"As expected of Kaguya!"
In the hallway of Soubu High School, a pink-haired girl with black-rimmed glasses happily said to her companion: "You actually succeeded in the highest difficulty of Concentration (a card game) in one go!"
"Something of that level is nothing to someone from the Shinomiya Family."
Walking beside her, the black-haired, long-haired girl with a somewhat cold gaze said in a cool tone with a hint of disdain: "It's just that the prize is too strange."
As she spoke, she shook a fist-sized toy pendant in her hand.
The pendant was shaped like a beer mug with alcohol in it, but it was actually a water timer (similar to an hourglass). If inverted, the pale yellow liquid inside would slowly seep to the other side.
If it were just that, it would be fine, but someone had used an oil-based pen to write the suspicious words 'It can grant wishes!' on the pendant, greatly reducing its aesthetic appeal.
If her personal maid, Hayasaka Ai, hadn't been with her today, she would have already given this pendant to her, telling her to throw it into any trash can.
"Is that so? I think it's quite cute~"
Fujiwara Chika, who was swaggering ahead, turned her head and said.
"Then I'll give it to Fujiwara."
"Ah haha, I'd rather not. After all, it's a prize Kaguya-san won, maybe it really can grant wishes."
"…Fujiwara, you haven't been picking up things from the ground to eat recently, have you?"
"Of course not! No, why do you make it sound like I used to pick things up?!"
"Because Fujiwara has been a little strange lately…"
The black-haired, long-haired girl called Kaguya wondered, "Should I say she's gained a little self-awareness as a human… or has she finally understood normal social principles…"
"That's so over the top that even I'd get angry! Pfft pfft!"
The pink-haired girl raised her hands as if angry, but she completely lacked the oppressive force of an angry person, instead giving off a soft, cute feeling.
"Rather than angry, it feels more like she's leaking air."
The black-haired, long-haired girl also commented very calmly.
"Am I a balloon?! Rather, how did Kaguya used to see me?!"
"If it were before, you would have happily accepted such a strange thing, and those glasses… you're not nearsighted, are you?"
"This is fashion! It will definitely be a huge trend in the future!"
Fujiwara Chika pushed the slightly too large glasses on her nose and said seriously.
"Unless you become Prime Minister."
Shinomiya Kaguya said disdainfully: "Why did you suddenly want to come to a school festival at a school like this, Fujiwara?"
"…I just heard that the school festival here seemed very interesting, so I came to play."
Fujiwara Chika's reaction was a bit delayed, probably to keep her friend from dwelling on it. The girl immediately giggled and changed the subject: "Compared to that, it's truly rare that Kaguya actually agreed to come out and play with me today!"
Speaking of which, Shinomiya Kaguya's expression immediately darkened.
It was as if she had accidentally stepped on a landmine.
Fujiwara Chika muttered inwardly.
However, she also knew about her friend's family situation.
Fujiwara Chika's own family had been deeply rooted in politics for generations, and the family rules were naturally quite strict; even video games were forbidden, allowing her only to find loopholes to play board games. The reason she used to be keen on going out to find interesting places (and eat ramen) was partly due to this.
But compared to the high-pressure control in her friend's family, Fujiwara Chika felt her own family was already incredibly relaxed.
To use a game analogy, her family was on easy mode, while the other was on hell mode... In the past, let alone the chaotic situations of other schools' cultural festivals, Shinomiya Kaguya had never even accepted invitations to go out for desserts after class.
Coupled with her usual cold demeanor, it was no wonder she was privately called the 'Ice Beauty of Shuchiin Academy' by the students.
So today, when she, as usual, extended a formal invitation and the other party actually agreed to come out, Fujiwara Chika was so surprised she almost forgot to wear her signature bow.
"Just to improve my mood a little."
Shinomiya Kaguya said concisely.
Fujiwara Chika cautiously observed her expression. Although it was difficult for those unfamiliar with Kaguya to discern anything from her face, as a close friend, Fujiwara Chika felt she could discern some of Kaguya's thoughts from her micro-expressions.
'This expression... there's no mistaking it, it's the expression of wanting to eat fried noodles!'
Of course, that was just her own assumption.
"Does Kaguya-chan want to eat fried noodles?"
So she confidently went for it.
"No."
"..."
The tactic that could have delayed the plot for several chapters before the grand finale had failed.
Looking at Fujiwara Chika, who had suddenly become dejected, Shinomiya Kaguya sighed, "I'm really just a bit bored at home, so I came out for some fresh air. Don't mind me."
