Hearing Shido point toward the winding, twisting rollercoaster track filled with constant screams, Chinatsu snapped out of her daydream about cotton candy and looked up.
(A rollercoaster? It seems... quite thrilling. I was busy playing games and doing research before, so I haven't really tried anything like this...)
She thought about it briefly and decided that experiencing it wouldn't be bad. After all, the goal today was simply "to pass the time," so what difference did the activity make?
So, she nodded and replied in a tone that was still indifferent but no longer quite so distant: "Alright."
Seeing Chinatsu agree, Shido had just let out a sigh of relief and was about to go buy tickets, but Origami had already walked over to the ticket window at some unknown point, efficiently purchasing three tickets, all sequential.
(Such high efficiency...) Chinatsu glanced at Origami, not giving it much thought.
However, when they reached the queue entrance and were about to assign seats, Origami made a move that slightly surprised Chinatsu.
The rollercoaster had double seats. Ordinarily, Origami would surely sit with Shido without hesitation. But instead, Origami naturally walked to the outer seat of a front-row pair, looked at Chinatsu, and said in a calm, unwavering tone:
"Chinatsu-san, we will sit here."
(Huh?)
Chinatsu paused, a flicker of confusion crossing her icy blue eyes.
(She's not sitting with Shido? She actually approached me?)
She looked at Shido, who looked bewildered and clearly hadn't expected this, and then back at Origami, who had already stepped aside, revealing the empty inner seat.
(...Of course, she must be trying to separate Shido and me, preventing us from having more contact. Hmph, this suits me perfectly!)
This explanation perfectly convinced Chinatsu. She even felt a little smug internally, believing that Origami's maneuver was a divine assist, saving her a lot of trouble.
(Excellent. I'll maintain this distance, coast through the rest of the day, and the moment the notification for the Aha mission completion arrives, I'll immediately find a chance to slip away!)
Consequently, Chinatsu very obediently (even with a slight sense of "successful scheming") took the inner seat next to Origami, deliberately avoiding looking at Shido, as if she didn't care who he sat with.
Shido watched the two girls sitting side-by-side in front of him, opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words.
He quietly sat in the row behind them with a stranger. He felt like a piece of abandoned, oversized luggage.
(What exactly is Classmate Tobiichi thinking...) Shido lamented internally.
Origami's Perspective:
Watching Chinatsu "cooperate" by sitting with her and showing absolutely no intention of interacting with Shido, Origami felt even more certain of her plan.
(Target confirmed cooperating with isolation. Emotional state stable, no resistance or attention directed toward Shido observed. Shido safety distance successfully maintained.)
Out of the corner of her eye, she even saw that after Chinatsu sat down, her gaze curiously examined the rollercoaster's safety bar and the track ahead, her face showing a pure sense of novelty, completely ignoring Shido in the back seat.
(Good. Scanning continues. Although the current environment presents interference, it remains within acceptable parameters.)
Fraxinus Bridge:
"Aaaaaah—! That Origami!"
On the Fraxinus bridge, Kotori stared at the monitor showing the two girls sitting "harmoniously" together, along with Shido, who was abandoned alone in the back seat.
She was so angry she nearly crushed the precious jewel in her mouth, leaping abruptly from the commander's chair.
"She is absolutely doing this on purpose! Deliberately separating Chinatsu and Shido! Now look! Forget close contact, they don't even have a chance to talk! This activity is completely ruined!"
"Data shows," Kanmoto's voice was tinged with regret.
"After the seating arrangement was finalized, Target Chinatsu's attention level toward Shido dropped to its lowest point today... almost zero. Her interest is now entirely focused on the rollercoaster itself."
"I knew this would happen!" Kawagoe pounded his chest in frustration.
"In activities that require shared excitement, physical distance equals emotional distance! Letting the Target sit with someone else, especially a female rival, is like shooting ourselves in the foot! Now, forget increasing affection; we'll be lucky if it doesn't drop!"
"Should I have the rollercoaster stop at the highest point to create an 'accidental' chance for communication?" Shiizaki once again proposed her "accident" solution.
"Creating an accident now would be too obvious!" Kotori irritably waved the idea away. She put her hands on her hips and paced back and forth in front of the command station.
"This activity is unsalvageable! PASS! Abandon it!"
She abruptly stopped pacing, pointed at the screen showing the rollercoaster slowly beginning its ascent, and rapidly issued a new command into the microphone:
[Shido! Listen! This activity is a failure! Don't be discouraged! Immediately, the moment the rollercoaster finishes, find the next opportunity!]
[The goal is an activity where you two can be alone! It must be a two-person activity that can exclude Origami!]
[For example... like those small two-person paddle boats! Or bumper cars could tentatively count! In short, find a way to create a space for just you and Chinatsu!]
[When she gets off the rollercoaster, while her emotions might still be excited, issue the invitation! Your tone needs to be firm! You cannot let Origami interfere again!]
Pulled by the gears, the rollercoaster slowly climbed toward the highest point.
Shido listened to Kotori's anxious voice in his earpiece, watching the backs of Chinatsu and Origami sitting side-by-side ahead of him, his heart filled with helplessness and pressure.
(An activity alone... How is that easy...)
He felt like he was completing an impossible mission, and the strategy provided by his only teammate (Fraxinus) always seemed to be one step behind reality.
As the rollercoaster reached the summit, a brief pause was followed by a sudden, frantic plunge downward!
The sensation of weightlessness instantly seized everyone!
"Ah—!" Even Chinatsu, under this pure physical stimulation, couldn't help but let out a short gasp, instinctively gripping the safety bar in front of her.
Strong wind whipped through her long hair, and the surrounding scenery flashed by. A mixture of fear and excitement washed over her senses.
(Whoa! This, this feeling...!)
Meanwhile, Origami, sitting next to her, maintained her usual expressionless demeanor, as if she were simply riding an ordinary mode of transportation. Only her slightly narrowed eyes indicated that she was also enduring the effects of acceleration.
Shido, sitting in the back, struggled to figure out how to speak up amidst the screams to successfully invite Chinatsu and bypass Origami, the greatest "obstacle."
The thrill of the rollercoaster quickly ended, and the vehicle slowly pulled back into the station. When the safety bar lifted, Chinatsu let out a long breath, her face still flushed from the activity and showing a hint of lingering enjoyment.
(That was quite fun... I might try it again sometime.)
As for Shido, he knew his "battle" had just begun. He had to seize this brief opportunity and execute Fraxinus's new command.
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