The two descended the stairs and returned to the living room.
After Amamiya copied the Evil Spirit Repellent skill on Sajuna, he casually asked, "Heading back after dinner?"
"No." Sajuna grabbed her schoolbag, stood up, and headed for the door. "I'm full!"
"With an appetite that small, no wonder you're always out of energy," Amamiya retorted.
"..."
Sajuna paused briefly at his words, then resumed walking with deliberately louder steps.
9:30 p.m.
Amamiya was quietly reading a book when the doorbell suddenly rang.
He stood up and opened the door, revealing a blonde girl with a bright smile that seemed to light up the night. She leaned forward, waved cheerfully, and greeted him, "senpai, sorry to bother you again!"
Amamiya stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. "Come in."
"Did you miss me these past two days, senpai?"
Hayasaka stepped into the entrance, slipped on a pair of slippers with practiced ease, and tilted her head playfully. Closing one eye, she grinned, "I've been thinking about you every day—morning, noon, and night!"
Amamiya sighed. "How very... punctual of you."
"Hehe." Hayasaka clasped her hands behind her back, leaning closer. A sweet apple scent drifted through the air.
"Senpai, you haven't answered my question yet."
Amamiya sniffed lightly.
The fragrance was different. It had been citrus before, but now it was apple. Did she deliberately change her perfume—and lean in—so he'd notice?
Too bad. Your plan is exposed. There's no turning back now.
He looked at her calmly. "Do you want the truth or a lie?"
"Say something nice, Senpai," Hayasaka pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "I've worked so hard all day at school and my part-time job. If you say something mean, I might be too sad to sleep tonight!"
Worked hard? You mean lounging around with a lollipop in your mouth?
And that part-time job is fake!
Amamiya didn't call her out, deciding to humor her act. "Alright. I did miss you."
"Yay~"
Hayasaka raised her hand and made a scissors gesture beside her right eye, flashing a sweet, charming smile. "Victory for Hanamori-chan!"
Amamiya stayed silent.
The contrast between her and her bad-girl persona at school was staggering. If he hadn't already figured her out, he might never have believed they were the same person.
Girls are natural-born actresses.
"Here." Amamiya handed her a can of soda. "Why do you keep showing up this late?"
"Thank you, Senpai." Hayasaka plopped down on the sofa, pouting pitifully. "I can only come after work. It's not like I have a choice!"
Lies.
Amamiya had already guessed the real reason: Kaguya was likely asleep by now.
"Senpai, could you apply another Evil Spirit Repellent skill?" Hayasaka extended her soft, delicate hands. "Evil spirits keep popping up at my apartment, and I'm worried they might notice me."
As Amamiya held her hand to copy the skill, he asked,
"If I remember correctly, you live alone in that apartment, right?"
"Yep." Hayasaka nodded enthusiastically. Her eyes sparkled as she added, "But it's kind of far from your house. If I lived closer, visiting you would be so much more convenient!"
Clearly, she wasn't wasting any opportunity to advance her mission.
Her goal was obvious: turn him into her loyal servant.
But Amamiya suddenly smiled and said,
"I've got a solution for that."
"Huh?" Hayasaka blinked, caught off guard. "What kind of solution?"
"Simple." Amamiya shrugged. "Just move in."
"Eh—EH?!"
Hayasaka clutched her chest dramatically, leaning back in mock alarm. "Senpai, are you seriously inviting me to live with you?"
"No confession, no dating, and you want to skip straight to living together? Sorry, that's way too fast for me!"
"It's not cohabitation," Amamiya said evenly. "Think of it as sharing a house. Besides my parents' room and mine, there are two spare rooms upstairs. I'll rent one to you for only 998 yen. Utilities split evenly. Deal?"
Hayasaka: "…"
Hayasaka thought quickly, carefully masking her expression as she leaned back into the corner of the sofa, clutching her chest with exaggerated alarm.
"I only have time to move around after the young lady goes to bed, and I can't clone myself, so sharing a house is completely out of the question."
She feigned a conflicted look and continued, "Mom always said, 'You can't eat a pie that falls from the sky.' For Senpai to offer such a low rent, there must be some ulterior motive, right?"
She narrowed her eyes, leaning slightly away. "For example, in the middle of the night, while I'm asleep, you could sneak into my room and… do this or that to me!"
Her voice dropped into mock seriousness as she jabbed her finger in his direction. "I'm sorry, Senpai, but I've figured out your plan!"
Amamiya nodded without missing a beat. "Fair point. If the rent seems too low, let's make it 100,000 yen a month."
Hayasaka: "…"
The issue isn't the rent—it's my chastity!
She took a steadying breath, her tone softening as she tried a different approach. "I understand you're trying to look out for me, Senpai…" Her eyes darted briefly before she added, "But if I moved in, it'd be too far from my school. I'd have a hard time attending classes."
"I'm not suggesting you walk to school," Amamiya replied matter-of-factly. "If you wake up early and catch the train, you'll make it before class starts, no matter the distance."
Hayasaka: "…"
There's definitely something wrong with this man!
Up until now, he's always been pulling up his defenses—so why is he suddenly taking the initiative to invite me to move in?
Did his feelings change, or is there another reason?
Still, it's impossible that my true identity has been exposed. Even the young lady hasn't noticed, so there's no way Amamiya could have figured it out.
"The apartment I'm renting belongs to a distant relative," Hayasaka said, pulling a fresh excuse from her arsenal. "If I suddenly move out, they'd be upset and might even tell my parents. I don't want to make them worry, so I'm sorry, Senpai."
After a brief pause, she touched her lips with her finger and smiled faintly. "But since you're being so considerate today, I'll grant you one slightly excessive request as a thank-you."
Amamiya looked at her curiously. "Can you help me with your hand?"
Hayasaka: "…"
Ha. This man…
"You're being awfully rude to jump straight to such a strange request!" she exclaimed, feigning offense. Then, pretending to clutch her chest in horror, she added, "If Senpai dirties my clothes, the smell will linger! If someone notices on the train home, I'll be too ashamed to live!"
"…"
After receiving the Evil Spirit Repellent skill, Hayasaka couldn't shake the feeling that something was unusually off tonight. She quickly made her goodbyes and left decisively.
10:30 p.m.
As usual, Miko snuck in quietly to sleep.
No words were exchanged that night.
The Next Day
At school, in the game room, a group of students were gleefully ganging up on the ever-suffering Hana.
Chika rested her cheek in her right hand, watching the commotion with a curious tilt of her head.
"The student council elections are coming up soon," she remarked casually. "Are you all ready to participate?"