"It was the afternoon before yesterday. Miko and I were working at the convenience store when we saw you get into Shinomiya-san's car..." Hana suddenly paused mid-sentence, covering her pink lips and glancing nervously at Miko.
"There's no need to worry," Amamiya sighed. "Miko already knows."
"I'm so sorry! I won't ask any more questions!" Hana quickly apologized, looking guilty.
"I've already told Miko what happened that afternoon." Amamiya shifted his gaze toward Miko. "If you're curious, you can ask her directly."
Miko puffed her cheeks in frustration, annoyed that Amamiya had shifted the responsibility to her.
Meanwhile, after stepping out of her car, Kaguya's eyes drifted toward Amamiya and the others at the school gate. Her elegant brows knitted together in a slight frown.
"Shinomiya-san is frowning at us," Hana whispered in concern, her voice low. "Do you think she overheard us talking about her?"
"Relax," Amamiya assured her. "She can't hear us from this distance."
The reason for her frown wasn't their conversation, but rather Shimizu, who was standing nearby. Amamiya glanced at the spirit woman beside him, his expression slightly strained. Shimizu had drawn close to Hana, practically embracing her for warmth. From afar, it appeared like two girls hugging intimately.
Seeing your own mother cozying up to another girl might even make someone as composed as Kaguya jealous.
"Good morning, Kaguya-chan!" Shimizu waved energetically, her smile radiant in the morning sun, though her transparent figure was far more concerning.
"I'll head to class," Amamiya muttered, diverting his gaze and walking toward the school building, showing no interest in approaching Kaguya at the gate. He had no desire to interact with Miss Ice Princess in front of the whole school. Only a true warrior would dare.
When Amamiya reached the classroom, it was still early, with only a few students present. His seat was near the window at the back. After sitting down for just a moment, Kaguya entered through the back door. Her slender fingers gestured for him to follow her.
"Come outside for a moment," she whispered.
Her tone felt like a teacher summoning a student. Amamiya couldn't help but imagine he should be bowing in reverence.
With a resigned sigh, he stood up and followed her out of the classroom.
"Kaguya-chan, do you miss your mother?" Shimizu teased, walking alongside the pair.
Kaguya kept her eyes fixed ahead, pretending not to hear.
"That's so cruel!" Shimizu feigned hurt. "I've been looking forward to seeing Kaguya-chan since we parted yesterday, and now that we meet, she won't even smile at me."
Kaguya was known as the "Unsmiling Princess" after all. If she ever smiled as brightly as Shimizu in public, it would undoubtedly become the headline news across the school before lunch.
"Kaguya-chan must truly hate her mother," Shimizu lamented dramatically, covering her cheeks as though pained. "I think I'll run away from home!"
"Even if Kaguya comes looking for you, I doubt she'll convince you to return," Amamiya muttered. "Where exactly would you run to as a guardian spirit?"
"...Enough talking," Kaguya finally spoke, lowering her voice. "It's not convenient to discuss things in the hallway. Let's go to the activity room."
"Just pretend to speak with Amamiya-kun," Shimizu suggested quickly.
"Please don't." Amamiya instantly refused. "I have a feeling that whispering with Shinomiya-san will lead to something dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied with his answer.
Amamiya thought for a moment. "Well, I'll probably become the school's public enemy."
Kaguya folded her arms, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "If you care too much about what others think, you'll have a difficult life."
Ah, so this is why she often looks at everyone else with disdain, Amamiya thought. If you view others as lesser, like paramecia, you wouldn't need to concern yourself with their opinions.
"Here we are."
They stopped at the door of an empty classroom.
"This classroom has been unused for some time, right?" Amamiya asked.
"I didn't want to use the club room, it's too busy with people coming and going," Kaguya explained, taking out a key. "I asked someone to clean it yesterday. Until I officially become the student council president, I'll use this as my temporary activity room."
Amamiya followed her inside and was surprised by the transformation. The classroom had been redecorated into a lavish lounge, with a soft carpet, leather sofas, tea sets, bookshelves, and even a desk for calligraphy. It was far from the simple "cleanup" Kaguya had mentioned—this was a full renovation.
"Your mother stayed up late playing with her phone again last night," Amamiya explained, sitting down. "By the way, Fujiwara-san and I encountered a game scenario on the subway last night. Did you know about that?"
"Fujiwara-san texted me," Kaguya replied. "But I wasn't given any tasks."
"There's still so much about this game we don't understand," Amamiya mused.
"Kaguya-chan, please hurry up and recharge Amamiya," Shimizu urged. "It's so uncomfortable being weak and powerless."
"If you hate being weak, stop staying up late," Kaguya snapped lightly.
"But phones are just too fun!" Shimizu blinked innocently. "Back when I was alive, we only had flip phones. I never imagined that today's phones would be so advanced."
"Facebook even changed its name to dive into the Metaverse!"
Amamiya added, lying down on the carpet. "In a few years, we might see some major technological leaps... Shinomiya-san, let's get started."
Kaguya hesitated, looking down at him. Her lips twitched slightly as she thought, How many times have you done this with Yotsuya-san for it to seem like second nature?
Feigning indifference, she removed her indoor shoes, lifted her foot—wrapped in black stockings—and gently placed it on Amamiya's back. Even for someone as composed as her, this posture felt embarrassing, and her ears turned slightly red.
Shimizu, sitting nearby, sighed contentedly. "A warm, soothing sensation is filling my body..." she murmured.
This "void charging" is nothing more than converting emotions into energy, Amamiya thought, a mix of discomfort and subtle amusement crossing his mind.
Just then, Amamiya's phone buzzed with a message.
"It's from Fujiwara-san," Amamiya said, glancing at the screen. "She noticed our bags in the classroom and is asking where we are."
Kaguya paused mid-action.
"...Have you exchanged contact information with Fujiwara-san?" she asked quietly.