Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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"It's not mind reading," Amamiya remarked with mild irritation. "Your expression makes it obvious what you're thinking." 

Chika nodded in agreement. "It's really easy to tell." 

Sajuna chimed in, "I agree." 

Komi: "…" 

After a brief pause, Amamiya continued, "Let's take it slow. No need to rush. Chika, Sajuna, help support Komi-san." 

Hearing this, Komi quickly shook her head in protest. 

"You're trying to say you don't need help?" Amamiya raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "In that case, should I carry you on my back?" 

"…" 

Komi shuddered at the thought and shook her head more vigorously. 

(Absolutely not. Having a boy carry me? That's unthinkable!) 

"It's fine," Chika interjected with a cheerful smile. She stepped forward, gently taking Komi's arm. "You helped me earlier. In a dangerous place like this dungeon, we should support each other." 

Sajuna moved to Komi's other side, offering her assistance as well. "Exactly. Next time when we're in danger, Komi-san can return the favor and help us." 

Amamiya glanced at Chika. "For now, don't submit the strange videotapes. Every few minutes, you should pass them between each other." 

"Huh?" Chika looked surprised. "Why?" 

Amamiya explained calmly, "Let's wait until the Narrator shows up again. We'll do another test then." 

"…" 

With that, Amamiya took the lead, walking ahead, while the three girls followed behind at a slower pace. Together, the group headed toward the convenience store. 

The town around them was eerily quiet. Most of the buildings stood in darkness, seemingly abandoned. 

Occasionally, faint light seeped from a window, but after what had happened before, it was hard to trust that anyone was actually inside. 

No one spoke along the way. 

Thankfully, the path remained safe. Though dark shapes occasionally flickered at the edges of their vision, no attacks came. Eventually, they reached their destination. 

"We're here—the convenience store," Amamiya said, looking across the street. 

The shop appeared to be a relic of the previous century. Its low wooden structure and dim lighting exuded an oppressive air of neglect. 

Inside, Amamiya noticed an elderly woman sitting behind the counter near the entrance. She looked frail, with silver hair and a face lined with countless wrinkles. 

The interior of the store was sparse. The shelves were few, the lighting dim, and the inventory surprisingly not limited. 

"Grandma, do you have a printer?" 

Chika's voice was soft and polite, but her tone suggested low expectations. 

The old lady looked up, her movements slow and deliberate. "Yes, yes," she answered, her voice trembling. 

"Really?" Chika's eyes widened in surprise. 

The old woman stood slowly, leaning heavily on a walking stick, and led them to a dusty corner of the shop. There, against all odds, sat a printer. Judging by its outdated model, it was practically an antique. 

"What do you need to print?" the old lady asked. 

"This." 

Chika handed over the hand-drawn map she had recently updated with notes and additional information. 

"How many copies?" 

"Let's start with a hundred," Chika replied quickly. "If we need more, we'll come back." 

"Please wait." 

"…" 

The old lady coughed twice before setting to work. 

The printer whirred to life, its green light flickering as it hummed. 

"It actually works," Chika muttered with relief. She leaned closer to Amamiya, rising on her toes to whisper into his ear, "I thought something dangerous might happen, but this turned out to be super smooth." 

Amamiya's gaze lingered on the old lady as his expression darkened. He replied softly: 

"You're celebrating too soon." 

Moments later, the printer finished its work, and a hundred maps were successfully printed. 

"Thank you, Grandma," Chika said politely, starting to organize the freshly printed maps. 

"You're welcome," the old lady replied with a slight cough. Then, in a trembling voice, she added, "One hundred yen per map, a total of ten thousand yen." 

Chika froze in surprise. "So expensive?" 

"The price is written on the wall. It's the same for everyone," the old lady said in a low, gravelly voice as she hunched slightly. "If you don't have the money, you can pay with something else." 

"What do you mean by 'something else'?" Chika asked, curiosity sparking in her voice. 

"Teeth." 

The old lady lifted her head. Her eyes had transformed into narrow, cat-like pupils that glowed with an eerie green light. In a hoarse tone, she explained, "When people get old, their teeth fall out. Without teeth, they can't eat. Your teeth are beautiful. I want them." 

"…" 

Chika staggered back in shock, immediately raising her hands to cover her mouth. 

(Teeth? To pay off a debt? I should've known she wasn't human!) 

"They really are beautiful," Amamiya interjected, nodding in agreement. 

Chika puffed out her cheeks indignantly and glared at him. 

The old lady's glowing eyes shifted to Komi, her gaze unnerving. "When people age, their hair turns white... Your hair is lovely and could pay off your debt." 

Komi began trembling, her body shaking uncontrollably. 

"And you…" 

The old lady turned her eerie gaze to Sajuna, only to shake her head and sigh. 

Sajuna froze. "…" 

(What's that supposed to mean?) 

The quiet sigh and dismissive head shake struck her nerve. 

(You're seriously looking down on me! The audacity!) 

"Don't let it bother you." Amamiya reached out, patting Sajuna's head gently. "Respecting the elderly is a virtue. Consider it special treatment for the young." 

"No head pats!" Sajuna puffed out her cheeks, clearly displeased. 

(This so-called 'special treatment' feels more like discrimination!) 

