"Kaguya: 'Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora—!'"
"Amamiya: 'Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda—!'"
"...Chika!" Kaguya bit her lower lip and turned toward the girl who was dubbing behind her.
"No more talking," Chika covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide and innocent. "It's just that Kaguya-chan looked so serious, I thought I should lighten the mood."
Just moments ago, Kaguya had lost five rounds in a row—each one a crushing defeat.
"One more round." Kaguya's wine-red eyes burned with determination as she looked at Amamiya.
As a genius, Kaguya had always been fiercely competitive. Whether it was academics or anything else, her approach was always the same: either don't bother or do it to perfection.
Same characters.
Fair and square competition.
And yet... she had lost five consecutive times, completely overwhelmed. It was humiliating!
There's no shame in losing.
The shame is in not winning it back.
She had to redeem herself!
"I don't want to play anymore," Amamiya refused, shaking his head.
If they continued, Kaguya might achieve the unfortunate hidden milestone of a hundred consecutive defeats. With her pride and strong sense of self-esteem, she might even break down in tears.
Kaguya frowned, about to argue, but Amemiya cut in with a reminder:
"If we don't head back now, we'll be late for class."
"What? We've been playing this long?" Chika, who had been watching the match unfold, quickly pulled out her phone and gasped. "Kaguya-chan, we need to get back to school, we're going to be late!"
Kaguya silently sighed, though her heart still longed to duel Amemiya. However, skipping class wasn't an option. She let out a soft breath, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and spoke with calm resolve:
"Let's go."
The trio left the game center and jogged back to school, making it just in time before class started.
The rest of the day passed quickly.
When the final bell rang, Chika approached Kaguya with a bright smile.
"Kaguya-chan, I've already talked to my friends." She saluted playfully. "We're ready whenever you are."
"Wait," Kaguya raised an eyebrow, "What did you tell them?"
Chika beamed. "I found a hundred friends who'll help you complete your mission!"
Amamiya sighed inwardly.
The socially incompetent girl really is terrifying.
It had only been a month since school started, and she could already rally a hundred friends in mere minutes. Was she trying to take over the whole school?
Kaguya frowned, concerned. "Your friends… may not be the right choice."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Chika looked confused.
Amamiya explained from the sidelines, "Your friends… they're all schoolmates, right?"
"Yeah," Chika nodded.
"Well, Shinomiya-san can be quite… intimidating in school," Amemiya said cautiously.
Kaguya's gaze sharpened dangerously, but Amemiya quickly corrected himself:
"I mean, she's like the flower of the mountain—beautiful and unattainable, like a blossom at the peak of a hill. Most students avoid her, like mice avoiding a cat. If you ask them to join the mission, they'll likely hesitate and fail to meet the requirements."
Though unspoken, Kaguya's prestigious background, beauty, and aura were palpable barriers between her and her peers.
"But of course, that's just a guess. We can't know for sure until we try," Amemiya added. "Why don't you ask one friend first and see how it goes?"
"No problem!" Chika accepted the challenge eagerly. She scanned the classroom, her gaze falling on a short-haired girl who hadn't left yet. "Asuka-chan, come over here!"
The girl, Kashiwagi Asuka, the same classmate who had caused trouble for Amemiya the previous day, pointed timidly to herself.
"Me? Chika-chan's calling me?"
"Yes, come quickly!" Chika urged.
"Uh… okay."
With Kaguya standing stoically beside Chika, Asuka approached nervously, her face pale.
"Asuka-chan, do you have any club activities this afternoon?" Chika asked.
"No," Asuka replied.
"Perfect, you're just the person we need!" Chika said, clasping her hands together excitedly.
"W-what for?" Asuka asked cautiously.
"Kaguya-chan wants a duel, and you're her opponent."
Her opponent?
Asuka trembled, her face going pale. Mist gathered in her eyes.
Opponent? More like an executioner!
She remembered catching Kaguya and Amemiya together yesterday in a compromising situation and had thought she was safe… but now it seemed Kaguya intended to silence her.
"I'm sorry!" Asuka bowed deeply. "Shinomiya-san is too strong, and I'm too weak. I can't even serve as a proper opponent, let alone spar with her. Please, spare me!"
"…"
Despite her protests, Asuka found herself dragged along with the group, unable to refuse under Kaguya's cold, intimidating gaze.
In silence, the four of them headed back to the game center.
Chika walked ahead, chatting cheerfully. "I've told you, Asuka-chan, we're just going to play some games. Relax!"
After entering the game center, Asuka finally felt some relief. It wasn't an abandoned warehouse after all. The atmosphere was lively, with more players in the afternoon than earlier.
Kaguya sat down at the same game machine she'd used in the morning.
"Asuka-chan, sit beside Kaguya-chan," Chika instructed.
"Okay…"
Meanwhile, Amemiya exchanged a handful of coins with the staff. By the time he returned, Chika had finished explaining the game's basic mechanics to Asuka.
"Asuka-chan, your task is simple: just play a game with Kaguya-chan," Chika said with encouragement.
"W-what happens if I lose?" Asuka asked nervously.
Amemiya handed her a coin and said gently, "Don't worry. There's no penalty for losing. It's just that Shinomiya-san is… hooked on the game and needs a partner."
"Stare—"
Kaguya's icy glare pierced through Amemiya. She was not pleased.
Hooked on the game?
She hadn't lost to him that many times! Just wait—she'd win it all back soon!
Asuka, still trembling, put in a coin and started the match. The game began, and soon after, it ended.
"I'm sorry," Asuka apologized softly. "I'm too weak, and it's my first time playing this type of game."
"It's fine," Chika reassured her, handing her a drink. She then turned to Kaguya. "Kaguya-chan, did the mission progress?"
Kaguya shook her head. Even though she won, the mission progress didn't increase. The match wasn't considered "fair."
"This isn't working," Chika pouted, turning to Amemiya with a pleading expression. "Amemiya, what do we do now?"
Amemiya pondered for a moment, then his gaze fell on an elementary school student nearby.
"Shinomiya-san… prepare yourself. Your fame will soon spread among the elementary schoolers…"