"Tada~ Lunch is ready!"
Umi cheerfully called out as she strode in with a spring in her step, an apron tied around her waist, carrying a plate of food. She moved with the lightness of a deer, exuding excitement.
Amamiya's gaze lowered to the dish in her hand.
"So, this is the 'dark cuisine' you mentioned?"
"Exactly!" Umi tilted her chin upward, a smug smile spreading across her face, her expression practically glowing with pride. "Go on, praise me."
Amamiya silently raised his thumb in approval. "If you say you'll make dark cuisine, you deliver. True to your word."
"Hehe~"
Umi placed the plate on the table, then set her hand confidently on her hip as she introduced the dish. "This is squid ink pasta."
"Yoh went off to grab something by yourself at the supermarket earlier—turns out it was squid ink."
She beamed as she recalled, "I once went to the beach with my friends and had squid ink pasta. It was so delicious that I learned how to make it myself."
Humming proudly, she added, "Amamiya-kun, go wash your hands and get ready to eat!"
"..."
The lively chatter never stopped with her.
"Right, I'll go wash up."
A few moments later, Amamiya sat at the table. "Itadakimasu."
He looked down at the dish before him. The squid ink pasta, to be honest, didn't look very appetizing. The noodles were pitch black, living up to the idea of a "dark" cuisine.
Amamiya picked up some of the pasta with his chopsticks and took a bite.
"How is it?" Umi's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
It was a question that didn't need asking. No sane person would outright say it tasted bad!
"It's... very delicious," Amamiya offered his standard response.
Apart from being a bit saltier than normal, it wasn't all that different from regular pasta.
"See? I knew it would be good!" Umi's smile was even brighter now.
Amamiya's eye twitched slightly. "Stop laughing."
"Huh?"
"Your mouth is covered in black ink."
No matter how the squid ink pasta tasted, its ability to stain was impressive.
After just two bites, Umi's lips had turned completely black, and even her teeth were tinted. If she walked outside without brushing her teeth and fainted on the street, people might assume she'd been poisoned!
"This is what happens with squid ink pasta." Umi quickly covered her lips with her hand, laughing. "Amamiya-kun, you're the same!"
Amamiya quietly remarked, "Aren't you worried about getting it in your hands?"
"Ah! It got on my palm!"
"..."
Lunch was simple, yet lively.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka, who had been catching up on sleep that morning, had just woken up. Sitting in front of her computer, she checked the surveillance feed. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the two of them, their lips unnaturally dark on the screen.
"What's with their lips?"
"Aliens?"
"Visitors from another world?"
The spy maid hugged her knees, biting into a lollipop thoughtfully.
"I'll head over again tonight and install more cameras… maybe in the bathroom too. Who knows if he'll suddenly transform while taking a shower."
She glanced over at the restaurant where Kaguya sat, puffing her cheeks as she fiddled with her phone. Hayasaka instantly understood the situation.
Kaguya didn't realize it when she woke up that morning, but now, it was all crystal clear.
That's right.
Kaguya had learned that Amamiya and Umi were "living together"—and she wasn't happy about it.
If Chika hadn't spilled the truth during their conversation, Kaguya would have been left in the dark.
Umi had stayed over due to unavoidable circumstances. Even knowing that, Kaguya wouldn't have objected. After all, she wasn't 'that' petty!
But why had Chika been told, and not her?
It was too much.
Far too much!
She had the urge to rush over and monitor the situation herself...
For a moment, Kaguya felt tempted to act on that impulse, but quickly dismissed the idea. No matter how much she wanted to, visiting a boy's house was strictly out of the question. And eagerly showing up there would be incredibly embarrassing, no matter how she looked at it!
Biting her lower lip, Kaguya hesitated over sending a message.
"I know about Umi's situation. Why didn't you tell me?"
She immediately deleted it.
What's the difference between initiating contact and giving up control?
Thankfully, her mother was around, and she could always get information from her instead...
---
Time passed quietly as Kaguya struggled with her thoughts. Before she knew it, night had fallen.
It was now 9 p.m.
Hayasaka was heading out once more, ready to carry out her spy infiltration plan for the evening.
Upon arriving at Amamiya's home, Hayasaka had the driver leave. She then took up her usual position by the window, her movements smooth and practiced.
