"Let's go, we can go home now."
Koyasu Tsubame gently exhaled, looked up at Amamiya Natsuki, extended her right hand, and softly said, "Natsuki-kun, please help me paste a skill."
Amamiya Natsuki took Tsubame's hand and said, "Evil Spirit Banishing?"
"Mm." Tsubame nodded. "Evil spirits might sneak into the room again tonight, so if I paste a skill, I can sleep peacefully tonight."
Amamiya Natsuki invited, "Tsubame-senpai, you could actually come stay over tonight. I promise I won't lay a hand on you."
"Heh." Koyasu Tsubame couldn't help but look at him with disdain. "In front of Kaguya-chan, you wouldn't even dare to lay a hand on me, would you?"
Amamiya Natsuki straightened his face and said, "Tsubame-senpai, that's too much. I feel my dignity has been insulted."
Koyasu Tsubame pursed her lips: "Alright, I've decided. I'll go to your place tonight. It's fine if you lay a hand on me."
Amamiya Natsuki bowed his head and apologized: "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
"Hmph!"
"..."
Hand in hand, the two strolled through the Japan-lit streets.
The lights were dim.
The crowds were like weaving threads.
It was already nine o'clock in the evening, but most workers had just finished overtime and were only just heading to izakayas to drink.
Passing by the entrance of an izakaya, Koyasu Tsubame suddenly paused and looked inside, saying, "Eh, why does that girl's back look a bit familiar?"
Amamiya Natsuki followed her gaze and quickly saw a petite, short-haired girl inside the izakaya, then said, "Not just familiar, but very familiar."
Koyasu Tsubame blinked, surprised, and said, "Could it be... Kashiwagi-chan?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "That's right, correct answer."
"..."
Just as he finished speaking, the girl in the izakaya happened to turn her head and look outside. Their eyes met, and it was indeed Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi from the Student Council.
"Eh, President?" Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi was startled, her eyes wide as she looked at the two people outside the door. Then her gaze shifted down, landing on Amamiya Natsuki and Tsubame's clasped hands, and an expression of incredible shock appeared on her face. "Tsubame... Tsubame?!"
Yesterday, you held hands with Moeha, a junior high student, at the cold drink shop, and today you're holding hands with an older Tsubame. Scumbag President, how many people do you have to be a scumbag to before you're satisfied?!
Seeing Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi's shocked gaze, Tsubame's pretty face flushed, and she quickly tried to let go of his hand.
"Don't be nervous."
Amamiya Natsuki's expression didn't change as he waved to Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi inside the izakaya, then took out his phone and messaged Kashiwagi.
Koyasu Tsubame glanced at his phone and couldn't help but widen her eyes: "Natsuki-kun is still going to message Kashiwagi?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "Of course I have to explain clearly before we leave."
Koyasu Tsubame said, speechless, "Kashiwagi might not have seen clearly. If you explain now that we weren't holding hands, it might cause problems, right?"
"I'm openly holding Tsubame's hand; I don't need to explain," Amamiya Natsuki said. "What I need to explain is actually something else..."
Koyasu Tsubame couldn't resist her curiosity and whispered, "What is it?"
"About me being kept by Tsubame-senpai..."
"Ptooey!"
"..."
A moment later.
The message was finally finished.
"Kashiwagi, you don't want the school to know that you're drinking at an izakaya, do you?"
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
You were clearly caught by Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi, so why are you threatening her instead?!
After sending the message, Amamiya Natsuki even held up his phone and waved it to secretary Kashiwagi inside as a signal.
Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi blinked, took out her phone, and her cheeks could be seen puffing up like a pufferfish.
"President, don't talk nonsense. I didn't drink."
"Sorry, I have physical evidence."
Amamiya Natsuki held up his phone and snapped two photos.
"Sitting in an izakaya doesn't necessarily mean one is drinking," Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi quickly explained. "I didn't drink at all; that stuff doesn't taste good. My older sister came here to drink, and I was worried she'd drink too much, so I came to watch her."
Amamiya Natsuki: "It's best not to drink. Go home early tonight. Come to school for class tomorrow. If you don't, Chika and I will come for a home visit."
Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi: "...I'll go then."
Amamiya Natsuki: "See you tomorrow."
Seeing the message, Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi turned her head to look outside, but Amamiya Natsuki and Tsubame were no longer there. She couldn't help but puff out her cheeks.
Sneaking around on a date and shopping with Tsubame, the scumbag President should be the one feeling guilty, so why was she the one being questioned instead?!
He's even not letting Tsubame off the hook; the President is truly too much of a scumbag!
No!
She absolutely couldn't watch Chika-chan and the others fall into a trap. She had to let them see the President's true colors!
"Eh, wait a minute—"
Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi suddenly widened her eyes, starting to consider from the opposite perspective.
