Game: Midnight Mall Monster Party
Type: Multiplayer
Opening time: Midnight tonight
Note: Please manage your time wisely and enjoy healthy gaming.
The moment he heard the game's notification sound, Amamiya spun around, trying to stop the girls behind him from entering the mall.
"Don't come in!"
Without a doubt, it was a randomly triggered space-based game.
But it was too late.
Umi and Chika, the two airheads, had already stepped inside.
"Huh? What…?"
It was clear they had both received the same game notification.
Only Kaguya and Hayasaka had reacted quickly enough to stop at the mall's entrance.
"What's wrong?" Kaguya asked in a puzzled tone, looking up.
Amamiya sighed. "Once you enter the mall, you won't be getting any sleep tonight."
Chika, who had finally caught on, quickly turned back and warned softly, "Kaguya-chan, don't come in. Stepping inside will trigger the game."
"A game?" Kaguya's brow furrowed slightly.
She understood. When it came to horror games, one thing was certain—they were always full of unknown dangers. The right move was to avoid random games like these at all costs.
But...
Kaguya's lips curved slightly as she took a half step forward, entering the mall.
Amamiya stared at her, exasperated. "What are you doing?"
What am I doing?
Of course, I'm playing the game with you. Don't even think about leaving me behind.
"Aren't we here to visit Yotsuya-san's mother?" Kaguya said calmly. "Naturally, I'm coming in."
Then, lowering her voice, she added, "Besides, it's the perfect chance for us to play this game together."
Someone else stood by, hesitant and perplexed.
Hayasaka: "..."
Wait a second. We're talking about a horror game, right?
The memory of playing hide-and-seek on the ghost ship still haunted her. Hayasaka knew all too well how dangerous these games could be.
Yet, despite the looming threat, Kaguya had charged in without hesitation. Where was her usual composure and logic?
Now she's acting purely out of affection!
Hayasaka bit her lower lip. As her personal maid, could she really let her go in alone?
Well, yes, technically.
It would be easy to come up with an excuse not to enter the mall.
But then she wouldn't be able to monitor Kaguya's safety or whereabouts—an unacceptable breach of duty.
In the end, Hayasaka sighed silently and followed Kaguya into the mall.
"What's wrong?"
Miko noticed them not following her and asked in confusion.
In the crowd, she was the only one who wasn't a gamer.
"Nothing. We'll talk later," Amamiya said, regaining his composure. "Let's go check on Auntie first."
"…"
Miko nodded slightly and took out her phone, dialing the familiar number.
After a moment, a uniformed mall employee arrived and greeted her.
"Aunt Ryoko," Kaguya greeted her nervously, concern in her voice. "How is my mother?"
The woman, a colleague and close friend of Miko's mother, had been to their home before and quickly began explaining the situation.
Miko's mother worked at a shopping mall. Not long ago, while organizing the shelves, some merchandise on the top loosened and fell, striking her. She hit her head in the fall and lost consciousness.
"...Don't worry, your mother just woke up."
The woman said.
"Where is she?" Miko asked.
"In the staff room, at the back," the woman replied.
"I'll go check on her with Miko," Amamiya said, turning to the other girls. "The rest of you, stay here and search the mall."
"Understood," Kaguya nodded slightly, acknowledging the instructions.
Arriving at the staff lounge, Amamiya quickly spotted Miko's mother. She was sitting alone on a chair with a bandage on her forehead, faint traces of red seeping through.
"Mother!"
Tears welled up in Miko's eyes as she took in the sight.
"You're here?" her mother asked, her face pale but still managing a weak smile. "It was just a small fall, I'm fine now."
"Aunt Touko, it's not for you to decide whether you're okay or not," Amamiya said seriously. "We need to get you checked at the hospital."
"There's no need for that," Miko's mother waved her hand dismissively. "I just need to rest for a bit."
"We have to go," Miko said, her voice firm as she bit her lower lip. "We'll only feel better after a proper check-up."
With the help of the aunt nearby, who also insisted, Miko's mother finally relented.
Fortunately, there was a hospital nearby.
Amamiya and Miko accompanied Touko to the hospital, where they rushed around for various tests. Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm, and she wasn't seriously hurt.
