Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"Actually, Hiro and Coco had already told me about Noah's taboo beforehand, but I didn't interfere because I was worried that breaking the taboo would lead to witch transformation. But since Noah, you've already said it yourself... let's work together to find a way to overcome this taboo!"

The Sigma man clenched his fist, striking a pose full of enthusiasm, intending to wrest the right to use the paintbrush back from the AI ​​to Noah.

"Huh?"

Noah, who had just confirmed his true self, hadn't even had a chance to build another opportunity for filial piety when Chang Rong, who was full of ambition, dragged him to the canvas without explanation.

"Come on, Noah! It's just a mere AI magic painter. Let's push it back together!"

"Um... okay, alright." Noah Kinosaki responded somewhat awkwardly. After speaking out about his taboo and removing his shackles, Noah didn't really care that much about AI or anything like that anymore.

After all, he chose painting because of his 'love', but it is clear that his love for 'painting' has now been completely surpassed by the 'rabbit-sucking' project. Compared to controlling AI, Noah actually wants to control Chang Rong and then ruthlessly attack the AI.

Under Chang Rong's guidance, the two conducted a series of tests, such as having Noah use voice commands to draw specific patterns with magic, having Noah try to copy a picture while looking at it, and having Noah actively ask magic what he wanted to draw.

However, the results of a series of experiments were not optimistic. This so-called 'liquid manipulation' magic AI was almost at the lowest level of stupidity. Apart from those AIs that would get stuck on human-machine authentication, Chang Rong really couldn't think of any AI that could be more outrageous.

Although we temporarily fooled the AI ​​by using 'paper cutting' to roughly draw the desired image, the requirements for paper cutting itself are more complicated, which is somewhat putting the cart before the horse.

"Damn it... this magic is really troublesome."

After several unsuccessful attempts, Chang Rong rested one hand on her chin, frowning as she pondered.

"No, it's okay, Rongrong. As long as it looks good, isn't that enough? After all, this magic can create 'Balloon Teacher' artwork that everyone likes."

“That won’t do, and what I want to see is Noah drawing it himself—that’s right!”

Chang Rong suddenly thought of something. He sat down in front of the canvas, then patted his legs and made a gesture for Noah to sit down next to him.

"Although this invitation might seem a bit strange, I hope Noah can—Pfft!? Just sit down right away..."

Before Chang Rong could explain to Noah what she was going to do, the colorful little balloon pounced on her and sat down in front of her without saying a word.

"Hehehe... Rongrong won't hurt Noah anyway, right?"

Noah leaned against Chang Rong and said with a smile.

“That’s true…” Chang Rong turned her head slightly, her nose brushing against Noah’s hair. The two of them were practically glued together, not even close.

As Chang Rong repeated that he was a Sigma man, he reached out and placed Noah's slender, fair hand on top of his own, while his own right hand held a paintbrush.

"Come on, Noah, what you're holding isn't a paintbrush, but my arm. Imagine me as your art prop—no, no, no, don't think of anything weird...! Just a brush, a brush!"

Chang Rong whispered in Noah's ear, while quickly correcting Noah, who was imagining something and vaguely sawing blood-red butterflies coming out of his nostrils, saying that she was just a paintbrush, not some other weird thing used to satisfy his artistic desires.

"Hmm... Noah, give it a try."

Noah Shirosaki shook her head. She sat down in front of Chang Rong, gently took Chang Rong's arm in her hand, and moved it slowly and clumsily across the canvas.

Noah's movement command was transmitted to Chang Rong's arm, then integrated into the next round of electrical signals, causing the hand holding the paintbrush to move slowly as well.

Before long, a crooked apple appeared on the canvas.

"Wow... It's finished..." Noah Kinosaki blinked, looking at the canvas in front of him in disbelief.

"Okay, let's switch things up next. I'll do it like this—hold Noah's hand."

"Nono no...!?" Steam instantly rose from Noah's cheeks. Chang Rong was acting out of character, taking the lead and guiding Noah. Although his tone was extremely gentle, it carried an undeniable handsome and authoritative force.

