"Yesterday... evening?"
Natsuki quickly recalled.
Yesterday evening, aside from Miko coming over to help with the back-stepping, nothing else had happened in his memory.
So that meant... when Miko was stepping on his back, he had felt happy?
Fine.
He admitted it.
When Miko was stepping on his back yesterday, it did feel pretty good.
"Did Natsuki remember something?"
Chika's eyes went wide as she looked over curiously.
"No." Natsuki averted his gaze. "I haven't remembered anything."
Kaguya's elegant brows furrowed slightly.
That expression was clearly lying.
"Ah, I understand now." Chika blinked, and a look of realization quickly appeared on her pretty face. "So it's that kind of thing. No wonder Natsuki doesn't want to admit it."
Admit what?
What kind of thing are you talking about?!
"I've heard that when boys do that kind of thing, they feel very happy and satisfied." Chika clasped her hands before her chest. "Unfortunately, Kaguya-chan and I can't help with that. We can only watch you play from the side."
Natsuki was shocked.
They actually wanted to watch a boy do that kind of thing from the side—were these two perverts?!
Chika continued:
"I've heard that playing those kinds of games too much is bad for your health, but for Atake-nee's sake, you'll just have to tough it out."
"Wait." Natsuki couldn't help but raise his hand to his forehead. "Hold on a second... What exactly are these games you're talking about?"
"Huh?" Chika tilted her head, her tone puzzled. "Bishojo games, of course. What else could it be?"
Natsuki: "..."
"On the way to school this morning, I ran into a friend. She was complaining about how her little brother is only in middle school but loves hiding in his room playing bishojo games all by himself, never wanting to go outside." Chika's voice was clear and bright. "She said all boys like bishojo games. That's definitely true, right?"
And here he'd thought she was a veteran driver. So there were still domains even she hadn't touched.
"I saw a skill in the shop yesterday..."
Not wanting to explain further, Natsuki silently displayed the skill attributes.
"Getting stronger just by lying down?"
Kaguya looked over curiously. Upon seeing the skill's name, she was immediately speechless.
Getting stronger by lying down... How was that different from getting something for nothing?
Why would such a strange skill exist?
"What a fun skill." Chika's eyes lit up. "I want it too. Then I can have Moeha and Pesu step on me."
"That depends on when you can get it to appear in your shop." Natsuki answered casually.
Since there was "getting stronger by lying down," maybe there would eventually be "getting stronger by breathing" or "getting stronger by sunbathing"... In short, anything was possible.
"You need someone to step on your back to get stronger." Chika asked curiously. "Did Natsuki have Atake-nee help step on his back last night?"
"I didn't. Don't make things up." Hearing this, Natsuki looked at the ice-sculpture young lady and quickly denied it. "Yesterday evening, it was Miko helping."
"Miko Yotsuya from the class next door?"
"You know her?"
"Of course I do." Chika said casually. "I have lots of friends in the neighboring classroom."
"..."
Very good.
As expected of a social butterfly. Her social domain was no longer satisfied with just her own class—it had begun spreading to the entire grade.
"What's Natsuki's relationship with Miko?" Chika asked curiously. "I even saw you two going home together the day before yesterday."
Natsuki said:
"My house and Miko's house are neighbors."
"Got it. No wonder you asked Miko to help with the charging." Chika nodded and looked at Lady Kaguya. "Atake-nee, are you sure it was at that time that you absorbed energy?"
"I'm not entirely sure." A hint of uncertainty appeared on Lady Kaguya's face, her voice soft. "After all, I had just awakened yesterday and was a bit confused. My head was full of nothing but little Kaguya."
Natsuki quipped, "Please hurry up and become Shinomiya-san's Guardian Spirit instead."
"Sorry, that doesn't seem possible."
"..."
"In that case, shall we verify it right now?"
Chika raised her hand and proposed enthusiastically. "Natsuki, lie down on the sofa. Kaguya-chan and I will help step on your back and see if there's any effect."
Hearing this, Natsuki lowered his head, his gaze involuntarily falling on the two girls' legs.
Chika was wearing white over-knee socks today. Her leg lines were well-proportioned with rounded curves.
Kaguya wore black over-knee socks. This ice-sculpture young lady seemed particularly fond of black stockings—in his memory, she'd never worn any other color.
Compared to Chika, Kaguya's legs were noticeably more slender, appearing straighter and longer. Between her skirt hem and stockings was a glimpse of that tantalizing absolute territory, dazzlingly white in the sunlight.
Could play for a year!
Those who said legs couldn't be enjoyed for a year simply hadn't seen truly beautiful legs!
"Never mind." Natsuki shook his head and refused. "After school this afternoon, I'll go back and have Miko help."
"School won't be out for a long time. Atake-nee's condition is so bad—what if she can't hold on until then?"
Chika urged, "Hurry, hurry. Natsuki, lie down on the sofa."
Even if she couldn't hold on, she'd just fall into a deep sleep. You're just bursting with curiosity and want to try stepping on someone to generate power!
Natsuki looked at the ice-sculpture young lady. "Shinomiya-san wouldn't agree, right?"
"There's still time before class." Kaguya spoke up. "We can verify the situation."
Until she saw it with her own eyes, she couldn't put her mind at ease.
Natsuki sighed helplessly and agreed. He removed his school uniform jacket, folded it neatly and placed it aside, then lay face-down on the sofa.
"I'll go first."
Chika was eager and ready to deploy.
But just as she'd taken off her shoes, her phone rang.
"It's a call from my mom. Let me take this." Chika put her shoes back on and turned to walk outside. "Kaguya-chan, you go ahead."
"..."
The activity room quickly fell silent.
Natsuki turned his head toward the ice-sculpture young lady. "Should we wait until Fujiwara comes back?"
"No need."
Kaguya quickly made up her mind.
It's just stepping on his back. The neighbor can do it, Chika can do it—why can't I?
No sooner said than done.
The ice-sculpture young lady had always been a woman of action. Once she made a decision, she never hesitated.
Kaguya quietly took a breath, removed her shoes, covered her skirt with one hand, and raised her right foot.
Natsuki turned his head to look. A pair of jade feet wrapped in black stockings appeared clearly before his eyes. The curve from knee to toes was exceptionally beautiful.
The ice-sculpture young lady appeared cool and composed on the surface, but her toes were clearly curling nervously. The tips of her snow-white ears seemed to be quietly tinted with crimson.
As the ice-sculpture girl's foot landed on his back, feeling the warmth and softness, Natsuki's heartbeat quietly accelerated. He suddenly recalled a light novel he'd once read.
"About How I Became the Plaything of a Black-Stockinged Young Lady."
At this very moment, the light novel plot had quietly become reality. Cold, tsundere, with a hidden yandere attribute—Kaguya Shinomiya was clearly the quintessential black-stockinged young lady!
Natsuki's feelings were complicated. To describe it in one sentence:
Addicted to getting stronger. Can't stop.