Faced with Agnes Tachyon's mysterious declaration, Kitahara Sota fell silent for a moment before gently pushing her away, sighing helplessly.
"Alright, alright, I get it already—you really like me. But if there's anything else, let's talk about it in half an hour…"
"Guinea Pig-kun, I know what you're worried about, but none of that matters."
She stared at him earnestly, her normally icy rationality interwoven with blazing emotion, sharpening her mind more than ever.
"If you wish, I can tell you right now where all my hidden potions are, give you the complete list of my formulas, and even share my computer and all my account passwords…"
"My weaknesses, my blackmail material, even my unspeakable secrets—once you have these, even if I return to normal, I'll still have no choice but to obey you completely…"
"You won't even need to worry about me asking anyone else for help. You can claim you had no choice because of my lab accident. Neither the chairwoman nor the president would doubt your word, after all—"
Flick.
A clear flick to her forehead interrupted Agnes Tachyon's words.
Clutching her head, tears welling up from the pain, she looked pitifully at Kitahara, who was now wearing a dark, exasperated expression.
"What the hell's wrong with your brain? Is that seriously how you see me?"
"…No."
Agnes Tachyon lowered her head, speaking in a small, dejected voice.
"But I really don't want Guinea Pig-kun to hate me… or lose you."
Kitahara's brows knitted together.
"When did I ever say I hated you? And what do you mean 'lose'? Am I dying soon or something?"
"You don't have to comfort me, Guinea Pig-kun—I already know," she replied quietly, eyes cast downward.
"I'm selfish, difficult, always causing trouble, and my results are terrible…"
"I can't even take care of myself without someone else's help, yet I still act conceited…"
"Meanwhile, everyone else on the team is so much better—they're obedient, thoughtful, talented, low-maintenance, and even capable of taking care of you in return. It's only natural you wouldn't like someone like me. I understand…"
Kitahara stared at her, astonished.
Initially, he'd assumed this was just Agnes Tachyon acting pitiful to guilt him into staying with her.
But now, it seemed like… maybe, possibly, these were her genuine thoughts?
Realizing this, Kitahara went silent for a few seconds, then nodded bluntly.
"Well, I have to admit, you really are a handful."
Agnes Tachyon lowered her head even more.
But before she could fall further into gloom, Kitahara spoke again.
"But everyone has their own way of living. I'm not petty enough to hate you just because you're troublesome. If I couldn't handle something this minor, I'd never have been able to handle Eclipse."
Agnes Tachyon blinked, puzzled.
"What trouble does Eclipse-san cause? Isn't her personality quite agreeable?"
"You only know the Eclipse she is today. Back then…"
Remembering those early days when he first met Eclipse, Kitahara's eyelid twitched.
"I can't even describe it properly. Let's just say she was far more troublesome than you—by leaps and bounds—but hey, you still see me putting up with her, don't you?"
"And it's not just Eclipse. I've encountered plenty of other troublesome characters."
"Like a certain old lady who meddles just for fun, another old hag who, despite being insanely busy, always finds time to come beat me up, a clumsy idiot who screws up everything and wallows in inferiority, and another idiot who could easily succeed but constantly indulges in self-pity…"
"You don't seriously think everyone else in the team is normal, do you? You know Agnes Digital, and you're fully aware of Special Week and Oguri Cap's appetites."
"Everyone has their quirks and issues, and their competitiveness and persistence are downright terrifying… What I mean is, you just haven't gotten to know them deeply enough yet."
"As for Eclipse... honestly, I genuinely don't know how to describe it to you now. But trust me, the troubles she caused in the past would blow your mind. It's only now that she seems normal—back then…"
Kitahara's expression shifted vividly as he spoke, especially when recalling Eclipse's past antics. The complexity etched on his face was undeniably genuine, leaving Agnes Tachyon stunned.
Is he serious? Eclipse-san was actually that terrifying?
While Agnes Tachyon was still processing that revelation, Kitahara turned toward her, gazing seriously into her eyes.
"So, considering how many troublesome Uma Musume I've already survived, one more like you doesn't really make a difference. There's no reason to worry I'll hate you or kick you out—though you really are a handful."
"As your trainer, dealing with your troublemaking is part of my job. I can tolerate a certain amount of nonsense. Just don't cross any serious lines—otherwise, I'll go straight to Hayakawa-san."
"Ah, there's really no need for that!"
Agnes Tachyon blurted out reflexively.
After all, if there was one person Agnes Tachyon feared most at the Academy, it was unquestionably the "Green Devil."
