COTE :  Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

"This weather..."

Fuyuji raised a hand to his forehead, peering through the gaps in the leaves at the blazing sun hanging high in the sky. He then turned his head and glanced around at the crowds on the outer streets of Keyaki Mall. "How can there still be so many people at this hour? Are they taking a sauna?"

"Probably heading to the same destination as us."

Kiryuin's steps didn't falter. A few strands of her silver hair lifted in the hot breeze and brushed lightly past Fuyuji's sweat-dampened arm, bringing a faint, almost imperceptible tickle.

"That shop seems to be incredibly popular. It's pulling out after this break is over. Long lines and such aren't surprising."

"..."

Had the students at this school gone stir-crazy? Coming out in this heat just for a love fortune?

"Senpai, how about we just go back? We can come again in a few days. Once this novelty wears off, there should be way fewer people." Fuyuji attempted one final, desperate struggle.

"Sorry, Senpai doesn't like giving up halfway. Now that we're already here, leaving without seeing it would leave me in a somewhat unpleasant mood. And besides..."

Kiryuin cast Fuyuji a glance laden with deeper meaning, then said nothing more and continued forward.

Fuyuji tilted his head. Slowly, a question mark surfaced. What did that mean?

At this point, knowing Senpai's personality, trying to make her give up was most likely impossible. He could only see this through to the bitter end. Hopefully, there wouldn't be too many students waiting in line.

Wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead, Fuyuji quickened his pace and caught up to Kiryuin's steps. Following close behind, he dove straight into Keyaki Mall. Cool, refreshing air instantly enveloped his entire body, flowing along with his breath and spreading through his limbs and bones, sobering his brain, which had grown sluggish from the high temperature, just a little.

Unfortunately, that fortune-telling shop was set up on the fifth floor of Keyaki Mall. They still had a bit more ground to cover.

After laboriously squeezing through a stretch of escalator, the two arrived at the fifth floor. Two lines extended outward from two massive tents, and in between them stood a temporarily erected counter. Hanging from the tents was a notice: "This establishment accepts pairs only." Inside the tents, students entered and exited from time to time. Because they had arrived relatively early, there were only a few groups waiting ahead of them.

However, it seemed each pair took about ten-some minutes to process, and as a result, the entire line was creeping forward at a sluggish, squirming pace.

Kiryuin clearly lacked this kind of patience. Her fingertips rapped lightly against her arm, and she swept her gaze around before locking directly onto the female staff member directing the queue at the very end of the line.

"How much longer?" Kiryuin's voice wasn't loud, but that cold, imposing aura—brooking no doubt—instantly pierced through the surrounding clamor.

"Um..." The female staff member was caught off guard by the sudden question. Her professional smile froze for a beat, and her voice subconsciously dropped a few decibels as she replied weakly. "At fifteen minutes per pair... it'll probably take about an hour and a half..."

"An hour and a half."

After muttering this to herself, Kiryuin's gaze swept past the crowd and landed precisely on the cold drink shop across the hall—the one with most of its seats still empty. Then, with the utmost naturalness, she turned her head. Those deep, wine-red eyes silently fixed upon Fuyuji, her long lashes fluttering faintly. The meaning flickering in her eyes needed no further explanation.

"Senpai, wasn't this supposed to be a date?" Fuyuji's voice carried a note of deep-seated grievance. He finally understood the meaning behind that meaningful glance Senpai had cast him earlier. So the real reason she'd called him here was simply because she couldn't be bothered to stand in line and had found herself a patsy to do it for her.

"Relax." The corner of Kiryuin's lips curved. With the utmost naturalness, she reached out and whisked away her own exquisite handbag. "I won't let you suffer a loss. What do you want to drink? Order freely. Senpai's treating."

Before her voice had even fully faded, she had already turned around crisply, her silver hair tracing a dashing arc through the air. The crisp, clear tapping of her heeled sandals against the floor receded without the slightest hint of reluctance toward the cold drink shop.

