"Senpai, I told you—you should step down from your seat when you apologize," Hayasaka remarked, her tone firm yet laced with subtle impatience.
She operated on two fronts simultaneously, managing to multitask with practiced ease.
"Are you sure?"
Amamiya turned to face her and replied with a calm resolve, "No problem. I'll stand up in front of the whole class tomorrow."
"That's too much!" Hayasaka hurriedly stopped him, alarm evident in her voice. "Senpai, just continue reading. I'll chat for a bit."
He fell silent.
A moment later, Hayasaka sighed softly, leaning back into the sofa. She glanced at him, her gaze aggrieved. "Senpai, I finally handled it."
"Let me see."
Amamiya took the phone from her hand, his eyes scanning the chat history. A faint smile curled his lips.
It's impressive how you can carry on such long conversations with yourself.
"Senpai, she said she can forget about what happened last time." Hayasaka leaned closer, her fresh citrus scent subtly wafting over. "But she has to work hard every day to buy clothes and accessories. On top of that, she still needs to study. So she thinks it's best to keep some distance at school."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Because my Senpai is very popular at school. If people knew you were pursuing Hasaka and she turned you down, she might get bullied."
"That's a problem," Amamiya agreed, nodding thoughtfully.
Bullying in Japanese schools was no trivial matter, after all. It wasn't uncommon for girls to be ostracized or harassed over such things.
Hayasaka's eyes lit up. "So, Senpai agrees?"
Finally! I convinced him! She thought triumphantly.
School was a different matter altogether. If the young lady found out about any misstep, it would spell trouble. Resolving this issue quickly was crucial for the sake of her peaceful campus life.
But Amamiya turned to her with a teasing look. "Who said I agreed?"
"Huh?"
"The scenario she's talking about only applies to ordinary girls." He placed the phone down and smirked. "But Hasaka is a self-proclaimed 'bad girl.' Who'd dare bully her?"
Hayasaka was momentarily stunned. "…You're the bad one!" she thought in her heart.
Her school persona wasn't that of a delinquent—she was a fashionable campus icon, a trendsetter. Not all trendy girls were "bad girls," thank you very much!
"Anyway," she grumbled, puffing out her cheeks and turning away, "it's your problem to deal with."
If he crossed the line again, she had other ways of handling him. A cold, distant tactic ought to work. No boy could endure half-hearted replies, right?
After her mock pout and a few parting words, Hayasaka feigned annoyance, bid him goodnight, and left.
It was nearing eleven o'clock at night when Amamiya, fresh out of the shower, sat on his bed, engrossed in a book. Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
Glancing at the screen, he saw a message from Miko.
Miko: "Amamiya, you're still awake, right?"
Amamiya: "Yeah, what's up?"
Miko: "Two evil spirits just came in through the window. They've been standing by the bed, staring at Hana."
He sighed. Not surprising.
That busty girl seemed to have an unusual aura. Not only could she attract Shimizu, but she also attracted evil spirits with remarkable ease. Wherever she went, a crowd of them seemed to follow.
Amamiya: "Just come here and sleep."
Miko: "I'd love to, but Hana is right next to me. If I move, she'll definitely notice."
Amamiya: "I doubt it. Hana seems like the type to sleep through anything—even thunder."
Miko: "…"
Though tempted to refute him, she found his words oddly convincing.
Miko: "Forget it. My real worry is Hana waking up and telling Mom if she doesn't see me. Can you come over?"
Amamiya: "Fine. I'll be there."
Setting his book aside, Amamiya stood up, grabbed his phone, and left his room. He didn't bother changing—his black shorts would suffice for the short trip.
The rain had stopped quietly sometime earlier, leaving the long street eerily empty and cold.
Walking up to Miko's house, Amamiya raised his hand and knocked softly on the door.
Click.
The door opened almost immediately.
Miko peeked out, revealing half of her pretty face. She whispered urgently, "Hurry up and come in."
Stepping cautiously into the entrance, Amamiya was greeted by a familiar sight—Miko's father.
"Amamiya, here to visit again?"
Miko's father, now an earthbound spirit, stood in the living room with a newspaper in his hands, smiling faintly.
Amamiya and Miko exchanged a glance but silently chose to ignore him.
Earthbound spirits might appear normal, but they lacked independent consciousness. They were stuck in an endless loop of repeating actions from their previous lives.
For instance, Miko's father never left the living room and spent all his time holding a newspaper he could never finish reading. While he could speak, his words were devoid of meaning—just echoes of his former life.
"Let's go upstairs," Miko whispered, pursing her pink lips as she tugged Amamiya along.
