"Good afternoon, Auntie."
Amamiya Natsuki greeted her politely.
"Ah, good afternoon," Yuuko's mother put away her phone with satisfaction, smiling. "Young man, come in and stay for a bit. Tell me when you and Shoko started dating, okay?"
Amamiya Natsuki stepped forward, preparing to enter the house: "Then I'll be intruding..."
"W-Wahhh--!!"
The the timid girl's eyes widened, and she quickly reached out both hands to push Amamiya Natsuki's back, pushing him away in utter embarrassment.
They weren't dating, if he went inside, she would definitely say strange things!
Seeing the the timid girl who looked like she was about to cry, Amamiya Natsuki had no choice but to bid farewell and leave.
Returning to the park alone, Amamiya Natsuki waited for a while before finally receiving a message from Tsubame.
"Natsuki-kun, I'm done with work. See you at the Train Station later."
"Received."
Amamiya Natsuki replied to the message and walked towards the Train Station.
Ten minutes later.
"Natsuki-kun, I'm here," Tsubame-senpai waved happily, jogging over. She lightly exhaled and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. "It's so hot."
"Here," Amamiya Natsuki handed her a freshly bought iced drink. "I've already had some. If Tsubame doesn't mind, you can have a couple of sips."
"Sorry, I mind very much."
Koyasu Tsubame glared at him playfully, took the drink, tilted her long, slender white neck, and drank it down with gulps.
She had already drunk other liquids; at this point, who would still care about an indirect kiss!
"Hoo..."
After finishing the drink, Koyasu Tsubame exhaled contentedly, then said, "My cousin's restaurant is booked for 7 PM. It's still early, so let's go back, take a shower, and change clothes. My body feels sticky and uncomfortable, almost sour."
Amamiya Natsuki leaned closer to Tsubame, sniffed, and nodded, "It does have a scent."
"Hmm?!"
Tsubame's eyebrows instantly furrowed, and her pretty face tightened.
A girl can complain about herself, saying she's gained weight from eating too much recently, but you can't agree. If you nod and say she really has gained weight, the friendship will end immediately.
Amamiya Natsuki continued to move closer to Tsubame.
"Go away," Tsubame quickly retreated two steps, biting her lower lip with her pearly teeth, and puffed out her pink cheeks, "Anyway, I smell, don't come near me."
Amamiya Natsuki took Tsubame's hand and said seriously, "I wasn't wrong, Tsubame-senpai does have a scent..."
Tsubame became even angrier, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel with its mouth full of chestnuts: "You actually repeated it?"
"Let me finish," Amamiya Natsuki soothed Tsubame. "But it's all fragrant, no sweat smell at all."
"Hmph," Tsubame turned her head away, "I'm not listening."
"My sincerest apologies. It seems I can only prostrate myself."
"Prostrating won't help. You actually said I smell. I can't tolerate it."
"The always cheerful and generous Tsubame-senpai is actually getting angry over such a small matter," Amamiya Natsuki held Tsubame's right hand and smiled. "What should I do? I'm liking Tsubame-senpai more and more."
Tsubame's pretty face flushed slightly, her eyes flickering, and she couldn't help but glare at him playfully: "It's not a small matter... The train is here, hurry and get on."
"..."
Chatting all the way, Amamiya Natsuki was quickly led home by Tsubame.
"Come in," Koyasu Tsubame put down her school bag, bent down to open the shoe cabinet, and took out a pair of spare slippers. "These are new slippers I bought yesterday. No one has worn them yet."
Amamiya Natsuki changed into the slippers, looked around, and couldn't help but say, "I'm sorry, turns out Tsubame-senpai is a rich woman."
Tsubame's house was located in the center of Tokyo, and it was a penthouse villa in a high-rise apartment building. Given the current degree of social stratification in Japan, it was basically something you were born with. If you weren't born with it, you would almost certainly never live in such a place in this lifetime.
"I'm not a rich woman," Koyasu Tsubame glared at him. "This is my parents' house. If you want to buy one, you can buy one now, can't you?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "I'm sorry, I'm poor."
Koyasu Tsubame: "Miko says you're a capitalist every day."
Amamiya Natsuki asked, "Are your aunt and uncle home?"
