"Let's get started."
Rather than heading into the café, the trio moved to a dimly lit corner of the street. Without hesitation, Amamiya took the schoolgirl's delicate right hand into his.
Was he embarrassed?
Not at all.
If he hadn't been shy about holding her in his arms on the haunted ship, holding her hand now was nothing in comparison. Yet, he couldn't help but notice the unexpected softness of Hayasaka's hand. It was small, delicate, and smooth—like fine jade. Holding it felt surprisingly pleasant.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka, still in her disguise as a humble schoolgirl, seemed a bit awkward. She kept her gaze fixed on her toes, not saying a word.
"Hanamori-chan, don't be nervous," Umi reassured her. "The five minutes will be over before you know it."
"I know," Hayasaka replied with a faint blush, offering a bashful smile before returning her gaze to the ground.
But as soon as she lowered her head, the smile vanished from her lips.
Nervous?
Impossible.
Her outward demeanor was calm, betraying no hint of what she truly felt. To a seasoned spy like Hayasaka, holding hands with a boy was nothing remarkable. If something this trivial could shake her, it would mean she'd failed miserably in her training.
Still... the warmth of Amamiya's hand was undeniable. Even though the evening air had cooled, his touch remained hot—almost scalding. His palm was broad, completely enveloping hers, creating an odd sensation of safety that she hadn't anticipated.
Pushing aside such thoughts, Hayasaka refocused on her true mission while exchanging pleasantries with Umi. In her mind, she was already plotting the fates of the 'guests' in her haunted apartment.
A severed head in the fridge, a ghost child under the blanket, an evil spirit combing its hair by the bed every night... just wait.
I'll deal with all of you soon enough!
Before long, the five minutes had passed.
"That's it," Amamiya said, releasing her hand.
As a cool breeze swept by, the warmth in her palm faded. For a brief moment, a flicker of disappointment crossed Hayasaka's mind, though she quickly brushed it away.
"Thank you very much," she said, bowing politely. "I really appreciate your help."
"You're welcome," Umi responded with a hand on her hip, repeating the warnings. "Remember, this is just a temporary ability. It will only last for 24 hours, and once you activate the evil spirit repellent, it only works for 60 minutes. So use it wisely."
"That's more than enough," Hayasaka replied with a small smile.
After exchanging a few more words, Hayasaka waved goodbye and headed toward the tram station.
The best hunters, after all, always bide their time.
As she left, Amamiya turned to Umi. "Let's go get takoyaki."
"Are you really going to buy some?" Umi asked, rubbing her belly. "Eating this late at night is going to make us gain weight."
Amamiya shrugged. "Then I'll buy two portions and eat them with Chika."
"That's unfair! You're going to leave me out?" Umi puffed up her cheeks indignantly. "I want some too!"
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you worried about gaining weight?"
Umi crossed her arms, nodding confidently. "I am. But if we all get fat together, it won't matter."
"..."
At the same time, Hayasaka boarded the train, heading back to the villa alone.
It was already past ten o'clock at night. Aside from the bodyguards on night duty, the entire villa was silent, with most of its occupants having gone to bed. But in Hayasaka's eyes, the villa was anything but quiet—it was disturbingly "lively" at night.
Human-head balloons floated through the air, a centipede-like woman crawled across the walls, and a faceless figure sat sobbing in the corner. It was a veritable parade of horrors, more terrifying than any haunted house attraction.
Taking a deep breath, Hayasaka entered the villa, her face betraying no emotion.
First, she changed into her pajamas and found a bathroom free of spirits to take a shower. Then, she made her way to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and found a human-headed spirit staring back at her.
Their eyes locked.
A hollow, cold whisper floated to her ears.
"You... can see me?"
You don't even have a throat, so how is your disembodied head making any sound?
Without hesitation, Hayasaka checked her character panel and activated the "Evil Spirit Repel" function.
An invisible halo radiated from her, and the head in the refrigerator began to burn with a transparent flame. In moments, it turned to ash and vanished.
"Only sixty minutes," Hayasaka muttered under her breath before clenching her fists. She turned toward the rest of the villa. "I'm coming for you."
The centipede spirit on the wall, the long-haired ghost combing its hair by the bed, the little devil hiding under the quilt—every spirit that had tormented her these past days would pay the price.
In just over ten minutes, the entire villa was cleansed, looking pristine once again.
"Phew…"
Exhaling in relief, Hayasaka was suddenly hit with overwhelming fatigue. She collapsed onto her bed face-first.
"No… I can't sleep yet. There's one last thing I need to do."
Lying on her pillow, she picked up her phone and sent a message to both Amamiya and Umi.
"The skill worked perfectly. I can finally sleep tonight. Thank you so much."
It wasn't long before Amamiya replied: "You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."
Hayasaka: "Good night."
Amamiya: "Good night."
"…"
Start with a simple goodnight. Gradually close the emotional distance, and eventually, make him yours.
I'm sorry, Miss, but I'll keep this secret from you.
No further words were exchanged that night.
---
The next morning, at nine o'clock.
Kaguya and her maid, Hayasaka, appeared once again.
"Did any evil spirits show up last night?" Kaguya inquired.
Shimizu shook her head. "Mom's been watching all night, but nothing happened."
"Maybe the spirits have given up," Umi mused, resting her chin on her hand. "Golden Week is almost over. If nothing shows up today, I'll just forget about it."
Golden Week had begun on April 27th, and now there was only one day left before the holiday ended. After tomorrow, it would be back to school on Monday.
"Once school starts, Amamiya-kun can copy the 'Evil Spirit Repel' skill for me every day after classes," Umi said, already planning ahead. "Even if something shows up, I can protect myself."
Amamiya sighed, "Sounds like a lot of work."
"Umi-chan, I'm sorry, but I have to go home today," Chika chimed in, adjusting the black bow on her head. "If Mom, Dad, and Moeha come home and I'm not there, I'll be in big trouble."
"Thank you for your help these past few days, Chika-chan."
"Help? What help?" Amamiya couldn't help but point out. "You've been playing games, eating snacks, walking the dog, and going on random strolls in the afternoon. I don't see how any of that was hard work."
"Amamiya-kun~" Chika clasped her hands in front of her chest, tilting her head with a smile. "It sounds like you have a lot of complaints about me."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please forgive me."
Amamiya immediately bowed his head, admitting defeat.
"Hmph."
---
"Alright, today's plan is the same as yesterday," Kaguya said, her pink lips forming a slight pout.
Good.
This chaotic, illegal cohabitation was finally coming to an end.
The day passed quickly.
Still, the grim reaper evil spirit did not appear, and evening arrived in the blink of an eye.
Just as the girls were about to say their goodbyes and leave, the doorbell rang.
Amamiya answered it, and standing outside was Miko.
"Amamiya," the black-haired girl and childhood friend bit her lower lip, her expression anxious. "Can you come with me to see my mom?"
Amamiya's voice deepened, "Calm down. Tell me what happened."
"Yes..." Miko took a deep breath. "A colleague of my mom's called to say she was injured at work. Now, I can't reach her by phone…"
"Auntie's still working at the mall, right?" Amamiya replied decisively, "Let's go there right away."
Kaguya stepped forward. "I'll have my driver take you."
"Thank you, Shinomiya-san," Miko said gratefully.
"I'll come too," Umi added. "Maybe I can help."
In the end, several girls decided to go together.
No words were exchanged during the ride.
Amamiya, accompanied by the girls, arrived at the entrance of the mall where Miko's mother worked.
As soon as they stepped inside, a prompt rang out in Amamiya's mind:
[You've triggered a random game: Midnight Mall Monster Party.]
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