081. Got Caught

After showering and changing into the cozy pajamas Fujiwara Chika had provided, Natsukawa Kanade wandered into the living room. The soft fabric clung awkwardly to him, a stark reminder of just how surreal his current situation was.

To his relief, Fujiwara Chika wasn't there waiting for him. Perhaps the earlier fiasco had flustered her so much that she couldn't bring herself to face him. Kanade exhaled, allowing himself a small, grateful smile. At least that meant some peace for now.

The Fujiwara mansion wasn't particularly large. With most of the rooms either used for storage or occupied by the three Fujiwara sisters, the living room sofa had been declared Kanade's designated sleeping spot for the night. Chika had initially insisted he sleep on the floor in their shared bedroom—an idea he flatly refused.

"This is fine," Kanade muttered to himself as he sank into the plush cushions of the sofa.

His phone buzzed faintly on the table. Picking it up, he scrolled absentmindedly through the messages that had accumulated. Most of them were congratulatory notes from classmates and acquaintances, celebrating his successful re-election as student council president.

Kanade tapped out polite replies, his thumbs moving quickly over the screen. He barely noticed the time passing until one message stood out from the rest.

"Why hasn't Kanade come home yet? Did something happen?" The sender's name, Miss Angel, appeared at the top.

Several similar messages followed, each more anxious than the last. Her concern was almost tangible through the screen.

Kanade chuckled softly before typing out a quick response. "I'm fine. I'm not going home tonight. Staying at a friend's place for the night."

Almost immediately, the message was marked as read. Seconds later, a relieved reply popped up, accompanied by an adorable cat emoji:

"That's great (>▽<)!! I was so worried (;′⌒`)."

Kanade smiled faintly and typed back, "Sorry for making you worry (′?ω?)?(._.`)."

The two chatted for a while longer, with Kanade patiently coaxing Miss Angel into going to bed. Once she finally relented, sending one last string of sleepy emoticons, he put his phone aside and stretched out on the sofa.

The living room was quiet save for the faint hum of the air conditioner. Despite being in unfamiliar surroundings, Kanade wasn't particularly nervous. This wasn't his first time crashing at someone else's house, after all.

"Good night…" he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes.

Kanade found himself in a strange dream.

A girl—her face both familiar and obscured—loomed over him, her mischievous grin glowing in the dim light. She reached out, her hands trailing along his arms before pushing him down. He tried to resist, but his body refused to move. Helpless, he waved his hands weakly in a futile attempt to stop her.

"Mmmm…"

The soft noise escaped him as he stirred awake. His vision blurred, still caught in the haze of sleep. Something heavy was pressing down on his stomach, making it hard to breathe.

"…?"

Kanade's brows furrowed. Guided by the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains, he saw a vague silhouette above him.

"Well, please be gentle…" a teasing voice murmured, snapping him fully awake.

"!!!"

Kanade jolted upright, only to freeze in shock as he realized the weight on his stomach wasn't an object—it was a girl. His hand, trembling, had somehow landed in a place it definitely shouldn't have.

"Y-you! Who are you?!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

Before he could say more, a small hand clamped over his mouth.

"Shh! Don't wake anyone up," the girl whispered, her tone carrying a dangerous mix of mischief and command.

Kanade's mind raced as fragments of his earlier conversation with Chika resurfaced: Mrs. Hachisaku… threats… male high school students… He broke out into a cold sweat. This wasn't just a normal situation—this was an extraordinary situation.

"Don't move, Senpai," the girl said softly, leaning in closer until her breath tickled his ear.

Kanade's eyes widened as recognition struck. "Fujiwara… Moeha?!"

Indeed, the girl atop him was none other than Fujiwara Chika's younger sister, the infamous troublemaker with a penchant for chaos.

"What are you doing?!" Kanade hissed, keeping his voice low but filled with urgency.

Moeha giggled, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Isn't it obvious? I wanted to play with you, Senpai. But don't worry—I'll be gentle…"

Kanade panicked, trying to push her away, but his arms wouldn't move properly. Looking down, he realized with horror that his wrists were bound together by a pair of handcuffs.

"When… did you…?!" he stammered, his voice rising slightly in disbelief.

Fujiwara Moe tilted her head, her soft pink lips curling into a playful smile. "Do you like it, Senpai? I picked this out just for you. Isn't it… comfy?"

Her innocent tone sent chills down Kanade's spine.

"…!"

Comfortable?! Who in their right mind would find handcuffs comfortable? What kind of warped sense of logic was she operating on?

"You… What exactly are you planning to do?" Kanade's voice quivered slightly, though he tried to keep it steady.

The room was deathly quiet, so quiet that he could hear the rapid thumping of his own heartbeat. His brain kicked into overdrive as he desperately tried to strategize his way out of this bizarre and increasingly perilous situation.

With his hands bound, using brute force was off the table. His legs were pinned beneath Moe, ruling out a quick escape. And the possibility of calling for help? Not ideal. Chika might side with her sister—or worse, enable her.

This was a battle Kanade would have to fight alone.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to adopt a calm demeanor. "Look, this kind of thing… shouldn't it be consensual? I mean, forcing someone isn't really… ethical."

Although he had zero experience in this area, he figured his best bet was to reason with her. At least for now.

But his words seemed to amuse Moe more than anything. Her giggle rang out, light and melodic, but with a sinister undertone that made Kanade shiver.

"Senpai, you're overthinking this. Moeha doesn't want to hurt you," she said sweetly, leaning in closer. Her breath brushed against his ear, sending an involuntary chill down his spine. "I just want to get to know you… a little better."

"…"

Kanade's brain short-circuited. Not hurt him? She had literally handcuffed him! What part of this wasn't threatening?!

"It's all my stupid sister's fault," Moe pouted, her expression shifting into mock annoyance. "She thinks she can hog Senpai all to herself. But good things should be shared, don't you agree?"

Kanade gulped, his thoughts spiraling. So Chika was involved in some way! Maybe she wasn't as innocent as she seemed. But before he could spiral further, Moe's sultry voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.

"Hey, Senpai…" Moeha's lips curled into a dangerously alluring smile as she leaned even closer. Her finger traced the corner of her mouth while her eyes gleamed with mischief. "If you don't mind, how about we—"

"TOILET… I need the toilet…"

The sudden, sleepy voice shattered the tension in the room like glass. Both Kanade and Moeha froze, turning toward the hallway in unison.

Fujiwara Chika shuffled into view, clad in oversized teddy bear pajamas. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were half-closed as she rubbed them absentmindedly.

She trudged past the scene, completely oblivious to the chaos unfolding mere feet away. Moments later, the sound of a flushing toilet echoed, and Chika reappeared, scratching her stomach as she yawned her way back to her room.

"…!"

"…!"

Kanade stared at her retreating figure, torn between relief and exasperation. He had briefly considered calling out to her for help, but after witnessing her oblivious state, he abandoned the idea. If she were to help Moeha instead… Kanade shuddered at the thought.

She's an idiot. An absolute idiot.

But there was no time to dwell on Chika's shortcomings. Moeha had already refocused her attention on him, her mischievous grin widening as she moved in.

Before Kanade could protest, Moeha's delicate hands began unbuttoning his pajama top. Her fingers brushed against his chest, leaving a cool, fleeting sensation in their wake.

"W-wait! Stop!" Kanade's voice cracked as he squirmed beneath her.

Moeha's smile deepened. "Senpai, relax. I promise you'll enjoy this."

"I said… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kanade yelled, his panic finally overpowering his restraint.

"…"