Could it be that Rongrong isn't the one sticking his butt out down there...?

Before Noah could think about these random things, Chang Rong held his arm and gently sketched the outline on the canvas. Before long, a pattern that looked more abstract than before, but could indeed be called an 'apple', was drawn by the paintbrush in Noah's hand.

"—!"

Noah Kinosaki's eyes widened. This was the first time in who knows how long that she had created a pattern with her own will, using real 'paint' instead of some random stuff.

"Shall we try again?" "Mmm...yes!"

In the studio, Noah Shirosaki sat in Chang Rong's lap, drawing apples again and again without getting tired, just like on a certain afternoon before she awakened her magic, she lay on the ground in the sunlight, constantly drawing cat heads on white paper.

Later--

An apple appeared on the canvas, still not exactly beautiful, still enough to make Hero shake his head in disapproval. But…

"This, this was drawn by Noah himself?"

Noah Shirosaki turned to look at Chang Rong, his face filled with surprise and disbelief.

“That’s right. I didn’t hold Noah’s arm at all from beginning to end, so this apple is indeed a ‘picture’ that you drew with your own will, Noah.”

Chang Rong responded with a smile, her eyes filled with pride as she looked at Noah.

"Rongrong...Rongrong—!!"

Fluttering? 2 Spirit Two? 々〓Printed Shirt Phosphorus Bar? 栮!

After a moment of silence, Noah Kinosaki tackled Chang Rong to the ground, but her cheeks were now covered with large, pearly tears.

"Waaah... Noah, Noah never imagined that he could actually draw what he wanted to draw... Noah has always been afraid, feeling that he could only live under the control of magic, and that one day even what Noah really wanted to say would be covered up and hidden by magic, but, but...!"

Liquid kept dripping from Noah Kinosaki's eyes, and the glistening droplets, under the influence of magic, became stained with pigments and turned into various colors.

—Yes, this is exactly the scene I wanted to see. Everyone has overcome their past selves, everyone is working together to become better, everyone is bubbling away!?

Chang Rong's relief and sighs, as well as the emotions that had not yet been formed, were all interrupted by Noah's clumsy and reckless kiss.

"Waaaaah—waaaah!? Ugh... Zzzz..."

Chang Rong's expression went from blank to shocked, then to 'Noah, you tricked me!' and finally returned to calm, with only steady breathing as she fell asleep.

"No, Noah is really a bad kid..." Noah wiped his eyes and then looked at Chang Rong's right pocket.

Although all the sleeping pills, whether solid or liquid, were disposed of, upon closer inspection, it seems that some still slipped through the net—that's right, the 'mint candy' that Chang Rong had previously stuffed into his pocket.

"This, this isn't Noah's fault, it's all Rongrong's fault. Rongrong, you always inspire Noah's creative desires, so it's Rongrong's fault—"

Noah wiped away the tears that flowed from the corners of his eyes due to excitement, but tears of craving for food followed and flowed from the corners of his mouth.

Rongrong has always taken care of me like a father, so I have to repay him handsomely, right? Let's start by helping Rongrong change his clothes—

Noah Shirosaki swallowed hard and moved closer to Chang Rong, but just as he was about to pluck the rabbit's fur off, Noah stopped.

Rongrong's goal is for everyone to be able to proudly face their past taboos and pains one day. If Noah causes trouble for Rongrong at this time... although Rongrong will definitely feel 'there's nothing she can do' about it, wouldn't Noah really become an immature child in that case...?

After a moment's hesitation, Noah sighed and picked up the paintbrush beside him.

There wasn't really any special reason why I started to like drawing; I just liked to record happy and important things.

That's right, what made Noah happiest, what was most important to Noah—was right in front of him.

…………

"...Huh!?"

Chang Rong suddenly scrambled to her feet and found herself covered with Noah's thick black coat.

"I fell asleep? No, it must have been the pills I was given at that time... and, and I kissed Noah too... Waaaaaah—no! I need to check first... speaking of which, how do you check a man..."

