Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you! For more chapters, visit my patreon.com/Fanfic69)

----

"I..."

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, the short-haired girl, whose imagination often ran wild, suddenly had a vivid image pop into her head. Her cheeks flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye, and it almost seemed like white steam was rising from the top of her head.

Quickly, she shook her head to dispel the image.

No way!

Batons and things like that are so unhygienic!

"What are you doing?" Amamiya urged, "Come here already."

"P-please... don't be mean to me..." 

With a timid expression, Kashiwagi edged closer, like a girl approaching the guillotine.

A terrible thought suddenly struck her.

She remembered a comic she had secretly read once.

"As everyone knows, only accomplices can keep secrets."

"Now it's your turn to take over for Kaguya... Hurry up, because I'll need to snap a few photos on my phone later."

Click, click, click.

The flash went off mercilessly.

Then came the devil's whisper:

"From now on, you'll do anything I ask. Disobey, and I'll post these photos online for everyone to see!"

...

Her imagination began spiraling again. The more she thought about it, the more her panic grew. With teary eyes, she looked at Amamiya and pleaded, "Could you... not take any photos?"

Amamiya looked confused. "What did you say?"

"I-I'll do whatever you ask, just... no photos, okay?"

Photos? What on earth is she talking about?

Amamiya looked at her, utterly baffled. "I'm just trying to show you the truth. Why are you crying?"

"T-the truth?"

The short-haired girl blinked, her eyelashes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I don't know what's going on in your head, but here are the facts," Amamiya raised his hands and explained. "It was windy just now, and the note that Kaguya left in her book blew away. She tried to catch it but lost her balance on the chair, so she fell onto my lap. Somehow, her hair got caught, and she hasn't been able to get up... Just come over and see for yourself."

Cautiously, Kashiwagi walked around the corner of the table to take a closer look at Amamiya and Kaguya.

The angle had hidden part of her view before; she could only see the silly girl lying on Amamiya's lap, but not what she was actually doing. 

No need to look further. 

A single guy and girl, alone after school, in an awkward position? What else could they be up to?

Fortunately, just then, Kashiwagi rounded the table and saw the whole scene clearly.

Both of them were fully clothed, not a hair out of place.

Kaguya looked up with a flushed face but otherwise seemed perfectly fine...

"I'm so sorry!"

After seeing the truth, Kashiwagi immediately bowed deeply in apology. "I-I completely misunderstood!"

"What did you think was happening?" Amamiya asked, his gaze empty. "Go on, tell me."

Kashiwagi quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head frantically.

If I say it out loud, Shinomiya-san will definitely kill me!

"Come here and help me out," Amamiya said, his hands still raised as he looked at Kashiwagi. "Check where her hair is caught."

"Leave it to me!"

Kashiwagi nodded quickly and moved in to assist.

Kaguya gritted her teeth, wanting to refuse, but lying across the boy's lap felt even more humiliating. She remained silent, caught in an internal struggle.

A moment later—

"Oh, I found it. Shinomiya-san's hair got caught on the hook at the side of the table…"

With Kashiwagi's help, the tangled strands were freed quickly, and Kaguya finally escaped her predicament, standing up at last.

Stay calm.

Don't panic.

At moments like this, it's crucial to remain poised to avoid being looked down upon.

Kaguya raised her right hand, gracefully tucking her dark hair behind her ear with her slender fingers. She spoke with a calm and collected voice, "Thank you for your help just now, Kashiwagi-san."

"No need to thank me."

Amamiya observed Kaguya.

Her tone and expression were flawless, though her overly red face detracted from the effect.

"Oh, I left my keys in the classroom... Amamiya-kun, Shinomiya-san, goodbye."

The short-haired girl returned to her desk, retrieved her keys from its cubby, and, after a quick bow, hurried off.

[Note: Kashiwagi Asuka]

"Looks like our unlucky streak is over," Amamiya checked his phone before turning to Kaguya. "Want to try another coin toss tomorrow?"

"...Of course," Kaguya replied through gritted teeth. "If you give up at the first setback, what could you possibly achieve?"

"You're surprisingly persistent."

Kaguya folded her arms, casting a sidelong glance. "After the toss tomorrow, leave right away. Don't linger around me—not for a second."

Amamiya: "…"

The two left the classroom.

They parted ways after leaving the classroom.

Amamiya reached the school gate alone, waiting briefly before spotting Umi as she finished her club activities.

Naturally, Umi, who was outgoing and popular, had joined a club.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Amamiya-kun!" Umi raised her hand, jogging over. "My friends wanted to go sing karaoke, and I was tempted to join them, but I didn't forget what I promised you."

Amamiya put his phone away. "Should I commend you?"