Hayakawa's movements were unpredictable, her power unfathomable. Worse yet, she bore a deep grudge against Agnes Tachyon for constantly adding to her workload.
Whenever given the chance, she would ruthlessly sweep through Tachyon's lab to confiscate contraband. And after every incident Tachyon caused, she would arrive smiling, gently close the door, and moments later, anguished screams would echo from within…
With this playful interlude, the atmosphere in the room noticeably relaxed, allowing Agnes Tachyon to return to normal.
—"Normal" being how she was just before Kitahara had prepared to leave.
Yet, despite her apparent recovery and the potion's side effects beginning to wear off, she couldn't explain why the emotions in her heart felt stronger than before…
And far more genuine.
Guinea Pig-kun… So he doesn't hate me after all…
Blinking gently, Agnes Tachyon smiled once more.
"Even so, I'm still a handful, aren't I?"
"What else do you expect me to say?"
Kitahara shot her a sideways glance.
"If I told you that you're obedient, sensible, low-maintenance, and delightful—that I really like you—would you believe me?"
Agnes Tachyon pondered seriously for a moment, then gave her assessment.
"That sounds super gross."
"Well, there you have it."
Kitahara Sota spread his hands, relieved that perhaps now he could spend the rest of this time peacefully.
Yet before he could even enjoy that relief for more than a few seconds, Tachyon's voice rose again.
"But, Guinea Pig-kun, have you considered transforming me into the kind of obedient girl you'd prefer?"
She leaned closer, her scarlet eyes glinting earnestly.
"If you did as I said before—turn me into something belonging to you—you could easily control me, not just physically, but mentally too, aided by potions…"
"Besides, I've caused you so much trouble—don't you want to punish this 'bad girl'? Afterward, you could slowly educate me, shaping me into your ideal 'good girl'…"
This time, Kitahara didn't panic. Instead, he cast a calm, sideways glance at her.
"You once asked if I'd hold grudges; now I'm wondering the same thing about you."
"…Eh?" Tachyon froze.
"Say we do as you suggest. You tell me all your weaknesses, and I use them against you—but then what?"
Kitahara raised his hand, counting off points on his fingers.
"I don't trust you'd obediently comply. Sooner or later, you'd rebel. Then every day would be a constant battle of wits, plotting against each other, guarding against your schemes, monitoring your potions so you won't drug me, and I'd have to hide everything from the Academy…"
"Now look at me currently—I clock in, slack off after work, and aside from the necessities, I live however I want. Doing as you say would add nothing but endless trouble, ruining my perfectly relaxed life. It's utterly pointless."
After rambling on for a full minute, Kitahara finally stopped, giving her a pointed look.
"So, you see? For me, it's purely a losing deal. If anything, becoming a 'good girl' would benefit you more—so why would I bother?"
Agnes Tachyon's smile slowly turned subtle.
While his reasoning sounded perfectly logical, for some inexplicable reason, irritation rose in her chest…
"Ah, that reminds me."
He spoke up again.
"Speaking of which, if you're willing, tell me now where you usually hide your potions. It'd make frisking you before we go out much easier."
If it were moments ago, Agnes Tachyon would've readily complied, but now…
"Nope."
She rejected him with a smile.
Kitahara shrugged, unsurprised.
He knew it—no matter how high her affection got, there was no way she'd actually do something so reckless. She had to be joking around.
If he'd agreed, or even shown the slightest interest, she'd probably whip out a recorder or hidden camera, smiling sweetly as she threatened, "You wouldn't want others seeing this, right, Guinea Pig-kun?"
Yet despite thinking this way, he didn't doubt Tachyon's claim of pleasure turning into genuine affection.
Even if her earlier statements were just jokes, the extent she went was extreme. Her behavior was undeniably abnormal compared to her usual self.
However, it seemed the conversion rate was disappointingly low. He'd exerted half his strength, yet it still hadn't suppressed her desire to drug him…
Wait, now that I think about it, how obsessed is she with drugging me, anyway?!
While he pondered this, Tachyon moved again.
Just a few seconds after her rejection, seeing Kitahara's helpless expression made her want to tease him further.
Adjusting herself, she stretched out her legs, placing them across Kitahara's lap. Her small toes wiggled mischievously, carrying a hint of playful seduction.
Kitahara's eyelid twitched. "What are you plotting now?"
"Continuing my treatment, of course," Tachyon answered plainly. "Otherwise, once the potion wears off, I won't be able to handle it. Better finish now while I still can, right?"
"But weren't the side effects—"
"I like you, Guinea Pig-kun."
