"It's already attracting too much attention…" Amamiya noticed that several people were glancing in their direction.
Three pretty girls sitting together naturally drew some eyes, and the nearby diners couldn't help but steal glances from time to time—after all, beauty is appreciated by both men and women alike.
Now that Amamiya had squeezed into the group, the four of them were huddled close, whispering to each other, which only increased the attention they were getting.
"So hurry up and make your move," Umi said, straightening her back and doing her best to shield them. "Five minutes will fly by before you know it."
'Five minutes? That's not short at all!'
Even the strongest land primate, the silverback gorilla, could only last a few seconds. And many humans couldn't manage more than five minutes either!
Amamiya glanced at the pink-haired girl beside him and whispered, "Give me your hand."
"…"
Without looking his way, Chika quietly extended her hand under the table.
Their hands met and clasped together in silence, hidden from view.
Amamiya took a calm sip of his drink.
At home, this sort of thing was no big deal. But here, in a bustling restaurant, it felt like they were secretly getting away with something forbidden.
It was… strangely thrilling.
After spending time with Kaguya, Chika, Umi, Miko, and even a spy maid, Amamiya couldn't help but think to himself—if he had to choose, Chika's hands were the best in the world.
Most girls' hands were always a bit cold, but Chika's were different.
Her skin was soft, warm, and silky smooth, like holding a piece of fine Nephrite that seemed to radiate warmth. It was almost impossible not to enjoy the feeling.
As he felt the warmth and softness of her hand, Amamiya couldn't resist giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.
The small black bow on Chika's head trembled slightly, but she continued eating her appetizer, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Unbothered, Amamiya gave her fingers another playful pinch.
"…Bully!"
Chika puffed her cheeks in annoyance, turning to face him.
'Too much!'
'This is too much!'
It would have been fine if they were alone, but Kaguya and Umi were right there. What if they noticed?
'I can't just let this slide! Enough is enough—I need to fight back!'
Determined, the pink-haired girl popped the fruit from her dessert into her mouth and launched her counterattack beneath the table.
The secret war under the table had officially begun.
"Fujiwara?" Kaguya suddenly asked, her voice curious. "Why is your face turning red?"
"Cough, cough…"
Chika quickly faked a cough, covering her lips. "Uh… well, isn't it normal to blush when holding hands with a boy?"
"Kaguya-chan blushes every time we hold hands!" she added.
Kaguya narrowed her eyes. "The problem is… you weren't blushing before."
"Of course!" Chika replied seriously. "At home, it's just the few of us, so the sense of shame is different. It's like the difference between not wearing underwear at home versus not wearing it to school—the shame is worlds apart."
Amamiya nearly choked on his drink.
'The example you just gave is terrible! You've completely exposed your dark past!'
"Wait, what?" Umi turned to Chika in shock. "Chika-chan went to school without underwear?"
"I didn't!" Chika denied it flatly.
"I can vouch for that," Amamiya added seriously. "That's definitely not true."
"Perjury leads to the gallows, you know," Chika said sweetly, tilting her head with a 'smile'.
"I apologize. I was wrong," Amamiya surrendered immediately. "Please forgive me."
"I'll leave your fate in the hands of the gods."
"…"
Seeing the doubt on Kaguya's face, Chika quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, Umi-chan could switch places with Kaguya-chan, that way you both can hold hands at the same time."
"W-We'd hold hands together?"
The red ribbon on the back of Kaguya's head trembled slightly. The very idea was way too embarrassing!
"We still have to eat after this, and then I need to rush home," Chika continued, her expression serious. "Kaguya-chan also has preparations to make. We're short on time, so we have to stop dawdling."
"That's true." Umi nodded in agreement as she stood up. "Shinomiya-san, let's switch seats."
Kaguya hesitated for a moment. She had no choice but to comply, rising quietly and sitting nervously to Amamiya's left.
"Relax, there's no need to be nervous," Amamiya whispered. "It's just holding hands. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I'm not nervous," Kaguya replied, taking a deep breath. She summoned her "Ice Princess" persona, composing her face into an unreadable mask.
"Is that so…" Amamiya's eyes flicked to Kaguya's slightly clenched right hand before gently reaching for it.
The moment their fingertips touched, a jolt ran through Kaguya's body. It felt like an electric shock traveling from their fingers, and within seconds, her pale cheeks flushed red.
'Wait, what's happening?'
'This isn't the first time we've held hands, so why am I more nervous than the first time?'
Her heartbeat quickened.
'My head feels light…'
'What if my heart's beating so loudly that others can hear it?'
Dizzy with embarrassment, Kaguya couldn't even bring herself to glance at the pink-haired idiot seated on Amamiya's other side.
Five minutes passed.
"All done." Amamiya released her hand. "The ability has been applied."
"Phew…"
Both Kaguya and Chika exhaled deeply in relief.
"Finally! Let's eat!" Umi propped her chin up on her hand. "I'm starving."
"…"
The rest of the meal passed without incident.
After dinner, it was already past seven in the evening.
"I'm heading home first." Chika waved, her usual energy returning. "Mom and Dad will be back by eight, so I need to get home quick. See you tomorrow!"
"You mean, see you in the game," Amamiya corrected.
With that, the group split up—Amamiya and Umi taking the train back, while Kaguya and her maid, Hayasaka, were picked up by a driver.
Both parties said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Inside the car, Kaguya looked out the window, deep in thought. After a moment, she turned toward her maid.
"Hayasaka, I need a favor."
If there's anything to ask, ask the maid.
As an all-purpose maid, there was hardly anything Hayasaka couldn't do.
"What is it, miss?" Hayasaka, biting down on a lollipop, feigned ignorance even though she had a good idea of what was coming. "Would you like me to install surveillance cameras to monitor Amamiya and Umi's movements in real-time?"
"Of course not!" Kaguya snapped. "Spying on someone in their own home through hidden cameras… that's something only a pervert would do!"
"…"
Hayasaka didn't respond, only internally lamenting her own life choices.
'Apologies, young miss… but I'm already that perverted girl.'
A little while later, the black car slowed and pulled over to the side of the road.
Hayasaka stepped out to begin her mission while Kaguya returned to the villa.
Once the car had vanished into the night, Hayasaka untied her hair and pulled out her phone, tapping out a message...
---
Meanwhile, at the tram stop.
Amamiya and Umi waited for the train.
"Hey, Amamiya," Umi said, holding up her phone. "Hanamori-chan just messaged me. She accidentally wandered into the mall and wants to join the game too."