"The nerve of this guy…"
The moment Amamiya grabbed her wrist, Hayasaka instantly understood what he intended. She neither resisted nor pulled away, letting herself be drawn into his embrace. Under normal circumstances, she would have thrown him over her shoulder without hesitation, teaching him a painful lesson for overstepping boundaries.
Stay calm. Keep your mind clear.
As a spy, she had been trained to endure uncomfortable situations, even using her body if it meant completing a mission. That was just part of the job.
But…
Hayasaka hadn't anticipated this. Despite her rigorous training, all of it had been taught by female mentors. Now, for the first time in her sixteen years, she was pressed closely against a boy, his arms wrapped around her. The heat radiating from his body seemed to seep through her clothes, enveloping her completely. Instinctively, her body tensed.
Stay calm, Ai. Don't panic.
It's just a hug... besides, you're both fully clothed!
Trying to distract herself, she focused on the subtle scent of detergent on Amamiya's clothes.
He smells like pine… a clean scent.
At least he didn't abandon me when things got dangerous. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all.
In contrast, Amamiya had no such distracting thoughts. His focus was solely on the approaching ghost. The transformed player was just moments away from rounding the corner. The imminent danger left no room for wandering thoughts, no matter who he held in his arms—whether it was an ordinary person or the most beautiful girl he had ever met.
The ghost, now a spectral crew member, turned the corner. Once, this had been a short-haired college girl. Now her body, like the ghost captain's, shimmered with a translucent blue hue, her face twisted in anguish. Her empty eyes scanned the area, searching for hidden players.
The hamster cloak provided excellent concealment.
Standing motionless in the shadowed corner, Amamiya held Hayasaka securely in his arms. The ghost's eyes briefly swept over them but moved on, unaware of their presence.
Without bothering to check the surrounding area, the ghostly crew member ascended the stairs, heading toward the deck.
Just as the danger seemed to pass, Amamiya felt a subtle shift from the girl in his arms, as if she intended to move.
"Don't move," Amamiya whispered, tightening his hold. He pressed Hayasaka closer, gently resting his chin atop her head.
I thought you were smart. Why act impulsively now, of all times?
What's going on in this boy's head?! Hayasaka seethed internally, caught between embarrassment and frustration.
Moments earlier, she had judged Amamiya to be a decent person—someone she could grudgingly rely on. But now, she felt something firm pressing against her lower abdomen, unmistakable in its nature.
This can't be happening! How can he react like this, especially with a ghost nearby?! What kind of pervert is he?!
Fortunately, their small movements went unnoticed by the ghost, who silently made its way onto the deck and disappeared.
"Alright, it's safe now," Amamiya said, finally releasing her.
Hayasaka quickly stepped back, putting distance between them. She bit down on her lower lip, her eyes reflecting a flicker of embarrassment and shyness.
"Why did you start moving just now?" Amamiya asked, his brow furrowed slightly.
How dare he ask?
Hayasaka remained silent, her gaze dropping to the floor, refusing to meet his eyes.
Amamiya blinked in surprise, suddenly realizing what Hayasaka had misunderstood.
"You've got it wrong. I didn't react like that... I'll show you what I mean so you'll believe me," he said with a serious tone.
Show it to her? How could he be serious?!
In Hayasaka's mind, people sometimes succumbed to stress during dangerous situations, losing both their morals and sense of humanity.
Absolutely not.
There's no way she would allow her young lady to be around a man who could only think about such things!
"No need, I believe you," Hayasaka said, her voice softening into a timid, helpless tone as she maintained her weak-girl facade. "If Amamiya-kun says nothing happened, then I trust you."
"Well, now that you bring it up, I feel like I really should prove my innocence."
…What?
Exhibitionist! Weirdo!
Hayasaka clenched her teeth lightly, silently vowing that if Amamiya dared to reveal anything inappropriate, she would kick him without hesitation. You had to fight back against indecency, or else people would only push their luck further!
