Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

Amamiya stepped out of the bathroom and glanced around. Not far away, a girl with long black hair stood hesitantly, her gaze darting nervously as if she wanted to approach but didn't dare to. 

After a moment's thought, Amamiya pieced together what must have happened. 

To be fair, if I had seen my mother being fed by another guy, I would have been furious. That Kaguya wasn't angry just now was clearly thanks to Komi. 

"…" 

As Amamiya approached, Komi quickly lowered her head, pulled out her notebook, and began writing. Once she finished, she held the notebook close to her chest, her gaze shifting nervously toward the campus. 

Amamiya walked over at a relaxed pace. 

Komi took a half-step back, visibly tense. 

"No need to back away," Amamiya said helplessly. "I'm not going to eat you." 

Hearing this, Komi hesitated before timidly looking up. A soft blush began spreading across her cheeks. 

"The light here is too dim," Amamiya added. "You're moving so much, I can't even read what you wrote." 

Komi: "…" 

Her face flushed even deeper, this time from embarrassment. She met his eyes for a brief second before quickly looking away, like a startled deer. Taking a deep breath, she moved the notebook forward slightly, her hands trembling. 

"I'm sorry," she had written. "Kaguya-san looked really scary just now, like she was about to break down, and it seemed like she misunderstood something… I told her what really happened." 

Amamiya read the words and nodded. 

That explained everything. 

The reason Kaguya had been so calm earlier was that she already knew the truth, thanks to Komi. 

"Thank you for stepping in earlier," Amamiya said sincerely. 

"Huh?" 

The girl with long black hair looked up at him, startled. 

"That 'Big Kaguya' you saw earlier is actually a guardian spirit…" 

Amamiya explained the situation briefly. 

The written communication skill Komi used was undeniably effective, and since she was a classmate of Sajuna, it was inevitable they'd be teammates in the future. There was no reason to hide anything. 

Komi tilted her head slightly as she listened, a curious expression softening her features. Her dark eyes remained fixed on him, absorbing every word. 

When Amamiya finished, a look of realization dawned on her face. 

No wonder Kaguya-san's expression was so terrifying earlier… 

"That's the gist of it," Amamiya concluded gently. "You should head back and rest for now. I'll stay here for a bit longer." 

As Shimizu's guardian spirit, Amamiya couldn't stray too far from her. Otherwise, she would be forcibly recalled to his side. 

Komi nodded lightly and turned to leave. She walked a few steps, then hesitated and glanced back. Amamiya was still standing in the corridor, now alone. 

If I leave now… it'll feel like I'm abandoning a teammate. 

"What's wrong?" Amamiya asked, noticing her hesitation. 

Komi shook her head slightly but hesitated again. She reached for her notebook, preparing to write something, but before she could, the door of a nearby classroom opened, and a figure stepped out. 

Komi flinched slightly, quickly clutching the notebook to her chest. Her pace quickened as she headed back to her classroom. 

As she passed the newcomer, she glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. It was a girl with pigtails and black-framed glasses. If memory served, her name was Hanamori. 

The two passed each other without a word. 

Hayasaka approached Amamiya, waiting patiently until Komi entered the classroom. She clasped her hands behind her back and asked calmly: 

"Senpai, I thought I saw Kaguya-san earlier. Why isn't she here now?" 

As a skilled spy maid, Hayasaka had kept tabs on Kaguya at all times—except for the brief moments when she was inadvertently trapped in another dimension. 

It took less than a minute of Kaguya being out of sight for the vigilant spy maid to locate her again. 

"She's in the bathroom…" 

Amamiya replied nonchalantly, recounting the recent events. 

"Is that so?" 

Hayasaka relaxed slightly upon hearing his explanation. She removed her glasses—the ones meant to downplay her beauty—and her delicate face immediately seemed even more striking. A charming smile played at the corners of her lips as she called out in a clear, melodious voice: 

"Senpai, Senpai~ I hope I didn't interrupt your date just now?" 

Amamiya glanced at her and replied bluntly, "You're excused." 

"Woo—" 

The spy maid puffed up her cheeks, feigning indignation. She extended a slender finger and lightly poked his chest. 

"Senpai, that attitude is too much! Keep it up, and you'll never get a girlfriend." 

"Oh no," Amamiya replied, his expression suddenly serious. 

"Eh? What happened?" 

Hayasaka's tone shifted to concern. 

"I found a love letter in my shoe locker this morning," Amamiya said helplessly, "but I forgot to respond." 

Hayasaka: "…" 

"Senpai, you're bullying me," the spy maid pouted, puffing her cheeks again. "I'll be upset unless you cheer me up." 

"Sorry, I just want to lie down and rest." 

"…" 

(Aaaaaaah!) 

The devil in Hayasaka's heart stomped its feet furiously. 

(What's wrong with this man?) 

(How can he not react to a cute girl acting all coy and playful?) 

(He treats others so differently—it's infuriating!) 

Taking a deep breath, Hayasaka adopted a pitiful tone and said, "Senpai, can I see that bracelet?" 

"The one Kobayashi-san gave me?" Amamiya asked after a moment's thought. 

"Yes, that one." 

Amamiya nodded and retrieved the bracelet from his pocket. 

The magical girl training bracelet, given to him by the passerby girl Kobayashi, had remained in his possession. He hadn't returned any of the "hiring fee" from before—it wasn't a matter of being stingy, but rules were rules. Saving lives was one thing, but bending the rules for free was out of the question. 

The bracelet was pink, a magical girl training weapon meant exclusively for girls. 

Hayasaka slipped the bracelet onto her right wrist. It snapped into place snugly, and a faint glow illuminated its surface. A simplified operating interface, akin to a smartwatch, appeared on the screen, displaying only a charging bar and a weapon transformation button. 

"To transform the bracelet into a weapon, you need to charge it first…" Hayasaka murmured, reading the interface aloud. "Senpai, what's this 'heartbeat value'? Why does it require that to charge?" 

"I have no idea," Amamiya replied. "This is the first I've heard of it. You should ask Kobayashi-san." 

"Forget it," Hayasaka said softly, shaking her head. "It feels a bit awkward to ask someone else about their belongings… but we can figure it out ourselves." 

"For example…" 

The spy maid leaned forward slightly, her fragrance subtly filling the air. 

"Senpai, do you want to touch my thigh?" 

Amamiya blinked. 

"You risked so much to save me, Senpai. I feel bad about it, so I'll let you touch my thigh." 

Amamiya: "…" 

"Senpai, Senpai~" The spy maid smiled mischievously, her expression tinged with a sly triumph. "Didn't you feel anything just now?" 

To be honest, I did feel something. 

"You're targeting the wrong person," Amamiya retorted. "The watch is on your wrist. My feelings don't matter." 

"Oops." Hayasaka stuck out her tongue playfully, closing one eye and tapping her forehead. "I forgot." 

Amamiya raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. 

"Senpai?" 

Instinctively, Hayasaka backed up, pressing against the wall. 

"Your hair's a mess." 

Amamiya reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. 

Hayasaka's eyes widened slightly, and the tips of her ears turned pink. 

Amamiya glanced at the bracelet on her wrist. 

"…The charging progress just increased."