Chapter 238: Night Visitor

Amamiya silently closed the video chat. 

Meeting his "sister-in-law" for the first time like that? Definitely not ideal. 

And one thing was clear now: it's best not to use a phone while in the shower. 

"Amamiya-kun, wash your hands and come eat," Umi called out from the kitchen. 

"Coming." 

Amamiya stood up and made his way to the dining area. 

Dinner consisted of curry chicken nuggets. Though the dish prepared by the girl didn't look particularly appealing, the flavor was surprisingly delicious. 

As he ate, Amamiya received a message from someone who could only be described as 'Miss Stupid'. 

"I saw the notice you posted," Kaguya wrote directly. "Have you encountered a new dungeon?" 

"Yes," he replied. 

"Bring your movie ticket to school tomorrow morning," she instructed with decisiveness. 

For a dungeon, it was only natural to rely on teamwork to improve the odds of success. 

---

After dinner, Umi reclined lazily on the sofa, sipping tea and watching TV. Amamiya, however, was dispatched to the kitchen. 

"Housework requires division of labor and teamwork," Umi declared. "I'll handle the cooking, and you'll be in charge of washing the dishes... That's the arrangement from now on." 

"Yes, yes." Amamiya sighed dramatically, carrying the food tray to the kitchen. "Umi-sama word is law." 

---

By the time all the chores were done, it was already seven in the evening. 

"I'm heading home," Amamiya announced, picking up his schoolbag. 

"Hold on," Umi called out suddenly. "It's still early. Why the rush?" 

"That's true," Amamiya agreed with a nod. "Shall we continue practicing role-playing?" 

Umi's cheeks flushed pink, and she quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. "It's not about practicing! I… I fell asleep in math class today, and now I don't understand the homework. I'll let you leave after we finish it." 

"Alright." 

Amamiya set his bag down again and sat beside Umi, helping her with her homework while also briefly reviewing today's math lesson. 

---

Half an hour passed in what felt like no time. 

"Phew..." 

Umi stretched her arms above her head and let out a satisfied sigh. "All done. Finally, I can relax." 

"I'm going now," Amamiya said, gathering his things again. 

"Wait a second," Umi said, tilting her head. "You haven't finished your homework yet, have you?" 

"I already finished it at school," Amamiya replied nonchalantly. 

"What?" 

Umi blinked in surprise, then puffed her cheeks slightly. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" 

"I forgot." Amamiya shrugged. "I just remembered now. Who would've guessed you couldn't even handle your own homework?" 

"...I feel so dumb!" 

---

A moment later, Amamiya found himself unceremoniously kicked out of the house. 

---

At precisely nine o'clock that evening, the doorbell of his house rang. 

Amamiya got up to answer it, already knowing who it would be. 

Sure enough, standing there was none other than the spy maid. 

"Good evening, Senpai." 

Standing at the door, Hayasaka bowed slightly, her blonde hair catching the light. 

"Good evening." Amamiya stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. "Come in." 

It had become a nightly routine for this blonde schoolgirl to stop by and "perform her duties" of driving away evil spirits. Amamiya had grown quite accustomed to her visits. 

Hayasaka bent down to pat the Akita dog's head and then glanced up. "Senpai, I saw the notice in the mutual aid group. Are you the unlucky one this time?" 

Amamiya replied without hesitation, "It's me." 

"What a streak of bad luck," Hayasaka sighed, reaching out to lightly pat Amamiya's head as though consoling him. "You were just involved in a dungeon with Shinomiya-senpai, and now you've picked up a strange movie ticket? Senpai, you're so pitiful." 

Amamiya narrowed his eyes at her. "You just patted the dog's head, and now you're patting mine?" 

"Oh, sorry about that," Hayasaka apologized with a faint smile, though she internally complained, 'I forgot.' 

Then, with wide, innocent eyes that gleamed like those of a curious fawn, she leaned closer to him and said teasingly, "Senpai, how about you pat my head instead?" 

"Don't mind if I do," Amamiya replied immediately, raising his hand to tousle her hair. Her locks were soft and smooth, pleasant to the touch. 

Hayasaka froze for a moment. 'Did he actually take me up on that?' 

In her mind, this was the part where Amamiya should have hesitated, politely declined, and then "visited her three times," creating an opportunity for her to act cutely and win him over. Instead, he had agreed so quickly that it threw her off. 

Still, she consoled herself with a small victory: progress was progress. 

---

After a brief while, both Amamiya and Hayasaka were seated on the sofa, each lost in their own work. 

Five minutes later, Hayasaka broke the silence. "Senpai, the dungeon starts tomorrow, doesn't it?" 

Amamiya raised an eyebrow, sensing where this was headed. 

Taking a deep breath, Hayasaka clenched her fists and looked up. "I want to challenge the dungeon with you tomorrow." 

"The dungeon can be dangerous," Amamiya reminded her evenly. 

"I know," Hayasaka murmured, biting her lip. Her voice was soft but resolute. "As players, we all have to face mandatory dungeons eventually. We can't avoid them forever." 

She looked at him with a faint smile, her tone a mix of determination and charm. "Rather than going in alone, I'd rather team up with you, Senpai. Besides, Umi and Chika senpai will likely join us as well." 

Under the warm light of the room, Hayasaka's eyes sparkled with admiration. "And I believe in you, Senpai. You're the strongest person I know. I'm sure you'll protect me." 

"..." 

Her words were flattering, but Amamiya wasn't fooled. 

In truth, if Hayasaka had a choice, she'd steer clear of the dungeon entirely. As someone who preferred to avoid unnecessary risks, she would have been more than happy to stay far away from the dangerous games. 

But tomorrow, Kaguya would undoubtedly choose to enter the dungeon, and as Kaguya's personal maid, it was Hayasaka's responsibility to follow and ensure her safety. 

Her compliments to Amamiya were strategic—part of her long-standing plan to win his favor. Despite a lack of tangible progress in the past few days, she had grown more motivated. 

As a self-proclaimed expert in romance, with extensive knowledge gleaned from countless love comics, Hayasaka found it embarrassing that she hadn't yet managed to win over this particular high school boy. 

'I, Ai Hayasaka, will not give up. I will make him mine!'

Amamiya, however, was unmoved by her sweet words. 

"Don't rely on others," he said calmly, sipping his tea. "You're already a mature player. You should focus on getting stronger on your own." 

"Something like that is impossible," Hayasaka protested weakly. 

"It's not. Starting tomorrow, run ten kilometers and do a hundred push-ups daily," Amamiya replied flatly. 

Hayasaka stared at him, speechless.

Later that night, around ten o'clock, another visitor arrived. 

As usual, Miko sneaked over from next door. She had taken to spending her nights away from home, a habit she likened to "quitting gambling or drugs"—once you've tasted the thrill, it's impossible to stop. 

"I almost got caught by my mom this morning," Miko said as she entered, bending down to pat the Akita dog. "When I got home, the bathroom light was on, and my mom was inside. I barely managed to cover for myself... By the way, did you clean the room today?" 

"No," Amamiya replied matter-of-factly. "I was waiting for you." 

"..." 

Without missing a beat, Miko sighed and grabbed the cleaning tools, beginning to tidy up. 

Just then, the doorbell rang again. 

Amamiya froze, turning to look at the front door. 

Miko was already here, so who could it be at this hour?