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"Na-Natsuki, the security chief has left."
The Quail Girl's voice echoed in Amamiya Natsuki's mind.
"I know."
Amamiya Natsuki responded silently, then transformed into a shadow, detaching from the chair symbolizing the Director.
Clatter.
The love amulet fell to the ground.
Komi couldn't help but sigh in relief. She never wanted to hear other people's thoughts again!
After detaching from his shadow state, Amamiya Natsuki found that Kaguya-san was still in the office.
"Don't be in a hurry to leave the office yet," Shinomiya Kaguya said, pressing her pink lips together and crossing her right arm over her chest. "Wait for Chika and their news."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded, saying, "Indeed, there's no need to rush. We'll leave once we confirm the mission is complete."
"I have a question." Juju raised her hand. "If we want to go out, someone needs to sit in the chair and act as Director, right?"
"Don't worry," Shinomiya Kaguya said calmly. "I've already told Chika and the others to bring that dine-and-dash patient from the restaurant when they return."
"Since someone must be the Director, we naturally have to make use of his remaining value."
The Sheltered Young Lady spoke while looking at Komi.
More precisely, she was looking at the love amulet in Komi's hand.
After the matter temporarily concluded, Shinomiya Kaguya remembered the amulet again.
Stay calm.
Be composed.
It's just a confession ceremony, not a real confession or dating, don't mind it... How could she possibly endure the President confessing to another girl in front of her?!
That was the President's first confession!
If it weren't for Komi, the object of the confession would have been herself. Hehehe...
Komi only felt a silent danger approaching, her body trembling slightly. She looked at Komi in a panic, then bowed ninety degrees in apology, offering the love amulet with both hands.
"Eh?" Shinomiya Kaguya tilted her head, her tone puzzled. "Komi, what are you doing?"
Amamiya Natsuki had already dressed, picked up the love amulet that had fallen to the ground, and once again heard the Quail Girl's thoughts.
(Kaguya-san's smile just now was so scary.)
(I feel like if I don't do this, something super dangerous will happen.)
I didn't realize your sixth sense was quite sharp.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at the Sheltered Young Lady and said, "Kaguya-san, take the amulet and try it. See if you can hear each other's thoughts."
"Since the President said so, then I'll verify it." Shinomiya Kaguya extended her slender hand, took the love amulet, tilted her head slightly, and made a gesture of listening. "No, I can't hear anything."
"It seems only after completing the confession ceremony can we hear each other's thoughts." Amamiya Natsuki decided to take the initiative. "As long as I confess to Kaguya-san again, it should be possible to transfer its use... Kaguya-san, do you want to try?"
The Sheltered Young Lady's pretty face flushed, and her voice couldn't help but become nervous:
"O-Of course not!"
The first time receiving a confession would definitely be remembered for a lifetime, so it had to have some sense of ceremony!
Amamiya Natsuki continued:
"Then should I verify it with someone else?"
"No!" The Sheltered Young Lady blurted out a denial.
Losing the first confession was one thing, but she wouldn't let anyone else have the second confession!
"The progress of the mission is still unclear, so let's not waste too much energy for now..." Shinomiya Kaguya coughed twice, turning her pretty face away. "In short, you should rest for a while. Other things can wait; there's plenty of time."
"..."
The group rested leisurely in the Director's office, waiting for news from Chika's side.
This was the advantage of having trusted partners; one person couldn't cover everything, but teamwork could easily accomplish it.
Time passed quietly.
After a good rest, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
The few people dozing in the office all woke up.
"This frequency... it's Chika and them."
"Stupid Natsuki, hurry up and be the Director."
Amamiya Natsuki held the love amulet, got up, walked behind the desk, sat in the chair, and once again became the tool-person Director.
Click.
The door opened.
Several girls walked in.
"Kaguya-chan, we're back!" Fujiwara Chika waved happily. "There were no accidents in between, and Chizuru-nee's character mission was successfully completed."
"When we went over, those Nurses and security guards were all super obedient, without the slightest suspicion."
Hayasaka Ai continued:
"Just now, when we returned to the restaurant, there were still customers waiting outside. It's time to go back and continue operating."
"Shoko-chan, tell Natsuki to get up," Kitagawa Marin said, holding the yakuza man who had previously dined and dashed. "He's the next Director."
(One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...)
Komi was silently counting sheep in her mind, avoiding any strange thoughts.
