An hour later.
The bathroom door finally opened.
Natsuki, who had just finished bathing, carried Tsubame, who could no longer walk, out of the bathroom, preparing to return to the room.
"Hmm?" Natsuki's steps paused slightly. He sniffed, then looked down at the nearby corner of the wall.
He wasn't sure if it was a delusion, but there seemed to be a strange smell in the air.
Not only that.
The floor seemed a bit damp too?
Under the bathroom light, the color of the floor was clearly different, showing traces of dampness.
"Never mind, I'll deal with it tomorrow."
Natsuki was puzzled and had no curiosity to investigate. He carried Senpai and walked back to the room.
A moment later.
The guest room door was suddenly gently pushed open, and Momo silently walked out.
"Phew..." Seeing the hallway quiet and empty, Momo breathed a sigh of relief, then tiptoed towards the bathroom, preparing to take a bath.
She couldn't help it. She had sweated a lot, feeling sticky and damp, which was incredibly uncomfortable. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and had to wash up before she could sleep.
Momo was a girl with mild mysophobia. In the apocalypse, she once thought her mysophobia had been cured, but upon arriving in the new world, it reappeared.
A bath! Not only did she need to wash her body clean, but she also needed to change her underwear!
Quietly walking near the bathroom, Momo's steps paused slightly. Her gaze fell on the floor, and she also saw a faint damp mark, her pretty face quickly flushing.
"D-damn it!" Momo clenched her fists, her pretty face full of shame.
"That's not just..." The words 'sweat' came to her lips, but she couldn't say them, no matter what.
The hallway was empty, with only herself there, so there was no need to act tough.
Momo, as the person involved, knew better than anyone whether the damp mark on the floor was caused by sweat.
"Bastard, bastard, bastard!"
Momo angrily ruffled her hair, bit her silver teeth, and turned back into the room.
A short while later, Momo came out again, holding a pack of wet wipes, and squatted down to clean the floor.
It wasn't until the floor was sparkling clean and reflective that Momo finally stopped.
"Whew..."
After eliminating the evidence, Momo breathed a sigh of relief, then walked into the bathroom with a flushed face.
Click.
The lights came on.
Looking at the brightly lit bathroom, Momo's gaze drifted, and she couldn't help but look around.
The bathtub...
The stool...
The floor... the tiles on the floor are so hard, her knees must hurt super badly, right?
"Ahhhhhh!" Momo raised her hands and slapped her cheeks hard, feeling her face burning hot, and couldn't help but whisper, "Stop it! Don't think nonsense!"
Chasing away the jumbled images in her mind, Momo turned on the shower and began to bathe.
However, even though she said not to think nonsense, she was clearly still very concerned.
She, who usually loved taking baths, was completely unwilling to get into the bathtub today.
After finishing her bath, Momo was about to return to her own room when her ears suddenly twitched slightly, and her feet unconsciously walked to Tsubame's room door, listening intently.
The awful sounds she had heard not long ago once again entered her ears.
"Bastard!"
"How long has it been?"
Momo clenched her fists in anger, wanting to rush in and hit him:
"Tsubame-senpai is already crying and saying no, right!"
"If you have the guts, let go of Tsubame-senpai and let me do it!"
"..."
After this thought emerged, Momo froze slightly, then her pretty face quickly flushed with shame.
She's crazy!
She must be crazy to have such a thought!
Go back to your room quickly!
Shameful Momo turned to leave, but suddenly heard Tsubame's murmur from inside:
"M... Momo..."
"Eh eh eh?" Momo stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening, "Why did Tsubame-senpai mention my name?"
Curiosity quickly took over.
Momo, who had originally planned to leave, bit her silver teeth and then, with a flushed face, pressed closer to the door.
"Just listen for a little longer... just for a little while... I'll go back once I figure out why Tsubame-senpai called my name!"
"..."
Half an hour later.
