"One, two, three..." Chika's eyes went wide. She hurriedly poked Natsuki beside her. "Look, there are three whole Kaguya-chans!"
"I see them." Natsuki nodded.
Three Kaguyas were actually fine. If half a Kaguya appeared, now that would be terrifying!
They walked into the room.
The Kaguya on the left: "I'm the real one."
The Kaguya in the middle: "She's fake."
The Kaguya on the right: "Both of them are lying."
"Don't worry, Kaguya-chan." Chika's expression was serious. She clenched her fists. "I will definitely recognize you."
"I hope they're all the real Shinomiya-san." Natsuki's gaze swept across the three Kaguyas. He sighed. "Shinomiya-san is a super genius girl after all. If we gathered five hundred Kaguyas, all of human society could leap forward five hundred years."
"Good point..." Chika nodded unconsciously, then quickly snapped out of it. "As if!"
"The monster copying Kaguya-chan definitely isn't just playing around." Chika couldn't help crying out. "I watched a movie before where an alien copied the heroine's every move and eventually replaced her entirely... Kaguya-chan is definitely in great danger right now. We have to rescue her."
"Yes, yes."
"..."
"How can we determine identity..."
Chika raised both hands, extending a finger from each to press against her temples on either side, entering thinking mode.
"Um, I have a suggestion." Rikka proposed quietly. "Vengeful spirits shouldn't have body temperature, right?"
"Good point." Chika's eyes lit up. "Natsuki, Takanashi-san, let's all check together to see who doesn't have body temperature."
Three versus three.
There happened to be three Kaguyas on the field. They could have one person check each.
Natsuki walked up to the Kaguya in the middle.
Height, hairstyle, face, clothing—even the cold expression was identical. Using just the naked eye, it was completely impossible to tell who was who. They were like triplets stamped from the same mold.
"Shinomiya-san, hold out your hand." Natsuki said.
"Mm."
Kaguya's expression was cool and composed. She calmly extended her left hand.
Natsuki gently grasped it. A faint warmth transmitted to him. Her skin was delicate and smooth, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
It had to be said—the ice sculpture girl's hands were incredibly beautiful. Snow-white skin, slender fingers like scallion tips. No nail polish, just the healthiest pink hue. They looked deliciously appetizing.
Natsuki openly gave a squeeze. It was soft, warm, and elastic—impossible to put down.
He squeezed again.
As expected, he couldn't stop.
"There's warmth." Chika's voice came first. "She's the real Kaguya-chan."
Next was Rikka: "I felt warmth too."
Natsuki spoke last: "Same here. There's also a problem."
"Huh?" Chika was taken aback, her expression confused. "They all have warmth? Could they all be the real Kaguya-chan?"
"Obviously impossible." Natsuki said calmly. "The truth is clearly that two of them can simulate body temperature."
Rikka's ahoge swayed atop her head. She made a suggestion: "We could also try checking breathing."
"Good idea."
A moment later.
"Ahhhh, they all have breathing too." Chika crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lower lip hard. "Let's try heartbeat. Surely they can't all have heartbeats?"
"Kaguya-chan, don't move. Let me check your heartbeat."
While speaking, Chika extended her right hand and pressed it against Kaguya's chest.
She's actually using this method to check heartbeat?
Natsuki's spirits lifted. Well, I'm not sleepy anymore.
Legend had it that Kaguya was so intelligent that God had taken away her bust as payment. Despite being a high schooler, her oppai were only elementary-school level. Like Veneto, she was flat as a board—in winter, she didn't even need to wear a bra.
Today he would personally verify whether Kaguya truly was a villain of poverty-stricken chest!
"Shinomiya-san, I'm sorry."
Natsuki's expression was serious. He extended his right hand toward Kaguya.
Just as his fingertips were about to make contact in that final second, Chika's voice suddenly rang out.
"You're a fake Kaguya-chan!" Chika pointed at her. Her tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "Kaguya-chan is a girl. How could she possibly let a boy put his hand on her chest to check her heartbeat? You're definitely not Kaguya-chan!"
"..."
The Kaguya in front of Natsuki opened her mouth. Fine cracks suddenly appeared on her face.
The cracks spread rapidly, covering her entire body in the space of a breath. Then with a soft crash, like shattering glass, she broke into fragments and vanished into thin air.
Natsuki's right hand hung suspended in midair. He sighed with regret.
You identified her way too fast. At least let me verify whether Kaguya is truly a villain of poverty-stricken chest first.
The person was fake, but the body was real. It had warmth, could breathe, and even had a heartbeat. The imitation was quite perfect.
From what he could tell, the fake Kaguyas only disappeared after being exposed. In other words, as long as their fake identity wasn't revealed, they wouldn't disappear?
Natsuki felt even more regret.
Had he known, he should have stopped Chika earlier.
By threatening not to expose their identities, perhaps he could have obtained three Kaguya wives at once—one to massage his shoulders and legs, another for housework, and the last one sent out to earn money and support the family.
"Um, I heard it." Rikka raised her hand. "The heartbeat was very clear."
"How do they all have heartbeats?"
Chika was getting a headache.
Using heartbeats to determine the real Kaguya had failed again.
"Let's try a different approach." Natsuki made a suggestion. "You can ask something only the two of you would know."
Chika nodded. Clasping her hands before her chest, she opened her eyes wide and asked:
"Kaguya-chan, when did we first meet?"
"At the middle school entrance ceremony."
Both Kaguyas answered together.
"Correct." Chika gave a thumbs up. "Back then, Kaguya-chan wasn't good at interacting with people. Everyone secretly called her 'Ice Princess Kaguya.'"
Forget back then—she still isn't good at interacting with people now.
"You both answered correctly, so I'll continue asking..." Chika thought for a moment. "What was the first gift I gave Kaguya-chan?"
The Kaguya on the left: "A hair clip."
The Kaguya on the right: "It was a matching pair with the one on your bangs."
"They both got it right again."
Chika's expression grew serious. She asked several more questions, but both Kaguyas always answered simultaneously. It was completely impossible to tell real from fake.
"Natsuki." Chika turned her head, her eyes pleading for help. "Quick, use your Evil Dispersion to think of something."
"Sorry, I've already tried." Natsuki shook his head. "It's completely useless."
In fact, when Miss Sadako had crawled out of the television earlier, Natsuki had activated Evil Dispersion. But for some reason, it didn't work on the vengeful spirits inside the game instance.
"In that case, I have no choice but to bring out my trump card." Chika took a deep breath. Her gaze sharpened. "If you put chickens and rabbits in the same cage, and there are thirty-five heads on top and ninety-four legs on the bottom, then... which is tastier—spicy chicken or spicy rabbit head?"
Natsuki looked over, speechless. "Are you serious?"
The first part is the classic chickens-and-rabbits problem, but it has absolutely nothing to do with your question!
Are you the idiot farmer who put chickens and rabbits together in the same cage?
"Don't worry. If it's Kaguya-chan, she'll definitely be able to answer." Chika was full of confidence. "Kaguya, please answer."