Monday.
Forest Camp officially became a cherished memory, and most students were still immersed in holiday fatigue when final exams suddenly arrived.
On the podium.
The female teacher, wearing pantyhose, a small suit, and a hip-hugging skirt, had a serious expression, pushed up her glasses, and announced:
"This week, final exams will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. After the exams, the semester summary will be held on Friday morning, and summer vacation will officially begin on Friday afternoon."
Upon hearing this news, a wail of despair immediately arose from below the stage.
"Today is Monday, there are only two days left until the exam, there's no time to study at all."
"I'm giving up, I'm slacking off."
"The final exam is doomed."
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki sat in the back row by the window, propping his chin with his right hand, boredly looking out at the playground.
Those who always say they're going to fail before every exam usually end up with very high scores, with only a very few exceptions, such as...
"President, save me!"
Upon hearing the news of the final exam, Amamiya Natsuki's pinky finger trembled, and he immediately received a rescue message from secretary Chika.
Fujiwara Chika: "This final exam is definitely going to be a disaster, I need tutoring!"
Amamiya Natsuki: "Those who say they'll do poorly are usually top students."
Fujiwara Chika: "This time it's really going to be a disaster. I haven't seriously studied all semester, so I'll definitely be at the bottom of the class. Dad is fine, but Mom is usually very strict. If she knows I'm last, she'll definitely be very angry. I need tutoring! I need serious tutoring with the 'Photographic Memory' buff!"
Amamiya Natsuki: "That's not tutoring, that's cheating."
Fujiwara Chika: "If no one finds out, it's not cheating."
"..."
Secretary Chika's previous grades were average in the class, nothing special. She became a player soon after school started, and during that time she encountered various dungeons, so her mind wasn't entirely on studying. Taking the final exam in two days without preparation, she definitely wouldn't stay in the middle of the class. It was highly likely she'd become the tail-ender of the class, so she urgently needed to cram at the last minute.
In a flash, it was noon.
Lunch break.
As soon as the break bell rang, Amamiya Natsuki received a message from Kitagawa Marin.
"Natsuki, save me!!!"
Looking at the message on his phone, Amamiya Natsuki felt a strong sense of déjà vu and silently typed a few words:
"...Final exam?"
"That's it, Natsuki, come to the back of the old school building to eat, we'll talk slowly."
Amamiya Natsuki put away his phone, walked out of the classroom, went to the mobile convenience store to buy a yakisoba bun and a carton of milk, and then headed to the old school building.
No words were exchanged along the way.
Arriving at the back of the old school building, the blonde, waist-length haired Succubus Girl was already sitting on the steps, waiting.
"Natsuki, come here, come here." Kitagawa Marin happily called out.
Amamiya Natsuki walked over and sat down beside Marin: "Why are you suddenly concerned about your exam results?"
Campus gyaru, generally speaking, don't usually care much about exam results.
"That's because I'm definitely going to fail this time, I probably won't even pass." Kitagawa Marin clasped her hands together, looking over pitifully, "Dad is working hard alone in Kagoshima. If I fail, even though Dad won't say anything, he'll definitely be very disappointed. I don't want to disappoint Dad no matter what, so I can only ask Natsuki."
"Leave it to me." Amamiya Natsuki nodded and agreed, "Your dad is my dad, of course I can't let Dad down."
Kitagawa Marin's pretty face flushed: "Not yet."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"It's only a matter of time."
Kitagawa Marin raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair falling to her chest behind her ear, her tone a little worried: "The final exam is the day after tomorrow, with only two days to review, will it be too short?"
"You underestimate the ability of Photographic Memory." Amamiya Natsuki said softly, "Let alone two days, even if you only have Photographic Memory for an hour, you can become a top student."
"That's good." Kitagawa Marin felt relieved, trusting Amamiya Natsuki's words completely. She opened her bento box, her smile bright, "Let's eat, let's eat."
Amamiya Natsuki tore open the biodegradable eco-friendly packaging bag and took a bite of the yakisoba bun.
"Stare—"
Kitagawa Marin widened her eyes and looked over at the yakisoba bun in Amamiya Natsuki's hand: "I haven't had a yakisoba bun in a long time, it looks really delicious."
What do you mean 'looks delicious'? You clearly just want a taste!
"Here."
Amamiya Natsuki silently handed over the bun.
"Awoo—"
Kitagawa Marin opened her mouth and took a bite, her cheeks puffing out, her eyes curving into crescent moons: "It feels more delicious than all the buns I've ever eaten before."
Amamiya Natsuki held up the bun: "Then have another bite."
"Awoo..."
