CLICK.
Amamiya Momiji quickly stepped back.
That oppressive atmosphere vanished in an instant. Her gaze returned to its calm state, the momentary intensity gone.
Oreki Gen's heart sank. He was starting to understand what was going on...
"I'm sorry — perhaps my request was a bit much. I should place more trust in you, Oreki-kun."
She seemed to have completely regained her composure. With a casual push of her glasses, she spoke as if nothing had happened.
Oreki Gen had no choice but to keep up the act.
"It's fine, don't worry about it, Amamiya-sensei."
Amamiya Momiji tilted her head briefly before turning back to face him. This time, her eyes no longer held that vortex capable of pulling a person under.
"By the way, Hashimoto-sensei mentioned some things about the students before handing over. You haven't joined any clubs so far, correct?"
Oreki Gen nodded.
Amamiya Momiji asked calmly, "Can you tell me why?"
Even her tone had changed — less forceful than before, softer and more approachable. But the shift only made Oreki Gen's stomach sink further.
He could only do his best to patch up that momentary slip.
"I'm not very good at socializing with others. I'm a bit afraid of interaction outside of class..."
Amamiya Momiji gave a small nod.
"I see... That's alright. I'll help you integrate into the world of your peers as much as possible. Don't worry — I'll take care of it and get you into a club soon."
"Huh?"
"Does that not sit well with you, Oreki-kun?"
She asked with narrowed eyes. Oreki Gen shook his head.
"If Amamiya-sensei is willing to help me, then of course I'd be happy."
"Is that so? And why are you so happy about it?"
More questions?! Was she the encyclopedia of a hundred thousand whys, or the blue cat with three thousand questions?!
Oreki Gen could only keep performing. A slightly bashful expression appeared on his face.
"Because Amamiya-sensei is very beautiful..."
"Oh? Really that beautiful?"
Amamiya Momiji's eyes narrowed further as she continued to scrutinize him. Oreki Gen's back was practically drenched in sweat.
He really wanted to say: Want me to find you a mirror? Because you clearly own one.
But he couldn't. He could only continue to be "shy." "Yes. Amamiya-sensei is the most beautiful teacher I've ever had."
A faint smile surfaced on Amamiya Momiji's face.
"Alright then. You may head home now. Remember to try your best to participate in group activities, and if you ever have any problems, feel free to come to me."
"Okay. Goodbye, Amamiya-sensei."
Oreki Gen turned around with apparent composure, his footsteps measured and steady as he walked away from Amamiya Momiji.
Where Oreki Gen couldn't see, the smile on Amamiya Momiji's face gradually faded.
She crossed her arms before her chest, the gesture accentuating her striking figure. The body beneath that teacher's uniform was captivating enough to stir any man's desire.
But her expression at this moment was still and dangerous, carrying a peculiar, unsettling quality.
In the empty hallway, the alluring woman murmured to herself.
"Oreki-kun didn't fully obey his teacher, did he... Looks like I should turn up the intensity..."
Having left the school, Oreki Gen had more or less figured things out.
Just as Sakuraba Mitsuki possessed the ability to pause time for five minutes, this woman called Amamiya Momiji — one of the doujin's definitive heroines — almost certainly possessed a special ability of her own.
That ability was in her eyes. Anyone she looked at directly would enter a state resembling hypnosis.
That was why even a hardened delinquent like Kazama Kawa would obey her every word.
A complete reversal of his personality.
And that was why the text message had been phrased in Amamiya Momiji's voice, saying he wasn't obedient enough.
That split-second, instinctive refusal had exposed something — namely, that her power had failed on him.
It wasn't necessarily a guarantee that she'd discover his Absolute Lucidity, though. He'd been compliant in every other respect. She might chalk it up to a momentary lapse on her own end rather than conclude that her ability was completely ineffective on him.
But regardless, she had taken notice of him. That was a problem...
The one silver lining was that the conversation itself had been normal enough. Nothing inappropriate — at least nothing overtly suggestive.
The danger was that she might test him again next time. That would be his last chance. He couldn't let her suspicion build any further — only by dispelling her doubts could he eliminate what she might call "interest"...
And the system quest hadn't triggered, either. That was a signal that there was still room to maneuver.
Somewhat steadied, Oreki Gen checked the time.
"Oh, come on... Am I seriously going to have to sprint to work?!"
Out of the campus gates, Oreki Gen had no choice but to unleash his youthful energy into the summer afternoon breeze.
"Alright, Oreki-kun, I'm here to take over. You can clock out and head home."
It was already nine at night.
The physically and mentally drained Oreki Gen finally greeted his relief shift. He nodded, handed over the work, changed out of his uniform in the break room, grabbed his school bag, and set off for home.
Exhausting as it was, the pay was pretty decent for a student.
And the 24-hour convenience store wasn't far from his apartment.
So it wasn't long before Oreki Gen was back in the building. The dimly lit hallway had barely any lighting — quiet enough to make you think no other tenants existed.
Probably about as cold and disconnected as the times themselves. Nothing like back in China, where neighbors might still drop by for a visit now and then. Here, most people kept to themselves — close the door and not a sliver of life was shared.
Not that Oreki Gen wanted that kind of interaction right now. His life was dangerous enough, this world was dangerous enough — the last thing he needed was more trouble.
Even being this cautious hadn't stopped things from sliding toward danger. What hope did anything else have?
Oreki Gen fished out his key and was just about to unlock the door when —
CREAK —
The sound of a door opening. But not his.
Behind him.
"Oh? Oreki-kun."
Oreki Gen's back went rigid. He quickly gathered himself, turning around naturally. There, in the now-open doorway behind him, stood a figure.
She had a mature, bewitching face. Long lashes. Beneath her captivating eyes, a beauty mark near the outer corner lent her the air of a siren. Chestnut-brown hair was loosely tied back. She wore a sleeping gown trimmed with black lace, baring the delicate skin of her shoulders, while the pale swell of her chest was dazzling enough to make it impossible to look away.
Her legs rested against the doorframe. She hadn't fully stepped out, but even so, her generous thighs gleamed with a supple, dewy luster.
"Kikyou-san, hi."
Oreki Gen averted his gaze as best he could, keeping his tone normal.
The seductive, mature woman studied him.
"Coming back this late every night — are you working a part-time job?"
Oreki Gen nodded. "Yeah... just got off my shift. Sorry, did I disturb you?"
The woman shook her head. "Not at all. I only just got home from work myself. I was just wondering who'd be coming in at this hour... Oh, Oreki-kun, have you eaten? I just finished cooking — would you like to join me?"
Oreki Gen smiled and shook his head, opening his door at the same time.
"I've already eaten, but thanks, Kikyou-san."
The woman gave a somewhat wistful nod.
"Ah, that's too bad. I was thinking that sharing a meal with a handsome young man like Oreki-kun might make me feel a little younger."
"That's kind of you to say, Kikyou-san. You're already quite young and beautiful, though. I'm going to head in and rest. Goodnight."
"What a sweet-talker you are, Oreki-kun~ Get some rest then. You're still growing, after all. Goodnight."
Oreki Gen shut his door, then leaned against it and let out a long, heavy breath. The polite smile he'd been wearing could finally drop.
A gorgeous, mature woman living alone, inviting him to dinner — it sounded exactly like the setup for some kind of questionable development... No, it would've been criminal if something didn't happen from that.
But Oreki Gen had refused.
Because she was the office lady living right next door.
Her name was Kikyou Satomi.
And she was a woman who, in her route's ending, would kill him... then hide his body under her bed, sleeping beside it every single night.