Chapter 19

Elsa received the old booklet she called an exchange diary, exchanged some awkward greetings, and then collapsed onto the bed in her room. She had said that the answer I sought was hinted at in this diary. I should read it and verify it right away, but I can't muster the motivation. It's Elsa's fault. The warmth from when she hugged me still lingers in my body, making me feel uneasy.

Since I won't be able to concentrate anyway, I'll just spend the day doing nothing. Tomorrow is a day off. I'll have time to read the diary.

After a night's rest, the gloomy mood I had yesterday has cleared up somewhat. I'm a bit sleep-deprived, but it's not a problem. After finishing breakfast, I decide to start reading the diary right away.

On the cover, it says "Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Tea Club Diary." I thought it was an exchange diary, but it seems to be a club activity diary. Still, it's a strange name. I don't know who came up with it, but it doesn't seem like Elsa.

I open the cover.

* * *

Frustrated by the men who act superior despite having no real talent, Lily and I decided to form a secret club for just the two of us. We named it the "Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Tea Club." Since I can't trust Lily's naming sense, I named it myself. It's named after the menu items we always order at our favorite place, "Charlotte." Their pumpkin pie is exquisite, but I always end up ordering it, making it hard to maintain my figure.

* * *

...Well, even Elsa was a girl once. But it's not good that the purpose of the club can't be inferred from its name. A group name should be short and clear. I wish they would take a cue from my "Boundary Theater Group." In reality, it's a club for us to make political statements, but we plan to do a proper play at the next school festival, led by Everest and Elly. It's a fitting name for a theater group. I don't know what a pumpkin pie or cinnamon tea has to do with it, but with this name, it just seems like a casual chat group at a café. By the way, can you still eat that pumpkin pie? According to the diary, it's a menu item at a place called "Charlotte"...

* * *

October 8 - Elsa

Lily and I have been active for a while, but since there are no other members, we end up chatting every time. Lily says it's fine, but the original purpose of forming the "Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Tea Club" was to overturn the male dominance in academia. By wasting our after-school time, aren't we just reinforcing their dominance? We need to feel a sense of crisis and have serious discussions about magic. From now on, we will set clear topics for each meeting.

Next topic: Methods for measuring the total amount of magic power.

October 12 - Lily

To evaluate the tests for measuring a person's magic power, we set three criteria. First, accuracy is essential. Second, cost. Naturally, the cheaper the test, the better. Third, discomfort. The burden on the person taking the test must be considered. For example, even if a test can measure magic power accurately and at a low cost, if it causes significant pain, it would be impractical. Based on these criteria, we evaluated existing magic power tests. Here are the results...

* * *

November 5 - Lily

Today's topic was about methods for transmitting magic power. According to Elsa, we will eventually be able to move magic power freely to distant places. A magic power battery was recently developed and became a topic of discussion in the academic community. It can currently store only a small amount of magic power, but if its capacity increases, it's conceivable that technology will develop to allow stored magic power to be accessed anytime and anywhere. Elsa said that the magic tree's arteries, which are the raw material for wands, could be applied. I suggested that a more flexible material, like a thread, would be more convenient. Elsa agreed, and we brainstormed various ideas on how to transmit magic power in a thread-like form. The most promising idea is...

* * *

December 5 - Lily

I was talking with Nash during lunch. What were you talking about?

December 6 - Elsa

We were talking about the test. You could just ask me normally instead of writing it here. For the next activity, meet at my room in the dorm. I found an interesting passage while rereading "Health Magic for Those Over 40." We'll do a little experiment, so Lily, look forward to it.

December 10 - Lily

"Can magic make people affectionate?" I thought it was a far-fetched idea, but when I read the book as Elsa suggested, there was indeed a passage about magic making monsters affectionate. It's typical of Elsa to want to try it on me, and it's typical of me to accept it without resistance. The experiment involves holding hands and circulating Elsa's magic through my body. Since I can't control magic like Elsa, our roles were naturally decided. The sensation of someone else's magic circulating through my body isn't something I can strongly feel, but it's somewhat comforting. Holding hands and lying on the bed feels childish. After about 15 minutes, Elsa let go of my hand, and the experiment was over. When Elsa asked if anything had changed, I didn't feel any significant difference. Considering that I only want to be close to Elsa, I might already be affectionate toward her before the experiment. Elsa said we would continue the experiment a few more times, but I doubt it will have any effect.

