"So, Student Isshiki, stop saying such impractical, tempting things—I won't believe them."
"Senpai, I'm being serious!"
Isshiki Iroha said bashfully, "Senpai, you're such a good person—I really like you!"
"Too bad I don't like you."
Isshiki Iroha's expression instantly stiffened.
"Senpai, you're letting down the heart of a pure, innocent maiden."
"You, pure and innocent? Do you actually believe that?"
"Ugh, I've never even dated anyone, so of course I'm pure!"
"Go ask Yukinoshita and Yuigahama—do you think they'd agree that you're pure?"
"Yuigahama-senpai would definitely agree,"
Isshiki Iroha said with confidence.
"Oh, Yukinoshita wouldn't agree—you know that yourself."
"Ugh,"
After all, she knew perfectly well that some of her everyday behavior, in the eyes of a senpai with a temperament like Yukino Yukinoshita's, could never be described as "pure."
The occasional flirtatious words and intimate gestures toward Senpai—if that counted as pure, well, that was simply impossible.
"And I'm only like this with you, Senpai—really, I've never done anything that crossed a line with any man other than you. When other guys confess to me, I reject every single one of them, without even a moment's hesitation!"
This was actually the first time he'd heard Isshiki Iroha say this.
Isshiki Iroha was a first-year; she hadn't been at Sobu High for long, but her cute appearance still drew plenty of attention from the boys.
Boys confessing their love to Isshiki was the most natural thing in the world.
"Seems like you're pretty popular at school too, Isshiki."
"Of course I am. So Senpai, you'd better seize the moment and the opportunity, because once you miss it, you miss it—you'd be losing the chance to have a cute underclassman as your girlfriend."
This girl was still tempting him, still not letting go of the joke.
"All right, that's enough joking."
"It's not a joke."
But Lin Ye no longer continued this topic with Isshiki Iroha.
Seeing this, Isshiki Iroha sighed inwardly; there was no doubt about the distance Senpai was showing.
If he had even the slightest interest or feelings for her, he wouldn't act like this.
At least Isshiki Iroha could be sure of one thing: Senpai genuinely wasn't lusting after her body.
If Senpai really lusted after her body, he wouldn't react like this.
'Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…'
The grilled meat sizzled with oil, its aroma wafting everywhere.
"Senpai, try this, it's super delicious."
As she spoke, Isshiki Iroha placed a freshly grilled piece of beef chuck on Lin Ye's plate.
Lin Ye didn't refuse; since his earlier refusals hadn't worked anyway, he simply accepted it calmly.
"Mmm, as expected of a high-end place—the texture and flavor of the beef are completely different, nothing an ordinary barbecue restaurant could compare to. And the sauce tastes amazing too. So good."
"If you like it, eat more,"
Lin Ye said. "There's plenty of meat—I guarantee you'll eat to your heart's content."
"Mm-hmm, then I won't hold back. Anyway, if I had to foot the bill, I couldn't afford it, so I'd just pawn myself off to Senpai and let you do whatever you want with me to pay off the debt."
This girl kept tossing flirtatious lines at him throughout the meal.
Over an hour later,
Isshiki Iroha had eaten her fill, leaning back contentedly, her right hand rubbing her satisfied belly as she enjoyed this leisurely moment.
"If Senpai brought me here once a month from now on, I'd be willing to marry you this very instant."
"If you said that at Sobu High, I'm sure plenty of rich guys would be willing."
"No way—only Senpai is qualified for that. No other man qualifies at all."
"..."
Lin Ye could no longer tell whether Isshiki Iroha was being serious or just putting on an act.
"All right, let's get to today's real business."
The conversation had finally arrived at the main matter.
It was Isshiki Iroha's turn.
She had been looking forward to this moment for who knew how long.
"Sen-Senpai…"
Isshiki Iroha sat up straight. "You know it too, right? I remember everything clearly now—I remember exactly what you did at the Fujibayashi home, clear as day."
"Mm,"
"So…"
But before Isshiki Iroha could speak, Lin Ye spoke first. "Student Isshiki, you don't want to be put under Hypnosis by me again, do you?"
