Chapter 69: Chapter 69
Chika snuggled closer to Kaguya, her teeth still chattering. "It's no use! I can't feel my toes anymore!"
Kaguya tried to maintain her composure, but a slight tremor in her voice betrayed her discomfort. "P-perhaps we should... move around a bit? To keep our blood flowing."
Yukino, ever practical, spoke up from the end of the sofa. "That would only expend more energy. Our best bet is to conserve heat like this."
Rikka, squished between Yukino and another girl, mumbled something about her "dark flame dragon" providing warmth, but nobody paid much attention.
On another sofa, Natsuki and a few other boys sat rigidly, trying to maintain as much personal space as possible while still benefiting from shared body heat.
Natsuki cleared his throat awkwardly. "So... uh, anyone know any good jokes to pass the time?"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Chika suddenly perked up. "Oh! I know! We could play a game to keep our minds off the cold!"
Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "What kind of game did you have in mind?"
"How about 'Truth or Dare'?" Chika suggested, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
A collective groan rose from the group.
Yukino sighed. "I don't think that's appropriate given our current predicament."
"Aww, you're no fun," Chika pouted. "Fine, how about 'I Spy'?"
Natsuki couldn't help but chuckle. "In this empty room? It'd be a pretty short game."
As they bickered about potential games, the frost continued to creep along the walls, a constant reminder of their dire situation. The countdown to... whatever was coming next seemed to stretch on endlessly, leaving them all wondering if they'd make it through this trial by ice.
Natsuki stood awkwardly as Chika clung to his arm, feeling like a human radiator. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but a faint blush crept across his cheeks.
"Uh, Fujiwara... isn't this a bit..." he started, but Chika cut him off.
"Don't be shy, Natsuki! We're all freezing here. You're doing a public service!" She beamed up at him, completely oblivious to his discomfort.
Kaguya watched the scene unfold, her face a mask of indifference. But inside, her thoughts were racing.
"I don't care at all. Why would I care? It's just body heat. Purely practical. Nothing more," she told herself, even as her fingers twitched with the urge to pry Chika away.
As the other girl, Hinata, approached for her turn, Natsuki looked like he wanted to sink into the floor.
"This isn't what I had in mind when I put on the badge," he muttered.
Yukino, observing from her spot on the sofa, couldn't help but comment. "It seems Amamiya has become our very own space heater. How... efficient."
Rikka piped up, her voice filled with childish wonder. "Does this mean Natsuki has become the Flame of Salvation? The Bringer of Warmth in our darkest hour?"
Izumi, still shivering on the other sofa, called out, "Hey, what about us guys? We're freezing too!"
Chika, ever the problem solver, clapped her hands. "I know! We'll form two lines. Girls on one side, boys on the other. Everyone gets a quick Natsuki hug!"
Natsuki's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, what? I didn't agree to-"
But it was too late. The cold and desperate players had already started forming lines, eyeing Natsuki like he was the last lifeboat on a sinking ship.
As chaos ensued, with players jostling for position in the "Natsuki warmth line," Kaguya remained seated, her pride battling with her desire for warmth. She watched as Natsuki awkwardly patted people's backs, looking more uncomfortable by the second.
"This is ridiculous," she murmured, even as she felt herself standing up, drawn towards the warmth despite herself. "Purely for survival," she reminded herself sternly. "Nothing more."
Natsuki sighed, feeling like a human experiment. "So, it seems hugging me extends the countdown. Great. I've become a living clock."
Chika's eyes lit up with excitement. "Natsuki, you're amazing! You're literally buying us time!"
"Glad to be of service," Natsuki muttered sarcastically. "Though I'd prefer if it didn't involve being treated like a carnival attraction."
Rikka, who had been patiently waiting her turn, suddenly declared, "The Dark Flame Dragon within me resonates with Natsuki's warmth! Our powers combined shall surely vanquish this icy curse!"
Everyone ignored her, as usual.
Yukino, still refusing to join the line, observed coolly from her spot on the sofa. "It's interesting that the effect varies. Perhaps it's tied to the duration or intensity of contact?"
"Only one way to find out!" Chika announced cheerfully. "Everyone, we need to hug Natsuki harder and longer!"
Natsuki's eyes widened in panic. "Wait, no—"
But it was too late. The line of shivering players surged forward, each determined to maximize their time gain.
Kaguya, still seated, watched the chaos unfold. Her pride warred with her practical side. On one hand, the idea of hugging Natsuki in front of everyone made her want to crawl under the sofa. On the other hand, more time meant a better chance of survival.
"This is utterly undignified," she murmured, even as she found herself standing up. "I'm only doing this for the sake of the mission. Nothing more."
As Kaguya reluctantly made her way to the back of the line, she couldn't help but notice how Natsuki's eyes widened slightly upon seeing her. She quickly looked away, pretending to be very interested in a nearby wall.
"Remember," she told herself sternly, "it's just a game mechanic. There's no deeper meaning to any of this."
Meanwhile, Natsuki found himself wishing he'd never put on that badge in the first place. "Next time," he grumbled as another ice-cold player latched onto him, "I'm keeping any weird items to myself."
Kaguya felt her heart racing as her back pressed against Natsuki's. The warmth spreading through her was undeniable, but she struggled to maintain her composure.
"This... this is acceptable," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "For survival purposes only, of course."
Natsuki nodded, trying to ignore the softness of Kaguya's back against his. "Of course. Purely practical."
Meanwhile, Chika watched the scene unfold with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Ooh, Kaguya-chan, your face is getting red! Is Natsuki's back that warm?"
Kaguya's eyes widened in panic. "It's... it's just the cold! My face is flushed from the temperature change!"
Yukino, still observing from her spot, raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. I wonder if the lack of visible breath has any correlation to the temperature anomaly we're experiencing."
Rikka, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly piped up. "Perhaps we've entered a realm where mortal breath no longer manifests! The astral plane of eternal winter!"
Natsuki, grateful for the distraction from his current predicament, latched onto the topic. "The missing breath is strange. It's like we're in some kind of... I don't know, suspended animation?"
As they discussed the peculiar absence of visible breath, Kaguya found herself relaxing slightly, the warmth from Natsuki's back seeping into her bones. She'd never admit it out loud, but this wasn't entirely unpleasant.
"So," Natsuki said, trying to keep his voice neutral, "has your countdown changed at all?"
Kaguya checked her status. "It... it has. An additional hour."
Chika clapped her hands excitedly. "See? Back-to-back works even better! We should all try it!"
Before anyone could protest, she was already organizing the remaining players into back-to-back pairs.
As chaos once again erupted in the room, with players awkwardly shuffling to find compatible back-warmers, Natsuki and Kaguya remained still, neither willing to be the first to break contact.
"This is purely for survival," Kaguya reminded herself sternly, even as she felt her muscles relax against Natsuki's warmth. "Nothing more."
Little did they know, this unusual method of keeping warm was about to lead them to uncover more mysteries about their current predicament.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone