The midday sun was bright.
Hoshino Hikari, wearing her sailor uniform, walked along a small path through the school grounds.
As she passed the fork in the road leading to the high school section, she glanced inside.
‘I wonder what my brother is doing right now. Does he chat with his classmates during lunch break? And what do they talk about?’
‘Could there already be girls making a move on him?’
The more Hikari thought about it, the more worried she became.
She forcibly cut off the chaotic thoughts swirling in her head and continued on her way from the Chiyu Academy middle school section toward the teachers’ office building.
Her homeroom teacher, Kurosawa Shizuka, said she wanted to talk to her about something. She had no idea what it could be about.
Last time, Kurosawa had already warned her about not paying attention in class and constantly daydreaming, so she didn’t dare think about battle plans during lessons anymore.
Plus, these past few days had been truly calm; Hikari hadn’t needed to go on many missions.
So, she took this opportunity to try her absolute best to improve the teacher’s impression of her.
Her recent performance had been very proactive, and she’d gotten full marks on her exams.
She probably wouldn’t get scolded again, right?
Thinking this, her feet had already automatically carried her into the office building and to the door of Kurosawa Shizuka’s office.
Hikari felt a bit nervous.
She smoothed down her twin ponytails, flattened all the little wrinkles on her uniform, stood up straight, and gently knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
It was Teacher Kurosawa’s voice.
Hearing the familiar voice, Hikari dared to push the door open and timidly walked up to Kurosawa Shizuka.
“Teacher, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, there are some things I wanted to talk to you about.”
Kurosawa Shizuka brought a chair and placed it opposite herself, gesturing for Hikari to sit.
Then, she got up to close the door.
When she returned from closing the door, Hikari was still standing in place, looking like she didn’t dare move a muscle.
Kurosawa Shizuka revealed a gentle smile.
“Miss Hikari, you’re too nervous. Does your teacher look that scary?”
“I’m sorry, teacher, I… I just get nervous easily.”
“Just sit down, relax. You’ve been doing very well recently. I definitely didn’t call you here to scold you this time.”
Teacher Kurosawa walked over and firmly pressed Hikari down onto the seat.
Even so, it didn’t really ease Hikari’s tension.
Teacher Kurosawa was the new homeroom teacher.
She taught well, was very beautiful, and had a gentle personality, deeply liked by the whole class.
But even so, when facing Kurosawa, Hikari still felt an instinctive fear.
Ultimately, it was because the teachers Hikari encountered in elementary school were too beastly.
They joined forces with other girls to bully her, leaving her with severe psychological trauma.
For a long time afterward, when facing teachers, especially female teachers of the same sex, she would feel intense nausea and dizziness, to the point where she could barely stand.
If it weren’t for her brother constantly comforting and encouraging her afterward, ultimately helping her overcome it, she might not have even been able to attend middle school.
The last time Kurosawa called her to the office, even though it was just a simple reminder, it still stirred up Hikari’s bad memories, making her as nervous as she was now.
“Miss Hikari, I can see you’re very nervous. Please try to relax first. Think of me as your good friend, and think of our conversation as just a chat between good friends.”
Kurosawa Shizuka got up again and poured a cup of jasmine tea for the girl in front of her, handing it to her.
“Drinking some hot tea can help you relax.”
Hikari held the teacup, took a small sip, and felt the delicate fragrance of jasmine and the warmth in her palms.
Her mood seemed to genuinely relax a bit.
Kurosawa Shizuka’s tone of voice was extremely gentle, like coaxing a kitten.
“I called you here just to chat and ask you a few questions. Answer if you want to; it’s okay if you don’t want to answer. Is that alright?”
Hikari thought for a moment, then nodded.
Kurosawa asked, “Right now, are there many students in the class dating?”
This question didn’t really need to be asked of Hikari.
Which class in the whole school didn’t have students dating?
And middle school was exactly the age when feelings first start to blossom.
It would be abnormal if there weren’t any.
Hikari quickly nodded again.
“Yes.”
Kurosawa continued, “Then, when you see those couples going everywhere together, what do you think? Do you envy them?”
Hikari replied, “No, I feel like that has nothing to do with me.”
She’d seen plenty of couples back in elementary school.
By middle school, she was almost numb to it.
Today, this classmate is dating someone; tomorrow, so-and-so broke up.
It was all about how fast they got together and how fast they fell apart.
Purely a case of having too much energy and hormones with nothing to do, so they’d find someone to date.
There were also girls who didn’t really want to date but, seeing others have a boyfriend, wanted to one-up them, so they’d find one too.
To Hikari, this kind of thing seemed absurd.
How could you make such a casual decision about something as sacred as love?
The vast majority of her classmates were muddling through these inexplicable relationships, likely to break up over some minor friction at any moment.
Hikari didn’t envy them at all; she even felt a bit sorry for them.
Kurosawa Shizuka nodded and posed the next question.
“Then, Miss Hikari, have you ever experienced any emotional troubles? Like secretly liking someone?”
“No!”
Hikari denied it decisively.