"Phew…" Miko finally exhaled in relief.
Hearing the words "false alarm" was the best news they could have hoped for. It was what all patients and their families longed to hear.
"Let's go home." Miko's steps felt noticeably lighter as they prepared to leave the consultation room.
But in the very next moment...
A disfigured evil spirit drifted in through the door, startling Miko. She instinctively grabbed Amamiya's right hand and whispered in a low voice:
"I didn't pay attention earlier, but there are so many evil spirits in this hospital."
Amamiya gently squeezed Miko's fingers. "It's normal for a hospital to have a lot of evil spirits."
Evil spirits were everywhere—in the corridors, on the roof, under the beds, even clinging to some of the patients. In Amamiya's mind, this real hospital was far more terrifying than the haunted hospitals in any game.
The two made their way into the corridor.
"Miko?" Mrs. Touko's gaze landed on their interlocked hands. A soft smile appeared on her face. "You and Amamiya…"
"It's nothing like that!" Miko's face turned red in an instant as she quickly denied it.
"It's okay if you're dating. I wouldn't object, but make sure you're safe."
"Safe? What do you mean? I don't get it at all!" Miko quickly changed the subject. "The doctor said you can go home and rest. Just keep the wound dry, and take it easy for a few days."
"But how am I supposed to wash my hair?"
"I'll help you wash it!" Miko said, quickly volunteering.
"..."
While Miko continued talking with her mother, Amamiya went to buy the prescribed medicine. Shortly after, the three of them left the hospital together.
Night had already fallen.
Streetlights flickered to life, and the neon signs blinked across the city.
"Oh no!" Miko suddenly stopped in her tracks. "I forgot to tell Kyousuke…"
"Don't worry, I've already messaged him," Amamiya said, raising his phone. "He's waiting for you to come back."
"That's a relief." Miko sighed, but then quickly realized something. "Wait...you're not going back?"
Amamiya shook his head and replied, "I need to head back to the mall."
After bidding Miko farewell, Amamiya returned to the mall, making his way to a restaurant on the third floor.
"Amamiya-kun, over here!"
In the corner, a pink haired girl waved her hands energetically.
Amamiya approached the table.
"Hayasaka, go order another meal," Kaguya said, turning to her maid.
"Yes, my lady," Hayasaka replied, bowing slightly before leaving.
The order was just an excuse—clearly, they wanted her out of earshot. But that didn't bother her. As Hayasaka tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a small, discreet eavesdropping device became faintly visible.
Amamiya took a seat in the empty chair.
"Did you find anything unusual?" he asked.
"No," Umi shook her head. "We've walked around twice. It's just a regular shopping mall. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Amamiya-kun, here's your Coke," Chika said, passing him a cup. "Midnight Mall Monster Party... What a weird name. Do we have to wait here until midnight?"
"The game doesn't require us to stay in the mall all night," Amamiya explained, taking a sip of the Coke. "At midnight, we'll be pulled directly into the game."
"That's a relief," Chika sighed, nibbling on her ice cream like a cat. "If I don't get home tonight, my parents will definitely start nagging me."
"Here's a map of the mall."
Kaguya laid out a hand-drawn map, clearly marking the fire escapes, elevators, and major shops on each floor.
While Umi and Chika were simply goofing around, Kaguya had been meticulously gathering intelligence.
"We don't know yet if the 'Midnight Mall' is this actual mall or just a setting created by the game," Kaguya said, taking a sip of tea with graceful precision. "We should prepare a few things, just in case."
Chika, intrigued, asked, "What kind of things?"
Kaguya's gaze shifted to Amamiya. She pursed her lips slightly before asking, "What do you think we'll need most, Natsuki-san?"
Amamiya thought for a moment before answering quickly, "Walkie-talkies."
In the information age, nothing was more important than communication. Having walkie-talkies would be invaluable if they got separated.
Unfortunately, game backpacks could only store in-game items or props, so real-world tools like walkie-talkies couldn't be stored. Otherwise, Amamiya would've packed several for emergencies.
"In that case, we'll need night-vision goggles," Umi suggested. "The lights will definitely go out at midnight, and the mall will be pitch black."