"They're not home," Koyasu Tsubame pursed her pink lips. "Mom and Dad are super busy with work; I only get to see them once or twice a month... Don't worry, they definitely won't suddenly come back."
"That's good," Amamiya Natsuki said. "Making a first visit without bringing a gift would surely affect your aunt and uncle's impression of me."
"I just asked you to come sit for a while; it would be strange if you bought a gift," Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face flushed, naturally understanding what Amamiya Natsuki meant. "The fruit is in the kitchen, and all the drinks are in the fridge. Take whatever you want to eat; I'm going to take a bath first."
Amamiya Natsuki raised his right hand and volunteered, "Does Senpai need help scrubbing her back?"
Koyasu Tsubame glared at him exasperatedly, "Sorry, absolutely not needed."
Amamiya Natsuki said regretfully, "Having someone scrub your back is actually a very comfortable thing."
"The comfortable one is actually you, isn't it?" Koyasu Tsubame's eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest, saying, "Wait, why does Natsuki-kun know so much? Did Kaguya-san scrub your back?"
With a young lady's personality, how could she possibly go into the bathroom to help someone scrub their back!
"Not Kaguya-san?" Senpai squinted her eyes. Girls have an almost Sherlock Holmes-like intuition when it comes to these matters. "Then is it Chika-chan or Marin-chan? Sayu-chan is also highly possible."
Koyasu Tsubame tilted her head and looked over, smiling faintly, "Natsuki-kun saved Sayu-chan's life, so it feels like no matter what Natsuki-kun wants to do, Sayu would agree without hesitation."
"..."
Girls truly have an extremely high talent for jealousy.
Amamiya Natsuki silently turned and walked towards the window, saying, "Senpai, you take your bath. I'll go look at the scenery by the window."
"Hmph."
Koyasu Tsubame lightly snorted, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
If everyone were just ordinary high school students, Koyasu Tsubame would absolutely not tolerate Amamiya Natsuki's scumbag behavior of saying he likes her while also dating other girls. The moment she found out, she would immediately distance herself completely.
But everyone is not ordinary; they are unfortunate players chosen by the game.
The bond of going through life and death together is something that can no longer be explained in just a few words.
As players, it's truly uncertain whether tomorrow or an accident will come first, so one should follow their heart even more.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at the scenery by the window for a while, then turned and sat on the sofa, playing on his phone. Not long after, the doorbell suddenly rang.
He walked over and saw a delivery person in a work uniform outside the door.
Amamiya Natsuki did not open the door rashly. Instead, he walked to the bathroom door and said, "Senpai, a Kuroneko Courier delivery person is ringing the doorbell. Is it your package?"
"It should be my package," Koyasu Tsubame's voice came from the bathroom. "I bought a lot of things yesterday. Natsuki-kun, please sign for them for me."
"Okay."
Amamiya Natsuki agreed, then walked over and opened the door, finding four express cardboard boxes at the entrance.
After signing, the delivery person quickly bowed and left. Amamiya Natsuki then moved the four boxes of packages into the house, placing them in a corner for Senpai to open herself when she came out.
The happiest part of online shopping is the moment of unboxing, so Amamiya Natsuki naturally wouldn't take away Senpai's joy.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Koyasu Tsubame finished her bath and walked out of the bathroom wearing a white bathrobe.
"Natsuki-kun, I'm done," Koyasu Tsubame walked over, drying her hair, and her gaze fell on the express boxes. "Eh, are these all my packages?"
Amamiya Natsuki said speechlessly, "Senpai, don't you know what packages you bought?"
"Cough, cough," Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face flushed slightly, and she coughed twice. "When I'm stressed, I like to shop and buy things. Yesterday, I accidentally bought a little too much... They should all be snacks and clothes."
Koyasu Tsubame said, then went to get a utility knife, preparing to open the packages.
The first package was opened, and Koyasu Tsubame took out the contents: "Hmm, it's a piece of clothing."
"Wait a minute." Looking at the pink dress in Senpai's hand, Amamiya Natsuki found it increasingly strange and couldn't help but say, "This dress isn't right."
"Eh?" Koyasu Tsubame was startled and unfolded the dress. "What's wrong with it?"
It's wrong from head to toe. This pink and white uniform is clearly Freya's uniform from Staff of Authority!
