"Tch, suspicious?"
Hayasaka keenly noticed the two secretly watching her but remained outwardly composed, with absolutely no intention of "acknowledging" them.
Last night's operation was fully disguised. As long as I don't admit it, it's just suspicion.
As for why not admit it...
As a spy, having multiple backup identities is perfectly normal, right?
An excellent spy shouldn't let others know their true identity.
Natsuki walked to the refrigerator and looked at Kaguya: "What drink do you want?"
"...Ramune."
Kaguya Shinomiya blurted out.
The ramune she'd drunk at the zoo that day remained vivid in Kaguya Shinomiya's memory even today—unforgotten.
"Eh?" Chika Fujiwara froze and tilted her head curiously. "Why would Kaguya-chan want to drink ramune?"
"A few days ago we went to the zoo together to play and happened to run into Shinomiya-san. I remember Shinomiya-san's drink at the time was ramune." Kitagawa Marin planted her right hand on her hip. "We also received a game notification then saying we'd triggered the large dungeon 'Zoo Ghost Story'..."
"I remember now." Chika Fujiwara nodded. "When there's time, we need to go to the zoo—get game participation qualifications. Without me by his side, Amamiya-kun alone definitely can't handle it."
"..."
The two girls whispered to each other. Natsuki said:
"I definitely don't have ramune at home, but there's a substitute..."
Natsuki pulled out a can of Coca-Cola and looked at Kaguya:
"Ever had it?"
Kaguya Shinomiya: "..."
"So you haven't." Natsuki handed over the cola. "A life without drinking cola is an incomplete life."
"It's not that exaggerated."
Kaguya Shinomiya looked up and glared at him. She pressed her pink, moist lips together lightly and reached out to take the cola.
The game's danger needs no explanation.
No one could guarantee they'd clear all the way through. Accidents might arrive one step ahead of tomorrow.
So Kaguya Shinomiya wanted to experience those new things she'd never experienced before.
Natsuki said from the side:
"Hook your finger through the pull tab and pull it up."
"I'm not a child!"
Kaguya Shinomiya puffed out her pink cheeks slightly.
She'd indeed never drunk cola, but she'd seen how others drank it—she wasn't an idiot who knew nothing.
"Not a child?"
Natsuki's gaze drifted slightly downward, landing on Lady Kaguya's Great Plains.
Translation
Kaguya Shinomiya slowly tilted her head. Dark fog rose in her wine-red beautiful eyes as her face showed a sweet smile: "Where exactly are you looking?"
"I sincerely apologize. I was wrong."
"..."
Pulling off the tab.
Kaguya Shinomiya raised her pretty face and took a light sip of the chilled cola. She only felt countless tiny bubbles exploding on her taste buds—extraordinarily novel and stimulating.
I see.
No wonder Coca-Cola is the world's best-selling beverage—it naturally has its unique qualities.
"How does it taste?"
Natsuki asked with a smile.
Kaguya Shinomiya turned her pretty face away and answered quietly: "...Delicious."
"..."
The group chatted for a while longer. Kaguya Shinomiya turned her head to look at Hayasaka beside her and spoke calmly:
"Hayasaka, go to the convenience store and help buy some things."
"Yes, young miss."
Hayasaka bowed slightly, understanding in her heart.
Clearly, everyone has matters they don't want me to know about... Presumably related to the game.
As Hayasaka left, the group quickly got to the main topic.
"Now that Fujiwara has returned, it's time to deal with that evil spirit." Kaguya Shinomiya spoke first. "We can't keep dragging this out."
"That's right." Kitagawa Marin folded both arms across her chest. "There's only one Golden Week per year. I still wanted to go out and play—now I can't go anywhere. Super regrettable."
"In all of high school, there are only three Golden Weeks total."
You're thinking too far ahead! Having become an unlucky horror game player, whether you can even see next year's Golden Week is questionable!
Natsuki spoke in a deep voice:
"The current problem is that evil spirit is very cautious and hasn't launched any attacks."
They'd been "cohabiting" for three days now. During that time, they'd only seen the Grim Reaper evil spirit once—the burned corner of its black robe was proof.
Since then, the Grim Reaper evil spirit hadn't appeared again.
It might have already given up on Kitagawa Marin.
Or it might be hiding in the shadows like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Currently they couldn't confirm whether the crisis was resolved.
"I thought of a method." Chika Fujiwara suddenly raised her hand to speak.
"What method?"
"Very simple." Chika Fujiwara raised her chin, her voice crisp. "Have Marin-chan go out alone, act independently, and we secretly follow behind..."
Natsuki complained:
"So it's the stalking tactic."
"It's not stalking!" Chika Fujiwara raised her volume to correct him. "It's the bait tactic, okay?!"
Have Kitagawa Marin act as bait, wait for the Grim Reaper evil spirit to "bite the hook," with Natsuki and Chika Fujiwara as the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
"Bait tactic..." Kaguya Shinomiya furrowed her brow lightly, her fingers rubbing the cola can. "There are too many uncertain factors."
They didn't know what the Grim Reaper evil spirit's attack method was. What if it was an instant kill?
The bait gets swallowed whole—even if they eliminate the Grim Reaper evil spirit afterward, it would be meaningless.
"It's fine—I'll just stay at Amamiya-kun's house a while longer." Kitagawa Marin had a super good mentality. She interlaced her ten fingers, stretched them above her head, and yawned. "Blind boxes say anything's possible, right? Maybe in a bit I'll open a super amazing ability and beat that annoying evil spirit flat."
Kaguya Shinomiya's pink lips moved lightly.
Don't agree.
Absolutely don't agree!
A girl continuously living at a boy's house—what difference does that have from de facto cohabitation?
Need to think of a method to quickly resolve that evil spirit and have Kitagawa return to her own home.
"Oh right, we haven't opened today's blind boxes yet." Chika Fujiwara slapped her forehead. "Everyone open blind boxes together—maybe we really can open super amazing skills or items."
"Toss the coin first." Kitagawa Marin turned to look at Natsuki. "If it's heads, we get a luck boost before opening blind boxes. If it's bad luck, we won't open them."
"Here."
Natsuki took out the fate coin.
"A coin?"
Kaguya Shinomiya tilted her head in confusion.
"This is an item we got from participating in the hide and seek game last night." Kitagawa Marin handed the coin over. "Want to try it, Shinomiya-san?"
"I see." After reading the silver coin's attribute description, Kaguya Shinomiya shook her head lightly. "You all toss it."
A completely luck-based coin toss game where she couldn't control the initiative held zero interest for Kaguya Shinomiya.
"Eh, wait—Amamiya-kun still hasn't tossed the coin yet." Kitagawa Marin suddenly turned her head, her eyes brightening. "Now it's your turn."
Natsuki looked at the coin, his tone subtle:
"You really want me to toss it?"
"That's right." Chika Fujiwara chimed in from the side, her smile delighted. "It can't be just Marin and me who are unlucky."
"Fine, I'll toss it."
Natsuki reached out to take the silver coin. A line of text quietly appeared before his eyes.
[Fortune charging complete. Time to prove your whale bloodline!]