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Discussion completed.
Since it was decided to proceed with the challenge, the next step was naturally to select the challenge location.
"A fifty-meter-high tower crane only exists on construction sites..." Fujiwara Chika rested her right hand on her chin and suggested, "Let's go out first and then ask others?"
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"At a time like this, seeking help is more efficient."
"Eh?" Sayu blinked, "Ask Yukino-chan?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's pink lips moved slightly: "...Sorry, I don't know."
This Nekonoshita's daily life was exceptionally regular, a straight line between school and apartment; she had no idea where there were construction sites in Chiba Prefecture.
"Not Yukino." Amamiya Natsuki shook his head.
Kitagawa Marin was curious: "Then Miss Kousaka?"
The Glasses Girl hadn't participated in the previous discussion, but she had heard half of it. Hearing that Amamiya Natsuki was going to walk unprotected on a tower crane, and even blindfolded, she still had a completely dumbfounded expression, looking as if she was stunned.
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at the Glasses Girl, then took out his phone and said seriously:
"I choose to ask Google."
"..."
Places that use tower cranes are basically construction sites. A simple search on the phone quickly identified several construction sites currently under construction in Chiba Prefecture.
The number was not large, only three construction sites were currently under construction.
"Everyone split up." Amamiya Natsuki put away his phone, "The main thing is to determine the height of the tower crane and see if it meets the requirements."
"Understood."
Reality is not a game instance; there aren't as many hidden dangers, so splitting up is completely safe.
Half an hour later.
Amamiya Natsuki stood in front of a construction site, looking up at the tower crane.
"There are three tower cranes in total, and the other two are only about thirty meters high," Shinomiya Kaguya said softly, her beautiful lips pursed. "Only the tower crane here is over fifty meters... a full eighty meters high."
"Eighty meters is too high, isn't it?" Kitagawa Marin looked over worriedly and whispered, "Natsuki, why don't we still..."
Amamiya Natsuki reached out and rubbed Marin's head. "Fifty meters and eighty meters are no different. I trust Shimizu-nee."
After confirming the challenge location, the next step was to wait for the workers to get off work.
There were people coming and going on the construction site at this time, so forget about extreme challenges; they couldn't even get close to the tower crane.
At this moment, Shinomiya Kaguya's beautiful eyebrows suddenly furrowed. She looked at her phone and spoke softly, "...I received a new challenge."
Everyone looked over curiously.
"Arrive at the designated location, do not wear any protective gear, swim in the sea for one hour. During this period, you are not allowed to go ashore. Once you go ashore, the challenge is considered failed. You have twenty-four hours to complete this challenge."
Fujiwara Chika widened her eyes and said in surprise:
"Is it too simple for Kaguya-chan to just swim in the sea?"
"It's indeed too simple. Natsuki-kun's challenge location is a tower crane, so there's no reason Kaguya-chan only needs to swim for an hour," Koyasu Tsubame nodded. "...I always feel like there's a trap."
Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to look at Yukinoshita. "Yukinoshita, do you know this place?"
"Let me see." Yukinoshita Yukino walked over to Kaguya, glanced at the location mentioned in the message, and quickly frowned. "...That beach has jellyfish and Sea nettles, and swimming is prohibited."
Hayasaka Ai immediately gritted her teeth. "...Damn it!"
It is well known that jellyfish and Sea nettles look beautiful, but most of them are poisonous, dangerous, and deadly, and they are impossible to guard against. Many people have been stung. In contrast, the number of people killed by great white sharks, which everyone fears, is very small, even fewer than the unlucky people killed by falling coconuts.
Amamiya Natsuki looked at the Young Lady and said softly:
"Otherwise..."
"Of course, I'm going to take on the challenge." Shinomiya Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze firm. "It's already the final challenge, so there's no reason to give up or back down... Besides, if I really encounter unavoidable danger, I can still use Dark Shadow."
In Shinomiya Kaguya's opinion, swimming in a Sea infested with Sea nettles and jellyfish was far less stressful than acting like a pervert on a train.
Seeing that the Young Lady had made up her mind, Amamiya Natsuki did not try to persuade her further and said gently:
"Then let's take on the challenge. I'll go with you... The challenge didn't specify that others couldn't help."
"Me too." Fujiwara Chika clenched her fists, her voice clear. "I definitely won't let any jellyfish harm Kaguya-chan."
