"Eh!! It's Kei-chan~~!"
Fujiwara Chika's eyes widened as she leaned in for a closer look—sure enough, it was Shirogane Kei.
She dashed forward with her usual bubbly energy.
"Yoyo Kei-chan What are you here for today?" she asked, her voice lilting with strange pauses as she stretched out both hands.
Kei immediately mirrored her.
"Yoyo Chiika-nee! I'm here today to turn in documents!"
Their hands met with a loud clap.
"Yay!"
What followed was a series of bizarre poses and hand gestures, as if they were transmitting top-secret Morse code only the two of them could understand.
From the sofa, Kaguya Shinomiya watched, utterly baffled. Wait a second… didn't Fujiwara-san not even know the President's sister last week? How are they suddenly this close?
Kei, having finished her secret exchange, turned toward another familiar face.
"Saki-nii! Long time no see!"
Sakurai Saki smiled lightly.
"…Didn't we just see each other last week?"
"Eh, but it feels like forever," Kei muttered, pouting. "Saki-nii, when are you coming over to our house again?"
Before Sakurai could answer, Miyuki spoke up.
"Sakurai's usually busy with work."
"Ah, sorry~," Kei replied apologetically.
"It's fine," Sakurai assured her.
Then Kei turned to Ishigami Yu.
"Ishigami-senpai, thank you for your help last time."
Ishigami, as deadpan as ever, waved it off. "It was nothing. Just a small favor."
As everyone continued chatting, Kaguya looked around the room, her thoughts spiraling.
What… what is this atmosphere? Why is everyone already so close with the President's sister?
Her eyes narrowed on Ishigami. And you, Ishigami-kun! How on earth do you know her? Aren't you supposed to be non-combustible trash that no one would even bother throwing away?
Trying to hide her growing unease, Kaguya forced a gentle, almost maternal smile at Ishigami.
He immediately recoiled in fear, ducking behind the sofa.
"So… everyone knows each other, huh? Except for me…"
The light in Kaguya's eyes dimmed. She quickly shook her head, reminding herself of the main purpose at hand.
Kei walked up to her with a bright smile.
"Shinomiya-senpai~ Could you please take a look at this expense report for me?" she asked, handing over a neatly bound document.
Miyuki opened his mouth. "That—"
But before he could insist that it was his responsibility, Kaguya eagerly accepted the papers, her entire face lighting up.
"What's wrong?" Kei asked, glancing at her brother, who immediately shut his mouth.
Ignored by his sister, Miyuki slumped in defeat. She won't even let me handle the documents anymore… His heart quietly cracked in two.
Meanwhile, Kei and Kaguya sat together on the sofa, flipping through the report with the focus of seasoned partners.
From the corner of his eye, Miyuki noticed Sakurai quietly pocketing his ear-cleaning tools. Wait… didn't he say he was going to let me try that?
Breaking the silence, Sakurai stood.
"Shinomiya-san, would you like some coffee?"
He was already moving toward the counter. Both Kei and Miyuki were coffee drinkers, no questions asked. Chika, on the other hand, clearly preferred tea and sweeter drinks. But Sakurai didn't bother preparing separate brews—there was juice in the Student Council fridge for her anyway.
Kaguya nodded politely. She was accustomed to Ai's coffee at home, but she wasn't about to refuse hospitality.
As Sakurai prepared the coffee, he thought back to the test he'd done earlier with his ear tools.
[Superpower of the Day: Super Sensitivity]Effect: All bodily senses amplified tenfold, freely activated.Side effects: None.This was the third time the ability had appeared, though the side effects had varied each time. The first time, he hadn't been able to deactivate it for an hour and could only use one sense at a time. The second time, the restriction was lifted, but the duration remained.
But today—nothing. No drawbacks whatsoever.
No side effects for two days in a row… Either my luck's insanely good, or something big is about to happen.
Sakurai had learned to trust the rhythm of his powers: the longer the buffer period, the harsher the cost when the next ability arrived. That thought alone was enough to make him uneasy.
Carrying the tray back, he handed out the cups.
Meanwhile, Fujiwara had pulled out a deck of cards—clearly the same one she'd brought last time—and was shuffling with dramatic flair.
Sakurai's eyes lingered on the deck a moment too long.
At the table, Ishigami had been quietly listening to the expense report discussion. Suddenly, he frowned.
"…Wait. The calculation here is wrong."
Everyone looked up. Kei leaned toward him immediately.
"Where? Show me!"
After all, when it came to accounting, Ishigami's opinion was worth its weight in gold.
"Here." Ishigami Yu pointed from behind the sofa, still crouched on the floor where Kaguya's earlier smile had sent him fleeing.
Kei leaned over to check. "It seems so."
"The layout could also be improved," Ishigami continued cautiously. "Some data is crammed together, making it harder to read… If you moved the final expense total to a more prominent position—"
Then he felt it. Kaguya's gaze.
A gaze sharp enough to pierce armor.
"…Well. That's about it." Ishigami's voice deflated, and he sank back down into the shadows, curling into his mushroom form once more.
Kaguya, satisfied, nodded as if she had restored order to the world, then smoothly resumed her discussion with Kei. At this rate, Kei might soon start calling her "Onee-sama."
From across the room, Sakurai Saki suddenly spoke. "Ishigami."
Ishigami's head popped up warily. "…What is it, Sakurai-senpai?" He had a bad feeling about this.
Sakurai didn't bother with buildup. "Come with me to the library later."
"The… library?"
"I'm going to tutor you."
Silence. Ishigami felt the weight of his lost freedom descend upon him. His beloved games instantly lost their flavor.
"Uh… Sakurai-senpai, I'll review by myself," he tried weakly.
Nobody believed him. Nobody, except Kei, whose eyes widened in innocent sincerity.
Fujiwara Chika leaned in, pouncing on the opportunity. "But Ishigami-kun, haven't you just been playing games in the Student Council room? Or… are you saying you actually go home and study by yourself? Eh? Do you even believe that yourself?"
Her words struck like arrows. Ishigami's soul trembled. I need to escape…! I knew I shouldn't have come today!
But before he could rise, Miyuki cut him off. "Ishigami, this is Sakurai's goodwill. If you don't want him to teach you, then I'll step in instead."
Kaguya, ever the strategist, added sweetly, "If you choose me, Ishigami-kun, I'll prepare the finest dried fish snacks and the most effective practice sheets tailored just for you…"
Fujiwara, meanwhile, stayed silent, her arms crossed. She wasn't going to help. Not after all the times Ishigami had talked back to her.
Shirogane Kei, watching all this unfold, thought warmly: Everyone in the Student Council is so gentle and kind…
Ishigami, however, saw devils in every corner, their horns barely hidden under halos.
Under their combined stares, his resistance crumbled.
"…I'll go." He sighed, resigning himself to his fate.
... patreon rene_chan