Isshiki Iroha froze.
Although she had anticipated this possibility, Lin Ye's direct threat still felt too soon to her.
She was supposed to be the one threatening first!
"Senpai, I'm supposed to be the one to speak first. You wouldn't want me to expose what happened between you and the Fujibayashi sisters, and you wouldn't want Yukinoshita-senpai and the others to find out, right?"
Sure enough, this girl said that line once again.
"I can make you lose your memory once again,"
"but the moment I recover my memory again, just like this time, I will definitely expose you, Senpai."
Of course, she couldn't tell Lin Ye that she'd already prepared a backup plan—besides email notes, she'd even recorded a video, to ensure that her amnesiac self would immediately believe it upon seeing it.
"Isshiki, are you sure you want to go against me?"
"Of course not, I just want Senpai to fulfill one tiny little wish of mine,"
Isshiki giggled.
"How did Senpai get such a marvelous ability? I want to know, and I want it too—really, Senpai, take me into the world you've stepped into! I'll be very obedient, I'll become your best assistant—in work and in life, both!"
She especially emphasized the words "in life."
The implication was obvious enough.
Even though Lin Ye had refused repeatedly, making Isshiki Iroha realize he wasn't very interested in her, she still didn't want to give up any method that might increase her chances even a little.
That scene from that day, in broad daylight, was deeply etched in Isshiki Iroha's memory—she knew that Lin Ye did have thoughts and desires toward women.
Otherwise, how could there have been so many kiss marks and other traces left on Ryou Fujibayashi's body—so many that they made her wonder just how fierce the battle that night must have been.
And the scene with Kyou Fujibayashi was even more stimulating, at one point making her think Lin Ye had waged a super one-on-two battle.
"Any gain comes with a price and a corresponding risk. Are you mentally prepared for that?"
"Of course, I'll hand over everything of mine to Senpai,"
She patted her chest to show her sincerity and resolve.
"You'll die,"
"Ah! Senpai, you—this is… isn't this getting a bit too thrilling? Let's not pursue that!"
Lin Ye knew Isshiki definitely hadn't understood the price and risk he was talking about—she'd surely let her thoughts drift in that direction again.
This underclassman, her head full of lewd thoughts.
"I mean death. Once you want to touch this extraordinary power, you'll come into contact with the risks and mortal dangers that accompany it. Many, many things will come looking for you."
At this moment,
Isshiki Iroha suddenly realized this.
She had forgotten about the existences that Lin Ye could see but she could not.
Those ghostly, mysterious existences were dangerous.
And once she set foot in that realm, she might die.
"Well, Senpai… would protect me, right?"
Isshiki Iroha said hesitantly.
But Lin Ye shook his head. "I can't protect you. I can't be by your side for every encounter you face, and I can't possibly arrive in time."
Isshiki Iroha's face turned a little pale.
Could it be,
that there really was no way?
"So, Isshiki, stop being curious. This matter ends here."
Isshiki fell silent.
"Will I really… die?"
"Yes—walking toward death amid fear. You'll regret it. So enjoying your current peaceful, tranquil life is truly a good thing."
"Senpai, aren't you afraid?"
"Is being afraid any use? I'm already in it. Unless I die, there's no way for me to break free."
At the very least, Lin Ye had no idea when the Strange Game would end.
Maybe there was some item that could let him leave; maybe after reaching some level in the future, he'd be able to successfully escape the Strange Game; or maybe he could clear the Strange Game and end it all.
"Senpai,"
Only now did Isshiki Iroha realize that Lin Ye bore such a burden. She'd thought Senpai was breezily living a comfortable superpower life—how could there be any pressure?
But as it turned out,
Senpai had pressed everything down into his heart, silently bearing it all alone.
She ached for him, and felt distressed.
"Senpai, if you're under pressure, you can tell me. I can share the burden for you—at the very least I can be a qualified listener, helping you de-stress and relax."
Isshiki Iroha really did sincerely want to share and relieve Lin Ye's stress.