"I remember now," Koyasu Tsubame tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Last weekend in Chiba Prefecture, didn't Natsuki-kun mention Freya? I was curious at the time, so I searched for it on my phone. She has the same hair color as me, and she looked very cute, so I placed an order."
Amamiya Natsuki's lips twitched slightly, and he said faintly, "Senpai, have you read Freya's manga or watched the anime?"
"I haven't," Koyasu Tsubame shook her head. "I was running around all weekend; how would I have time to watch it?"
Case closed.
It turned out to be a typical impulsive purchase by a rich woman.
As a rich woman who isn't short on money, when she sees cute clothes, she naturally buys them directly, without considering anything else.
"What's wrong?" Koyasu Tsubame blinked, noticing Amamiya Natsuki's unusual expression. "Is there something wrong with this Freya uniform?"
"Of course there's nothing wrong," Amamiya Natsuki replied seriously.
A uniform is just clothing after all, and you won't turn into a princess by wearing it. As long as it's cute, even if it's perverted, there's no problem.
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at the time on his phone and said expectantly, "It's six o'clock now; there's still an hour until dinner. Senpai, you don't have anything else to do now, do you?"
"..."
Koyasu Tsubame was silent for two seconds, her pretty face quickly flushed, and she covered her chest with both hands, shaking her head, "N-no!"
"The restaurant is a bit far, we need to leave at 6:30... And if my walking posture is weird, cousin will definitely suspect something, right?"
Hey, hey, what are you talking about? Why would your walking posture become weird?
"Senpai, you're overthinking," Amamiya Natsuki said seriously. "I just want you to change into this uniform."
"Eh?" Koyasu Tsubame was startled, half-believing, half-doubting, "Do you really just want me to wear this uniform? Nothing else?"
Amamiya Natsuki said with a subtle tone, "Does Senpai want me to do other things?"
"Of course not," Koyasu Tsubame glared at him exasperatedly, picked up the clothes, and walked towards the room. "I'm going to change."
As long as it's not that kind of thing, changing into a uniform is fine.
But... who exactly is Freya?
Why does Natsuki-kun look so excited?
A moment later.
Koyasu Tsubame, dressed in the cosplay uniform, pushed the door open and walked out of the room, softly saying, "...I'm dressed."
Amamiya Natsuki looked over at the sound, and his eyes immediately lit up.
As a rich woman who isn't short on money, Senpai always prioritizes quality over price when buying things. This Freya cosplay uniform was naturally exquisitely made and quite beautiful.
The pink jacket, white over-the-knee socks, and light, flowing skirt gave off a feeling of purity and flawlessness at first glance.
To be honest, this cosplay uniform wasn't particularly revealing, but with Imperial Princess Freya as the precedent, it still gave off a very different feeling.
"Senpai, don't tie your hair yet," Amamiya Natsuki said. "Let your hair down."
Koyasu Tsubame thought about the picture of Freya she had seen earlier and let her hair down: "Like this?"
"Very good, just like that," Amamiya Natsuki held up his phone. "Let me take a few pictures."
Koyasu Tsubame pursed her pink lips and whispered, "Um, Natsuki-kun won't show them to other people after taking them, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "..."
They're clearly proper cosplay photos, but when Senpai says it like that, they immediately become improper.
"Don't worry, I definitely won't show them to other people," Amamiya Natsuki said, then felt something was off and continued, "Marin and Juju should be fine, right? They also want to cosplay, and their characters happen to be from the same anime as yours."
"Then it's fine," Koyasu Tsubame nodded and agreed. "Speaking of which, I used to go to anime conventions to watch. I went with friends, and some people even invited me to help with cosplay, but I was very busy at the time, so I declined."
Click, click.
Amamiya Natsuki took more than ten photos in a row, finally satisfied.
"Are you done?" Koyasu Tsubame walked over and sat down, curiously asking, "Is there anything special about Freya? Why do you look so excited, Natsuki-kun?"
Amamiya Natsuki silently handed over his phone: "There's a manga online. Senpai will know after reading it."
Koyasu Tsubame nodded: "I'll take a look."
A moment later.
"W-wait... What is this?!" Koyasu Tsubame's eyes widened, her pretty face quickly flushed, and she said, both shy and angry, "Her personality is too terrible!"
