It was Shinomiya Saki who walked over shyly, her face red from embarrassment. Her porcelain-like skin flushed a delicate pink, only making her look more adorable.
She wore an exquisite white dress. Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded down to her waist, glowing faintly in the sunlight like a soft halo. Her blue eyes sparkled like a calm lake, her nose small and graceful, her pink lips clearly touched with lipstick, and two earrings emitted a faint blue glow that shimmered with every step.
With sunlight streaming down, she looked like a goddess of beauty descending to Earth.
Mochizuki and Chiyo froze in place.
Even James was momentarily stunned.
"You look beautiful today, Shinomiya-san," James said honestly.
Hearing that, Mochizuki puffed up her cheeks in silent protest.
What none of them realized was that Shinomiya Saki was already fuming on the inside, even if her face didn't show it.
---
Last Night…
"Xiaoxiao~!"
Yuko Shinomiya suddenly hugged her daughter tightly, rubbing her cheeks against her own like a mischievous cat.
"Mother—what are you doing?"
Startled, Saki tried to escape her mother's sudden attack.
"You were amazing today!" Yuko said excitedly.
"But I still lost…"
Saki's tone carried traces of frustration and reluctance.
Yuko pulled her daughter back into her arms and comforted her gently, "You did wonderfully. That's why… Mama has a surprise for you!"
She proudly pulled out Saki's phone. Since Saki rarely used it, she often left it lying around—this time, Yuko had found it.
At first, she just glanced at it. But then she looked closer… and closer…
Saki's face turned pale as she snatched the phone away.
Yuko put her hands on her hips like a proud child waiting for praise. "So? Do you like the surprise Mama prepared?"
Saki collapsed onto the floor, her white hair falling messily over her face.
"I'm not going…"
"Eh? That won't do," Yuko said cheerfully. "Starting today, Ayano's handing you back to me. I'll be in charge of your education from now on."
"Tomorrow, I'll dress you up nice and pretty—and then, off we go!"
"I… I…"
Saki wanted to say no—but she couldn't.
Because Shinomiya Saki was a socially anxious girl. Whenever people talked to her, she froze up inside. That's why she always kept a cold face and answered others perfunctorily. She didn't want to deal with the world.
Shinomiya Ayano had planned every detail of her life up until middle school. But once she entered junior high, Saki started to resist. She didn't want to go to school anymore. She wanted to stay home. Alone.
Ayano tried everything to fix the issue, but nothing worked. After Saki's recent loss to James, her parents decided to intervene directly.
Step one: Desensitization therapy.
---
"Thanks," Saki said softly, nodding.
James didn't press her. He simply led the group of three girls through the amusement park gates.
Tianshui Amusement Park—the largest facility of its kind in the entire prefecture—was owned by the Xintian family. Sprawling across acres, it featured nearly every type of attraction imaginable.
Despite the expensive tickets, it welcomed a staggering number of visitors every day.
"This land must be expensive," James said as they passed through the towering gate. "Being so close to the city center…"
Mochizuki walked beside him, holding Chiyo's hand.
"The Xintian family's one of the wealthiest in Tianshui. It's not surprising they can afford all this."
Mochizuki leaned closer to Chiyo and gave her a wink.
Our Chiyo is a rich girl too, and just as beautiful as Shinomiya Saki!
"This area's booming. We passed so many big-name stores on the way here."
"There's a major extraordinary training institute nearby," Saki added suddenly.
Everyone looked at her. Flustered, she quickly added, "I used to train there."
"Oh? Archery training?" James asked. "You're an excellent archer."
Saki shook her head and said something surprising. "Sword training. But I gave up halfway."
That bit of honesty made the atmosphere more relaxed. The group's interactions gradually became smoother.
"Let's see…" James pulled out the park map and looked through the entertainment options.
"Mochizuki wants to go to the haunted house!" she exclaimed, raising her hand.
"What about you two?" James asked.
Neither Chiyo nor Saki objected, so off they went.
Chiyo is the bravest! Just you wait, Brother—see how dependable I am! she thought to herself.
---
While they played inside the amusement park, something darker stirred nearby…
In the basement of a tall, heavily guarded building…
Heavy breathing echoed off the walls. Horrific chewing sounds emerged from the pitch-black cell.
Two people in hazmat suits stood at the observation window, recording updates on a clipboard.
"It's dropped from Level 2 to Level 1," one said.
"But its cognitive abilities seem to have improved."
"Don't feed it today. Let's starve it for now and monitor changes."
After noting the data, the two stepped away from the iron-reinforced door.
"I heard HQ is making rapid progress."
"Yeah, and it's all thanks to that new guy. Apparently, he's been pushing the experiments forward like crazy."
"Must be some genius scientist or psychic, right?"
"I heard—from my uncle's best friend's wife's coworker's dog—that he can communicate with that thing!"
"No way!"
As the two men's voices faded into the distance, something slithered into view—a black tentacle curled around the base of the door.
It hardened, turning into a jagged saw.
Clink… clink…
Under the magical seal and reinforced lock, the metal began to snap.
In the dark, something laughed—a low, rasping sound from deep, deep within.
---
Back at the Haunted House, a terrifying roar startled Mochizuki. James quickly comforted her, patting her head gently.
Even Saki, standing nearby, was sweating and instinctively reached out to grab the corner of James's shirt.
Only Chiyo seemed completely unfazed, her eyes calmly scanning the room.
No! This isn't right! Mochizuki panicked internally. Boys like girls who act weak in front of them, right?!
And now, seeing Saki clinging to James…
"I was wrong!" Mochizuki screamed in her heart.
After they left the haunted house, James turned to Chiyo and smiled. "Chiyo, you're really brave."
Chiyo's cheeks flushed. "Th-thank you…"
You're not afraid of ghosts—but you're terrified of people, huh? Saki thought, her aloof mask slowly returning.
"Let's head to the tech zone next."
James led them through areas filled with holographic projections, virtual reality pods, and futuristic displays. He marveled at how far this world's technology had come.
At the shooting game booth, he easily won three giant plushies and handed one to each girl.
They laughed, played, and strolled together as the sun moved westward.
"I want to watch the sunset," Saki said softly.
It was rare for her to express what she wanted—and James immediately agreed.
After waiting in line, the four boarded a Ferris wheel and watched the sun dip into the horizon, painting the sky with fiery hues.
Maybe going out isn't so bad after all.
Saki looked sideways at James's face, tinted gold by the sunlight.
Let's go home…
---
As they left the park, James reached into his pocket to call a taxi.
Suddenly, a surge of danger hit him like a punch to the gut.
He stopped walking, eyes narrowing.
Something's wrong.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)