Knock, knock, knock…
There was a rapping at the door.
Haruto and Misaka, who had just separated, both turned toward the sound at the same time.The first thing that crossed Haruto's mind was simple:
…Did Misaka forget to lock the door?
If so, then anyone outside—no matter how lacking in lock-picking skills—could just stroll right in.
But Misaka, after scanning the room for only a second, suddenly dashed toward the large standing cabinet.
"Hey— Misaka, what are you hiding for?" Haruto blinked, baffled. He genuinely couldn't understand.
Would Misaka really be embarrassed about being discovered during a night raid?
"At times like these, it is customary to hide in the closet! Misaka explains seriously," she declared, already squeezing herself inside.
Haruto twitched the corner of his mouth.
Customary? Since when?Are the Misakas too free?What exactly do they usually watch on the network?
Maybe it was time to restrict Misaka Network to youth-mode until they all turned eighteen.
Haruto sighed.
And that cabinet… with how many girls already hiding inside, there were probably enough in there to challenge the Landlord! Everyone could sit down and play a round of mahjong at this rate.
As Haruto's thoughts drifted, another knock came from the door.
Haruto tilted his head.
Wait… wasn't the door unlocked?
Why didn't the person just walk in?
Oh. Right.
Breaking into someone else's room at night for a sudden "night raid" wasn't normal.
Haruto exhaled. Tonight had been so chaotic that even common sense was slipping.
Whoever was at the door, Haruto suddenly felt deeply, sincerely grateful that they had knocked politely.
With that strangely emotional feeling, Haruto walked toward the door.
Inside the cabinet—
"Wow," Misaka said in absolute monotone, covering her mouth with exaggerated surprise.
Her face, of course, remained completely expressionless.
Right next to her, Hayasaka Ai sighed heavily, rubbing her temple.
Why… why had things turned into THIS?
She leaned back out of frustration—and immediately bumped into something soft, warm… and unmistakably shaped.
Hayasaka Ai jolted away like she'd touched a live wire.
But the cabinet was too cramped. With three girls squeezed inside, any small movement triggered a chain reaction.
Hayasaka bumped into Misaka—Misaka squeaked—Kato Megumi, trying to stay still, only succeeded in being pressed between them—
A mess of limbs and awkward little noises followed.
Kato Megumi covered her entire face with both hands.
Why… why has it come to this…
At that moment, Hayasaka Ai finally noticed something she had completely missed earlier.
Her eyes widened.
There—right beside her—was Kato Megumi.
A girl she had failed to notice entirely until now.
Hayasaka Ai froze.
Misaka, also realizing Kato Megumi's presence for the first time, suddenly let out a long, startled—
"Aaaaah."
Kato Megumi jerked at the unexpected scream and reflexively let out a small—
"Ah!"
Then she quickly slapped her hands over her mouth.
Both girls turned toward Hayasaka Ai.
Hayasaka Ai: ?
What?
Why were they looking at her?
Were they expecting… her to scream too?
Should she… follow their lead?
Outside, Haruto listened to the series of thumps, squeaks, muffled screams, rustling, and heavy breathing coming from inside the cabinet.
What could he say?
If someone had only heard those sounds without knowing the situation…
…they would absolutely misunderstand.
No choice. The noises were simply too suspicious, too heated, too…
…erotic sounding.
Haruto stood frozen by the door, not sure whether he should open it or pretend he heard nothing.
Suddenly, he felt like he was back in junior high—The time his best friend tricked him into causing a huge scene in the middle of class.
Argh… the trauma… It's coming back…
Before he could decide, a third knock came from the door.
Followed immediately by a sweet, playful little voice—soft, sly, and dripping with mischief like a fox tapping its claws on the wood.
"Roooom service~…"
The tone was like a silver bell—dangerously charming.
Haruto blinked, snapped out of his daze, and turned the doorknob.
He opened the door slowly.
"This is a hot spring hotel," he said with a small smile. "There's no room service here."
Standing outside was—
A girl who would make anyone gasp on sight.
A girl adored by over a hundred million people. A girl whose face alone could stun a nation. A girl who gathered spotlights simply by breathing.
Hoshino Ai.
Except right now, she wasn't the glamorous idol on stage.
She wore a simple T-shirt, a baseball jacket, and a cool-style cap. Her long, purple hair was tied into a single ponytail that swayed behind her.
Not an unreachable star—But a charming, playful girl-next-door…
…whose every move shone with natural cuteness.
This Hoshino Ai wasn't here for the world's admiration—
She was here for Haruto.
She flashed a sly grin, stepped close, and instantly wrapped herself around his arm.
She leaned forward, peeking into the room.
Her eyes locked on the cabinet.
Then, without hesitation, she tugged Haruto out into the hallway and gently closed the door behind them.
"This is special service," she whispered. "Would sir be interested in a private idol performance? The ticket only costs one sincere hug after our long-awaited reunion. Doesn't that sound… heartwarming?"
She pressed closer, one hand looping around Haruto's, the other stroking his cheek.
Her eyes sparkled—Stars swirling inside.
Absolutely lethal.
Haruto felt heat rise to his face, but still glanced back at his room.
Noticing his hesitation, Hoshino Ai leaned into his ear. Her breath brushed against him like a devil's whisper.
"Everything in there is already beyond saving. So leaving them for now… won't make things worse."
Her devilish whisper made Haruto snort in helpless amusement.
She wasn't wrong.
He looked into her starlit eyes.
And nodded.
They hugged—Warm, tight, real.
Hoshino Ai closed the door behind them.
Then, hand in hand, she tugged him down the corridor, practically bouncing with energy.
"Could it be this was all part of your plan?" Haruto teased.
Hoshino Ai turned, giving him a radiant smile.
"There was absolutely no plan at all~"
And even though it was obviously a lie, her lies had a strange magic—Anyone would believe them anyway.
But in truth?
She hadn't planned anything.
She simply knew—
The moment Haruto stayed overnight with this many girls around…His room would explode into chaos.
Night raid success rates were near zero, but night raid attempts?
Very high.
So instead of joining that battlefield, Hoshino Ai made the smartest move—steal Haruto away and have him all to herself.
She was greedy like that.
Super, super greedy.
Back in Haruto's room—
The cabinet door burst open.
Three girls tumbled out in a tangled heap.
They rolled across the tatami in total disarray.
When they finally looked up—
They saw a very confused Shinomiya Kaguya staring at them.
Hayasaka Ai had vanished for too long without reporting back. Unable to stand it, Kaguya had rushed over.
The door was slightly ajar, so she pushed it open nervously—and found the room empty.
Just as she was wondering what was going on, strange noises came from inside the cabinet.
She opened it—
And three girls fell out.
Shinomiya Kaguya: ?
Even a genius like her couldn't process what she was seeing.
Tonight's winner…
Was Ai Hoshino.
And the runner-up…
Megumi Kato.