To be safe, she decided to wait until the pair were asleep before sneaking in.
After a while, Hayasaka found her perfect moment.
Inside the house...
"Ah—!"
A scream came from the bathroom.
"Umi?"
Amamiya, who had been watching TV in the living room, frowned and quickly stood up, making his way to the bathroom door.
Could it be that the Grim Reaper spirit had slipped in unnoticed?
He heard the click of the door, and the next moment, Umi stepped out, wrapped in a bathrobe, her skin rosy from the bath, her hair still damp.
Standing at the door, Amamiya glanced inside and caught sight of a small piece of black fabric.
As a stylish girl, it wasn't surprising for Umi to wear black lingerie.
The bathroom was small, and after a quick check, Amamiya didn't see any sign of an evil spirit. He turned to her and asked, "What were you screaming about?"
"Colored contact lenses," Umi replied, pouting. "I dropped one on the floor by accident."
At that, Amamiya couldn't help but look at her eyes.
They were still big and bright, but now, her usual golden pupils had shifted to brown.
"Don't stare!"
Umi quickly covered her eyes, and in the process, her bathrobe started slipping down.
Amamiya calmly pointed out, "You should probably worry about your bathrobe more than your eyes right now."
"If my bathrobe falls, my underwear will be exposed!" Umi declared confidently. "But without my colored contacts, I'll look so plain! I can't let anyone see me like this."
So, to her, wearing contacts is more important than being fully dressed?
"You looks fine even without her contacts," Amamiya sighed. "Stop making a fuss."
"Either way, I can't go out in public without my colored contacts!" Umi peeked at him through her fingers and pleaded, "Can we go to the convenience store to buy some new ones?"
"Food that's been on the floor for less than three seconds is still okay to eat..."
"That's food! These contacts have been on the floor way longer than three seconds!"
"..."
For reasons Amamiya didn't quite understand, Umi seemed obsessed with her colored contacts, so he reluctantly agreed to accompany her to the store.
"They are heading out again?"
Hayasaka's sharp ears picked up on their conversation. After making sure the pair had left, she stepped out of the shadows, ready to continue her mission.
Hayasaka approached the door, smoothly pulling out her lock-picking tools. With practiced ease, she unlocked the door and pushed it open, entering with the confidence of someone who belonged there.
"Woof."
The Akita dog trotted over to her, tail wagging eagerly as it begged for food.
"Quiet."
Bending down, Hayasaka patted the dog on its head, pulling out a plain sausage from her pocket and handing it over. Satisfied, the Akita took the treat, and with that distraction handled, Hayasaka slipped inside.
After installing additional surveillance equipment around the house, she made her way to the kitchen.
"Squid ink... and pasta."
She had already figured out the mystery of the pair's blackened lips after reviewing the surveillance footage earlier that afternoon. This visit was just to confirm her suspicions.
"They're not aliens."
But... the floating cellphone still remained unexplained.
"There's definitely more going on between those two."
Unsure of when Amamiya and Umi would return, Hayasaka didn't linger. She erased all traces of her presence and swiftly exited the house.
The cool evening breeze brushed past as she made her way into the shadows, heading toward the train station. But as she passed a convenience store, she suddenly paused.
Inside the store, Amamiya and Umi were shopping.
As a seasoned spy maid, Hayasaka believed in the principle: "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated." While surveillance gave valuable intel, nothing beat close, personal observation.
After a brief hesitation, Hayasaka made a quick decision. Hands in her pockets, she casually strolled into the convenience store, blending in like any ordinary girl out for a late-night snack.
It was just after nine, prime time for half-priced bento boxes, and the store was busy. Hayasaka spotted her targets immediately. She nonchalantly made her way behind Amamiya and Umi, pretending to browse while secretly observing them.
"You said we came here for colored contact lenses," Amemiya complained. "What's all this?"
"But look at the 50% off sushi bento! It's such a steal," Umi said excitedly as she scanned the store for more discounted items. "It's beautiful, and it would be such a waste not to buy it—Eh?!"
The girl suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
Amamiya's expression shifted instantly. He stopped in his tracks, eyes serious.
"What happened?" he asked sharply.
Hayasaka, who had been silently observing, felt confusion rise within her.
And then, in the next instant, the world in front of the spy maid shattered like glass.
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