"This isn't fair," Chika protested, her voice tinged with irritation. "Why do we have to pay the debt? Amamiya gets off scot-free!" 

The old lady glanced at her calmly and replied, "You're the ones who used the printer, not him. Naturally, you're the ones who must pay." 

Amamiya gave her a thumbs up. "Grandma is remarkably sensible." 

"Well, the rules are clear," the old lady rasped. "Now, who's going to pay the bill?" 

"Fair trade. No cheating here," Amamiya remarked nonchalantly as he stood next to the old lady. "You used the printer, so you've got to pay for it." 

Sajuna placed her hands on her hips and shot him a disapproving look. "…Are you sure you're standing on the right side here?" 

'Click.' 

A wallet suddenly fell to the ground. 

The old lady's sharp eyes darted downward. 

Amamiya bent down to pick it up and handed it to Chika with both hands. "Chika-sama, your wallet." 

"Hmph." 

Chika snatched the wallet and pulled out a crisp 10,000-yen note. "Here. Keep the change." 

"…" 

After settling the bill, the group left the convenience store with the stack of maps in hand. 

"I thought the old lady was kind, but she turned out to be just as strange. Waiting until the maps were printed to tell me the price—clearly, she did it on purpose to bully me," Chika grumbled, still indignant. "Should we turn her into Don?" 

"No," Amamiya replied, shaking his head. "We could capture her, but it wouldn't be worth it. And dragging an old lady around everywhere would be way too much trouble." 

"Good thing we had money with us," Sajuna murmured. "Otherwise, things could've gotten dangerous." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Still, this is the first time I've heard of buying things in a game." 

Amamiya spoke matter-of-factly: 

"Obviously, it was a trap." 

"Eh?" Sajuna asked, startled. "What do you mean?" 

Amamiya glanced at her and explained, "Can you go 48 hours of game time without eating or drinking?" 

"…No, I can't," Sajuna admitted. 

"Exactly. Most players have only a small amount of food and water in their game inventories," Amamiya continued. "In other words, while they're filming ghost story videos, they're also forced to solve the problem of basic survival. And if they can't solve it…" He paused for effect. "It's only natural that conflicts will break out among them." 

He went on, "There are also rules: videotapes can't be stored in the game inventory, must be held for ten minutes, and can only be submitted by one person. Clearly, these rules are designed to force players into competition and undermine cooperation." 

"Let's not dwell on that for now," Chika interjected. "We should focus on putting up the flyers." 

The town was small, and 100 flyers were enough to cover most of it. 

Using the same method as before, they began. 

At intersections, where spray-painted graffiti already decorated the walls, they glued up their flyers—maps with detailed warnings and tips identifying other players. With Komi now helping, their progress was even faster. 

The four of them worked openly, moving from one spot to the next. 

"Phew, finally done," Chika said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She let out a soft sigh of relief. "As long as just one person—Kaguya-chan, Umi-chan, Hanamori-chan, or any other player in the town—sees these, our mission is accomplished." 

Just as Amamiya was about to reply, a familiar voice rang out from nowhere. 

"Oh, it's the narration," Sajuna said, blinking. 

"Mr. Narrator is back," Chika added. 

"…" 

The group had been passing the 'Sweet Home' videotape back and forth to refresh the ten-minute hold time, ensuring it wouldn't reset. At that moment, it happened to be in Komi-san's hands. 

Sensing Amamiya's gaze on her, Komi stiffened nervously. 

'Pop.' 

Amamiya snatched the tape from her hands. 

"I've been wanting to write positive words all over your thighs!" he announced dramatically. 

The narrator's voice faltered briefly before continuing: 

('The boy in hero uniform once again seizes his friend's ghost story videotape and begins marking his signature mark on another the girl's thigh...') 

Turning to Chika and Sajuna, Amamiya put on a serious expression. "If you don't want to be next, hold her hands and feet for me." 

Chika and Sajuna exchanged looks before stepping forward. From either side, they grabbed Komi, holding her steady. 

The narrator followed the action in real time: 

('The boy in hero costume threatened his other companions assist him in his wicked deeds, restraining the desperate girl…') 

"You posted all the information I painstakingly gathered on the wall," Amamiya said, stepping closer to Komi. His hand reached toward her as he added, "Marking you isn't enough anymore!" 

('After having his hard-earned intel displayed publicly, the brave boy swore revenge...') 

A moment later, the narrator's voice fell silent. 

"Good work, Komi-san," Chika said, releasing her hold. 

Komi immediately pulled her skirt down with both hands, her face flushed a deep crimson. 

(Although nothing inappropriate was written, that posture just now was utterly humiliating!) 

"This is the third time we've successfully tricked the Narrator," Amamiya said, more to himself than anyone else. "It seems we've found the key to wealth." 

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Chika asked, exasperated. 

"Obvious stuff," Amamiya replied with a sly smile. "For instance, just now, the narrator provided us with free advertising." 

"Amamiya! Amamiya!" Sajuna suddenly tugged at his sleeve, her tone urgent. "Something's coming!" 

Amamiya followed her gaze, turning toward the source of the sound. 

Under the dim streetlight, a wild bunny girl appeared, her shadow stretching long across the pavement...