Under the increasingly sympathetic gazes of that female staff member and the surrounding male students, Fuyuji was left behind, thoroughly disheveled in the air conditioning breeze.

...

For over an hour, Fuyuji watched—utterly numb—as Kiryuin lounged lazily in a comfortable sofa chair, a colorful cold drink set before her, even leisurely crossing her legs and flipping through a magazine! This was pissing him off!

Fuyuji leaned against the nearby railing, grinding his teeth in indignant fury. Domineering. Narcissistic. Unreasonable. Unwanted by anyone. This woman—absolutely no one would ever want her!

In the midst of this mind-numbingly boring wait, the gentle breeze of the air conditioning brushed across his entire body. The side effects of forcing himself out of bed today began to manifest, and drowsiness gradually crept over him.

"Tired?" The sound of thin-heeled sandals stepping on the floor rang out, and a cup of cold drink was held out before Fuyuji.

"Senpai, let's just go shopping next time. Dates are even more torturous than shopping," Fuyuji replied weakly.

"That won't do. Senpai actually quite enjoys going on dates with you." Kiryuin spoke in a rather cheerful mood. "Let's go, it's about time. Not bad, performance-wise. Senpai has a reward for you later."

"Save it for yourself, Senpai."

"No, that one's specially for you."

Just as the two were trading barbs in idle chatter, a businesslike voice rang out.

"Next pair, please enter."

Stepping inside, they saw an old woman wearing a dark-colored hood. She was stroking a crystal ball, her head lowered in silence. Beside her lay a thick, heavy tome—its pages yellowed, its edges worn, and covered in strange, indecipherable script. The lighting inside the tent had been deliberately dimmed, and only a few hanging lamps—reproductions of antique kerosene lanterns—emitted a dark, amber glow overhead, swaying slightly and casting dancing shadows on the floor. A manufactured stillness flowed through the air, with only the low hum of the central air conditioning's vents droning on, incessantly pumping out an excessive chill.

"The mists of academia, the threads of career fortune, the tangles of love, the longings of the heart—all flicker and flow within this sphere." A hoarse, raspy voice emerged from the old woman's lips. Immediately after, she spread her hand, gesturing for the two to sit down at the table before the crystal ball.

"Guests. What would you like to know?"

"Yo, you actually look the part," Fuyuji remarked, pinching his chin with a tone of surprise. "That amazing? You can divine anything?"

The very next moment, a card reader was slapped onto the table from below with a sharp thud, and the old woman spread her right hand.

"Pay first to consult, then the heavens' secrets are revealed. Once the secrets are disclosed, no refunds. Guests, which package would you like? Our shop has recently launched a discount promotion—purchasing the highest-tier package entitles you to a twenty percent discount."

Fuyuji, who had just barely settled into his chair, nearly toppled off it with a stumble. He slammed both hands on the table with a bang and exclaimed, struggling to hold it together. "You're a fraud, aren't you?! Aren't you supposed to be some unfathomably profound fortune-teller?! What's with this money-grubbing vibe?! And what the hell are 'heavens' secrets'? Isn't that the kind of stuff from Chinese fortune-telling?! Weren't you supposed to be a Witch?!"

The fortune-teller let out a sly chuckle and spoke with a dark, sinister air. "Gotta make a living, you know. Business hasn't been great lately. A little fusion of East and West—one more skill, one more road to walk."

"..."

Fuyuji turned his head and spoke bluntly. "Senpai, let's go back. Actually... I can read palms too. Later, Senpai can just stretch out your hand and let me study it. I can probably say a thing or two."

"No."

Kiryuin folded her arms elegantly across her chest and leaned back sideways against the chair, watching the interaction between the two with keen interest. "I find this rather amusing." Having said this, she lifted her eyes slightly. "How do you charge?"

