"Need me to pick that up for you?"
Hoshino Mirai asked, suppressing a laugh.
The penguin, hearing this, turned around in a huff, leaving her with a sulky, aloof back view: "Just drip a drop onto your wound and spread it evenly. It’ll heal right up."
"Oh."
Hoshino Mirai obediently responded, setting the notebook in her arms aside before picking up the red potion from the ground. But as soon as she held it, she realized the wound on her knee was covered by her sock. To apply the potion properly, she’d have to tear the black stockings.
But then she figured, since they were already torn, there was no point in keeping them on—no need to struggle with ripping them further. Might as well take them off entirely.
With that thought, she glanced up at the penguin, still facing away, and spoke up: "Um… don’t turn around yet."
The penguin instinctively froze mid-motion, slowly tilting its head back in confusion: "What’s wrong?"
"Ugh, turn back around!"
Hoshino Mirai’s face flushed crimson as she stammered impatiently.
"Fine."
The penguin turned away again, feeling utterly baffled. But anyone who knew it well would understand—this penguin had a rebellious streak.
"You can only turn back… when I say so."
"Got it."
"Don’t just brush me off—promise me!"
"Alright, I promise. And once I promise, I won’t break it. Honesty is my moral baseline as a living being."
Hearing such a firm reply, Hoshino Mirai sighed in relief. Then, cheeks burning, she mustered the courage to slip off her little leather shoes, revealing her black-stockinged feet in the open air.
After removing her shoes, she peeked again to confirm the penguin hadn’t moved. Taking a deep breath, she reached under her skirt to slide down her pantyhose.
But just as she’d pulled them down to her thighs—suddenly, the penguin turned its head, giving her an intense stare before whipping back around.
"You—you—!"
Hoshino Mirai jolted in shock, hurriedly yanking the stockings back up, her face now practically glowing red.
"You liar!"
She seethed, equal parts mortified and furious.
There was no way the penguin hadn’t caught a glimpse of her white, bow-adorned undergarments!
The humiliation was unbearable.
She felt both wronged and helpless.
Parmesan (the penguin) didn’t bother explaining. Instead, it coolly lifted its head, gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle, and remarked indifferently: "You shouldn’t feel this way. After all, I’m just a penguin. Think of me as an animal."
"But you promised!"
Hoshino Mirai fumed, feeling utterly betrayed by its lack of integrity.
"I said honesty is my moral baseline as a human," the penguin reiterated coldly. Then it added, "But right now, I’m a penguin. So my moral baseline is… flexible."
"You—!"
Hoshino Mirai was left speechless.
"Alright, if it bothers you that much, I’ll leave for now."
Without waiting for a response, the penguin scurried over to a nearby knife, stepped onto it with its flipper, and said, "Call me when you’re done."
Then—poof—it vanished into thin air.
"Wait—!"
Before she could protest, the penguin was gone. But something felt off. She couldn’t shake the suspicion that it was still lurking somewhere, watching her.
Her eyes darted around nervously.
Finding no trace of it, she steeled herself and stripped off the stockings again, exposing her slender, porcelain-like legs—marred only by the scabbed wound on one knee.
Hands trembling, she uncorked the potion. A peculiar fragrance wafted out, sharpening her focus. If she had to describe it—
It smelled like life itself.
Snapping out of her daze after a few seconds, she held her breath, closed her eyes, and let a single drop fall onto her wound.
Instead of the expected sting, warmth spread through the injury, soothing the fiery pain into a faint itch.
Without hesitation, she smoothed the liquid over the entire wound.
Then—something miraculous happened.
The injury began healing at an impossible speed. Within seconds, a scab formed… then flaked away.
Stunned, Hoshino Mirai grabbed a wet wipe from under her skirt and swiped it over her knee—now flawless, as if never harmed.
She stared blankly at her restored skin, lost in thought.
"And this only cost 50 QB…?"
After a long pause, she muttered in disbelief.
Then, remembering something urgent, she sprang to her feet and called out for the penguin.
A rustling sound later, it reappeared before her.
Hoshino Mirai hastily held out the potion. "Here, take this back."
"Sure."
The penguin extended a flipper. The moment it touched the vial, the liquid dissolved into nothingness. Satisfied, it withdrew its limb like nothing had happened.
"Thank you…"
Hoshino Mirai fidgeted, clutching her skirt hem, legs pressed together self-consciously—clearly uneasy without her stockings.
"Cold without pants, huh?"
The penguin hesitated before asking, feigning concern.
"I’m not pantsless!"
Her cheeks burned as she snapped back.
"Whatever."
The penguin shrugged. "But if you’re chilly, I can summon your old pair."
"They’re stockings! And… you can really do that?"
Her eyes widened.
"Mhm~"
The penguin puffed out its chest proudly. With a wave of its flipper, a neatly packaged pair of stockings plopped between them.
"Here. Put ’em on."
Hoshino Mirai blinked. The brand was exactly the same as the ones she’d just taken off!
She bent down to inspect them, confirming it wasn’t a mistake. The realization left her even more astonished. What kind of power is this?
Before she could ask, the penguin spoke again:
"Actually… I came to say goodbye."
Her grip on the stockings tightened. Her heart lurched.
"Ag-again? Where are you going this time?"
"Back to my own world. There’s no energy left here to sustain me, so I have to leave."
The penguin’s tone was calm. "It’s been fun, but we don’t belong in the same world."
"Then how do we get more energy?"
Hoshino Mirai couldn't help but grow anxious.
The penguin shook its head. "There's no way around it. This is the choice of the times. No one can stop it, no one can control it, and no one can resolve it."
Hearing this, Hoshino Mirai fell silent. A faint sense of sorrow and regret welled up in her heart, but she suppressed those emotions and forced herself to sound strong. "Then… will you ever come back?"
