After school, Shin stood at the school gate, watching Chika Fujiwara waiting for him yet again. He couldn't help but facepalm:
"Why are you here again? Are you really planning to come every day after school?"
Unsurprisingly, Chika Fujiwara's arrival once again sparked whispers among the students at the gate, discussing the connection between Shin and the young lady of Shuchi'in Academy.
Shin almost felt a little guilty toward Shizuka Hiratsuka—just this morning, she had warned him to keep a low profile, yet now, after school, he was already stirring up another wave of gossip.
"Hmph, this time I didn't come alone!"
Chika Fujiwara, seemingly oblivious to the implications of her presence, puffed out her chest proudly as she spoke.
To Chika Fujiwara, Shuchi'in Academy wasn't some extraordinary place—just a normal school. Growing up in a political elite family, she couldn't comprehend the mystique many ordinary students attached to the prestigious academy.
"Not alone? Did you bring Hayasaka again?"
Shin was surprised and immediately focused on sensing the surrounding "ki."
Sure enough, inside a car not far away, he detected Ai Hayasaka's presence—she really had come with Chika Fujiwara.
But this only deepened Shin's confusion. He eyed Chika Fujiwara suspiciously and asked:
"Does this mean you've given up? Are you finally accepting reality?"
After all, Chika Fujiwara had been betrayed by Ai Hayasaka before—originally coming to persuade Shin to "reform," only to end up being forced to watch Shin and Ai Hayasaka's... activities.
Since then, Chika Fujiwara had resisted her desires, not letting Shin do anything too extreme, but he couldn't shake the feeling that her resistance was weakening.
With that kind of history, if Chika Fujiwara still dared to bring Hayasaka along, Shin could only assume she was ready to surrender completely.
"Accept reality...? Accept what reality?"
Chika Fujiwara didn't immediately understand, but seeing Shin's teasing expression, she quickly realized what he meant.
Her face flushed bright red, and she indignantly punched Shin's chest—though, of course, not with any real force.
"P-Pervert! Who said anything about that?! I haven't accepted anything!"
Sure, Chika Fujiwara sometimes thought about what Shin had done, and recently, she'd even dreamed about him.
But that didn't mean she was okay with him doing those things to her! She wasn't some easy pushover!
After mentally reassuring herself, Chika Fujiwara finally spoke up:
"This time, I didn't just bring Hayasaka—I brought Kaguya too!"
That's right—inside the car parked nearby wasn't just Ai Hayasaka. Kaguya Shinomiya was there as well.
Normally, Kaguya Shinomiya wouldn't be allowed to leave casually, but if it involved Shin, the Shinomiya family would wholeheartedly approve.
That was the only reason Chika Fujiwara could get Kaguya out—without Shin's name, the Shinomiya family wouldn't have let her go so easily.
"So, what's your plan?"
Shin looked at Chika Fujiwara calmly, waiting to see what kind of scheme she had in mind.
"Today, we're going on a date—with Kaguya!"
Chika Fujiwara stared straight at Shin as she announced her plan.
Her reasoning was simple—if she alone couldn't make Shin "change his ways," then she'd bring Kaguya Shinomiya into the mix!
If Kaguya and Shin spent more time together, deepening their bond, surely Shin would eventually fall completely for Kaguya and abandon his "philandering" habits.
For someone who'd never been in a relationship, this was probably the "best" solution Chika Fujiwara could come up with.
Her inspiration? Various shoujo manga.
As for whether Ai Hayasaka would interfere... Chika Fujiwara had considered that too.
Though Hayasaka often acted sly, her care for Kaguya Shinomiya was genuine.
So in Chika Fujiwara's mind, as long as Kaguya was present, Hayasaka had to behave!
"S-Shin... hello."
When Shin got into the back seat, he indeed found Kaguya Shinomiya and Ai Hayasaka already waiting.
Though Kaguya had already met Shin at the banquet and spoken with him at length, she still seemed slightly nervous around him now.
At least she wasn't as cold as when they first met.
"Young Master Shin."
Ai Hayasaka nodded at him, addressing him directly as "Young Master"—as if she were his maid.
Hearing this, Kaguya Shinomiya didn't react much, finding it perfectly normal.
After all, in her eyes, Shin was already her "fiancé," so Hayasaka could be considered his maid too.
Though Hayasaka had become Shin's maid far earlier than Kaguya realized.
"So, Chika, what's the plan?"
Shin glanced at Chika Fujiwara, who had taken the passenger seat, raising an eyebrow.
Since she seemed to have arranged something, he'd play along for now and see what she had in store.
"Hmph, next, we're going to the movies!"
Chika Fujiwara, as if expecting the question, grinned triumphantly and pulled out four movie tickets.
This fit perfectly with Shin's stereotypical impression of "dates" in Japan—seemingly limited to just a few locations: amusement parks, movie theaters, cafés... and love hotels.
Then again, Chika Fujiwara had zero dating experience. Her entire plan was purely theoretical—no one could expect her to have any groundbreaking ideas about "dates."
"Then, after the movie, I'll handle the arrangements for the break."
Ai Hayasaka, seeing the tickets in Chika Fujiwara's hand, didn't object—she just coolly added her own plans.
Shin instantly guessed Hayasaka's intentions. He looked at her and, sure enough, saw her staring right back.
Chika Fujiwara, however, remained oblivious to Hayasaka's "sinister" intentions. Hearing that Hayasaka would handle the post-movie break, she nodded eagerly:
"Sure! Then it's up to Hayasaka!"
In Chika Fujiwara's mind, Hayasaka's idea of a "break" would naturally be a café or something similar.
Kaguya Shinomiya was Hayasaka's master, after all. No matter how mischievous Hayasaka was, she wouldn't possibly arrange for Kaguya to "rest" at a love hotel... right?
To be continued…