"Time to open the mystery box!"
It had to be said, Fujiwara-san had remarkably thick nerves. Just moments ago she'd been scared to tears, and now she was already excited again.
"Let me tell you, I've always had great luck. A few days ago when I bought a drink from a vending machine, I won the hidden grand prize."
"What was the hidden grand prize?"
Natsuki asked curiously.
He genuinely didn't know that ordinary vending machines had hidden bonuses.
Chika put her hands on her hips and lifted her chin proudly, revealing a stretch of snow-white neck:
"Hmph hmph, it was 'Win Another Bottle.'"
How is "Win Another Bottle" a hidden grand prize?! If your luck were really that good, you wouldn't have been chosen as an unlucky player!
"You can only buy one mystery box per day." Kaguya had her right arm crossed over her chest, her tone cool. "If Fujiwara-san wants to open one, you can do it now."
The survival game was full of dangers.
From what they'd seen so far, permanent attribute boosts weren't as valuable as the daily mystery box.
Take the recently cleared Vengeful Spirit School, for example.
The reason they'd been able to dominate the school was largely due to the cat ear accessory's crucial role.
"Mystery box, here I come."
Chika's eyes sparkled. She glanced left and right, and seeing no one paying attention, a plain-looking mystery box soon appeared in her hand.
Skipping the steps of bathing, burning incense, and devout prayer, Chika simply clapped her hands twice in front of her chest, then unhesitatingly tore open the box.
Accompanied by a faint white glow, the mystery box in Chika's hand vanished into thin air. All that remained was an unopened pack of tissues.
[Name: Breeze Brand Tissues]
[Attribute: An ordinary pack of tissues. If placed on the nightstand during the quiet of night, it may become a tissue with a certain smell. Also known as: The Holy Shroud]
"..."
Looking at the tissues in the girl's hand, all three of them fell into silence.
Her luck really was pretty good.
If the apocalypse ever broke out, this pack of tissues would be essential survival supplies.
"Why would tissues placed on the nightstand during the quiet of night become tissues with a smell?"
Kaguya's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she asked curiously.
Natsuki looked at her speechlessly. Well, well, Shinomiya-san with the serious face—you're in the mood for dirty jokes at a time like this?
Their eyes met.
The long black-haired girl's eyes were clear and innocent, without a trace of guilt or mischief. Above her head, a line of text slowly appeared.
[Why isn't anyone talking? Is my question strange?]
Natsuki was shocked.
This Shinomiya-san wasn't making a dirty joke—she genuinely didn't know the answer.
You're a high schooler and you don't even know what tissues are used for? Are you kidding?
What happened to noble young ladies having messy private lives, having boys line up to worship at your feet every day? I never expected you to be as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
Natsuki silently looked toward Chika.
The girl with the black bow ribbon at her temple happened to look over at the same moment.
Their eyes met.
Confirmed through eye contact.
Natsuki understood.
It seemed only Kaguya was the exception. Fujiwara-san... was clearly a veteran.
"Ahem, looks like my luck today is pretty bad." Chika coughed twice and set the tissues on Natsuki's desk. Closing one eye, she said brightly, "Amamiya-kun, I'm giving you these tissues. Take them home and use them."
"Sorry, I don't need them." Natsuki interlaced his fingers and firmly refused. "You take them back and use them yourself."
Using tissues from a girl to do that kind of thing—how is that any different from being a pervert!
"Girls don't need them."
"That's not necessarily true."
Kaguya realized she couldn't understand their conversation at all. She tilted her head slightly. "What are you two talking about?"
"Actually, it's—"
Natsuki was about to speak when someone suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.
Chika leaned over him. Her face wore a bright, cute smile, but for some reason, it suddenly looked a bit scary. The girl's breath was warm and sweet as she smiled. "Amamiyakun, you can't corrupt Kaguya-chan."
Who's corrupting her?! As a noble young lady without a shred of common sense, she's going to get tricked by someone!
"..."
After chatting for a while, as more classmates arrived, the three returned to their respective seats.
When the class bell rang, Natsuki forced himself into study mode.
The day flew by.
Afternoon.
Natsuki twirled a pencil between his fingers, gazing at the field outside the window, and silently sighed.
The afternoon sunlight was quite bright.
A group of students in P.E. class were playing soccer on the field, freely sweating and bonding.
Unfortunately, what they couldn't see was a massive ghost resembling a giant toad sitting in front of the goal. Its mouth was open, continuously catching balls, its body occasionally phasing through the goalkeeper.
Clearly, these wandering evil spirits weren't afraid of sunlight at all.
In just this one day, three wandering evil spirits had appeared in the classroom alone. It was giving him a headache.
"School's out."
Natsuki withdrew his gaze, preparing to go home.
"Amamiya-kun, where are you going?"
Chika's voice reached his ears. This airhead had remarkably thick nerves—her voice already sounded as bright and cheerful as usual.
"Home."
Natsuki replied while packing his pens and paper into his bag.
"Huh? You're not staying for club activities?"
"I'm not in any clubs."
"That's no good." Chika clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. Her pink eyes were large and bright, clearly reflecting others within them. "If you don't join a club in high school, you'll regret it later in life."
"Sorry, but my life is without regrets."
"..."
By comparison.
Shinomiya-san was much calmer.
She picked up her bag and walked out with a composed expression. But just as she reached the school gate, she suddenly came face-to-face with a woman crawling with infant vengeful spirits. Malevolent energy radiated from her entire body, and the crying and screaming of babies could be heard.
Kaguya's pretty face paled slightly as she involuntarily stopped in her tracks.
"Can you... see me?"
The female vengeful spirit drew close to Kaguya. The voice from its mouth was raspy and low, making one's scalp tingle. The infant spirits clinging to the female spirit discovered a new toy and excitedly climbed onto Kaguya, crawling all over her.
Even Kaguya Shinomiya, who held the title of "Ice Princess Kaguya" at school, couldn't remain unfazed. She could only grip her bag tightly, bite her lower lip, and let mist well up in her eyes.
[So scary so scary so scary so scary...]
Looking at the teary-eyed girl, Natsuki's gaze sharpened. He walked over.
As the Evil Dispersion aura enveloped the area, the woman and infant spirits screamed simultaneously. Like snow meeting sunlight, they rapidly burst into flames and fled in panic.
"Kaguya-chan, are you okay?"
Chika hurried forward and hugged Kaguya's arm.
"I'm fine."
Kaguya's eyes were brimming with tears.
"You might want to wipe away your tears before saying that."
"..."