The colorful meteor bullet streaked through the air, hit Amamiya squarely, and vanished.
Amamiya glanced down at his thigh.
His clothes weren't torn.
His skin was unscathed.
"Senpai~" Hayasaka asked curiously, "How do you feel?"
Amamiya rubbed the spot where he had been hit.
"Honestly? I don't feel anything."
"Senpai~"
Hayasaka was about to ask more when she noticed Miko staring at her with a subtle expression. Realizing her mistake, she quickly pieced together the reason.
Not good.
I accidentally used a coquettish tone just now, and Miko noticed it.
This is only our first proper meeting. If one day I slip up and act like a spoiled child in front of the young lady, that would be a disaster.
I need to tone it down in the future. Acting spoiled too often could become a bad habit and cause real trouble...
(Tsk, this is all because of the guy in front of me.)
The imaginary villain in Hayasaka's mind bit her fingers angrily.
(Hurry up and let me conquer you already. It's embarrassing to let a mere servant trouble me like this!)
"That's a relief." Hayasaka placed a hand on her chest, feigning a relieved expression, then turned to Miko. "I was worried earlier. If I had accidentally hurt Senpai, wouldn't you have been distressed, Miko-senpai?"
Divert the trouble away!
Miko's face flushed red as she looked away guiltily.
"W-What are you even talking about? Why would I feel sad..."
KO in one strike.
Hayasaka sighed inwardly.
She didn't even last a single round. Not good enough.
Meanwhile, Amamiya suddenly felt something was off. He quietly sat down on the sofa, resting his left hand on his knee and supporting his chin with his right hand, resembling Rodin's famous The Thinker.
"Hey, Senpai?" Hayasaka quickly noticed his odd behavior. "Are you okay?"
Amamiya's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, fixed on some unreachable point in the sky. His voice was calm as he said, "I'm fine."
Miko frowned and asked, "Then why are you suddenly posing like that?"
Amamiya replied serenely, "This posture is conducive to thinking."
Hayasaka rolled up a newspaper and handed it to him. "Um, Senpai, may I ask... what exactly are you thinking about?"
"The universe, time, and life and death." Without changing his posture, Amamiya spoke in a low, thoughtful tone. "The universe is so vast, and humans are so insignificant, yet we always focus on trivial desires and feelings. It's... not good. Very bad."
Miko: "…"
"Stare—"
Hayasaka bent down, waving her hand in front of his face.
"…"
Amamiya's gaze remained steady and unfocused, as if nothing could disturb his thoughts.
"His eyes are so calm." Hayasaka poked his cheek with her finger. "It's like he's genuinely contemplating the ultimate meaning of the universe and life."
Miko crossed her arms and frowned. "Is this because of that gun earlier?"
"That's most likely it," Hayasaka replied, resting her chin on her hand as she thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it—I know what state Senpai is in right now."
"What is it?" Miko asked curiously.
"Sage time," Hayasaka declared, raising a finger. "He's detached from worldly concerns, freed from desires, and uninterested in anything. This must be Sage Time, right?"
Miko: "…"
Now that she thought about it, it kind of made sense.
As someone who wasn't as sheltered as Kaguya, Miko naturally understood what Sage Time referred to.
It's said to be a unique state of being, like a saint or a Buddha, completely detached from worldly desires. A great sage who has already grasped the ultimate truths of the world, finding nothing in life that can intrigue him anymore.
"Amamiya won't stay like this forever, will he?"
Miko asked with some concern.
Last night, she had been worried that Amamiya might lose control and turn into a ravenous wolf, attacking her in the middle of the night. But now, seeing him in this current state made her even more anxious.
If she had to choose, Miko would rather take her chances with the nighttime wolf.
"Don't worry, Miko-senpai," Hayasaka assured her. "This state definitely won't last long. The younger the boy, the shorter the time he can stay in Sage Time."
Miko: "…"
At first, the idea of Sage Time had seemed interesting. But after waiting a few minutes and seeing Amamiya still frozen like a statue, Miko quickly grew bored.
"It's already past eleven," she said, finishing her drink and standing up. "I'll start cooking."
Hayasaka called out cheerfully, "Don't worry, Senpai is in my hands!"
"…"
Watching Miko disappear into the kitchen, Hayasaka's eyes sparkled mischievously. She scooted closer to Amamiya, shifted slightly, and poked his cheek with her finger.
"Senpai, Senpai~ We're alone again."
"…"
Amamiya didn't respond.
"Eh?" The spy maid tilted her head, blinking. "Why aren't you saying anything, Senpai?"
Amamiya replied calmly, "This conversation is meaningless. There's no need to respond."
Hayasaka: "…"
How dare he refuse to answer! This makes me mad!
"Senpai, I'm curious." Leaning closer, Hayasaka brought her face within inches of his, her breath soft and sweet. Using her charm with full force, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Amamiya's gaze didn't waver. His calm eyes seemed to look straight through her, as if they were fixed on some distant, unfathomable void.
"I'm reflecting," he said evenly.
"Eh? Reflecting on what?"
"If it is unnecessary, do not create the entity. Flesh is weak; machinery will ascend."
Hayasaka: "…"
"I don't get it. I don't get it at all." Pouting, the spy maid poked his cheek again. In his Sage Time state, Amamiya offered no resistance. "Senpai, can you speak like a normal human being? Please?"
Amamiya replied slowly, "I am beginning to understand everything."
Hayasaka: "…"
Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Hayasaka's initial amusement turned into growing panic.
Despite the passage of time, Amamiya remained in his sage-like pose. Aside from blinking, he hadn't moved at all.
Hayasaka was certain Sage Time couldn't last forever, but she had no idea how long it might persist.
What if it lasts three or four days? How is he supposed to go to school like this?
"Senpai, are you tired?"
"Not tired."
"Why not switch to a more comfortable position?" Hayasaka suggested, her voice dripping with temptation. "If you nod, I can offer you a knee pillow."
"Unnecessary."
"Ugh!"
Frustrated, Hayasaka bit her lower lip, casting a glance at Miko busy in the kitchen. She let out a soft huff.
This won't do.
Having Amamiya stuck in Sage Time was far too troublesome. She had to bring him back.
The question was: how?
How does one break Sage Time?
Hayasaka's mind raced as she recalled a famous bald monk from history.
When Tripitaka encountered the Queen of the Women's Kingdom, even he couldn't help but feel tempted. And surely this so-called sage in front of her wasn't more resolute than Tang Sanzang.
Even the wisest fall to beauty's allure!
So...
"Senpai," Hayasaka began, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "do you like stockings?"