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 7.2: Bruise

Chapter 7.2: Bruise

A new skill had awakened within her Gift, ‘Desire.’ Not her usual skill, ‘Grant Sight,’ but something else entirely.

“Hold on a second… ‘Grant Seeker Search.’”

Hibiki activated her second skill, directing it toward Koharu.

Just as she had found Hirose, she could now locate the person who could fulfill Koharu’s wish.

“…Hibiki-chan? What are you doing?”

“Just testing something… Yeah, as expected, it’s Hirose.”

No one in the café fit the criteria. But Hibiki was now certain.

“Hey, want to meet Hirose? Your bruises… They might actually heal.”

So, Hibiki made a suggestion to Koharu.

◆ ◆ ◆

“Um… Nice to meet you. I’m Takanashi Hiroyo.”

An hour later, Hiroyo had been summoned by Hibiki and had come to the café where the two were waiting.

Hiroyo gave a brief introduction to the person she was meeting for the first time—Koharu.

“I’m Kushima Koharu. You seem… like a kind person.”

Unlike before, Koharu glanced downward but greeted her calmly.

Hiroyo sat on the chair next to Hibiki but still hadn’t been told the reason she was called here.

“Hibiki… your outfit is cute.”

“Huh… ah… oh. This is your first time seeing me in casual clothes, right? Hehe, thanks.”

The two had always met after school in their uniforms. In fact, this was the first time they had met anywhere other than Hibiki’s house.

Today, Hibiki was wearing a burgundy-colored cut-and-sew top fitting for autumn, paired with a beige all-in-one tunic. She finished the look with black boots, giving her a mature and refined appearance.

“But Hiroyo, your casual clothes are kind of plain. Let’s go shopping for clothes sometime.”

“Huh, really?”

“Of course. I’ll make sure you look cool.”

Hiroyo’s outfit, on the other hand, was simple and unremarkable. Since her facial features weren’t particularly distinctive, it made her impression even more forgettable.

“So, what’s the reason for today’s meeting?”

“Yeah. First, I want you to listen—”

Hibiki then told Hiroyo about Koharu’s background, something she had already gotten permission to share.

As Hiroyo listened, her expression changed, becoming more serious. Once she had heard everything, she fully understood why she had been called here.

“Kushima-san, you might be scared of me too, but what do you think after hearing Hibiki’s story?”

“Just call me Koharu, Hiroyo-kun. Hmm… I don’t fully understand yet, but if you can really heal my scar, that would make me really happy.”

Touching her bandaged left arm, Koharu smiled at the possibility that Hiroyo might be able to heal her.

“But… is it really okay? I mean, Hiroyo-kun, you’re Hibiki-chan’s… No, that’s not like me. Yeah, if there’s a chance, maybe I can become more confident in myself.”

“Koharu… Okay, for today, let’s just think of this as a first meeting. Take some time to think about it.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Since this was all quite sudden, Hibiki decided to give Koharu time to think.

“Hiroyo, we’ll talk about your Gift when Koharu has made up her mind, okay?”

“I’m fine with telling her anytime if she’s important to you. Also, I need to explain how it works and the side effects, so make sure to tell her about that too.”

“Ah… Haha. Honestly, I might be more hesitant about that part than the actual healing.”

The biggest issue wasn’t using the skill to heal. It was the fact that Hiroyo would have to touch Koharu’s bare skin.

Koharu didn’t have a general fear of men. She was afraid of her father, but since no other men had done the same things to her, she could distinguish between individuals.

Still, having someone—especially a man—touch her skin was a high hurdle. Hiroyo was aware of that concern.

“Alright, I’ll head home. You two have fun.”

“Huh? You’re leaving, Hiroyo-kun?”

“You two were hanging out together, right? If I stay, I’ll just be in the way.”

Since today was originally a day for just the two of them, Hiroyo decided to leave after finishing her business. However, it wasn’t Hibiki who stopped her—it was Koharu.

“Not at all! Right, Hibiki-chan?”

“I don’t mind, but… Koharu, are you sure?”

“Yeah! Because I want to hear more about how you see Hibiki, Hiroyo-kun!”

“That’s your reason!? Then maybe I should make Hiroyo leave after all…”

“Hibiki-chan, you’re panicking. I’ve never seen you like this before. So, a boy can make you react this way, huh?”

“Hey, Koharu! Don’t get weird ideas!”

In the end, Hiroyo stayed and joined their conversation for a little while before leaving early to give them some space.

Koharu asked Hiroyo a lot of questions, but there were many things she couldn’t answer. Whenever she was in danger of slipping up, Hibiki elbowed her to keep her from saying too much.

“—Hiroyo-kun is a good person.”

“Yeah. But I never realized how considerate she is. I guess I still don’t know much about Hiroyo.”

“So, I’ll think about it for a bit and get back to you, Hibiki-chan.”

“Please do. My skill reacted, after all…”

Hibiki had secretly activated her “Seeker of the Wished” skill. As she expected, Hiroyo was wrapped in light, confirming that she was the one who could fulfill Koharu’s wish.

And Koharu truly wanted her scar to be gone.

“Yeah… I can’t hide anything from you, Hibiki-chan.”

“Well, we’re best friends. If anything happens, you have to tell me, okay?”

“Thank you.”

With that, the two enjoyed their day before parting ways.

No matter what Koharu decided, Hibiki knew she had made a good suggestion. Even though she hated the idea of Hiroyo touching someone else’s skin, it was a small price to pay for Koharu’s sake.

◆ ◆ ◆

A week had passed since Hibiki made her suggestion to Koharu.

As winter approached and the temperature dropped, a certain person visited Hibiki’s house.

The doorbell rang, and Hibiki, still in her uniform, answered. She invited the visitor inside and led her to her room on the second floor.

“Hello. It’s been a week—Koharu.”

“Yeah. Thank you for today, Hiroyo-kun.”

Koharu had made up her mind to come here.

Of course, she had already heard about the skill from Hibiki beforehand.

“Koharu, this is going to be really embarrassing, but you’ll have to endure it. I’m warning you again—it’s definitely going to be embarrassing.”

“Jeez… Don’t scare me like that. I already know. He’s your friend, so I trust him.”

Koharu had never shown her skin to a boy before. She hadn’t even shown it to other girls. That was only natural.

But today, she had resolved herself. Koharu approached Hibiki’s bed and placed her hands on her uniform.

“If possible, could you turn around until I take it off, Hiroyo-kun?”

Blushing deeply, Koharu prepared herself.

And so, the challenge to erase her scar was about to begin.