There are certain keywords in life that should come with hazard labels.
Like "group project."
Or "surprise visitor."
Or in this case:
"Study session at home."
Aya said it like it was nothing.
"Hey, since exams are coming up, why don't we all review here? I'll cook something, Sensei can help you with physics, and maybe even Kokoro will show up."
I paused mid-toast. "Why… would Kokoro come?"
Aya smirked.
"You've been staring at your phone like it's haunted."
"I've been doing that since Chapter One! That proves nothing!"
"You've been rereading her last message for twenty minutes."
"I'm trying to decode it! She speaks in boss battle riddles!"
And that's how I found myself once again cleaning the living room like I was prepping for a full-on raid.
Natsuki-sensei showed up first. She brought flashcards.
Not normal ones. Color-coded, laminated, scent-marked flashcards.
"I made these when I was bored during a faculty meeting," she said.
"These are scented with lavender," I pointed out.
"For focus. Or sleep. Or distraction."
Aya raised a brow. "So… sabotage."
"I like to keep things interesting," Sensei said with a perfectly straight face.
Kokoro came next.
She was wearing a hoodie that said "NAP IS JUST PRACTICE FOR DEATH."
She looked around the room, nodded solemnly, and muttered, "This feels like a fake ending."
"...What does that mean?" I asked, already exhausted.
"Like this is the episode before the plot twist. Everyone gets cozy. Then the curse strikes again."
I looked up at the ceiling. "Is it too late to become a monk?"
"Yes," Aya and Kokoro said at the same time.
The study session began.
By which I mean everyone else studied, and I sat there trying to survive the mental pressure of three dangerously attractive women being incredibly normal.
That was the trap.
The curse didn't always strike in fanservice form.
Sometimes it just created… tension.
The kind you couldn't label, couldn't defuse, couldn't escape.
Like when Aya leaned over to point at my notes and her hair brushed my cheek.
Or when Natsuki-sensei adjusted her glasses and said "You're surprisingly good at this, Kazuki," like it was a plot twist.
Or when Kokoro slowly moved her book in front of her face and muttered, "If I fall asleep, don't put anything weird on my head."
"I wasn't going to!"
"Statistically, this is when people draw on cheeks with permanent marker."
"You think I'm the problem in this room?!"
An hour passed.
No curse yet.
No spontaneous outfit changes. No accidental falls. No surprise hot springs.
I started to believe.
To hope.
Maybe this was it. A real, honest study session with no emotional landmines.
And then—
Kokoro sat up suddenly.
"I forgot my notebook. I'll go get it."
"Wait, I'll come with," Aya said, already standing.
"...Why?" I asked.
"I don't trust her to not get lost in her own imagination."
"That feels like projection."
And then they left.
Leaving me.
Alone.
With Natsuki-sensei.
In a quiet room.
Surrounded by lavender-scented cards.
She looked up from her binder. "Kazuki."
"Y-Yes?"
"You're doing better lately. Thinking less cursed thoughts."
"I'm trying."
"Proud of you."
"...Really?"
She nodded.
Then added, "But now that we're alone—"
I froze.
"—don't think anything weird. Or it'll get awkward for both of us."
"D-Don't threaten me with logic!!"
"Just saying. You're in a classic setup. Low lighting. Trust figure. Emotional vulnerability. The ingredients are here."
"I'M THINKING ABOUT CHEESE STICKS, OKAY?!"
"...Weirdly specific."
"Safe. Cheese is safe!"
Aya returned shortly after.
Kokoro was holding a juice box like it was a trophy. I didn't ask why.
"I didn't imagine anything weird," I declared immediately.
Aya blinked. "That's… good?"
"I feel like I need praise. Or a sticker."
Kokoro passed me a sticker that said "I survived basic human interaction."
It felt earned.
We studied for another hour.
Then Natsuki-sensei stood up and stretched.
"Well, I'm going to pretend to leave and then spy from the hallway."
"Wait what."
"Nothing. Just do your best, Kazuki."
She left.
Kokoro followed soon after, muttering "Today was low-threat. Suspicious."
And Aya?
Aya looked at me.
Then said, very casually:
"You're still thinking about that one line she texted you, aren't you?"
"...No."
"You are."
I stared at the floor. "She said she was a late-game unlockable. What does that mean?!"
Aya smiled.
And very, very gently said:
"Sleep well, protagonist."
I did not sleep well.
I dreamed of alternate endings.
Of stat screens changing.
Of voice lines saying "New route unlocked."
And in the distance…
Cheese sticks.
Mocking me.