"I want you to feed me, Senpai!"
The spy maid clasped her hands into small fists and held them in front of her chest. Lowering her posture deliberately, she tilted her pretty face upward, fixing him with an irresistible, doe-eyed gaze.
"Today marks the very first time I gifted dessert to senpai. It's a momentous
occasion that I'll remember for a lifetime. Therefore, Senpai, you absolutely must reciprocate by feeding me in return!"
Amamiya stared at her in silence. "...Aren't you embarrassed at all?"
"Who says I can't be?" Hayasaka extended a finger and lightly poked her soft, elastic cheek, a rosy blush blooming across her delicate skin. Her voice turned coy and teasing as she murmured, "Senpai's been toying with me so much that I'm already getting all hot and bothered."
"..."
Whether from shame or sheer disbelief, I wasn't sure how to respond.
But if I had to rank the shameless people I know, Hayasaka would undoubtedly take second place—because no one alive could ever claim first.
If shamelessness were measured as combat power, this girl could single handedly defeat 500 Komi's!
"She's really something else..."
Despite knowing full well that Hayasaka was putting on an act, Amamiya couldn't help but pick up the chopsticks.
What choice do I have?
Her spoiled behavior was simply too effective.
"Ah~"
Hayasaka parted her soft pink lips slightly, revealing a row of neat white teeth. Her sparkling eyes brimmed with anticipation. "Senpai's tone just now was so gentle... My affection points are practically maxed out!"
Oh, boy.
Outwardly, the spy maid wore a shy, flushed expression, her eyes full of earnest expectation. But internally, the devil in her heart folded its arms smugly, radiating pride.
(I thought he'd resist a few more times, but who knew he wouldn't even last to the third attempt?)
(Let's be real—what man could remain unaffected by my charm unless he's completely out of his mind!)
"Mm~"
Hayasaka bit into the daifuku, her cheeks puffing out like a small hamster. She sighed contentedly, speaking through her mouthful:
"When I ate one of these daifuku right after making them this morning, it didn't taste nearly as good... Food just tastes better when it's fed to me by Senpai."
Umi once claimed the cup noodles she wrestled for were the most delicious.
Chika swore that food stolen from someone else's lunchbox tasted best.
You really are kindred spirits, all sharing the same strange logic!
Amamiya's gaze shifted suddenly, falling on Hayasaka's right wrist.
"Senpai, what is it?"
Noticing his focus, Hayasaka followed his line of sight to her hand. Her eyes soon widened in surprise.
"Wait—why hasn't the energy bar gone up?"
Her mind raced, and she quickly realized the problem.
I was too busy feeling smug just now to notice anything. Of course, I didn't feel excited!
"Senpai, you weren't sincere just now, were you?"
Hayasaka decided to strike preemptively.
Amamiya blinked, startled. "What?"
"Girls are highly perceptive creatures," the spy maid declared with utter confidence. "We can sense a boy's true feelings. The look in your eyes just now didn't have the same brilliance as that night, so I wasn't moved."
"Right, that must be it."
Amamiya rolled his eyes. "You're just twisting things to suit your narrative."
"It doesn't count unless there's proof," Hayasaka shot back with a triumphant tilt of her chin. She raised her adorable face again and demanded, "Senpai, take responsibility immediately and feed me another daifuku."
Coincidentally, Amamiya wanted to test the theory regarding the "heartbeat value." Without complaint, he picked up another daifuku with the chopsticks and brought it to her.
"Ah~"
Hayasaka opened her mouth and delicately bit into the red bean-filled daifuku.
Both of them turned their eyes toward the watch.
The energy gauge remained stubbornly unchanged.
"That's strange..." Hayasaka frowned in confusion. "Why isn't there any progress?"
That night, in the corridor of the Ghost School, her heart had raced just from him brushing against her hair. But now, there was nothing—no quickened heartbeat at all. Could it be that feeding someone required something more intimate?
"Senpai, can you help me fix my hair?"
Hayasaka quickly broke the silence.
"Um."
Amamiya nodded, reaching out his right hand to help tidy the hair around her ears.
The two glanced at their watches again. Unfortunately, the energy bar still refused to budge.
"Tsk~ I did the exact same thing as the other night. Why isn't it working now?"
Hayasaka bit her pink lips thoughtfully until a sudden realization struck her.
The answer might be embarrassingly simple.
Since it's called heartbeat energy, it must naturally require your heart to beat faster.
Eating strawberry daifuku? Getting my hair fixed? Did either of those make my heart race?
No.
Because they were part of my plan.
It's like writing a script and acting it out step by step. When you're mentally prepared, there's no surprise, no fluttering heartbeat—and naturally, no charging effect.
Tsk~ If that's the case, this is going to be tricky.
The spy maid, deep in her thoughts, mentally bit her fingers and stomped her foot in frustration.
You need genuine, heart-racing moments to charge it… but how often does that happen in real life? That kind of flushed face and thundering heartbeat when seeing someone you like—it's like something straight out of a romance comic.
As a maid trained in the art of espionage, Hayasaka prided herself on always holding the banner of "rationality" high.
Spies don't have the luxury of sentimentality. They certainly don't allow themselves to be moved by their targets.
