Faced with Hayashi Maki's teasing, the braided beauty rolled her eyes and deftly snatched back her glasses.
"I'm the 'dowdy country girl' you were talking about."
With that, she put the glasses on again—her features blurred at once.
The magical little scene genuinely surprised Hayashi Maki.
"Hey, you're obviously gorgeous. Why wear those weird glasses?"
"Hmph. To keep lechers like you from staring and distracting me from my reading!"
She huffed, making it clear she didn't want to engage.
Hayashi Maki could only shrug.
"Since I've already found you out, how about we get acquainted? I'm Hayashi Maki, first-year, Class B."
He offered his hand warmly.
She didn't seem to mind; a pale, delicate hand met his in a brief shake.
"Sumireko Sanshokuin, first-year class. As you can see, I'm just an ordinary, unremarkable, braided bookworm of a librarian."
Then her expression flickered in surprise.
"A… bunny girl?"
After shaking hands with Hayashi Maki, she'd noticed the bunny girl standing behind him with arms crossed, glaring this way.
Being seen by two people at once made Mai Sakurajima tense inside, though her face stayed cool.
"Forget what you saw today. If you don't want trouble, act like you never noticed me."
As she passed Hayashi Maki, she brought her heel down hard on his foot and turned to go, quickening her pace until she vanished from sight.
That's for slapping my butt! Stomp you flat, you pervert!
Sumireko's mood turned complicated. She glanced at her hand, still in his.
"Hayashi Maki, how long are you planning to hold my hand?"
He gave her soft fingers an unconscious squeeze before letting go with a smile.
"Sorry—still reeling a bit. You just said there were no bunny girls. What do you say now?"
Sumireko's cheeks pinked, but she didn't fluster. She answered dead-serious:
"That was an improper bunny girl. I, however, am a proper librarian."
"Then I'm proper, too," Hayashi Maki insisted.
"No, you're the least proper—like a total lech."
Sumireko called him out without mercy.
Hayashi Maki just shrugged and pulled out his phone.
"Since the 'improper lech' has discovered you, let's swap contact info. Otherwise I'll come bother you in your class every day."
That made her blink.
"Hayashi Maki, how many girls have you threatened with that line?"
"Mm, not many. You're the second."
The first was the Second Heiress—whom he had already 'won over' in bed.
"You really are shameless. I don't want you pestering me."
"Oh? So you're turning me down?"
"No. I'll exchange contact info."
She took his phone and entered her details. When he dialed, a phone chimed in her pocket; only then did he nod, satisfied.
"All right, about those glasses—Sumireko, where did you get a pair that can hide your looks?"
She didn't hide it. If he could see through her disguise and see the bunny girl even if she couldn't, he clearly wasn't ordinary.
"These glasses—I bought them at a shop I wandered into during summer break in middle school. According to the owner, she's a witch."
"A witch's shop? Interesting."
Hayashi Maki smiled and didn't press further. In this world there were angels and demons; a shopkeeping witch was no big deal.
He himself was a demon, after all.
Strangely, once he'd seen Sumireko's true face, the glasses stopped working on him—if he looked carefully, she was still stunning. The braids only made her seem purer and cuter, with a different kind of charm.
A beauty is a beauty. Any hairstyle only highlights her poise and makes you do a double-take.
"I've got a feeling we'll meet again, Sumireko."
Hayashi Maki smiled and handed her his stack of books.
"Here, I've found almost everything. Could you log them for me?"
"Of course—that's my job."
She nodded with a smile and started writing in the ledger.
Before long, Ako Tamaki came over hugging a heap of books.
Hayashi Maki checked them—no mistakes. He ruffled her hair with a grin.
"Nice work, Ako."
"Hee-hee."
Basking in his gentle touch, she broke into a sweet smile; even the little ahoge atop her head bounced with her bright mood.
After Sumireko finished the paperwork, he left the library with Ako.
They put the books in his desk at school, and then Hayashi Maki took Ako home—more precisely, he dropped her off at her place. He had plans with Rita that evening, so Ako had to head home.
She felt aggrieved and begged him to take her to his place tomorrow. He agreed.
He could only hope that when Ako met Mashiro and Rita, that vinegar jar wouldn't get knocked over.
The girl had known him for two days; they'd just played games together online and "married" in-game, yet she was already dead-set on him and fiercely possessive. Her reality–online confusion was seriously strong.
Back home, Hayashi Maki changed into casual clothes, then headed out with Rita.
They rode the train, got off at their stop, and Rita led him straight to an art gallery.
Good thing there wasn't some pint-sized shinigami detective around—otherwise someone at the gallery would be dying today.
Inside, Rita stopped before a painting.
Hayashi Maki studied it carefully. He didn't fully get it, but it left him shaken—in a good way. Even an art amateur like him thought it was incredible.
Rita's eyes were on the signature: "Mashiro Shiina."
"So, Maki-kun—what do you feel when you look at this?"
"Mashiro painted it, you know. It was her last painting a month before she left England to draw manga."
Hayashi Maki sighed and answered earnestly, "It's amazing."
"For Mashiro to create something like this, and have it exhibited at the most famous gallery… I'm blown away—and kind of proud. That's so her."
Rita puffed her cheeks. "That's all you have to say?"
"Don't you ever think about having Mashiro keep creating miracle-level works like this?"
"Using her talent on 'manga'—don't you think that's wasting it?"
Hayashi Maki patted Rita's head, met her eyes, and answered seriously:
"To me, talent is meant for doing what you love. That's the only right way to use it."
"Mashiro doesn't need money, and this painting already sits at the world's peak. If she paints something weaker next, people will just say she's run out of steam."
"But if she stops here, this stays her peak—forever."
"Most importantly, drawing manga makes her happy. That's enough. I'll support her choices and protect her dream."
Rita let out a long breath.
"If you spoil her blindly like this and she regrets becoming a mangaka later, what will you do then?"
"When she used to know nothing of the world, she could make pure miracle paintings. But once manga stains her with other colors, she'll never make a miracle again."
Hayashi Maki smiled.
"If she regrets it, I'll seal her memories about being a mangaka. Then she'll still be the purest Mashiro—and can keep creating miracles."
"You… you can even do that?" Rita was stunned.
"Of course I can. So, Rita—think about what you want to do, too. I'll protect your dream as well."
"Hmph. Sweet talk. You just want my body."
"Ahem… I won't deny it. You are gorgeous—and your figure is incredible."
Hayashi Maki stated his thoughts with disarming honesty.
Rita's cheeks went fiery red.