As the sounds from inside the room gradually ceased, Momo finally came back to her senses, secretly let out a breath, and wanted to leave, but felt her legs incredibly soft. She looked down at the towel in her hand, her pretty face flushed, and then turned around and went back to the bathroom.
"Pervert!"
"Scumbag!"
"Bastard!"
Momo didn't turn on the light but leaned against the wall and softly sat on the small stool she usually used for bathing. Her reason told her to take a quick bath and then go back to her room to rest, but her body's instincts had a different opinion.
Indescribable and ineffable waves were fiercely crashing against the shore, constantly eroding the dam of her reason.
Hiding alone in the dim bathroom, the dam of reason became even more fragile, and then finally collapsed with a roar.
"Mmm... Mmm—!"
Accompanied by a trembling low moan, Momo finally closed her eyes in shame.
As a former young lady of the Yakuza, she was not a pure white flower. She had long been exposed to various forbidden knowledge. Although she had no practical experience, her theoretical knowledge was quite rich.
After her reason collapsed, things naturally spiraled out of control.
However, what made Momo ashamed was that after closing her eyes, Natsuki's face involuntarily appeared in her mind...
However, before Momo could finish, with a soft 'click', the bathroom lights suddenly brightened.
Natsuki pushed open the door and walked into the bathroom, immediately seeing the girl with a flushed face, in an indescribable state.
"..."
Their eyes met.
The air suddenly fell silent.
It was as still as a graveyard.
Momo's eyes widened, her body stiff, as if she had turned into a clay Buddha. The color on her pretty face turned from red to white, then from red to green, and finally flushed red again, followed by her whole body trembling.
"I'm sorry, I disturbed you." Natsuki broke the silence, "I didn't see anything."
After speaking, Natsuki turned to leave the bathroom.
However, the next second, Momo suddenly leaped up, her eyes misty, her whole body shrouded in black mist, and pounced towards Natsuki:
"Die!!!"
Hey, hey, that's too much. In the middle of the night, there's no light in the bathroom. Who knew you would be hiding inside!
Even if there's a mistake, you made the mistake first. It's not a capital offense at all!
Bang!
Natsuki raised his hand to block and quickly grabbed Momo's hands.
"I'm going to kill you...!"
Momo's eyes were misty, clearly because her shame had exceeded her psychological limit after her secret was exposed, so she gave up on herself and had the idea of dying together.
Natsuki took a deep breath and lowered his voice:
"You don't want Tsubame-senpai to hear, do you?"
"..."
Momo, who was still struggling, stiffened and finally stopped.
"I didn't see anything that happened today." Natsuki lowered his voice and quickly said, "Once we leave the bathroom, it's just between you and me. No third person will know, you can rest assured."
"Momo-senpai is a high school student after all, it's normal to have needs, there's no need to be so ashamed..."
Momo said tearfully:
"You shut up!"
"Yes, yes." Seeing Momo calm down, Natsuki released her hands and then said, "Momo-senpai, you continue, I'll go out first."
Hearing this, Momo's murderous intent, which had just been suppressed, immediately surged up again.
Continue your big head ghost! Now I just want to tear you to pieces!
Momo gritted her teeth and whispered:
"If you dare to tell anyone, you're dead!"
"Tsk~"
Natsuki suddenly stopped, turned to look at Momo, and said softly:
"I hate being threatened the most."
"You..."
"You what?" Natsuki took a half step forward and said, "If Momo-senpai had turned on the light, nothing would have happened. So, it's clearly Momo-senpai's fault, why am I the one being threatened instead?"
Momo: "..."
When it came to aura, it was indeed his strength against her weakness. Seeing Natsuki suddenly become assertive, Momo unconsciously took half a step back, leaning against the wall.
Natsuki continued to advance, whispering:
"Momo, you don't want Tsubame-senpai to know about your eavesdropping, do you?"
"You..."
Momo's eyes widened in panic.
"You what?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and looked over.
Running into the bathroom to take a bath in the middle of the night must have a reason, plus when he left the bathroom with Tsubame earlier, he felt something was off. A little thought now made him understand the whole situation.