Upon hearing Marin's words, she quickly nodded, using thought synchronization to translate and transmit the message into Amamiya Natsuki's mind.
Receiving the notification, Amamiya Natsuki once again transformed into a shadow, leaving the chair and detaching from his tool-person state.
Immediately after, everyone pressed the vengeful spirit yakuza man into the chair. The guy, who had just had a fierce expression, quickly became blank and empty-eyed, turning into a mascot Director with no self-awareness.
"Done," Kitagawa Marin clapped her hands. "Let's go back to the restaurant."
The group didn't linger, pushed open the door to the Director's office, and smoothly returned to the restaurant.
After a brief discussion, everyone still decided to suspend operations and prepare to rest to recover their energy.
"Natsuki, can the Theater be opened?"
Fujiwara Chika asked.
Amamiya Natsuki shook his head. "I tried, but it can't."
"Oh, that's too bad," Kitagawa Marin said with regret. "If the Theater could open, we wouldn't have to worry about resting at all."
Hayasaka Ai said from the side:
"Actually, the Director's office can also be used for resting. People inside can't get out, and people outside can't get in, so it's extremely safe."
The senpai student blinked: "Then should we go back?"
Amamiya Natsuki said faintly:
"There's no restroom in the office, of course, I don't mind."
The senpai student glared at him playfully: "No, we're not going. We mind very much."
To be safe, there must be a night watchman.
"One person on watch isn't enough; those guys who stand watch alone in movies and TV shows always fall asleep," Kitagawa Marin said, with her right hand on her hip. "At least two people are needed."
"Agreed."
"Marin-chan is right."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"I'll take the first watch. I rested for a while in the office earlier, so I'm very energetic now."
"Then we'll trouble Natsuki." Fujiwara Chika clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Who wants to take watch with Natsuki?"
Juju looked at Komi. Seeing the Quail Girl with her head down, showing no intention of speaking, she sighed helplessly and stepped forward, saying, "I'll do it... I also rested for a good while in the office earlier."
"Then it's Juju."
"..."
After the discussion, with the rotation times agreed upon, the girls began to rest.
The restaurant quickly quieted down.
Amamiya Natsuki moved a chair over and looked at Juju, saying, "Come sit, you don't have to keep standing."
"I don't want you to tell me what to do."
Juju glanced at him, then walked past, preparing to move a chair.
Amamiya Natsuki took the opportunity to pull her into his lap: "The chair is too cold. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Only a fool would believe you." Juju struggled slightly. "Let me go, quickly."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"Don't move around. You don't want everyone to hear, do you?"
"Pfft!"
Juju let out a soft hmph, tilted her small face, and glared over in annoyance, but she didn't continue to struggle.
Being held on his lap wasn't the first time; her struggle wasn't because she disliked it, but rather due to a girl's natural modesty.
Compared to a cold, hard chair, sitting in Amamiya Natsuki's arms was indeed much more comfortable.
Juju adjusted her sitting posture and hummed softly:
"It's fine if you bully me, but don't bully Shoko. Shoko is so well-behaved; won't your conscience hurt if you bully her?"
As expected of a good best friend, she's willing to sacrifice herself for her best friend!
Amamiya Natsuki shook his head:
"I've been running around doing missions all the time, so how could I have time to bully Komi?"
"When we were in the Director's office earlier, Shoko's face was so red, and you're still saying it wasn't you?" Juju snorted, "You must have bullied Shoko in your heart, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki looked over speechlessly: "Bullying someone in one's heart, and having to bear legal responsibility for it? Is there still any law left?"
"Hmph, it counts, of course it counts."
"Since you say that, I'll let you see what real-life bullying is like."
Amamiya Natsuki lowered his head and leaned towards Juju.
"Go away." Juju's small face flushed, and she quickly pressed her forehead against Amamiya Natsuki's chin, "Don't even think about it."
"That evening in the park..."
"You took advantage of someone and you still dare to talk about it!" Juju gritted her teeth, refusing to be bullied, "Anyway, I only have the lowest two points. Go find Kaguya-san; your compatibility must be very high."
Amamiya Natsuki froze, then said speechlessly:
"It's normal for dice to roll any number; it has nothing to do with compatibility."
Juju's tone was a little resentful: "Then why are everyone else's points super high, and only mine is so low?"
"..."
Everyone understands the logic.
But when a girl is being stubborn, no amount of logic is useful.
Amamiya Natsuki took out a love amulet and said seriously: "Juju, I like you. Please go out with me?"
