In a quiet corner, Amamiya and the spy maid were engaged in a hushed conversation.
"Did you manage to scrape it off?"
"No."
"It's stuck on tight. Looks like someone chewed this super gum for a long time before spitting it out."
"…"
Honestly, anyone who spits gum on the ground should be punished—preferably with a trip to the gallows!
"Ugh..."
Hayasaka took a deep breath, biting her lower lip in frustration.
Calm down.
It's just gum.
Don't let your composure slip over something so small.
"Amamiya-kun, can you hold my backpack for a moment?" Hayasaka handed over the bag. "I need to get the gum off my shoe first."
"Sure." Amamiya took the backpack. "Honestly, I'm impressed you walked this far with gum stuck to your shoe."
Hayasaka: "…"
Annoying.
I swear, he's secretly laughing at me. It's infuriating!
The gum clung stubbornly to the bottom of her shoe, sticking with every step. It was unbearable, but impossible to rub off. With no other choice, Hayasaka led Amamiya into a nearby empty alley.
"Go ahead." Amamiya stepped back a few paces, grinning. "I'll stand guard."
"This isn't a crime! No need to act so suspicious!" Hayasaka snapped, gritting her teeth.
She bent down and slipped off her right shoe. In the moonlight, the offending gum stuck firmly in the grooves of the sole. No wonder it wouldn't budge no matter how hard she tried.
Disgusting.
Looks like these shoes are ruined. I'll just throw them out when I get home.
But how do I get the gum off for now?
Hayasaka frowned, searching the ground for anything useful.
"Here."
A long, slender object was handed to her from the side.
Startled, Hayasaka glanced over. "Where did you get a toothpick?"
"From one of my blind box prizes." Amamiya casually tossed the toothpick holder in his hand. "Go ahead and use it. There are 365 toothpicks inside, so it's no big deal if you step in gum ten more times."
Previously, he'd won a pack of weird napkins from a blind box, so winning a container of toothpicks wasn't all that surprising. They weren't useful most of the time, but it seemed they were handy in unexpected situations.
"I am 'not' stepping in gum again!" Hayasaka muttered as she took the toothpick.
She carefully pried the gum from her shoe, working quickly and efficiently.
"Amamiya-kun..."
Hayasaka glanced at him, her lips pressed together in a thin line.
Without a word, Amamiya extended his hand, holding an open napkin.
"'How does he always know what I need before I even say anything?'"
Hayasaka's brows twitched slightly in surprise. She'd only said his name, not even managing to finish her sentence, yet here he was, already offering exactly what she needed.
As much as it shocked her, she had to admit—napkins were precisely what she'd been about to ask for.
After all, if you hate people spitting gum on the ground, you can't just toss it away yourself.
"How does Amamiya-kun always know what I'm about to say?"
Hayasaka glanced up curiously, placing the gum on the napkin as she spoke.
"I don't," Amamiya replied calmly, crumpling the napkin around the gum. "Just being cautious. You're under bad luck right now, and if you don't deal with it, you'll probably step on that same piece of gum again."
"Tsk, underestimating me, huh?"
Hayasaka bit down on her teeth in frustration.
I'm a maid who has undergone professional spy training—I won't make the same mistake twice!
Despite her irritation, the spy maid kept her usual sweet smile, batting her eyes as she replied, "Anyway, thanks, Amamiya-kun."
She had barely finished speaking when a sudden, sharp noise echoed through the alley. In an instant, two dark shapes leapt out from the shadows, one from the front, the other from behind.
The dim lighting made it hard to see, and Hayasaka instinctively stepped closer to Amamiya, startled. The two figures rushed toward her, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
Amamiya reacted swiftly, grabbing Hayasaka by the arm and pulling her into his chest, saving her from the oncoming figures.
As the shadows darted past them and out of the alley, Amamiya finally saw what they were:
"Just two stray cats."
"..."
Hayasaka grimaced in pain, her expression stiffening.
"What's wrong?" Amamiya asked, concerned. "Those cats didn't scratch you, did they?"
"It's not the cats," Hayasaka said through clenched teeth. "Something stabbed my foot."
Looking down, Amamiya realized that in the sudden chaos, Hayasaka hadn't had time to put her shoes back on. She was standing on the ground in just her black stockings.
It's bad luck, after all. Stepping on something without shoes is exactly what you'd expect.
"Damn it! Is this what being cursed by bad luck feels like?"
"It's too dark to see here," Amamiya suggested. "Let's head to the park and check your foot on one of the benches."
"Okay." Hayasaka nodded. "Please, help me, Amamiya-kun."
Amamiya assisted her out of the alley and towards the park.
As they neared the park gate, Hayasaka hesitated. "Um… what if we get attacked by birds next?"
A bird's "attack" from above would be worse than stepping in gum, she thought. Better safe than sorry.
"I was just making an example earlier," Amamiya reassured her. "Birds can't see at night, so they won't be flying around."
"Owls are nocturnal birds," Hayasaka pointed out.
"There aren't any owls in Tokyo."
"…"
Before they entered the park, Amamiya veered off towards a nearby convenience store. When he returned, he handed Hayasaka a baseball cap and placed it on her head.
"Now you don't have to worry."
"Thanks, Amamiya-kun."
"No problem. That'll be two thousand yen."
"..."
Once in the park, they sat down on an empty bench.
"My foot still hurts a bit," Hayasaka said, biting her lip. "I think something's stuck in it. I'll take off my stockings and check."
Thankfully, she was wearing knee-high socks, which were easier to remove than pantyhose.
"Should I look away?" Amamiya asked.
"No need," Hayasaka responded immediately. "I might not be able to see it clearly, so I'll need your help anyway."
The bad luck isn't over yet. I can't let you leave my side—at least you can help me ward it off.
Hayasaka hooked her thumb into the top of her stockings, gently pulling them down. As the smooth fabric slid to her ankles, her bare skin glistened in the faint light.
Amamiya's gaze briefly dropped, and for a moment, he was slightly mesmerized.
So pale.
Almost blindingly white.
Her legs were slender and well-proportioned, with a graceful curve. Her skin was as smooth and porcelain-like as if it were crafted by hand.
"'Oh man…'"
Noticing his lingering gaze, Hayasaka smirked to herself.
'Taking off my stockings in front of him? Fine. But staring openly? That's too much!'
Feigning innocence, Hayasaka gave him a pitiful look, her voice soft and pleading.
"Amamiya-kun… I can't seem to see it myself. Could you help me, please?"