Chapter 352: Damn, I'm Being Controlled! (3k)

"It's already late. How about we plan for tomorrow?"

Miko politely declined, glancing at the darkened sky.

"It's only six o'clock," Shimizu replied with a pout, clasping her hands together like a pleading child. "If it weren't for the rain, it'd still be bright out. Once we trick Hana-chan to come over, we just need thirty minutes!"

Miko raised an eyebrow. "Did you just admit it's a lie?"

"Don't sweat the small details." Shimizu's eyes grew even more pitiful. "This is my lifelong wish!"

Miko: …

It's a ghost's wish. Your life ended ages ago!

Suppressing a sigh, Miko glanced at her phone. It was indeed just six o'clock, and Hana's house wasn't far. Even if she only stayed for half an hour, she could easily return home safely.

"Fine," Miko relented with a soft sigh. "I'll message Hana."

"You're the best, Miko-chan!" Shimizu cheered, beaming. "Make sure Amamiya gives you a nice bath when you get back!"

Amamiya, walking beside them, nodded. "I agree."

Miko's face flushed, and she shot him a sharp glare. "I don't agree!"

Talking casually, the two walked home, sharing an umbrella.

"I'm back," Amamiya announced as he stepped inside, folding the umbrella.

A silly dog bounded over to greet him, and he ruffled its head before heading to the refrigerator for a drink.

Opening the fridge door, he was greeted by a familiar sight—a human-headed evil spirit staring blankly ahead, its dull expression unchanged.

By now, the sight no longer fazed Amamiya. He didn't bother activating his spirit-repelling skill. Instead, he grabbed a can of Coke and shut the fridge with a loud thunk.

Moments later, the doorbell rang.

Amamiya opened the door to find a girl with short golden hair standing outside. Her bright smile matched her cheerful greeting.

"Good evening, Amamiya-kun!"

"Good evening," Amamiya replied with a nod. "Come in."

"Hana-chan, I missed you!"

Shimizu, previously slouched in boredom in front of the TV, sprang up with joy. She rushed over to hug Hana, cuddling her enthusiastically.

"Excuse me," Hana said, oblivious to the spirit's actions as she stepped inside with a cheerful demeanor.

Trailing behind her was Miko, her expression composed.

The first time Miko had lured her good friend into a setup, guilt had gnawed at her. The second time, she felt a little less guilty. By the third time, the guilt had practically vanished.

Now, as long as Hana was happy, that was all that mattered.

Amamiya glanced at Miko. "Where's Kyousuke?"

"At home, watching anime," Miko replied, bending down to remove her shoes.

"When's your mom getting back tonight?" he asked.

"She switched shifts with someone, so she won't be home until around nine."

"Then let's invite Kyousuke over for dinner," Amamiya said with a nod. "There are still ingredients in the fridge."

"Finish our study first," Miko said pointedly before adding, "I'll call him afterward."

The pretext for inviting Hana over was simple: a group study session. Having studied together before midterms, Hana didn't think twice about the invitation, despite the late hour.

Watching the busty girl happily petting the dog, Amamiya sighed inwardly. She seemed like the kind of person who, even if tricked and sold, would help count the money afterward.

"Don't bully Hana," Miko said sharply, her watchful eyes fixed on him.

Amamiya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You can actually read minds?"

Miko puffed up her cheeks indignantly. "So you were thinking about bullying Hana!"

"Fine, I admit it. I thought about teasing Hana for a few seconds just now." Amamiya shrugged, showing no guilt. He took a half-step forward, closing the distance, and leaned in slightly. His tone turned teasing. "So, you don't want your good friend to be bullied by me, right?"

Miko blinked, caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

Amamiya smirked. "To protect your friend, shouldn't you sacrifice yourself and take Hana's place?"

Miko: …

She glared at him silently, unwilling to dignify the suggestion with a response.

Not long after, the three of them sat around the table, books and papers spread out for their study session.

"Math is so hard," Hana groaned, slumping over the table with a defeated look. "Especially trigonometric functions. Just looking at them makes my head spin."

"I know, right?" Miko nodded in agreement. "I can barely follow the teacher in class, but when it comes to solving problems on my own, I'm completely lost."

"That's because you don't practice enough," Amamiya said matter-of-factly. "Math is actually the easiest subject to master. Every problem is carefully designed, and all the data you need is right there. No ambiguity, no guesswork. Solving math problems is pure happiness."

Miko squinted at him, unimpressed. "Sorry, but I don't feel happy at all."

"Exactly," Hana chimed in. "Math just makes people miserable. Where's the happiness in that?"

Amamiya turned to her with a knowing smile. "Come here. I'll show you what true happiness feels like."

