Chrome Shelled Regios

Volume 20, With Interview

The first-year male student in front of her was a kouhai to Mifi. The schools opening ceremony had ended not long ago, and the boy who showed an uncomfortable expression in his stiff, unwrinkled uniform seemed very pure.

Moreover, there were many such people next to her.

Yes, this was a place in the school buildings where many first-year classrooms were located.

An area that Mifi had always come to not long ago.

These new patrons of the area made Mifi a bit strange, but she put these feelings in the back of her mind and continued asking questions.

"Uh, she's the classmate you're talking about?"

"Right right, it's her."

The kouhai showed some suspicion, or perhaps a reaction to a topic he didn't like, but he still reluctantly spoke.

Her - what he meant was a beautiful girl who had become a hot topic among the new first-years.

Her name was Vati Len.

She worked in the the store that Mifi's childhood friend Meishen had opened, so Mifi knew she was a beautiful girl, and she also felt that this girl was weird, but hadn't thought that she would have created such a fuss.

"Then, I heard that there were seven people in total, is that true?"

"Ah - I heard that there were about that many, but I don't know how many people there actually were."

"Meaning that you have some first-hand information?"

"I know three of their names."

"Including you?"

"Ah, that's right."

The kouhai's expression became bitter.

Mifi's interview seemed not to make him unhappy. No, maybe he had felt unhappy since the beginning, but those feelings had slowly changed.

Was it because his unrequited love had already calmed down that he felt interest? Or was it because this girl was a hot topic, so he had confessed partly as a joke?

Ah, that kind of situation was also possible. Who could get the most talked-about person - maybe guys confessed with that kind of attitude of playing around.

Mifi didn't believe it was a bad thing.

Those kinds of actions made great trouble for the girl, but Mifi felt that not only could doing that make the class atmosphere sizzle, it was also very interesting. Though Meishen or Naruki would would have a completely opposite opinion.

However, that noticeable girl had rejected the confession attacks of the male students with full potential total annihilation. Just that was already very interesting.

But, with only that, Mifi wouldn't have deliberately come here to interview.

The interesting part was her methods of rejection.

"Then, how were you rejected?"

"Uh~ Me? I……"

After an ashamed pause, the boy began explaining……

"Uh, how should I put it? It should probably fine if I explain, right?"

"Nn, go ahead."

The male students she had interviewed until now all had that response, so Mifi had long since gotten used to this kouhai's attitude. She quickly invited him to continue talking.

"She asked many questions, questions like 'what part of me do you like'."

"Nnnnnn."

"When it had just started, I thought - Ah, this person is too narcissistic, I even felt she was very irritating. But, afterwards I gradually felt that maybe things weren't as I had thought."

"What does that mean?"

"Because she kept asking without stopping. How am I different from other girls, how large are other people in the bust category, who's this and that in the waist category~ And not only did she ask what was different between her and other people, she even talked about me."

Judging from your hobbies, I'm not in your strike zone. In that case, why did you choose me?

Among the female students you look at in the classroom, you look at XX the most. However, comparing her and I, I believe that there are quite few similarities between the two of us. What reason is there for that?

Like those kinds of questions.

Nn, Mifi understood that not only was that annoying, but also quite fearful. She had experienced that feeling.

"So you escaped?"

"I escaped, isn't that a natural response? I confessed three minutes ago, but why did she keep talking about other people? It's almost a horror film."

"Hmm."

Mifi felt that the he was somewhat right.

Moreover, all of the guys she had interviewed so far had said similar things.

She also understood the talkative moods of these kouhai. In the beginning, they had been resentful because they had been made to think of those scary memories, but as it went on they felt that since they already thought of it, might as well straightforwardly talk about all of their fears - things were definitely like that.

After all, the guys she had interviewed until now had all made that kind of response.

As for why she would use that kind of method to reject, that was what Mifi was interested in. Though Mifif had interviewed those guys, the doubts in her heart hadn't been resolved at all.

"As expected, I guess I can only ask the person in question herself now."

Mifi thought this.

Taking action immediately after being confident in an idea was Mifi's strength.

"That's how things are, can I interview her?"

It was the dining area of Meishen's store. Though Meishen and Vati were working, Mifi still interrupted.

