Chapter 120

The Fifteenth

Six Flowers Naturally Has Her Own Small Thoughts

The bright weather was ideal for students to go to school, but there were always students who would stop due to various reasons on the way. For example, these girls whose secret identities were Pretty Cures.

On their way to school, Ai and Makoto passed by Jo’s gift shop, and they just saw Ai-chan hugging a bottle, waving at them from inside. Girls could hardly suppress their love for cute things, so Ai naturally picked up Ai-chan, who was loved by everyone, cuddling her in her arms.

Makoto initially had no intention of getting involved, merely unable to refuse Ai’s continuous invitations. With the watery eyes of Ai-chan, she soon found herself captivated, and ahead of her by decades, she enjoyed the “play” with children.

“Ai-chan is so cute.” Holding Ai-chan, Ai-chan took the milk bottle in her hand. Seeing Ai-chan suck vigorously, Makoto couldn’t help being utterly charmed, completely different from her usually composed self.

“Hi~ Ai-chan, this is your Makoto Mama. I am Mama Ai!”

“Q~”

Behind the bushes decorating the gift shop, Six Flowers and Arisu observed the two’s interactions, growing increasingly strange.

“Oh, they really do look like an affectionate couple.”

Following Arisu’s words, the scene became even more awkward.

Noticing the small object that Ai-chan had been playing with, Makoto picked up the bottle curiously. “By the way, what’s in this?”

“This is something from Mr. Ash. It seems never returned to him once put in Ai-chan’s care.”

Ai intended to return it to Ash when the time came.

“Something of his?”

At those words, Makoto frowned slightly. Being the one beaten the most among the four and nearly eaten by a dragon, her feelings toward Ash were lower than Rikka’s originally.

Could this be some dangerous item? With such thoughts, Makoto gently spun the bottle cap, but besides the tank engraving, she saw nothing out of place.

Driven by curiosity, Makoto gave the dark tank bottle a shake.

With liquid sloshing and mechanical noises echoing in her ears, Makoto felt a sudden change in her body, scaring her. Dropping the bottle and flailing her hands wildly, her backhand struck the gift shop door; surprisingly, she felt no pain while the shop door flew off as if hit by a tank shell.

“I’m sorry! Sorry, truly sorry!”

“No, as long as the ladies are alright…”

Shocked by the unexpected force, Makoto blushed deeply and apologized repeatedly to Jo.

“Makoto P is okay, right?”

Ai held Ai-chan and approached, marveling at Makoto’s pale hand.

“Amazing, Makoto P has such strength! One punch knocked the door off!”

Thanks to Ai’s unintentional reinforcement, Jo now felt a strong urge to weep.

“It’s not about my strength!” Feeling Ai’s fingers gently massaging her wrist, her face flushed hotly. “It’s because of this bottle; clearly, his stuff is dangerous!”

“I think it’s just an ordinary bottle; returning it to Mr. Ash later is all.”

“Ai, you should pay more attention.”

Unnoticed, Makoto could now converse this way with Ai.

Under Ai’s warm approach, the two girls’ bond had grown stronger, their friendship soaring.

“What close interaction!”

Even Arisu, who knew Ai since childhood, smiled watching the scene.

Suddenly recalling something, she looked at another companion beside her.

“~”

Six Flowers smiled watching this exchange.

How sweet it was.

Normally, Six Flowers felt heartache or pain looking at such moments, but now she didn’t find it so difficult.

Perhaps, it’s because I have some secrets from Ai too.

Her feelings were quite complex. Feeling pinpricks of pain in her chest due to Ai’s closeness with Makoto, yet also having gotten unique experiences with Ash, she found it like having done something behind a friend’s back.

“Unusual indeed; today, Six Flowers isn’t feeling jealous.”

Facing Six Flowers’s unusual behavior, Arisu watched with a smile.

“Why are you describing me like someone who only clings to Mana?”

“What, Six Flowers are you talking about me?” Interrupted midway, the protagonist interjected.

“If you care about Six Flowers, you should treat her better, for neglecting Six Flowers due to her too enthusiastic interaction with Ai, she’s already seeking another’s comfort.”

“EHHH!!” Ai, shocked by the news, looked at Six Flowers devastated.

“Y-You don’t need me anymore?”

Seeing the “tears welling” in Ai’s eyes, the satisfaction filled Six Flower’s heart finally allowed her to stand tall.

“Stop joking! Just like Mana and Ai became friends, I also found other…friends!”

Rethinking Ash’s final words, Six Flowers confirmed it.

Given that Ash said as long as it doesn’t interfere with others, she can even contact him, surely they qualify as friends?

“Six Flowers even has friends I don’t know. Who?”

“Misleading, Mana, I don’t have just one friend.”

Of course, Six Flowers couldn’t reveal that the “friend” was someone they all knew; otherwise, everything would fall apart.

Seeing Six Flowers’s smugness, Ai pouted irritably.

Six Flowers actually has a friend that I, her childhood friend, don’t know….. Decidedly, she must find Six Flowers’s hidden friend too.

Then I will make friends with that friend of Six Flowers! So that person becomes familiar to me.

Unaware that Six Flowers was still reveling in her hard-won “victory,” Ai was already scheming for a way to meet her “friend.”

“Not good, it’s the Dark Heart Summer!”

Amidst playful banter around Ai-chan, the elf emerged to report an enemy’s approach. They exchanged glances and immediately transformed.

Now they were ready to undertake their duty in their secret roles!

“Good luck, Girls. This youthful vigor of yours is precisely what makes the Pretty Cure strong.”

“Surely, that person will be vanquished by your efforts.”

Jo silently blessed the girl transforming into light, unaware that nearby, a pair of eyes under a tree observed them carefully.

“Pretty Cure…”

This was Belu, an officer obedient to the Selfish organization and their boss, the Selfish King. Currently, Pretty Cure had become their greatest enemies.

Falsely believing they were easy prey, they suddenly found four Pretty Cures instead of one. Set traps had failed numerous times, and their advantage had been neutralized.

“How can Pretty Cure and that human be defeated?”

Thinking of Ash, whom he detests even more, his expression deepened further.

Is there anyway to eliminate them together? Not likely such an easy solution.

Reflecting on his frustration, Belu noticed a baby “Ai-chan” standing inside the gift shop, a scheme forming in his mind.

Neither Ai-chan, nor Ai, nor Ash had any clue about the upcoming plot.

“Is it you, Ash? Yes, yes, me, Belu.”

“You’re always interested in interesting things. How about joining some fun here?”