Natsuki's gaze drifted slightly downward to Chika's chest... The little bunny bouncing around was pretty cute.
In a sense, that could be considered pudding, right?
"No pudding."
Kaguya gently rubbed her eyebrows and let out a sigh, suddenly understanding the helplessness and grief of Zhuge Liang.
Stars falling in the autumn wind at Wuzhang Plains.
Just as the Seven Star Lamp was about to extend its life, Wei Yan kicked it over, causing it to fail. Prime Minister Zhuge must have felt exactly as she did now.
The great cause unaccomplished, Shu Han yet to rise.
How frustrating!
"Chika, remember to knock before entering next time," Kaguya said, clenching her fists.
"Got it. I promise I'll remember." Chika walked over, obedient as a husky, picked up the chocolate bar from earlier, and started munching. "Kaguya, go ahead. There's still time to try again."
"No, I can't," Natsuki shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "My eyes hurt."
"What? Natsuki's exhausted already?" Chika looked over, surprised. "It's only been a few minutes. You're so weak."
Oh, come on!
How is a few minutes weak? The silverback gorilla, Earth's strongest primate, only lasts a few tens of seconds!
Well, this is staring we're talking about.
Anyone who can stare for ten minutes straight is inhuman.
Chika continued:
"When I'm thinking about something, I often don't blink for hours..."
You're full of it!
The Guinness World Record for not blinking is only two hours. If you can do it for several hours, you could easily break the world record!
"Blinking is an involuntary human behavior, like breathing. It doesn't require thought or effort," Natsuki explained to the clueless girl. "Actually, humans blink more than ten times a minute, but most people don't notice or keep count."
"I can literally go hours without blinking."
Chika lay on the table, holding up her eyelids. Her pink eyes were wide and bright, full of confidence: "If you don't believe me, Natsuki, we can test it right now."
"Let's head back to class," Kaguya said, gently pressing her brow. Her voice returned to its cool, clear tone. "Your eyes really need a rest."
"Oh, alright," Chika agreed reluctantly.
Natsuki and the two girls left the board game club and returned to the classroom.
The four morning classes flew by.
At lunch break, they only had fifty minutes. Kaguya and Chika ate the bento they'd brought, while Natsuki went to the school cafeteria. They didn't have a chance to attempt the task again at noon.
Before they knew it, it was time to go home.
"Kaguya, we can't use the activity room anymore. Everyone will be there for club activities," Chika suggested. "Why don't you and Natsuki stay in the classroom to do the mission?"
"That works," Kaguya nodded slightly.
"I've got to head to the board game club, so I'll leave first," Chika waved as she walked out the door. "Good luck, you two!"
"Remember to knock," Natsuki reminded her. "Don't just barge in."
"Got it!" Chika raised her hand in a salute.
"..."
Only Natsuki and Kaguya were left in the classroom.
Natsuki stood up and walked over to Kaguya, sitting down at the desk in front of the ice queen.
The three of them were classmates. Kaguya and Chika shared a desk, while Miko and Ishigami were in another class.
Now, Natsuki and Kaguya sat facing each other across the desk.
"Kaguya, should we start now?" Natsuki asked.
Kaguya replied calmly, "Let's begin."
Their eyes met.
The classroom quickly fell silent.
Bright sunshine streamed through the windows, forming a glowing pathway in the air.
A gentle breeze blew.
Someone's forgotten textbook rustled softly in the wind.
Natsuki silently gazed into the girl's beautiful ruby eyes, his mind empty as he entered a meditative state.
Unfortunately, not everyone could stay so calm.
After a while, a faint blush quietly appeared on Kaguya's pretty face.
Come on, it hasn't even been a minute. Why are you blushing again?
If this keeps up, you'll lose your ice queen image!
Time ticked by silently.
This time, with a desk between them, the distance didn't shrink quietly like it had that morning.
Just as the mission was about to be completed, the buzzing of an insect's wings suddenly broke the silence.
"Huh?"
The girl's long, slightly curled eyelashes suddenly trembled.
"Bug, bug, bug..."
When she felt an insect land on her head, Kaguya suddenly panicked.
"Don't move," Natsuki quickly called out. "It's just a little ladybug."
He'd held out for so long, and victory was in sight. If she moved now, all their efforts would be wasted and they'd have to start over.
Natsuki absolutely didn't want to do it again.
The soreness in his eyes was really uncomfortable.
"Ladybugs are still bugs," Kaguya said through gritted teeth, her body tense.
"It's just a harmless little ladybug. What bad intentions could it have?" Natsuki tried to reassure her. "It won't bite, and it's not poisonous. Try not to worry about it, Kaguya."
"How can I not care?" Kaguya wanted to hit something, clenching her fists. "It feels awful having bugs crawl through my hair."
Kaguya really didn't dare move now.
The mission was almost complete, and her eyes were at their limit. If she moved, she'd probably blink uncontrollably.
But... having a bug crawl in your hair was terrible. Every second was torture.
"Can you still move your hands?" Kaguya suddenly asked.
"Yeah," Natsuki nodded.
"... Help me get rid of the bug."
Kaguya bit her lower lip hard. If she couldn't hold on any longer, she'd never ask others for help.
"No problem."
Natsuki agreed. While maintaining eye contact, he leaned forward slightly, stretching out his right hand to gently place it on top of Kaguya's head. The soft, silky feel of her hair against his fingertips sent a pleasant sensation through his mind.
The little ladybug sensed danger and began to scurry faster.
Natsuki didn't dare make any big movements. Watching the ladybug's path from the corner of his eye, he finally caught it just before reaching his limit.
"Phew..."
Kaguya breathed a sigh of relief.
Natsuki felt relieved too. His right hand still on top of the ice queen's head, he absentmindedly patted her hair.
"..."
The air suddenly went still.
Kaguya's eyes widened slightly, confusion flashing across them at first, then turning to disbelief.
(I asked you to catch a bug, but you took the chance to pat my head.)
How dare you!
But... his palm is so warm.
Is this what a boy's hand feels like?
I've never felt such warmth on my head before...
Thump thump thump.
Kaguya's heart raced in her chest. She could clearly hear her own rapid heartbeat.
How strange.
Why is my heart beating so fast?
I don't understand.
I can't figure it out.
The only thing I'm sure of is that I don't seem to hate this feeling.
Crash.
The door suddenly burst open.
Natsuki thought it was Chika, but then an unfamiliar exclamation echoed through the classroom.
"Ehhh?!"
"Natsuki and Kaguya?!"
"You two are actually..."
Not that airhead Chika.
The already nervous Kaguya was startled and turned her head to look.
A girl from their class had come in through the front door. Seeing Natsuki and Kaguya sitting opposite each other, with him touching her head in what looked like an affectionate gesture, the girl leaned against the doorframe, hands covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Stare--"
Kaguya's eyes were sharp, like a falcon spotting a hare on the ground.
"I'm so sorry!" The short-haired girl trembled in fear, eyes filling with tears as she crouched down, hands over her head. "I didn't know you two were dating! I'm so sorry for barging in. Please don't kill me!"
There's no secret to hide, why would I kill you?
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill anyone,"
Natsuki closed his eyes and started massaging them. They were sore and uncomfortable.
Not blinking for ten minutes sounds easy, but it's actually quite challenging.
"Kashiwagi, what did you need?"
Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest, her tone icy.