"Okay, since we have no customers right now anyway."

Because of the location, there weren't many customers who came here directly to buy, so Mifi easily got Meishen's approval. Since Meishen had responded, of course Mifi easily got Vati's agreement.

"That's what's going on, thanks for the help!"

"No problem, please go ahead."

Vati had an indifferent expression that she had never changed since Mifi had first seen her, but Psychokinesists were basically all like that, so Mifi had long since been used to that kind of attitude.

Unconcerned, she began asking bluntly:

"Uh, the reason I came here today was to interview Vati-san for her story."

"Story means……?"

"Well, the story of why you struck down the male classmates who confessed to you one after another……"

"What does that mean?"

Mifi had planned on continuing without beating around the bush, and though she had those thoughts, the atmosphere of the interview suddenly became strange.

"Huh…… weren't there people who confessed to you?"

"yes, there were."

"I already interviewed those people, so this time I wanted to hear what Vati-san had to say."

"I see, you wanted to collect data."

"Ah, nn. Don't look at me like that, I'm also an editor of a magazine."

"I see."

"Uh, then can I ask you some things?"

"Yes. If it's convenient, please allow me to ask a few questions after the interview."

"Sure."

"Then please begin."

Vati quietly sat on the table. Her posture seemed quite pretty, but she didn't give off the narcissistic presence that the kouhai had spoken about.

No, maybe it had simply been a misunderstanding.

In that case, what was the terror that the kouhai had experienced afterwards?

Could the interview this time clear up that mystery? Mifi carefully but forcefully raised a question:

"It seems that there were many people who confessed to you, but do you not have any guy that you like?"

"I don't understand the definition of 'like'."

"Simply put, it's the desire to have go out with someone."

"So you mean someone qualified to engage in reproductive behavior with?"

Cough cough!

An exaggerated sound came from behind her.

Turning around, she could only see Meishen coughing violently in front of the cake shelf.

No, if Meishen hadn't made that response first, Mifi would definitely have become like that.

"……Ah, it might be like that described with the most extreme wording. But before going to that level, I first wanted to talk about topics related to a maiden's feelings."

"What does 'maiden's feelings' mean?"

"Eh?"

"I looked at some love-related manga, but I still don't really understand."

"By don't really understand, you mean…… Huh?"

"I noticed after reading those manga - and men are also the same in this regard - a prerequisite is that the other male party have good looks, and though there are differences in their reactions and normal attitudes, generally they all have selfless personalities and sacrifice for others, and usually are also very empathetic."

"Uh, nn."

"Regarding the third part of being empathetic, I can understand, considering that it's a priority to ensure the survival of one's genetic factors, but I cannot understand the two earlier items. People's preferences will be strongly impacted by the prevailing culture, so it cannot be generalized, but according to the current prevailing culture, most are able to reproduce regardless of their outer appearance."

"Uh - Yeah…… that's right."

"In that case, appearance isn't actually that important. Of course, it's not ethically accepted to artificially change one's appearance, and people need a flexible mind and medical technology to be able to change their appearance to suit the other gender."

"Uh…… Nn…… Yeah."

"Also, regarding the second item, a quiet and selfless personality. I don't understand why sometimes people hold unchanging feelings for someone, yet there exists a contradiction in their expression. In particular, females will express an attitude of dislike, but when their target person is about to leave, they exhibit contrasting behavior of wanting him to stay."

Vati had even chosen a specific case…

"Ah, aah…… that's- how should I explain, it should be shyness, right?"

Mifi struggled to reply underneath that inquiring gaze.

"Shyness? I see……"

But what was unexpected was that Vati straightforwardly accepted that answer.

"Those kinds of disorderly symptoms break out in order to let the mind gradually prepare to become suitable for procreation? Just like a rebellious phase."

"What do you mean break out, it's not an illness. Uh, but, ah- If you compare it to a rebellious phase, maybe you could call it a youthful phase."

"Youthful phase. Right, it's a youthful phase. I see. If a rebellious phase is a preparatory phase for the mind to become ready to leave the parents and become independent, a youthful phase is a preparatory phase for procreative activity with the opposite gender, is that right?"

"Uh, that…… Nn, I think, it should be, like that?"

