Chapter 184: Nino Begins to Fantasize
That evening, in Kaguya's room, Hayasaka Ai's hand paused mid-motion while pouring tea.
"What? Kaguya-sama, you're planning to host a Tanabata party?"
She really didn't expect the backstab to come so quickly.
Does Shinomiya Kaguya have no other form of entertainment besides stabbing her in the back?
'Lately I've been having all sorts of weird dreams, I'm already tired enough, please don't add more pressure, Kaguya-sama!'
Ai-chan finished making the tea and walked over to Kaguya, who was sitting on the bed.
Setting the cup down on the small table, Hayasaka Ai asked, "And what about Herthaka-kun? Kaguya-sama, have you thought about that?"
"What do you mean?" Kaguya lifted her tea.
"…The part where I pretend to be a boy. That was your idea, wasn't it?" Hayasaka Ai said with a blank expression.
She was starting to get irritated.
Hayasaka: (눈_눈)
"Oh~ that," Kaguya said, then fell into thought.
That's right. Hayasaka's identity absolutely must not be exposed—especially not to Fujiwara Chika.
As someone who "lives for fun," if Chika ever found out about this, what would happen afterward… even Kaguya didn't dare imagine it.
"There's always a solution to everything, Hayasaka. Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'the road will naturally straighten when it reaches the bridge'?" Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't come up with any solution, so she decided to let time take care of it.
To put it bluntly: give up and stop thinking.
Kaguya: ¯\_( ｰ̀εｰ́ )_/¯
"Kaguya-sama, you're not thinking this has nothing to do with you, are you?" Hayasaka Ai said in a calm tone. At this moment, she was fully in her "cool maid" mode—a proper maid never lets her emotions show.
'So pissed off.' Ai-chan was already cursing internally.
She had made up her mind—she would go on a date with Sakurai during the Tanabata Festival. Now that plan was completely ruined!
Hayasaka Ai took out her phone.
"Hayasaka, what are you doing?"
"Texting my boyfriend." Ai-chan tapped away with one hand holding her phone.
She'd just tell Sakurai-chan, and that day she would go out as Herthaka-kun. Done.
As for the reason?
Just tell him she didn't want her identity revealed to the student council. Sakurai would definitely understand.
"'My boyfriend, my boyfriend'—Hayasaka, lately you've been flaunting your relationship in front of me every day. Honestly, I really want to know, what on earth do you see in Sakurai-san?" Kaguya still couldn't figure it out.
In Kaguya's eyes, that creature named Sakurai Saki really had nothing to like.
And yet, both Fujiwara Chika and Hayasaka Ai liked him! And those two were the people Kaguya was closest to, no less.
"Appearance aside, I guess... he's gentle, kind, and... he tries really hard," Ai-chan gave a very simple answer.
"Appearance, huh? That part's not wrong. But Hayasaka, since when did you become this shallow?" Kaguya looked thoroughly disappointed with that response.
As for that so-called "gentleness" Hayasaka mentioned, Kaguya had never seen it!
Everyone has their gentle moments — but Sakurai Saki? Yeah, right.
All he ever did was talk back to her, and the last time he lost a bet, he made her dress up as a maid to serve him.
Kaguya: (｡•̀ ⤙ •́ ｡ꐦ) Hmph!!!
"That's just one part. There are plenty of handsome boys at Shuchiin too." Hayasaka Ai sat down on the bed, fiddling with her phone.
Chatting with Kaguya was her most relaxing time (as long as Kaguya didn't start making unreasonable demands), aside from being with Sakurai.
"Our first private meeting wasn't normal at all."
That time he pointed at her and shouted who knows how many insults — thinking back on how she ended up liking him later, Hayasaka figured she must be a bit of an M.
Hayasaka Ai liked Sakurai probably because the two of them handled people the same way. They both wore masks at school, and even after hours. Even their dark little tastes were similar — Iino Miko probably understood that better than anyone.
"All done." Hayasaka put her phone away.
...
An hour later, after finishing their conversation, Hayasaka Ai left Kaguya's bedroom.
'Again…'
She held her forehead. A light dizziness made her thoughts go hazy.
She really should find time to see a doctor — if there really was something wrong, it could be a big problem.
Otherwise, she might end up reenacting those classic Korean drama clichés!
The beloved girlfriend has a terminal illness, the boyfriend gets hit by a car while searching for a doctor, and then loses his memory.
But no, surely it wouldn't be that tragic. After all, the Shinomiya family had their own private hospital and personal physicians, with top-tier medical technology in Japan. As long as it was caught early, there wasn't any disease they couldn't treat.
————
Nightfall.
Lying on her bed, Hayasaka Ai stretched lazily. A pair of white cat ears popped out on her head, and from under her pajamas, a flexible cat tail swayed out.
"Lately, the memories between me and the original body have started syncing nya~..." Hayasa-nyan mumbled.
The whole sneaking around with her other self's boyfriend... it hasn't been found out, right?
But that's fine — she and the original were the same person anyway. Sharing a boyfriend was no big deal, right?
Even the original wasn't opposing it, which basically meant she agreed!
Umu! No problem at all!
ദ്ദി/ᐠ˵- ⩊ -˵マ
Hayasa-nyan had the same intelligence level as a cat.
Asking her to clearly distinguish herself from the "original," or to comprehend how many times she had dyed Hayasaka Ai's hair green — that was asking way too much.
Once she changed clothes, Hayasa-nyan got ready to head out.
————
Elsewhere.
In a luxury apartment on the 30th floor — the home of the five Nakano sisters.
Nino was reading a book.
She had kept this habit for the past two months: finishing her homework, then doing two more hours of studying every day.
But today, she couldn't concentrate.
Or more accurately: ever since she heard Sakurai Saki confess to Hayasaka Ai, she hadn't been able to focus on her studies at all.
Most of Nino's motivation for studying came from wanting Sakurai Saki to like her. But now what? He already had a girlfriend — so what was the point of studying anymore?
Study to get into a good university someday? Maybe.
"You haven't even managed a proper confession once. Nino, you're such a failure." She rested her head in her hand and muttered to herself.
After saying that, Nino irritably picked up her pen and started doodling in her notebook. At first, it was just scribbles, then it got messier and messier, until eventually — it turned into a face that looked exactly like Sakurai.
"WRYYYYY!!!"
Nino clutched her head and let out a miserable wail.
Why can't I forget him?! He's just a guy! Why can't I forget him!!!
He's just a tutor — foul-mouthed, inconsiderate, the kind of guy who doesn't even know how to care about others... So why the hell do I like him so much?! I don't get myself at all!
'There are so many decent guys in the world, Nino — don't hang yourself on a single tree!'
Nakano Nino slammed her forehead onto the desk a few times, producing loud thuds, and leaving a small red spot on her forehead.
Outside the door, Ichika had just returned from the bathroom and called out as she walked past, "It's late, Nino, keep it down a bit."
"Got it——!" Nino answered, then collapsed onto her desk without moving.
Damn it! I still like him after all.
"If only the world could stop right here, that would be great." Nino began to fantasize.
"Or if time could go backward, back to a year ago."
"If tomorrow there were a zombie apocalypse, and the only two people left in the world were me and him..."
No no no! No matter how she imagined it, it was ridiculous! And besides, her sisters absolutely mustn't be harmed in any way.
Tch, forget it, just go to sleep.
(っ˕ -｡)ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