Amane tiptoed to the door.
She had just agreed to Kushida-san.
And now Horikita was knocking on the door.
Something was fishy.
There must be a trick.
She'd better pretend to be asleep.
Amane leaned against the door, listening to the sounds outside.
Horikita knocked a few times, then there was no more movement.
She must have gone back to sleep.
Now she was finally relieved.
Yuzukuyo---!
Amane's phone suddenly rang.
"I know you're behind the door. If you don't open it..."
Horikita didn't finish her sentence.
However, Amane didn't dare to gamble on the content that followed.
She could only open the door with an apologetic smile.
"I'm really sorry. I was sleeping so soundly just now. I vaguely heard someone knocking, and just as I was about to open the door, Suzune, your call came in."
Amane scratched her head awkwardly.
Coupled with that smile that seemed to hide her intelligence.
If it were anyone else, perhaps... they wouldn't believe it either.
"Is that so? You'd better have really been asleep. How come I didn't know Amane, you have a habit of wearing over-the-knee socks when you sleep?"
Amane's expression suddenly froze.
Oh no.
She was so engrossed in chatting.
She didn't even have time to change her clothes.
Now she's been seen through!!!
Horikita had just raised her hand.
Amane immediately covered her forehead with both hands.
Her eyes were tightly shut.
She was preparing for Horikita's flick to the forehead.
Amane was quite familiar with Horikita's routine... "Ouch, ouch, ouch, Suzune, why did you switch to pinching my ear? Let go quickly! My ear is going to fall off, boo hoo hoo."
Horikita looked at the endlessly flailing Amane in front of her with a hint of exasperation.
"Tell me, you don't want me to come in, do you have something you're hiding from me?"
Horikita's intuition told her that this idiot was definitely hiding something from her.
"H-how could that be? How could I possibly be hiding something from Suzune?"
"If you're not hiding anything from me, then say that again while looking into my eyes."
Horikita gently stroked Amane's face.
Then twisted it forcefully.
Click.
Making Amane's gaze meet her own.
Amane's eyes darted everywhere, up, down, left, and right.
Horikita immediately kept up with the focus of her gaze.
Ensuring she could maintain eye contact with her.
After Amane's gaze dodged a few times, she realized she couldn't shake off Horikita's speed at all.
So she chose to give up, letting her eyes do as they pleased.
"W-what kind of look is that? Why is one going left and one going right?"
Horikita was startled by Amane.
She quickly gave her a flick to the forehead, correcting her peculiar habit of darting eyes.
"Boo hoo, Suzune always bullies me."
Amane sat pitifully by the table.
She poured Horikita a glass of water.
Then continued to look at Horikita, sobbing.
"Amane-san, did I bully you?"
"No."
"That's the truth, isn't it? Tell me, why were you hiding from me?"
Horikita drained the water in the glass.
Then slammed it onto the table.
Scaring Amane into a shiver.
"Actually, it's..."
Amane handed her phone to Horikita.
Horikita curiously took the phone.
Then grabbed Amane's small paw and unlocked it with her fingerprint.
Looking at the content on the screen.
Horikita was startled at first.
Then her face began to flush crimson.
"Are you... are you doing this kind of thing alone in your room?"
Horikita looked at Amane with anger in her eyes.
Amane's heart sank.
What should I do?
Suzune is indeed angry.
Is it still not too late to pack up and run away now?
What about tomorrow's parfait?
I really want to eat parfait.
Hehehe.
Even at a time like this, Amane was still thinking about the two large thousand-layer parfaits that Kushida had promised her.
"Suzune, please calm down first. I didn't do it on purpose. It's my first time, my first time doing this kind of thing."
Amane felt the temperature of her face rising rapidly.
So she reached out and rubbed it.
But it seemed to get even hotter.
She hadn't expected her first time acting as a shill to be caught red-handed by the main person.
How could she expand her business in the future?
"First time? I don't believe this is your first time! You're clearly a repeat offender!!!"
It was the same last time.
Horikita believed she had already educated her.
But now it seems the other party not only didn't repent but even intensified her actions.
This time, she must be made to get rid of this bad habit!
"Although I made a mistake, but... but Suzune, you can't accuse me wrongly. It really is my first time. If you don't believe me, look..."
"I'm not looking!"
"Look, look!"
"I'm not looking, I'm not looking!!"
Horikita's face was already red to the roots of her ears.
Heaven knows how unsightly the 'first time' she carefully hid, which was missed after being deleted last time, was.
"Really, it's my first time working with Little Kikyo. Please listen to my explanation."
Seeing that Horikita had no intention of listening to her explanation at all.
Amane simply stood up forcefully and went to Horikita's side.
Then.
She hugged Horikita's waist and started crying.
Horikita, annoyed by Amane's incessant noise, finally agreed to give her a chance to explain.
"Hmph, I should've known to use this trick from the start."
Damn it!!!
Amane even smugly wiped away her fake tears from the corners of her eyes.
Wait.
Horikita suddenly thought of something.
"You said you were collaborating with Kushida?"
They collaborated... what do they need my photos for? Could it be... "Yes, yes, Little Kikyo also said she'd give me two parfaits."
"You sold me out for two parfaits?"
Horikita gently touched Amane's still warm cheek with her palm.
"I know I was wrong... I won't dare to do it again next time. Suzune, calm down..."
"Calm down? You sent photos of me bathing with you to someone else. How do you expect me to calm down?"
Horikita grabbed Amane's face.
"Wait, boo hoo, what photos? Boo hoo hoo, I only agreed, boo hoo, to help Little Kikyo ask you out for coffee."
Coffee?
Horikita stopped her actions.
"Weren't you trying to show me this?"
Horikita flipped the phone screen over.
It said 'Private Album' at the top.
Below it were over five hundred photos of Horikita.
To increase storage, she even subscribed to a membership service.
"Ah ah ah! Not this, not this! Give me back my phone! This is all my remaining savings!"
Amane wanted to snatch the phone.
But Horikita held the phone high up.
Amane reached for a long time but couldn't reach it.
She was still a bit short even on tiptoes.
Horikita looked at Amane with a face full of black lines.
"Savings? Don't make it sound like I'm plundering your money and food."
"That's my spiritual sustenance!!!"
Seeing Amane still being stubborn at this point.
Horikita showed a beautiful smile.
"Amane-san, let's play a game."
"A game?"
Amane looked at Horikita suspiciously.
She always felt that Horikita had no good intentions.
"This game is called 'Fast Asleep.' If you're not asleep in ten seconds, I'll give you back your phone, and I'll also grant you one thing within my power. But if you fall asleep, you'll have to listen to me obediently from now on, understand?"
As soon as she heard the name, Amane instinctively covered her neck.
Was Horikita planning to use a hand chop to make her fall asleep?
What a hateful woman.
However, for the sake of her belongings and the chance to make Horikita do something for her, Amane could only nod and agree.
Then, Horikita's finger moved across Amane's phone screen to an option.
Clear Album.
Thump-thump-thump-drip—!
Amane's heart stopped.
Then her vision went black, and she collapsed into Horikita's arms.
"Only three seconds. Amane-san's resilience still needs some work, huh?"