She had lost- Mifi felt impatient.

She had completely lost her momentum.

Mifi had felt that Vati was a strange person, and had prepared her heart for it, but hadn't thought that she would be strange to this degree.

Mifi believed that if even Meishen was able to cope with it, that meant Vati was a good person at heart - maybe that way of thinking had made her underestimate Vati.

Maybe she had underestimated the other party. So that was it, Mifi understood.

She understood the feelings of the guys.

This kind of feeling was indeed terror.

It gave them a feeling of being unable to communicate with the other party using words.

A kind of terrified feeling that she was clearly dealing with a human, but she wasn't speaking to a human.

However, Mifi couldn't retreat at this critical juncture.

She had come here to interview.

Mifi was a reporter.

"I see……"

"Uh, so about my question just now……"

"Right, you just asked me whether there were any guys that I liked."

"Nn, right, right."

Mifi felt that she had regained her position, making her relax a bit.

However, her thoughts were too naive.

"But, I never noticed anything about myself sufficient to make them like me. And more importantly, everyone seems to have mistaken something."

"Huh?"

"I never rejected their confessions even once."

"Huhh? Ah!"

If she said that- Mifi thought of it. Of the guys Mifi had interviewed, every one had said that they had run away because they couldn't take Vati's bombardment of questions.

No one had been told the words 'I refuse' by Vati.

Of course, probably none of them had obtained Vati's acceptance, but-

"Huh? But you didn't give them an answer either, right?"

"No, I accepted the confession, but they had to let me ask several questions…… I should have told all of them something like that."

"Huhhhhhhhhhhhh?!"

"That's how it was, I planned on going out with all of the guys who confessed to me, but……"

"Uh, no one thinks like that."

"Really? Then I should resolve that misunderstanding."

Vati who naturally said that kind of outrageous remark threw Mifi's mind into chaos.

Huh? What did that mean? She wanted to have go out with everyone?

Though she didn't know what the guys thought, at the least Vati thought this way. In other words, she believed she could have went out with all of the guys?

"Because I believe that I should properly experience dating between a man and woman once."

She said that kind of thing.

The person who described dating between a man and a woman as simple reproductive behavior said such a thing.

"No, you can't do that!"

Mifi couldn't help but cry out.

After that, all of the time Meishen had agreed to for Mifi's interview was used for her to convince Vati, and even that wasn't enough time, so Mifi took up more of Vati's working time.

"……Then, they no longer plan on going out with me?"

"Nn, that's definitely it. That's definitely correct, so you should give up this time."

"Understood."

Mifi had immediately noticed that it was an impossible task to instill a sense of virtue and the concept of subtle interactions between men and women into Vati's head, so she decided to tell her that those guys had already backed off.

But, with only that, Mifi worried about how things would turn out.

Though Mifi worried, she was at her limits today from various angles. That was true for both Vati's working time and the physical strength of Mifi and Meishen.

"Guaah, I never would have thought she would be that kind of girl."

After the working time ended, Vati returned to her room. In the store after the metal shutters had been pulled down, Mifi sprawled on the table, exhausted.

"She completely surpassed my imagination."

"She surprised me too."

Meishen also sighed.

"But I have a question."

"Nn? What?"

Mifi raised her head, and could only see Meishen showing a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

"You always tell me to go, go, but you told Vati she couldn't."

"……Do you want me to tell you to join in on a seven-person nighttime orgy?"

"No…… that's not what I meant!"

Meishen's face flushed red in an instant, and that response made Mifi naturally relax.

There were many profound areas of male-female interactions. Mifi felt that Vati seemed to had taught her something - which was that when one revealed the truth easily, it could let everything become barefaced and vulgar.

So, the red-faced Meishen made Mifi feel at peace. The lovestruck her who had imagined a many-person fantasy made Mifi feel at peace.

Did she feel at peace because she also longed for something of that level?

"What should I say? Nn-"

But, in any case……

"I mean, it's enough for us to talk about that kind of love."

Seeing Meishen whose face was still flushed with redness, Mifi deeply felt this way.

Of course, today's interview wouldn't be able to be written into an article.

Because Mifi was yelled at by the editor, 'How could there be this kind of girl!'