"...There's something I'd like to ask you to help with this afternoon."
Looking at the young lady before him speaking in a low voice, seeming somewhat embarrassed, Natsuki was immediately shocked.
Hey, hey—are you really the young lady Kaguya?
Whether it was mystery box missions or horror games, she'd rather grit her teeth and handle things alone than ask others for help.
What kind of terrifying disaster had she encountered today that would make the proud swan lower her head and seek help from a human!
"I'm free this afternoon." Natsuki was super curious. "What does Shinomiya-san want me to help with?"
"..."
Kaguya Shinomiya's expression was cool as she remained silent.
"Let me guess." Natsuki interlaced his fingers, his expression serious. "Is it that the Trisolarians are attacking Earth and human civilization is about to be destroyed?"
"That's for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to worry about." Kaguya crossed her arm over her chest, unable to help but retort. "If the Trisolarians really invaded Earth, what help could you possibly provide?"
Natsuki pondered for two seconds. "...Surrender and become a collaborator?"
"Disgrace to humanity."
If aliens invaded Earth, you villainous capitalists—every single one of you—would definitely choose to become collaborators!
As long as the price was right, you wouldn't hesitate for a second to package and sell off humanity and Earth together!
Natsuki continued:
"Could it be that Mount Fuji is about to erupt and the Japanese archipelago will sink?"
"You're overthinking it. Even if Mount Fuji erupted, it wouldn't sink the archipelago."
"I saw a news story on Twitter last night about hundreds of monkeys escaping from an American laboratory." Natsuki lowered his voice. "Could a zombie apocalypse be about to break out?"
"Zombie apocalypse?"
Kaguya tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion appearing on her pretty face—the puzzlement of encountering an unfamiliar domain.
Natsuki was shocked. "You've never seen Resident Evil?"
"No."
"..."
Natsuki was silent for several seconds. "Come to think of it, you didn't seem to know much about Twitter before either?"
"Mm."
She didn't know this, didn't know that—was she some sheltered young lady living on Mars?!
"I'm curious." Natsuki pressed his fingers against his brow. "Have you never eaten instant noodles?"
"The chef prepares and delivers my lunch every day." Kaguya's voice was calm. "I've indeed never eaten instant noodles."
Just as he thought.
What kind of sterile environment had this young lady grown up in?!
"Instant noodles are convenient and delicious." Natsuki said seriously. "Highly recommended."
Kaguya fell silent for a moment. "...Perhaps another time."
As they spoke, Natsuki's pinky suddenly twitched.
He turned to look at the classroom door. A girl with a butterfly hairclip in her bangs was leaning against the doorframe, wearing a small, mischievous smile of success:
"Ehehe~"
Natsuki silently wiggled his finger back in reply.
"Good morning, Kaguya-chan." Chika Fujiwara walked in with her hands behind her back, her steps light like a fawn in the morning forest light. Curiosity was written all over her face. "What were you two just talking about? I want to join in."
Natsuki said:
"I was recommending which flavor of cup noodles is the most delicious."
"You can't say it like that." Chika's expression immediately turned serious. She gently wagged her finger, her voice clear. "Cup noodles can only be 'more delicious,' never 'most delicious.' Every cup noodle that's a bestseller at convenience stores has tons of people who love it."
"Let me tell you, I've already collected eighty different flavors of cup noodle containers." Chika lifted her chin and gave a proud little hum. "My goal is to collect ninety-nine cup noodle containers."
Natsuki quipped, "And then summon the Flying Spaghetti Monster?"
"It would be the Cup Noodle God, of course."
"..."
Watching the butterfly-hairclip girl chatting happily with Natsuki, completely forgetting her own existence, Kaguya bit her lower lip slightly. Her wine-red eyes quietly dimmed.
Cancer of the Earth—that title was definitely accurate!
The day's classes passed quickly.
Aside from a few evil spirits wandering in during breaks, nothing happened.
At three-thirty in the afternoon, the dismissal bell rang on time.
Natsuki finished packing his bag and felt a gaze fall upon him.
Looking up, the ice-sculpture girl was staring at him from the side.
"Don't worry, I'm not leaving."
Natsuki nodded slightly to show he understood.
Moments later, after the classroom emptied of students, Kaguya stood up and approached him.
"We can go now."
Natsuki followed the young lady downstairs and out to the school gate.
Kaguya walked straight toward a black luxury car parked in the corner and said quietly, "Get in."
Natsuki quipped:
"You're not planning to sell me off, are you?"
"Don't worry. Human trafficking is illegal."
Every drop of capital's blood flowed with sin. As long as there was profit to be made, forget about breaking the law—even if it meant violating human ethics, capitalists would do it without hesitation!
Kaguya's pink lips curved slightly upward, her contemptuous gaze as if looking down at an amoeba. "There are plenty of ways to make a person sell themselves."
"..."
They reached the car.
A blonde girl in a maid outfit bent down to open the car door, her posture and etiquette impeccable. "Young lady, please get in."
Natsuki looked at the blonde maid, feeling strangely familiar for some reason.
Noticing Natsuki's gaze, the blonde maid placed her right hand on her chest and introduced herself with a foreign accent:
"I am Smithy Hasaka, the young lady Kaguya's personal maid. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"..."
Meanwhile.
Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa were walking toward the school gate together.
"Hey, isn't that Natsuki?"
Miko looked up. "I see him."
"And isn't that the super famous Kaguya Shinomiya?" Hana stood on tiptoe. "Why is Natsuki getting into Shinomiya-san's car?"
Her good friend's eyes went wide as a possibility suddenly occurred to her. "...Could Natsuki have become a kept man?"
Miko Yotsuya: "..."
Impossible.
How could someone as beautiful and rich as Shinomiya possibly keep a mere Natsuki? There had to be something else going on.
Miko pressed her lips together. Watching the black luxury car drive away, she looked away and said:
"Let's go. Time for our part-time jobs."
She'd step on him a few times when she got home this evening. She could ask all her questions while stepping on him.
The journey passed in silence.
Half an hour later, the black car slowly stopped in front of a villa.
Natsuki followed Kaguya out of the car and into the villa.
"There's a very dangerous vengeful spirit in this villa that hunts and devours other evil spirits." Kaguya said quietly. "I'm asking you to exorcise it."
"Understood." Natsuki nodded slightly, though his doubts remained unresolved.
Just a single evil spirit—was it really necessary to set aside her pride and ask for his help?
The villa seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time, quite empty and cold. Natsuki followed behind Kaguya, searching for the evil spirit's presence throughout the villa.
Passing by a floor-to-ceiling window, Kaguya suddenly stopped. She bit her lower lip, a complicated expression appearing on her face.
Natsuki looked over curiously and discovered an earthbound spirit by the window, her body emitting a faint glow.
Wait.
Why did the earthbound spirit look like an adult-sized Shinomiya-san?