Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

No words were exchanged that night. 

The next day. 

At exactly six in the morning, the alarm clock began to vibrate. 

"Hmm…" 

Miko stirred, blinking her eyes open. She yawned softly and sat up, stretching. 

"Good morning~" Umi greeted her quietly, already awake. For 'players' like them, sleep was often light. Smiling faintly, Umi whispered, "Miko, are you heading back?" 

"Yeah," Miko murmured, rubbing her eyes. Her voice was soft and groggy, betraying her half-asleep state. "I'll just head to the bathroom and change first." 

Umi gently suggested, "It's still dark out. Why not sleep a little longer?" 

"It's summer," Miko replied with a shake of her head, her tone resolute. "It gets bright so quickly now. If I wait too long, Mom might notice. It's better to leave now." 

With that, she tiptoed toward the bathroom. After getting dressed, she gave Umi a quiet goodbye and slipped out of the house without a sound. 

---

Umi lay back down, her gaze lingering on the faintly lit ceiling. After a moment, she realized she wasn't tired anymore. 

The room was still steeped in the dimness of early morning. 

Umi rolled onto her side, her gaze settling on Amamiya, who was lying not far away. She hesitated for a second before whispering, "Natsuki-san?" 

"…" 

Silence. 

The house was quiet, save for the rhythmic sound of breathing. 

"He's sleeping so soundly," Umi muttered under her breath. "Not a shred of vigilance, as usual." 

Unable to resist, she stretched out her hand and gently poked Amamiya's right hand, which was resting outside the blanket. Emboldened, her cheeks flushed slightly as she carefully intertwined her fingers with his. 

Suddenly, her hand was grabbed firmly. 

"Eh?!" 

Umi let out a small yelp, quickly puffing her cheeks in mock annoyance. "Stupid Amamiya! Were you pretending to sleep this whole time? You scared me half to death!" 

Amamiya opened his eyes and turned his head toward her, an amused look in his expression. "Who's scaring who here? You're the one poking people in their sleep." 

"You woke up when Miko got up, didn't you?" Umi pouted, narrowing her eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?" 

"It's not like she's going off to war," Amamiya replied lazily. 

"What if something happens to her?" Umi shot back, her voice dropping into a whisper. "Yesterday, I saw on Twitter that there was a horrifying shooting in the U.S.—in some place called Bull City." 

Amamiya blinked. "That's Buffalo." 

"It's close enough…" Umi shrugged, then tilted her head, a curious glint in her eyes. "Oh, by the way, what's the difference between a buffalo and a cow?" 

"Buffaloes can swim, and cows can produce milk." 

For some reason, Umi burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling in amusement. 

"What's so funny?" Amamiya frowned slightly, baffled by her sudden joy. 

"I just remembered a joke," Umi managed between giggles, wiping away tears of laughter. "It's about elementary school kids visiting a ranch for class. The herders teach them how to milk cows, and then… hahaha!" 

"Stop laughing like an idiot," Amamiya muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Besides, elementary school kids these days probably know more than you about… certain things." 

"Impossible!" Umi declared, puffing out her chest with mock pride. "I definitely know more than an elementary school kid!" 

"That's nothing to brag about," Amamiya deadpanned. 

"Oh, right!" Umi propped herself up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How far have you gotten in 'The Wet Miss Academy'?" 

"The scene with Lady Shizuku in the school auditorium…" Amamiya replied, trailing off. 

Umi grinned mischievously. "Shizuku-tan really is… something else, huh?" 

He nodded, his expression faintly nostalgic. "She's definitely big." 

"How is it? Wasn't I right? The plot's amazing, isn't it?" Umi's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she leaned closer, brimming with excitement. "How about we get up and play some games?" 

"I refuse," Amamiya replied flatly. 

"…" 

You don't sleep at night and now want to play gal games with boys? Do you even realize how dangerous this is? The 'Puberty Chronicles' should serve as a warning for situations like this! 

Undeterred by his rejection, the girl remained animated, chatting incessantly until the first light of dawn began to seep through the windows. Finally, with a yawn, she stretched and mumbled, "I'm sleepy~." 

"Don't even think about sleeping now," Amamiya said, his expression unyielding. "Get up, wash your face, brush your teeth, and prepare for breakfast." 

"…" 

---

After breakfast, 

Amamiya and Umi left together, meeting up with Miko and Hana before heading to school. 

Once they arrived, the group naturally gravitated toward the activities club, their usual gathering spot. Chika and Kaguya were already there, having arrived early. 