Amamiya Natsuki turned to look over. "You're out."
"Eh?" Fujiwara Chika was confused. "Why?"
Amamiya Natsuki retorted:
"I always feel like you'll be ganged up on by jellyfish first."
"Natsuki-kun is too much!" Chika Secretary immediately puffed out her pink cheeks. "Looking down on me!"
"Stop it," Tsubame said. "Since we've decided to complete the challenge in the sea, should we all go buy swimsuits first?"
...
The protective gear restricted in the challenge should refer to things like wetsuits. Once a wetsuit is worn, regardless of whether it's jellyfish or Sea nettles, it's 100% damage-immune. Since it's a life-threatening challenge, wetsuits are naturally not allowed.
Swimsuits are just ordinary fabric and should not be included in this category.
"What if?" Kitagawa Marin raised her right hand and asked curiously, "What if Kaguya-chan can't even wear a swimsuit?"
The Young Lady tensed her pretty face. "Then, then..."
Swimming without a swimsuit... that's too embarrassing no matter how you think about it!
As it stands, they could only buy swimsuits first and then verify it at Sea.
Yukinoshita Yukino said softly:
"Let's talk as we go. Let's head to the shopping center first."
The group took the train directly to the shopping center.
Unbeknownst to them, it was already evening, and there were many more passengers on the train than in the afternoon; it was already a bit crowded.
Amamiya Natsuki walked to a corner and stood still. He had just taken out his phone, ready to play for a while, when he suddenly felt someone gently poke his waist twice.
"Poke poke--"
Amamiya Natsuki turned his head and looked at Chika Secretary beside him. "What's wrong?"
"Natsuki-kun, look quickly." Fujiwara Chika's eyes were bright, her pink eyes sparkling, and her voice was full of happiness. "That peppa pig."
Amamiya Natsuki followed the sound and soon saw a peppa pig drawn with a pencil next to the seat. It looked like a doodle by an elementary school student.
"When everyone helped Kaguya-chan complete the train challenge at noon, I saw this peppa pig. Its position and size were exactly the same," Fujiwara Chika whispered. "That's right, this is the same train we took at noon."
"Tsk..."
Amamiya Natsuki glanced at the peppa pig, scanned the crowded carriage, and then put his phone in his pocket.
Chika Secretary smiled brightly. "Not only did we take the same train, but we also stood in the same spot... Happy!"
Amamiya Natsuki said gloomily:
"I'm not happy."
"Eh?" Fujiwara Chika was startled, her tone puzzled. "Why?"
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"Seeing this peppa pig reminds me of the humiliation of being surrounded by you all and having your hands all over me."
"What do you mean?" Fujiwara Chika tilted her pretty face. "It was just a little pinch, how is that humiliating? I often ambush Ryoko-chan and their... Ah!"
Before she could finish, a low cry suddenly escaped Fujiwara Chika's pink lips.
Chika Secretary's beautiful eyes widened, and she hurriedly covered her pink lips with the back of her hand.
"Chika-chan?" Tsubame heard the commotion and turned her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing..." Her buttocks were suddenly attacked, and even the chaotic Chika-sama couldn't help but blush. She quickly whispered, "I accidentally got my foot stepped on just now."
"Is that really true?"
Koyasu Tsubame's eyes were suspicious, and she couldn't help but look at Amamiya Natsuki.
Amamiya Natsuki held the handrail above his head with both hands and said seriously:
"I didn't do anything."
Liar!
Big liar!
Fujiwara Chika's pink cheeks puffed up, like a squirrel with its mouth full of chestnuts. She covered her buttocks with both hands and couldn't help but turn her head to glare.
"If it wasn't you, who else could it be?"
"Kaguya-chan and the others are next to me. Only you are standing behind me. It can't be anyone else but you!"
Amamiya Natsuki said seriously:
"Look clearly, I've already raised my hands to prove my innocence."
"You're not innocent at all." Fujiwara Chika saw through him at a glance and couldn't help but whisper, "You must have used Time Stop again, right?"
"Only pain experienced firsthand can be truly empathized with." Amamiya Natsuki's voice deepened. "Did you feel humiliated just now?"
Fujiwara Chika's pretty face was flushed, and she tilted her neck to answer:
"I wasn't humiliated at all!"
