Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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The world froze, quivering as if struggling to hold itself together. 

Then, with a resounding crack, it shattered and collapsed like a broken mirror. 

Amamiya felt a momentary dizziness, and when his vision cleared, he realized the environment around him had shifted. The cozy, well-lit cafeteria was gone, replaced by the dilapidated and eerie halls of the ghost story hotel. 

"Is the nightmare… over?" 

A cool, composed voice broke the silence. It was Kaguya, her soft tone carrying a hint of hesitation. 

The girl pursed her pink lips, her eyes scanning the surroundings with wary uncertainty. 

'Could this really be over?' 

The dream world had restarted so many times that even Kaguya found herself questioning the reality of what lay before her. The boundary between dream and reality, truth and illusion, had blurred to the point where distinguishing one from the other seemed impossible. 

Amamiya turned his gaze to the elegant young woman sitting beside him. She hadn't moved since they'd fallen asleep; their hands were still clasped tightly together, just as they had been before the nightmare began. 

He leaned closer and whispered, "Actually… I'm from the future." 

Kaguya's body stiffened, her wide eyes betraying her shock. But her surprise quickly gave way to realization, her face flushing a deep crimson. She yanked her hand away, glaring at him. 

'Liar!' 

He'd used this line before, she remembered, during their last encounter in the dream world. It had been a trick—a cunning ruse to coax her into opening the door. Once she'd let him in… 

Steam practically poured from Kaguya's head as she recalled the events in the sauna room. Her mind raced through the memories, and her eyes turned dazed, resembling tiny spirals. 

The clarity of those memories was startling. Despite being nothing more than a nightmare, every detail felt vivid and real. 

The lingering warmth of his lips against hers… 

The way he'd barged into her personal space without warning, catching her off guard… 

Kaguya forced herself to shake off the thoughts, her cheeks burning brighter. 'Focus!' 

Desperately trying to redirect her attention, she latched onto a single question: 

'If it was just a dream, then… does my first kiss still count?' 

She mulled over the thought, her expression a mix of relief and concern. 

Meanwhile, Amamiya glanced at her, his expression calm. "Still thinking about it, huh? Don't worry—the restart system is really broken this time." 

"Eh? Hey, hey!" A familiar, lively voice broke the tension. "Who tied me up this time?" 

Amamiya turned to see Umi, struggling against ropes that secured her to a chair. Her cheeks puffed indignantly as she wriggled. 

"That would be me," he replied nonchalantly. 

"Woo—!" 

Umi pouted, glaring at him. "These ropes are so uncomfortable! Hurry up and untie me!" 

Standing, Amamiya approached and began untying the knots. "When your consciousness is pulled into the nightmare, your body wanders around the hotel aimlessly. You could bump into things or fall. Tying you up was the safest option." 

"And what's with this terrible rope work? It hurts!" 

"It's my first time, so I'm not exactly skilled," Amamiya replied with a shrug. "Don't worry, though. I've been practicing. Next time, it won't hurt." 

"There won't be a next time!" Umi snapped, her face flushing in frustration. "And don't practice on me!" 

She huffed, fuming silently as Amamiya finished untying her. 

"Wait a second…" 

A groggy voice chimed in—it was Chika, blinking blearily as she regained her senses. She looked down, quickly realizing she was tied up as well. 

"Why am I tied up too?!" she demanded, bewildered. 

"Ah…" Amamiya glanced at her casually. "To keep you from wandering during the nightmares. It's safer this way." 

Chika's pout deepened. "But why didn't you wake me up during any of the restarts? You only woke me the first time!" 

"Because I couldn't bear it," Amamiya replied with a sigh. "You looked so pitiful while you were asleep." 

Hearing this, Chika's eyes widened as fragments of her dream resurfaced. Her cheeks puffed indignantly. 

"You're talking about the fried rice, aren't you?" she accused. "There was so much of it, and you gave it 'all' to Umi-chan! Not a single bite for me! And then—then you dropped the last bite on the floor, 'on purpose!' I was so desperate!" 