Umi lifted her chin with a teasing smile. "Of course! Go on, praise me!"

The two chatted as they walked toward the tram station and made their way to Umi's house.

They rode in silence.

After getting off the tram, Amamiya noticed a petite pink-haired girl with a large school bag, waiting eagerly on the platform.

It was Sajuna Inui.

"JuJu-sama!" Umi waved brightly, her smile as radiant as sunshine. "We're here."

"Don't call me that…" Sajuna turned her head, visibly embarrassed, and murmured, "Just call me Sajuna."

Cosplay is a hobby; real life is real life. Hearing her online handle out loud always made her cringe.

"Can I keep calling you JuJu?"

"Nope."

"But JuJu sounds so cute~ Don't you think so, Amamiya-kun?"

"A name is just an identifier," Amamiya replied seriously. "Honestly, I prefer Person A as a name."

"Person A?"

Sajuna lifted her face, eyes wide with puzzlement.

He likes such an odd name. This guy's tastes are so bizarre!

"Let's go." Umi led the way to an apartment building. "We'll stop at my place first."

The three climbed the stairs and soon reached the door of Umi's apartment.

"I'm back."

Umi pulled out her key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

The apartment was silent; no one was home to respond.

"Pardon the intrusion." 

Amamiya followed her inside. Though it was his first time here, the place felt somewhat familiar since Umi had given him a video tour of her room during a late-night call.

Umi's mother had passed away when she was young, and her father, who never remarried, was her only family. During her final year of junior high, Umi's father was transferred by his company to Hokkaido, where he still works. Due to the long distance, he only comes home during Obon and New Year's, leaving Umi to live independently most of the time.

"Go ahead and take a seat. I'll grab some drinks," Umi said, heading to the fridge. As she opened it, a human-headed spirit within turned its gaze toward her.

"Can you see me…"

A hollow, icy voice echoed faintly.

Umi took a half-step back and looked over her shoulder at Amamiya. "Amamiya-kun, it's glaring at me."

Your eyes are huge; why don't you glare back?

Sitting on the couch, Amamiya calmly activated his spirit-repelling aura, and the spirit withered away in an instant.

The pink-haired girl looked on with envy.

Get lost, you spirits… If only I had that skill, I'd be thrilled.

"That spirit is so annoying! It hides in the fridge every day. It scared me yesterday too when I got home." Umi put her hand on her hip and then offered, "We've got green tea, barley tea, yogurt, milk, and cola. What would you like?"

"Cola," Amamiya replied.

"...I'll take yogurt," said Sajuna, looking slightly embarrassed.

Amamiya turned his head toward her. "Actually, milk might be a good option, too."

The pink-haired girl puffed out her cheeks. "I'm already a high school sophomore! I'm not a little kid!"

After a brief rest, the three of them got down to business.

"Amamiya-kun, go ahead and copy my skill over to JuJu-sama." Umi sipped her green tea, extending her right hand.

Amamiya nodded and looked at the pink-haired girl, whose cheeks flushed slightly as she held out her hand.

A few minutes later—

"'Role Playing'…" Sajuna's eyes widened as she examined the temporary skill on her character panel. "This is incredible."

Since joining the mutual aid group, she'd closely observed and learned about many players' abilities. Now that she was no longer a beginner, she knew that most players didn't have any skills, let alone one that could grant temporary abilities to others. Such a skill seemed remarkably powerful.

Umi raised her chin with a smug smile. "You brought your outfit, right, JuJu-sama?"

"Yes," Sajuna nodded, "It's in my bag."

"Perfect! Let's go to my room to test the skill's effects," Umi said, standing up. "The cosplay outfit I ordered online yesterday has arrived, too, so let's change together."

For now, the game didn't have a remote team feature, but players who were physically close to each other in real life had a high likelihood of being pulled into the same scenarios. Knowing and trusting each other beforehand was a significant advantage that could greatly increase their chances of success.

So, Amamiya didn't stop Umi from forming a "cosplay team." If the team was strong enough, everyone cosplaying wasn't an issue—completing the game was the main objective.

"Amamiya-kun, don't you dare peek!"

Umi stood in the doorway, looking back with a warning.

Amamiya replied blankly, "The door's closed. How would I peek?"

Umi tapped her chin thoughtfully. "...Then should I leave it open just a crack?"

"Much appreciated," Amamiya replied dryly.

A moment later—

The door opened, and a girl dressed as a succubus stepped out.

Umi wore a devilish costume similar to the one from yesterday. She'd even added a lovely burgundy wig, looking impressively professional.

The succubus girl approached Amamiya, leaning close as she spoke in a sugary tone:

"Hey, Amamiya-kun~ Let me eat you?"