It was Friday after school.

  The day of the Occult Research Club's first official activity.

  This isnd trip nned for three days and two nights.

  So instead of leaving on Saturday, they were setting off tonight.

  To make things easier, everyone had packed their bags a day in advance.

  Sihe club members lived in different pces, the task of pig everyone up fell to the event's anizer—Shinomiya Kaguya.

  Naturally, Kaguya had alsed the boat to Tsukikage Isnd.

  After arriving home, Ren grabbed his prepared luggage and stepped outside.

  As he took the elevator down to the lobby, a rge RV pulled up in front of him.

  The side door of the RV opened, revealing a ste partment filled with ly arranged suitcases.

  Without hesitation, Ren pced his luggage inside and climbed into the vehicle.

  Ihe RV was already full.

  Nearly all the Occult Research Club members had arrived.

  Ren was the st one.

  Everyone had ged out of their school uniforms and into casual clothes.

  But somethi… off.

  Except for him, every single person in the RV was a girl.

  And now, he had to figure out where to sit.

  There were plenty of seats, but somehow, every empty one seemed cimed.

  It was as if he was being evaluated.

  Like he was choosing a e.

  After surveying the situation, Ren finally made his choice.

  He sat o Fujiwara Chika.

  "Hey! Did Amamiya e?"

  "…"

  Hearing her excitement, Ren instantly realized.

  This entire seating arra was a setup.

  "Why are all the seats taken?"

  "You guys didn't make a bet on my choice, did you?"

  The girls all averted their gazes.

  "So… who bet that I'd sit o Fujiwara?"

  Silence.

  Everyone looked at each other.

  And no one seemed to remember pg that bet.

  "No o on me"

  Fujiouted, visibly upset.

  "Most people thought you'd sit o Sonoko."

  "Some bet on you sittio Kaguya… but no o on me!"

  Still sulking, Fujiwara turo Ren with a curious look.

  "Why did you choose to sit o me, Amamiya?"

  Reated briefly befiving a simple answer.

  "I figured I wouldn't feel as reserved sittio you."

  "I'd probably feel… a bit unfortable sittio someone else."

  Silence.

  Then—

  "Pfft!"

  The girls all tried to stifle their ughter.

  Wait a minute.

  So, Amamiya felt unfortable around irls.

  But not around Fujiwara Chika?

  Didn't that basically mean… he didn't see her as someoo be nervous around?

  Realizing the implication, Fujiwara's eyes widened in shock.

  Just moments ago, she had been sulking about being ignored.

  Now, all her frustration was redirected at Amamiya.

  "What do you mean by that?!"

  "Amamiya, do you not see me as a girl?!"

  Ren g Fujiwara, meeting her gre head-on.

  "No, you're obviously a girl."

  "But when I'm around you, I don't feel like I have to be as careful as I do with irls."

  "To put it simply… you give off an approachable vibe."

  Ren was being pletely ho.

  For some reason, Fujiwara felt easier to talk to than most people.

  With irls, he felt the o be more cautious.

  But with Fujiwara, there was none of that tension.

  "Eh? Do I really give off that kind of vibe?"

  Fujiwara looked at herself, then at Kaguya.

  Objectively speaking, she was more femihan Kaguya.

  So it wasn't about appearance.

  That meant Amamiya had based his opinion on something else entirely, her personality.

  And that was strange.

  I hought I was the 'approachable' type…

  "Oh! That actually makes sense!"

  Sonoko was the first to jump in.

  "Chika does have that weird effe people."

  "I could talk to her normally the first time we met."

  "And the same thing happened with our Ice Queen."

  She oward Kaguya.

  "She's famous for being cold and unapproachable at Shuchi'in."

  "But Chika? She's the only person who talk to her like a normal friend."

  "Even though Kaguya acts friendly, most people still tell she's secretly an Ice Queen."

  Sonoko then g Kaguya's expression.

  Which had noticeably darkened.

  "And, well… Ice Queen is definitely insecure about certain things."

  At that remark, Hayasaka instinctively g Kaguya's chest.

  Then at Fujiwara's.

  pared to Fujiwara's unusually generous proportions…

  Yeah.

  The trast was obvious.

  Now that she thought about it.

  It was a bit strahat Kaguya and Fujiwara were friends.

  Their personalities and appearances were por opposites.

  But before she could dwell on it further, Hayasaka quickly looked away.

  Because she noticed.

  Kaguya's expression had just gotten even darker.

  pletely unaware of Kaguya's growing irritation, Fujiwara cheerfully ged the topic.

  "What about Nagi-?"

  …Nagi-?

  Ren looked at Fujiwara in surprise.

  That was a very intimate way to refer to Nagi.

  Fujiwara barely knew her, yet she was already using such a casual niame?

  "Nagi's different."

  "She doesn't talk much to people she's unfamiliar with."

  "She's kind of a shut-in, like me."

  "But once she gets fortable, she opens up a lot."

  Fujiwara suddenly looked enlightened.

  "Oh! So you avoided sittio her so she wouldn't feel awkward?"

  Thinking back, it was true.

  Nagi could be pretty standoffish around strangers.

  But Fujiwara herself had never noticed any disfort when talking to her.

  She thought about what Amamiya had said earlier.

  And finally uood.

  "No wonder I never felt awkward around Nagi before!"

  "She wasn't holding back around me, so it was easy for us to talk!"

  "But… Nagi- is terrible at games."

  The sed she said that—

  A vein popped on Nagi's forehead.

  "Who are you calling terrible?!"

  "You cheated when we pyed cards! And you still have the o call me bad?!"

  "Did I? I don't remember."

  Avoiding eye tact, Fujiwara shifted her gaze toward the car window, whistling ily.