Hic......

Faith, do you like swe~et chocolate?

I love it

Got it~ What about sweet honey toast?

I love it

Hmm, then what about...... bathing?

I love it

Uwah, I can't believe you love bathing...... Now that confirms it. There's something wrong with Faith

On that basis......? I love that

You're the one that harbors a deep distaste for bathing, Nova. It would do well for you not to make light of this situation

Ehehe~ Sorry about that, Faith

You don't have to be an expert to see he's messed up. So what's up with this guy?

Hmm~~~m...... Ah, I believe I know the reason

Faith, did you eat any of that "love mirror chocolate"?

......?

Haven't you heard? It's been a hot topic on SNS recently......

!! Billy mentioned it the other day

Let's see...... Is this wrapper familiar?

Ah, it is! That's the chocolate you were eating on break, yeah?

.............

I knew it~

Did you purchase this before the recall? You should not have been able to do so afterwards

This chocolate was recalled after rumors started circulating. We've been investigating its claim to fame~

Investigation...... then would that mean that chocolate is......

Yep. It's related to Substance

A certain Substance has been identified in the soil the raw cacao was cultivated in

During the manufacturing process, an influence on those who consumed it was discovered......

Whether they wanted to or not, those people would be compelled to say they positively "like" and "love" things whenever they spoke~

And so word of this love mirror chocolate spread

Huh...... So in reality, there're no loving feelings involved

That's the gist of it~

It's a phenomenon akin to the hiccups. Unlike brainwashing, it does not affect a person's true thoughts or feelings

Any true influence would be restricted to the language center at most...... Though even if victims appear to remain unchanged, it is still perturbing that they lose their self-control in this fashion

We've retrieved the Substance that caused this, alongside the love mirror chocolate recall

You're real unlucky, Faith

.............

How long will it take for him to go back to normal?

We have no estimate for the time being

As this is a Level 2 Substance, its influence is not particularly powerful. An ordinary person would recover from its effects in a day

However, the situation is altered when it affects those more attuned to Substance, like heroes

This case is still pending investigation. As researchers, it would be irresponsible for us to make any unfounded promises. Sorry......

Naturally, we're prioritizing finding a solution. But I wonder if you'll be stuck like this until we do

.............

Ideally, it'd be nice if you were able to at least hold a normal conversation......

Alrighty, lemme try something out! Would you mind sitting tight for a minute, Faith? I'll be done in a sec

......?