The pair tiptoed silently up the stairs until they arrived at the door to Miko's room.
"Wait here," Miko said softly, leaning in close. Her breath was warm and sweet. "I'll check if Hana is awake."
"She's definitely not," Amamiya replied confidently.
He had a theory—people with big appetites tended to sleep deeply and soundly. Both Hana and Umi were prime examples: great eaters, great sleepers, and always in good health.
Despite his assurance, Miko cautiously pushed the door open and slipped inside.
A moment later, she reappeared, whispering, "Come in. Hana's still asleep."
Amamiya nodded and followed her into the room.
The bedside nightlight cast a soft, dim glow over the space.
Hana lay on her side, breathing evenly, her expression serene and sweet in sleep.
But the peace was marred by the grotesque sight at her bedside.
A misshapen evil spirit, its body covered in countless eyes, hovered nearby. It held another smaller spirit—a wizened, old-man figure—dangling above Hana like a skewered morsel. The smaller spirit squirmed and squeaked helplessly as if it were being grilled.
"Is this some kind of barbecue buffet?" Amamiya muttered under his breath.
"Don't joke around," Miko whispered, shooting him a glare. "Get rid of them already."
Amamiya nodded, activating the Evil Spirit Repellent Aura.
The invisible fire flared to life, quickly consuming the evil spirits. Their hollow roars echoed briefly before they crumbled into ash and vanished.
"Finally," Miko breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to Amamiya and whispered, "You can leave now."
But just as she spoke, her heart jumped.
"Hmm…"
Hana stirred, rolling from her side onto her back.
Fortunately, her eyes remained closed, and she showed no signs of waking.
Miko froze, holding her breath. She waited a few tense moments, watching Hana's peaceful expression. When nothing else happened, she let out a soft sigh and poked Amamiya's arm, gesturing for him to leave.
Amamiya nodded, ready to retreat, when he suddenly noticed Hana's expression change.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and then—
Swish.
The quilt covering her body was kicked off the bed entirely.
It was summer, after all. It wasn't unusual for someone to feel too warm under a blanket.
But what followed was decidedly less ordinary.
Without the quilt, Hana's figure was now exposed. And as most girls do, she wasn't wearing any undergarments while sleeping.
A flash of smooth, pale skin came into view, illuminated by the soft glow of the nightlight.
So white.
For all her fame as a busty beauty, Hana certainly lived up to her reputation.
"Eh?! Hey hey hey?!" Miko stammered, finally reacting to the situation.
Hana's quilt-kicking prowess had caught her completely off guard. Flustered, Miko scrambled to cover her friend again.
But the sudden movement was too much.
Hana's eyelids fluttered, and before Miko could fix the situation, her best friend woke up.
"It's over…"
As Hana's sleepy eyes fluttered open, Miko's mind snapped into a state of clarity.
A boy standing by the bed in the middle of the night—Hana would definitely be terrified.
When people are scared, they scream.
Miko's mother's room was right next door, and the soundproofing was mediocre at best. She would surely come to investigate the noise.
And if her mother walked in and saw Amamiya here, it wouldn't matter how hard Miko tried to explain—there would be no escape from disaster.
The realization filled her with despair.
In contrast, Amamiya remained composed.
Glancing at the panic in Miko's wide-open eyes, he quickly assessed the room and focused on the most critical element: the nightlight.
Turning off the light would shroud the room in darkness, hiding him from view.
Without hesitation, Amamiya reached out.
Pop.
The light flicked off, and the room was instantly engulfed in darkness.
"Miko-chan… is that you?"
Hana's groggy voice broke the silence.
"It's me," Miko replied, letting out a small sigh of relief. She knelt beside the bed and answered quickly, "I just went to the bathroom."
Hana mumbled, still half-asleep, "Why didn't you turn on the light?"
"Turning it on would've disturbed you," Miko said calmly.
"Oh…" Hana muttered. Then, with a hint of confusion, she added, "I thought I saw someone behind you…"
"You imagined it," Miko replied firmly. "It's just the two of us here. Go back to sleep."
As she spoke, Miko discreetly reached behind her, intending to nudge Amamiya farther away from the bed. While the room was dark, the faint light filtering through the curtains made it risky for him to remain so close.
But the next second, her hand froze.
"Huh?"
Something felt… off.
Her fingers brushed against something unfamiliar, something firm. She instinctively pinched it, confused, before realization dawned.
Eyes widening in shock, Miko turned her head to look behind her.
Her gaze met Amamiya's.
For a second, neither moved. Then Miko glanced down at her hand.