Kitagawa Marin took another bite of the yakisoba bun, then picked up a small sausage from her bento box and held it to Amamiya Natsuki's mouth: "Here, eat my sausage."
Amamiya Natsuki: "..."
It was indeed a sausage, but it just sounded wrong.
After having lunch with Marin, Amamiya Natsuki returned to the classroom and sat down. Thinking that one sheep was grazing, and two sheep were also grazing, he took out his phone and sent messages to everyone, asking if they needed special night tutoring.
Sayu: "Master, is the special night tutoring you're talking about proper?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "It's not proper."
Sayu: "Please, you must tutor me."
Miko also didn't need much convincing; she had to work part-time, take care of her younger brother, and endure harassment from various Evil Spirits, causing her academic performance to decline severely. Even if Amamiya Natsuki didn't ask, she wanted special tutoring at night—at least to make her mother happier.
"Eh, Natsuki-kun is going to help everyone with their studies tonight?" Tsubame was very interested, "I agree."
Amamiya Natsuki: "Senpai, your grades are so good, you don't need tutoring, right?"
Tsubame: "I haven't studied properly recently, I really need it."
This was a lie.
Tsubame, as an excellent student in both character and academics, even after being chosen as an unlucky player, didn't give up on studying. The real reason she came to join the fun at night was only one: she hadn't seen Amamiya Natsuki in three days and missed him greatly.
Juju: "...You promise not to do anything vulgar, and I'll go for tutoring."
Amamiya Natsuki: "You call me vulgar now, but who was it that was holding me down and wouldn't let me get up back then?"
Juju pulled out her forty-meter long blade: "Shine!"
After talking to Juju, Amamiya Natsuki sent a message to the the timid girl.
Amamiya Natsuki: "Shoko, the final exams are coming up, right?"
Komi: "Exams this week."
Amamiya Natsuki: "The schedule is the same as ours. Come to my house tonight for special tutoring, everyone will be coming."
Komi immediately panicked: "Th-that, I'm first in exams, I don't need tutoring, and if I don't go home at night, Mom will worry."
Your mother actually won't worry, she'll just tell you to take safety precautions, right!
Amamiya Natsuki: "Are you sure you don't need tutoring?"
Komi: "No need."
Amamiya Natsuki: "Alright then, let's meet at the park after school this afternoon. If you don't need tutoring, then we'll have to do desensitization training."
Komi: "..."
In a flash, school was dismissed in the afternoon.
After the bell rang, Amamiya Natsuki first went to the Student Council to handle routine matters, then left school and went to the agreed-upon cold drink shop to help Mizuhara Chizuru paste the Rogue Physician's healing skills, then walked to the park.
As soon as he approached the park, he saw a black-haired girl in pantyhose standing at the entrance, holding her school bag in both hands, her steps hesitant and indecisive, looking as if she was in a dilemma.
"Shoko, good afternoon." Amamiya Natsuki stepped forward and smiled, "Sorry, I'm late."
"Mm..."
The the timid girl's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she lowered her head to look at her toes.
Amamiya Natsuki extended his right hand, naturally taking the the timid girl's soft hand, and pulled her into the park.
In mid-summer, the weather grew hotter by the day, and there were hardly any people strolling in the park.
Amamiya Natsuki led Komi to a shaded spot under a tree and sat down, then said softly:
"I haven't seen Shoko in a long time, I miss her very much."
Komi looked up at him, then quickly lowered her head, her voice faint: "I-it's only been three days since we last met..."
"As the saying goes, 'one day apart feels like three autumns'." Amamiya Natsuki said earnestly, "Three autumns are three skills, rounding up, it's been at least three years since I saw Shoko."
Komi: "..."
This rounding up is too much!
Amamiya Natsuki played with the the timid girl's fingers, while helping her paste Evil Spirit Banishing, and said:
"After so long, have you missed me, Shoko?"
The the timid girl quickly shook her head.
She actually did miss him, but she would never admit such a thing.
"You didn't miss me at all." Amamiya Natsuki covered his chest with his other hand, feigning a sigh, "Life, ah, has no meaning anymore."
Upon hearing this, Komi couldn't help but secretly look up and glare at him.
Liar.
Marin-chan already sent photos, you were clearly very happy at Forest Camp.
"How about this." Amamiya Natsuki looked at Shoko and said seriously, "As long as you say 'I missed you' once, there will be no desensitization training today."
Komi's eyes lit up, and she whispered:
"R-really?"
"Absolutely true." Amamiya Natsuki guaranteed, "I've never lied to Shoko, have I?"
"Mm..."
Komi took a deep breath and pursed her pink lips.
Just saying one sentence and not having to do desensitization training seems like a good deal...
"Wait a moment." Amamiya Natsuki said, taking out his phone, fiddling with it for a bit, then said, "You can speak now."
