Meanwhile, in Hikari's room, everything was very different. The girl who had lost to Aoi in the duel couldn't stop thinking about the defeat that had left her humiliated in front of the entire class. Although her face showed a calm indifference, her thoughts were far from it.
Hikari was sitting on her bed, staring intently at Ren, who lay on her desk, seemingly lifeless. She had managed to steal him when Aoi wasn't looking, and now it was her chance to investigate the puppet she had seen in action.
"What are you hiding, little puppet?" she murmured, running her fingers over Ren's fabric, trying to sense some kind of magic that could reveal the secret of his power.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Reina—the girl who had previously spoken with Aoi—entered with a casual air, as if she had no real intention of getting too involved.
"Still with that thing?" Reina asked, sitting down on a chair next to Hikari, showing little interest in what was happening.
Hikari looked up with an arrogant smile.
"I'm investigating. That puppet isn't normal. There's something special about it, I can feel it. Aoi must be hiding it for a reason."
Reina raised an eyebrow, watching Hikari with a slightly mocking smile.
"What, jealous? Because Aoi beat you and you can't accept it?" Reina said, not bothering to hide the teasing in her tone.
Hikari tensed for a moment but quickly regained her composure.
"That has nothing to do with it!" she snapped, her voice louder than she intended. "Aoi won, but that doesn't mean she's better than me. She just... got lucky."
Reina stared at her for a moment, then shrugged.
"Sure, sure. Though to be honest, I don't really see you being this interested in the puppet for purely academic reasons." She smirked. "Could it be that you're jealous Aoi can control it and you can't?"
Hikari stood up abruptly, her face flushed with irritation, but before she could say anything, Reina raised a hand.
"Don't mind me. I just think you're getting really obsessed with that puppet, and I don't get why."
Hikari tried to ignore her, but deep down she knew Reina had a point. The defeat had been humiliating, and all she wanted now was to prove that she could be better than Aoi. If she could control that puppet, she'd have something to show the rest. But there was something more—something that unsettled her: the feeling that Aoi had been hiding more than she let on.
"I just want to find out what it does," Hikari muttered, once again staring at Ren, who appeared completely still.
At that moment, Ren's consciousness stirred, as if he had sensed Hikari's presence. Though he couldn't move, his mind was alert.
"What's going on?! How did I end up here?! Aoi!" he thought in panic.
But, just like before, his body didn't respond to his will, and he remained motionless, waiting for someone to step in.
Reina watched everything silently, but inside, she wondered just how far Hikari would go to get what she wanted. Still, she seemed to be enjoying the tension in the air.
---
Hikari's room was dimly lit by a single lamp, and on the table in front of her lay Ren—the puppet she had stolen in hopes of uncovering its secret. However, no matter how long she observed it, she couldn't find anything that made it different from any other puppet. The fabric, though well-crafted, gave off no magical vibrations. The strings she used to manipulate it didn't seem to hold any special power either.
Frustrated, Hikari moved the puppet slightly, trying different ways to control it, but Ren remained completely motionless. The puppet—or whatever was inside it—didn't respond. Hikari frowned and continued inspecting every inch of it, trying to find any clue.
Meanwhile, within his lifeless body, Ren was doing everything he could to stay perfectly still and silent. His body wouldn't respond to his will, but his mind was fully alert.
"I can't let them find out!" he thought as he felt Hikari moving him. Every touch from her only deepened his embarrassment.
Ren knew he had to remain completely still. Any sign that he was more than just a regular puppet could lead to disaster.
"Please… don't discover me," he silently pleaded.
But Hikari didn't give up. Still frowning, she finally dropped into her chair and crossed her arms. She stared at Ren in frustration, though her expression shifted to one of contemplation.
"There's no way you're just a regular puppet. There's something about you… I can feel it. But I just can't find it," she murmured, mostly to herself.
Then something inside her seemed to break. With a defeated sigh, she stood up from the chair.
"Maybe a shower will clear my head," she muttered, ignoring Ren for the moment.
Reina, who had been watching with boredom since the beginning, lazily got up from the chair where she'd been sitting. She had no real interest in Hikari's investigation. She had seen that kind of obsession before, and what she really wanted now was simply to relax. As Hikari entered the bathroom, Reina walked slowly over to the table where Ren lay. Her gaze sparkled with a faint curiosity.
She picked Ren up with a gentleness that completely contrasted with her usually cold demeanor. Her eyes glimmered, as if she had just discovered a new toy.
"What's up, little puppet?" Reina whispered, looking at Ren with a mischievous expression. Then, with a smile on her face, she began speaking in a deep, exaggerated masculine tone, pretending Ren was responding:
"Hey, Reina. I've been waiting for you. I was so worried."
Ren, mortified and unsure of what to do, remained still, knowing that even the slightest movement would expose him.
"No… I can't..." he thought, wishing he could disappear.
But Reina, oblivious to his inner panic, continued her little game.
"What have you been waiting for, huh? Ah, I get it! You want to be seen as stronger… more mature," she said, using an even deeper voice, mimicking what she imagined a boy might sound like.
Ren felt the heat of embarrassment flood his face—something he couldn't stop even if he tried.
"What is she doing?! Why is she like this?!" he screamed internally, feeling his body tremble slightly.
"I… I can't take this!"
When Reina, giggling softly, brought the puppet closer to her lips, Ren tried to keep his composure, but the embarrassment was overwhelming. With a playful grin, she pressed a soft kiss to the puppet's face.
It was as if time froze for Ren. His body reacted involuntarily, a wave of heat rushing through him, causing a slight twitch.
"No… I couldn't stop it!" The shame of having been kissed by Reina made him move just slightly, but it was enough. Reina instantly pulled back, staring at the puppet in surprise.
"Did… did it just move?" she asked aloud, clearly shocked. Her eyes lit up with a curiosity she hadn't shown until now.
Ren, mortified beyond belief, stayed silent, knowing he had just revealed himself with a single, accidental twitch.
"This is the worst!" he thought, wishing the floor would swallow him.
Reina, initially frozen in surprise, stood still for several seconds, processing what had just happened. Something inside her seemed to shift.
"Did it really move?" she wondered, but quickly shook her head.
"No, that's ridiculous. Probably just my imagination."
Still, something in her eyes betrayed her. The curiosity had been awakened, and it wasn't going away anytime soon. Meanwhile, Ren, completely still, hoped with all his might that this would be the end of it. But deep down, he knew—this was only the beginning.
---
End of Chapter 12