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Chapter 91: Maternal Instincts and Social Aftershocks
Before the incident, Miko Yotsuya only had to worry about comforting one person. She had assumed Fujiwara Chika possessed a mature, gentle personality befitting a politician's daughter, so she had simply explained the reality of the situation to her.
Who could have guessed that upon hearing the truth, Chika would also burst into tears in a flash?
Miko comforted the two girls with a complex expression, trying to get them both to settle down. At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for Kaguya Shinomiya to snap out of this regressive state and return to her usual, icy self.
The Diary's punishment did not last an eternity.
By the time the afternoon sun began to dip toward the horizon, signaling the end of the school day, Kaguya Shinomiya had finally recovered. She found herself on the plush sofa of the Shuchiin Chairman's office, being tightly embraced by a sleeping Fujiwara Chika.
Kaguya felt a dampness on her shoulder—her own tears—and an equal dampness on Chika's chest. Her eyes were initially clouded with confusion, like someone waking from a dream they couldn't quite grasp.
Then, Miko Yotsuya silently handed her the Diary. On the screen were the chat logs of the last few hours and a saved recording of the automatic live broadcast.
As Kaguya watched the playback, the memories rushed back like a tidal wave of ice water. She recalled every sob, every rub against Chika's chest, and most agonizingly, the term "Chika Mama" echoing through her own classroom.
If looks could kill, the fire in Kaguya's eyes would have incinerated every classmate who had witnessed her breakdown this afternoon.
She had known that failing a commission might result in the "Little Kaguya" transformation, but she never imagined it would be this socially devastating. By tonight, she would be the primary topic of gossip among the upper-class elites. Her brothers in the Shinomiya family would undoubtedly use this "mental instability" to attack her newfound authority.
The only solace was that her fellow Diary holders understood why she had done it. They didn't mock her; they offered digital comfort.
However, Kaguya's mind was already pivoting toward vengeance. She focused on two targets: the Mysterious Person who had broadcasted her shame, and the girl who had "intercepted" her A-rank commission. The fact that someone had solved the mystery of the Three Fox Valley Shrine so quickly suggested a powerful transcendent residing in Tokyo.
An eye for an eye, Kaguya thought, a family motto she lived by.
She also realized the gravity of her current situation. The Diary had warned that consecutive failures would lead to even more severe punishments. The thought of something worse than "Chika Mama" made her blood run cold. She had to complete her commission to become the Student Council President, no matter the cost. Public opinion had to be suppressed, personas had to be rebuilt, and students had to be "persuaded" through the Shinomiya family's vast resources.
Beside her, Chika stirred. She opened her eyes, saw Kaguya had returned to normal, and immediately began to tear up again.
"Kaguya-sama! Are you really leaving? I can't bear it!"
Kaguya felt a massive headache forming. She spent the next hour explaining that she wasn't being "exiled." She briefly mentioned the "Hidden World" and the need to learn extraordinary powers to protect the family legacy.
To prove her point, she demonstrated Ripple Qigong. Chika's eyes widened to the size of saucers as faint arcs of bio-electric energy coiled around Kaguya's fingertips.
"Whoa! It's like magic! Can I learn it too?" Chika chirped, her sadness replaced by infectious curiosity.
Kaguya decided to teach her. Without the "Sudden Enlightenment" of Reading Value, it would take Chika years to see results. It would be a harmless hobby for her friend, and it might even improve her health.
As the sun set, Miko Yotsuya finally felt it was safe to head home. She watched the "sisterly affection" between the two and sighed. While Kaguya had handled her family through power, Miko still had to find a way to explain her ghost-hunting future to her mother and brother.
As Golden Week approached at the end of April, the hierarchy of the Diary holders began to shift.
Yukino Yukinoshita had successfully established the Service Club, earning 10 Reading Value by completing her first student request with the help of Yui Yuigahama and a still-hospitalized Hachiman Hikigaya.
But the surprise leader in points was Hitori Gotoh (Bocchi).
Bocchi hadn't overcome her social anxiety through willpower. Instead, Hoshino Ai and Tsukimi Eiko—the group's professional performers—had essentially kidnapped her. They dragged the trembling girl to Starry in Shimokitazawa and introduced her to Nijika Ijichi. Under Ai's playful "betrayal," they revealed Bocchi as the famous "Guitar Hero."
In one afternoon, Bocchi completed four commissions: forming a band, outing her identity, and participating in a performance. She gained over 20 Reading Value and unlocked a long-term quest: Earn points for every stage performance. Utaha Kasumigaoka was also doing well, having used Renji Miyauchi as a shortcut. She had reached her weekly cap of 10 points in just two days by pestering him for novel advice, bringing her total to 30.
But the true "cheater" was Mashiro Shiina.
Mashiro's Ripple talent was so high that the Diary kept feeding her B-rank exorcism commissions. With Renji acting as her "secret weapon," she was clearing these tasks daily. Her Reading Value was already approaching one hundred.
"Stay safe while I'm gone," Renji told Mashiro as he prepared for his trip back to Asahigaoka for the holiday. He handed her a small sealing talisman. "Keep this on you. If it breaks, call Jerry. Don't worry about the commissions; without any 'Second Batch' holders nearby in Tokyo, no one can steal your points."
Renji was leaving Jerry behind to continue his "Cyber-Ghost" research in the lawless vacuum of Mihana Town.
While the others focused on power, Rikka Takanashi was focused on survival.
Ever since the Diary warned her about her uncle's potential plane crash, she had been a nervous wreck. Kaguya Shinomiya, fulfilling her role as the group's provider, had already intervened. She used the Four Palaces' wealth to buy out the company Shingo Takanashi worked for and promoted him to a sedentary management position. He would no longer need to travel for rare earth procurement.
Kaguya didn't do this for free. She had realized that the "supporting characters" in these anime worlds often possessed skills far beyond the average person. By bringing Rikka's uncle into the Shinomiya fold, she was securing a highly competent asset.
As Renji boarded his train, he looked out at the Tokyo skyline. The pieces were in place. Kaguya was entering the Jujutsu world, Bocchi was on stage, and the Black Organization was being monitored by a genius mouse.
"Let's see if Asahigaoka is as quiet as I remember," Renji whispered.