"What... what is that?"
Komi couldn't help but cast a suspicious glance at his phone.
"It's a recording app." Amamiya Natsuki said earnestly, "The first time Shoko says she misses me, of course I have to record it and listen to it many times when I go back tonight."
Komi: "..."
Bullying!
Too much bullying!
Why record it too!
If it wasn't recorded, maybe I could say it, but now I have to record it... I can't say it, I absolutely can't say it.
"Alright, I'll give you an extra option." Amamiya Natsuki smiled, and said unhurriedly, "First, desensitization training this afternoon. Second, record what you say. And third... just like last time, actively kiss me once, and I won't take advantage of you today."
"T-too much..."
The the timid girl bit her lip, her eyes filled with resentment and grievance.
He said he wouldn't take advantage of her, but now he clearly was.
"Countdown begins," Amamiya Natsuki started the countdown. "Just like last time, if you haven't made a choice when the countdown ends, then I'll make the choice for you."
"Wahhh…"
Komi let out a cry of grievance, like a small beast fallen into a trap.
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight…"
Amamiya Natsuki paused slightly, then suddenly said, "Countdown over."
Hearing the countdown end, Komi's eyes widened in panic, her body acting before her brain, instinctively turning and kissing Amamiya Natsuki on the cheek.
This the the timid girl was, after all, thin-skinned. After the kiss, white steam quickly rose from the top of her head, and she frantically tried to get up and run away.
"Don't go," Amamiya Natsuki reached out and gently pulled, hugging the the timid girl into his arms. "The skill hasn't finished pasting yet. You can leave later."
Komi's hands nervously pressed against Amamiya Natsuki's chest, her eyes misty, her voice almost inaudible: "You, you just…"
"I just said I wouldn't kiss you, and I didn't," Amamiya Natsuki said righteously. "But I didn't say I wouldn't hug you, did I?"
Komi: "…"
After bullying Quail Komi in the park, Amamiya Natsuki felt refreshed and turned to go home.
The journey was silent.
"Natsuki-sama, welcome back."
As soon as he entered, a clear welcoming voice of a girl sounded from the entrance.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Sayu and saw that she was dressed neatly. He knew immediately that the Young Lady must be at home.
Handing his school bag to Sayu and putting on the slippers Sayu offered, Amamiya Natsuki walked into the living room and saw the Young Lady busy in the kitchen.
"You're back?" Shinomiya Kaguya heard the movement and turned to look. "I bought ingredients at the Convenience Store earlier. It's rare for everyone to gather tonight, so it's better to cook dinner ourselves."
Looking at the Young Lady, who had a panda apron tied around her waist and even a little flour on her pretty face, Amamiya Natsuki said warmly:
"Won't it be too much trouble to cook it yourself?"
When the Sheltered Young Lady first ran away from home and came to stay, she couldn't even crack an egg. Now she had transformed into a delicious cook, earning everyone's unanimous praise. It just goes to show that talent allows you to do whatever you want.
"It's not hard," Shinomiya Kaguya shook her head. "I haven't cooked for several days, so it's fine to do it occasionally."
Amamiya Natsuki went to the bathroom to wash his face, then walked into the kitchen to help: "Later, let's buy a large pizza and a KFC family bucket to lighten the load."
"Buy two servings~"
A resentful voice sounded from behind them.
"And we need to drink cola, a large bottle of cola," Mrs. Shimizu's eyes were resentful. "I haven't been able to enjoy myself for several days. Tonight, I want double the happiness."
Time passed.
As the sun gradually set, the girls arrived one after another.
"Kaguya-chan, Sayu-chan, I'm here."
Around six o'clock, Fujiwara Chika arrived first, carrying her school bag on her shoulder and two white shopping bags in her hands. One bag was for snacks, and the other was also for snacks.
"Come in," Shinomiya Kaguya welcomed her. "There's cut watermelon and drinks in the refrigerator, help yourself."
"I want to eat watermelon," Fujiwara Chika changed into her slippers and entered the house, while raising the snack bag in her hand, she lifted her chin and said, "Let's have a snack party tonight."
No sooner had Chika arrived than the senpai knocked on the door.
"Kaguya-san, good afternoon," Koyasu Tsubame stood at the entrance, raising the white shopping bag in her hand. "These are snacks and drinks I just bought for you."
"Thank you, senpai," Shinomiya Kaguya took the snacks. Unconsciously, she had become the mistress of the house. "Senpai, please come in first."
As for the pet Sayu, she wisely didn't get involved, sitting obediently on the sofa watching TV.
A family only needs one mistress; the pet can just eat, drink, and play.
A moment later.