Kurosawa blinked, her captivating gaze seeming to see right through the girl’s thoughts.
“Really? I was your age once too. It’s normal to have a crush.”
Kurosawa’s line about “I was your age once too” was actually a lie.
Back then, before she even had a chance for her heart to flutter, she had already become a Magical Girl, busy fighting Magic Beasts to her heart’s content.
Her entire adolescence was spent either fighting or on the way to a fight.
Men?
What were those?
Kurosawa’s gaze swept over Hikari again.
The girl in front of her was just too cute.
If scoring purely on looks, Kurosawa would give her an even higher score than she’d give her brother.
Cute people look cute in anything.
Even the ordinary, school-regulated sailor uniform could be worn by her with a different feeling.
When she was this girl’s age, she didn’t think she was this pretty.
Kurosawa suddenly wondered if the reason Hikari was bullied before was precisely because she was too good-looking?
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Girls learn to be jealous of others from a very young age.
“Then, Miss Hikari, being this cute, haven’t any male or female classmates expressed interest in you?”
Kurosawa asked.
Being praised like this by her teacher, Hikari’s little face instantly turned bright red.
The girl shyly lowered her head, lightly bit her lip, and tightly gripped the hem of her sailor skirt.
“I… I’m cute?”
“Of course. In my eyes, Miss Hikari, you’re probably in the cutest tier in the class. It’s really abnormal that no boys are actively pursuing you.”
“I-It might be because I basically don’t interact with the male classmates at all,” Hikari replied, still looking down.
“Ah,” Kurosawa said with a slightly sighing tone.
“Having such a handsome older brother at home naturally raises your standards when it comes to choosing boys.”
Almost the instant she heard the teacher say the word “brother,” Hikari looked up, her eyes full of shock.
‘I only gave her my brother’s contact info, right? Shouldn’t they be communicating online? How does the teacher know my brother is handsome?’
‘Have the teacher and my brother met in person? How could my brother agree to that?’
Kurosawa, seeing her shocked expression, was quite satisfied.
‘Some things, as an older brother, he really isn’t in a convenient position to say to his little sister. But I, as a teacher, don’t have that concern.’
After laying the groundwork for so long, she finally got to what she really wanted to say.
“Miss Hoshino Hikari, do you know why, no matter how beautiful a little sister is, an older brother will only ever see her as family and not as a potential lover? What’s the reason?”
After this question was asked, Hikari’s pupils across from her contracted sharply.
Her mind was thrown into turmoil.
‘Why is the teacher asking this? Could it be… could these be my brother’s own words?’
‘Will always see me as family, not as a lover…’
‘Right, my brother is so smart. Maybe he realized a long time ago that I like him. He never brought it up, afraid of hurting me, so he could only ask the teacher to say it for him?’
Hikari’s mind instantly turned into a chaotic mess.
Countless thoughts sprouted, and she fell into a complete daze.
“Miss Hikari? Miss Hikari?”
Kurosawa Shizuka waved her hand in front of the dazed Hikari, bringing her back from her stupor.
“Did you hear the question I just asked you? Do you know the reason?”
Hikari had already lost the strength to speak at this point and simply shook her head.
“This is due to a psychological reason. The human psyche has an anti-incest mechanism. It’s not just siblings; basically, anyone who grows up together from a young age is like this. They don’t develop romantic feelings for the opposite sex around them.”
This is a theory proposed by the psychologist Westermark after extensive research and investigation, also known as the Westermark effect.
The research indicates that children who grow up together from a young age, whether related by blood or not, find it difficult to end up together.
This is because during infancy and early childhood, children must first ensure their own survival resources, inevitably competing for favor with the children around them.
Their relationship is that of competitors.
Psychologically, they naturally build up defense mechanisms against each other.
So later, even if they become very close, they will only have familial affection and will not develop romantic love.
This is why people often joke that “childhood friends can’t beat the sudden appearance of a new love interest.”
Falling in love with your arch-rival sounds romantic, but it basically only exists in fiction.
In reality, you’d want to strangle each other the moment you meet.
Of course, it’s not just this reason.
There’s also the ethical conditioning of human society itself.
Generally speaking, people with higher moral standards are more likely to trigger the above effect.
By the time Kurosawa Shizuka finished explaining the entire theory in detail, Hikari’s face was ashen.
‘People with higher moral standards are more likely to trigger this effect.’
That last sentence felt like a heavy blow to the girl’s heart.
‘My brother has high moral standards… and I’m actually an immoral person?’
This sentence was something Kurosawa Shizuka added on purpose.
The effect was very satisfying to her; she was laughing inside.
After all, Hikari was still a young girl.
Under pressure, she couldn’t hide her emotions at all.
This should be enough to make her despair.
Actually, regarding theories in this area, Kurosawa only explained half of it.
Corresponding to the anti-incest mechanism, there’s also Genetic Sexual Attraction.
If a pair of biological siblings, brother and sister or sister and brother, are raised separately from a young age and never know each other, then the first time they meet, due to their blood connection, they will naturally feel a strong affinity for each other and mistake that feeling for love.
