Mamika Kirameki passionately ranted about all the adorable traits of Natsumi Kyouno.
She spoke so bluntly that one couldn't help but wonder how she could say so much without feeling embarrassed.
No, at this point, it could no longer be considered blunt.
It was more appropriate to call it a confession.
Yet, when these words came from Mamika Kirameki mouth, they didn't feel out of place at all.
As a character from a child-friendly world, she was fundamentally different from any other creation that had descended thus far.
Mamika Kirameki was the purest among them.
She perfectly embodied the role of a magical girl symbolizing love and hope. So even when saying things that would normally make an average person blush, she did so with a face full of sincerity and not a trace of shyness.
Even if the person she praised was someone she had just met today and had only interacted with for less than five minutes.
"I'm sorry, those are all the cute things I can think of,"
After her speech-like outpouring, Mamika Kirameki looked a bit apologetic and said, "If I had more time with Little Tsumimi, I'm sure I could find even more cute aspects. But sadly, she got flustered and ran away after being overwhelmed by me."
"Hehe, very good, very good. It seems you weren't lying—you really do find Natsumi adorable,"
Kōshi Tachibana clapped with a smile, then asked, "So, do you prefer adult Natsumi or the real Natsumi?"
"Well..."
Mamika Kirameki thought for a moment and then answered without hesitation, "Definitely the real Natsumi."
"Why?"
"Because I like children," Mamika Kirameki beamed. "Children are the cutest beings in the world. Their smiles are the most precious treasures on Earth, and I hope I can make Little Tsumimi smile too."
"Oh ho ho..."
Letting out a strange laugh, Kōshi Tachibana nodded in satisfaction and patted Mamika Kirameki on the shoulder. "Very good. I acknowledge you."
"Thank you!"
After the conversation, Kōshi Tachibana inconspicuously glanced at the star on the table.
The star still looked like a star—no anomalies, no changes.
It looked just like an ordinary inanimate object.
"Could it be that just one person's acknowledgment isn't enough for Natsumi?"
After pondering for a moment, Kōshi Tachibana turned to Matsubara Takashi beside him. "Matsubara-kun, do you prefer adult Natsumi or the real Natsumi?"
"Of course I prefer the ad—"
Just as Matsubara was about to blurt it out, Kōshi Tachibana quietly gave him a kick under the table.
This was the second time already.
Even he noticed something was off.
"Of course, I prefer the real Natsumi."
"Mm-hmm, and why is that?"
"Because I'm... a lolicon?" Matsubara cautiously guessed.
"Not bad, not bad."
As if he had received the answer he wanted, Kōshi Tachibana nodded again in satisfaction.
This exchange left the others completely puzzled.
Especially the one who knew Matsubara the best among the creators—Nakanoshō Masaaki, the chubby creator of Infinite Divine Machine Mono Magia—looked utterly dumbfounded.
Last time they chatted about their favorite types, didn't Matsubara say he liked cool, mature women?
Why did his tastes suddenly go from driving a big truck to a kiddie cart?
This was not right. Very not right.
What's more, even if Matsubara had secretly been a lolicon all along, why would he reveal it in this kind of setting?
Suddenly, as if realizing something, Nakanoshō Masaaki took a deep, meaningful look at the star on the table.
At that moment, Kōshi Tachibana also walked up beside him.
"Nakanoshō-kun, do you prefer adult Natsumi or the real Natsumi?"
"I like... the real Natsumi."
"Why?"
"Because I'm also a lolicon! Little Tsumimi is cute! Big Natsumi isn't!"
With the second creator openly declaring himself a lolicon, Mamika Kirameki on the sofa was so shocked her jaw nearly hit the floor.
It was normal for her to say she liked children.
After all, according to her character setting, she was just a fourteen-year-old middle schooler.
But why was this balding middle-aged man and this fat otaku also brazenly declaring themselves as lolicons?!
If these guys appeared in her original world, she would've beaten them up and thrown them into a detention center to reflect on their actions!
However, what shattered her worldview even more was that everyone else present—without exception—also declared themselves lolicons.
Even the women!
Mamika Kirameki gulped, her expression like she had just seen a ghost.
What the hell was wrong with this world?
"As expected, everyone likes the real Natsumi."
After collecting everyone's opinions, Kōshi Tachibana said, "But that's only natural. After all, who wouldn't like a child as adorable as Natsumi?"
"But in her original world, there were people who didn't like her."
As if he had guessed Kōshi Tachibana intention, Nakanoshō Masaaki chimed in.
Raising an eyebrow, Kōshi Tachibana looked at him with surprise, then chuckled.
Finally, someone saw through his thoughts and lent him a hand.
"Well, I am a creator. If there's no conflict, I have to create one."
Kōshi Tachibana spread his hands and said helplessly, "It might seem a bit forced, but it was a necessary setting to drive the story forward."
Whether it was just his imagination or not, Kōshi Tachibana peripheral vision seemed to catch the star on the table trembling slightly.
"What kind of setting?" Mamika Kirameki asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"We're talking about the plot of Date A Live," Kōshi Tachibana explained. "Natsumi was originally just a girl who was a bit emotionally sensitive. But after her first descent into the real world, she was mocked for her appearance—multiple times—and ended up becoming who she is now."
"T-That's terrible!" Mamika Kirameki covered her mouth in horror. "You made such a cruel setting just to push the story forward?!"
Now, she finally started to understand why some characters from dark world settings in Altair camp held such hatred toward their creators.
All the tragedies, pain, and sacrifices they endured were casually written by someone else's pen, existing solely for the entertainment of others.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be able to bear it either, right?
The trembling of the star on the table grew stronger, and in the next moment, it suddenly transformed into the figure of Natsumi Kyouno.
Her face twisted with rage, she directly shoved Kōshi Tachibana to the ground.
"All the suffering I went through... was just for something this pointless?!"
Natsumi Kyouno, eyes blazing with fury, grabbed Kōshi Tachibana by the throat.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm blowing up on you!!!"