Natsuki lowered his voice and continued:
"Tsubame-senpai is very thin-skinned, Momo-senpai should know that very well. If she knew that Momo-senpai was eavesdropping outside, Tsubame-senpai would avoid her from now on."
"Damn it..."
Momo gritted her teeth and glared in shame and anger.
Slap!
Natsuki extended his right hand and pressed it against the wall by Momo's ear, cornering the girl in a 'kabedon' pose, and said from above:
"You don't want Tsubame-senpai to know, so you know what to do next, right?"
"..."
Facing Natsuki's aggressive coercion, a hint of panic flashed in Momo's eyes. She didn't lash out in shame and anger, but merely leaned against the wall, forcefully turning her head to look elsewhere.
The bathroom suddenly fell silent.
Their breaths mingled, and a subtle atmosphere quietly arose.
Looking at Momo, whose pretty face was flushed crimson and who seemed particularly timid, Natsuki suddenly felt mischievous and wanted to leave a lasting impression on her. So he didn't stop, but continued to press closer.
"S-scumbag Natsuki, what do you want to do?!"
Noticing Natsuki's subtle movements, Momo immediately panicked.
She should have punched the boy in front of her, but for some reason, her body wouldn't obey, only her heart kept accelerating, and her body tensed up.
"Hmm?"
Natsuki paused slightly. He had originally intended to wait until Momo became enraged with shame and then withdraw, but strangely, even though they were already so close, this otherworldly Senpai, apart from her eyelashes trembling in panic, showed no intention of hitting him.
Given Momo-senpai's personality, shouldn't she be clenching her fists and hitting him in shame at a time like this?
Why is there no reaction at all now?
Did his threat really scare her?
Or could it be...
A thought suddenly occurred to him, and Natsuki's expression became subtle.
Given Momo's personality, mere verbal threats would be unlikely to make her comply easily, so... there must be other factors at play, right?
Natsuki decisively decided to try it out.
The distance between them quickly went from being close to being precarious, soon leaving only a finger's width.
"This guy... he actually dares... even though he just did that kind of thing with Tsubame-senpai!"
Just as Natsuki was about to touch the girl's cheek, Momo finally woke up with a start, delivering an elbow strike to Natsuki's chest, saying in shame and anger:
"Bastard! You need to know when to stop!"
Natsuki took a half step back, not angry, but instead smiled.
"What are you laughing at?"
Momo clenched her small fists, glaring in embarrassment.
Natsuki smiled and said, "Momo-senpai is quite cute when she's angry."
"Die!"
Knowing Momo's bottom line, Natsuki naturally didn't care about being scolded. He waved his hand, turned, and left the bathroom, going to the upstairs spare bathroom for a quick wash before returning to Tsubame's room to rest.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Bright morning light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.
Tsubame groggily opened her eyes, looked at the bright morning light outside the window, and quickly nudged the Natsuki beside her, urging, "Junior, hurry up and go back."
Natsuki opened his eyes and said, "What's wrong?"
Tsubame lowered her voice and said, "Momo wakes up very early in the morning. If she sees you in the room, she'll definitely be up in arms again."
"Momo-senpai, huh..." Natsuki thought of what happened last night and said nonchalantly, "Tsubame and I are in a proper relationship. It's not up to Momo-senpai to question it. Otherwise, if Tsubame were to get pregnant someday, would I not even dare to visit?"
"Pfft~"
Tsubame lightly spat, couldn't help but glare over, her pretty face slightly red, and said, "Anyway, hurry up and get up, it's already seven o'clock."
Natsuki turned his body and said, "I was too tired yesterday, I want to rest a little longer."
"You rest if you want to rest." Tsubame puffed out her cheeks and grabbed Natsuki's wrist, "Don't let your hand wander!"
After talking for a while, the two got up one after another.
Tsubame scouted ahead, and after confirming that Momo was not there, she waved and said, "She's not here, Junior, come out quickly."