Her face turned scarlet in an instant, as though it were on fire.
She released her grip immediately, stood up, and gestured for Amamiya to follow her out of the room.
The two crept downstairs in silence.
Once they were outside, Amamiya broke the quiet.
"Miko, you have to take responsibility."
"P-Pooh!" Miko sputtered, her embarrassment turning into indignation. She shoved him toward the street. "Get out of here! And I'm going to wash my hands!"
"Don't forget to take responsibility," he teased as he stepped away.
"You're still saying that?!" Miko snapped, her voice rising an octave.
No more words were exchanged that night.
The next day.
Monday arrived, bringing an end to their impromptu Kagoshima trip and signaling the return to campus life.
Amamiya opened his window to a gloomy sky. Though it wasn't raining, the air was thick with moisture.
After a quick breakfast, he grabbed his schoolbag and headed out.
"Good morning, Amamiya-kun!"
A cheerful voice called out from next door. Hana waved energetically, her bright smile proof of a good night's sleep.
"Good morning," Amamiya replied, his gaze shifting to Miko.
Unlike Hana, Miko's faint dark circles betrayed her restless night.
"Morning, Miko," Amamiya greeted casually.
Miko yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. Forced to keep up appearances beside Hana, she replied weakly, "Good morning."
The three began walking to school together.
"Miko-chan, why do you have dark circles again?" Hana asked curiously as they walked.
Miko didn't respond, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Amamiya chimed in with mock innocence. "I'm curious about that too."
Miko shot him a furious glare.
Asking even though you already know the answer?!
You, of all people, know exactly why I didn't sleep well!
How could I possibly rest after accidentally touching something like that?!
——
"I had a nightmare last night," Miko said, her voice tinged with guilt. "Don't worry, Hana. These dark circles will be gone soon."
"Now that you mention it, I had a dream too," Hana said, raising a finger to tap her chin thoughtfully. "I dreamed that Miko went to the bathroom, and then... Amamiya-kun showed up in the room. It felt so real."
Amamiya, unfazed, replied casually, "I dreamed about you too, Hana."
"Eh?" Hana's eyes widened with surprise as she looked at him. "Really? What did you dream about me?"
Amamiya answered with a straight face:
"I dreamed you didn't do well on the math final exam and had to retake it. You begged me for tutoring, so I started special training. For every question you got wrong, I made you eat a stalk of coriander."[Note: Coriander (cilantro) leaves are used as a flavoring agent in varied cuisines. However, this popular herb has divided people into two camps—those who like it and those who do not. Coriander lovers say it has a fresh citrus taste with a strong aroma, while the haters say it has a soapy taste and a pungent smell.]
"Devil!" Hana cried, retreating behind Miko. "Amamiya-kun is a devil!"
"…"
Chatting and laughing, the three of them soon arrived at the school gate.
"Are you going to the game club today?" Hana asked hopefully.
"Not today," Amamiya replied. "The support speech is happening soon."
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Hana clenched her fist in encouragement. "Do your best, Amamiya-kun!"
As they entered the school grounds, the trio parted ways. Miko and Hana headed to their classroom, while Amamiya made his way toward the election committee's meeting room.
"Good morning, Amamiya-kun!"
A bright voice echoed through the corridor. A senior with striking pink hair and a confident demeanor approached him, her cheerful smile lighting up the otherwise gloomy morning.
"Good morning, Tsubame-senpai," Amamiya greeted politely.
"I'm so sorry," Tsubame said, clasping her hands together apologetically. "I really wanted to go to Kagoshima with Chika and the others, but I had a major family banquet over the weekend and just couldn't leave."
"It's fine," Amamiya said, brushing it off. "It was just a regular trip."
After all, she hasn't unlocked any skills yet, so her absence didn't make much difference.
"By the way," Tsubame said, changing the topic, "we're drawing lots to decide the order of speeches today. Shall we head to the election committee together?"
"Sure," Amamiya agreed with a nod. "Let's go."
The two walked side by side toward the campaign committee's office.
Starting today, the election for Shuchi'in Academy's Student Council President has entered its final stage.
Last week had been consumed with preparing campaign forms and distributing promotional materials. Now, the focus shifted to canvassing for votes through final speeches. These speeches would determine who would become the next Student Council President.
Despite the high stakes, not many students participated in the election. Eligibility was limited, and even among those who qualified, few had the desire to run.
In the end, only five candidates had entered the race: Amamiya, Kaguya, Chika, and two less familiar students.
By the time Amamiya arrived at the election committee room, Kaguya and the other candidates were already present.