"Night-vision goggles are hard to come by," Chika pointed out. "If we order from Amazon now, we'll only get them tomorrow."
"Don't worry," Kaguya said with calm confidence, sipping her tea. "I'll take care of the equipment."
Not far away, Hayasaka discreetly pressed the eavesdropping device in her ear and sighed inwardly.
Of course, leave it to Kaguya to just talk—guess who'll end up doing all the work?
"So, where should we put everything?" Chika asked.
Amamiya sipped his Coke and said, "By midnight, almost every mall will be closed. It's best to hide it somewhere with unrestricted access."
"I know!" Chika's eyes lit up. "The bathroom!"
With a bright voice, the pink-haired girl declared, "Even at midnight, you can still enter and exit the bathroom as usual."
Kaguya nodded slightly in agreement. "That works."
"And one more thing," Chika raised two fingers to her temples, pretending to think hard. "When we enter the game, we might not land in the same spot. Just in case, we should set a meeting point now."
"The mall has five floors," Umi folded one arm across her chest, while resting her chin on her other hand. "Let's choose somewhere in the middle... like in front of this restaurant."
"No objections here," Amamiya replied.
"To be extra careful," Amamiya continued, "we should use a secret code when we meet up, just to prevent anyone from impersonating us."
As he said this, Amamiya shot a glance at the seemingly innocent Kaguya. The memory of the yandere version of her from the mirror world was still fresh.
Kaguya's cheeks puffed up slightly, clearly recalling that unfortunate event as well.
Umi's eyes sparkled. "How about 'Odds change, but evens don't'?"
"Huh?" Chika looked over in confusion. "What kind of code is that? I've never heard of it."
"That's the point," Amamiya explained. "If you've never heard of it, others won't either. It'll be harder for them to guess."
Umi covered her mouth and leaned in to whisper to Amamiya, "The next part is…"
And so, they had their secret code.
But there was one more thing to consider.
"Before we enter the game, I need to assign some skills to each of you," Amamiya said, finishing off his Coke. He crossed his fingers and asked, "What skills do you want?"
Things like walkie-talkies, night-vision goggles, and stun guns were just speculative preparations—they didn't know for sure if they'd be allowed in the game. But any abilities Amamiya transferred to them would definitely be available.
Of course, the options were limited. The skill to repel evil spirits wouldn't work in the game, and the sheep transformation technique could only be used on allies.
In the end, after much consideration (and Chika's insistent suggestions), they decided on a combination of skills focused on "defeating gangsters and eliminating evil."
With that, the villain team was officially formed.
"Let's hold hands now," Umi stretched with a yawn. "Amamiya-kun and I can discuss the finer details later."
"Holding hands..." Kaguya's fists immediately tightened.
This is a public restaurant! Holding hands with a boy here would definitely be misunderstood!
Even Chika coughed awkwardly and averted her gaze. This pink-haired airhead had been carefree about these things just a few days ago. But ever since she woke up in Amamiya's arms that morning, her attitude had clearly shifted.
"What's the hesitation for?" Umi asked innocently. "We've held hands before at home."
"But this is a restaurant..." Chika hesitated. "What if people misunderstand?"
"Exactly!" Kaguya chimed in, nodding along.
"Hmm..." Umi stroked her chin in thought, then snapped her fingers. "I've got an idea!"
She beckoned to Amamiya. "Amamiya-kun, come here and sit next to me."
Amamiya, who had been eating quietly, looked up in surprise. "What for?"
"Just come over, and you'll see."
Curious, Amamiya stood up and walked over to Umi's side.
"Sit down," she urged, gently pushing him into the seat.
Umi sat beside him, and next to her were Chika and Kaguya. With the space suddenly cramped, Amamiya couldn't help but comment, "Isn't it a bit crowded?"
"It's healthier this way," Umi said with a grin.
"…"
As soon as Amamiya sat down, Umi scooted closer, sandwiching him between the three girls. The once spacious corner was now cozily packed, with the pleasant fragrances of each girl blending together and surrounding him.
"Now you two can secretly hold hands under the table," Umi suggested playfully, making a scissor gesture with her fingers. "I'll be your shield."
"…"