[She lost. Praise me now.]
Ignoring the Wish Machine's self-praise, Kaoru watched as Sakayanagi's delicate face flushed red, her lips muttering strange words under her breath.
'Impossible... How could I have misjudged that move just now... I shouldn't have fallen for that trap...' Sakayanagi's mind was in complete disarray, her consciousness still trapped within the intense mental exertion of their chess match.
By the time she regained awareness, her body had already reached its limit.
As Sakayanagi suddenly collapsed, Kaoru reacted swiftly, catching her petite frame in his arms.
Kaoru immediately noticed the girl in his embrace was burning up—her face flushed crimson, breathing labored and ragged.
Her weak eyes locked onto his as small hands clutched desperately at his collar.
"Where's your medicine?" Kaoru knew cardiac patients always carried emergency medication.
"Cough... cough... How... how did you win..." Sakayanagi's voice was interrupted by painful coughing, yet she maintained her iron grip on Kaoru, her gaze piercing his eyes as if this answer was all that mattered.
"Are you seriously worrying about that now?" Kaoru nearly laughed in frustration. "Someone who can't even accept losing a chess match needs to behave!"
Sakayanagi tried to speak again, but her breathing grew increasingly erratic, chest heaving violently as agonized gasps escaped her throat.
Abandoning all caution, Kaoru cradled her with one arm while rummaging through drawers with the other, finally discovering a box of medication.
"This one?"
Unable to recognize the drug, Kaoru showed it to Sakayanagi.
At her slight nod, he placed a pill in her mouth.
"Don't talk now. Shake your head if you feel worse—I'll call an ambulance."
Even in this crisis, Kaoru remained composed.
He materialized the "Nano Regenerative Fluid" he'd previously obtained through draws, triple-checking with the Wish Machine about its suitability for Sakayanagi's condition.
[My products aren't counterfeit. Show some respect! If she dies from my medicine, I'll just resurrect her for you.]
The Wish Machine sounded offended.
Having accepted Kaoru's wish, it considered severing their connection—this user never even offered a word of praise.
Feeling the syringe in his hand, Kaoru observed Sakayanagi's glassy, unfocused eyes—she seemed moments from shock.
Without hesitation, he administered the injection.
As the slightly translucent liquid vanished from the needle, Kaoru snapped off the tip and concealed the syringe in his pocket, continuing to hold Sakayanagi close.
Perhaps the medications were taking effect—color gradually returned to Sakayanagi's face, her breathing stabilizing.
"Hmm, it seems more intense than before." Sakayanagi reached out and touched Kaoru's face, her gaze slightly dazed yet carrying a hint of amusement.
"Did I scare you?"
"It's the first time I've seen someone nearly die from playing chess." Kaoru noticed her fingers trembling—was she actually scared inside?
"I won't die. I know this body's condition well. It's just a bit uncomfortable." Sakayanagi hummed softly before abruptly changing the subject.
"Did you do something to me just now?"
Even in her dazed state, she had noticed Kaoru's unusual behavior.
"Taking advantage of you." Kaoru casually ran his hands over her petite frame.
Though the injection had been administered on her arm, it didn't stop him from brushing against certain areas.
A familiar sensation surged through her again, accompanied by an odd tingling current that made her unbearably flustered.
The blush that had just faded returned to her delicate cheeks.
Kaoru had only meant to distract her, but she remained silent, as if allowing him to do whatever he pleased.
When he glanced down, he found her face flushed once more.
Then, Sakayanagi felt herself being lifted slightly before being gently placed on the bed, with Kaoru crouching in front of her.
"Anywhere else uncomfortable?"
Sakayanagi blinked in surprise before hearing him continue, "If you're not feeling well, I'll call for help right now."
Even if the "Nano Regeneration Serum" had some effect, it only alleviated Sakayanagi's symptoms—it couldn't cure her heart condition.
Kaoru planned to search for healing-type rewards in his next ten-draw, hoping for a pleasant surprise or two.
If only the effects of the rewards could be used on the Wish Machine itself—Kaoru would have loved to exploit it ruthlessly, like with the previous "Lucky Dice" or the current "Cup of Greed."
"No, I'm fine. Thanks to your help, I'm doing well." Sakayanagi seemed genuinely happy, her mood shifting rapidly.
"But I am a little curious—did Mitoma-kun go easy on me before?"
'Hmm.'
Either Kaoru was a natural prodigy, or he had deliberately held back.
Kaoru neither confirmed nor denied it.
Seeing his reaction, Sakayanagi's gaze turned faintly melancholic before she smiled again.
"This time, I'll admit defeat. What do you want me to do?"
As she spoke, she deliberately leaned closer.
At this distance, Kaoru could not only feel her warm, sweet breath but also catch a glimpse of the snow-white skin peeking from her collar—her delicate collarbone as smooth as milk, the slight rise of her petite chest like rolling hills, as if lifting his gaze just a little more would reveal the scenery beneath.
"If it's something naughty… given how much you've cared for me, I might not refuse." Sakayanagi gazed softly into his eyes, her voice a whisper.