Umi couldn't help but chuckle, earning a glare from Chika. 

"There. You're untied," Amamiya said, setting the rope aside. 

The atmosphere sobered as he continued, "The nightmare is broken, but we don't know what's going to happen to this hotel now. We should leave—just in case." 

Everyone nodded in agreement, unease lingering in the air as they prepared to make their way out. 

The four of them quickly left the room without a second glance and made their way down the corridor. 

Amamiya lifted his gaze toward the sky. 

It was overcast, with no stars or moon in sight. 

The moon, which had once shone brightly, had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never been there at all. 

In the courtyard, the cherry trees had withered, their branches tangled and bare, and the stream that once flowed serenely had dried up, exposing the cracked earth beneath. 

The lanterns hung along the paths had long since lost their light, and the entire hotel stood in darkness, dilapidated and eerie. 

Amamiya held up a flashlight, the beam flickering as it illuminated the area under the withered cherry trees. 

Despite the ravages of time, the benches placed for tourists to rest remained intact in front of the dried-up stream, untouched by the decay that had claimed the rest of the place. 

Kaguya couldn't help but glance up. The heat from her face, which had just started to subside, returned in full force. 

"Ah, I remember now," Chika suddenly exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "Back then, under the tree, Amamiya-kun kissed Kaguya-chan…" 

Kaguya's face reddened immediately. She stammered, "It doesn't count! It was just a dream. How could anything from a dream count?" 

Chika blinked, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, that makes sense." 

"Hurry up," Kaguya urged, her voice tinged with anxiety. "Those dead tourists seem to be moving again." 

As the nightmare world crumbled, Amamiya and the others regained full consciousness. They were awake once again. The hotel staff and the other tourists were also waking up, though the truth was more sinister: their real bodies had died from being trapped in the dream for so long. 

This was a town of ghost stories, and no one could say for certain what was happening. The safest course of action was to leave immediately. 

Without hesitation, the group crossed the courtyard and fled the hotel. 

As they reached the outskirts of the town, Chika raised her fists triumphantly and shouted with glee, 

"Finally escaped!" 

Even Kaguya, usually composed, exhaled a relieved sigh. "It's over." 

The nightmare of the endlessly restarting Dream Hotel had been terrifying enough to nearly wipe them out. 

"Is this… the Ghost Story Town?" 

Umi, who had spent the entirety of her time in the hotel, now surveyed the outside world with curious eyes. "It's so dark, and it feels so oppressive." 

This was her first time stepping out of the hotel, and she was visibly disappointed. The town before them was even gloomier than the hotel they had just escaped. With nearly no lights and no sounds of life, it didn't seem any safer. 

"Amamiya-kun, what do we do now?" 

Umi, having moved closer, asked quietly. 

Before Amamiya could respond, a sudden sound broke the tension. 

'Click.' 

A videotape appeared out of nowhere, landing in front of him. 

"Hey, what is this?" Umi asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. 

Amamiya bent down to pick it up. "It's the videotape we filmed. Hold on to it for ten minutes, and then submit it. That's when the main mission will be complete." 

As he spoke, Amamiya examined the cover of the tape. 

The image featured Ms. Nakagawa, her face flushed and her eyes glistening with moisture. She was making an awkward V-sign, for reasons unknown. 

Next to the image, a strange line of text was written: 

"Woo woo~ Master, please turn me into your own fluffy ball!" 

Just then, a familiar game prompt sound echoed in the air: 

[Filming of 'Ghost Hotel' has been completed.] 

[Note: The boy who was trapped in the strange story has lost his mind and disappeared completely. The rating of this pseudo-documentary will increase significantly.] 

[Note: The Palace Bar brothers are ecstatic. Several Bar brothers are on the judging panel. The score for this videotape will be boosted.] 

[Excellent operation! You're already a skilled RTN warrior!] 

Amamiya clicked his tongue in mild amusement. "Your faith is already broken? Youngsters these days just don't have enough experience." 

He smirked as he muttered to himself, "…Well, I'm glad you're not a young scholar."