Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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On the rooftop stood a girl with long, waist-length black hair. She wore a black choker, yellow contact lenses, and several decorative earrings. From the side, her delicate nose, soft pink lips, and upright posture gave her a quiet elegance, gazing up at the clouds with an air of gentle stillness.

It was Umi.

Seeing her this way, so calm and radiant, Amamiya paused, taking in the scene for a brief moment. But after just two seconds of admiring her quiet beauty, she turned to him, a bright smile lighting up her face. Waving energetically, she called out:

"Amamiya-kun, come here!"

Her voice was as clear as a bell, carried to him by the wind, so cheerful and vibrant.

This was Umi, alright. The image of a serene, literary girl didn't match her usual hot-girl energy at all.

Amamiya walked over, taking a seat beside her. Glancing at her lunch—a half-eaten rice ball—he asked, "Why just rice balls for lunch?"

"Oh, I was planning to make a bento this morning, but then this terrifying ghost came through the wall! Long, scraggly hair all the way to the ground—it was seriously creepy!" She gestured dramatically as she spoke. "I had to drop everything and just make two rice balls to bring with me."

"Did you use up your skills already?"

"Of course! Ages ago."

Amamiya opened his own snack package and handed her a piece of Yakisoba Bread. "Want a bite?"

"Sure, it looks way better than plain rice balls." Umi leaned in and took a bite, unbothered.

"Since you're sharing, then it's only fair," she said, puffing out her cheeks a bit and holding up her rice ball. "Go on, take a bite too."

Amamiya glanced down. "Isn't it covered in your...?"

"Bite the other side," she said, her cheeks pinking slightly as she nudged him gently with her elbow. "Come on, just try it."

"Well, if you insist..." Amamiya took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. "It's a little salty."

"At a time like this, just say 'thanks for the treat'!"

"Alright, thanks for the treat."

"…"

After taking a sip of milk, Amamiya asked, "Has that ghost with the scythe shown up again lately?"

"Nope," Umi replied, shaking her head. "Haven't seen it around in a while. I think it's finally gone."

The lively girl licked her lips and then eyed the milk carton in his hand.

"These rice balls are a bit salty."

"Want some milk?" Amamiya asked, handing it to her without hesitation.

"Thanks!" She took a sip, then sighed with satisfaction and continued, launching into a story about the previous day. "JuJu-sama has this thing for magical girl cosplay. She went through a bunch of outfits and even tried dressing up as a character from 'Madoka Magica'. Good thing she gave up before going all the way."

She laughed, then added, "Chika-chan first wanted to be a detective, then tried the Cat's Eye Sisters, but couldn't settle on a character until her skill time ran out."

[Note: Reference]

She gave a conspiratorial grin. "And, you know, I tried playing Yume-chan again yesterday afternoon. But no matter what, I just couldn't reach even fifty percent role-playing compatibility. It was infuriating."

Amamiya took a thoughtful bite of bread. "Maybe we can try using controlled variables—like comparing different scenarios—to figure out what makes the difference."

"Hmm…" Umi blinked, clearly considering his suggestion. "So, what changed between yesterday and the day before?"

She widened her eyes as a thought suddenly struck her and looked at Amamiya with realization.

Their gazes met, and without a word, they knew they were on the same page.

The people remained the same, the uniforms unchanged; the only new factor in the past two days was, undeniably, the bite on the neck.

"It's obvious," Amamiya muttered in a low voice. "Our little succubus has grown up… and now she's 'really' become a succubus."

Umi's face turned slightly red as she replied, trying to hold her ground. "Maybe… maybe there's some other reason?"

Amamiya smirked. "Only one way to find out."

"Nope." Umi lifted her chin with a little huff. "You complained that my bite hurt last time. I'm not biting you again."

Hey, cut it out with the weird comments! Lucky no one else was around on the rooftop; if someone overheard, there'd be no explaining his way out of this one.

Just then, footsteps sounded from behind them. Umi quickly straightened up and resumed eating her rice balls.

"Sorry, I'm late!" A girl with pink hair came over holding a lunchbox—it was Chika. "The teacher asked me to help in the office, and I just finished."

"Come on, let's eat," Amamiya called, waving her over. "I saved a spot for you."

"On my way!"

Buzz. A phone vibrated.

"My friend's asking me to meet downstairs," Umi said, glancing at her phone. She polished off her rice ball in two quick bites, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and turned to Chika. "Want me to transfer my ability to you first?"

"Sure!" Chika agreed. "I had to rush up here, so a breather sounds great."

Amamiya took a deep breath, settling into the task as he placed his left hand on Chika's shoulder and his right on Umi's, beginning the process of copying over her skills.

A few minutes later…

"All done." Amamiya stepped back with a smile. "Give me a five star review for that one, please."

Standing up, Umi put her hand on her hip. "Alright, I'm heading down. Take your time, Chika-chan."

As she left, Chika turned to Amamiya, lowering her voice. "Why haven't you left yet?"

"I haven't finished eating," he replied with a straight face, holding up his fried noodles bun. "Gotta enjoy the last bite."

'Liar!'

His gaze betrayed him—he clearly wanted an excuse to stay longer.

Chika opened her lunchbox, revealing an impressive spread.

"The meatballs look delicious," Amamiya remarked openly. "Can I have one?"

Chika gave him a look. "Help yourself if you want one."

"No chopsticks, and I haven't washed my hands."

Without a word, Chika raised her chin proudly and pulled out a pair of spare chopsticks from her bag, placing them in his hand. "Here you go."

Amamiya sighed. "So, you were fully prepared, huh?"

"But you know, food tastes better when it's fed to you." Amamiya quipped.

"Don't be ridiculous."

Sharing food was one thing, but the thought of feeding him felt… odd.

"Come on, eat," she urged. "There's plenty. I won't finish it alone."

Amamiya took the chopsticks, picked up a bouncy beef ball, and sighed theatrically. "Years from now, when I'm standing before the firing squad, I'll remember this distant afternoon… and the day Fujiwara-san fed me."

Chika puffed her cheeks in mock irritation. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Yes, yes."

After they finished lunch, the conversation drifted back to yesterday's game dungeon. As the bell neared, signaling the end of break, Amamiya stood up.

"Alright, back to class?"

"Wait." Chika stopped him, her face serious. "As a game club member, I 'cannot' break the rules."

"What's that mean?"

"…Let's try the Pocky challenge first."