Alain felt like he was becoming less and less of a decent person with each passing day in Mita's game world. Watching Honey's face flush crimson in waves of shame, egged on by Millie, Alain's own sense of guilt grew wildly. He genuinely hadn't expected the 'little punishment' he'd inflicted on Crazy Mita earlier would come back into play quite .
"Hm?" Millie frowned thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, Miss Crazy Mita didn't seem hindered by any 'wound' during the fight just now." The hat-wearing girl, whose mind was often praised as 'sharp,' had spotted an inconsistency. Her gaze drifted pointedly towards Honey's thigh – or more specifically, towards the 'wound' hidden beneath the bandage.
"Tsk." Crazy Mita subtly tried to cover the area, her hand brushing against the bandage, yet she showed no sign of pain whatsoever. This only strengthened Millie's suspicions.
"Ahem~ Detective—Mita! No, wait, Millie! believes she has uncovered the truth!" Millie dramatically gripped the brim of her hat, pulling it down slightly. She then produced a pair of glasses seemingly from nowhere, adjusting them on her nose and lowering her head slightly, striking a pose as if she'd seen through everything. "You—Crazy Mita!"
"?!" The low-ponytail girl's expression darkened. Yet, amidst the storm clouds brewing on her face, she couldn't suppress a blush when she glanced at Alain. It was the distinct awkwardness of a couple's private game being exposed to outsiders.
"Under that bandage... it's not a wound, is it? It's something else entirely!"
"..." Honey nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt, as if hoping to somehow conceal the bandage on her thigh. But the short length of her skirt made the attempt futile, only highlighting her flustered state.
"What exactly are you trying to deceive us about? What are you covering up? What are you hiding?!" Light glinted off Detective Millie's glasses as she pressed her case, much to Misha's quiet amazement.
Alain wasn't sure how best to praise Millie anymore. Definitely have to play games with her all night until she's happy once we get back to reality! He glanced back over his shoulder, intending to give her an appreciative look. Instead, he met the hat-wearing girl's earnest, questioning gaze, her lips silently forming the words:
Alain nodded without hesitation. It dawned on him then: Millie had been genuinely bothered by feeling unable to contribute.
In that case, Alain decided he had to seize the opportunity Millie had created and see if he could use this to 'repel' Crazy Mita.
"Yeah, really, Honey," he smoothly picked up Millie's line of questioning, a playful smile on his lips. "What is that thing on your thigh?"
"You... you... Alain, you're pretending you don't know what this is?!" Honey hissed through gritted teeth, thoroughly embarrassed. "You're the one who did this! With a permanent marker... It won't wash off at all! Are you an absolute idiot?!"
"Permanent marker?" Millie murmured from behind them, causing Crazy Mita's shoulders to tense.
Misha, standing nearby, decided to chime in as well. "Since it was a pen... then, darling, did you write something on her?"
"Well, yes, I did pull a little prank," Alain admitted with a helpless shrug. "And as for what I wrote..."
"Wait! Don't say it!" Honey hastily cut him off, shooting a cold glare at the two 'Dolls' nearby.
Alain, however, pressed on innocently, "Why not? Isn't what I wrote... the truth?"
"?!" Meeting Crazy Mita's eyes, Alain's expression was as clear and untroubled as the sky, without a speck of deceit. He spoke as if stating the most obvious thing in the world. Under the weight of his unseen conviction, she somehow found herself taking two steps back.
"R-right... Right." The girl's hand tightened unconsciously on the bandage. It was hard to tell if her expression was more sweet or shy, but there was definitely no rejection in it.
"Everything you wrote... it's all true."
The shy, almost love-struck demeanor of the low-ponytail girl now stood in stark, jarring contrast to the violent force with which she had initially smashed down the door, a contrast keenly felt by both Misha and Millie.
Misha glanced at the baseball bat Crazy Mita held, then flexed the hand that had absorbed the direct force of its blow earlier. This same violently eccentric girl became so incredibly shy, but only in front of Alain. For some reason... Misha felt a keen sense of failure. Everything seemed to be progressing well, the overall situation was bright and favorable, yet this nagging feeling of inadequacy persisted... Why does Crazy Mita act even more 'girly' and flustered around Alain than I do?!
Millie glanced at the fragments of the door scattered on the floor. She now had a much clearer, more visceral understanding of what her best friend had meant by Crazy Mita's 'honeymoon phase.' She still wanted to do something more for 'player' Alain; anything was better than just standing uselessly in the back.
Alain also sensed they were just one critical point away from being able to 'repel' Crazy Mita. Making her retreat out of shame and embarrassment seemed far more efficient, in his opinion, than engaging in a direct fight. At the very least, it meant avoiding her monstrous physical strength.
Crazy Mita's voice cut back in, regaining some composure. "But, didn't you say the prerequisite for removing the bandage was that I had done something wrong?" She seemed to have found a line of defense, the blush on her cheeks fading slightly. "As far as I'm concerned, I haven't done anything to wrong my Darling~"
As she spoke, she hefted her baseball bat again, leaning forward, preparing to charge.
Alain, watching her movements intently, knew he had to come up with some kind of 'crime' right now, even if he had to fabricate it. Otherwise, he really might face 'life imprisonment' at her hands. Racking his brain in the brief moment he had, Alain actually managed to conjure up something she had supposedly done to wrong him.
He stepped forward fearlessly, a confident, knowing smile spreading across his face. The girl's skirt fluttered, a charming smile bloomed on her lips, revealing the sharp little canine teeth within – all clearly visible in Alain's eyes.
Crazy Mita's bat swung in from the side, stirring a faint breeze that ruffled the short hair on Alain's forehead.
Misha reacted instantly, swinging her own bat towards Crazy Mita to protect Alain. But estimating the time and distance... she wasn't going to make it. Just barely short. If only there were a few more tenths of a second...
Misha's lips felt suddenly dry.
Alain, however, looked directly at Crazy Mita, his previously playful expression becoming chillingly indifferent, like early spring reverting abruptly to the depths of winter.
"Just now," his voice was quiet but carried immense weight, "when you came through the door... why didn't you look at me first?"
Whuff— The incoming baseball bat visibly hesitated, trembling slightly in the air, its force momentarily checked.
Seizing that instantaneous lapse, Misha's supporting strike connected, knocking Crazy Mita back several steps.
But Crazy Mita clearly had no time to register the Doll's counterattack; her entire focus was riveted on Alain's words.
Seeing her stumble back, the young man didn't retreat but advanced a few steps towards her.
"Did you not hear me clearly? Or were you deliberately ignoring me?" His voice dropped lower, reinforcing the question with quiet intensity. "Why didn't you look at me first when you came in?"
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