A second later, something white flashed in the corner of her eye.
"Wait... why is it white?"
Glancing quickly, Hayasaka realized that Amamiya was holding a white bone.
"This is a bone I picked up on the deck earlier," Amamiya explained, completely serious. "I thought it might come in handy—like to distract a monster by throwing it."
"Oh… I see. I'm sorry for misunderstanding you."
After a brief pause, Hayasaka bowed slightly in apology.
When you're wrong, you admit it. No shame in that.
Then, standing up straight again, Hayasaka extended her right hand towards him.
"What are you doing?" Amamiya asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Do you have any more bones?" Hayasaka asked calmly. "I'm pretty good at throwing things."
…
Their eyes met.
The exchange confirmed one thing for sure—this girl wasn't some weak, innocent little rabbit. Everything, from her helpless act to her name, could very well be a lie. A typical novice player would avoid corpses, let alone play around with bones.
"Here."
Without wasting time, Amamiya reached into his pocket, pulling out two more bones, which he handed over to her. Then, he quickly cleared off the debris from the wooden box.
Hayasaka stepped forward to help.
Together, they opened the wooden box with ease.
Umi, who had been hiding inside, exhaled a long breath. Upon seeing that the two were safe, she visibly relaxed and whispered, "Is the ghost gone?"
"Yes, it went to the deck," Amamiya confirmed.
"That's good…" Umi stretched out her arms pitifully. "Amamiya-kun, my legs feel weak."
Amamiya narrowed his eyes. "You're a veteran player and your legs are already weak?"
"There's no light in that box! It's like being buried alive in a horror movie! So scary!" Umi protested, her voice turning into a playful whine. "Come on, carry me out!"
Sighing in defeat, Amamiya reached down to lift the blonde girl out of the box.
"You're really heavy," he muttered.
"Hey, that's rude!" Umi pouted, her cheeks puffing up. "I'm not that heavy!"
"Let's move. We don't know when the ghost might come back down," Amamiya said in a low voice. "Let's head to the room we were in earlier."
With that, the three quickly made their way back to the room.
"The door won't open," Umi whispered. "Is it locked from the inside?"
Amamiya peered through the gap between the door and its frame. "It's not locked. Something's blocking it."
"Judging by the height and shape, it looks like a table," Hayasaka observed, paying close attention to the details.
"Let me see if I can push it open."
Taking a deep breath, Amamiya exerted himself, trying to force the door inward. But after a brief struggle, it became clear the door was stuck and wouldn't budge any further.
"It's jammed," Amamiya murmured. "One of you should go inside and move the table out of the way."
"I'll do it," Umi offered, stepping forward.
She turned sideways, preparing to slip through the narrow opening.
At first, it seemed easy—her arms and shoulders slid through with no trouble—but soon her progress was blocked.
To be precise, it was her chest, notably larger than the gap, that posed the problem.
"Hmm…" Umi took a deep breath, trying to force herself through.
Wait—don't inhale now! You need to exhale! It's already tight, and if you inhale, it'll be even harder to squeeze through!
"Just stop. Don't force it," Amamiya advised in a low voice, turning to Hayasaka for assistance.
"No, I'm stuck," Umi admitted reluctantly, stepping back to make room. She turned to Hayasaka. "Your turn, Hanamori-chan."
Hayasaka: "…"
Annoying.
Is it really such a big deal to have a large chest?
I feel insulted.
"Let me try."
Without a word, Hayasaka turned sideways and slipped into the room effortlessly.
"Wow, Hanamori-chan's amazing," Umi whispered in admiration. "She got in so easily."
Amamiya glanced over. "That's not really something you need to praise…"
"Oh, right!" Umi slapped her forehead. "I wasn't saying Hanamori-chan's chest is small!"
"…"
Hayasaka clenched her teeth slightly.
Those who have big chests are truly frustrating sometimes.
There was a faint noise as Hayasaka moved the obstacle out of the way. She opened the door, whispering, "You can come in now."
