Staring at the eerie, empty corridor, Natsuki turned to Mrs. Kaguya and suggested:
"How about we just head outside and wait for them?"
"Of course we go find little Kaguya and the others!" Mrs. Kaguya held up one finger. "Boys who flee at the first sign of trouble won't be popular."
How is cutting your losses the same as fleeing? A place like a haunted house is more thrilling solo anyway!
"Which direction did they run just now?"
Natsuki asked.
"I couldn't tell." Mrs. Kaguya shook her head. "It was so chaotic."
What does the chaos have to do with you? You're a ghost—nobody could even touch you!
"Then we can only take it step by step." Natsuki sighed. "Let's split up. The search range will be wider."
"I'm scared." Mrs. Kaguya looked pitiful.
Natsuki was speechless: "You're a ghost. And you're scared of a haunted house?"
"Guardian spirit. Not ghost." Mrs. Kaguya corrected. "There's no law that says guardian spirits can't be afraid of haunted houses."
"Enough already. It's pitch black in here." Natsuki complained. "Anyway—split up, and notify me the instant anything happens."
Though they said they'd split up, Mrs. Kaguya actually couldn't stray too far. But in the eerie darkness of the haunted house, the range was sufficient.
Natsuki picked a corridor at random and walked forward. To be safe, he kept the Evil-Repelling Aura activated at all times—that way he wouldn't mix up evil spirits and haunted house workers again.
He hadn't gone far when a female player suddenly burst from a room on the right side of the corridor. Her face was deathly pale, her expression frantic.
"Ah..."
Seeing Natsuki standing alone in the middle of the corridor, the player took him for some kind of demon. She screamed and ran off without a second thought.
"One of the players from earlier."
Natsuki vaguely recognized the girl's bun hairstyle. Then his gaze fell on the door she'd left open, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
Generally, haunted house players would run wildly along the corridors. A lone person wouldn't willingly enter a room—unless they were exceptionally brave.
That girl just now was clearly not a brave person.
So why had she gone into a room alone?
Natsuki quickly formed a theory. He stepped to the doorway and pushed the door open.
This was the real world, and with the Evil-Repelling Aura running, Natsuki was fearless.
The room was dimly lit, allowing only a vague outline of things. From the decorations, it appeared to be an ancient bridal chamber—a vanity table, a bed draped with heavy curtains, and all manner of small wedding-related items. The attention to detail was impressive.
"Is anyone in here?"
Natsuki stood at the doorway and asked plainly.
A lovely voice rose from the corner: "...Amamiya-kun?"
"It's me."
Natsuki turned his head and stepped toward the corner.
Good. There was indeed someone else in the room. He'd successfully found the missing Shinomiya.
"Just you?" Natsuki asked. "Are Fujiwara and Kitagawa here?"
"Neither of them."
Kaguya's voice sounded slightly off.
Natsuki walked up close—and found the ice queen sitting on the edge of the bed. Her pretty face was pale, tears glistening in her eyes. He was instantly stunned.
What's with that teary expression? Wasn't she the type who bleeds but never cries? It's just getting separated—that shouldn't warrant tears!
"What are you doing sitting alone in this room?" Natsuki couldn't help but say. "Why haven't you gone out?"
"I can't get out." Kaguya's tone carried a rare vulnerability, her emotional range visibly richer than she ever showed at school. "Just now, an unfamiliar girl grabbed my wrist and dragged me running into this room. When she realized I wasn't someone she knew, she screamed, shoved me, and ran off. Then..."
Natsuki's expression grew serious: "Please don't tell me you twisted your ankle."
"No." Kaguya shook her head.
"Then it's fine. Go on."
"Then somehow my hair got tangled on something, and I can't get it free."
Ah, that explained it.
As long as it wasn't a twisted ankle, everything else was manageable.
"Have you managed to untangle it?" Natsuki asked.
"No."
"Want me to take a look and help?"
He'd assumed that such a proud young lady as Kaguya would never accept help from someone else. To his surprise, she agreed without a moment's hesitation—not even a flicker of doubt.
"Okay."
After a pause, Kaguya bit her lower lip and turned her gaze toward the vanity. She said quietly:
"Turn that mirror face-down first."
No wonder she was teary-eyed—it was because of the mirror! Being pulled into the mirror world during the last game must have left her with a deep psychological scar.
Natsuki reached over and set the mirror face-down on the vanity: "No need to be afraid now."
"I'm not afraid."
Kaguya denied it.
Natsuki smiled: "Then shall I flip it back up?"
"..."
What a cruel man. I'm remembering this grudge!
"Why isn't Mom with you?" Kaguya shifted the subject.
"Everyone got separated. So I split up with Auntie to search for you all." Natsuki explained as he moved to stand before her, half-crouching. "Where exactly is it tangled?"
"Left rear." Kaguya pressed her lips together. "I can't reach it myself."
"Don't move. Let me take a look."
Natsuki leaned in closer. As the distance between him and the ice queen shrank, a fragrance like orchids and musk quietly drifted to him—remarkably pleasant.
They really do say girls are creatures made of blended spices. Turns out that's true.
Their eyes met.
The misty haze in the ice queen's gaze was rapidly clearing. Whether it was an illusion or not, it seemed as though a faint flush had crept onto her cheeks.
Natsuki held his breath, his focus quickly settling on the back of Kaguya's head.
"Found it."
Before long, he identified the problem. The curtains in these old-style bridal chambers were typically held in place with clips. Kaguya's hair had gotten snagged on one of them—naturally making it impossible to pull away.
Warm breath fell against her neck, making Kaguya's body shiver involuntarily. Her instinct was to pull away.
"Don't move." Natsuki instructed.
"..."
Kaguya stopped. Her hands instinctively gripped the hem of her skirt. The warmth on her face rose rapidly.
Too close, too close, too close! Men and women shouldn't be this close—just stop breathing already!
What surprised her, though, was that Kaguya found herself staring at the realization: though his breath was falling on her, she somehow... didn't mind.
A moment later.
"It's free." Natsuki straightened up and extended his hand. "You can stand now."
"Mm."
Kaguya instinctively reached out her right hand, placing her tender fingers into his palm.
Natsuki applied a gentle pressure and pulled the ice queen to her feet, then said:
"The haunted house is a mess. Your hair might get caught on something else—how about tying it up?"
"Even if you say that, there's nothing suitable right now." Kaguya ran her fingers through her hair as she answered, trying to calm herself quickly.
"Here." Natsuki produced a red hair ribbon and handed it to the ice queen. "Yesterday's loot box item. It's yours now."
Kaguya's pink lips parted slightly. She accepted the red ribbon and tied her hair up into a butterfly bow—one that closely resembled Chika's.
Butterfly Bow Kaguya had officially arrived.