eyes went wide. She seemed genuinely shocked."You want to know how to take things to the next level with Rinko, don't you?""Huh?!" Ako blinked rapidly. "N-no, that's not-" Then she paused, and got a thoughtful look. "Wait, actually, yeah. How do I do that, Lisa-nee?" Her expression had changed to one of keen interest.Lisa felt proud of herself for guessing correctly. "Ufufu~. Well, you see..." Maybe this was actually Tomoe's job, but it might be more embarrassing to talk about with your actual sister. Lisa was happy to help out.
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"Michelle!"Misaki turned to look at Hagumi. She had been on her way to the roof with Kanon, but it seemed like that was about to get delayed."Hey, Michelle, listen-""Hagumi. How many times do I have to tell you? I'm Misaki," she said with exasperation."Oh! Right, you're in disguise. Sorry, Mii-kun." Hagumi lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper."No, that's-" Misaki sighed. She didn't want to invoke a headache right now. "What do you want?""You're coming to the softball game today, right? I want to make sure I save a big enough seat for you!""Oh for- I don't need a bigger seat, Hagumi. I'm just as human as you." Misaki couldn't help trying to make her see the truth."Ehehe, don't be silly, Mii-kun. Only a bear could be as strong as you!" Hagumi beamed at her logic."Or a spider," Kanon chimed in.Both Misaki and Hagumi looked at her."Spider... bear?" Hagumi suddenly looked deep in thought. "Spider-bear... ahaha, you're silly too, Kano-chan-senpai. Spiders and bears can't be the same thing!""Y-yeah, of course, how silly of me," Kanon said."Listen-" Misaki was about to argue some more, but in the face of Hagumi's innocent, hopeful eyes, her resolve couldn't stand up. "Yeah, I'm coming.""Really?! Yay!" Hagumi bounced into the air."B-but don't worry about the seat. I'll go... er... in disguise," Misaki was quick to add."Oh..." Hagumi looked a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up again. "I'm just happy you'll be watching, Michelle! I'll do my best!""Y-yeah, good luck," Misaki said before Hagumi ran off again.Kanon gently touched Misaki's hand. "You're so kind, Misaki-chan," she said."Yeah, yeah..." Misaki gave her a sour look. "Thanks for the help," she said sarcastically."Ehehe... sorry..."They continued towards the roof, and quickly reached the stairs."Sometimes I wonder if you just like to watch me squirm," Misaki said."Hm... maybe," Kanon said, without a hint of shame.Misaki's face got a little red. "You..." She pushed open the door. There didn't seem to be anyone else up here, so she might not get a better chance. "Alright, come here," she said, took Kanon's hand, and pulled her to the side."E-eh?!" Kanon squeaked at the sudden movement, but before she could collect herself in any way, Misaki had moved close, and pressed their lips together. "Mm! Mmm~."Misaki pushed Kanon against a wall. This was her payback for all the teasing Kanon did. Maybe Kanon considered it a reward rather than a punishment, but Misaki wanted to feel like she was in control for once.Kanon was amazingly soft even in normal circumstances. Now she was practically melting."Misaki... chan...""Haa.... haa... what do you think... about that?" Misaki asked, feeling a little smug. And strangely hot. Or perhaps not so strange.Kanon giggled happily. "I think... you should... do more..." she said while trying to catch her breath.Misaki didn't object. Though it didn't last long before they had to head back down."I'm sorry for all the trouble you have with Hagumi-chan and Kokoro-chan," Kanon said.Misaki sighed at the thought. "I suppose I should be happy they finally realised I'm Michelle, but of course they had to get it backwards..." Thinking Misaki was secretly a real bear in disguise, rather than just a girl inside a bear suit. "I'm not sure if it's any easier than when they thought Michelle and I were different people. If only they understood that this is the real me, then I wouldn't mind if they also thought I could turn into an actual bear, or whatever."Kanon patted her on the back. "Maybe one day.""Yeah, maybe..." It probably didn't help that she actually responded to being called Michelle. Maybe if she tried to convince them she was a wizard, that would do the trick. Or make things even worse somehow.They parted ways in the hallway, as they headed towards their respective classrooms. Then Misaki heard someone call out."Oh, Okusawa-san."What is it now? Misaki thought, and looked towards the source of the voice. "Ichigaya-san?" Not who she expected."Uh... could we talk for a minute?"