"Basic matters—academics, career, romance, favorite things, and so on—five thousand private points."

The old woman's wizened finger tapped the cheapest column on the price sheet, then slowly slid downward. "If you wish to divine 'Kūbō' or accurately predict the course of romance, the appearance, height, occupation, wealth, and fortune of your future spouse... well, those naturally come at a higher price." As she spoke, her wrinkled fingers slowly pushed the printed price sheet toward Kiryuin.

Was this a scam shop or what? The most basic tier was five thousand points, and the highest was thirty thousand—enough to wipe out half of a current Class D student's monthly private points in one go.

"The highest one."

After a single glance at the price sheet, Kiryuin—who never cared much about money in the first place—spoke casually. She pinched her student card between her index and middle fingers and smoothly handed it over.

The old woman visibly perked up with excitement. "Ho ho, what a generous young lady. Nothing at all like this student here..."

"Haah~ Insulting your customers like that—is this how you do business?" Fuyuji sat sideways in his chair, one hand propping up his chin. He yawned once more, his eyes half-lidded, and spoke with exasperation.

"And what about this guest here?"

"The most basic tier—"

"Him too." Before he could finish, Kiryuin forcefully made the decision for him. "Keep charging that student card."

Watching the balance deducted from the card reader, Fuyuji's heart was bleeding. Thirty thousand points—that was enough for how many meals with Morishita and Miki?

"Well then... as per custom, ladies first. Any objections?"

"None."

"May I ask this young lady's name?"

"Kiryuin Fuka."

"Please extend your right hand."

A hand, well-proportioned and fair skinned, was extended. The wrinkled, aged hand of the old woman grasped it.

"First, the palm reading. The guest's lifeline is very long. You should enjoy considerable longevity. At this stage, there are also no signs of any major illness..."

Nonsense. With Senpai's physical fitness—the kind that could pick me up and swing me around—she could probably outlive me. They were all just vague, empty platitudes—ambiguous and directionless. How on earth did this place have so many good reviews on the forum?

Fuyuji listened from the side, growing sleepier and sleepier. His head drooped bit by bit, then suddenly jerked back up, then drooped bit by bit once more—and finally, with a soft thud, landed flat on the table.

"And romance?" Kiryuin casually asked the primary purpose of this trip.

"Regarding romance... judging by your palm, the guest has, as of yet, little to no experience. Your heart also harbors a certain shyness. However, love is sprouting quite nicely. As long as you maintain your current course, it should progress smoothly and reach its conclusion. Furthermore..."

"Oh?" Kiryuin finally showed a flicker of interest. She cast a silent, furtive glance at Fuyuji, whose head was now practically pressed against the tabletop, and pressed further. "What will life be like with him in the future? Can we pass our days in peaceful simplicity?"

"Uh." The old woman's tone suddenly turned bewildered. "Your future life together probably won't be too quiet. Judging by your palm, the guest appears to be a rather strong-willed woman. Typically, women of this type flourish in their careers, but their marriages tend to be less than happy."

Kiryuin's eyes half-lowered, and the fortune-teller continued to ramble on.

"However, it seems the guest's future husband possesses abilities that surpass your own. He can easily suppress your assertive personality, yet in daily life... so..."

After rambling on for quite a while longer, Fuyuji could no longer remember what was said next—because he had fallen asleep. All he could recall was that, in the moment before he drifted off, his left wrist had been forcibly pulled up and spread open.

"Read his fortune too. How long will he live?"

...

After a bout of dazed confusion, Fuyuji was directly hauled up from his slumber.

"Let's go."

Kiryuin suddenly stood up, reached out, and hooked an arm around Fuyuji's neck, dragging him along like an unwieldy piece of oversized luggage. She strode straight through the oppressive air inside the tent, flung open the curtain, and headed out. "Senpai's hungry. Come with me for lunch."