Kaguya-chan, Chika-chan, Tsubame, Marin-chan... all the girls who frequently visited the Student Council seemed to have been scammed by the President.
Why... why was she the only one who hadn't experienced anything at all?
Was it because she was flat-chested and short?
Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi's mood suddenly soured.
Scumbag President, hurry up and scam me!
At the same time.
"Hoo..." Koyasu Tsubame took two quick steps, pulling Amamiya Natsuki away from the izakaya entrance, then gently exhaled and looked sideways at him, unable to resist complaining, "Being caught red-handed by Accounting Clerk Kashiwagi, not feeling ashamed is one thing, but you were even chatting there. Natsuki-kun, your skin is too thick."
Amamiya Natsuki turned to Tsubame and asked, "If tomorrow's newspaper headlines featured news like the Yellowstone park volcano erupting in the United States, the Sun's helium flash crisis, Google's AI losing control and forming Skynet to eliminate humanity, and the Sanguan Star People invading Earth, what would Tsubame plan to do?"
"Hmm..." Koyasu Tsubame pursed her lips, tilted her head, thought seriously for a moment, and then softly said, "If tomorrow were the end of the world, I would choose to spend it with my family."
For ordinary people, the Sun's helium flash, the Sanguan Star People's invasion, and so on are just plotlines from science fiction, not something they truly take to heart. But for players, whether tomorrow will come is truly an unknown.
In fact, many players write wills and testaments before entering a dungeon.
Life is always like this; only after losing something can one understand the meaning of cherishing it.
The ordinary, mundane daily life at school is actually something precious that some people long for but cannot attain.
Amamiya Natsuki calmly said, "Tomorrow and an accident, you never know which will come first. Face is meaningless. If tomorrow were the end of the world, I would only have one wish at this very moment."
Koyasu Tsubame asked curiously, "What is it?"
Amamiya Natsuki said earnestly, "To say it out loud, 'I will always love Tsubame.'"
"..."
Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face couldn't help but flush red. Just as she was about to speak, a passing man in a suit suddenly stepped in front of them, his face flushed, reeking of alcohol, clearly having just drunk.
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow, looking at him, and pulled Tsubame back a step.
The next moment.
The man in the suit suddenly bowed ninety degrees and said, "I'm extremely grateful!"
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Tsubame in surprise, his eyes asking, "Tsubame-senpai, do you know him?"
Koyasu Tsubame shook her head, "Of course not."
"I was walking behind you just now and unintentionally overheard your conversation. You two gave me courage," the man in the suit raised his head and said excitedly, "I've decided, I'm going to confess to the girl I like right away!"
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
Wake up, don't be impulsive when you've had too much to drink. Confession isn't a battle cry. Even if it were Natsuki-kun, I wouldn't agree to him if he just confessed straight away!
Unfortunately, before the two of them could speak, the man in the suit had already scurried away, pulling out his phone and heading towards a nearby park, clearly preparing to make a call.
Watching the man in the suit walk away, Koyasu Tsubame couldn't help but ask curiously, "Natsuki-kun, do you think his confession will succeed?"
Amamiya Natsuki understood Tsubame's unspoken words and whispered, "Should we follow him and listen?"
Tsubame's eyes lit up, and she whispered, "Is it bad to follow people?"
"Following does sound a bit bad," Amamiya Natsuki readily agreed, nodding, "It should be a chance encounter. A park is a public place. Is there a problem with us going for a walk in the park?"
Tsubame's eyes curved into a smile. She thought seriously for two seconds and gave her answer, "...No problem."
Amamiya Natsuki took Tsubame's hand, "Then let's follow him."
"Okay."
"…"
The two of them turned around together and walked towards the park.
There were few people in the park now, it was desolate, with only the evening breeze and the fragmented shadows of trees swaying under the lights.
"Hey, he's over there."
Koyasu Tsubame's eyes lit up, and she quickly spotted the man in the suit, but then she quickly became troubled, "There's nothing around the fountain. He'll definitely discover us if we go over there."
There was a small fountain in the center of the park, and the man in the suit was making a phone call next to it. The surroundings were empty, with no place for eavesdropping.
Amamiya Natsuki said, "We're just here for a walk, it's fine if he discovers us."
"No," Tsubame shook her head and refused, "He just thanked us. Saying we're just out for a walk would be too fake."
"Then use the Shadow Cloak," Amamiya Natsuki pondered for a moment, then took out the Shadow Cloak, "We'll sneak over quietly."
Koyasu Tsubame whispered, "The cloak can only be used by one person. How about you sneak over and tell me the result afterward?"
Amamiya Natsuki said softly, "Two people are actually perfectly fine."
Koyasu Tsubame asked, confused, "How can two people walk?"
