Kaguya-sama: Love Is War wants me to turn myself in.

“We’ve only been walking for a few minutes, basically in one direction. Even if we got lost, we wouldn’t have to come back,” Natsuki Amamiya said, shaking her head. “It’s more likely that the thing has already discovered us and affected our senses.”

"Let's go." Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, walking towards the tree. "Let's go see what tricks she has up her sleeve."

Since we can't avoid it, let's just go straight there and show her what it means to ask for trouble.

The two quickly walked to the tree.

Only when you get closer can you hear the little girl muttering a sentence.

"Two, two, two..."

The constant counting was inexplicably unsettling.

"Hey, do you know that I've made several elementary school students cry?"

Amamiya Natsuki's path was straightforward.

"You're kidding me, right?" Zi'an Yan looked over in shock, shouting in her heart, "What happened? Why would someone make a primary school student cry?!"

"..."

The little girl, who was tiptoeing to pick mushrooms from a tree, suddenly stopped and then slowly turned around.

Ziyan held her breath nervously and glanced over out of the corner of her eye. To her surprise, she discovered that under the hat was not a face full of mouths and evil spirits, but a cute little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I'm looking for mushrooms." The little girl hugged the bamboo basket tightly to her chest, took a timid half-step back, leaned against the pine tree, and said nervously, "Grandma is sick, and I want to pick some mushrooms to take back and make soup for her, but the snow is so heavy, I can't find any mushrooms... Could you please help me find some mushrooms?"

“My sick grandmother…” Zian Yan blurted out, “Are you Little Red Riding Hood?”

How do you know my name?

The little girl tilted her head, shaking off the snow from her hat to reveal a bright red hue.

at the same time.

At the same time, game notification sounds rang in the ears of Natsuki Amamiya and Tsubame Koyasu.

Side Quest: The Little Girl Who Finds Mushrooms

[Mission Summary: Grandma is sick, and Little Red Riding Hood needs to find enough food to nourish her.]

[Mission Requirements: Find the hidden mushroom within ten minutes]

[Reward: Unknown]

[Note: This is a mandatory task and cannot be refused.]

Looking for mushrooms?

Zian Yan pursed her pink lips, her expression hesitant.

Mushrooms are very common in late spring and early summer; after the rains, they cover the mountains and fields.

But with the snow all around and the weather freezing cold, where can we find mushrooms?

“We agreed.” Natsuki Amamiya pointed and sighed, “It’s because my senior is so kind and can’t stand seeing others in trouble.”

Zian Yan: "..."

I do like helping people, that's true, but this is clearly a weird Little Red Riding Hood in front of me, and I have absolutely no desire to help!

"Senior, you'll help, right?"

Amamiya Natsuki looked at Koyasu Tsubame.

"I...of course I can."

Seeing Little Red Riding Hood look up, Senior Sister Yanzi forced a smile.

“Now that we’re on the same page, let’s find some mushrooms.” Natsuki Amamiya walked up to the tree, reached out, and plucked a mushroom from the trunk, handing it to Little Red Riding Hood. “How about this mushroom?”

"No."

Little Red Riding Hood shook her head and began to mutter softly again, "Two, two, two..."

Zian Yan squatted down and asked curiously:

"Two what?"

Little Red Riding Hood calmly replied, "Two mushrooms."

Upon hearing this, Zian Yan looked curiously at Little Red Riding Hood's bamboo basket. "Strange, there are clearly no mushrooms."

Natsuki Amamiya looked down and saw that the bamboo basket was completely empty; there wasn't a single mushroom in it.

at the same time.

Text prompts appeared in Natsuki Amamiya's eyes:

[Through careful observation, you have successfully obtained a clue: in the fairytale world where nightmares come true, mushrooms are sometimes not the mushrooms you imagine.]

So, regular mushrooms don't count?

Natsuki Amamiya looked down at the mushrooms she had just picked.

Without any prior notice from the game, it's clear that these mushrooms do not meet the mission requirements.

You notice something amiss with the person in front of you wearing Little Red Riding Hood, and you decide to strip them naked to verify their identity.