This made Lin Ye decide to treat Isshiki a little better from now on—after all, she sincerely cared about him, and one shouldn't be too harsh toward a girl like that.
"Thank you. If I need to, I'll come to you."
"You must come to me. I'm the only girl close to you, Senpai—the Fujibayashi sisters don't count,"
After all, now that Ryou Fujibayashi and Senpai had already slept in the same bed, their relationship had surely advanced by leaps and bounds.
Isshiki Iroha deeply suspected that Lin Ye had very likely spent the night at the Fujibayashi home more than once.
Since Senpai had already had his way with Ryou Fujibayashi, a second or third time wouldn't be a problem at all, and shouldn't carry any extra psychological burden.
"We'll talk about it when the time comes."
He didn't firmly refuse; a firm refusal would surely only invite more pestering from the girl.
"Hmph,"
Isshiki Iroha knew this was Lin Ye's limit.
"Senpai, since you can't take me into that world, then fulfill another tiny little wish of mine!"
"What?"
"Well, it's that I've never been pursued by a boy until now, so…"
"I'll find a guy to pursue you. Don't worry—how about Hayama? I'll have him pursue you."
Isshiki Iroha: ???
"Senpai, that's too much! I want you to pursue me—that's my tiny little wish. If you agree, I'll keep your secret and won't let Yukinoshita-senpai find out,"
"I think I'll just put you under Hypnosis after all."
"Don't, don't! What's so bad about pursuing me?"
"It's all bad—bad in every single way."
Lin Ye refused as ever, leaving Isshiki Iroha utterly heartbroken.
"How awful—Senpai is just too awful."
She muttered a couple of times, then thought of something. "Senpai, why did you treat the two of us to a high-end barbecue restaurant this time?"
She asked directly.
"To entertain you—an entertainment to make you shut up and keep the secret."
"Tch, just that? No sincerity at all. Who knows, maybe someday I'll accidentally let it slip and Yukinoshita-senpai will find out."
Isshiki Iroha said this so naturally that there was no reason to doubt she wouldn't actually do it.
"Isshiki, a threat requires that you have the confidence to back it up. What leverage do you think you have to face me right now?"
"Well, of course it's that I trust Senpai's character—you wouldn't do anything to me."
"Sorry, but I really would do that—do something you couldn't accept."
Isshiki Iroha's heart skipped in alarm, but then she figured this was just a simple joke from Lin Ye, not something serious.
"My patience has its limits. Normally, when faced with some of your behavior, I can let you be, indulge you, not care. But when you truly cross certain lines, Isshiki, you'd better be mentally prepared to bear the corresponding consequences,"
At this moment,
Isshiki Iroha's heart went cold, ice-cold.
For the first time she'd received a formal warning from Lin Ye; Senpai had never before spoken such words so earnestly and seriously.
If she kept pushing further, she'd probably truly provoke Senpai's extreme disgust.
"..."
After a long silence, Isshiki Iroha said slowly, "I understand, Senpai. I can keep your secret, but as compensation, I need you to promise me one thing."
"What thing?"
"I'll tell you later, once I've thought of it,"
"Sorry, that's a promise I can't give you,"
"I won't make things hard for you! I won't make you break up with so-and-so, and I won't make you do anything clownish,"
"Still no,"
"Then how about this: if it's something you can do, you do it; if you really can't accept it, then I'll allow you to refuse. Is that okay?"
She even conceded.
Isshiki Iroha knew Lin Ye was the kind of trustworthy person who would honor a promise once he made it.
So with such a precondition, surely Lin Ye could agree.
Lin Ye considered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "All right,"
"Mm-hmm, I'll remember that—Senpai, no going back on your word,"
"Going back on one's word is your exclusive specialty."
"I have not! I, Isshiki Iroha, have never gone back on my word. I always do as I say, never reneging,"
On this point, Isshiki Iroha did have just a tiny bit of confidence.
Lin Ye nodded, taking it as acknowledgment.
But this girl's way of doing things was never quite reassuring.
Still, he'd trust her for now.
