"Alps, we're here!"
After half a day.
Everyone got off the plane, and in the distance, the majestic and continuous snow-capped mountains were already visible.
As Europe's most famous tourist destination, the Alps had many visitors. The foot of the mountain was noisy and bustling, with crowds like weaving, completely lacking the imagined cold and pristine feeling.
Assistant suggested:
"It's going to get dark soon. Everyone, let's rest for a night and then go for the challenge tomorrow?"
"No problem." Natsuki agreed. "Tomorrow it is."
A day earlier or later didn't matter; there was plenty of time anyway.
Under the guidance of assistant, the group first went to the pre-booked hotel, put away their luggage, and then prepared to go out and explore.
Except for Chika and Moeha, who had been there before, everyone else was visiting for the first time.
Since they were already there, they naturally had to experience the local customs and specialty foods of the Alps region.
Natsuki changed his clothes first and waited at the hotel entrance.
It was evening.
The sun was setting.
The golden sunset slanted across the majestic snow peaks, looking exceptionally magnificent and grand.
Click, click.
Natsuki chose his angles, took several photos in one go, and then clicked send.
Marin: "Ahhhhhh! It's the legendary Alps, I really want to go play too!"
Natsuki: "Uncle should be back in Kagoshima, right?"
Marin: "Dad leaves tomorrow. The next time I see him will be New Year's."
Natsuki: "Once Uncle goes back, you can come and play together. Sayu misses you."
Marin: "Flying alone is too scary."
...
I forgot.
Marin actually has aviophobia.
Juju: "Tsk, having a lot of fun, aren't you?"
Natsuki: "I miss Juju. After completing the Alps skiing challenge, Chika and Moeha will go back first. I bought a souvenir; I'll have Chika bring it to you then."
Juju: "Hmph, don't bother me when I'm reading manga."
Natsuki: "Of course I have something. I miss Juju."
Juju: "Tch~"
Natsuki: "When I get back, shall we go on a date in Akihabara again?"
Juju: "Stupid Natsuki, don't even think about that! There won't be a next time!"
...
After Juju, the the timid girl immediately sent a message.
Komi-san: "The snow mountain is very beautiful."
Natsuki: "The Alps, of course, are beautiful. I miss Shoko. Do you miss me, Shoko?"
Komi-san immediately stammered:
"Th-that..."
"I see, Shoko really doesn't miss me at all, right?"
"No!"
"So you do miss me?"
"Ugh..."
After teasing Shoko, Hayasaka sent another message.
"Perverted president, your situation has been exposed..."
Natsuki pondered:
"Did Kaguya find out about us?"
Hayasaka: "Hehe."
Hayasaka directly sent a bloody dagger emoji: "Nothing happened between me and the perverted president. Don't slander my innocence, or the consequences will be severe."
"Yes, yes." Natsuki said, "What does 'exposed' mean?"
Hayasaka: "Kaguya's Golden Skill skill has been exposed. Now everyone in the Shinomiya family knows, and they're urging Kaguya to have children immediately."
Natsuki: "..."
What?
High school students can't have children?
If the child born is the strongest in the world, let alone a high school student, even a junior high student, countless people would beg you to have one!
No wonder when I asked Kaguya what happened these past few days, Kaguya always stammered and wouldn't say. Having children, indeed, is something that can't be spoken of easily.
Hayasaka continued:
"Should I say the perverted president is lucky, or unlucky?"
Natsuki: "What do you mean?"
Hayasaka:
"If the Golden Skill of the strongest descendant didn't have so many restrictions, the perverted president would now be like King Zhou from the Investiture of the Gods, living a life of wine and flesh, right?"
You're thinking too much.
There's a saying in the world called 'extremes meet'. Even delicacies become sickening if you eat too much!
Furthermore, if there were truly no restrictions, and any child born had the potential to be the strongest in the world, Natsuki believed he would likely be controlled, then imprisoned, and become a specialized breeding tool.