She stared intently at him, the boundary between illusion and truth already blurred.
"Right now, liking you is all I can think about. Nothing else matters."
"So, if it's already come to this, no matter how awful things get, it can't possibly get any worse, right?"
Bullshit! You were literally just trying to drug me a moment ago!
Kitahara inwardly retorted, firmly rejecting her suggestion.
This was already dangerous enough—who knew what could happen if he kept massaging her legs?
If by chance he pushed beyond a certain line, permanently solidifying Tachyon's feelings toward him, the trouble would be endless.
Understanding his concerns, Tachyon didn't press further, though neither did she withdraw her legs.
Even though Guinea Pig-kun had said he didn't hate her, she still wanted to show him her most appealing side.
Because after clearly recognizing her own feelings, what she wanted now was no longer simply to avoid being hated or abandoned.
"But… there's not much time left…" she murmured softly.
Over thirty minutes had already passed, and she could feel the falsely inflated love in her heart fading quickly. The lingering sensations across her body also began to sharpen.
More importantly, after the potion's effects faded… what would happen to her?
She would likely disappear.
After all, though she was also Agnes Tachyon, her existence was built entirely upon false, exaggerated affection.
Once that false love vanished, it made sense that she—lacking any real foundation—would vanish as well.
She'd anticipated this from the start.
Yet, despite mentally preparing herself, when the fading love began eroding her existence bit by bit—
The collapse of her emotional foundation triggered overwhelming anxiety and fear.
"What's wrong?" Kitahara noticed something off.
She didn't answer, only biting her lip tighter.
She was merely a byproduct created by accident, built upon artificial feelings. Disappearing was natural, even expected.
Logic reassured her this was just the potion's effects fading; a return to normalcy. Yet, her anxiety and fear continued to grow.
I don't want to vanish… I don't want to admit I'm fake… I don't want to leave Guinea Pig-kun…
Right now, I'm the one who loves him more, the one who desperately wants him to like me more. Yet why am I the fake one? Why must I disappear?
The fading accelerated; her rational defenses collapsed.
Hands trembling, knuckles turning white, her smile vanished, leaving only raw, primal fear.
Her distress became too obvious for Kitahara to ignore. His concerned gaze broke down her final bit of rationality, compelling her to voice her heart's desperate plea, releasing her terror.
"I like you, Guinea Pig-kun… I want to stay with you… I don't want to disappear. Please… don't forget me…"
She bowed her head, hiding her twisted expression of anxiety and dread.
This might be her last moment, and she didn't want to leave him with an ugly final image.
Fear, sobbing, tears.
Faced with this, even Kitahara didn't know how to comfort her.
After all, just as she said, she was merely a product of potion-induced effects, a twisted fragment of Agnes Tachyon's mind.
Her disappearance meant returning to normal—beneficial for both of them.
But…
He reached out, gently embracing her, patting her back softly.
"Relax. You're still Tachyon. You won't vanish, and I certainly won't forget you—in fact, considering your earlier antics, I probably couldn't forget even if I tried."
For beings born from illusions, the illusion itself became their reality.
Her existence and her love were false.
Yet, to her, this love was undeniably genuine.
He knew this action was inappropriate and would undoubtedly become awkward when Tachyon returned to normal.
But still, he wanted to do this.
Less than forty minutes wasn't much in a person's life, perhaps barely enough for a short nap.
Yet, for her, these forty minutes constituted her entire existence—from her birth until now. Her complete life.
Thus, despite knowing she was fake, despite feeling no real love toward her, in this final moment, he wanted to offer her a gentle farewell.
She accepted it.
As her false love rapidly vanished, leaving behind emptiness, her existence collapsed like an unsupported building.
Yet, surrounded by his warmth, hearing his comforting words, her fear dissipated, replaced by a fragile peace.
Her false love had received genuine acknowledgment, granting her brief but meaningful existence.
"I really like you, Guinea Pig-kun."
Tears still streaked her face, yet she forced a smile reminiscent of her usual self.
Then, pulling him firmly toward her, she whispered affectionately one last time:
"So… don't forget me, okay?"
With those lingering words of reluctance and longing, the final support crumbled completely.
I truly wish I could remain by your side… but I was always fake, and even if I stayed, you'd never accept me.
Then at least, before I disappear, let me leave behind something small yet real—my final selfish request.
With that, she lifted her head.
In the next instant, her false love shattered entirely, and she faded away completely.
All that remained was Agnes Tachyon, fully returned to normal, staring blankly at the face mere inches from her own, mind blank, as she felt the warm sensation lingering upon her lips.