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Umi wasn't here. Did this mean he wanted to take advantage of her?
It was possible.
After all, they would be entering the game tomorrow. No one could guarantee their survival.
Under immense pressure, some people would inevitably abandon their principles and succumb to darker impulses—just like Amamiya, standing in front of her with his frivolous demeanor!
Amemiya continued, his tone calm:
"Come on, let's head back first—"
(As expected, he's trying to take advantage of me!)
(If I go back with you, it won't stop at just taking off my stockings!)
"I'm not going," Sajuna said firmly. She bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with disappointment. "I won't go with you."
So this was his true nature.
Umi had been deceived by this shameless scoundrel!
"You're not coming back?" Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Not even to grab your schoolbag? Or are you planning to stay dressed like that?"
"…"
Sajuna froze, then looked down at herself.
Her outfit—a frilly magical girl costume—was a stark reminder of her current appearance.
"Sajuna-san," Amamiya's voice lowered ominously, "Were you just thinking something bad about me?"
"I wasn't!" Sajuna quickly turned away, sliding further from him. "Hurry up! I want to change my clothes!"
They eventually returned to Umi house.
Sajuna wasted no time. She swapped her magical girl outfit for her school uniform, grabbed her schoolbag, and swiftly said her goodbyes.
Meanwhile, Amamiya stayed behind, clearly planning to score a free meal.
"Amamiya-kun." Umi called out from the kitchen, her head poking out. She had already changed out of her succubus cosplay and into a casual home shirt, topped with a Doraemon apron tied snugly around her waist. "Tell everyone in the mutual aid group about the movie tickets. We don't want anyone else getting scammed, right?"
Amamiya nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll take care of it."
The player mutual aid group had been set up by Chika, and by now, it already had dozens of members. It sounded like a lot, but considering the entire population of Japan, it was a mere drop in the ocean.
The group's purpose was simple: mutual assistance. Lately, members had started using it to trade or sell unwanted game items. Since the horror game lacked an official marketplace for players, this makeshift solution filled the gap. As expected, where there were enough people, there was bound to be commerce.
Unfortunately, the game had only just begun, and most players had little of value to trade. Those who did have rare items weren't selling them—they were keeping them for their own survival.
For now, casual observers could only watch from the sidelines.
However, as the daughter of a wealthy capitalist family, Kaguya had already spotted the potential for profit. She was currently working on developing a dedicated trading app. To access it, players would need to go through a rigorous verification process to ensure anonymity, with the platform acting as an intermediary.
Face-to-face trades carried risks on both sides, but a trusted platform would ease these concerns and simplify transactions. Naturally, the platform owner—Shinomiya—stood to gain the most.
Returning to the matter at hand, Amamiya quickly drafted a message for the group and sent it out:
[Important Notice]
A new game instance called "Horror Cinema" has appeared. The trigger medium is movie tickets. Please remain vigilant.
He followed up with a detailed description of the movie tickets and shared the basic information they had gathered about the "Horror Cinema" instance.
Upon receiving the message, the previously quiet player mutual aid group burst into activity.
"Whoa, a wild big shot appears!"
"Senior, when will the proxy service for nozamA be available?"
"This is terrifying! I can't even buy movie tickets now. The world is getting more dangerous by the day."
"Has anyone else stumbled upon a cursed movie ticket?"
"…"
Amamiya scrolled through the lively chat for a while. After observing the discussions, he confirmed that no other players seemed to have picked up the cursed movie tickets.
Just as he was about to set his phone aside, his pinky finger suddenly moved involuntarily.
Needless to say, it was the big breast pink haired girl acting.
Amamiya flexed his fingers slightly in response. Moments later, his phone began vibrating.
A video call invitation from Chika popped up.
Amamiya answered the call, and the screen displayed a girl with a large black bow on her head.
"Hey, where are you?" Chika's curious voice came through. "This isn't your place."
"I'm at Umi's house," Amamiya replied calmly. "I plan to mooch a free dinner before heading back."
"No wonder the place looked familiar," Chika commented.
Amamiya closed his eyes briefly before asking, "Where are you right now?"
"In the bathtub."
"…"
The video clearly showed Chika lounging in a bath filled with frothy bubbles. Her hair was covered by a white towel, and only her neck and shoulders were visible above the water. Several small yellow Pikachu bath toys floated lazily around her.
"It's been getting hotter lately," Chika explained, casually holding her phone in one hand and a rubber duck in the other. "I went out for a walk earlier, and it was so humid and sticky. I figured I'd take a bath early tonight. But then you suddenly dropped a dungeon notice in the group! I had to call you immediately."
Amamiya placed a hand over his chest and said with a teasing smile, "So this is what it feels like to have someone care about me."
"Not even close."
"I can die without regrets now."
"Stop raising death flags, you idiot, Amamiya!" Chika puffed up her cheeks in mock anger. "Didn't you just clear a dungeon with Kaguya-chan a few days ago? How are you already getting dragged into another one?"
Amamiya didn't hide anything and quickly recounted the series of events leading up to the cursed movie ticket.
"I see." Chika nodded thoughtfully. "Bring the ticket to school tomorrow, and we'll go together."
"Alright."
Amamiya agreed without hesitation. For now, having a reliable ally like Chika by his side was invaluable. He only wished he could keep her close 24/7.
Suddenly, a young girl's voice came through Chika's end of the call.
"Sis, why do I hear a man talking in the bathroom?"
Chika's expression froze, and she quickly denied it. "You're hearing things! I'm the only one in here."
"I want to take a bath with you! Help me scrub my back, sis."
Chika leaned closer to her phone screen, whispering, "That's all for now. I'm hanging up."
"Got it," Amamiya replied. He set his phone down, picked up the drink on the table, and took a sip—only to realize something was off.
Why was the video call interface still open?
A faint splash of water reached his ears.
Curious, Amamiya glanced at his phone. The camera's angle was fixed, suggesting it had been set down somewhere. A moment later, a figure with snow-white skin walked past the screen, a towel wrapped around her head.
It was Chika.
The sound of water earlier had been her stepping out of the bathtub.
Wait a second—wasn't she supposed to have ended the call?
What on earth is going on?
Amamiya opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sound of a door creaking open. A young girl entered the bathroom, her short pink twin ponytails bouncing as she walked. She bore a striking resemblance to Chika, sharing about 60% of her features but appearing slightly shorter. Her demeanor was lively, innocent, and full of energy.
It must be Moeha.
Of all the ways to meet his "sister-in-law" for the first time, Amamiya never imagined it would be in a bathroom!