Her shampoo's floral notes filled his senses.
The warmth and softness pressed against him.
The atmosphere grew charged.
Takakai recognized the primal urge stirring within.
"Um..."
Chika turned her face away, suddenly shy.
Her usual vivacity evaporated into fragile whispers.
Should I put her down?
The thought barely formed before Chika's hands settled on his shoulders. Drawing a steadying breath, she met his gaze with startling intensity—chin lifted in quiet challenge.
Takakai found himself mesmerized.
Silence stretched between them.
Where Maki's eyes held mysterious depths like polished amethysts, Chika's shone with the vibrant clarity of tropical seas—currently reflecting his own flustered expression.
To think I'd be outmaneuvered like this...
Leaning in slowly, Takakai watched her eyelids flutter shut—
—then closed the distance.
Her lips burned against his.
That same incandescent warmth radiating from her very being.
Chika trembled in his arms, clinging tighter until their bodies pressed flush. The adjustment forced Takakai to shift from princess-carry to a conventional embrace—though her shorter stature left her dangling slightly, feet brushing the floor as their kiss deepened.
When they finally parted, Chika kept her eyes firmly shut, trembling like a leaf.
Her face outdid even Maki's previous record for redness. Ragged breaths made her chest rise and fall dramatically, yet her arms remained locked around his neck.
Seeing her so vulnerable sparked something mischievous in Takakai.
"Mm... n-no more?"
Peeking through her lashes, Chika's whisper was barely audible.
"You want me to keep going?"
Takakai watched with amusement as she buried her face against him.
"Asking a girl that is mean! I... I had to steel myself so much to stay over..."
All traces of her earlier confidence vanished into flustered mumbles.
Something felt... off.
Beneath the nervous excitement, Takakai sensed an unnatural tension in her posture.
Yet he said nothing—simply claimed her lips again with greater insistence.
Chika responded with clumsy enthusiasm, her inexperience evident in every tentative movement.
Encouraged, Takakai walked them backward until the bed caught Chika's knees—
—then tumbled down together, pinning her slight frame beneath him.
A violent shiver ran through her body.
As their lips parted, Chika gasped for air, her grip on his shoulders tightening convulsively.
Takakai trailed kisses along her jawline—
—feeling her tense further.
Down to her neck—
—her body turned statue-still.
Undoing the first button of her blouse revealed smooth shoulder skin—
—yet she remained motionless as a doll.
Takakai finally couldn't hold back any longer and stopped, lifting his gaze to the other's face—to Chika's tear-streaked cheeks, her small face still tightly scrunched up, unmoving despite the obvious distress.
"If you're not willing, why force yourself like this? Seeing you like this makes me uncomfortable too."
When they had kissed earlier, Takakai had already noticed that Chika was forcing herself, deliberately pushing herself to seduce him into going along with this.
Her acting had been flawless from start to finish, but when it came to actual physical contact, the girl couldn't help but reveal her true feelings. Thanks to the sensory blessing he'd gained from Shirakawa Apartments, Takakai could clearly perceive the growing disgust in Chika's emotions, something she could no longer hide.
At first, Takakai hadn't understood her intentions, so he'd played along. But now, he finally realized what Chika was thinking, which was why he stopped.
"Huh? I-I'm not forcing myself… Ugh, if Akira wants it, then, um, I'm fine with it…"
Chika, caught off guard by Takakai's sudden halt, opened her eyes in surprise, only to realize she'd started crying. She hurriedly wiped away her tears, but the hiccups in her voice betrayed her, making Takakai frown even deeper.
"Alright, get up and put your clothes back on. I'll admit I'm a pervert, but I'm not the kind of guy who'd take advantage of someone like this. Sit up, calm down, and tell me what's really going on."
With a sigh, Takakai sat down beside Chika, adjusting his pants and posture before continuing with a straight face.
"...Akira, you actually stopped? Even though Kaguya-sama and Maki-chan both said you were a shameless lecher who'd jump at any chance to grope a girl?"
Now Chika was genuinely shocked. She pulled her clothes back over her shoulders, sitting up to stare at Takakai as if seeing him for the first time.
"That's pretty rude. Yeah, I'll admit I'm a horndog—big or small, as long as they're pretty, cute, and not trouble-making, I'll probably be into them. But I'm still a guy with basic morals. You were obviously not into it, and I'm not an idiot. Did you really think I'd just bulldoze ahead like some mindless beast?"
Takakai sighed deeply again, keeping his eyes locked on her.
"...Eh? W-Was I really that obvious?"
Chika shrank back slightly, lowering her head to wipe away another tear.
She had been forcing herself.
