"I have something I'd like to ask of you this afternoon."
Looking at Kaguya, who was speaking quietly with a hint of embarrassment, Amamiya was immediately taken aback.
'Is this really Shinomiya Kaguya?'
Whether it was a blind box mission or a horror game, she'd usually grit her teeth and handle it herself, never asking for help. So, what sort of disaster had occurred today that made this proud swan lower her head to seek assistance from a mere mortal?
"I'm free this afternoon," Amamiya responded, curiosity piqued. "What exactly do you need help with, Shinomiya-san?"
Kaguya's cold expression didn't change, but she remained silent.
"Let me guess," Amamiya interlaced his fingers, looking deep in thought. "Could it be that the Trisolarans are invading Earth and humanity is about to perish?"
"That's something for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to worry about." Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest, unable to resist responding sarcastically. "And if the Trisolarans did invade, what could you possibly do to help?"
Amamiya hesitated for a moment. "Well... I could surrender and become a guide?"
"A disgrace to humanity," she retorted.
'Honestly,' thought Amamiya, 'you capitalists would probably be the first to sell out humanity if the price was right!'
He pressed on with his guesses: "Maybe Mount Fuji is about to erupt, and the entire Japanese archipelago is sinking?"
"You're exaggerating. Even if Fuji erupted, it wouldn't sink Japan."
"I saw a post on Twitter last night that hundreds of monkeys escaped from a U.S. lab," Amamiya lowered his voice, "Are we on the brink of a biohazard outbreak like in the Resident Evil?"
"Resident Evil?" Kaguya tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion flickering across her face.
Amamiya was shocked. "You haven't seen 'Resident Evil'?"
"No."
"..."
After a brief pause, Amamiya continued, "Now that I think about it, you didn't seem to know what Twitter was before either?"
"Hmm," Kaguya responded lightly.
"You must have lived under a rock." Amamiya pressed his fingers to his temple in disbelief. "Don't tell me you've never eaten instant noodles?"
"The chef prepares my meals daily," Kaguya replied flatly. "I've never had instant noodles."
Amamiya couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 'She's lived her life in a bubble.'
"Instant noodles are convenient and delicious," Amamiya said seriously. "Highly recommended."
Kaguya remained silent for a moment before replying, "I'll consider it when the opportunity arises."
Suddenly, Amamiya felt his pinky finger twitch. He turned his head toward the classroom door, spotting a girl with a bow in her hair peeking through, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Hey~"
Amamiya silently wiggled his fingers in response.
"Kaguya-chan, good morning!" Chika bounced into the classroom with a carefree grace, like a deer frolicking in the morning light. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What were you two talking about? Let me join in!"
Amamiya replied, "I was recommending which cup noodles are the best."
"You can't put it that way," Chika immediately countered with a serious expression, wagging her finger. "Cup noodles don't have a 'best.' Every popular flavor in convenience stores has its own fans!"
With a proud tilt of her chin, she added, "I've collected eighty different cup noodle flavors. My goal is to gather ninety-nine!"
Amamiya quipped, "To summon the God of Cup Noodles?"
"Of course!" she nodded, not missing a beat.
"…"
Meanwhile, Kaguya observed the lively exchange with quiet frustration, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip. Her burgundy eyes dulled with a hint of melancholy. 'Chika... the cancer of the Earth.'
The day passed uneventfully. Apart from a few wandering spirits, nothing major happened.
At 3:30 PM, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. As Amamiya packed up, he felt someone watching him. He glanced up to find Kaguya quietly staring.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," Amamiya assured her with a nod of understanding.
Once the classroom had mostly cleared out, Kaguya stood up and approached him. "Let's go."
Amamiya followed her out of the school building and to the main gate, where Kaguya led him toward a black luxury car parked in a corner. She gestured for him to get in.
"You're not planning to sell me, are you?" Amamiya joked, half-seriously.
"Relax," Kaguya responded dryly. "Human trafficking is illegal."
'The blood of capitalism flows with sin,' Amamiya thought wryly. 'They'll do anything for profit, even break the law!'
Kaguya's lips curled into a subtle smirk, her gaze suddenly cold as if she were looking down on an insignificant creature. "There are many ways to make a person sell themselves."
Amamiya: "( -_•) "
As they reached the car, a blonde girl in a maid uniform gracefully opened the door, bowing politely. "Miss, please enter."
Amamiya felt a strange sense of familiarity as he eyed the maid.
Noticing his look, the blonde girl placed her hand on her chest and introduced herself with a foreign accent, "I am Miss Kaguya's personal maid, Hayasaka Ai. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"…"
Meanwhile, Miko and Hana were walking toward the school gate together.
"Hey, isn't that Amamiya-kun?" Hana pointed out.
"Yeah, I saw him too," Miko responded.
"Wait, isn't that Miss Kaguya?" Hana squinted. "Why is Amamiya getting into her car?"
A sudden realization dawned on Hana, her eyes widening. "...Could it be that Amamiya-kun is being 'kept'?"
Miko sighed. "No way. There's got to be some other explanation."
She watched the luxury car drive off, then turned to Hana, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Let's go, we have work to do."
'I'll ask him about this later.'
——
The black luxury car eventually stopped in front of a large, stately villa. Amamiya followed Kaguya inside. The villa was quiet, uninhabited for some time, and had an eerie atmosphere.
"There's a dangerous spirit in this house," Kaguya whispered. "It hunts and devours other ghosts. I need you to exorcise it."
"I understand," Amamiya nodded, though he couldn't shake his doubts. 'Was this spirit really so dangerous that Kaguya had to ask for help?'
As they walked past a large window, Kaguya suddenly stopped, biting her lip as a complicated expression crossed her face.
Amamiya followed her gaze and saw a faintly glowing earthbound spirit hovering by the window.
Wait.
Why did the spirit look like... a larger version of Kaguya?