Chapter 296: Ai-chan: Too Many Foxs Already
Evening, Shinomiya mansion.
In Shinomiya Kaguya's room.
Tonight, Hayasaka Ai came to stay over. Ever since quitting her job, every week she would come from time to time to keep Kaguya company.
"Ai-chan, Valentine's Day is coming soon."
Sure enough, the two again started talking about Valentine's.
Whether boys or girls, when this holiday approaches, they all get caught up in it.
Girls will use this day to express their feelings to the one they like.
Although confession can be done on any of the 365 days, the atmosphere is very important—choosing a suitable place, a suitable time—sometimes it brings unexpected results.
Many boys and girls are superstitious about the holiday atmosphere; during the Devoted Hearts Festival there were also quite a few students who took the chance to confess.
Valentine's is the same.
"Kaguya-san, why suddenly bring this up?"
"Can I give chocolate to Sakurai-san?"
Hayasaka: ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
What is she talking about? Shinomiya Kaguya, although I already thought you were the type of wicked woman who could do anything to win a man, I didn't expect you could so frankly say this in front of me—his girlfriend. Shameless! I truly underestimated you!
Hayasaka to Kaguya: (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ )╭∩╮
Hayasaka Ai still kept a smile: "Of course you can, as a member of the student council, he usually causes you no small amount of trouble, giving a portion of giri choco is naturally fine! Giri choco is very normal."
Giri choco, also called friendship chocolate, is the kind of chocolate girls give to friends or classmates who usually help them. Most are store-bought products; a few skillful girls will make them themselves, but that's rare.
Opposite to it is honmei choco. Honmei choco is usually given by a girl to only one person, showing she has feelings for that person. But girls are reserved and won't directly say whether what they give is honmei or not; this point must be understood by the boy himself.
"Since even a girlfriend like Hayasaka says so, then I really will give it." Shinomiya Kaguya smiled: "I thought Hayasaka wouldn't agree."
(Note: Why does the author keep changing the way they address each other?)
Hayasaka Ai sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her brow.
"Kaguya-san, it seems you don't understand the male desire to compete in some matters."
"Desire to compete?"
"Height and weight, size and length, academic grades—boys are really strange. Even Valentine's chocolate, they secretly compare the number with each other." Hayasaka Ai said seriously: "Those who don't receive chocolate will be mocked by everyone, unable to lift their heads for a whole year! Even bullied!"
That won't happen.
"Boys are really scary." Shinomiya Kaguya's face showed shock.
Not scary at all.
"That's why I won't stop you from giving him giri choco."
"Hayasaka, you've been emphasizing the word 'giri' all this time." Shinomiya Kaguya covered her mouth and chuckled: "Are you afraid someone will steal your boyfriend?"
Kaguya: ( •᷄ᴗ•́)
"People who like him could line up in a long queue! If he debuted as an idol, fans would definitely line up from Hokkaido to Kyushu." Hayasaka Ai held her face and shouted: "Every day I live in constant fear, a bunch of girls casting flirtatious eyes at him, and he has no self-awareness at all!"
Hayasaka: (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
As the winner, I still have to guard every day against those losers! Where is the justice for me!
First it was Fujiwara Chika, then the five Nakano sisters showed some signs, next… Miko-chan? Now even Kaguya-sama is joining the battlefield—what am I supposed to do? Am I really to let him start a harem? No! Absolutely not!
As the official girlfriend, I absolutely cannot let him become a scumbag!
Hayasaka Ai was the pure type—one life, one love, one couple.She wanted to lock up Sakurai Saki's heart… but it didn't seem possible; this guy was like a wild horse that had broken free, running wherever there was grass.
Feeding him grass wouldn't work.
Not feeding him grass wouldn't work either.
This horse simply couldn't be tamed, and Hayasaka Ai was always troubled by it.
"Later on he might secretly look for a mistress behind your back," Kaguya-sama said in a vague tone.
Of course, that mistress definitely wasn't me, Shinomiya Kaguya.
She was hinting at other foxs.
"..." Hayasaka Ai glanced at Shinomiya Kaguya a few times without saying anything.
Hayasaka: (≖ - ≖)
Kaguya: (｡Ó﹏Ò｡)
"Why are you looking at me like that? I have no designs on your boyfriend!" Shinomiya Kaguya spoke, a little lacking in confidence.
It was only a kiss, that should be fine, right?
As long as that line wasn't crossed, he and I are still just friends, umu umu.
"Alright then, Kaguya-san, how do you plan to give him chocolate?" Hayasaka Ai asked curiously.
There are many ways to give chocolate: you could give it when meeting in the hallway, or putting it in the other person's shoe locker is also a good method.
"Maybe I'll give it after school when it's just the two of us? Call him out behind the classroom building…"
"Kaguya-san, you're sure it's giri choco, right?"
"Of course. Ai-chan, don't you think that way is nice? No one else knows, yet it still proves that I'm the one giving it. Otherwise how? Write my name on the chocolate?"
"Wait, Kaguya-san, are you serious? Why write your name on the chocolate? Just giving your heart is enough."
"Huh? Just give it? If he doesn't know the chocolate is from me, won't my feelings be wasted?" Shinomiya Kaguya rattled on: "Only when someone knows does it count as heartfelt; if no one knows it's like water spilled! Ripples on the sea! Instantly gone, who would remember?"
"Besides, on White Day the boy has to return a gift! If he doesn't know who gave the chocolate, how will I get a return gift from Sakurai-san?"
"Practical, aren't you." Hayasaka Ai teased.
Chocolate ought to be more romantic!
Shinomiya Kaguya really had not a single cell of romance.
Hayasaka Ai was a romantic; she couldn't resist romantic things, and she hated Kaguya's pragmatic style the most.
"There are also girls who don't ask for a White Day gift." Ai-chan countered.
Kaguya glanced at her: "You don't want a gift?"
"Of course I want it."
"Then that's settled." Shinomiya Kaguya spoke with a look of mild displeasure.
"Wait, wasn't our topic earlier something else? Why are you calling Sakurai-chan behind the classroom building?"
"Did I say that? I don't want others to know." Shinomiya Kaguya explained: "You know Sakurai-san is very popular, right? Everyone assumes the two of you are dating, but there are still many girls who like him, you know? In our class there are four or five, and I've heard there are even more in the lower grades!"
"I understand! I understand extremely well!" Hayasaka Ai said angrily: "Do I have to kiss my boyfriend in front of them before they give up?"
Hayasaka: ┻━┻ ︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵ ┻━┻
"Most likely even if you kiss, they still won't give up; there will always be some naïve girl who thinks a relationship won't last and waits for you two to break up."
There were too many girls who wanted Ai-chan's spot.
I also count as half of that; if Ai-chan really broke up with Sakurai-san, and then he confessed to me… mm-hmm~ it wouldn't be impossible to accept.
Kaguya: (,,¬﹏¬,,)
"So if I give chocolate under such circumstances, things will turn bad; if rumors spread that I stole your boyfriend, it wouldn't be good."
At first Hayasaka Ai didn't see a problem.
But why… does it feel strange?