"It's Moe," Chika said quickly. "I'm fine."
"You're lying. I heard you so clearly just now." The girl outside started turning the doorknob. "I'm coming in."
"Wait a sec!"
Chika grabbed the handle, blocking her sister from entering.
"Sis, what's the deal? Why won't you let me in?" Her sister's voice was full of suspicion. "Did someone break in or something?"
"Of course not!" Chika shot back. "I'll open up in a moment, just hang on."
As she spoke, the pink-haired girl glanced at Natsuki, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
"Natsuki, use the sheep transformation technique!" she exclaimed. "Turn into a sheep and hide in the bed!"
After a brief hesitation, Natsuki nodded in agreement.
Yukinoshita had already confirmed the sheep transformation worked, and honestly, Natsuki was curious to experience it himself.
[Player 'Cancer of the Earth' used the sheep transformation technique on you. Do you want to resist?]
A game prompt appeared before Natsuki's eyes.
"No resistance," he thought silently.
Suddenly, Natsuki's vision widened, and the pink-haired girl in front of him seemed to grow taller.
Wait a minute... why were his clothes on the floor?
"Uh, why are your clothes scattered everywhere?" Chika asked, horrified.
Natsuki was just as confused. When Yukinoshita transformed, her clothes stayed on. So why did his fall off?
Stay calm. Deep breaths.
After a moment's thought, Natsuki figured out a possible explanation. The players in the game were just mental projections, and their clothes weren't real. It was like how Kaguya could turn into a ghost, but clothes couldn't become ghostly.
Kaguya's clothes were just part of her mental image, which meant... Kaguya had technically always been naked.
Back to the point - the same principle applied to the sheep transformation. People could turn into sheep, but clothes weren't included.
It was like those invisible characters in movies who had to strip down to disappear completely. The sheep transformation worked similarly to invisibility.
"There's no time," Chika said anxiously. "Natsuki, quick - hide on the bed." She turned to Mrs.Kaguya. "Shimizu-san, grab his clothes!"
"On it,"Mrs.Kaguya replied, briefly materializing to scoop up the scattered garments.
Natsuki bounded onto the bed, nestling among a pile of stuffed animals at the foot, pretending to be just another plush toy.
They cleaned up the evidence in record time.
Chika let out a relieved sigh and opened the door.
Thunk!
A small head bumped into Chika's arms - clearly, someone had been eavesdropping.
"Big sis, what are you doing holed up in here by yourself?" Moe stood up straight, rubbing her forehead. She looked at Chika accusingly. "You took so long to open up, I almost called the cops!"
"It wasn't even a minute," Chika retorted. "And calling the police is way over the top."
Moe stood with her hands clasped in front of her chest. She looked a lot like Chika, just shorter and with twin ponytails. Despite being in junior high, she was already more... developed... than a certain ice queen they knew.
"What were you doing that made you scream so loud, sis?" Moe asked suspiciously.
"Uh..." Chika's eyes darted around. As a politician's daughter, she hated lying, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "I was just on my phone and this super scary video popped up. Freaked me out."
"You're lying," Moe said flatly.
"Huh?"
"If that was true, you could've just told me through the door. Why were you hiding and not letting me in?"
Chika was speechless. Her sister's logic was annoyingly sound.
"She lied to me. My big sis must be up to something naughty..."
Moe cupped her chin, going into detective mode. She circled Chika, pacing around the room, then suddenly whipped back the quilt.
Nothing.
Natsuki's heart nearly stopped. He was still nestled among the stuffed animals, thanking his lucky stars he hadn't hidden under the covers.
"Hey, when did you get this sheep pillow?" Moe's eyes landed on Natsuki, sparkling with interest. "It's so cute!"
Natsuki stayed perfectly still, channeling his inner plush toy.
Moe reached out. "Sis, let me borrow this tonight..."
"No way!" Chika shook her head vigorously.
"I just want to cuddle it while I sleep."
"You... you drool in your sleep!"
"So do you! You can't judge me."
"This sheep is really important," Chika said, quickly shielding Natsuki with her body. "If you want one so bad, I'll buy you your own tomorrow."
She knew Moe would realize something was off if she actually touched Natsuki.
Moe puffed out her cheeks. "I want this one. You stole my shark pillow two nights ago!"
"Well..." Chika trailed off, knowing she was cornered. She looked to Mrs.Kaguya for help.
"I've got this," Mrs.Kaguya said with a smile. She subtly nudged a roll of toilet paper off the desk.
It hit the floor with a soft thud.
"Huh? Toilet paper?" Moe looked down, then back at Chika. She took in her sister's flushed face, nervous eyes, and rumpled clothes.
Suddenly, Moe's eyes went wide with realization.
"I see," Moe said, her eyes widening with understanding.
"Sis is in high school now. It's normal to need some... stress relief from all that studying..."
Moe backed out of the room, closing the door gently. "I'm heading back to my room. Carry on, sis."
"Carry on with what?!" Chika sputtered, but Moe was already gone.
"Little Moe is quite adorable," Mrs.Kaguya said from her perch on the chair, a sweet smile on her face.
"She totally misunderstood!" Chika wailed. "How could she think I'd do... that... by myself?"
Natsuki stood up from the pile of stuffed animals and peered over the edge of the bed. Being a sheep made everything seem so much higher up.
Chika's eyes lit up. "Natsuki, let me hug you!" She opened her arms wide.
"No thanks," Natsuki tried to say, but it came out as a bleat. He'd forgotten that sheep can't exactly speak.
"Oh, how cute!" Chika squealed, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. She plopped down on the bed and reached out to pat Natsuki's head. "Natsuki, say something else!"
Say what? I'm not actually a sheep! Natsuki thought, growing annoyed.
"I have some brushes for Pace in my room. Want me to brush your wool, Natsuki?"
That did it. Natsuki was livid. What's next, offering me grass to eat?
As Natsuki's irritation grew, a game prompt chimed in his ears:
[Transformation ending soon. Players, please prepare.]
Relieved, Natsuki took a deep breath and got ready to hop down. But before he could move, Chika scooped him up in a hug.
Natsuki struggled, but his sheep form was no match for Chika's grip.
"Don't squirm!" Chika scolded. "You might fall from way up here. I'll carry you down..."
Before Chika could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt a weight in her arms, followed by an unexpected force pressing down on her.
With a soft thud, the springy mattress bounced beneath them.
"Oh!" Chika let out a surprised gasp.
Their eyes met.
They were close enough to hear each other's breathing. Natsuki could smell Chika's sweet scent - a mix of milk and fruit.
"Natsuki..." Chika's voice was barely a whisper. She looked dazed for a moment, then her eyelashes fluttered and she quickly shut her eyes.
What are you doing? Natsuki thought, panicked. Open your eyes and push me away!
He tried to move, but found himself frozen in place, acutely aware of their awkward position.
"I... I think the transformation wore off," Natsuki managed to say, his voice strained.
Chika's eyes snapped open, her face turning as pink as her hair. "Oh! Right! Of course!"
They scrambled to separate, both red-faced and avoiding eye contact.
Mrs.Kaguya, who had been watching silently, cleared her throat. "Well, that was certainly an interesting experiment in sheep transformation," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.