Their first game of the day was the 'Ignorant Girls' Hunting Game.' 

The outcome was as predictable as the sunrise. 

"I lost again," Hana lamented, sighing heavily. 

She turned instinctively to Amamiya, subconsciously extending her hand. Losing the first round every morning had become such a routine that even the 'punishments' seemed almost ceremonial. 

However, once the game ended, the group didn't immediately transition to the next round as they usually did. 

"Hana, let's head back to the classroom," Miko suggested softly, standing up. 

"Eh?" Hana blinked in surprise, tilting her head. "Why aren't we playing anymore?" 

"I've got something else to take care of today," Amamiya said as he rose. He glanced at Hana, his tone matter-of-fact. "We'll play again tomorrow." 

"Oh… alright," Hana replied, disappointment evident in her tone. Still, she followed Miko as they left the activity room, waving her goodbyes to the group. 

"Let's go," Miko said quietly to her friend, though her emotions were clearly conflicted. 

To be honest, Miko thought as they walked away, this is a terrifying and incredibly dangerous thriller game I want no part of. 

But the alternative wasn't any easier to accept. 

If she didn't participate, she'd remain an ordinary person—a bystander unable to offer any help at all. 

Her thoughts churned with unease as she followed her good friend down the hallway. 

–

Back in the activity room, the mood shifted. Chika placed a pair of plain glasses on her nose, clenched a fist, and rapped it lightly against the table. Her expression was unexpectedly serious as she declared, "The pre-war meeting officially begins now. Natsuki-san, present the evidence." 

"Yes." 

Amamiya retrieved a movie ticket from his pocket and handed it over. 

As Kaguya and Chika examined the ticket, a game prompt appeared before them. 

"Do you think an ordinary person who touches this ticket would be selected as a player?" Chika asked curiously, tilting her head. 

"That's unlikely," Umi replied, folding her arms. Her voice carried a note of hesitation. "Last evening, there were tons of kids in the park, and no one picked it up. It's a pretty large ticket, so those elementary school students should have noticed it, right?" 

Kaguya frowned thoughtfully. "So, if an ordinary person 'can' see the movie ticket, they might be eligible to be selected as a player by the game?" 

Chika's eyes lit up. "Then Miko would definitely see it!" 

"As a not ordinary girl, it's no surprise she can see the ticket," Amamiya said calmly, intertwining his fingers as he rested his hands on the table. "But we're better off leaving her out of it. Let her stay a harmless bystander." 

"Agreed." Kaguya nodded, her pink lips pressing into a firm line. "Let's move on to the action plan. After school, I'll have Hayasaka prepare props in the theater, just like last time." 

She was referring to their experience in the midnight mall dungeon, where pre-arranged communication devices like phones and tablets had proven to be a critical advantage. 

Kaguya's approach was practical and straightforward: if a strategy works, repeat it. 

Their discussion meandered briefly into horror movie references as they debated the potential themes of the next dungeon. 

"This reminds me of a horror movie I watched once," Chika mused, crossing her arms. "It was called 'The Haunted Mansion,' and after watching it, I couldn't sleep for nights! Could this dungeon be something like that?" 

Amamiya glanced over, his expression dry. "That movie's from nearly twenty years ago. You have an interesting range of interests, Fujiwara-san." 

"Eh?" Chika gasped, her shock evident. "It's been that long?" 

"I've seen it too," Umi added, chuckling. "But I've forgotten most of the details." 

"I haven't seen it," Kaguya admitted, a small frown tugging at her lips. 

"There's no need to rewatch the whole thing," Amamiya said matter-of-factly. "The acting is stiff, the expressions are exaggerated, and the characters' IQs plummet regularly." 

He smirked slightly. "Though I have to admit, I always thought the Ghost Granny and the Fire Cloud Evil God looked like a typical couple." 

"Fire Cloud Evil God?" Kaguya tilted her head, confused. 

Amamiya sighed in exasperation. You've never even heard of the Ultimate Killer King? Your life was far too sheltered before! 

As the bell rang, signaling the start of class, the group's strategy meeting came to a close. 

"Let's go," Amamiya said, standing. "Time to head back to class." 

Umi groaned, placing her hand on her hip. "We're entering a dungeon this afternoon, and we're still going to class? This feels so surreal. Shouldn't we be skipping school or something?" 

"Don't even think about it," Amamiya replied. "Even if you are Misaka Mikoto, saving the world doesn't exempt you from class." 

"…"