Natsuki complained:
"Thankfully, it's not a Golden Skill that can make people young again."
"Eh?"
"If it could make people young again, I estimate that tonight, Biden and Trump, in their pajamas, would form a group to find me and ask whether I'm in front or behind."
Hayasaka: "..."
Slap.
Natsuki was sending messages when his shoulder was suddenly lightly patted.
He turned his head to the right, but there was no one behind him.
"Eh heh~"
A joyful chuckle sounded from the left. Haruno, with her hands behind her back, leaned slightly forward, her face exceptionally joyful.
You're already a university student, yet you're still playing a child's game. Aren't you ashamed?
"Mister~" Haruno clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her face instantly showing a pitiful expression, "Please help me."
Natsuki put away his phone and, seeing that the others hadn't come out yet, played along:
"Don't worry, Miss. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I have intermittent amnesia." Haruno looked over pitifully, "I suddenly forgot my name and why I came here… Can a Good Samaritan take me in?"
"Good Samaritans need to eat too." Natsuki said meaningfully, "If you want me to take you in, you'll have to pay some compensation, won't you?"
Haruno blinked: "What compensation does the Good Samaritan want?"
Natsuki said seriously:
"It's too cold in the Alps at night, and I happen to need someone to warm the bed."
"I-I'm sorry." Haruno quickly covered her body, like a weak girl being forced, shaking her head repeatedly, "I already have a boy I like, so it's impossible for me to like anyone else."
Natsuki's eyes lit up and he said:
"That's perfect."
"Eh?"
Pervert!
Too perverted!
Cuckolders are indeed everywhere!
"Not even the body." Haruno kept shaking her head, "But I can use my sister as collateral."
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and said:
"Tell me in detail."
"My sister has never dated anyone before." Haruno extended a slender finger, "As long as the Good Samaritan is willing to take us in, I'll let my sister help warm the bed."
Natsuki said:
"Can you make decisions for your sister?"
"Of course I can." Haruno raised her chin, "After all, I'm her only sister, so even if it's sleeping pills, she'll drink it without any precautions, right?"
Your sister!
I thought you had some brilliant plan, but you want to use something like sleeping pills? When Yukino wakes up, you'll either go to jail or hell!
"Sister, what are you talking about?"
A clear, cold voice suddenly sounded behind the two of them.
Yukino, with black hair reaching her waist and a slender figure, had appeared behind them at some point.
"Ah…"
Haruno jumped in fright, quickly patted her chest, and then accused first: "Yukino, you're so mean, you don't make any sound when you walk."
"It's clearly the two of you who were too engrossed." Yukino's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she crossed her arms over her chest, saying, "I think I just heard 'drink'… Do you want to drink something?"
I'm sorry.
I don't want to drink it at all.
That's for you.
"That's right." Natsuki took over the conversation, saying casually, "Haruno said it's very cold on the mountain, and she wants to drink tea."
"Eh, what kind of tea?" Moeha skipped over, her voice clear, "Senpai, Senpai, I want to drink some too!"
Natsuki said:
"Children shouldn't drink it."
"I'm not a child anymore!" Moeha immediately puffed out her pink cheeks, "I'll be a high school student next year, and besides, it's not alcohol, so why can't I drink it?"
Drinking alcohol is fine, but something like sleeping pills, let alone if you're a junior high student, even if you're a university student, you shouldn't touch it!
As they spoke, Sayu and Chika walked out of the hotel.
Everyone was present, and then they started to stroll around.
"Everyone follow me." Chika put her hands on her hips, saying excitedly, "Moeha and I have played here many times, we know it super well!"
The group followed Chika and began to stroll.
Natsuki quickly understood why Chika said she knew it super well, because all the places they visited were restaurants and food streets. For foodies, it naturally left a deep impression.
"Hmm…"
A cold wind blew, and Moeha hugged her arms, shivering slightly: "It feels a bit cold."