This statement was not a lie.
If she had been ambushed by an unknown pervert, she would definitely be super angry, but the person bullying her was Amamiya Natsuki... There was nothing she could do, she just couldn't hate him.
"It seems the force wasn't enough."
Amamiya Natsuki spoke seriously while secretly ambushing her.
As for the feeling... I dare not write it, absolutely dare not write it.
"Mmm--"
Chika Secretary's beautiful eyes suddenly widened, and the blush on her pretty face deepened by three points. Even her fair and clear ear tips were tinged with red. "You, you actually ambushed me again..."
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. You pinched me so many times before, you should have been mentally prepared, right?"
"I wasn't mentally prepared at all!" Fujiwara Chika bit her lip with her pearly teeth, tightly squeezing her legs together to prevent Amamiya Natsuki from taking advantage, and glared with shame. "President is too much, I'm going to call the police!"
"I'm not afraid." Amamiya Natsuki was fearless. "Pinching your girlfriend isn't illegal."
Fujiwara Chika puffed out her pink cheeks. "I haven't agreed yet!"
Unfortunately, not long after, the train quietly arrived at the station, and passengers came over to get off.
Fujiwara Chika took the opportunity to escape his clutches, flashing to the side of the Young Lady, then sticking out her pink tongue and proudly retracting her gaze.
Amamiya Natsuki indeed didn't dare to chase after her. He lowered his head, took out his phone, and passed the time.
"Natsuki-kun, you need to rein it in a bit..." A faint voice entered his ears. Koyasu Tsubame pursed her beautiful lips and whispered, "There are so many passengers on the train. It would be terrible if someone found out."
Amamiya Natsuki turned his head to look over. "Found out what?"
"You know yourself." Koyasu Tsubame gave him an annoyed look.
"I don't know."
"Hmph, if you don't know, then forget it."
Tsubame snorted softly, not wanting to bother with a certain person anymore.
Although she didn't catch him in the act, even an elementary school student knew that getting your toes stepped on wouldn't make you blush. Chika-chan's face was so red just now, she was clearly being taken advantage of by a certain person. There couldn't be a second possibility.
Amamiya Natsuki put away his phone, and as the train slowly started, he quietly stood behind Tsubame.
"Eh, eh, eh?" Koyasu Tsubame immediately tensed up. "N-Natsuki-kun, what are you going to do?"
Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice:
"At noon on the train, Tsubame-senpai also pinched me, didn't she?"
"I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"
Koyasu Tsubame's pretty face flushed, and she quickly shook her head in denial, though her eyes were a little guilty.
When girls get together, their courage increases exponentially. At noon on the train, seeing everyone bullying Amamiya Natsuki, she was naturally tempted and couldn't help but secretly reach out... She only pinched him twice, not many times!
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"Tsubame-senpai knows about the special judicial principle regarding pervert crimes in Japan's law, right?"
Koyasu Tsubame blinked her bright eyes and whispered, "...Presumption of guilt?"
In Japan's judicial rules, most are based on the presumption of innocence—as long as there is no evidence to prove you committed a crime, even if everyone knows you are guilty, you cannot be tried.
However, pervert crime is an exception, where the presumption of guilt is applied. As long as someone says you committed a perverted act, unless you can provide proof of your innocence, you will be deemed guilty, with a conviction rate of 99%.
"Correct answer." Amamiya Natsuki said seriously, "Does Tsubame-senpai have a way to prove her innocence now?"
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
No wonder there are so many news reports about people being convicted of perverted crimes on the national hot search every year. How could such a thing possibly be proven!
"Silence means you can't prove it." Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice. "Tsubame, cover your mouth."
"Eh?"
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"Tsubame-senpai, you don't want your voice to be heard by others, do you?"
Koyasu Tsubame: "..."
"Natsuki-kun, I was wrong!" Tsubame's pretty face was flushed, and she quickly apologized in a low voice, knowing how to yield when necessary. "Not on the train, what if someone finds out..."
"It's too late to apologize now."
Amamiya Natsuki acted decisively, choosing to take the initiative.
"Hmm…"
Tsubame bit her lip, not letting herself make a sound.
Regret.
Super regret.
Koyasu Tsubame's only thought now was that trouble came from the mouth.
If she had known it would backfire, she wouldn't have said a word just now.