December 11 - Elsa

The next experiment is the day after tomorrow, but I'll note down the changes I've observed in Lily. She says there are no changes, but I feel that the distance between us has slightly decreased since before the experiment. She often wants to hold hands when we walk down the hallway, and our eyes meet more often in class. Am I overthinking it? One of my bad traits is that once I form a hypothesis, I tend to focus only on results that support it, so I need to be careful.

December 13 - Lily

Second experiment. We circulated Elsa's magic through my body for about 15 minutes, just like last time. The result... I don't feel any significant changes. Elsa said she feels an increase in physical contact. Is that true? If only I had recorded the frequency of physical contact before the experiment, I could compare it.

December 14 - Elsa

Today wasn't a day for giving magic, but Lily came to my room. We're not the type to interfere with each other, so we've never visited each other's rooms without a reason.

To be honest, I started this experiment half-jokingly. I didn't really believe that giving magic would make someone affectionate. But recently, seeing Lily's behavior, I'm starting to wonder if it might be true. Or is Lily just teasing me?

December 16 - Lily

Third experiment. The method was the same as before. I think I understand what Elsa meant by an increase in physical contact. When I left Elsa's room just now, I felt reluctant to leave her. However, as someone aspiring to be a researcher, I need to be cautious about whether this is due to the experiment. The increase in physical contact is a fact. On the surface, it seems that giving magic and increased physical contact are causally related. However, other factors should be considered.

On the day of the first experiment, I visited Elsa's room for the first time. We held hands and lay down on the bed together, but it's undeniable that this event itself strengthened our emotional connection, regardless of the magic. Furthermore, as the experimenter and the subject in an experiment involving physical contact, the emotional dynamics that can arise in this relationship cannot be ignored. Additionally, the fact that we do secret experiments after school and share secrets only between the two of us undoubtedly deepens our bond. In a sense, it's natural that our relationship has changed since the start of the experiment.

December 20 - Elsa

Yesterday, we conducted the fourth experiment. To the question, "Can magic make people affectionate?" I have to answer "Yes." After the experiment, Lily didn't want to leave my side. I couldn't just kick her out, so I let her stay in my room. Now, I'm writing in the diary early in the morning, while Lily is still asleep.

It's clear that Lily's current state is a result of the continuous infusion of magic. Yet, she refuses to acknowledge it. She seems to want to believe that we deepened our bond in a pure way. Lily says that it's common for female students to become especially close before arranged marriages. Both Lily and I will go to university, but if we excel as magic researchers, we will likely be incorporated into Avairam through marriage. I know that some students become close to their same-sex friends as a way to avoid this reality. However, Lily's sudden change can't be explained by that alone. If we continue the experiment, it might lead to irreversible consequences. ...No, has it already happened?

I had already noticed that Lily's behavior was strange after the second experiment. I didn't stop the experiment because I prioritized my intellectual curiosity. If it's true that magic can make people affectionate, it would be an incredibly significant discovery. If we push it further, we could control...

* * *

The diary ends there. It seems that the "Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Tea Club" and the magic experiments came to an end.

This final experiment is the reason Elsa gave this to me. It shows that by continuously infusing magic into someone, you can force them to develop affection for you.

What happened to Elsa and Lily's relationship afterward? I can't know from the diary. Considering that they are still in contact at the research institute, the symptoms might have weakened over time. Ruby was very clingy to me at first, but after a month, the symptoms had calmed down. However, the aftereffects remain, and Ruby is still friendly toward me. I can't say for sure that her feelings aren't due to my magic.

I sigh. What are Elsa and I doing, both of us and our parents?