That night, in Kaguya's room, Hayasaka Ai paused while making tea.
"What? Kaguya Shinomiya, you're holding a Tanabata party?"
She truly hadn't expected the backstabbing to come so suddenly. Did Kaguya Shinomiya have no other form of entertainment besides backstabbing her?
I've been having strange dreams lately, and I'm already annoyed enough. Kaguya Shinomiya, don't add more stress to my life.
Ai-chan finished making the tea and walked over to Kaguya, who was sitting on the bed. Placing the tea on the small table, Hayasaka Ai asked, "What should we do about Hayasaka-kun? Have you considered that, Kaguya Shinomiya?"
"What's that?" Kaguya picked up her tea.
"...You were the one who suggested I cross-dress as a male, right?" Hayasaka Ai said expressionlessly.
She was a little angry.
"Oh~ there was such a thing." Kaguya said, then fell into thought.
That's right. Hayasaka's identity couldn't be exposed, especially not to Fujiwara Chika. As a mischief-maker, if Chika found out about this, Kaguya dared not imagine what would happen next.
"There's always a solution to things, Hayasaka. 'The bridge will straighten itself when the boat reaches it'—you've heard that saying, right?" Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't think of a solution, so she decided to let time solve all the problems. Simply put, she gave up on thinking.
"Kaguya Shinomiya, you don't think this has nothing to do with you, do you?" Hayasaka Ai's tone was flat. She was currently in her perfectly elegant maid form, and not showing her inner emotions was a maid's essential lesson.
I'm angry. Ai-chan was already cursing internally. She had already decided to go on a date with Sakurai on Tanabata, and now everything was ruined.
Hayasaka Ai took out her phone.
"Hayasaka, what are you doing?"
"Texting my boyfriend." Ai-chan typed on her phone with one hand.
She'd tell Sakura-chan, and then she could just come out as Hayasaka-kun that day. As for the excuse—she'd say she didn't want her identity exposed to the other Student Council members, and Sakurai would accept it.
"Boyfriend, boyfriend—Hayasaka, you've been showing off your affection in front of me every day lately." Kaguya set down her tea. "I'm actually very curious—what's so good about Sakurai General Affairs?"
She had never understood this point. In her opinion, no one would truly fall for a creature named Sakurai Saki. But Fujiwara Chika and Hayasaka Ai both liked him. And these two were the closest people to Kaguya Shinomiya.
"His appearance goes without saying." Ai-chan gave a very simple answer. "As for other things—it's probably his gentleness. And he's also very hardworking."
"Appearance? That much is true." Kaguya was very disappointed with this answer. "But Hayasaka, are you really that shallow?"
As for the 'gentleness' Hayasaka Ai mentioned, Kaguya Shinomiya hadn't felt it at all. Anyone could be gentle, but Sakurai General Affairs absolutely could not be. He always talked back to her, and last time he lost a test, he had even made her wear a maid outfit to serve him.
"It's a very small part." Hayasaka Ai sat on the bed and played with her phone. "There are plenty of good-looking boys at Shuchiin Academy. Chatting with Kaguya-san is probably my most relaxing time, other than spending time with Sakurai."
She paused. "Our first private meeting wasn't exactly normal."
That time, he had pointed at her nose and cursed at her several times. Hayasaka felt that her later liking for him was somewhat masochistic. Hayasaka Ai's liking for Sakurai was probably because they were very similar in how they treated people and handled affairs. At school, both wore masks, and after school, it was the same. They even shared a mischievous streak—Iino Miko probably understood this deeply.
"Alright." Hayasaka put away her phone.
An hour later, after finishing their casual chat, Hayasaka Ai left Kaguya's bedroom.
Here it comes again.
She held her forehead—a dizzy spell made her mind unclear. She felt like she needed to find time to see a doctor, lest something truly go wrong. Otherwise, it would be a classic K-drama plot: the beloved girlfriend gets a terminal illness, and the boyfriend gets hit by a car on the way to seek medical treatment, then loses his memory.
Well, it wasn't that melodramatic. The Shinomiya family had private hospitals and doctors, and their medical technology was top-notch in the island nation. As long as it was discovered early, there was no illness that couldn't be cured.
Night fell.
Hayasaka Ai, lying on her bed, stretched. A pair of white cat ears appeared on her head, and from the lower half of her pajamas, a flexible cat tail emerged.
"Recently, the memories with the main body have started to intertwine, meow…" Hayasaka Meow murmured.
Would her secret of stealing her boyfriend be exposed? No, that's not right. She and Hayasaka were the same person. It shouldn't matter if she used the boyfriend, right? Hayasaka herself hadn't objected, so that meant she agreed. Hmm. No problem.
Hayasaka Meow's intelligence level was no different from a cat's. It was too difficult for her to distinguish between herself and the main body, and she had given Hayasaka Ai a bunch of metaphorical cuckold horns.
Having changed her clothes, Hayasaka Meow prepared to go out.
On the other side.
At the Five Sisters' home, in a luxurious apartment on the thirtieth floor—
Nino was reading a book.
She maintained her habit of the past two months—studying for two extra hours every day after finishing her homework. However, today, she couldn't focus on studying. Or rather, ever since she heard Sakurai Saki's confession to Hayasaka Ai, she hadn't been able to focus.
A large part of Nino's motivation for studying hard had been to make Sakurai Saki like her. But now that he had a girlfriend, what was the point of studying? To get into a good university later? Perhaps.
"You didn't even try to confess properly, Nino. You're such a weakling."
She rested her cheek on her hand, muttering to herself. After speaking, Nino picked up her pen in frustration and began to sketch in her notebook. First, there were chaotic patterns, but as she drew, they gradually transformed into a face somewhat resembling Sakurai's.
"Wuwu!!!" Nino covered her head, letting out a wail.
Why couldn't she forget him? He was just a man. Why couldn't she forget him? Just a tutor, sharp-tongued, and not considerate. Why did she like such a man so much? She completely couldn't understand her own feelings.
There are so many good men in the world. Don't get hung up on just one, Nino.
Nakano Nino banged her head on the desk a few times, making a loud noise, and a small red patch appeared on her forehead.
Outside the door, Ichika, who had just returned from the restroom and was passing by, said, "It's late, Nino. Be quieter."
"Got it—!" Nino said, then lay motionless on the desk.
Damn it. She still liked him after all.
If only the world could pause like this. Nino began to indulge in unrealistic fantasies. Time travel would be nice too—back to a year ago. What if a zombie apocalypse started tomorrow, and it was just me and him left in the world…
No, no, no. How could that be possible. And her sisters couldn't be harmed.
Forget it. I'll just go to sleep.
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