"It's actually very simple," Amamiya Natsuki exerted a little force, held Tsubame-senpai in a princess carry, and then walked towards the fountain, "This is how you walk over."
"Mmm..."
Koyasu Tsubame quickly pursed her pink lips and wrapped her arms around Amamiya Natsuki's neck.
It was already night, and with the Shadow Cloak's concealment effect, Amamiya Natsuki approached the man in the suit from behind, quickly coming within a meter of him. He could already faintly hear the conversation.
Although he had drunk a lot of alcohol, the man in the suit clearly still had some awareness and didn't immediately confess. Instead, he spoke in a disjointed manner. Amamiya Natsuki and Tsubame stood nearby, quietly eavesdropping.
After a moment, the girl on the other end of the phone said impatiently, "Shunsuke, I have other things to do. If there's nothing else, let's end our call here for today, okay?"
"Please wait," the man in the suit quickly said, "Just one last thing."
Koyasu Tsubame's eyes widened upon hearing this. "He's going to confess."
The next moment, the man in the suit took a deep breath and said, "Kyoko, I like you!"
After a brief silence, the girl on the other end of the phone said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I already have a boyfriend..."
The man in the suit seemed to have suffered a major blow. His body swayed twice, and his voice trembled as he said, "Wh-when did that happen?"
The girl's voice was gentle, "Just tonight. I just said yes to him."
"Oh, what a pity."
Upon hearing the girl's reply, Koyasu Tsubame immediately felt regret.
He finally mustered up the courage to confess to the girl he liked, but he was one step too late. The girl he liked was confessed to successfully by someone else first. It was simply a standard life tragedy!
Koyasu Tsubame couldn't help but tighten her grip on Amamiya Natsuki's neck, feeling a sense of urgency, that she must cherish every moment.
I've decided.
Next time Natsuki-kun asks me, it's fine to waste another pair of stockings.
However, the story wasn't over yet.
The girl on the other end of the phone continued in a gentle voice, "Shunsuke-kun, actually, I like you too."
Koyasu Tsubame froze, looking at Amamiya Natsuki in surprise, and whispered in his ear, "Did I mishear?"
Amamiya Natsuki whispered back, "You didn't mishear."
The gentle female voice continued, "If you don't mind, how about the three of us date together?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "..."
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
It proves that the number of scummy women in the world is not much less than the number of scummy men.
Without emotional support that transcends life and death, dating together is something only a very small number of people would agree to, or perhaps they've drunk too much and ruined their brains—like the man in the suit.
"He actually agreed?"
Watching the excited man in the suit walk out of the park, Tsubame's eyes widened in disbelief.
Amamiya Natsuki complained, "It's unfair, he didn't even do a dogeza and agreed immediately. Compared to that, I worked too hard."
Koyasu Tsubame gritted her teeth, pinched Amamiya Natsuki's waist, and said with a smile, "I'm really sorry for your hard work."
"…"
The eavesdropping finished, and Amamiya Natsuki and Tsubame walked out of the park and went home separately.
The night passed uneventfully.
Two days passed in a flash, and it was now Friday.
Forest Camp's campus activities officially began.
Amamiya Natsuki, Kaguya, and Miko arrived at the school together. From afar, they could hear excited chatter, clearly anticipating the arrival of Forest Camp.
Forest Camp has a history of over a hundred years. It was first proposed by a doctor, introducing the concept of Gehrman holiday camps, mainly to allow students with weaker physiques to get in touch with nature and recuperate. Later, it gradually became widespread and was recognized as a mandatory program for all schools. Elementary, junior high, and high schools all had to organize it. The locations were mainly in mountainous forests, and the content included camping, mountain climbing, outdoor exploration, etc. To put it simply, it was a collective outing for the grade, where teachers were responsible for the students' safety, and students only needed to be responsible for eating, drinking, and playing, so it was extremely popular.
"How nostalgic, I can participate in Forest Camp again," Mrs. Shimizu walked beside Yurikawa Hana, smiling, "Speaking of which, when I participated in Forest Camp in high school, a boy confessed to me. Kaguya-chan, have you ever been confessed to?"
Shinomiya Kaguya heard this, glanced at Amamiya Natsuki, and whispered, "No."
Fujiwara Chika said from the side, "At that time, Kaguya-chan's expression was super cold, completely different from now. Everyone was so scared to speak when they saw Kaguya-chan, let alone dare to confess to Kaguya-chan."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and said, "I understand very well."
"President?"
The Sheltered Young Lady tilted her head and looked over.
It's fine if Chika understands, but you weren't in the same junior high as her, so what do you understand!
Amamiya Natsuki said in a low voice, "I remember clearly, the first thing the Young Lady said to me was to surrender, right? At that time, I was so scared I almost committed seppuku to prove my innocence."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "...Commit seppuku!"