Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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It wasn't easy to keep balanced while moving in a crouched position, and under the sudden jolt from behind, Amamiya stumbled forward, instinctively grabbing onto the figure in front of him.

She felt incredibly slim.

Her waist was surprisingly slender.

Though her clothing didn't reveal much, his grip confirmed that the pink-haired girl ahead of him had an exceptionally delicate frame.

Shikimori's body tensed, an embarrassed flush rising to her cheeks. She knew it wasn't entirely his fault, so she bit her lip, speaking quickly and quietly:

"What happened? Why can't the box move?"

"No idea."

Amamiya glanced up at the top of the cardboard box, where a prompt flashed before his eyes.

[A cat has perched on top of your cardboard box. All boxes are a cat's natural domain.]

With the box in the way, he couldn't see outside, but he murmured, "Something's pressing down on the box."

"Wait… is it the Shadow Cat?"

Shikimori's eyes widened slightly.

In this well-lit corridor, the only potential threat capable of free movement and attacks was the shadowy feline.

"But it's just a shadow," Shikimori mused. "How could it possibly weigh down the box? Shadows don't have weight."

"There's only one explanation," Amamiya said in a serious tone. "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"…Don't quote Conan right now!" Shikimori muttered, exasperated.

They both looked up at the cardboard box's top.

In the dim light, they could see a slight indentation, as if something was moving, scratching quietly. Oddly, there was no sound.

Biting her lip, Shikimori tried to push the box forward, but it felt as if an unseen force was holding it back, preventing any progress.

"What now?"

There was still a fair distance to cover, and even if she opened the box to run, escape seemed unlikely.

"Stay calm. This is manageable," Amamiya said steadily.

"...You're handling this pretty well," Shikimori muttered, cheeks flushing as she glanced over. "But could you please… take your hand off my waist?"

While grabbing her waist was understandable in the heat of the moment, did he really have to pinch it?

"Apologies, that was intentional," Amamiya replied sincerely.

"Uh—?!"

"Let me explain." He released his hold, looking genuinely apologetic. "When I'm deep in thought, I have this habit of pinching whatever I'm holding."

"…"

Shikimori clenched her teeth. If only the cardboard box weren't so cramped, she'd have been tempted to smack him with her bamboo sword.

Can't you think without manhandling someone?

"Right," Amamiya said, his tone suddenly focused. "I have a plan."

"What is it?" 

Shikimori's face became serious as she steadied herself.

The priority now was getting out of this corridor. Everything else could wait.

"You've heard of a saying, right?" Amamiya lowered his voice. "The whole 'cats and dogs are natural enemies' thing."

Shikimori hesitated. "...Isn't it 'fighting like cats and dogs'?"

"Close enough," Amamiya shrugged. "The point is, cats and dogs tend to be at odds. Since it's a cat pressing down on the box, maybe barking like a dog will scare it off."

"Will that actually work?"

Shikimori frowned, sounding doubtful.

"We won't know until we try," Amamiya said, his tone steady. "It's better than just sitting here."

"...Fine," Shikimori said after a brief silence, nodding in agreement.

Sitting still and waiting for the worst was never her style. Until the final moment, giving up wasn't an option.

Taking a breath, she spoke softly, "Woof~"

Her voice was gentle, almost shy, and perhaps out of embarrassment, there was a faint tremor in her tone.

Amamiya reminded her, "Try sounding fiercer."

The others would be like wolfhounds, but that soft bark was more like a sweet little puppy—hardly threatening to anyone!

"Then why don't you bark yourself?" Shikimori's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't help but ask, "Why does it have to be me?"

Barking like a dog in front of a guy she hardly knew was... well, mortifying!

Amamiya replied earnestly, "Shikimori-san has such presence—it'd be awesome if you did it."

"Awesome? How is barking like a dog awesome?"

"..."

The situation was urgent, and there was no other option. Taking a deep breath, Shikimori suppressed her embarrassment and tried again, this time with a louder, more determined "Woof."

The cardboard box trembled slightly.

Amamiya gave the box a nudge. "We can move now!"

"Wait, it actually worked?"

Shikimori's eyes brightened as she tested the movement, realizing they could indeed advance.

Whether it was a lucky break or something else, the barking seemed to drive the Shadow Cat away.

"Let's keep going!" Shikimori said decisively, her eyes resolute.

They seized the opportunity and moved forward quickly.

After a short distance, the cardboard box again sank under some unseen weight, rendering them immobile. The Shadow Cat had returned.

"Woof! Woof!" Shikimori barked with renewed resolve, managing to scare the Shadow Cat off once more.

At last, they reached the end of the corridor unscathed, stepping into the shadowy area beyond.

"We made it."

Shikimori breathed a sigh of relief. "There's no light ahead—it's a corner. We can take off the boxes."

"Right."

Amamiya nodded, straightening up and helping to remove the boxes. They stood together in the corridor's shadowy bend, looking back at the well-lit path they had crossed. On the distant walls, shadowy cats continued to dart and leap.

"Get up," Amamiya offered, extending a hand to the pink-haired girl and then examining the cardboard box's surface, where claw marks were visible.

"It's not going to be easy making it through with just cardboard for protection," Shikimori murmured, adjusting her hair and skirt thoughtfully.

After all, cardboard was just paper—no one knew how long it would last against the relentless Shadow Cats.

"But here's the curious part," Amamiya said, running his fingers over the claw marks. "Why were there scratches on the box, but no sound?"

"That's a good point…"

Shikimori pursed her lips, trying to piece together a thought that was forming in the back of her mind.

"I'm going back," Amamiya said, crouching down and positioning himself in the box once more. "Shikimori-san, I'm entrusting you with my safety."

Shikimori gripped her bamboo sword firmly, her gaze determined. "...Leave it to me."