Kitagawa Marin and Juju knocked on the door together.
"Kaguya-chan, good afternoon."
"Kaguya-san, excuse the intrusion."
Marin raised the supermarket shopping bag in her hand, a bright smile on her face: "These are the snacks and drinks Juju and I just bought."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "…"
Girls' happiness was exactly the same. Everyone carried such a large bag of snacks that there was no need to prepare a meal; they could get full just by eating snacks.
Amamiya Natsuki stayed in the kitchen, continuing to be busy.
The Young Lady, on the other hand, served tea and water outside, entertaining everyone as the mistress of the house. Each had their role, and it was harmonious.
In a flash, it was dinner time.
"Should we call Miko-chan over for dinner?" Fujiwara Chika suggested.
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"I've already called her. Miko needs to take care of her younger brother at home, so she won't come for dinner. She'll come for late-night tutoring later."
"Oh, that's too bad. Then we won't call Miko-chan," Fujiwara Chika picked up her chopsticks. "Let's eat, let's eat."
The senpai smiled and said:
"This is homemade plum wine I brought from home. It's very low in alcohol, so you won't get drunk. Shall we all have a couple of drinks?"
Kitagawa Marin's eyes lit up, and she raised her hand, saying, "I want to drink."
Shinomiya Kaguya got up and said:
"There are cups in the cupboard; I'll go get them."
Amamiya Natsuki got up and followed to help.
They got the cups, washed them clean, and everyone sat in a circle, raising their cups for a light clink:
"Cheers!"
"…"
After dinner.
Sayu took over the task of clearing the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. The other girls started their snack party and also played King's game. Simply put, it was eating, drinking, and playing. With the ability to memorize things at a glance, there was no need to bury themselves in studying.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Miko, dressed in her pajamas, quietly sneaked over.
They continued to play until secretary Chika became drowsy and dizzy. It was finally midnight, and Amamiya Natsuki opened the Theater, setting the rules and penalties for memorization.
"Master!"
The loli maid was always the first to greet him.
Then came the kaidan Human-Headed Dog and Sadako.
As for Yandere Kaguya, for some reason recently, she seemed very interested in manga and had been quietly reading in the corner.
"Yuuko-chan."
Sayu's eyes lit up, and she went to the corner to talk quietly with Human-Headed Dog Yuuko.
Sadako came to Amamiya Natsuki, gently tugging at his sleeve, her expectant voice softly echoing from beneath her black hair:
"Mahjong…"
During those few days at Forest Camp, Amamiya Natsuki hadn't opened the Theater. Sadako's mahjong soul was burning fiercely now, and it needed to be thoroughly extinguished to satisfy her.
So Amamiya Natsuki could only sacrifice himself and play mahjong with Sadako.
"Who else wants to play?" Amamiya Natsuki asked.
For four-player mahjong, two people were definitely not enough.
"I'll play."
Shinomiya Kaguya stepped forward and said softly.
As a genius girl, she didn't need late-night tutoring and was still full of confidence.
Hearing Kaguya speak, Yandere Kaguya in the corner stood up, walked over, and sat down beside Amamiya Natsuki, her voice dark, echoing the tones of the night: "I want to play too."
"Stare—"
The two Young Mistresses' gazes crossed in mid-air, sparking a spray of tiny flames.
The two Kaguyas looked exactly alike in appearance—height, hairstyle, voice, etc., with no difference whatsoever. However, the genuine the Young Lady now preferred to wear white clothes, while Yandere Kaguya preferred to wear a black dress.
With the two of them sitting on either side, even Amamiya Natsuki's forehead began to sweat slightly. He couldn't help but look at Mrs. Shimizu, pleading:
"Shimizu-nee…"
"Go, Natsuki," Mrs. Shimizu smiled pleasantly. "Believe in yourself."
"…"
The others, meanwhile, seized the time to study, completely unconcerned about Amamiya Natsuki's safety.
"Memorization, super useful!"
"President, we will remember your sacrifice."
"You guys just enjoy your mahjong. Top of the grade, I'm taking it."
"…"
Several days passed in a flash.
With the memorization buff, there was no longer any pressure for the final exams. Of course, the math problems they couldn't solve before still remained unsolved. Fujiwara Chika's goal of beating Kaguya, stepping on Amamiya Natsuki, and becoming the top student in the entire school was declared shattered.
On Friday, the long-awaited summer vacation finally officially arrived.
Looking at the noisy students in the classroom, Amamiya Natsuki was thinking about how to spend the summer vacation when he suddenly heard a cold, emotionless voice in his mind:
[Dungeon "Summer Time Rendering" is ready. Please arrive at the designated location within twenty-four hours…]
Summer Time Rendering