"Fujiwara-san, you're…?"
Kaguya's gaze zeroed in on Chika's chest.
Too small.
This isn't Fujiwara Chika's usual proportions.
Though still larger than Kaguya or Maki combined, the reduction was glaring.
Chika caught the stare, feigned ignorance, and—
"Ehehe~"
—struck a moe pose, complete with fist-to-forehead and tongue peek.
Kaguya's eye twitched.
What does 'ehehe' even mean?!
Chika's Secret
The chest binder had been Takakai's handiwork—officially for [narrow cave navigation], but really:
Testing his reaction.
A disguise.
(And maybe, just maybe, the memory of his [unintentional?] touch still burned in her mind.)
The Plan: Operation Big Boom Boom Kaboom
Objective: Destroy the surveillance room → Sabotage the power grid.
With 15 days until reset, they had room for error.
"[We'll plant explosives via the Blood Puppet!]" Chika declared.
(Rejected unanimously by Takakai, Kaguya, and Maki.)
Meanwhile, in the Surveillance Room…
Maki's hair-infused doll placed Old Guo's homemade bomb.
BOOM.
The blast shook the base.
Professor Vernon paused mid-step.
To Be Continued…
Next:
Howard's investigation into Bush—what ties him to the cave's horrors?
The girls' next move—will the explosions draw unwanted attention?
Takakai's discovery—what lies in the newly uncovered zones?
Being the "other woman" in your first love is... not exactly a happy feeling.
But Akira does have feelings for me... Ugh, getting happy over something like this—I really must be an idiot.
Fujiwara Chika let out a soft sigh, unsure how to describe the emotions swirling inside her.
In the end, perhaps due to a bit of mischief on her part, she had Takakai help her wrap a chest binder—officially under the pretext of [preparing for narrow cave passages just in case], but in reality, she wanted to test his reaction. And, well, it also served as a small disguise.
The situation back then had been embarrassingly heart-pounding, especially with how Takakai's hands had [unintentionally or not]—Ah, no, no, better not dwell on that. Some memories are better left untouched.
In any case, with her little secret tucked away, Chika changed into an explorer's outfit and returned to the research base alongside Kaguya. Following protocol, they underwent inspection, bathed, and finally headed to the staff lounge.
Shijou Maki had left earlier to [borrow] two white lab coats for Kaguya and Chika, so she wasn't around to monitor the surveillance feed. The area was still guarded by [the anomalies disguised as researchers], allowing Maki to slip away undetected. However, had this been the first run—where Takakai and Chika suddenly reappeared post-exploration—Maki and Kaguya (then acting as researchers) would've been forced to check the monitors. Of course, in this third loop, they'd never know about that.
Because of this, Maki never got to witness Chika's [true proportions]. By the time she delivered the spare clothes to the lounge and the two girls changed, all Maki saw was a Fujiwara Chika whose figure wasn't particularly striking.
Hmm. She's cute, sure—like an energetic puppy—but hardly a threat.
Akira might be a hopeless pervert, but this one's no danger. Her body's not that different from mine. Maybe just a tiny bit bigger...?
Shijou Maki comforted herself with these thoughts.
She didn't notice Chika subtly observing her in return, scrutinizing her with quiet intensity.
As for Kaguya, standing off to the side, her expression could've been translated as:
[What's going on with these two? Why does the atmosphere feel so weird? Are they sizing each other up? Why are their eyes like that?]
"Aki—Takakai-kun handed these cursed artifacts over to us. From here on, it's up to the three of us. He can't interfere with the core grudge here, so we have to uncover its origin and break it ourselves."
Chika produced the blood-stained doll, the [Blood Puppet], two scalpels, a necklace, and a medicine bottle.
Takakai had already explained the usage and risks of each artifact. Quickly briefing Kaguya and Maki, the trio divided the items and prepared for the next phase.
In previous loops, Kaguya and Maki had faced obstacles in gathering intel—constant surveillance, stationed guards, and patrolling soldiers made information-gathering a nightmare. Now, their goal was simple: eliminate those problems.
Step One: Blow up the surveillance room.
The research base was under near-total observation. Destroying the monitors would free their movements.
But that alone wasn't enough.
Step Two: Sabotage the power supply.
Though risky, they could always disguise themselves as explorers (or whatever identity suited the moment) and flee if things went south, leaving the doll behind as a surveillance tool. Once the situation stabilized, they'd return to continue the investigation.
With a 15-day time limit, they had room for trial and error.
This was what Fujiwara Chika proudly dubbed:
"[The Big Boom Boom Kaboom Blasty-Blammo Plan!]"
(Note: This name was unanimously vetoed by Takakai, Shinomiya Kaguya, and Shijou Maki.)
"I'll handle the doll, then."
Maki took the ragdoll, threading one of her hairs into the bloodied cotton stuffing through the back zipper—activating the cursed artifact's remote control.
The [Blood Puppet] was a rare, low-risk grudge item. It could move, jump, even turn invisible. Its only drawback? Any damage it took would rebound on the user tenfold.
Right now, the doll clutched a homemade explosive—courtesy of [Old Guo], who'd died in Shirakawa Apartments. Using the doll's invisibility, the bomb was smuggled into the surveillance room undetected while Kaguya's group distanced themselves.
They completed their [analysis workshop] tasks like obedient researchers, pressed the necessary buttons, and headed to the second floor to deliver their report to Professor Vernon.
Just as the cold, eerie professor turned to leave for his office—
BOOM.
A muffled explosion. The ground trembled slightly.
The trio glanced at the nearby researchers and soldiers. None reacted. Faces blank.
So they, too, stood still, feigning ignorance.
But then—
They saw it.
Professor Vernon's foot, mid-step, froze at the sound of the blast.