Although it was summer, the temperature on the mountain was much lower than on the ground.
Now that it was already night, with the cold wind blowing, one could truly feel the chill.
Unlike players, Moeha was just an ordinary person, so it was normal for her to be sensitive to cold.
Natsuki said:
"Then go buy some clothes to wear. You only just recovered from your cold a few days ago, be careful not to catch another one."
"I also feel a bit cold." Haruno raised her hand and said, "I want to go buy clothes together."
Natsuki asked the others. The players' physical condition far surpassed that of others. Chika, Yukino, and Sayu felt no cold at all.
Chika said:
"Shall we all go buy clothes together?"
"No need to trouble yourselves so much." Haruno waved her hand, "There's a clothing store just ahead. Moeha and I can go together. Leave Moeha to me. You all go eat first."
"Alright then."
Chika didn't mind and agreed.
Although this Haruno loved to evade taxes and play tricks, in the eyes of others, she was actually a quite reliable and intellectual older sister. Taking Moeha to buy clothes was nothing to worry about.
Natsuki also didn't take it to heart and ate and drank with Chika and Sayu.
However, not long after, Natsuki suddenly felt his phone vibrate.
He took it out and saw it was a call from Haruno.
Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly, got up, walked to the side, and answered the call.
Generally speaking, unless there was an emergency, everyone would choose to send messages rather than make calls.
Now that Haruno suddenly called, it was inevitably a bit concerning.
"Natsuki-kun, Moeha is gone!"
The call connected.
Haruno's anxious voice immediately came from the phone.
Natsuki frowned and said in a deep voice:
"What happened?"
Haruno quickly said:
"I just came out of the fitting room. Moeha's fitting room was next door. I wanted to ask Moeha if the clothes fit, but Moeha wasn't in the fitting room, and her phone couldn't be reached."
Natsuki frowned:
"Wait for me to come over."
The clothing store was on the next street. Natsuki put away his phone, didn't have time to tell Chika, and directly turned and ran. Many people only felt a gust of wind blow past them, not even seeing Natsuki's back.
A minute later.
Natsuki arrived at the entrance of the clothing store, exhaled lightly, and while looking for Haruno's trace, he took out his phone and tried to call Moeha.
The call was hung up as soon as it rang.
Natsuki frowned, about to summon Yandere Kaguya, Sadako, and Yuuko, when suddenly Moeha sent a message.
"Senpai, what's wrong?"
Natsuki: "…Why didn't you answer the phone?"
Moeha: "Uh, I'm in the restroom. My phone is in my bag. I just saw Haruno's message and was about to reply when Senpai called."
As she spoke, Natsuki had already seen Haruno at the entrance of the clothing store.
"Natsuki-kun!"
Haruno walked over anxiously.
"Haruno-nee, no need to worry anymore." Natsuki handed his phone to Haruno, "Moeha has been found."
"Eh?"
Haruno quickly looked at the phone, and after reading the message, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"So she just went to the restroom." Haruno patted her chest, letting out a long sigh, "That was scary."
If it were in Tokyo, it wouldn't matter if Moeha suddenly went missing, but this was the Alps in a foreign country. If a junior high student suddenly got lost, no one could feel at ease.
Natsuki put away his phone and said:
"To be safe, Haruno-nee should still go check the restroom to prevent any accidents."
"Mission accomplished."
Haruno raised her hand in a salute, then turned and scurried away.
A moment later.
"Senpai, I'm back!"
Haruno returned with Moeha.
"I'm not a child, how could I get lost?" Moeha stuck out her pink tongue, "Senpai, don't worry so much."
Natsuki straightened his face and said:
"If you're not a child, what are you?"
Moeha lifted her neck and said:
"I'm a junior high student."
"Hmm?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
"Senpai, I was wrong." Moeha, knowing when to be smart, quickly acted cute and spoiled, "My stomach suddenly hurt just now, and I thought I'd go and come back quickly, so I didn't tell Haruno-nee. It won't happen again next time."