Combining the two mechanisms can give rise to an absolutely invincible female lead: the “suddenly appearing childhood friend.”
Someone who lived with the protagonist in childhood, has a vague impression of each other, and then suddenly reappears during the period of peak hormones, combining the strengths of both, purely invincible.
Kurosawa Shizuka didn’t dare explain the latter theory.
She was afraid that after explaining it, Hikari might use the power of the Hypnosis Gem to directly wipe Hoshino Gen’s memory, making him completely forget he had a sister.
Then she could reappear by his side, making him unconsciously fall in love with her.
This wasn’t her overthinking it. Once girls get lovestruck, it can be terrifying.
Especially since the seemingly pure and cute girl in front of her had, on the very first day of becoming a Magical Girl, hypnotized her own brother to make him love only her.
As a teacher, Kurosawa Shizuka didn’t feel there was anything wrong with her approach. Tragedy should be nipped in the bud.
By doing this, she wasn’t just fighting for her own happiness; she was also saving these siblings’ lives.
‘I hope you don’t blame me, Miss Hoshino Hikari. This is to prevent you from experiencing even greater sorrow in the future,’ Kurosawa thought silently to herself.
“Is something on your mind, Miss Hikari?”
Seeing Hikari lost in thought, not answering for a long time, Kurosawa spoke up.
“N-No, teacher.”
“That’s good,” Kurosawa said.
“I have one last question for you.”
“This question might be a bit private, but it’s just the two of us here. Answer honestly; I won’t tell anyone else.”
“Can you trust me?”
Hikari replied with an expressionless face, “Mhm.”
Seeing this, Kurosawa got up, went to her desk, and brought over a small box.
She opened it, revealing the little toy she had just picked up.
“Miss Hikari, do you recognize this?”
The little toy in the box was pink-themed.
At first glance, Hikari didn’t feel averse to it, but she quickly realized something was off about it.
The more she looked, the more it resembled…
That kind of toy…
Hikari snapped to attention a bit and immediately denied it.
“I don’t know it.”
Regarding this thing, she only had a vague concept.
It seemed like a toy you put in your mouth?
But no matter what, it definitely wasn’t a good thing.
And even if she did recognize it, she couldn’t say so.
That would be too embarrassing.
Kurosawa smiled.
“I found this in the classroom. Probably only girls would use it, so I’m asking you.”
“I remember, Miss Hikari, you really like pink things, don’t you?”
Hikari hurriedly defended herself.
“Teacher, this isn’t mine, and I really don’t know what it is.”
Kurosawa took her hand.
“I’m not suspecting you. I’ll ask every student in the class later.”
“Having something like this appear in the classroom isn’t a good sign. I hope all my students can grow up healthy and happy. Things like this are still too dangerous for your age.”
“I understand, teacher, but I really don’t have…”
“I believe you.”
Kurosawa Shizuka patted Hikari’s head.
The feel of her hair was unexpectedly nice.
“I know you don’t have many friends in class, Miss Hikari. From now on, can you think of me as your good friend?”
“Mhm.”
Hikari sat there obediently, letting Kurosawa pat her head.
“Alright, I’m sorry for taking up your lunch break. I’ve finished asking the questions I wanted to ask. Do you have any questions for me?”
Hikari certainly had questions, and more than one.
For example, did the person who proposed that Wes-something effect ever research ways to overcome it?
But needless to say, there was no way she could ask a question like that out loud.
“No, teacher.”
“Okay, then you should head back and rest early. There’s still a long time left in the lunch break. You can still rest for a while if you go back now.”
“Mhm, goodbye, teacher.”
Hikari got up from the chair and waved goodbye to Kurosawa Shizuka.
Just as she stepped out the door, she heard Kurosawa call out from behind, “You’ve been doing very well recently. Keep it up.”
“Understood—”
The office door closed again, and the girl’s voice faded into the distance.
Alone and with no one around, Kurosawa Shizuka could finally comfortably prop her long, black-stockinged legs up on the desk again.
She took the toy out of the box, slipped her index finger through the loop of the strap, and spun the little toy around her fingertip like a hula hoop.
At such a close distance, Kurosawa could sense Hikari’s heartbeat and blood flow.
By sensing certain bodily indicators, she could approximate the effect of a lie detector.
Hikari hadn’t lied to her.
This thing wasn’t hers, or at the very least, she had no knowledge of it.
‘That’s strange then. Could it be from the high school section?’
Information about the two Magical Girls from the high school section surfaced in Kurosawa’s mind.
When it came to fighting for fun, Ziteng Sayaka was even more intense than she had been back in the day.
She probably wouldn’t mess with this kind of thing.
Then it could only be that young lady from the Shiratori family.
Sure enough, the more well-off the young lady, the wilder the games she played.
Thinking this, Kurosawa couldn’t help but laugh.
Even if she’s a young lady from a prominent family, if Kurosawa got a handle on her, she’d have to suffer a good torment.
“I don’t believe you can withstand this move.”
Kurosawa Shizuka clenched the little toy spinning on her fingertip in her palm, as if victory was already assured.