Miko stood frozen, blinking in disbelief, questioning what she had just witnessed.
Upon waking up,
Her best friend lay disheveled on the bed, face flushed with embarrassment, tears welling in her eyes, visibly distressed.
And there, by her side, her childhood friend—Amamiya—had his right hand on her best friend's waist, looking as if he were trying to get even closer.
Miko's mind instantly conjured a series of unfortunate scenarios.
Even though they weren't dating, wasn't this crossing the line for her childhood friend and best friend to act like this right in front of her?
"Ahhh! Miko, please let me explain!" Hana's eyes widened in panic, her face already crimson. Her blush deepened further, and she seemed ready to burst into steam from sheer embarrassment. "This isn't what it looks like!"
Glancing down at the state of her best friend's disheveled chest, Miko sighed and placed a hand on her forehead.
"Hana, first… put your clothes back on."
"I'm sorry… they're torn." The blonde girl's voice trembled, utterly mortified.
Miko paused for a beat and turned her gaze toward Amamiya, who quickly raised his hands, looking guilty but trying to explain.
"It wasn't me! I swear! You've got to listen—actually, no, let Hana explain it herself."
It was obvious that anything he said would sound unconvincing at this point.
"I just…" Hana, clutching her chest, began to recount the incident, her voice teary and quivering.
After she revealed the stray button in her hand, Miko let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With clear evidence in front of her, it seemed she had indeed misunderstood the situation.
Amamiya, visibly exhausted by the ordeal, muttered under his breath, "It really hurts to be accused by someone so close to you."
Miko flushed slightly. "I never said anything just now."
Amemiya shot back, "A suspicious glare is worse than an accusation."
"…Just leave," Miko said, pointing to the door. "And bring me the sewing kit on your way out."
Without another word, Amamiya grabbed the sewing kit and handed it to her, then was promptly kicked out of the room.
A short while later, the two girls emerged from upstairs.
Hana's button had been sewn back on, but just to be safe, she still held her collar closed with her hand. Her face remained red with embarrassment as she softly muttered, "Goodbye, Amamiya-kun. I'll head home now."
Amamiya nodded. "See you tomorrow."
"I'll be going as well." Miko, carrying her schoolbag, left alongside her friend.
That night passed without incident.
---
The Next Day—In the Classroom
"Good morning, Amemiya-kun," greeted Chika as she approached Amamiya, clutching her schoolbag in both hands.
True to her social nature, Chika had already switched from calling him "Natsuki-san" to the more familiar "Amemiya-kun" within just two days, and it felt surprisingly natural.
"Morning," Amemiya replied, looking up at Chika's face. His brow furrowed in mild surprise. "You have dark circles under your eyes. What happened?"
Chika pouted, clearly upset. "I had the worst night ever. While I was sleeping, a terrifying ghost stood by my bed, staring at me the entire time. I even tried switching rooms, but it followed me! I couldn't sleep at all—it was so scary."
As she spoke, Kaguya entered the classroom, her usual cool demeanor intact.
"Kaguya-chan lied to me! She said wearing an eye mask would help, but it didn't work at all," Chika complained, her voice tinged with frustration. "I could feel that vengeful spirit staring right at me!"
"I never said the eye mask was 100% effective," Kaguya responded calmly, her voice as icy as ever. "I just suggested it."
Amemiya turned his attention to Kaguya, noting the dark circles under her eyes as well. It was clear that she hadn't slept much either.
"Let's see how my luck turns out today!" Chika pumped her fists in determination. "Before I left this morning, I watched a horoscope segment, and the host said I'd have great fortune today."
Kaguya's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she remembered the misfortune from her own recent task. She bit her lower lip in frustration.
'Lies. Horoscopes are total nonsense!'
Chika wasted no time in buying her daily blind box. As she opened it, a faint golden light shimmered, instantly grabbing the attention of both Amemiya and Kaguya.
'Golden light? Could this be… the golden legend?'
[Tenfold Critical Strike!]
[Congratulations: You've received 100 game coins.]
Amemiya stared at Chika in astonishment.
She had just casually opened a blind box and hit a tenfold critical strike. Was she secretly the fabled "girl of destiny"?
In contrast, Kaguya bit her lower lip in silent frustration.
'This is so unfair!'
Just yesterday, her horoscope had predicted good luck, yet her task had been a disaster. Was someone deliberately sabotaging her?
"Amemiya-kun, what did you get in your blind box?" Chika asked, full of curiosity.
Amemiya agreed and opened his own daily blind box from the mall.
Earlier that morning, he had checked to ensure the item wouldn't be something ominous, like a vengeful spirit. However, he still wasn't sure what it was.
As the box opened, Amemiya felt a small weight in his hand.
"Is it… a comb?" Chika peered closer.
Kaguya, unimpressed, commented softly, "An ordinary comb?"
"Well… not exactly." Amemiya's tone was ambiguous as he revealed the comb's details to the two girls.
---
[Item: Blood-Stained Comb]
'This is a comb from the Showa era. The previous owner was a barber who styled middle parts for his clients for 30 years. The technique for perfecting middle parts has been imprinted in the comb. As long as the target has hair, it can force them into a middle part hairstyle.'
'Note: Don't run away. Let me give you a middle part.'
---
"The middle part era is long over," Chika complained. "This comb is completely useless."
"I disagree," Amemiya responded seriously. "Even if it's useless as a comb, it could still be used for something practical. If we ever find ourselves in a freezing situation, we could use it as firewood."
Chika retorted, "It's way too small to be of any use for that."
"This comb can be used anytime, anywhere," Amemiya said with a mischievous grin. "Wanna try it out?"
"I refuse!" Chika quickly backed away, clutching her bangs protectively. "No middle part for me!"
"How about you, Shinomiya-san?" Amemiya turned to the ice-cold girl. "Fancy trying out a middle part?"
Kaguya folded her arms and gave him a look, her smile filled with condescension. "Aren't you cute, Natsuki-san?"
"I take it back. Never mind."
---
It was now Kaguya's turn to open her blind box.
As the box vanished, her hands remained empty.
Amemiya raised an eyebrow. "Shinomiya-san, did you win… nothing again?"
"… Yes." Kaguya bit her lower lip, holding back her frustration.
---
[Congratulations: You have unlocked an interesting task—Kill 100 People!]