"Senpai?"
Hayasaka snapped out of her thoughts, suddenly realizing that Amamiya was standing directly in front of her.
The distance between them was barely a foot.
Sunlight streamed in from the window, cutting through the curtains and landing on him. From her perspective, it created a soft haze around him.
Despite wearing a simple white shirt, he seemed to be glowing faintly.
The loose strands of hair over his forehead.
The high bridge of his nose.
The slight curve of his lips.
And the reflection of herself in his bright eyes—all bathed in a gentle light.
A blush bloomed across Hayasaka's ears, spreading like red ink dropped into clear water.
Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.
Her heartbeat was suddenly loud and rapid, echoing in her chest.
Hayasaka's eyelashes quivered slightly as she felt an unfamiliar panic creep into her heart. For the first time, she didn't know what to do.
Before she could think further, a faint buzzing sound broke the silence, drawing both their attention.
Amamiya turned toward the sound, his gaze landing on Hayasaka's wrist. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, he said:
"The watch's energy bar is full."
"Eh?"
Hayasaka instinctively stepped back and glanced down at her wrist. "It really is."
Amamiya's gaze returned to her, his tone becoming teasingly subtle:
"The charging progress is complete. Which means, just now..."
"Senpai, that was totally unfair!"
Hayasaka cut him off, grabbing a pillow from the sofa and hugging it tightly to her chest. "This was my first time being so close to a boy—I could even smell Senpai's scent!"
"Should I apologize for that?"
"Since you seem sincere, I'll graciously forgive you this time."
"...I don't even know where to begin."
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
The spy maid inwardly stomped her feet in frustration.
As much as she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't deny the truth—she'd lost this round.
But it doesn't matter.
No ruler reigns undefeated forever. In the end, war is a game of wins and losses.
The spy maid quickly shifted her attention to her watch.
After the charging process was complete, the "Mode Switch" button on the screen, which had previously been grayed out, finally lit up.
Curious, Hayasaka reached out and tapped it lightly. Under their watchful eyes, the device transformed rapidly, akin to Iron Man's armor, and within seconds, it morphed into a gun.
The gun was slightly larger than an ordinary pistol and predominantly pink in color, with a strong cartoonish aesthetic. It was unmistakably designed as a magical girl's weapon.
"The weapon form is finally unlocked!" Hayasaka's eyes sparkled with excitement. Holding the gun with both hands, she closed one eye and took aim. "Senpai, shall we test it out?"
Before Amamiya could respond, the doorbell rang.
He stood up to answer it.
"It's almost eleven—I'll prepare lunch..."
Standing outside the door was Miko, carrying ingredients in her hands.
Yesterday at school, Miko had promised that if Amamiya returned safely, she'd take care of lunch. True to her word, she'd come as planned.
"Good afternoon, Miko-senpai!" Hayasaka greeted her with a cheerful smile.
"Eh? Hanamori-san?"
Miko was surprised to see Hayasaka and quickly recognized her.
"I just got here," Hayasaka explained, her tone polite and sweet. "Thanks to my Senpais in the dungeon, I made some desserts as a small gesture of gratitude."
The spy maid, who had no qualms about acting spoiled or using proactive strategies in front of Amamiya, now reverted to her quiet and composed demeanor when faced with an outsider.
"I see..."
Miko, unfamiliar with Hayasaka, simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"Come in," Amamiya said, stepping aside to let her in. "Where's Kyousuke?"
Miko replied, "He's at home doing homework."
"I'll head downstairs to call him over. Let's have lunch together since Auntie isn't home," Amamiya suggested, heading to the refrigerator to grab a drink. He handed the can to Miko. "Here, have something to drink."
Miko accepted the drink with both hands, her attention drawn to the table where the magical girl's weapon lay in plain sight. Curious, she asked, "What's this?"
"The magical girl's prop gun," Hayasaka explained casually. "I was about to test its effects with my Senpai."
"Is it dangerous?" Miko asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Magical girls don't use weapons to harm people; they're for children," Amamiya quipped before an idea struck him. "Actually, this reminds me of Octopus Paul from the ghost ship. Since you're here, how about playing roulette to decide who'll test the gun?"
"No way. I refuse," Miko said firmly, shaking her head. "I'm not interested in that kind of game."
"Miko and I are just powerless girls," Hayasaka added with mock helplessness. "Shouldn't senpai handle these things?"
"Wait, are you calling Miko powerless?" Amamiya asked, casting a pointed look at her.
How could a girl who eats two bowls of rice per meal possibly be powerless?
"Stare—"
Miko glared at him, her pretty face frozen in irritation.
"Fine," Amamiya said, retracting his gaze. "I'll do it myself."
The best way to test the weapon's effect was to experience it firsthand.
"Senpai, are you ready for me to shoot?" Hayasaka asked, holding the magical girl's weapon with both hands.
Amamiya nodded. "Go ahead."
"The chest seems a bit risky," Hayasaka muttered, lowering the gun. "How about the thigh instead?"
Wait, my thighs? Don't aim there!
A moment later, Hayasaka finally fired.
With a soft biu, a colorful streak of light shot out and struck Amamiya.