"Romance! Senpai, what about romance?! We came all this way—I'm still a little interested in the topic of romance! At least let me finish asking about romance before we leave!" Fuyuji struggled, trying to squirm his way back inside. Thirty thousand points! He couldn't let that scammer earn them that easily.

"I already asked. She said your heart is a little too restless. If you stay like this, you won't be able to find a wife in the future."

"Haah?!"

Fuyuji flew into a towering rage. He rolled up his sleeves and whipped out his phone. "I knew it was a scam shop! Watch me report her! I, the formiddable Minister of Revenue of Class A—in less than half a year, sitting on over ten million points—and she says I won't be able to find a wife in the future?!"

"That's just how it is." Kiryuin stood with her arms folded, watching him explode with keen, leisurely interest. A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered at the corner of her lips. "These days, even if you have money, you might not find a wife."

"I don't believe it!" Fuyuji was overcome with grief and indignation.

"Come to think of it... I've been hearing things. Your first year seems exceptionally... interesting~"

Kiryuin halted her steps and released her arm. A dashing grin surfaced on her face. "Your Class A—by the end of the first semester, you'd already climbed to nearly 1,700 class points. That's an unprecedented case in the entire history of this school."

Fuyuji was caught off guard by her sudden shift in topic and imposing presence. His chestful of grief and indignation instantly jammed in his throat.

As she spoke, Kiryuin seized Fuyuji's necktie and yanked him straight toward her, their noses nearly touching. Fuyuji could clearly feel her warm breath brushing against his skin, mingled with the faint, cool fragrance of her perfume. Her wine-red eyes stared straight into his own. "Kouhai. You just happen to be in Class A, don't you? What exactly did you do in all of this?"

"Just a tiny bit of work... maybe..." Fuyuji forced out a sheepish, fawning smile. His thumb and index finger carefully pinched together, gesturing an almost invisible distance in a desperate attempt to muddle through.

"Also—Nagumo has been in an exceptionally good mood lately, and full of fighting spirit. It should have something to do with that Horikita Manabu. But I sense... mixed within it, a certain familiar scent..." Kiryuin pressed forward, step by step.

"In just one semester since enrollment, you've pulled your class to such heights. And behind the scenes, you've been manipulating the struggle between the two Student Council Presidents. Kouhai..." Her wrist exerted force once more, yanking Fuyuji in even tighter. Kiryuin tilted her head slightly to the side, and her warm breath, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance, brushed past the shell of Fuyuji's ear and the sensitive skin of his neck like a feather. "You... wouldn't happen to have been playing weak in front of Senpai this whole time, would you?"

Oh, crap... What kind of cheat code was this? How could she be this accurate? Ryuen had searched for an entire semester and hadn't found him—and Senpai managed it in just a few minutes?

"Still," her voice suddenly softened, carrying a gentleness he had never seen before. The hand gripping his necktie quietly released, and instead, she gently smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric over his chest that had been crumpled by her grasp. "Senpai, for her part..."

She rose slightly on her tiptoes. Her wine-red pupils clearly reflected the boy's stunned, frozen face.

"...doesn't dislike it."

The very instant her voice fell—

"Chu~"

A sound—barely audible, yet startlingly distinct—rang out.

A warm, soft kiss—carrying an air that brooked no doubt—brief as a brush of wings, was gently imprinted upon Fuyuji's left cheek. The sensation was light as a feather, yet it felt like a branding iron searing into his skin.

Time seemed to freeze in that very moment. The clamor of the surrounding mall, the voices, the background music—all of it was instantly stripped away. All that remained was that singular point of strange yet vivid warmth on his cheek, and the flawless face of Senpai before him, carrying a trace of a smug, triumphant smile.

Fuyuji stood utterly petrified on the spot. His brain crashed and began rebooting.

"Let's go."

Kiryuin flicked her long, silvery-white hair and strode forward on her long legs without looking back.

"The reward ends here. Now accompany Senpai for a meal."

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50 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!