All day, during the three-way "date" with Takakai and Maki, after nudging Takakai to comfort Maki and leaving on her own, after lying to Kaguya about having something important to discuss to get her to cover for her, after waiting alone at Takakai's doorstep for him to return, and even now, alone with him in his house—Chika had been pushing herself the entire time.
She had always been a clear-headed person. Even though she usually acted carefree and playful, after surviving the bloody, brutal death game of [Sacrifice Game], she knew she needed to bind herself to Takakai's team. She needed to maintain this group's stability. So she had provoked Maki first, then deliberately stepped back to make it harder for Maki to cut ties with Takakai. And now, she had come to him at night, prepared to let him have his way with her, ensuring she'd occupy a significant place in his heart.
After this, she had even more plans to stabilize the team—building a survival squad centered around Takakai, ensuring everyone's safety. Tonight's "progress" was a necessary step. She knew Takakai was a man of strong desires and even stronger initiative. If she took the lead, he wouldn't refuse. Once this step was done, she could maneuver things more easily, making it simpler to keep the team balanced.
This was something only she could do. Neither Kaguya nor Maki were proactive in relationships. Without her, they'd never manage their dynamic with Takakai properly.
Not that this was some grand self-sacrifice. Takakai had saved her in Red Nut Ash Cave. They'd risked their lives together. She genuinely liked him—especially after hearing from Maki and Kaguya about how he'd endured boiling water and needles stitching his mouth shut to lead the team through that hellish month. Her admiration for him had only grown stronger.
So, if it was him, she could accept it.
It's fine. He'll definitely take me. Akira's such a pervert, after all—even when he was helping me wrap bandages around my chest, he was clearly struggling to hold back. If I take the initiative, he won't refuse.
Fujiwara Chika had already steeled herself.
She wouldn't back down. This was her own decision.
But deep inside, in the part of her that still belonged to a peaceful world, a part of her still clung to the girlish fantasies she hadn't fully let go of—lingering reluctance, sadness, and the inability to fully accept what was happening.
After all, she had dreamed of romance. She had hoped for a partner who'd belong to her alone. She had imagined scenes of intimacy—but none of them involved forcing herself to deliver her body like some bargaining chip.
I thought I hid it well… but Akira saw right through me.
Chika lowered her head, feeling a pang of frustration.
"I'm not going to abandon you—or Maki, or Kaguya."
Then, Takakai's voice cut through her thoughts, firm and serious.
"Eh? That's not what I—"
Flustered, Chika looked up, only for Takakai to place a hand on her head, stopping her.
"Don't lump me in with an airhead like Maki. You're something else—a politician's daughter through and through, huh? Your schemes are next-level. But seriously, don't underestimate me. Who do you think I am? After all the torture I've endured, you think I just wanted to survive? No. I want everyone around me to live, to make it through every damn mission. I won't abandon a single one of you. I don't need anyone 'sacrificing' themselves to 'stabilize' the team. To me, all three of you are irreplaceable."
His words were heavy with conviction.
"That sounds like something a harem protagonist would say… and wait, so Kaguya-sama is on your target list?!"
Chika's deadpan retort instantly shattered the mood, leaving Takakai at a loss for words.
"Well… for now, I just want to sort things out with you and Maki. Future problems can wait for Future Me to deal with."
After a pause, Takakai decided not to make any bold declarations in front of Chika. He'd already learned his lesson with Maki.
"That's a terrible answer. If this were a press conference, you'd be demoted by tomorrow. Akira might be smart normally, but when it comes to love, you're just as much of an idiot."
Still grumbling, Chika reached up and gently placed her hand over Takakai's, the one resting on her head.
Akira's hands are big.
Rough, slightly cooler than hers, with a faint chill to the touch.
The fear and pain she'd felt earlier had completely faded now, replaced by a quiet sense of security.
Maybe there were still a lot of things she didn't understand about him.
[Ding-dong-ding-ding-ding—Calabash Brothers~!]
A lively ringtone blared from Takakai's phone.
"Eh? Is someone calling you?"
Startled, Chika watched as Takakai pulled out his phone and swiped the screen.
"Nah, just an alarm. It's my 10 PM reminder to go wash up. I set it so I don't get too sucked into gaming."
Takakai scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh, I see…"
Nodding vaguely, Chika absentmindedly tugged at her clothes, exhaling softly.
Then, cheeks reddening, she looked up at Takakai, her gaze unwavering.
"Um… Akira, do you have any spare clothes?"
She asked in a small voice.
"I came here in a hurry today, so… I didn't bring any pajamas…"
By the end of her sentence, she'd lowered her head again, her face flushing even deeper.