Chapter 342: The Other Side of the Inari God
"Ugh..."
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was descending into chaos due to the System's words, Totsuka Saika suddenly let out a soft groan and opened her eyes.
"......"
Their eyes met. Hachiman watched the expression on Totsuka's face shift from initial confusion to shock, and finally to a deep blush. Whether it was because she had truly become female, Hachiman increasingly felt that Totsuka possessed a certain "anti-Hachiman" magic; just by locking eyes, his heart began to pound violently...
'He's a guy.'
Taking a deep breath, Hachiman tried to mentally hypnotize himself. However, every time he thought that, the words the System had just spoken would immediately flash through his mind.
'Since she can't change back into a guy, there shouldn't actually be a problem with treating her as a girl, right?'
A dangerous thought suddenly took root and sprouted in Hachiman's mind. Realizing this, he began banging his head against the pavement in an attempt to clear his thoughts.
"Honestly, humans really are all idiots..."
Looking at Totsuka Saika—who was lying on the ground looking panicked as she realized the changes in her body—and then at Hachiman, who was headbutting the road, the spectating Inari God couldn't help but shake her head. As a deity who had lived for over a thousand years, how could she not perceive what was going on in Hachiman's heart?
However...
Shifting her gaze to Totsuka, the Inari God narrowed her eyes. Upon closer inspection, this human who could disrupt Hachiman's composure actually had quite excellent potential. Though she wasn't sure what the situation was when Totsuka was male, that pure expression—one capable of melting anyone's heart—was visible now.
"It would be such a waste if she didn't become a shrine maiden."
For the first time in a long while, the thought of taking a human as her shrine maiden took hold in the Inari God's mind.
"And if I take her as my shrine maiden..."
The Inari God looked at Totsuka, then shifted her gaze to Hachiman, who had finally calmed down. It was obvious that Hachiman had feelings for Totsuka. However, due to unknown human ethical constraints, he was suppressing his inner impulses. But if Totsuka became a shrine maiden of the Inari Shrine, those problems would virtually resolve themselves. After all, once someone becomes a shrine maiden, their former human identity loses most of its significance. Without the barrier of that human identity, and with her own active proposal...
"He should accept, right? After all, he's already got a guilty conscience, and it's being suggested by his ally..."
Resting her chin on her hand, the Inari God's tails wagged unconsciously as she pondered, completely ignoring the horrified look Totsuka was shooting her way.
"Hachiman, what... is that?"
Having barely recovered from the shock of becoming a girl and seeing the Inari God not far away, Totsuka instinctively relied on the acquaintance beside her.
"Eh? Totsuka, you can see her?" Hearing Totsuka's words, Hachiman whipped his head around and stared at her in surprise.
[Due to the destruction of the bracelet, a portion of spiritual energy remains within her body.]
The System's voice cut in right on time. This was followed by Totsuka's certain voice:
"With such a big person standing there, how could I not see her?"
As she spoke, even Totsuka didn't notice that her tone carried a hint of a pout. Hearing that ethereal, light voice, Hachiman felt his entire body go numb.
"Sorry. Actually, ordinary people can't see her." Forcing himself to stay calm, Hachiman began to explain the setting of evil spirits and the supernatural world to Totsuka.
However, at that moment, the Inari God—who had been watching the show from the sidelines—slowly walked over.
"Hikigaya-kun, if you don't mind, could you hand this child over to me?"
"Eh?" Hearing the Inari God's words, Hachiman and Totsuka looked at her almost simultaneously.
"This child's charm potential is quite excellent. I want her to be my shrine maiden." Looking at the questioning gaze from Hachiman, the Inari God expressed her true intention without any concealment.
But before Hachiman could speak, Totsuka, the person in question, immediately shook her head in refusal.
"Being a shrine maiden... that kind of thing is impossible. After all, I'm a boy!"
Although she had already noticed the abnormalities in her body, the common sense developed over many years made Totsuka decisively reject the proposal.
"Are you really a boy?" Leaning in close to Totsuka, the Inari God whispered into her ear while blowing a gentle breath.
"Of course I am!" With her sensitive ear being brushed by the warm breath, an unprecedented, strange sensation rose within her. Totsuka confirmed her gender with a bright red face.
"Really?" Seeing Totsuka grit her teeth and refuse to admit the truth despite clearly noticing something was wrong, the smile in the Inari God's eyes grew wider.
You see, she had quite a way with these "stubborn on the outside, soft on the inside" young girls~
Using her tails to push the peeking Hachiman aside, the Inari God pulled the bashful Totsuka into her wide embrace. Soon after, a series of heart-pounding phrases like "Stop it!", "Don't touch me there!", and so on drifted out.
A few minutes later, Totsuka Saika reappeared before Hachiman with a "broken" expression, alongside a refreshed-looking Inari God.
'Is this guy actually into girls?' Looking at the Inari God puffing on a large tobacco pipe she had produced from somewhere, Hachiman suddenly felt he understood why all the Inari foxes were female.
"Alright, Hikigaya-kun, I've finished helping you explain everything to this child." Completely ignoring Hachiman's weird look, the Inari God patted Totsuka's shoulder and pushed her toward Hachiman.
"U-um... can I still change back?" Looking down at the tips of her shoes, Totsuka—who had just received a full explanation from the Inari God—asked Hachiman in a small, blushing voice if she could return to her former self.
"Sorry, I'm afraid that..." Hachiman's voice was full of guilt. If even the System said there was no way to restore things after the bracelet broke, he was truly powerless...
"I see..." Hearing Hachiman's answer, Totsuka found that she wasn't actually that sad. In fact, deep down, she even let out a secret sigh of relief...
But thinking about it, since she had always been so cute, people had unconsciously treated her as a girl anyway, despite her constant insistence that she was a boy.
Therefore, even if she had truly become a girl, it didn't seem like it would change her life all that much?
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