The penguin remained quiet. The dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and a beam of sunlight fell upon its body, making it appear especially sacred and serene, exuding tranquility. After a long pause, it finally sighed softly. "No."
At this answer, Hoshino Mirai felt lost. Her eyes instantly reddened. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile. "I… I see."
"However, you can summon…"
The penguin glanced at her and ultimately spoke these words.
"Summon what?"
"A penguin."
Hoshino Mirai's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly asked, "How do I summon one?"
"Take notes."
The penguin suddenly looked at the notebook beside her. "First, write down the required items and the incantation."
"Go ahead."
Hoshino Mirai quickly picked up the notebook, pulled a pen from her chest pocket, and began earnestly jotting things down.
"Autumn clothes and pants."
The penguin stated.
"Autumn clothes and pants??"
Hoshino Mirai was taken aback and couldn’t help but question it.
"Yes."
"Got it. What next?"
"Thick cotton pants."
"Thick cotton pants…"
"Thick cotton coat."
"Thick cotton coat…"
"Tailcoat."
"Tailcoat…"
"Full-length mirror."
"Mm."
After finishing her notes, Hoshino Mirai looked up at the penguin. "Anything else?"
"That’s it."
The penguin shook its head. "You just need to put these on in order, then recite the incantation in front of the mirror."
"And the incantation?"
"I want to top up QB."
"I want to top up QB…"
Hoshino Mirai muttered as she wrote, then suddenly imagined what she would look like wearing all these clothes. She abruptly lifted her head, eyes wide with confusion. "Wait, wouldn’t I just turn into a penguin?"
After all, a thick cotton coat ensemble with a tailcoat over it—wouldn’t that make her look like a round, plump penguin?
Hearing her question, the penguin nodded calmly. "Exactly. That way, you become a penguin yourself. Pretty magical, right?"
Hoshino Mirai: "…"
You’ve got to be kidding me!
She crumpled the paper in her hand and threw it at the penguin, furious. "I seriously wrote all that down, and you were just messing with me!"
"Just a joke to lighten the mood. You looked like you were about to cry earlier."
The penguin flapped its wings, then swiftly changed the subject. "Actually, I will come back—just not anytime soon. And if you’re ever feeling down, you can always put on that outfit. Maybe seeing yourself in the mirror will remind you of my ridiculous, laughable appearance!"
"Pfft, you’re not laughable at all."
Hoshino Mirai immediately retorted. Though she was relieved to hear it would return, the thought of its absence still brought a pang of sadness, leaving her feeling gloomy.
"Alright, time for me to go."
With that, the penguin turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Hoshino Mirai knew she couldn’t stop it, but today, she was determined to express all her feelings—everything she had kept inside.
Summoning her courage, she called out to the penguin and slowly approached.
"What?"
The penguin grew wary.
"I wanted to see you off, but I know I can’t. So when you come back, no matter what happens, I’ll be here waiting for you!"
She made this vow firmly, her voice resolute, carrying a hint of finality.
The penguin pondered for a long while before finally nodding.
"And… can I hug you?"
Hoshino Mirai now wore an expression of sheer determination, fully prepared—even if it refused, she’d probably just grab it anyway.
"Fine."
After a moment’s thought, the penguin relented.
As soon as it spoke, Hoshino Mirai pulled it into a tight embrace. Feeling the warmth and softness of the girl, the penguin froze briefly before quickly recovering. It lifted its flippers and gently patted her slender, delicate back.
She crouched, holding it close, resting her head against the feathers of its neck, eyes shut as she breathed in its scent greedily, as if unwilling to ever let go.
It quietly offered her this final comfort.
A long time passed.
"There’s so much more I want to say to you…"
Hoshino Mirai loosened her grip, wiping away her tears as she managed a weak smile. "If I could, I’d love to go on adventures with you, to experience all kinds of miracles and wonderful journeys together…"
"Who in the world would go on adventures with a penguin?!"
"I would."
"Alright."
The penguin chuckled, cutting her off. It spoke quickly, "As long as you live happily every day, that’s enough for me. I hope everything goes well for you. Listen to your brother more. Just… keep going."
Hoshino Mirai wasn’t ready to give up. She wanted to say more, but the penguin raised a flipper to cover her mouth.
"Time for me to leave."
"Mm. Goodbye."
This time, Hoshino Mirai didn’t cry or grieve like before. Instead, she smiled with acceptance, raising a small fist as she waved. "Prince, I’ll be waiting for you!"
"Okay."
"Come back and marry me! I want to be your princess!"
The penguin stumbled in shock at her words. The usually gentle girl had completely changed. It flailed in panic. "Hold on, I’m just a penguin! How can you have such thoughts about me?!"
"I don’t care! You’re the one who turned around and saw things you shouldn’t have! Now my innocence is ruined—you have to take responsibility!"
Hoshino Mirai suddenly turned domineering. She grabbed the penguin and hoisted it up, staring at it sternly. "In this lifetime, I can only marry you. So you have to come back!"
The penguin spread its wings, on the verge of tears. "These things require emotional foundations! I really just see you as a little sister. How can you think of me like this?!"
"That doesn’t matter. As long as I like you, that’s enough."
Hoshino Mirai declared imperiously, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I will be your princess—no matter what!"
[Ding—]
[Character data loading…]
[Target: Hoshino Mirai]
[System description: Born into wealth yet without a trace of arrogance. Academically above average, humble, kind, and beautiful—but deeply childish and fragile at heart.]
[Successfully evaluated.]
[Confession to host successful.]
[Congratulations, host has received a B-rank confession.]
[Random attribute point +1—]
[Host’s attributes have been updated.]
[Intelligence: 9]