Miko's eyes widened, and she shot him a sharp glare. "What are you planning to do to Hana!?"

"There are many kinds of happiness," Amamiya replied, propping his chin on interlaced fingers. "Physical happiness is the most basic kind. But higher-level happiness? That's intellectual. Like the satisfaction of solving a challenging math problem through deep thought—"

"I'm sorry," Hana interrupted, shaking her head firmly. "I'll stick to physical happiness, thanks."

…

Half an hour passed in quiet study.

As the session wrapped up, Hana stood and walked to the door, intending to leave. But when she opened it, the sound of heavy rain greeted her.

"It's raining even harder now," she said, pursing her lips in mild frustration.

Amamiya glanced at Shimizu, who sat nearby. "Hana, why don't you stay for dinner? You can head home after the rain stops."

The busty girl hesitated. "If I get home too late, my mom will worry."

"That's easy to solve," Amamiya replied. "If it's still raining later, just stay the night. You can share a room with Miko and go to school together in the morning."

"Huh? Really?" Hana's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's okay?"

Miko twitched slightly, her friend's hopeful expression making refusal impossible. "It's fine," she said with a resigned sigh.

Inwardly, Miko couldn't help but think: Honestly, I'd rather share a room with Amamiya than Hana.

"Thank you so much! I haven't had a sleepover with Miko in ages!" Hana's bright smile was infectious. "I'll call my mom right now!"

…

As Hana made her call, Amamiya turned to Miko. "Go fetch Kyousuke and bring him over for dinner."

Miko nodded and grabbed an umbrella. "I'll be back soon."

In the kitchen, Amamiya began preparing dinner.

A few minutes later, Hana appeared in the doorway, her face glowing with enthusiasm. "I just talked to my mom," she announced, raising a hand. "Amamiya-kun, let me help you with dinner!"

"Sure," Amamiya said without looking up. "Start by washing the onions."

"Leave it to me!" Hana replied confidently, puffing out her chest.

Moments later, a small voice called out from behind him.

"Amamiya-kun… Amamiya-kun…"

The tone was soft, almost pitiful. Turning around, Amamiya saw Hana standing there, her eyes misty with unshed tears, and a sniffle escaped her lips.

"My eyes suddenly feel so uncomfortable…" Hana sniffled, her voice laced with distress.

Amamiya glanced at the onion in her hand and sighed. "Do you not go into the kitchen often?"

"That's right," Hana nodded, tears pooling in her eyes. "My mom doesn't let me in the kitchen. She says I'm clumsy and always end up knocking things over."

It's not clumsiness—it's that useless extra baggage getting in your way, Amamiya thought, exasperated.

"You really shouldn't be in the kitchen unsupervised," he said out loud with a resigned sigh. "Go on, leave it to someone else. Miko should be back soon; she can take over."

"Oh… okay," Hana mumbled. She turned and walked toward the door, raising a hand to wipe her teary eyes.

You're wiping your eyes with your hand? Right after handling onions? You've really never been in a kitchen before!

Before she could make things worse, Amamiya grabbed her wrist firmly and pushed her hand away.

At that moment, a dull thud broke the silence. Both of them turned toward the sound.

In the living room stood Miko and a small child, having just entered. A few groceries lay scattered on the floor.

"What are you doing!"

Miko's wide eyes darted between Amamiya and Hana, her expression quickly morphing into disbelief.

There it was: Hana with tears in her eyes, Amamiya gripping her wrist, and both of them locked in a position that could only be described as suspicious. It looked like the scene of a crime.

The boy beside her frowned, pointing a finger accusingly. "Amamiya-nii, are you cheating on my sister?"

"That's right," Amamiya deadpanned as he released Hana's wrist. "I admit it. I cheated."

Unfazed, Hana ran over to Miko, looking utterly wronged. "Miko-chan, my eyes hurt so much!"

"Huh?" Miko blinked, momentarily startled. "What happened to your eyes?"

"I don't know." Hana shook her head miserably. "I was just washing onions, and suddenly my eyes started burning."

Miko: "…"

"So it was just onions?" Kyousuke sighed in relief. Then, narrowing her eyes, she demanded, "But why did you admit to cheating, Amamiya?"

"Consider it… a rehearsal," Amamiya replied casually.

"Huh?"

"For when I inevitably get accused of something worse and need to prepare for damage control."

——

After dinner, the group resumed their study session. Time passed quickly, and before long, it was nine o'clock. Kyousuke yawned sleepily, prompting Miko to stand up.

"It's getting late. We should head out." She glanced at Hana. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

"Thanks, Miko-chan!" Hana chirped as the two left together.