Facing the sudden attack, Juju's eyes widened, her small face rapidly flushed at a visible speed, and then she quickly turned her head away:
"I refuse."
Saying it so casually, I won't agree to you!
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"Then I'll say it again."
"I don't want to hear it." Her heart was uncooperatively pounding, and Juju struggled again, "Quickly let go of me, I need to go to the restroom."
Her heartbeat is so intense, will it be heard?
Damn it, it's just a confession practice... Her heartbeat is so loud, it's too embarrassing!
To save her face, Juju decided to escape for a while and come back after she calmed down.
Seeing Juju struggle hard, Amamiya Natsuki finally let her go: "Call me if anything happens."
"Jinx."
"..."
A restaurant naturally has plenty of restrooms.
When they cleaned the restaurant earlier, everyone cleaned the restrooms together, but the restrooms in the dungeon, even if cleaned, were still dim and eerie, without even lights.
Walking to the restroom door, Juju swallowed, a little hesitant.
"Should I go back?"
"Forget it..." Taking a deep breath, Juju mustered her courage and stepped into the restroom, "Since I'm already here."
Don't be nervous.
The restaurant is actually very safe. In the dungeon, there aren't even those terrible evil spirits that suddenly crawl out of toilets, so there's no need to worry at all.
After some self-reassurance, Juju held a flashlight and pushed the door open to enter the cubicle.
"Phew..."
Juju exhaled lightly; sure enough, nothing happened.
However, the next moment.
Drip.
The sound of water dripping suddenly came from outside the cubicle, exceptionally clear in the silent restroom.
Juju's smile immediately froze, and she looked nervously at the cubicle door, clutching her chest and reassuring herself:
"Don't be nervous, the sound of water dripping just now must be because the faucet wasn't turned off properly..."
Drip.
Drip, drip, drip...
The speed of the water dripping suddenly accelerated for some reason, and besides that, there seemed to be strange crawling sounds, as if something was quietly approaching from a distance.
Juju's eyes widened, and after two seconds of stunned silence, she quickly got up without a word, intending to escape the restroom, but she suddenly found that the restroom cubicle door couldn't be opened.
"H-how can it not open...?" Juju became even more nervous, and quickly shined her flashlight, "The latch is clearly pulled out."
Bang, bang, bang.
"Open the door quickly."
Juju nervously pounded on the cubicle door.
Unfortunately, the cubicle door remained motionless and wouldn't open no matter what, and instead, the crawling sound outside the door rapidly approached.
"I-I've been discovered..."
Juju took a deep breath and quickly recalled her previous interaction experience.
What to do when discovered by an unknown monster?
First, stay calm and don't panic.
Panic is meaningless and will only make you lose your judgment.
Then, conceal your player identity, don't expose it...
That's right!
Cannot expose identity!
Juju quickly opened the game panel and enabled character disguise.
The next moment.
Miss Hachishakusama, one of the world's wonders, appeared out of thin air.
After transforming into Miss Hachishakusama, her vision suddenly heightened, already exceeding the cubicle door. Juju subconsciously grabbed the top of the cubicle and looked out.
She saw a strange figure outside her cubicle door, dressed in a white long dress, with hair completely covering her face.
"..."
Looking at the figure outside the door, Juju was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and shouted:
"Stupid Natsuki, come here quickly!"
Amamiya Natsuki was reading outside. Hearing Juju's shout, he raised an eyebrow, got up, and walked to the restroom door: "What's wrong?"
"Quickly take Sadako away." Juju stood inside the cubicle, looking down, "She almost scared me to death just now."
No wonder there were scary noises in the restaurant; it was all Sadako's fault.
Amamiya Natsuki walked to Sadako's side and asked curiously:
"Why did you come out of the room?"
Sadako lowered her head, her black hair hanging down, covering her face. A faint voice came from beneath her black hair: "...I want to eat food."
"I understand." Amamiya Natsuki nodded, "You go to the hallway and wait for me first, don't run around."
"..."
Sadako slowly walked out of the restroom.
Watching Sadako leave, Juju breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly noticed Amamiya Natsuki hadn't moved. She looked down and said:
"Stupid Natsuki, why aren't you leaving yet?"
Amamiya Natsuki said seriously:
"Suddenly calling someone over for help, you can't just have no thank you gift, right?"
"Miss Hachishakusama, please show your sincerity."
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter