First Kiss

<Largo>

“Whoa! So this is the real Japan! I’ve always wanted to come here!”

“Forlorn, you’re really fired up,”

Lala chimed in. Given how gloomy I’d been lately, maybe traveling around different locations would be just the refresh I needed.

As part of our field trip, we were on a four-day, three-night tour through Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Hamamatsu.

The massive, safe portals connecting different worlds can move hundreds of people at once, and the only one in East Asia is apparently located in Busan, South Korea. From there, we flew to Haneda Airport in Japan, traveled around via JR and the Shinkansen, and planned to return from Chubu International Airport to Busan before heading back to our original world—after catching a bit of a K-pop concert, of course.

Individuals can apparently travel from places like Kanazawa City, but when it comes to moving large groups, Busan is the only option. It’s a bit of a shame we won’t be stopping by Kofu, Akira-san’s hometown.

The main objective of the trip is, of course, music. We’re here to absorb knowledge from museums and concerts—insights we couldn’t gain back in Zipang Village—and then return home.

Still, a bit of fun is essential, too. There’s time for shopping and wandering the city. Japan, being a kingdom of characters and cute merchandise, makes it hard not to buy plush toys and other goodies—despite knowing it’ll make our luggage heavier. Oh well...

Though we’re mostly staying in city hotels, on the third day, we’re supposed to stay at a place called Inuyama Onsen, and I was really looking forward to it.

After about 20 minutes on the bus, which was moving slower than expected due to traffic—

“Look! A fire!”

Someone pointed, and when I looked in that direction, flames were rising from what looked like an old inn.

“Help! Mommy!”

“Takashi! I have to save Takashi...!”

“Ma’am! You can’t go in there! You’ll die too!”

A small boy was waving his arms and crying for help, his face blackened by smoke.

No... I have to go help him—right now!

“Driver! Please let us off here!”

“Don’t be reckless. We have a duty to get all of you safely to your lodgings. Besides, there’s nothing you kids can do. Maybe in your own world, as super mages, you could extinguish fires or do rescues, but in this world, you’re just powerless high schoolers.”

He was right. It was frustrating—painful—to be so helpless.

“If only there were something we could do…”

“There isn’t. The only thing you can do is stick together and avoid getting in the way of the police or firefighters.”

He was right. But if we do nothing, that boy will...

“There is a way to use magic.”

“Groove?!”

A surprising voice chimed in. Since casual clothes were allowed on this trip, he was wearing his trademark oversized pants.

“There’s a magical candy developed by the witch Aria under Edgeguard Corporation. If the Garnet Prince or Cobalt Princess eats one, they can use a bit of magic even in this Earth-like world.”

In his hand, Groove held a gummy candy in a green wrapper.

“Please! Give it to me!”

“Tch… Fine. But you owe me. These aren’t cheap to make, you know.”

“Thank you!”

I took the candy and popped it in my mouth. I tried casting a girl-voice spell, but nothing happened. Groove looked at me, completely exasperated.

“I told you, you have to become the Cobalt Princess for it to work!”

At those words, Tenuto stood up with a serious face and marched toward me. Wait—what’s he doing? Everyone’s watching! This is too much!

“Forte! I love you! You’re the only one I can marry! Please—live your life as a woman, as Forte, for me!”

With that, he suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me passionately! Our tongues intertwined as everyone around us cheered and whistled.

What the hell are you doing, you pervert?! But… after such a passionate confession, my heart feels like it’s going to burst.

“Gyaaahhh! No no no no! Don’t look at me! I’m so embarrassed!”

A blue aura enveloped me, and power surged through me. I really did become the Cobalt Princess! Lately, Groove’s been playing Cupid a little too well… What is he, a matchmaker?!

I summoned my saxophone with a girl-voice spell and played a short, bossa-nova style track. My body phased through the bus wall.

“What the heck?! She just passed through the wall!”

Ignoring the shocked townspeople, I used levitation magic and rushed to the burning inn. The fire looked moments away from consuming it. Flying closer, I reached out to the crying boy and held him close.

He’s okay. I breathed a sigh of relief—but just then, a charred beam came crashing down on us!

“Look out!”

It was Sharp who diverted the beam with water-pressure magic. He was surrounded by a red aura.

“Thank you!”

“Let’s get the kid out of here before this turns into a bigger scene.”

Following Sharp’s lead, we handed the boy over to a female police officer who’d arrived on the scene. As we left, sirens blared and the child shouted, “Thank you, big sisters!” behind us.

As we returned to the bus, a question nagged at me.

“Wait a sec... Edge Shadow Corp. is gone, and you haven’t gone dark. So how did you become the Garnet Prince?”

“S-Shut up.”

He’s hiding something. His aura may be red, but there’s something a little Cobalt Princess-like about it too...

Back on the bus, Sharp gave Forte a fist bump.

“Thanks.”

“I’d do anything for you.”

Wait… what? What’s going on?

“No way… Did Forte… K-K-Kiss Sharp with my body?!”

“Keep your voice down!”

The whole bus erupted in laughter.