"Or perhaps… you want me to keep your past a secret?"
Though phrased as a question, she suspected Kaoru had played chess with her because of his idol-related matters.
Sakayanagi's emotions were complicated.
She had been so sure of her victory, only to discover that his skills surpassed hers—she had truly lost to him.
Just thinking about this made the girl feel extremely frustrated.
Especially this year, ever since encountering him, nothing had gone smoothly.
She had even lost to an opponent she had once defeated in the field she took pride in, nearly shattering her mentality.
As a result, her usually dormant heart condition flared up just now, and Sakayanagi Arisu instinctively clutched her chest.
Seeing her reaction was normal, Kaoru couldn't help but sigh in relief before saying.
"Your speculation is useless to me. I don't care about this. Even if it were you, would you believe I'm the producer?"
Sakayanagi was about to say something when Kaoru interrupted, "I'm seventeen this year, and he was twenty-seven. Do you think I could be him?"
Age couldn't be faked—this could be discerned from teeth and bone structure.
Moreover, the producer had been cremated right before their eyes.
Would they really believe a high school student was the producer?
At this point, Sakayanagi calmed down.
She thought she had grasped Kaoru's weakness but overlooked one crucial point.
A weakness is only useful when threatening the other party.
If the other party doesn't care about it, her deterrence was practically zero.
In contrast, Kaoru actually had photos of her, giving him stronger leverage over her.
"Are you really not him?" Sakayanagi still felt somewhat unwilling.
She had considered many possibilities, such as Kaoru faking his death.
But that wouldn't explain why Kaoru would come to ANHS.
Would a renowned producer fake his death just to participate in some high schoolers' childish games?
"Don't overthink it. I'm just me."
Seeing that he had managed to placate Sakayanagi, Kaoru let out a slight sigh of relief.
Her problem was that she didn't understand Studio 283—they really might come after her.
Sakayanagi was still frustrated.
She had finally caught an opportunity, yet it was utterly useless against this guy.
"Still, as a Christmas gift, this surprise of yours was truly surprising," Kaoru said sincerely.
"Your chess skills also gave me quite the surprise," Sakayanagi Arisu murmured. "After three consecutive games, I realized your thought process is completely unpredictable—wild, erratic, and ever-changing. It's nothing like a normal person's logic."
[She's just too weak. Did you relay my words to her?]
"I can play with you again next time, but don't get as worked up as you did earlier."
Until he could draw a reward that could cure her, Kaoru didn't dare provoke her recklessly.
"Heh, I can't see any trace of nervousness on your face. It's like you're thinking, 'This woman is such a hassle,'" Sakayanagi said, displeased.
"You don't look the least bit scared either," Kaoru retorted irritably.
"Because I won't die so easily." Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her chin, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.
"This is just the gods' disrespect toward genius."
'You dare say something like that when there's a Wish Machine here that can revive people at any time?' Kaoru subtly averted his gaze.
"Well then, shall we do something bad now?"
For some reason, Sakayanagi seemed very interested in this.
As if deliberately trying to catch Kaoru's attention, she hooked her fingers on the hem of her skirt and lifted it slightly, revealing extremely fair skin on her calves.
Gradually, her slightly flushed knees became visible, but she abruptly stopped at her thighs without lifting further.
She sat on the bed, her bare ankles slightly raised with the tips of her toes pressing against the smooth floor, outlining delicate and tender arches.
Her pinkish toes had a glossy sheen, and her fair skin tinged with red seemed to invite one to kiss it.
"Mitoma-kun, what exactly is your request? Could you tell me?" Sakayanagi's lips curled slightly, her voice carrying a hint of allure.
"Besides the two of us, no one will disturb us here."
Kaoru glanced at her chest but said nothing.
Sakayanagi belatedly realized and couldn't help clenching her fists—she just hadn't developed yet!
Even if she conceded that it was just a lump of fat, she couldn't understand why anyone would care about such a place!
"If you're going to look down on it, then go back to your Ichinose-san."
"Obviously, no one would do anything inappropriate to someone who nearly went into shock just now."
"..."
For a moment, Sakayanagi wore a strange expression—somewhere between surprise and unwillingness.
"My request is simple," Kaoru said. "In the upcoming exam, you are not allowed to drop out. You must unconditionally abide by our agreement. If you lose, you'll obediently become my maid."
If Sakayanagi were to drop out during the exam, even if she ultimately lost, their agreement wouldn't take effect.
Of course, Kaoru didn't doubt her abilities—he just wanted to prevent her from resorting to extreme measures, like self-destructing to win.
Sakayanagi Arisu remained silent for a while before smiling.
"At least have some faith in my skills. I'm not so desperate as to end up in such a situation. On the contrary, Nagumo-senpai has his eyes on you. Right now, you're the one most likely to drop out."
Kaoru didn't comment.
He stood up, intending to give the Christmas gift to the girl before him, but in Sakayanagi's eyes, it looked like he was preparing to leave.
"Aren't you going to do anything bad to me?"
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