Not long after, the doorbell rang again.

"Senpai, good evening~ Did you miss me?"

This time, it wasn't Miko. Standing in the doorway was an energetic underclassman, Hanamori, who had "slipped away" earlier in the day.

"Come in," Amamiya said, stepping aside. His tone was light but teasing. "I've been missing you all day."

"Eh? Really?" Hayasaka covered her chest dramatically, giving him a wary look. "Your words are sweet, but your expression is so frivolous, Senpai. Too frivolous!"

She pointed an accusatory finger. "Don't think you can sweep me off my feet with cheap flattery! I won't let you have your way. I refuse—absolutely refuse!"

"You're overthinking this." Amamiya handed her his phone, unfazed by her antics. "Do you remember what you promised this morning?"

Hayasaka blinked, momentarily thrown off. "What do you mean, senpai?"

"That message I asked you to send." Amamiya's voice turned mock-complaining. "I finally get to hang out with Hasaka, but something happens, and suddenly, I'm public enemy number one. It's such a shame to be hated like this. I think if it were you, you would definitely be able to make Hasaka change her mind."

As he spoke, Amamiya watched her carefully, searching for any telltale reaction. To his dismay, her cheerful expression betrayed nothing.

There was no doubt in Amamiya's mind—this Hayasaka was unwilling to associate with him openly at school. If he wanted to stay informed, he'd need to keep a firm grip on the situation and avoid being left in the dark.

"Senpai, you're an idiot! A big, hopeless idiot!"

Hayasaka took a deep breath, her fists clenched tightly. Puffing out her cheeks in frustration, she pounded on Amamiya's chest. "You knew I liked you, but you still asked me to help you win over another girl! How is that even remotely human behavior?"

Luckily, I'm the one making this plan, she thought bitterly. If it were someone else, I'd be furious.

Honestly, you're such a fool. Apart from me, what girl could endure such humiliation?

Her thoughts spiraled further, but then, something clicked.

Wait a second…

A realization struck her, sending a shiver down her spine.

Is this man in front of me actually a fool?

Of course not.

Then why was he acting so confidently, as though nothing could touch him?

Could it be that he's figured something out?

Hesitation crept in, and for a few seconds, Hayasaka stared at Amamiya suspiciously. But she quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought.

No. Absolutely not. Even the eldest miss hasn't uncovered my disguise. There's no way a 'cricket' like Amamiya could figure it out.

"This was something you agreed to do," Amamiya said, catching her small fist mid-air. His tone was calm, almost teasing. "Anyway, I'm counting on you."

"Hmph!"

Hayasaka turned her head sharply, pouting to show her displeasure. "Don't expect too much, Senpai. Even for me, it's impossible to completely change someone's mind. It depends on how excessive you've been."

"Not at all," Amamiya said, leaning back onto the sofa. "If anything, my innocence was taken from me."

"…Shameless!"

Hayasaka's face flushed red as she resisted the urge to kick him on the spot.

You're the one who lost your 'innocence' that day? Under the table, no less? She fumed internally. And now you have the nerve to twist the facts?!

"Be serious, Senpai," she huffed, puffing her cheeks indignantly. "If you don't give me the full details, I might not be able to help you."

"It's fine if you can't help," Amamiya replied nonchalantly, waving her off. "I still have one last trump card."

Hayasaka's ears perked up at his words, curiosity brimming. "A trump card? What is it?"

Amamiya glanced at her slyly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm not telling."

Hayasaka: "…"

Tsk, how infuriating!

"Come on, Senpai," she pressed, feigning sweetness. "Tell me! I'm really curious. If you tell me, I promise I'll help you conquer any girl you want!"

"It's simple," Amamiya began, his tone slow and deliberate. "I'm planning to use the 'good friend strategy.' She has plenty of friends at school. I'll just ask them what Hayasaka likes."

…

Hayasaka's thoughts screeched to a halt.

Damn it, I'm being cornered!

She gritted her teeth. In school, she played the part of Hasaka convincingly, even forming bonds with a few close friends like Kashiwagi. If Amamiya started questioning them about her preferences, rumors would undoubtedly start.

And when rumors began, they would inevitably snowball. It wouldn't take long for her young lady to catch wind of it.

The boy I like is confessing to someone else? Hayasaka shuddered at the thought. If the young lady finds out, she'll lose her mind. No—she mustn't know!

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Hayasaka forced a smile and held out her hand. "Alright, I understand." She kept her voice light but carried a hint of mock defeat. "Senpai, give me your phone. I'll try."

Blind typing during a conversation? Easy. Hayasaka's confidence returned as she reminded herself of her professional training. 

For a trained spy like me, this is child's play!