My Gift Is “Beauty”. I Think It’s Useless, but It Seems to Be an S-Rank Gift With the Strongest Buff Effect for Beautiful Girls - Chapter 27.2: Hiroyo Gets Found Out

Chapter 27.2: Hiroyo Gets Found Out

But the ticklers were getting tired too.

“I can’t anymore!”

“Woah!?”

Seizing a brief moment, Hiroyo broke free. He lit up both hands.

“—Skill ‘Skin Quality Improvement’!”

“Hyah!?”

“Anh!?”

When he touched Himari and Umirin’s ears with his activated skill, their bodies jolted and trembled.

“H-Hiroyo, you…!”

“M-Making us make weird noises…!”

“You started it…! So—”

That’s when it happened.

—Ding-dong.

“Huh?”

—Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong!

“What!? Who’s spamming the intercom!?”

“I-I’ll go! See ya!!”

“Ahh…”

Hiroyo shook off the two, stunned from the ear attack, grabbed his bag, and dashed out the front door.

Standing there was—

“Eh, Asami-chan!?”

The stunning silver-haired doll-like beauty, Asami Yaginuma, stood there daintily.

Asami, who looked great in her school uniform, seemed to be on her way home, carrying her bag. Hiroyo now called her by her first name.

“Why are you here!?”

“A-Aba… I-I thought Takanashi-senpai was in trouble…”

“Why…?”

“B-But… if you didn’t need me, it’s okay… I’ll go…”

“Wait!”

Hiroyo didn’t understand the conversation at all but stopped Asami.

“Since you’re here, let’s walk home together.”

“Aba!?”

“And… you were worried about me, right? Thanks.”

Hiroyo reached out and gently patted Asami’s head.

“A-Abaa…”

The moment he patted her, Asami’s face melted like a slime, looking blissful.

“It f-feels good…”

“You love this, don’t you, Asami-chan?”

(She’s so cute… Some people just make you wanna pat them.)

Asami’s head was so pat-able, and her straight hair, made beautiful by his skill, felt amazing to touch.

“Hey, Asami-chan, have you ever been to ‘Dungeon Tourism’?”

During the hot spring trip, Hibiki had suggested ‘Dungeon Tourism.’ Hiroyo was still unsure about going, so he wanted someone’s opinion.

“Aba… maybe?”

“Really? What’s it like?”

“Ababa… depends on the place… Not like Japan. Like overseas. Big plains, pretty lakes, mountains full of crystals… or caves.”

“You know a lot.”

Hiroyo didn’t think she’d been to all those places, but Asami was knowledgeable.

“Was it fun?”

“Fun… maybe? If you say it’s fun, it’s fun, I guess?”

“Haha, you’re not sure?”

“You wanna go, Takanashi-senpai?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“…Scared of monsters?”

“That’s part of it… but I used to want to be an adventurer.”

“Aba…”

Hiroyo hadn’t told Asami about his adventurer dreams before.

But for some reason, he felt okay telling her. Maybe because she felt like a little sister.

He couldn’t become an adventurer anymore, but ‘Dungeon Tourism’ would let him legally enter a dungeon. Hibiki was trying to help him overcome his trauma.

“It’s okay… (I’ll protect you.)”

“Huh? Didn’t catch that.”

“Aba… ‘Dungeon Tourism’ is fun. I owe you, Takanashi-senpai. I want you to know fun things…”

“Asami-chan…”

Asami felt indebted to Hiroyo.

If he wanted to take a step forward, she’d push him along.

She’d take away all his worries—that’s what she was saying.

“Thanks—I might give it a try.”

“That’s good.”

Their walk home continued for a while.

◇ ◇ ◇

“We messed up…”

“Hibiki’s gonna be mad…”

Meanwhile, Himari and Umirin, back to their senses, regretted what they’d done.

They’d meant to just talk. But somehow, they ended up pinning Hiroyo and tickling him. And they’d gotten excited making his face contort.

“Plus, he said ‘Skin Quality Improvement,’ right?”

“Yeah… but when he touched our ears…”

“Yup. We jolted.”

“What was that?”

They’d glimpsed part of Hiroyo’s skill but didn’t understand why touching their ears caused that reaction.

Either way—

“We should apologize tomorrow…”

“Yeah…”

They decided to apologize to Hibiki and Hiroyo.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Hiiiibikiii~~~”

“What’s with you two?”

The next morning, Himari and Umirin found Hibiki in the school hallway and clung to her, teary-eyed.

“Hibiki, we’re sorry~~~”

“Sorry~~~”

“Why are you apologizing out of nowhere?”

Hibiki, confused, patted their heads as they grabbed her uniform.

“Uh… I kinda spilled about my gift.”

Hiroyo approached from behind, ready to explain—

“They noticed how fast your hair got pretty, Hibiki. They’re your important friends, right? I felt bad hiding it… so, sorry.”

—Thump.

In that moment, Himari and Umirin felt their hearts squeeze.

(Why isn’t he saying we forced it out of him?)

(That was totally our fault.)

“So, sorry for spilling it. They’re apologizing because they heard it without going through you, I think.”

“I see… but you don’t need to apologize, Hiroyo, right?”

“Really? My gift isn’t just mine anymore. I wanted to go through you first.”

“Hiroyo… such a goody-two-shoes.”

“Haha…”

Hiroyo scratched his head, giving a wry smile. Hibiki showed no sign of being upset.

“Hima, Umirin. I was wrong for lying and hiding it too. Since it’s out now, no helping it, right?”

“Hibikiii~~~”

“Hiroseeee~~~”

Touched by their kindness, Himari and Umirin wiped their tears and snot on Hibiki’s uniform.

“Okay, that’s too gross, stop!?”

“But~~~”

“Yeah~~~”

(They probably ganged up on Hiroyo, but… gosh, Hiroyo…)

Hibiki had a hunch about what really happened.

She’d been friends with them for a year, fielding beauty questions and telling lies.

If she hadn’t found Hiroyo, things might’ve been different.

Hibiki had no right to control his gift. But Hiroyo loved and trusted her, so he went through her.

No need to hide anymore.

Hibiki decided to confirm with Hiroyo.

“Hiroyo…”

“Yeah. It’s okay… but are you okay with it?”

“I’m… yeah. They’re my friends, after all.”

With a few words, Hibiki and Hiroyo understood each other.

“Alright, you two. Come to my place one of the weekend days. —But, it’s gonna be intense, so be ready, okay?”

And so, Himari and Umirin’s treatment with Hiroyo’s gift was decided.