However, just as they reached the hallway corner, they happened to run into Momo head-on.
"Cough cough..." Tsubame immediately started coughing, her pretty face flushed, and she stammered, "Momo, listen to my explanation..."
Natsuki stood beside Tsubame, raised his right hand, and smiled, "Momo-senpai, good morning."
"Hmph!"
Looking at the smile on Natsuki's face, Momo felt a burst of anger, and at the same time, an indescribable sense of guilt. She turned her head and said in a muffled voice, "My stomach hurts, I'm going to the restroom first."
"Eh?"
Tsubame's eyes widened in surprise as she watched Momo's hurried retreating figure, a hint of confusion on her pretty face.
What's going on?
Momo, who usually loves to be confrontational, why isn't she saying anything today?
Even if she didn't get into a big fight after seeing Junior, she would definitely say something like 'boys are all lower-body animals,' right?
"Is Momo a bit strange today?"
Tsubame turned to look at Natsuki and asked in a low voice.
"Don't worry about it, Senpai." Natsuki said meaningfully, "Momo-senpai should have had an epiphany."
After the 'accident' that happened in the bathroom last night, Momo could no longer righteously accuse him.
"Eh?" Tsubame asked curiously, "An epiphany about what?"
Natsuki said, "Naturally, she had an epiphany that Tsubame and I are a match made in heaven, and no matter how she tries to obstruct us, it's useless."
"Pfft~"
Tsubame lightly spat, her bright eyes glared over, and she waved her hand, saying, "Go, go, Kouhai, hurry home."
Natsuki waved his hand and left Tsubame's house.
Walking on the street in the early morning, the heat had gradually dissipated without him realizing it, and the weather began to cool down.
"Summer vacation is about to end, huh."
Natsuki looked at the continuous flow of people and vehicles on the street, sighing inexplicably.
He didn't know if the Strange Tale apocalypse would invade. Natsuki only hoped that next year's summer vacation would still be the peaceful and harmonious scene before him, because only those who had truly witnessed the apocalyptic scene could know the beauty and preciousness of a peaceful daily life.
He reined in his thoughts.
Natsuki went to a convenience store on the street, had a simple breakfast, and then took the train home.
He had been running around all summer, and Miko had basically taken care of walking the dog. Today, he came home early, and with nothing to do, Natsuki finally picked up the leash and took the dog out for a walk.
The story's beginning was when he went out to walk the dog one night, and just as he bent down to tie his shoelace, the gears of fate began to turn.
It was noon in the blink of an eye.
Natsuki went to Miko's house next door, played a game with the child Kyosuke, inquired about Miko's mother's illness, and then mooched a lunch at Miko's house. After eating his fill, he took a car to the Strange Tales Management Bureau in the afternoon.
"President!"
"Natsuki, you're here."
"Natsuki-sama!"
By the time Natsuki arrived at the Strange Tales Management Bureau, most of the girls had already arrived.
Natsuki responded to each of them, making sure to treat everyone equally to avoid a love triangle.
"Natsuki-kun, thank you for your hard work."
Mitsui appeared last. Today, she wasn't wearing a business suit but had changed into a combat uniform.
After becoming a player, Mitsui also needed to enter dungeons from time to time. This time, Momo's dungeon 'debut' needed to be evaluated, so Mitsui volunteered to take on the task.
Since it wasn't a mandatory dungeon, not everyone needed to challenge it together. Ultimately, Natsuki, Kaguya, and Chika formed a three-person team, with the other two being Mitsui and Momo.
And they only needed to intervene at critical moments; otherwise, Natsuki and the other two only needed to observe from the sidelines.
Next were the preparations before entering the dungeon.
Natsuki first activated his [Evolution] ability, bound his fate link with Chika, and then began to apply skills to everyone. After everyone had their skills applied, he asked Yukino to refresh the [Evolution] skill, just in case.
Preparations complete.
Momo took out a random dungeon ticket, took a deep breath, and officially opened the dungeon.