Amamiya stepped into the room, followed closely by Umi.
"Close the door."
"Got it."
Dim moonlight filtered through a small, grated window, casting just enough light to see. Amamiya surveyed the small room. There was little more than a bed and a table. It was a pirate ship, after all—dangerous raids and lootings didn't require much. A bed to sleep on was sufficient.
In the cold, shadowy cabin, the first unfortunate player to lose at hide-and-seek lay motionless, eyes wide open but devoid of life.
This was a strange girl whom Amamiya had never met before. Their first encounter was separated by the line between life and death.
Amamiya approached and knelt down, gently closing the girl's eyes. He checked her pulse and breathing, then murmured, "No heartbeat, no breathing."
"What happens in real life if we die in this game?" Hayasaka asked.
Umi sighed softly, her voice low. "I've heard that people might die suddenly in real life… or simply vanish."
A look of grim understanding crossed Hayasaka's face. The game's cruelty and danger were now unmistakably clear.
"Come here," Amamiya called out, turning to the others. "Check if she has any external injuries."
"Huh?"
Umi blinked, momentarily confused.
Hayasaka, quicker to respond, stepped forward and inspected the body. "No visible injuries, but her hair's a bit damp," she noted after a moment.
Amamiya frowned. "There's no water in this room."
"Ah, I get it," Umi exclaimed, as if piecing it together. "If her forehead were damp, it could be sweat. But since her hair is wet, it must have something to do with the ghost captain."
Continuing her analysis, Umi added, "There are no external injuries. The ghost captain struck her head… Did they come into physical contact?"
"Once you touch the ghost captain, your soul is pulled out of your body, turning you into his puppet?" Amamiya suggested with a nod.
"Continue," Amamiya prompted.
"Eh?" Umi blinked in confusion. "Continue what?"
"The positioning is wrong," Amamiya pointed out.
"Meow?" Umi still hadn't caught on.
"When a normal person encounters a monster, they instinctively back away," Amamiya explained. "But this girl fell in an odd spot."
"Yeah, something's definitely off," Ai said, her brow furrowing. "She should have been up against the wall, trying to stay as far from the monster as possible. But where she fell is too far from the wall."
"Maybe she decided to fight back in the end," Umi speculated.
"Or perhaps she was being pulled forward," Hayasaka mused, glancing at Amamiya. "Do monsters have the ability to control others?"
"Not all monsters can, but the ghost captain might be able to control people's minds," Amamiya whispered. "We need to be cautious."
In truth, Amamiya had already received a clue.
[A careful observation revealed that the ghost captain can control others through his gaze. You think about gouging your own eyes out.]
Who would gouge their own eyes out? Without them, you'd be helpless!
The hint was clear—avoid eye contact with the ghost captain, and you'll be safe.
"Wait, she's holding something," Umi muttered as she pried open the girl's right hand. "It's a shard… strange."
Amamiya took it, feeling its delicate, cold texture, but couldn't tell what it was.
[You found a coral key. You sense it may be useful in the treasure room. Something you need could be there.]
It couldn't be stored in his inventory, so it wasn't a typical game item. It had to be something from the ghost ship itself.
It was likely the object the female player had found earlier, but fear had overtaken her, and instead of venturing further, she had chosen to cower in the room like an ostrich hiding from danger.
"Keep it for now," Amamiya said, pocketing the key.
"Where do we go from here?" Umi asked, her voice laced with uncertainty. Whether they stayed in the room or ventured out into the hallway, no place felt safe on this haunted ship.
"Where do we go?" Amamiya grinned. "To play hide-and-seek, of course."
The ghost captain could pass through walls, unhindered by terrain. Those unlucky enough to be caught were turned into ghostly crew members. The captain could amass a following, pyramid-scheme style, and had the power to control others with his gaze. The longer the game dragged on, the more perilous it became.
So, wouldn't it be better to end it quickly by defeating the captain?
It was time for a speedrun.