The journey was silent.
They soon arrived at the shopping center.
"Next up is swimsuit time!"
The girls were in high spirits.
Challenges were challenges, but swimsuit selection still needed to be careful; they couldn't just buy any set.
In contrast, Amamiya Natsuki's shopping process was super simple: he walked into a swimsuit store, spent a minute choosing his favorite color, then took the men's swim trunks, paid, and left.
Men didn't need the trying-on part.
Having bought his swim trunks, Amamiya Natsuki had just walked out when he met a cold-faced, long-haired black-haired girl, who was Yukino.
"Aren't you buying a swimsuit?" Amamiya Natsuki asked casually.
Yukinoshita Yukino hugged her right arm, holding her left hand, and said softly, "The changing rooms aren't enough. I'm going to buy one at another store."
While this Yukino was speaking, she couldn't help but glance at the claw machine next to her. Inside the claw machine were many adorable and varied small animals: cats, dogs, pandas, a large number of them.
"Rikka said you really like small animals," Amamiya Natsuki said. "Want to try catching a few?"
"No need." Yukinoshita Yukino quickly withdrew her gaze, shaking her head. "Let's talk after we rescue my older sister."
After a pause, Yukinoshita Yukino bit her lip and whispered:
"The tower crane challenge…"
"Save your thanks until after that strange thing is dealt with," Amamiya Natsuki waved his hand. "It's not too late to say thank you then, and remember to show sincerity."
Yukinoshita Yukino's pretty face hardened: "What sincerity?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "The sincerity you're thinking of."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Pervert-kun really doesn't hide his terrible desires, does he?"
Amamiya Natsuki didn't care at all: "From another perspective, you could say I'm open and honest."
"…"
"Ah, it's Yukino!"
A clear call suddenly rang out from behind Amamiya Natsuki.
Amamiya Natsuki turned his head and was immediately shocked.
He saw a pink-haired girl with a bun hairstyle running over, waving her hand. The smile on her face was particularly bright, and at first glance, it was easy to feel good about her.
However, around the bun-haired girl were seven or eight distorted evil spirits. Fortunately, ordinary people couldn't see them, otherwise, they would have been scared to tears.
Amamiya Natsuki couldn't help but think of Miko's good friend Yurikawa, who, due to excessively vigorous life energy, was often plagued by evil spirits. The bun-haired girl in front of him was clearly the same.
"Ohayo~" The pink-haired bun-haired girl waved happily. "I didn't expect to meet Yukino at the shopping center, hehe."
"Good afternoon, Yuihama," Yukinoshita Yukino gently nodded, greeting her.
The bun-haired girl asked curiously:
"Yukino-chan, are you here to buy a swimsuit?"
"Mm."
"What a coincidence, I'm also here to buy a swimsuit."
This bun-haired girl, while speaking, cast curious glances at Amamiya Natsuki, clearly curious about their relationship, but she was quite well-behaved and didn't ask further.
"He's my… friend," Yukinoshita Yukino explained softly, then pursed her pink lips. "Let's hurry up and buy swimsuits."
"Mm-hmm."
This bun-haired girl seemed very good at reading the room. Seeing that Yukino didn't want to talk much, she quickly said goodbye and left.
Watching the bun-haired girl walk away, Yukinoshita Yukino pressed her fingers to her temple and whispered:
"Yuihama is a member of the club I founded at school. I don't know why, but she always has a lot of evil spirits around her."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"I know why."
"Eh?"
After briefly explaining the concept of life energy, Amamiya Natsuki looked at Yukino: "Compared to that, I'm more curious that you actually founded a club."
Yukinoshita Yukino crossed her arms over her chest: "If you're curious, Natsuki-kun can transfer here."
Amamiya Natsuki: "I refuse. As Student Council President, I would never betray for mere beauty."
"…"
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
No one asked him to help pick out a swimsuit, nor did any unexpected incidents occur like a swimsuit not unzipping and needing his help in the changing room. Amamiya Natsuki almost fell asleep waiting, before the girls finally finished buying their swimsuits.
"We can head to the Sea now."
The girls were in high spirits, showing no signs of fatigue.
The journey was silent.
This time, they took an unfamiliar train.
After getting off the train, they walked a bit further before arriving at the dangerous Sea area designated for the extreme challenge.
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