"Hurry and eat. Once you're done, I'll take you home,"
"Aw, is Senpai in such a hurry because you're going somewhere afterward? Could it be one of the Fujibayashi sisters' place?"
"Hurry up and eat,"
"So you really are going to Sister Ryou's place. Boohoo, I'm so jealous! Getting to go see Sister Ryou,"
Isshiki Iroha let out an envious sound.
But suffusing her eyes was a look of amusement.
That look—Lin Ye knew what it was.
But he didn't intend to explain or deny it; there was no need.
If Isshiki Iroha wanted to misunderstand, then let her.
It was no big deal.
He'd already been caught red-handed by Isshiki Iroha in person; she'd witnessed that scene, so denying it was meaningless—staying calm was the best choice.
"Senpai, be gentle with girls,"
"A girl's body needs to be cherished,"
"As a man, you mustn't be too rough,"
"Girls all hate crude men, especially a gentle girl like Sister Ryou, who wouldn't say a word even if she were uncomfortable,"
"So you, as a man, must be careful,"
...
Lin Ye couldn't help giving Isshiki Iroha an extra glance. "You talk as if you're very experienced,"
"Uh, I have no experience, but I do have theoretical knowledge. Of course, if Senpai wanted to give me some hands-on experience, I wouldn't be unwilling to consider it—if Senpai begged me, I could reluctantly think it over."
Yet Isshiki Iroha held not a shred of expectation, because she'd long known that Senpai would definitely refuse.
She was already used to it.
"Just go on accumulating your theoretical knowledge,"
"Gulp,"
Sure enough, just as she'd thought.
"Senpai, what other abilities do you have? Could you tell me about them?"
"Curious?"
"Of course, very curious,"
Isshiki Iroha nodded.
"Perspective,"
Isshiki Iroha: "..."
"You—you said… perspective?"
"Yes,"
Lin Ye took a glance. "Nice underwear color—purple,"
"Gulp,"
Isshiki Iroha blushed. "Senpai, without my consent, you're not allowed to use perspective on me,"
"I can only promise to try my best; I usually don't use perspective anyway,"
"Oh, then have you used perspective on Yukinoshita-senpai?"
Isshiki Iroha cared a lot about this point right now.
With a perspective ability, one would surely use it on the girl one liked!
And Yukinoshita-senpai surely couldn't escape it.
"Hurry and eat,"
"So you really did use perspective. Cough, cough, cough. Well, men are men—I can understand. Don't worry, Senpai, I'll keep your secret and won't tell Yukinoshita-senpai. Now we have one more secret in common,"
Isshiki Iroha was just so delighted.
For her, the more secrets like this, the better.
"So what else is there?"
"I can give a live demonstration,"
"Oh! Sure, sure, go ahead and use it!"
"I'll need your assistance,"
"No problem, Senpai, go right ahead,"
Isshiki Iroha wasn't worried at all that Lin Ye would harm her.
If Lin Ye wanted to harm her, she couldn't stop him at all; all she had to do was trust him.
"All right,"
Body Swap.
Isshiki Iroha would be his first test subject.
Since Isshiki had agreed to it herself anyway, it was a good chance to give it a try.
Finding more test subjects to test the superpower, and ultimately discovering its weaknesses through them—
this was what Lin Ye cared about most.
For instance, the weakness of the Hypnosis superpower had very nearly gotten him killed.
As for the weaknesses of Body Swap, the sooner he could figure them out, the better.
"Here we go. Get yourself ready."
"Mm."
The superpower activated.
The next second,
Lin Ye merely felt his consciousness tremble, then he entered into something, and afterward his vision came into focus, clearly seeing the figure of the person sitting across from him.
It was him.
Viewing himself from a third-party perspective, Lin Ye had a subtle feeling.
"Sen-Senpai, you actually turned into me."
The moment the words left her mouth,
Isshiki Iroha instantly realized something was off.
This wasn't her body—it was Senpai's body.
She and Senpai had… swapped bodies.
So this kind of thing was possible too!
Isshiki Iroha's eyes went wide at this moment.
This was just too amazing!
Even bodies could be swapped?
...
...
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