Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Put It Back!

A doujin heroine who could stop time? Does anyone care to explain?

Oreki Gen was on the verge of tears, but the breathtakingly gorgeous, ice-cold girl was already standing right in front of him. He could clearly smell the faint, delicate fragrance coming off her.

Her gaze seemed to roam over him, as if appraising something. Oreki Gen felt deeply uncomfortable, yet couldn't make a single move in response.

She finally spoke, her voice unhurried.

"Five minutes isn't much... but it should be enough."

What did that mean? She could stop time for five minutes?

But what was she going to use those five minutes for?

Then Oreki Gen watched Sakuraba Mitsuki pull out her phone and aim it at him.

CLICK~

She'd taken his photo.

"Mm... he should be the ideal model template. Quite good-looking, too."

She put her phone away and turned her gaze back to Oreki Gen.

Oreki Gen's heartbeat was accelerating. He had no idea if she could hear it.

But if she found out he was actually conscious right now, things would get far more complicated. Oreki Gen forced himself to stay calm.

Then he watched her extend a hand and begin to... touch him.

From his face, to his neck, then his collarbone and even his chest, down to his abdomen... she examined every inch with meticulous thoroughness, leaving nothing untouched.

"Mm, the jawline is perfect."

"The chest isn't exactly muscular, but there's definition."

"Oh? Even some abs?"

What did you think his non-negotiable nightly runs were for?!

But what was she actually doing? Was she just being a creep, or was she... gathering reference material for her next artwork? Since when had she had her eye on him?

Sakuraba Mitsuki studied Oreki Gen for a moment. These five minutes felt as excruciatingly long as waiting for the new year to arrive.

Then this girl — her black hair cascading like a waterfall of silk — crouched down!

She crouched right in front of him, her face level with his belt.

And then...

"I wonder what it looks like down here. Never actually seen one in person. I'm curious, though... but if I'm going to draw that kind of content, I can't skip this part, can I? Alright. You're going to be my model."

Wait, what are you muttering about? Don't tell me you're going to,

RRRIP...

Oreki Gen distinctly heard the sound of his zipper being pulled down.

A rush of cool air.

Her fingers — precise in their aim, though a touch clumsy in a way that suggested she'd never done anything like this before — but... she managed.

No! You're using time stop for THIS?!

This doujin was seriously messed up!

"So that's what it looks like?"

"Strange..."

"How curious."

"Mm... curious, and a bit... exaggerated... Is every guy like this?"

Of course not — he was a doujin protagonist. How could he be the same as an average person? But could she maybe wrap it up already?! Was she sightseeing at an exhibition?! This was mortifying!!

No!

He was seriously going to lose it!

Oreki Gen was panicking, but he couldn't see Sakuraba Mitsuki's expression from this angle.

And then, mercifully.

Sakuraba Mitsuki stood back up. She seemed to have given up on her observation...

CLICK~

Did she just take a photo? No way... she went that far?

Oreki Gen was too exhausted to even retort anymore. He had no idea what would happen from here. All he wanted was for these five minutes to end already.

Having pocketed her phone again, Sakuraba Mitsuki stared straight at Oreki Gen. The boy — unable to so much as shift his pupils — could see the expression on her face at this moment.

On that icy countenance, a captivating flush of red had bloomed, like cinnabar bleeding across rice paper.

"Your lips are so pretty... the prettiest I've ever seen."

Here it comes. Oreki Gen had already abandoned any last shred of hope. He knew what was about to happen.

The words from the text message surfaced in his mind...

Sakuraba Mitsuki before him wore a faintly troubled expression.

"Should I try it... It'd be my first kiss, but if it's Oreki-kun..."

She even knew his name?

She'd been watching him for more than just a day or two... The gravity of that realization hit Oreki Gen like a freight train.

And Sakuraba Mitsuki's flushed face was drawing closer, inch by inch.

She truly was beautiful. Those eyes — cold yet overflowing with allure — could drag anyone into their depths without effort. Oreki Gen didn't want to sink into that whirlpool, but his gaze had nowhere to flee. He couldn't even close his eyes.

An ill-timed thought struck him.

Was the reason the doujin's male lead got dismembered so easily... because she could stop time? Was this foreshadowing all along?

This was a death trap!

Sakuraba Mitsuki's eyes widened slightly, as if she'd just steeled her resolve.

"Forget it — I can't hold back anymore. I'd regret passing this up. Besides, for Oreki-kun, this is a gift, isn't it? Practically divine grace. And he'll never even know."

"Oreki-kun's lips are so pretty. They look delicious, too. Surely there's no harm in having a taste?"

The exact same words!

She must have practiced this ability many times before. That was why she could use it so casually on him this time, confident he'd be none the wiser.

What she didn't know was that his consciousness had been preserved... but what good did that do?

He couldn't stop her from closing in.

She leaned in and cupped his face in both hands.

Then, with no miracle appearing, no savior's light breaking through, Oreki Gen — unable to even shut his eyes — could only watch as she gently closed hers and pressed her lips to his.

A breathtaking face, and those soft, tender lips.

The instant of contact sent a tidal wave crashing through his mind.

This flawless, singular girl — even the taste of her lips was unique. Like the most exquisite jelly, a single draw of breath could swallow it whole. But Oreki Gen couldn't make any motion at all. He couldn't reciprocate or resist.

He could only take it.

He thought he was starting to understand how the girls in those time-stop scenarios felt.

Because right now, the victim was him.

As beautiful and mesmerizing as she was, one thought of what continued contact would lead to — the final ending — and Oreki Gen's world was already turning gray.

And her delicate lips were like a flower blooming on scorched earth.

Cruel and beautiful.

Suffused with despair, yet achingly sweet.

She was truly savoring him, even gently nipping at his lips as though she'd developed an addiction.

Oreki Gen could hear the soft, wet sounds between their mouths. No exaggeration — it set his pulse racing more than any "study material" ever could...

It felt like it would never end, like this kiss would stretch on for a century.

But then, abruptly,

"Hm? Running out of time. What a shame... That tasted really nice, though."

She finally pulled her lips away, but Oreki Gen could see the glistening residue on them.

She lightly wiped the corner of her mouth, then broke into an enigmatic smile — beautiful, but deeply unsettling.

The fervor in her eyes was like someone who'd tasted something addictive and couldn't bear to let go.

She looked at him as though in a final farewell.

"Thanks for the treat today. See you, Oreki-kun."

She turned around, her retreating figure light and captivating.

Was it finally over?

Everything had come true. Every word of that text had come true.

Even with all his precautions, she'd still "tasted" his lips.

But at least... it was all over now. She'd turned and left...

Wait.

Hey! Come back! You didn't stuff it back in and zip me up!!