"Of course," Chika nodded, her pink hair bobbing slightly. "It's pretty scary to wander through a haunted house all alone."
She had a point. Mrs.Kaguya that Chika could see was invisible to everyone else. To the haunted house staff, it probably looked like a solitary girl with pink hair was talking to thin air, maybe even flirting with nothing. No wonder they'd be freaked out.
"This is so unfair!" Kaguya grumbled, biting her lower lip in frustration. Why did Chika get such an easy mission she could complete without even trying, while Kaguya's was so difficult? It just wasn't right!
"Hey, it doesn't matter how the mission gets done," Umi chimed in, clearly more interested in the aftermath than the reasoning. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, "So what kind of cool skill did you get, Chika?"
Chika's face scrunched up a bit. "Well, I haven't gotten any new skills in ages, but this one's... a bit weird."
Without hesitation, she showed them her new ability. Natsuki leaned in, his eyebrows raised as he read the description.
[Skill: Baa, become a sheep for me]
[Type: Active Skill]
[Description: Can only be used on allies. Choose a teammate to transform into a sheep. Duration depends on the target's willpower.]
[Note: Song Dingbo betrayed my trust and toyed with my feelings. What a scoundrel!]
"Huh," Natsuki muttered. "That's... different." It seemed like some kind of sheep transformation spell you'd find in a game or fairy tale. But why would it only work on teammates? Shouldn't it be turning evil ghosts into fluffy sheep instead?
Chika tilted her head, confusion evident in her voice. "Who's Song Dingbo? I've never heard that name before."
Kaguya's brow furrowed slightly as she recalled, "I think I read about him once. It was an old story - 'When Song Dingbo of Nanyang was young, he encountered a ghost while walking at night...'"
"Oh, found it!" Umi exclaimed, her blonde hair swishing as she waved her phone. "Is this the story you're talking about, Kaguya?"
Kaguya frowned slightly, her red ribbon swaying in the evening breeze. As a budding capitalist, she thought following the ghost back to harvest more sheep made sense. But now... it felt a bit much.
"Think about it another way," Natsuki mused. "Song Dingbo never told the truth once. Maybe he was actually a sheep thief, and made up the ghost story?"
"Eh?! Is that possible?" Chika's eyes widened in shock.
Umi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm so curious about these skills now! Ooh, I want to try the sheep transformation!"
"We're in an amusement park," Natsuki reminded her quietly. "If you suddenly turn into a sheep, you might end up in a lab."
"Aww, fine. We'll try it at school," Umi pouted, but quickly perked up. "Since the mission's done, let's have fun!"
"I'm heading back," Kaguya stated flatly.
Mrs. Kaguya clasped her hands pleadingly. "Don't abandon mommy! Going to the amusement park with little Kaguya is mommy's only wish."
Kaguya sighed internally. You have way too many wishes! But... since we're here, might as well have some fun.
As Mrs. Kaguya cheered, she asked curiously, "Has Kaguya-chan ever been to an amusement park before?"
Kaguya remained silent. In truth, this was her first time.
Natsuki looked at her in surprise. So much for a life of luxury - she hadn't even been to an amusement park? Her life must be so dull.
"Let's walk and play," Natsuki suggested. "It's nice to have fun sometimes."
As they explored, it became clear Kaguya disliked thrilling rides. Chika and Umi, however, loved them. The group split up, with Chika and Umi heading for the roller coaster while Natsuki stuck with Kaguya.
"Mommy wants to ride the bumper cars!" Mrs. Kaguya pointed excitedly.
"Mm," Kaguya nodded.
"Oh, and the merry-go-round too!"
"Mm."
"That mirror maze looks interesting..."
"Absolutely not." Kaguya firmly refused. Even for her mother, she wouldn't agree to everything without limits. A mirror maze was out of the question!
Bound by the guardian spirit, Natsuki couldn't wander far. As he strolled beside the mother-daughter pair, he felt eyes on him. But each time he looked around, he saw nothing suspicious.
The sun was setting as they left the amusement park, exhausted but happy. With exams behind them and Golden Week ahead, Natsuki hoped for some peaceful days. But he had a nagging feeling that another adventure was just around the corner.
The next morning, Natsuki was barely awake when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Hana standing there, her golden hair shining in the morning light.
"Morning, Natsuki!" she greeted cheerfully.
"Hey, Hana," he nodded, noticing Miko beside her.
Miko yawned, dark circles under her eyes. "I was bored, so I came to hang out with the dog," she mumbled.
Mrs. Kaguya's eyes lit up at the sight of Hana. She rushed over, arms outstretched for a hug. As a ghost, she couldn't feel much, but something about Hana gave her a warm, comforting sensation.
"Ah, so cozy," Mrs. Kaguya sighed happily, her face full of bliss. "Hana's just irresistible!"
Natsuki cringed internally. Where had Mrs. Kaguya picked up such creepy lines?
Ignoring the ghost's antics, Hana walked in and immediately knelt to pet the Akita. Her face lit up as the dog's tail wagged furiously.
"Hana's such a sweetheart," Mrs. Kaguya mused. "Wouldn't it be nice to cuddle her at night?"
Natsuki shot her a look. "You don't even need to sleep," he muttered under his breath.
"But what if he falls asleep?" Mrs. Kaguya whispered back. "Hey, Natsuki, why don't you trick Hana into staying over?"
Natsuki glanced at Hana, still fawning over the dog. He found himself nodding slightly. "She does seem pretty gullible..."
He caught himself, shaking his head. What was he thinking? These thoughts weren't like him at all.
Natsuki was deep into Elden Ring when a familiar chime from his phone broke the peaceful atmosphere. He paused the game, glancing at Miko who was half-asleep beside him, then at Hana who was still fawning over the dog.
"What's that?" Miko mumbled, her eyes barely open.
Natsuki sighed, already guessing what it meant. "Probably a game update."
He picked up his phone, confirming his suspicion. A new notification from the mysterious game that had been turning his life upside down.
Hana looked up, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Oh, is it that special game you told me about, Natsuki-kun?"
Mrs. Kaguya, still clinging to Hana, perked up as well. "Ooh, what kind of exciting new adventure awaits my dear Natsuki-kun?"
Natsuki rolled his eyes at Mrs. Kaguya's enthusiasm. He sometimes wondered if she forgot she was a ghost, not his actual mother-in-law.
"Let's see what it says," he muttered, opening the notification. As he read, his expression grew more serious.
Miko, now fully awake, leaned in. "What is it? Another mission?"
Natsuki nodded slowly. "Yeah, and it looks like this one might be a bit... complicated."
Hana stood up, the dog forgotten for the moment. "Can we help, Natsuki-kun?"
He looked at the three expectant faces around him - well, two faces and one ghostly presence. Despite the trouble this game had caused, he felt a warmth in his chest. At least he wasn't facing these challenges alone.
"Maybe," he said, a small smile forming. "Let's figure this out together."