COTE : Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

The stairwell entrance was steeped in the peculiar stillness unique to the late night.

"As expected, Lady Morishita has caught a big fish."

"Tch... spending nearly an hour in another girl's room at this time of night—that damn scumbag!"

"Fufu~ and he nearly pulled the wool over our eyes on the very first day too..."

"How did Morishita-san know that Fuyuji might go out this late?"

After waiting a while longer and confirming there were no further signs of Fuyuji Mikage emerging, the four girls huddled together let their taut shoulders slump. They scattered in an instant, filing out from the stairwell corner one after another, their footsteps ringing out abruptly in the empty corridor.

"Achoo~"

In the quiet hallway, a draft from the air conditioning swept past, stirring a few unruly strands of Morishita Ai's hair. She let out an adorable sneeze without warning, her body quivering lightly in its wake.

"Are you alright, Morishita-san?" Yamamura Miki immediately stepped closer with concern, her hand unconsciously pressing against her own rising and falling chest. Her delicate brows furrowed with a worried expression.

"I'm fine."

Morishita rubbed her petite nose and waved a hand to tell her not to worry. Expressionless, she declared, "I am a chosen one bearing the title of Amazon Warrior. I won't get sick. It must be that someone is missing the adorable Lady Morishita."

Having said this, she tilted her chin up slightly, striking the pose of a great detective, and pointed toward the door of Fuyuji's room. Returning to the previous topic, she stated with absolute certainty:

"Because that pervert Fuyuji is normally all secretive and mysterious. After nine at night, he generally doesn't go out. For him to go out at this hour, there's definitely something fishy going on."

Beside her, Kamuro Masumi stood with her arms folded, glancing intermittently toward Fuyuji's room. She muttered under her breath, "That does seem to be the case."

That guy was actually a well-behaved honor student with good living habits?

"I can't believe it went so smoothly—we got results on the very first day."

Shiraishi Asuka covered the corner of her mouth, her eyes shimmering as she gazed toward Fuyuji's room. Smiling brightly, she remarked, "That student—she should be Horikita-san from Class D, right? I remember her older brother is Student Council President Horikita Manabu. Is she that close with Fuyuji?"

"I've been wondering why there's always some poor sap funneling money to him—millions of private points per semester. Fuyuji Mikage... going behind our backs and doing that kind of shady business." Morishita shook her head, her voice floating with a sigh of lament.

"No way," Yamamura pressed the elevator button while shaking her head vigorously, her soft hair swaying with the motion. She hurried to defend him. "Fuyuji-kun isn't that kind of person."

"We'll find out tomorrow when we keep watching."

As for Fuyuji's character, Kamuro held nothing but scorn. She cast her gaze toward her phone screen once more.

"That bastard probably won't come out again. Today's operation can end here. Let's head back."

With a ding, the elevator doors slid open. The bright light from within spilled onto four faces, each bearing a different expression. The group stepped inside.

"Still," Shiraishi's brows curved like crescent moons, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, "I didn't expect Morishita-san's plan to go so smoothly."

"Hmph hmph, that's only natural." Morishita produced her phone with a magician's flourish, her fingers deftly swiping open the map application.

Fuyuji's phone location was prominently displayed on the screen.

Yes.

That morning, the so-called three-day cold war with Fuyuji had actually been a stratagem quietly devised by the four girls.

The goal was to figure out exactly how many girls Fuyuji had ambiguous, unclear relationships with.

The phones issued by the Advanced Nurturing High School came with a location service. As long as the permission toggle was switched on, anyone added as a friend could see that person's current location on the map.

Normally, Fuyuji kept this permission turned off.

But... all four of them knew the unlock code to his phone.

So, while he was asleep that morning, they had simply and quietly switched on the phone's location service permission. Fuyuji's entire day's movements would then be laid out for them to see at a glance.

Without realizing it, the four had already reached the junction where their paths would diverge.

Morishita walked to the door of her own room and faced the other three.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Mm, goodbye."

After exchanging simple farewells, the remaining three each headed toward their own rooms. The sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the empty corridor, finally cut off by the thick doors of their dormitory rooms.

Before long.

Morishita stepped lightly and briskly into her own room. A crisp click sounded as the lock engaged. The door closed, shutting out the silence of the corridor.

Then, a faint curve surfaced on her small face—a face that usually showed little emotional fluctuation. She pulled out her phone and, almost with a hint of impatience, jabbed open Fuyuji's contact information.

She hadn't forgotten that not long ago, Fuyuji had called to invite her out on a date. This was a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity!

The ringtone sounded only once before the call connected—so fast that the curve of Morishita's lips crept up another notch.

"Fuyuji Mikage?"

"What's great Morishita calling me for so late?" A rustling sound came from the other end of the line. It seemed he was taking a shower.

"Cough cough, well..." Morishita cleared her throat, kept her face taut, and said with feigned seriousness, "I have a question to test you. What was it you called Lady Morishita about earlier?"

A few seconds of silence passed on the other end. Then, a tentative voice asked, "A date?"

"Correct!" The words flew out of Morishita's mouth before she could stop them.

But as if realizing her moment of triumphant smugness was giving her away, she lowered her voice and struggled to make her tone sound more casual. "Since you sincerely and earnestly invited Lady Morishita on a date just now, it is only natural that Lady Morishita must respond accordingly. Otherwise, it would violate the etiquette of the Morishita household. The time will be set for tomorrow."

The other end seemed to pause for a moment. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow at ten in the morning." Morishita put on a stern little face and declared fiercely, "In front of the Keyaki Mall entrance! Don't you dare be late!"

The other end also seemed to have realized something. A reply tinged with amusement came through. "Alright, tomorrow it is."

Morishita kicked off her slippers and stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet. She walked to the window and gazed out at the sparse lights beyond. Her voice unconsciously softened a little. "Then it's settled... ten o'clock sharp. Don't be late."

"Mm, it's settled." The reply from the other end was brief and firm.

With a snap, the call ended. Morishita flung herself onto the bed, bounced twice, rolled around, then buried her burning cheeks into the slightly cool pillow. A muffled, joy-filled sigh escaped her. Then she pulled her little blanket over herself and closed her eyes.

Yet the corner of her lips could no longer be suppressed, curving upward into a soft arc, silently blooming in the darkness.

On the other side.

Fresh out of the shower, Fuyuji held a towel in one hand, wiping his dripping wet hair, while the other hand dazedly set down his phone.

Droplets of water traced the lines of his neck and dripped onto the floor, producing faint, rhythmic plinks that were especially crisp in the quiet room.

Just moments ago, he'd been wondering which of them would be the first to crack and try to sneak ahead. He never expected it to be Ai.

Still... this works perfectly.

Fuyuji dried his hair and walked out of the bathroom with a smile. His fingers swiped across his phone as he began to look up date routes for tomorrow.

Come to think of it, this was his first date ever...

Late at night, a crescent moon hung high in the center of the sky. The night was deep, and all was still.

In the pitch-black room, the phone on the nightstand suddenly lit up. A piercing ringtone blared throughout the room.

"Hello~"

Fuyuji was jolted awake almost instantly. He groped for the buzzing, vibrating phone, his heavy eyelids prying open a crack.

From the receiver came a muffled, choked sob: "Fuyuji Mikage... I feel a little unwell..."

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