Side - Nana
Nana was extremely intelligent, but there was one thing that she just didn’t understand—romance. That lack of understanding stemmed from her hyper-competence as a magical girl. She was proclaimed a genius at a young age and put in training with girls several years her senior. From there, she leapfrogged to the title of archwizard and was primarily sent on solo missions. Before she knew it, she was grown up... but didn’t know anyone, especially not men.
“So, being perfectly frank, what do you think of me as a woman?”
“That’s an awfully sudden straight ball...”
“I know it’s weird to ask, but you’re the only male acquaintance I have, Satomi-san.”
Realizing the situation she was in, Nana turned to Koutarou for help. He was the only man she knew, and she felt like Koutarou knew her well enough to give a reliable answer. He was serious and earnest; he kept promises and he kept secrets. Yurika also trusted him, and that went a long way with Nana.
“In that case...”
“What do you think?”
“Do you mind if I take a look at you?”
“Go ahead. Look as much as you want. That’s why I’m here.”
Koutarou understood Nana’s concerns and agreed to help her out. He stood up and circled her slowly, taking a good look at her all the way around.
“There’s no need to hold back. Be honest and tell me what you really think.”
“Well... I think you’re cute.”
Koutarou gave his honest opinion. To him, Nana was as adorable as a doll in a toyshop window.
“In what way?”
“Foremost, I think you’re very feminine.”
“Phew... Thank god...”
Nana let out a sigh upon hearing Koutarou’s assessment. Being told that was feminine meant a lot to her. She’d spent her life fighting and she often worried about her image, so hearing that she still had some charm after all was a huge relief. Encouraged, she leaned forward and urged him to continue.
“Anything else?”
“Maybe it’s because you’re so petite and slim, but...”
Koutarou, on the other hand, was starting to look uncomfortable. He wanted to help Nana, but it was hard for a teenage boy to tell a girl straight to her face what he found attractive about her. Nana was aware of this, however, and pressed him nonetheless. She leaned in with expectant eyes, but Koutarou fumbled for a reply.
“Well?”
“I just sort of get the feeling that I want to protect you.”
“Protect me? I see... So that’s how I look...”
There, Nana looked down at herself in wonderment.
“What is it?”
“This is the first time a man’s said he wanted to protect me... Heh.”
That too was because of Nana’s hyper-competence. She was strong beyond compare, and was always the one doing the protecting. No one had ever said they’d protect her before, so hearing Koutarou’s words made her smile.
“But Satomi-san... is that really how you feel?”
“Huh?”
“You know that my body is pretty much just a hunk of metal, right?”
Even though she was smiling, Nana was still uneasy. A significant portion of her body was now artificial. Sometimes she felt more like a cyborg than a woman.
“I think that any normal guy would want to go out with you regardless of what your body’s made of, Nana-san.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Kenji certainly would, and he was a good representative sample. Koutarou was sure of that.
“Then what about you, Satomi-san?”
“What do I matter?”
“I want to hear your answer. Can you please tell me?”
“Ugh, well...”
Koutarou desperately began racking his brain for a way to dodge the question. But between Nana’s earnest pleading and the beaming expression on her face, he ultimately caved and decided to tell her his true feelings.
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