"I'm going to die!"
Hayasaka rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water onto her face.
Lifting her head, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, then tilted her neck and lightly touched her slender throat.
Back in that club…
She had felt it—the terrifying sensation of a blade ready to pierce her throat at any moment.
And that wasn't all.
There was also the eerie feeling of being watched by a monster… and the bone-chilling sensation of her entire body freezing over.
If I had stayed there a second longer, I would've died!
Just remembering those eyes—those devouring, soul-piercing eyes—made the usually calm and composed all-rounder spy maid, Hayasaka, shudder uncontrollably.
"Miss... if you don't cherish me, I really will die one day."
She sighed with dull, lifeless eyes. A flood of negative emotions surged up like water from a broken well.
Splash!
She slapped her cheeks with cold water and tried to snap herself out of it.
"…Forget investigating Nanashi's circle."
Every single one of them was a menace in human form.
"That leaves only one option—approach him directly."
She let out another heavy sigh.
I'm working so hard for the young lady's happiness…
But before that, there was still the matter of finding a house.
So tired… So tired… It's so tiring!
Meanwhile…
Nanashi was currently in the student council room.
And what was he doing?
Eyes closed… seemingly resting.
Well, in truth, he was deep in thought—carefully analyzing the power of the King of Time.
The King of Time: the authority to manipulate the flow of time itself.
Level Lv6.
With just a thought, he could isolate a segment of the timeline.
From there, he could freely manipulate time within that zone—or even affect individual objects.
Basic applications included: time stop, time acceleration, and time slowdown.
Advanced techniques involved: time reversal, time travel, time dilation, time slicing, and more.
Of course, his proficiency with the more complex powers was still limited.
Take time reversal, for example.
At his current level, he could only rewind time by a few minutes—on a planetary scale.
Reduce the range, and the effect becomes stronger.
As for time travel? He could only shift a few minutes into the past or future.
"The power of time is incredible… but without a higher level, I can't unlock its full potential," Nanashi mused, feeling a bit disappointed.
Lv6 still wasn't enough.
Another ability that burned through points like crazy.
If he could one day consolidate and evolve all his powers into one seamless form, he'd never have to worry about limitations again.
"…Hmm? What's Chika up to?"
Though his eyes remained shut, Nanashi clearly sensed Chika creeping closer.
The room was empty, just the two of them.
Is he asleep?
Chika inched closer, step by cautious step, observing Nanashi's unmoving form.
His face was peaceful, his eyes shut—handsome yet infuriatingly calm.
She pouted.
"It's all your fault," she mumbled under her breath. "Big Sis and Moeha keep looking at me like I'm some pervert…"
Ever since that incident, Toyomi and Moeha had been giving her the weirdest looks.
She couldn't even hold her head up at home anymore!
"Revenge! I need to get my revenge!"
Emboldened by her frustration, she temporarily forgot all the times her pranks had ended in disaster.
"Dun-dun-dun~!"
She raised her trusty holy weapon: a marker.
Popping the cap off, she slowly edged closer to Nanashi's face.
"I'll draw a giant turtle on his cheek!"
She had a clear mission.
But as she drew closer… her eyes drifted to Nanashi's lips.
She unconsciously bit her own.
I kind of want to… kiss him…
Even though she had technically given her first kiss away, it had never felt sweet.
"Wha—what am I thinking?!"
She shook her head violently.
No! Focus! Revenge first! Revenge!
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I—I'm going to draw a giant turtle on Nanashi's face!" Chika blurted out reflexively.
And then, her face froze.
Wait. That voice just now…
She looked up—and there he was, Nanashi, smirking at her with amused eyes.
"Waaahhh!"
Startled, Chika spun around to flee.
But alas, her right hand—the one holding the marker—was swiftly caught.
There was no escape.
Nanashi reached out with a devilish grin and extended his evil claws.
"Tell me, do you still dare?"
He pinched her soft, round cheeks with both hands, repeatedly stretching and squishing them, until her face twisted into a silly pout.
"Mmph mmph mmph!"
Tears welled up in Chika's eyes, but she couldn't speak—not with her mouth all pinched up.
Why does it always end up like this…?!
Of course, Nanashi had been aware of her plan all along.
But instead of stopping her, he let her act—just so he could catch her red-handed.
A perfect excuse… to bully her.
He was deliberately teasing her now.
And Chika… was a mystery.
Even though she knew she'd get caught and teased, she still pulled these pranks every time they were alone in the student council room.
Once Nanashi had teased her enough, he slowly released her cheeks… and gently lifted her chin.
His face suddenly leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Youdare?"
Nanashi's sudden approach made Chika panic for a moment.
But she quickly puffed out her cheeks, adopting the expression of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
"Of course I do!"
