"What's so fun about this boring game anyway?"
Chika put her hands on her hips, chin raised proudly. "I used to play this with my friends as a kid. Won almost every time! Back then, we'd sit at tables right in front of each other. Super close, made it feel like a real showdown... You two, try it again on the sofa."
"Alright, let's try again," Kaguya nodded slightly, standing up and moving to a double sofa.
Natsuki left the round table and sat next to Kaguya without hesitation.
People often talked about Kaguya as if she were some ice princess. Cold, unapproachable, with this 'frozen aura' that gave anyone frostbite if they got too close.
But Natsuki saw things differently.
Ever since he started noticing those weird prompts, he realized Kaguya was only cold on the surface.
They locked eyes.
Kaguya's expression remained cool and composed, like some celestial maiden perched in a frosty sky. Her face gave nothing away, but inside, she was a bit surprised.
(This is strange.)
(Why isn't he looking away?)
Kaguya thought about the other boys at school. They could barely speak to her, let alone make eye contact. So why wasn't this guy in front of her scared?
The other day he was asking if he could accomplish something... The nerve of him!
"How's it going, Kaguya?" Chika asked, sounding concerned.
"It really does make a difference, being closer," Kaguya replied, her voice pleasant despite its coolness. Her face remained expressionless – classic ice queen. "The mission is active and in progress."
"That's great!"
"..."
An interesting mission indeed.
Chika plopped down next to them, magically producing a box of chocolate bars. "Want a snack?"
"How am I supposed to eat like this?" Natsuki couldn't help but ask.
Chika held out a chocolate bar. "I could feed you!"
"I don't want anything," Kaguya firmly refused.
Buzz.
A phone suddenly vibrated.
"Oh, that's mine..." Chika pulled out her phone. "Teacher wants me in the office."
She quickly stood up and waved goodbye:
"Gotta run to the office. You two keep working on your mission!"
"..."
As chatty Chika left, the board game club fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. The only sound was their quiet breathing.
A gentle breeze drifted in.
White curtains fluttered softly beside them.
Bright morning light streamed through the window, falling across Kaguya's face. Light and shadow split perfectly down the bridge of her nose. It was like she was standing between darkness and light, waiting for someone to reach out and save her – or let her fall into the abyss.
For the first time, Natsuki really looked at Kaguya.
Those eyes... they were beautiful.
Burgundy irises sparkled like red gems in the sunlight.
Her eyelashes were long and slightly curled. Cute.
Her skin was snow-white and delicate, as if soaked in milk. So pale it seemed almost transparent in the sunlight.
Her nose was delicate, exquisite, lovely.
And those pink, moist lips looked like cherry blossoms after the rain.
No matter how you looked at her, Kaguya was an absolutely stunning girl.
It's just that her personality was so cold, it could give you frostbite.
Compared to her, Chika, who often showed her lazy side, was more endearing.
"What are you staring at?" Kaguya suddenly asked.
"Well..." Natsuki hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest, "You have beautiful eyes, Kaguya."
You must've heard that compliment a million times since childhood, right?
You can't exactly say your eyes are ugly with a straight face.
The next moment, Natsuki focused his gaze and was shocked to see a faint blush appear on Kaguya's face.
The rosy tint against her snow-white skin was particularly striking in the sunlight.
Wait, she's blushing?
The ice queen Kaguya, who'd bleed before she cried, was actually blushing. This was huge!
If the newspaper club got wind of this, it'd be front-page news tomorrow!
Watching Kaguya's pretty face gradually turn red, her long eyelashes trembling, Natsuki suddenly had a thought:
"Are you... about to sneeze again?"
"I am not!"
Kaguya bit her lip lightly, secretly clenching her fists as she recalled that embarrassing memory.
Being treated like a sandwich on the playground was bad enough, but actually sighing with regret? How mortifying!
This boy in front of her was still useful for now. Once she'd squeezed him dry, she'd make him turn himself in and confess his crimes!
"My eyes just hurt," Kaguya said, her tone unusually unsteady. "I don't want to sneeze."
There was another reason she didn't mention.
For some reason, seeing her clear reflection in the boy's eyes made Kaguya's heart start to race.
"My eyes are hurting too," Natsuki pondered. "The mission only says we can't blink, so I should be okay, right?"
"Hold it in, don't blink," Kaguya crossed her arms, her voice cold and unforgiving. "Almost three and a half minutes have passed. If your blinking affects anything, we'll have to start all over."
"It's only ten minutes to start over."
"Either don't do it at all, or do it perfectly. If something can be done once, you should never fail."
"..."
I had no idea you were such a perfectionist!
The warm, sweet breath from the girl fell on his face, making it tingle slightly.
Wait.
Natsuki suddenly realized.
When did he get so close to the ice queen?
They were just a breath apart.
Kaguya could hear his breathing.
Seeing her clear reflection in Natsuki's eyes, Kaguya finally realized how dangerously close they'd gotten without her noticing.
(Too close, too close, too close!)
(Is he going to suddenly make a move?)
(It's very likely.)
(Hayasaka said boys are beasts, and once their blood gets hot, they become super impulsive.)
(Will I get pregnant if we kiss?)
Having grown up in a sheltered environment, Kaguya had very little knowledge of biology and still believed that kissing could lead to pregnancy.
Thanks to her wild imagination, the black-haired girl's snow-white face quickly turned as red as a summer sunset, surprising Natsuki.
So... Kaguya's blushing wasn't because she wanted to sneeze, but because she was shy?
What happened to the ice queen? She could've passed for a ghost with that poker face before, why was she suddenly shy now?
Natsuki held his breath.
Not only did he resist the urge to get closer, he even quietly maintained his distance.
It's one thing to mess with others, you might just get a beating.
But if you mess with Kaguya, Natsuki would probably end up feeding the fish in Tokyo Bay tonight.
Kaguya's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The next moment.
Bang.
The door suddenly burst open.
"The great Chika has returned!"
The voice of the girl known as the Bane of Earth echoed throughout the room.
Natsuki and Kaguya were startled, both feeling a subtle sense of guilt as their eyes met.
A game prompt appeared in front of Kaguya.
[Game failed, progress has been reset, please restart the challenge]
"Kaguya, how's the mission going?"
Chika bounced over to them, her voice chipper.
Kaguya closed her eyes, pressing her slender white fingers to her brow. She took a deep breath, biting her lower lip with her pearly teeth: "The mission failed."
"Huh? How come?" Chika was puzzled, "Why did it fail?"
Kaguya smiled, like a queen about to sign an execution order, her smile dangerous:
"What do you think the reason is, Chika?"
"Kaguya, your smile is terrifying!"
Chika yelped, taking two steps back and hiding behind Natsuki. "I feel like a hamster about to be eaten by a cat in one bite."
Natsuki said dryly: "Shouldn't it be a mouse?"
"I don't want to be a mouse." Chika quickly shook her head, "They're ugly and black. If I'm reincarnated, I want to be a hamster."
I didn't expect you to be so hung up on looks.
As they say, even a rough willow basket can become a fine bucket. No one in the world can stand an ugly person. People obsessed with appearances aren't reliable.
"It's normal for Kaguya to be angry," Natsuki rubbed his sore eyes, "I'm angry too."
"Why?"
"We almost completed the mission, but you suddenly barged in without warning. Now we have to start all over again."
"Oh, I see." Chika quickly put her hands together, bowing in apology. "I'm sorry, Kaguya. I forgot to knock. It's all my fault. I'll sacrifice my pudding as an offering. Please forgive me."
"Pudding?"