Upon waking, Chang Rong was thrown into a state of great confusion, but fortunately, the confusion did not last long. He noticed that Teacher Balloon was lying on the table next to him, sleeping peacefully.

Chang Rong draped the coat back over Noah's shoulders and noticed a drawing pressed against Noah's arm.

The picture shows a boy and a girl leaning against each other, both of them looking happy and content.

"This is really... ugly." Chang Rong said softly, looking at the painting.

Although the drawing was ugly and not pretty at all, I didn't dislike it. In fact, just staring at the drawing, the smile on the boy's face in the picture was transmitted to me. No wonder it's Balloon Teacher!

Chang Rong smiled and gently stroked Noah's hair. A gentle breeze swept in from the studio and the courtyard balcony, bringing a pleasant coolness and a hint of the fragrance of afternoon sunlight.

If I could, I really wish this moment could last longer—

"Noah!"

Boom! ! !

Nikaido Hiro burst through the door, her forehead covered in veins and black lines, looking ready to strike the balloon a thousand times in an instant.

"Nono nono!?"

Noah was startled by the sound of the door being broken down and jerked his head up.

"What kind of mess are you making of now, you brat—" "Waaah, calm down, Hiro! Noah didn't do it on purpose!"

Hiro stormed into the studio in a rage, but Chang Rong, sensing the danger, quickly stopped him.

"Would someone 'accidentally' carry a whole bottle of sleeping pills on them and then pour them into their curry rice!?"

"Noah... well, Noah also has something to ask Hiro. Did Noah and Rongrong really have an antagonistic relationship before?"

Noah Kinosaki was startled by Hiro's ghostly aura. If it were the little balloon from before, it would probably have been frightened to burst by now, and could only let Hiro make the corrections at will.

But the one standing here now is the balloon ProMax who has overcome his inner demons and is moving forward with his head held high! Noah was not fooled at all, but instead asked Hero if he was giving false testimony.

"Hmm...! That's not important! What's important is what you're trying to do, and what kind of trouble you're planning to cause by coming to the art studio!"

The mysterious woman who gave false testimony let out a sound of defeat, but she quickly gritted her teeth and asked back.

"Noah, Noah just wants..." Although Noah was aware of the situation, he was still intimidated by Hiro's aggressive manner, which resembled that of a wife catching her husband's mistress.

Just when Noah was at a loss for what to do after his computer crashed, Chang Rong once again stepped forward to try and smooth things over for Noah.

"We were just trying to find a way to overcome Noah's inability to control magic, and—"

"No, Noah and Rongrong came to the studio, of course, so that Rongrong could be Noah's nude model!"

"Eeeeee!?" "Huh!?"

Seeing Chang Rong stand up for him once again, Noah Shirosaki finally mustered up the courage to launch a magnificent betrayal against his cheap mother (?).

"No, not just models, Noah is also going to have a baby with Rongrong...right Rongrong!"

"Haaaaaah!!?? Don't joke around, I was just taking a nap... You idiot rabbit, this kind of nonsense is not... uh... idiot rabbit?"

Hiro was startled, but she immediately realized that Chang Rong was currently single, so how could she possibly be won over by a nobody like Noah?

However, when she looked at Chang Rong with confidence, her mental defenses were instantly shattered by the guilty look in Chang Rong's eyes, who seemed unsure of what to do due to his unconsciousness.

"Didn't you say you wanted to be a Sigma man?!" "I...I at least tried to resist...!"

Hero immediately lifted Chang Rong high in the air, while Chang Rong desperately insisted that she had indeed fought to the very last moment, and that she had only been captured by Noah after failing to commit suicide.

"No, no, no..."

Noah Shirosaki opened his mouth wide. Although he wanted to try to say something, he looked at his adoptive parents, who were almost physically close to each other, and didn't know what to say.

Back to the present, it seems there's no longer a chance to say things like "Hehehe, just kidding"... I'll probably have to wear the title of "filial piety's good cotton-padded jacket" for a while...