"Shuichi…can I ask you something?"

Shuichi looked down at Himiko as she two sat down together. He'd grown close to the girl ever since Angie died, initially coming to her to help console her before finding he actually really enjoyed her presence and started hanging out with her more and more. Currently they were in his room and had been talking about ideas she had for future magic shows, even if she always referred to it as real magic and never tricks.

"Yeah, anything," he said.

"Do you…think I'm attractive?"

Shuichi's eyes went wide as his face turned red. "I…uh…what makes you ask?"

"Well, I mean…Tenko obviously likes me a lot…and I think Angie did too…" she started. "Kokichi teases me, but it almost feels like flirting but…does that mean I'm attractive?"

Shuichi wasn't sure how to answer, as saying either yes or no felt like the wrong thing to say. Of course, it was a simple question where he could easily say yes, but at the same time, maybe it would imply something he didn't know if he meant, as while he'd grown closer to her, he hadn't quite yet understood how he felt about her exactly. It was all very confusing for him, especially since he still wasn't quite over Kaede.

But as he looked down at her face, he felt he knew he had to answer in a specific way, so he waited until she looked up, meeting his eyes before he nodded.

"Yes."

Her face turned red as she swallowed. "Y-You…really?"

"Y-Yeah, I mean-"

"But I don't even have boobs," she said as she brought her hands up to her chest and squeezed. Instantly, Shuichi felt a tightening in his pants as he let out what could've been described as a wheeze.

"Wh-Wha…?"

"Don't you need boobs to be attractive?" she questioned.

"N-Not…necessarily…" Shuichi said as he crossed his legs, hoping she wouldn't notice the effect she'd just had on him.

"Really?" she questioned further as she looked up at him.

"Y-Yeah, I mean…some people er…like the…smaller, petite body type…you know?" Shuichi could feel his face growing redder by the second as he spoke, unsure how they'd gotten here.

"So…you think my small chest makes me more attractive to some people?"

"Yes?" he said, and she seemed to think on that for a little while before she once again met his eyes.

"Is it attractive to you?"

Shuichi sputtered at the blunt question, now truly unsure how he should answer.

"I…I don't…"

"You don't know?" Himiko asked, the sadness clear in her voice. Shuichi didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he did find her somewhat attractive, and he had to admit that last night, she did pop up in his dreams wearing some rather revealing clothing and doing things he shouldn't have been thinking about, and she'd been attractive there, but if he said that…would she assume he liked her?

Did he?

That was the big question that he was dealing with. After that dream, he wasn't sure anymore. Picturing a relationship with her didn't seem so bad, but a part of him worried he would never get over Kaede.

But once again, he saw her face, and he knew what the answer he should give was, what the truth was to him.

"Yes."

Himiko's eyes lit up. "Then prove it!"

"Prove it? How?"

"Have sex with me."

At that, Shuichi made a sort of choking sound as his erection stirred. "I, wh-wha?!"

"Please! I…I want to do it with you, to prove to me that I am pretty!" she begged.

"H-Himiko, that's…don't you know that's-"

"I know it's something very personal, and I don't care! Or…I do care, as long as it's with you!" Shuichi could see in her eyes that she was being genuine. He could see that she really wanted this, but…could he?

"You…really want to do that with me?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer, and she simply nodded. He took a deep breath and sighed. "A-Alright."

Himiko smiled as she faced him.

And as she began to undress in front of him, he came to see she truly was beautiful.

When she stood nude before him, he could see without a shadow of a doubt that she was beautiful.

As he stripped as well and the two became one, he also came to find that…perhaps he could get past Kaede.

He'd just needed a good push.

And a beautiful girl.