"I'm free this afternoon," Natsuki said, his curiosity piqued. "What do you need help with?"
Kaguya remained silent, her expression as cool as ever.
"Let me guess," Natsuki said, interlocking his fingers dramatically. "Are the aliens attacking Earth? Is humanity doomed?"
"That's for the government to worry about," Kaguya retorted, crossing her arms. "Besides, what could you possibly do if aliens invaded?"
Natsuki pondered for a moment. "...Surrender and become their tour guide?"
"You'd shame us all," Kaguya said, rolling her eyes.
Natsuki pressed on, "Is Mount Fuji erupting? Is Japan sinking?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Even if Fuji erupted, it wouldn't sink the whole country."
"Oh! I saw on social media that a bunch of monkeys escaped from a lab in the U.S.," Natsuki lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Is there going to be some kind of zombie outbreak?"
"Zombie... outbreak?" Kaguya tilted her head, genuine confusion crossing her face.
Natsuki gaped at her. "Wait, you've never seen those movies?"
"No," Kaguya replied simply.
Natsuki fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Come to think of it, you didn't seem to know much about social media before, did you?"
"Not really," Kaguya admitted.
Natsuki shook his head in disbelief. "You don't know this, you don't know that... Are you sure you're not from another planet?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "I'm curious. Have you really never had instant noodles?"
"The chef prepares and delivers my meals daily," Kaguya replied matter-of-factly. "I've never had instant noodles."
Natsuki shook his head in disbelief. Talk about a sheltered upbringing!
"Instant noodles are quick and tasty," he said earnestly. "You should try them sometime."
Kaguya paused for a moment. "...Maybe we'll discuss it another time."
Just then, Natsuki's pinky finger twitched. He glanced towards the classroom door and spotted a girl with a bow in her hair, grinning mischievously.
"Hey there~" she called out.
Natsuki subtly wiggled his fingers in response.
"Morning, Kaguya!" Chika breezed in, hands behind her back. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What're you two chatting about? Can I join?"
"Oh, just debating the best instant noodle flavors," Natsuki replied smoothly.
Chika's expression turned serious. "Now, now. There's no 'best' flavor. Every popular brand has its fans."
She puffed up with pride. "I'll have you know, I've collected boxes from eighty different flavors. My goal is ninety-nine!"
Natsuki smirked. "What then, summon the Instant Noodle God?"
"Of course!" Chika replied without missing a beat.
As Chika and Natsuki bantered, Kaguya bit her lip, her burgundy eyes dimming slightly. She watched the bow-haired girl chat animatedly with Natsuki, feeling oddly left out.
The school day flew by, punctuated only by a few wandering spirits. At 3:30, the final bell rang.
As Natsuki packed up, he felt eyes on him. He looked up to see Kaguya watching him.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her with a nod.
Once the classroom emptied, Kaguya approached him. "Let's go."
Natsuki followed her downstairs and out to the school gate. Kaguya led him to a sleek black car parked nearby. "Get in," she said quietly.
Natsuki eyed the car warily. "You're not planning to sell me off, are you?"
"Relax. Human trafficking is illegal," Kaguya replied dryly.
Natsuki thought to himself: Sin runs through every drop of a capitalist's blood. If it's profitable, they'd do anything – breaking laws, even going against human ethics!
A slight smirk played on Kaguya's lips, her eyes gleaming with superiority. "There are many ways to make a person sell themselves," she said cryptically.
As they approached the car, a blonde girl in a maid outfit gracefully opened the door. "Miss, please get in," she said with perfect etiquette.
Natsuki stared at the maid, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.
Noticing his gaze, the blonde maid placed her hand on her chest and introduced herself with a slight accent, "I'm Miss Kaguya's personal maid, Hayasaka. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, let me know if you need anything."
Natsuki nodded, still trying to place where he might have seen her before.
Meanwhile, Miko and Hana were walking towards the school gate.
"Hey, isn't that Natsuki?" Hana pointed out.
Miko looked up. "Yeah, I see him."
"And that's the famous Kaguya Shinomiya, right?" Hana stood on her tiptoes to get a better look. "Why's Natsuki getting into her car?"
Hana's eyes widened as a thought struck her. "You don't think... Natsuki's become someone's sugar baby, do you?"
Miko just stared at her friend, speechless.
No way, she thought to herself. How could someone as beautiful and rich as Shinomiya be interested in Natsuki like that? There must be another explanation.
Miko pressed her lips together, watching the black luxury car drive away. She then turned to Hana. "Come on, we've got work to do."
She made a mental note to interrogate Natsuki later when they got home. For now, they walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about what they'd just witnessed.
Half an hour later, the black car pulled up in front of a villa. Natsuki followed Kaguya out of the car and into the building.
"There's a dangerous ghost in this villa," Kaguya whispered. "It hunts and devours other spirits. I need you to exorcise it."
"Got it," Natsuki nodded, though he was still puzzled. Why would Kaguya, of all people, ask for his help?
The villa seemed long abandoned, empty and eerie. Natsuki followed Kaguya as they searched for the malevolent spirit.
As they passed a floor-to-ceiling window, Kaguya suddenly stopped. She bit her lip, her face a mix of emotions.
Curious, Natsuki looked over and spotted a faint, glowing figure by the window. He blinked in surprise.
Wait a minute. Why does this earthbound spirit look like a grown-up version of Kaguya?
The spirit had the same black hair and red eyes as Kaguya. Her face was strikingly similar, about 70% identical to Kaguya's, but more mature. She had the same quiet, dignified air about her.
Natsuki turned to Kaguya in shock. "Could this be... your mother?" he asked tentatively.