Published: September 9, 2025
This is a repost of a short story that was previously uploaded in the activity report.
“Un, Deux, Trois! Un, Deux—Stop! Pochi! Your hands and feet are all over the place! And your right foot is off from the heel, while your left foot is off from the toes! Tama, you need to be more aware all the way to your fingertips! Both of you, when you jump, don’t forget to look at each other, and when you land, twist your bodies to face the audience! Absolutely no landing while showing your backsides to the crowd!”
I stopped clapping and started pointing out the mistakes in Pochi and Tama’s dance.
Even though it’s already watchable as is, since this is a stage in front of a large audience, I want to raise the quality even more.
“Fingers~?”
“Arisa, I can’t understand if you give me so many instructions all at once! Please teach me slowly, one thing at a time.”
Maybe I was rushing my directions because Pochi pleaded with teary eyes.
Tama just wiggled her fingers anxiously.
Dangerous, dangerous. I almost got overly excited and failed like I did in my past life.
Calm down, Arisa.
I carefully explained to Pochi and Tama, speaking slowly and clearly.
But it seemed like the two of them weren’t really getting it.
Ah, teaching by words alone is so hard.
Since my Education Skill doesn’t have many practical uses, right! I’ll use light magic.
Using skill points I had been unsure how to spend after leveling up, I raised my light magic skill to level 1.
It feels like a waste to pick up a skill I once reset, but even light magic at level 1 is quite useful in the labyrinth.
Maybe I needed fewer points because I’d learned it before or because my level had increased—I wasn’t sure. I’d test that later.
Right now, practice for the stage is more important.
“Both of you, watch this.”
“Little Pochi~?”
“Little Tama too!”
“Mmm, I don’t see it.”
“Mia, I’ll bring you out later.”
I conjured small, chibi versions of Pochi and Tama with light magic illusions, about three heads tall, and made them perform steps in time with the music.
“Watch closely. This one is the step you two did earlier, and that one over there is the correct movement.”
I placed the two side by side to show the difference.
“I see~”
“I got it!”
Good.
Using skill points was worth it—
“But… I still don’t know how to fix it.”
—it wasn’t.
Ah, what am I supposed to do now?
â—‡
Just as I was at a loss, my beloved my darling came to the rescue.
Oh! A white coat! Isn’t that a white coat, Doctor!?
Wah, wah~
He carefully handed me a pair of glasses he took from the Item Box with both hands.
“Why the glasses?”
“Please, please put them on.”
“Arisa, your words sound weird.”
Ah, not on my pocket, properly put them on my ears!
But that style isn’t bad either.
I want a digital camera so badly.
“Arisa, are you thinking something weird? Your face is all grinning.”
“Lies?!”
I hurriedly wiped my mouth and cheeks to fix my expression after he pointed that out.
“So, using this image, you’ll teach Pochi and Tama the steps properly, right?”
“Yeah. Can you do it?”
“That’s easy. Like this, see?”
Wow, what brute force.
I never would have thought to use the “magic hand” spell to manipulate Pochi and Tama like puppets to teach them the steps… that’s not something most people would think of.
“Puppets~”
“Pochi and Tama are at their Master’s mercy!”
“Come on, stop saying weird things and memorize the movements.”
“Yes~”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Still, it’s strange that even though they’re clever enough to dance together perfectly after seeing it just once, they can’t get the chants right.
Sometimes, I imagine them secretly practicing alone deep in the labyrinth where no one is watching, and it makes me feel all moe inside.
Honestly, I want to just throw myself on them!
“Arisa! You’re drooling.”
Startled by his words, I hurried to wipe my mouth.
Youth makes the body too honest; it’s dangerous. Dangerous.
“What about costumes? Should I make new ones for you?”