Natsuki sighed and said:
"Have you two chosen your clothes yet?"
Moeha shook her head and said:
"Not yet."
"Then continue." Natsuki said, "When you're done shopping, we'll go back together."
Since they were already here, they might as well go back together. It wouldn't take much more time.
Haruno smiled and said:
"Then we'll trouble Natsuki to wait for us for a bit."
"..."
Natsuki watched the two girls enter the changing room, took out his phone, sent a message to Chika, and then waited.
A moment later.
The curtain of the changing room suddenly opened a crack, and half a pretty face peeked out, whispering:
"Natsuki-kun, help me~"
Natsuki looked up and said in a low voice:
"What's wrong?"
Haruno said pitifully in a low voice:
"I was in such a hurry to find Moeha just now that the zipper of my skirt seems to be stuck, and I can't open it at all."
Natsuki said in a low voice:
"Should I go in and help?"
"Mm-hmm." Haruno clasped her hands together, "I'm counting on Natsuki."
Natsuki glanced left and right, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he lifted the curtain and walked into the cubicle.
The space inside the changing room was not large; one person was fine, but with Natsuki walking in, it immediately became crowded.
"Natsuki-kun, behind, behind."
Haruno turned around, revealing her back.
Under the light, Haruno's neck was long, and her skin was as beautiful and pale like porcelain, dazzlingly so.
"Let me see."
Natsuki leaned in to observe carefully, and a delicate fragrance like an orchid or musk instantly wafted into his nose.
It was clear that Haruno often wore makeup and was already deeply ingrained with its scent.
"The zipper is caught on the clothes." Natsuki quickly found the problem, "Haruno-nee, don't move."
"Mm-hmm."
Haruno responded repeatedly, then reached out to support herself against the wall, steadying her body.
There was no unfortunate slipping or anything of the sort; a moment later, Natsuki steadily pulled down the skirt's zipper.
"Done."
Natsuki stepped back half a step and clapped his hands.
"Thank you, Natsuki-kun." Haruno covered her chest with one hand, her eyes swirling, and gently tapped Natsuki's chest with the other, breathing like an orchid, "What kind of thank-you gift does Natsuki want?"
"..."
How dare you get handsy in the changing room!
Natsuki was silent for two seconds, then said faintly:
"Haruno-nee, you know what kind of person I am, right?"
"Eh?" Haruno was startled, and subconsciously said, "What kind of person?"
Natsuki extended his right hand, embraced Haruno, and leaned in close:
"I'm a scumbag."
Haruno: "..."
After being severely teased and played with, Haruno finally settled down and dared not evade taxes again for a short while.
Natsuki wiped the corner of his mouth and walked out of the changing room, feeling refreshed.
Only Haruno remained inside, her pretty face flushed and breathing heavily.
There was nothing more to say after that; Haruno and Moeha changed their clothes, and the three of them returned to the restaurant for dinner.
After dinner, the group continued to stroll around, playing until past ten o'clock at night before finally returning to the hotel to rest.
Natsuki finished showering and sent a message to Chika:
"Chika-sama, help, help, help!"
Chika: "I'm not coming over! I'm not coming over no matter what today! Go find Sayu-chan!"
Natsuki: "Then I'll go find Sayu-chan?"
Chika: "…The President should commit seppuku!"
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Everyone had a simple breakfast, then took a bus to a mountainside and began simple warm-up training.
After warming up, the two then took a cable car directly to the mountaintop.
Arrived at the mountaintop.
Natsuki looked down and saw a vast expanse of boundless ice and snow, and his entire heart felt as if it had suddenly opened up.
"Hoo…"
Natsuki exhaled a puff of white steam, turned to look at Yukino, who was wearing goggles beside him, and then said:
"Are you ready?"
Yukino's voice was clear and cold, echoing the ice and snow:
"…Let's begin."