Early morning. Hayasaka Ai woke up in her bed.
She was still groggy, her long golden hair fanning across her fair shoulders. Her hair was thick—so thick it was enviable. Though her work was usually busy and stressful, Hayasaka Ai never lost any hair. She used the most expensive skincare and haircare products.
Her golden hair was natural; she hadn't dyed it. She rarely stayed up late, always falling asleep peacefully before midnight. Yesterday, she had gone to bed around ten in the evening. Kaguya-sama hadn't asked for a late-night chat recently.
Kaguya-sama had mentioned last time that she had a bet with Sakurai—the loser had to wear a maid outfit. She had even brought a maid outfit from the mansion to the Student Council Room. If the righteous Iino found out, she would surely loudly criticize the Student Council's strange customs.
"You're actually wearing maid outfits in the sacred Student Council Room! I can't believe it!"
Hayasaka Ai had already imagined Iino's expression.
"Hmm?" She rubbed her thigh. It felt a bit sore. Had she pressed on it while sleeping?
Recently, Hayasaka Ai's body had been very healthy. Since White Cat went to Shibuya every night to beat up hooligans and relieve stress, Hayasaka Ai hadn't felt much pressure during this time. Her mood had also improved greatly.
She walked into the bathroom in her room, removed her clothes, turned on the shower, and stepped inside. Warm water cascaded from above.
She used the shower every morning to wake herself up before entering work mode. In the evening, Ai-chan would go to the large staff bathhouse in the mansion, put an "In Use" sign on the door, and enjoy a short period of rest alone inside. The female employees had some complaints about this, but it was no use.
"What? Kaguya-sama, you want to walk to school?"
At the mansion gate, beside the black car, Hayasaka Ai once again felt her blood pressure rise. There was nearly an hour until class started. Even without taking the train, walking would still get them there on time.
"Hayasaka, the President and Sakurai-kun both go to school by themselves, don't they? So..."
"Kaguya-sama." Ai's voice was flat. "Only babies imitate others."
Kaguya-sama's head had been a bit off ever since this semester began. Saying that about her own master might be too much, but from Hayasaka Ai's perspective, she really was acting strange.
"I'm not a baby." Kaguya Shinomiya just wanted to try new things.
She had never walked to school before.
Yes, never. As a sheltered young lady who had grown up under heavy protection, Kaguya Shinomiya's means of transportation were almost always vehicles—and for long distances, private jets.
"Alright, Kaguya-sama." Hayasaka Ai was in her elegant maid form now, posture upright and dignified. "Can you tell me why you want to walk? It's not just to imitate the President and my boyfriend, is it?"
Kaguya's eyes widened slightly.
"I just want to try it. But Hayasaka—" A small smile crossed her lips. "I'm truly surprised you can seriously use 'my boyfriend' to refer to Sakurai-kun."
Hayasaka Ai's expressionless face betrayed a faint blush.
You're shy but you still say it?
Her own maid was unexpectedly pure. Kaguya-sama hadn't thought Hayasaka would succeed that day. And it was true—if it hadn't been for Fujiwara Chika's assistance, Hayasaka Ai really would have backed out.
"Since Kaguya-sama wants to walk to school so much, let's set off now!" Hayasaka Ai composed her expression and smiled.
Kaguya Shinomiya felt that her maid had some mischievous intentions, but she didn't take it to heart.
She can't sell me out, can she?
Ten minutes later.
"Hayasaka, is this the right way?" Kaguya gestured at a recently demolished building not far away. "Why is it getting more and more desolate?"
She felt she had been betrayed.
"Please rest assured, Kaguya-sama."
Another ten minutes.
Kaguya Shinomiya stopped walking. "Hayasaka, are you angry? I was just teasing you!"
"What are you saying? We are master and servant." Hayasaka's smile was serene. "Like sisters. How could I be angry with you?"
Half an hour later.
The two arrived at the gate of Shuchiin Academy just as class was about to start.
Kaguya Shinomiya was panting. Though her stamina was quite good, she had been led up several steep slopes by the other person and was completely exhausted. She glanced at Hayasaka Ai beside her. They were both high school girls—yet the difference in their stamina was enormous.
"Hayasaka." Kaguya's breathing was still ragged. "You really aren't angry?"
Hayasaka Ai's expression didn't waver. "Kaguya-sama, you should exercise more. The reason you often lose to my boyfriend in sports must be because of this."
Kaguya Shinomiya was certain now.
She's definitely angry.
This person had taken her on a big detour precisely because of the phrase "my boyfriend." If she hadn't been unfamiliar with the nearby roads and unable to simply abandon Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya would have already slipped away.
"Let's continue tomorrow, Kaguya-sama." Hayasaka Ai's voice was gentle.
"...I refuse." Kaguya Shinomiya was still panting.
Even if she had to go to school by herself next time, she would definitely look up the route in advance. She couldn't be led by the nose by Hayasaka like this again—it was too embarrassing.
However, the Shiba Inu she had seen on the way was quite cute.
When Sakurai Saki saw Hayasaka Ai, it was nearly time for morning homeroom. She entered through the front door, and he smiled.
"Good morning, Ai-chan."
He felt a bit guilty. Last night, he had done things with another woman behind her back. Multiple times. However, Sakurai Saki wasn't against physical intimacy. For him, love shouldn't focus on the physical, but on emotion.
"We didn't play games together last night." He tilted his head. "What did you do?"
"I filmed a movie," Sakurai replied.
Beside them, several classmates showed curious expressions. Then Hayasaka Ai asked the question they all wanted to ask—
"What movie?"
"It's a secret." Sakurai noticed his girlfriend seemed a bit unhappy with that answer, so he added, "Just a small supporting role. Not many scenes."
"What about you, Ai-chan? What did you do last night?"
The moment he asked—
"Yay!"
"Hehe (drooling red beans), Saki-bao, Mommy loves you ♦"
Today, his superpower kept sending him strange messages at random intervals. Sakurai Saki now only hoped that people from other worlds wouldn't lust after him. But this superpower was essentially a product of his own mind, which made it somewhat difficult to accept.
"I worked until almost ten last night." Hayasaka Ai didn't lie to him. "Then I went home, took a bath, and went to sleep."
Being a maid was indeed her job. A monthly salary of 500,000 yen was substantial—and she also had savings of up to 40 million yen. Otherwise, Hayasaka Ai wouldn't have even considered eloping with Sakurai Saki back then.
Morning homeroom began.
Masaki-sensei, the homeroom teacher, didn't discuss anything important—just mentioned the midterm exams. She specifically called out a few students with poor grades in the class. The results hadn't been fully released yet, as two subjects had just been tested yesterday.
Kaguya Shinomiya's maid outfit might not be seen until next Monday.