Kaguya woke up that morning oblivious, but now she knew all too well.
Kaguya had found out that Natsuki and Umi were "living together," and she wasn't happy about it one bit. If Chika hadn't spilled the beans during their chat, she'd still be in the dark.
"Sure, Umi had to crash there because of some emergency. Even if I knew, I wouldn't make a fuss. I'm not that petty!" Kaguya thought to herself. "But why tell Chika and not me? That's just... too much!"
For a split second, Kaguya considered rushing over there to see for herself, but quickly shook off the idea. "No way I'd be allowed to go to a boy's place. And showing up all flustered would be mortifying!"
Kaguya bit her lip, hesitating over a message: "I know about Umi staying over. Why didn't you tell me?" She deleted it immediately. "What's the difference between texting him first and giving up? At least Mom's here, I can get the scoop from her..."
As Kaguya wrestled with her thoughts, time slipped by. Before she knew it, night had fallen.
At 9 PM, Ai headed out, ready to put her spy plan into action. She arrived at Natsuki's place, told her driver to leave, and found a hiding spot by the window. Playing it safe, she decided to wait until they were asleep before sneaking in.
After a while, Ai spotted her chance.
"Ah!" A scream came from the bathroom.
"Umi?" Natsuki, who'd been watching TV, frowned. He got up quickly and went to the bathroom door. "Did some creepy ghost sneak in or what?"
Click. The door opened, revealing Umi wrapped in a bathrobe, her skin flushed and her blonde hair still damp.
Natsuki stood there, his eyes catching a glimpse of black fabric inside. "Nothing weird about a hot girl wearing black underwear," he thought.
After a quick scan of the small bathroom, Natsuki saw no ghosts. "What were you yelling about?" he asked.
"My contacts," Umi pouted. "I dropped them on the floor just now."
Natsuki couldn't help but look into Umi's eyes. They were still big and bright, but instead of their usual pink, her pupils were now brown.
"Don't stare at me like that," Umi said, covering her eyes. Her bathrobe started to slip, revealing a bit more skin.
Natsuki cleared his throat. "Uh, Umi? Maybe worry about your bathrobe instead of your eyes right now."
"If this robe slips, you'll see my underwear," Umi said, sounding weirdly confident. "But without my contacts, I look hideous. Can't let anyone see me like this."
Natsuki couldn't believe his ears. Was she seriously more concerned about her contacts than flashing him?
"You look fine without the contacts," Natsuki sighed. "Don't make such a big deal out of it."
Umi peeked through her fingers. "No way. I can't go out without them. Can we please go buy some at the convenience store?"
"What about the three-second rule? You know, for food that falls on the floor..."
"That's for food! And these were down there way longer than three seconds!"
Natsuki gave up. Umi was weirdly obsessed with those contacts. "Fine, let's go shopping," he grumbled.
As they left, Ai's ears perked up. Once she was sure they were gone, she slipped out of the shadows like a cat.
She made quick work of the lock, strolling in like she owned the place.
"Woof!" The Akita bounded up, tail wagging, begging for a treat.
"Shh," Ai whispered, giving the dog a pat and tossing it a sausage.
With the dog busy, Ai got to work. She planted more bugs around the house, then headed for the kitchen.
"Squid ink... pasta..." she muttered, eyeing the ingredients. The mystery of their black lips from the surveillance footage was solved, but that floating phone still bugged her. "These two are hiding something, I just know it."
Knowing Natsuki and Umi could be back any minute, Ai didn't linger. She erased all traces of her visit and slipped out.
The cool night air hit her face as she headed for the tram. Passing a convenience store, she froze.
There they were – Natsuki and Umi, shopping away.
Ai smirked. As a top-notch spy, she lived by the motto: "Know your enemy." Sure, surveillance was great, but nothing beat a little face-to-face recon.
Ai hesitated for a split second before making her move. She casually strolled into the store, blending in like any other evening shopper.
It was just after nine – prime time for discounted bento boxes. The place was buzzing with bargain hunters. Ai zeroed in on her targets, sidling up behind Natsuki and Umi. She pretended to browse, all while keeping her ears perked.
"I thought we came for contacts," Natsuki grumbled. "What's with all this other stuff?"
"But look at these half-price sushi bentos!" Umi's eyes sparkled as she scanned for more deals. "They're so pretty, it'd be a crime not to eat them... Oh! Hey, hey!"
The blonde suddenly yelped, making Natsuki freeze. His face went deadly serious.
"What's wrong?" Ai thought, confused by the sudden tension.
In the blink of an eye, Ai's world shattered like glass. Strange text floated before her eyes:
[Congratulations, you have been selected]
[Game is under construction...]
[Build successful]
[Players, prepare yourselves. Entering game in 10 seconds]
"It's a trigger-type copy, like Midnight Subway," Natsuki muttered, his mind racing.
Ai's spy instincts went into overdrive. What on earth was happening? This was way beyond any normal surveillance operation. She'd stumbled into something big, and she had a feeling her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Natsuki's. He turned to see Umi, her face etched with worry. He gave a slight nod.
"No point in freaking out," he said, trying to sound calm. "It won't help."
Ten seconds flew by. Natsuki's vision went black, a wave of dizziness washing over him. When it cleared, he found himself in a cramped, dark space.
"Natsuki?" Umi's anxious voice called out.
"I'm here," he answered softly.
Umi let out a relieved sigh. Having a familiar face made this whole bizarre situation a little less terrifying.
"Talk about rotten luck," Umi grumbled. "We just wanted to grab some stuff, and now we're in some creepy game?"
"And I still don't have my contacts in!" she added.
Natsuki's eye twitched. "Seriously? That's what you're worried about right now? Your eyes are gorgeous without them, okay?"
"Oh?" Umi blushed, mumbling, "Didn't know you could be so smooth, Natsuki."
Natsuki bit back a retort. This wasn't about flattery – he needed her focused!
Taking a deep breath, he centered himself. No use crying over spilled milk. They were in this mess now, so there was only one thing to do: play the game.
He wished Chika was here. Their "dynamic duo" routine always made him feel safer. That pink-haired goofball was like his lucky charm.
"What's your main mission?" Natsuki asked, pulling up his game panel.
[Current scene: Hide and seek battle]
[Main Quest: Complete a game of hide-and-seek without getting eliminated. Elimination comes with consequences.]
[Game duration: 120 minutes]
[Friendly reminder: I am a remnant of the old world, and the new world has no ship that can carry me!]
Natsuki's mind raced. A high-stakes game of hide and seek? With cryptic warnings? This was going to be one wild ride.