Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

(For fans of both stories, the G.O.A.T. Tier is here for you! Get 50 advanced chapters for each book, ready for you to dive into right now! For more chapters, visit my patreon.com/Fanfic69)

---

"Shinomiya-san is just too thin-skinned," Umi said confidently, placing her hands behind her back. "People who achieve great things don't sweat the small stuff. If it were me, I wouldn't worry over details like that."

Amamiya shot her a silent glance. "The queen of big talk."

"I am not!" Umi puffed her cheeks in indignation. "I'll prove it when we get back!"

"Stick to your word."

"Of course!" She raised her chin proudly, then paused as a thought struck her. "Wait a minute…"

Umi covered her chest defensively. "Are you trying to trick me into taking my clothes off?"

Amamiya sighed, an expression of feigned loneliness crossing his face. He spoke in a low, quiet tone. "So, in your eyes, I'm nothing more than a shameless scoundrel?"

"…I'm sorry," Umi murmured, biting her lip in genuine guilt.

'I was only joking. I didn't mean to hurt him,' she thought. 'But sometimes, even if something is a joke, it might hurt someone. You should always apologize in those cases.'

"There's no need to apologize," Amamiya replied, shaking his head. "You weren't wrong."

"Huh?"

He glanced at her, then smiled. "I'm exactly the shameless person you said I am."

"…"

Umi's eyes widened, and her cheeks puffed up again as she clenched her fists, swatting playfully at him. "You tricked me! That's too much, way too much!"

Amamiya was prepared and easily dodged with a quick sidestep.

"You're still running?"

"Only a fool would stay still."

"…"

They continued walking without much more conversation.

As Amamiya got off the train, he spotted a petite girl with pink hair standing by the platform. Wearing her school uniform, she looked even smaller and cuter than usual.

It was none other than Sajuna with her signature pink locks.

"Good afternoon, JuJu," Amamiya greeted, raising his hand in a casual wave.

"Good afternoon." Sajuna looked up, blushing slightly as she noticed the curious stares from passersby. She leaned in and whispered, "…Don't use that name outside."

"You're early, JuJu-sama!" Umi joined them with a cheerful tone, her voice bright. "I thought we'd be waiting for you."

"My school's close by," Sajuna replied softly. "I came straight here since I had nothing else to do after class."

"Alright, let's head to my place," Umi suggested with a hand on her hip. "We'll pick up where we left off with our role-playing."

"…"

Before long, the three arrived at Umi's house.

With Amamiya living quite far and Sajuna having a younger sibling at home, Umi's place, where she lived alone, had become their unofficial base of operations.

"I'm home!" Umi called as she entered, setting her bag down and balancing on the shoe cabinet to swap her shoes for house sandals. She stomped inside, giving the air around her face a quick fan with her hand. "It's getting so hot lately," she remarked, heading to the fridge. "I bought some ice cream yesterday; there's one for each of us."

"People overseas are talking about 'ice cream freedom' on X lately, saying they can't afford ice cream," she added. "It's so weird! I feel like ice cream prices haven't gone up since we were kids."

Amamiya took one of the ice creams, tearing open the wrapper. "It's not just ice cream. Most grocery items haven't increased in price, either."

Ever since Japan's economic slump in the '90s, the trend toward a simpler, more minimalist lifestyle had taken root. With generally low consumer demand, prices for many essentials in supermarkets hadn't changed for decades.

Recently, one classic brand of cup noodles had to increase its price by 50 yen due to rising raw material costs, prompting the company's top management to appear on television and formally apologize to the public.

It's easy to understand how difficult it is to raise prices in Japan, unlike the heartless profiteers nowadays who charge dozens of dollars for a single scoop of ice cream.

Amamiya glanced at the pink-haired girl beside him. "Why the dark circles under your eyes, Inui-san?"

Sajuna, mid-bite of her ice cream, paused and shot him a look of quiet frustration.

"There are always strange spirits haunting my room, making it impossible to sleep soundly."

"Have you tried wearing an eye mask?"

"It's no use. With an eye mask on, my hearing becomes way too sensitive. Sometimes those spirits make odd noises, which is even scarier."

"Thank you for all you do." Amamiya took a bite of his ice cream. "When we get back, I'll give you a charm to repel spirits."

"…Thanks," she murmured, breathing a soft sigh.

There are some things in life that, once tasted, become impossible to give up. 

For the past two days, Amamiya had been with Kaguya and hadn't stopped by. Sajuna had been eagerly awaiting him, wanting to ask for his help many times but held back, still embarrassed from an awkward moment they'd shared not long ago.

So when Amamiya brought it up himself, she felt immediate relief.

"We're all set." Umi quickly finished her ice cream, stretched her arms high above her head, and smiled. "JuJu-sama, let's go change into our uniforms!"

"Alright." 

Sajuna nodded, her eyes shining with anticipation.

Becoming a magical girl had been her childhood dream, and now, with the chance to actually play one, she couldn't contain her excitement.

Amamiya looked over at her. "Give me your hand."

"Huh?"

"I haven't transferred the role-playing skill over to you yet."

"Oh, I forgot."

Sajuna quickly stretched out her tiny hand.

"Your hand is so small," Amamiya said gently, holding it. "It feels like if I squeezed it, you'd probably start crying."

Sajuna pouted, her cheeks puffing up. "I'm not going to let you pinch me!"

With their ice creams finished, the two girls headed to the bedroom to change into their costumes.

Amamiya stayed behind on the sofa, studying quietly.

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and a girl with a striking succubus appearance stepped out.

Red hair.

Horns.

A tail.

Wings.

Colored contact lenses.

And fanged canines — the attention to detail was impressive.

"The accuracy is only around 30%," Umi muttered, walking over to Amamiya. "I just made a few adjustments to the outfit. I thought it'd look a bit more authentic."

"Obviously," Amamiya replied, jotting notes into his notebook. "Simply replicating the costume won't raise the accuracy; it's also about embodying the character's movements and aura."

"Just as I thought…"

In the next instant, the succubus girl leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, and whispered seductively, "Master, shall I eat you?"

Her familiar sweet scent filled his senses, and Amamiya's heart skipped a beat.

"I heard that," Umi teased, lowering her hand until her fingertips brushed his chest. She smirked, her voice playful, "Master's heart just sped up. Are you eager to be eaten by this beautiful succubus?"