"Tsk. In that case… I'll use my ultimate move."
With a devilish smile, Nanashi inched closer—step by step.
"!!!"
Chika froze.
Wait... is he really going to kiss me?!
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
Her heart raced like a drumbeat in her chest.
Nanashi leaned in, his warm breath brushing against her cheek.
Chika's eyelashes trembled, and then… she closed her eyes.
"???"
Nanashi raised an eyebrow, baffled.
I didn't even restrain her… she could've easily taken a step back and escaped.
That blushing face… the racing heartbeat…
As someone experienced in the ways of love, Nanashi had no doubts now—
This girl definitely has feelings for me.
She teases me every day and lets me bully her… she's got to be a total masochist!
Realizing this, Nanashi didn't hesitate any longer.
He leaned in and kissed her.
To his surprise, Chika wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer into a deep, passionate kiss.
"Will the president miss me when I'm not around…?"
Kaguya murmured dreamily as she opened the door to the student council room.
"...!!!"
She froze.
In front of her—Nanashi and Chika were locked in a kiss.
W-Why?! I was supposed to be first!
Kaguya stood there, stunned, her thoughts spiraling in disarray.
To be honest, after experiencing that simulation game with Chika, she had already anticipated something like this.
She understood that Nanashi wasn't someone who would abandon responsibility once he got involved.
But seeing it with her own eyes… it made her feel like the only one left behind.
Nanashi, noticing her presence, tightened his grip gently around Chika—right on the spot where he could feel the beat of her heart.
Chika slowly opened her eyes… only to meet Kaguya's empty, emotionless stare.
…We're doomed.
"So, you did something weird again and got yourself bullied by the president?"
Kaguya sat regally on the sofa, her arms crossed.
Chika stood in front of her, head lowered, looking like a wronged child.
Her face was still red, though—and she kept sneaking glances at Nanashi with sparkly eyes.
Nanashi chuckled to himself. Still knows how to be shy, huh?
Since she had just given him so much… warmth, he decided to speak on her behalf.
"It's like this. Chika tried to draw a turtle on my face, so I caught her and… gave her a little punishment."
"Punishment…"
Kaguya's expression became oddly complicated.
Does kissing count as a punishment now?
Truthfully, she had already seen Chika take the initiative earlier.
If Nanashi hadn't stopped things, who knew what else forgetful little Chika might've done?
Kaguya sighed.
"Since the president explained it, I'll let it go."
Upon hearing that, Chika lit up instantly.
Her face practically screamed I've been forgiven!, even though this was clearly a private matter.
Why did it feel like she needed Kaguya's approval?
Still, she looked relieved.
Nanashi tilted his head slightly and reached out telepathically.
"Chika, do you like me?"
Chika flinched, her eyes darting around in panic.
"What's wrong?" Kaguya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"N-Nothing! Just… a cold breeze," Chika replied quickly, shivering a little.
Kaguya glanced at the wide-open window and nodded.
Reasonable.
"Don't look around—I'm talking to you mentally."
Chika shot a quick glance at Nanashi, then lowered her head and muttered in her thoughts:
"L-Like you? As if! Idiot!"
Nanashi replied calmly,
"You were being very proactive just now."
"I…"
Chika wanted to argue, but Nanashi pressed further:
"I like you, Chika. I'll take responsibility for you. So… can you give me an honest answer?"
"…"
She didn't respond immediately.
In her heart, a storm of emotions swirled.
Ever since she'd given herself to Nanashi, her mindset had been shifting.
She wasn't sure what was wrong with her.
Every day, she found herself craving his attention more and more.
Every day, she felt a growing desire to be bullied by him.
Just like some kind of legendary masochist.
She didn't know if this was love… or just plain perversion.
Chika was deeply conflicted and confused.
Yet her body instinctively leaned closer to Nanashi, like a moth to a flame.
Her thoughts were a mess.
Nanashi hadn't expected Chika to be this worried about becoming a pervert.
He couldn't help but feel a strange mix of affection and amusement.
So he said gently, through their mental link:
"Chika, whether it's masochism or something else… I'll accept it all."
"In fact, I like the real Chika."
That line—simple, honest, and direct—instantly shattered the emotional wall inside her.
Chika turned toward him, cheeks flushed in shame and anger, and shouted in her heart:
"I am NOT a masochist!"
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say," Nanashi replied with a grin.
"Now, can I get your answer?"
This time, Chika didn't hesitate.
She huffed and declared in her thoughts:
"Hmph! It's all your fault! You took my first time, so now I can't even get married! I guess I'll just have to marry you, you stupid jerk!"
But even in her voice, Nanashi could hear the overwhelming joy bubbling beneath the surface.