Rather than boredom, it was more like being suffocated by the stifling atmosphere at home. However, she hadn't received permission, so she had her personal maid, Hayasaka Ai, stay home to help deceive the head maid.
That cage-like place, someday...
Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly stopped.
"Huh?"
Fujiwara Chika, who had bumped into her, covered her nose and looked at her strangely, "What's wrong?"
"Did you hear something?"
"No? Did you hear an interesting advertisement, Kaguya?"
"Not really, it was more like it was directly in my head... No, never mind, it must have been a hallucination."
Kaguya shook her head.
Fujiwara Chika once again scrutinized Kaguya's expression.
'This expression... there's no mistaking it, it's the expression of wanting an apple candy!'
So Fujiwara Chika confidently asked again, "Does Kaguya-chan want an apple candy?"
"No."
"...Oh."
"Rather than that, are you satisfied, Fujiwara?"
Shinomiya Kaguya asked abruptly.
"Huh? What?"
Fujiwara Chika, who was feeling down from the setback, couldn't react.
"Because since earlier, you haven't seemed very interested in any of the stalls here."
Shinomiya Kaguya said, "In fact, other than that strange haunted house cafe you dragged me to at first, you haven't been interested in any other stalls. Could it be—"
Fujiwara Chika, who had been found out, showed a silly smile, "N-no, Kaguya-chan, you're overthinking it. I just thought the other stalls weren't particularly interesting... Oh, that stall looks pretty good."
Shinomiya Kaguya looked at the explanation on the signboard outside and realized it was a stall similar to a cafe, offering kimono rentals.
To be honest, she wasn't very interested.
However, instead of aimlessly wandering around the school building, perhaps a short break wouldn't be bad.
"Then let's go inside and take a look."
Shinomiya Kaguya said, reaching out and pulling open the door to the shop.
The first thing that hit them was the smell of tatami mats.
Looking around, the interior furnishings resembled an old-fashioned hot spring inn; where walls should have been, there were only strange paper doors.
The two walked in one after another.
"Huh, aren't there any attendants here?"
Fujiwara Chika looked curiously at the empty room, "There aren't even any tables, that's too lazy, isn't it?"
Before she could finish speaking, the surrounding paper doors suddenly began to move on their own, and then, as if performing a hat trick, dozens of paper doors rapidly swapped positions.
In just a moment, Fujiwara Chika lost track of which door they had entered through.
"Wow, it feels just like that Infinite Castle... It's so creative for a student stall! Don't you think so, Kaguya-chan?"
Fujiwara Chika said excitedly, only to see Shinomiya Kaguya walking forward with blank eyes, seemingly wanting to open the paper door in front of her.
"That side, according to the direction, should be a window..."
Before Fujiwara Chika could finish, she saw that behind the paper door Shinomiya Kaguya had opened was an empty Japanese-style room almost identical to the one they were currently in.
This caused the pink-haired girl's mind to momentarily crash.
Had her sense of direction gone wrong?
No, more importantly, where had the students running this stall gone?
At first, she thought the students were hiding behind the doors, moving them to create a haunted house-like horror, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
A strange feeling once again crept into the girl's heart.
"Hey, Kaguya-chan, how about we just go out first?"
Fujiwara Chika whispered, "I just have a feeling something isn't right here, it's a bit creepy..."
"Is that so? Then you go out first, Fujiwara..."
Shinomiya Kaguya said softly, "I feel very comfortable with the atmosphere here, and I want to stay a bit longer..."
With that, she lightly stepped into the next room.
"Waaah, wait for me, Kaguya-chan!"
Fujiwara Chika hurriedly followed, but before she could cross the threshold, the paper door that Shinomiya Kaguya had opened closed automatically.
When Fujiwara Chika opened it again, Shinomiya Kaguya was no longer in the room behind the door.
"How can this be? Kaguya-chan? Are you still there? This is going too far for a joke, come out quickly, or I'll cry!"
Fujiwara Chika shouted a few times, but there was no response. Instead, it created an echo-like effect in the empty room, making the space feel even more bizarre to the girl.
No, I can't stay here anymore! I have to leave here first!
The girl touched the glasses on her face, cheering herself on.
This is the exorcist's school, there's nothing to be afraid of as long as I find him!
Fujiwara Chika immediately turned back, wanting to leave the room. However, when she pulled open the paper door that should have led to the hallway, an identical Japanese-style room still appeared behind it.
The hallway was gone.
This made the girl's face turn instantly pale.
She seemed to be trapped here.