Hey, stripping a little girl of her clothes right off the bat is a crime punishable by jail time, and an even more serious one at that!

You stripped off Little Red Riding Hood's clothes, nodded in satisfaction, and the elementary school student from the fairy tale world was quite capable, but unfortunately, you still couldn't find any mushrooms.

How good is he at fighting?

Amamiya Natsuki immediately became interested.

They look so small, how could they possibly fight two silly young ladies?

Amamiya Natsuki took a deep breath and suddenly said:

"Senior, you stole my things!"

"Eh?"

Zian Yan looked at her blankly, and instinctively wanted to deny it.

This is my first time visiting your house today. I haven't even left yet, how could I possibly steal anything from you!

Natsuki Amamiya continued:

"We'll look for the mushrooms later. Let me search my body first."

Fortunately, this senior student was quite clever. After blinking, she quickly cooperated and said:

"I don't want it, I didn't."

Amamiya Natsuki added, "We must check today. Don't even think about hiding behind Little Red Riding Hood."

Senior Sister Yanzi understood and stepped closer to Little Red Riding Hood, saying, "I won't let you check me."

"Don't even think about hiding."

Natsuki Amamiya followed.

Little Red Riding Hood stood still, looking hesitant, as if wondering whether to move aside, but ultimately she didn't move.

As they were talking, Natsuki Amamiya finally got close to Little Red Riding Hood, and without hesitation, grabbed the hat on Little Red Riding Hood's head, lifted it up, and shook off the snow.

Amamiya Natsuki moved too fast; Little Red Riding Hood couldn't react in time.

next second.

A tuft of golden hair came into view.

"Eh eh eh?"

Senior Sister Yanzi opened her eyes wide in shock to see that a purple mushroom was growing on the little girl's head.

Chapter 364 She's Still a Child

Removing the stranger's hat, Natsuki Amamiya clearly saw a small purple mushroom growing among the golden hair.

"Eh eh eh?"

Senior Yanzi was startled and instinctively took a half step back: "How come mushrooms are growing on her head?"

"Stay calm." Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "Many people grow all sorts of stones on their joints, some even as big as pigeon eggs. It's normal for a mushroom to grow on your head, right?"

Zi'an Yan's lips twitched slightly: "A stone growing on a joint... it feels so familiar."

Amamiya Natsuki exclaimed in surprise:

"Does the senior student also have gout?"

"Of course not!"

Senior Sister Yanzi couldn't help but shout.

Gouty tophi usually only develop in people who eat and drink excessively! I maintain my figure by dieting and exercising every day, which is why I don't get gout!

"Senior, the random mission is complete," Natsuki Amamiya reminded her.

Upon hearing this, Zi'an Yan looked at the task panel and said in surprise, "It's really completed."

After speaking, Senior Yanzi turned her gaze and couldn't help but look at the little girl who was being held in Amamiya Natsuki's hands.

The two of them didn't look for any other mushrooms at all; in other words... the mushroom on the little girl's head was the mission target.

Amamiya Natsuki remained on high alert, ready to crack down on Little Red Riding Hood, but the little girl seemed to be just an ordinary person. After being captured, she showed no special characteristics other than trembling in fear.

"This mushroom..."

Amamiya Natsuki stretched out her right hand and gently touched the mushroom on the little girl's head. She plucked it slightly and discovered that it was not a decoration, but something that had actually grown.

"Ouch, it hurts so much." The little girl's eyes were brimming with tears, like a poor creature being violently assaulted, as she pleaded softly, "Please don't pull it out, I'll die!"

"Don't worry, you're not an ordinary person. Trust yourself," Natsuki Amamiya comforted her. "An ordinary person dressed like this would have frozen to death long ago."

"Please don't continue!" Little Red Riding Hood trembled, her eyes misty with tears, pleading incessantly, "You'll really die!"

Koyasu Tsubame felt a pang of guilt, but knowing that Amamiya Natsuki was doing something important, she didn't stop her, only saying:

"Little...Little Red Riding Hood, right? Why did you say the mushroom would die if you picked it?"

The little girl looked at her senior with teary eyes, sniffling, and said, "Because Grandma died like that... I don't want to die like Grandma."