"Kaguya ! Kaguya !"
Before Kaguya could react, she found herself being hugged and squeezed.
The sensation was incredibly unfortable, mainly because the chest pressing against her was surprisingly firm.
At first, it seemed like an overly affeate dispy between friends.
But to Kaguya, it felt more like mockery.
To make matters worse, the owner of this chest seemed to be… g.
Kaguya, already suffering from a headache, felt it worsen instantly.
This woman…Fujiwara Chika… was beyond troublesome.
And whe emotional like this?
She became an absolute nightmare.
---
With an exasperated sigh, Kaguya turoward Hayasaka.
Uanding the unspoken request, Hayasaka stepped in immediately.
She pried Fujiwara off of Kaguya, physically restraining her before pulling her back a few steps.
"Miss Fujilease calm down."
"Hmm?"
Fujiwara, now firmly held in pce, finally noticed who had stopped her.
"Hayasaka…?"
She reized Hayasaka, they had met a few times before.
Back when she was still at Shu, Hayasaka would occasionally approach her whenever Kaguya needed something.
There were even times when Hayasaka got roped into activities with the bames club.
"Wait a sed, why are you in Kaguya's house?"
Fujiwara's face was filled with fusion.
Hayasaka, who had expected this reaaintained a posed expression.
She let go of Fujiwara, took a step back, and bowed slightly with perfect maid etiquette.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself, Miss Fujiwara."
"I am Miss Kaguya's personal maid, Hayasaka Ai."
Fujiwara's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait… you've always been Kaguya's maid!?"
She pouted, clearly feelirayed.
"So that's why you always showed up out of nowhere whenever I looked fuya!"
"You were trying to keep me away, weren't you!?"
…At least she was self-aware.
Of course, Hayasaka wasn't about to admit it ht.
She kept her expression calm and professional.
"Unfortunately, Miss Kaguya never had the freedom to meet with others as she pleased."
"Her daily schedule was meticulously arranged and couldn't be disrupted for anyone."
"That was the will of Master Oko."
Fujiwara blinked.
"…Master Oko?"
"Hayasaka, aren't you supposed to be Kaguya's maid?"
"Miss Fujiwara, you really do have a simple way of thinking."
Without hesitation, Hayasaka shifted all the bme onto Shinomiya Oko, Kaguya's older brother, who was now living a "retired" life.
---
"In the past, I ced by Master Oko as a 'watchdog' o Miss Kaguya."
"My role was to observe her life, monitor her as, a everything to him."
"At the same time, I was to assist in shaping her into a proper, obedient dy of the Shinomiya family, someone who followed etiquette perfectly, nothing more."
"After all, the ultimate goal was to ehat the Shinomiya family could maximize its bes through her."
Kaguya nearly lost her posure right then and there.
If she hadn't knowruth, she might have believed it.
While her brother had indeed pced Hayasaka by her side to watch over her, he hadn't gone so far as to mold her into a tool.
And Hayasaka had never been fully loyal to him either.
But listening to this absolute nonsense, Kaguya had to use all her willpower to keep a straight face.
Meanwhile, Fujiwara…
pletely believed it.
Her expression twisted with righteous fury.
"That's horrible! How could he do that!?"
Kaguya covered her face.
This woman really put all her brain cells into her chest.
Fujiwara, now brimming with auroward Hayasaka.
Hayasaka, remaining as posed as ever, simply tinued.
"The Shinomiya family has alrioritized practicality over personal feelings."
"Just like how Miss Kaguya's enrollment at Shu Academy wasn't her own choice."
"Shu isn't just ae school, it's a school with deep ties to the Shinomiya family."
"Master Oko believed keeping Miss Kaguya close would make it easier to trol her."
Fujiwara's jaw dropped.
She had known that the Shinomiya family had influence over Shu.
But she never realized that Kaguya's enrollment was just another method of trol.
"That's… that's awful!"
Fujiwara ched her fists in frustration.
She had only heard vague stories about Shinomiya Oko before.
Her father had once described him as "dangerously ambitious."
But now?
She saw him as nothihan a vilin.
Hayasaka nodded solemnly.
"Thankfully, Miss Kaguya was able to seek help from Sanzenin Nagi and escape from the Shinomiya family's trol."
"With her freedom secured, she chose to leave Shu immediately."
"I trust Miss Fujiwara uands why now?"
"Yes… it makes perfect sense."
Fujiwara nodded firmly.
At that moment, she pletely sympathized with Kaguya.
"So… Kaguya, you didn't leave just to avoid me?"
Her eyes shone expetly.
Kaguya sighed, a little helpless.
"No, Fujiwara."
"There were many reasons I chose to leave."
"But avoiding you wasn't one of them."
Fujiwara beamed with relief.
But then—
"One of my reasons was avoiding the President."
Fujiwara froze.
"…Avoiding the President?"
Kaguya gave her a ft look.
"Fujiwara, you do realize the President has been trying to get my attentiht?"
"!?"
Fujiwara, self-procimed "Love Detective", looked absolutely shocked.
She thought back to Shirogane Miyuki's awkward behavior around Kaguya.
Finally, realization struck.
---
"WAIT A SED—THE PRESIDENT LIKES KAGUYA!?"
Kaguya was pletely unfazed by her dramatic outburst.
She had long growo Fujiwara's theatrics.
But sidering how much Fujiwara cimed to uand romance…
"Fujiwara, you seriously never noticed?"
Fujiwara frowrying to process it.
"I just thought he was super petitive!"
"I didn't realize he was trying to impress you!"
Kaguya sighed.
"It was childish, really."
"In an attempt to get my attention, he kept studying obsessively, trying to score higher than me on every exam."
Fujiwara thought for a moment and groaned.
"Ugh… That's so immature."
She rubbed her temples, feeling sedhand embarrassment.
"But… do you hate him that much, Kaguya?"
Kaguya shook her head slightly.
"I don't dislike people who work hard."
"In fact, I admire those who strive toward their goals."
"But the problem is… I am a Shinomiya."
Fujiwara finally uood.
Kaguya had never even sidered the President as an option.
Because the Shinomiya self carried too much weight.
"But Kaguya, aren't you free now?"
"That's now."
"Back then, I had to reject him tactfully because of my status."
"Now? I reject him because…"
She paused, then smiled faintly.
"I refuse to be a puppet in someone else's story."
Fujiwara blinked.
"…Huh?"
She didn't fully grasp the deeper meaning.
But ohing was clear.
The President ood a ce.
Not back then. Not now. Not ever.
"…Well. That's rough."