"It's precisely because of her terrible personality that she later faced revenge," Amamiya Natsuki said. "Senpai, keep reading."
"I'm not reading it," Koyasu Tsubame put down her phone. "I don't want to know anything about the later content."
Actually, Tsubame wasn't that disgusted.
She's a seventeen-year-old girl; it's not strange for her to read this kind of manga.
But reading it with a boy was simply too embarrassing; Koyasu Tsubame stated she couldn't accept it.
"If you don't want to read it, then don't," Amamiya Natsuki put down his phone, looked at Senpai, and whispered, "There are still more than ten minutes until we leave, Senpai..."
Koyasu Tsubame was a little flustered, noticing Amamiya Natsuki's gaze was especially intense at that moment: "W-what are you calling me for?"
Amamiya Natsuki whispered, "Senpai, help me."
"Help you?" Koyasu Tsubame blinked, her tone puzzled, "How can I help you?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "Help me like in the manga."
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
Is that helping?
An imperial princess actually stepping on a boy, that's clearly trampling on someone's dignity!
Natsuki-kun actually wants her to... Pervert, too perverted!
"No," Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face was crimson, and she quickly shook her head. "Go find someone else to help you."
Amamiya Natsuki whispered, "Please, you must agree. This is my lifelong request."
Koyasu Tsubame looked at him speechlessly and couldn't help but retort, "Don't use your lifelong requests in weird places!"
"I like Senpai."
"Hmph."
"I like Senpai the most."
"Liar, the girl you like the most is clearly Kaguya-san."
Despite saying that, Koyasu Tsubame's body still involuntarily softened. Girls all like to hear coaxing words, without exception.
Of course, the premise is that the other person is willing to listen to your coaxing; if they're not, then they'll just tell you to get as far away as possible.
Facing the coaxing, Tsubame finally dizzyingly agreed to help…
What exactly happened is unknown; the planned departure time was six-thirty, but they didn't leave the room until six-forty.
"The hallway is empty," Amamiya Natsuki said, stepping into the hallway first. "Tsubame-senpai can come out now."
Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face was flushed crimson as she quietly slipped out, glancing left and right down the hallway. Only after confirming no one was there did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let's go, let's go," Koyasu Tsubame urged. "Let's go to the garbage room first and throw away the stuff."
Amamiya Natsuki lifted the garbage bag in his hand and said, "The quality of the stockings is very good. It's a shame to throw them away just like that, isn't it?"
"It's not a shame at all!" Koyasu Tsubame bit her lip, her pretty face flushed crimson as she glared over. "Anyway, I'll never wear those stockings again!"
"Kindergarten teachers should have told us that diligence and frugality are virtues."
"You're still talking!!!"
"..."
Japan's garbage sorting is quite strict, with clear regulations on when to dispose of what type of garbage. However, high-end apartments have dedicated garbage rooms where people can dispose of garbage whenever they want.
The two arrived at the garbage room, disposed of the incriminating evidence, and only then did Tsubame relax. She gave Amamiya Natsuki a white look and said, "It's all your fault; now we're definitely going to be late."
Amamiya Natsuki said, "I'll explain to cousin. I'll just say I was on a date with Tsubame-senpai and accidentally lost track of time."
"Who would do that kind of thing on a date!" Koyasu Tsubame puffed out her cheeks. "Don't say anything; I'll explain when the time comes."
"Yes, yes."
The journey was silent, and they soon arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant.
There was nothing much to say about the meal, just repeated words of thanks and the presentation of gifts. During the meal, cousin also asked them when they started dating and so on.
All in all, the meal finally ended at nine o'clock in the evening.
Stepping out of the restaurant, a cool evening breeze happened to blow, invigorating them.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Tsubame beside him and lightly coughed twice, saying, "Tsubame-senpai, aren't you still practicing gymnastics with the club tomorrow?"
"I do need to practice. What's wrong?"
Koyasu Tsubame looked up and asked, puzzled.
Amamiya Natsuki said, "I'll come find you after I'm done tomorrow?"
"Don't come over!" Tsubame-senpai's pretty face quickly flushed red. He actually still wanted to take advantage of her at school? That was too much! "I'll never be Freya again!"