"...."
Ishigami fell into silence, and he panicked for a moment.
Why did this happen?
Why did Kaguya start to doubt her love?
Ah, was it because of him?
Ishigami wondered what he did to make Kaguya become like this, but he knew he shouldn't jump to a conclusion.
Yes, he might have experience in this area, but that didn't mean he was omnipotent and he could read the minds of others. Instead of guessing why Kaguya felt like this, Ishigami knew he should ask her directly.
"I see..."
His voice was gentle, and he neither agreed nor denied her. "Can I ask the reason, Senpai?"
Hearing his question, Kaguya also didn't hesitate to tell him about her concern, especially when she called him for this reason: "I thought that when you prepared that date for us... I thought my heart would be jumping excitedly, yet somehow... I feel like I don't have as much excitement as I imagined when I thought Kaichou and I would go on a date together."
Kaguya thought that the happiness that came from going on a date with Shirogane would be indescribable, yet why was her excitement not as strong as she thought it would be?
Ishigami didn't immediately answer Kaguya but thought for a while, wondering why she felt this way.
However, if he had to make a reason, even if he didn't want to, he knew it was all because of him.
'Ah, it's because of me, huh...?'
Kaguya came from the richest family in this country, and naturally, many would envy her.
But would her life be so easy even if she was born into that family?
Ishigami didn't think so since he could imagine that Kaguya's life was full of betrayal, exploitation, lies, fear, and many other negative thoughts, as everyone wished to use her to gain wealth.
Wealth is a crazy thing.
Many people could do anything for wealth, even if they hurt others.
Living in such a life, Kaguya could trust hardly anyone, but when Ishigami suddenly changed, her life also changed. Unlike others, he was fun, and he even dared to make fun of her. He might appear respectful, yet he was also rude, but he used a joke to ease up her feelings, making her smile and laugh.
It was probably the first time Kaguya had such a relationship, especially when all the people she met would either please or distance themselves from her. It was also the same case as Shirogane often put her on a pedestal, thinking she was far, far better than anyone.
Yet, Ishigami was different, and it was her first time to know that someone like this existed, so she couldn't help but depend on him.
Hearing her words, Ishigami sighed, feeling helpless by Kaguya's change.
If it was the previous Kaguya, could she even communicate like this with him?
'Probably, I can...'
Ishigami felt that even if there was no connection between him and Kaguya, or Kaguya was still her cold self like before, he felt that he could befriend her.
As for the date?
He didn't have that plan at all since he wasn't a bastard who would steal the heart of the girl Shirogane loved. More importantly, it wasn't like Kaguya's love for Shirogane had disappeared. In his mind, she was just in a period of doubt, and as long as this doubt was cleared up, he knew that Kaguya's feelings toward Shirogane would remain the same.
If there was a problem, he was afraid that if he and Kaguya continued to communicate with each other, then the strange plot of the unhealthy book might appear between him and Kaguya.
"Then, you don't want to go on this date?"
"No, I don't mind... but I just feel a bit strange that I don't feel as excited as I thought to be..."
If there was a reason why Kaguya wasn't as excited as she thought to be, it was because she got everything so easily. In the original story, she had no help, so she used any methods to get Shirogane to go on a date with her. However, with Ishigami's help, everything was received easily, so the sense of achievement that she had wasn't as great as before.
"Is that so? I don't think you should think about this too much, but you don't hate to go on a date with Kaichou, right?"
"Ah, no, I am fine with it."
"Then, you can use this dating practice to confirm your feelings, whether you like him or not; whatever your answer may be, let me be your help, like how you helped me, Senpai."
Nevertheless, even if nothing happened, Ishigami felt it was fine since if they couldn't gain happiness by dating, then there was no need to force them, but he had to say it was a bit too a shame, considering how he knew the original story.
Yet, as a bystander, someone who could only support from the side, this was something he only could do since the ones who experienced all of those things weren't him, but them, so while he gave them advice, in the end, they were the one who made their decisions and no matter what their decisions, he would support them.
"Ishigami...." Kaguya wanted to cry at this moment, but then she asked, "Say, Ishigami, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What... what do you think Kaichou's feelings toward me?"
"What do you think?"
"I... don't know. It's just... I wonder whether he even likes me..."
When Kaguya thought of Shirogane's lack of effort to make the relationship between the two, she couldn't help but feel down.
"Really? I think it is the opposite."
"The opposite?"
"I think he thinks of you preciously." Ishigami knew well how Shirogane felt toward Kaguya, so there was no need for him to remain ambiguous about this matter. "And because he thinks of you preciously, he is being careful around you, so you don't hate him and treasure your dearly."
Only, in the end, Shirogane had to be the one who made the last move, or else Kaguya's feelings wouldn't be so strong.
"...you sure could say something embarrassing."
Whether it was Kaguya, who heard his voice right on her phone, or Hayasaka, who was just by Kaguya's side, felt their faces were hot by Ishigami's words.
"I am just telling the truth, okay? Stop saying things like that. You will make me embarrassed, too."
Frankly, Ishigami also knew that those sappy words were hardly used in reality, or rather, was there someone who used those words in reality?
"Fufufu... it's fine, isn't it? I am the only one who knows about it."
"What about Hayasaka-senpai?"
"It's fine. You hold her secret too, so if she dares to say something, you can threaten her."
"....." Ishigami and Hayasaka.
"I won't do that, okay?" Ishigami sighed helplessly, wondering whether Kaguya thought of him as a young man who would do something naughty to a charming girl after he held her weakness. "So, you are fine now?"
"Yeah, thanks."
Kaguya felt better after she talked with Ishigami, and she was glad that he came to her and asked for her help.
If not, then would they be able to talk like this?
"By the way, I heard that you went to karaoke with your classmates today."
"Huh? How did you know?"
Ishigami was confused since he knew that Kaguya's phone was a last-decade flip phone that could only be used to send a text and call.
"Hayasaka showed me a story from an Insta... I am right, right?"
"It's an Instagram." Hayasaka corrected her mistress' mistake.
"Ah, that one." Kaguya smiled and said, "You are good at singing."
"Don't praise me like that. You will make me embarrassed, Senpai."
"But how was karaoke? Was it fun?"
"It is fun. Should we go with all the members of the student council next time?"
"That seems interesting."
As Kaguya had been living as a princess of the Shinomiya family for so long, she longed for an ordinary life, something mundane that everyone usually easily got, but for her, it was something unattainable, so she couldn't help but smile when she heard his invitation.
Nevertheless, their conversation continued until Kaguya asked about Chika.
"How was Fujiwara-san? Did she cause you trouble?"
Ishigami fell in silence for a while, wondering how to handle this situation.
Should he say that he would go on a date with Chika on the weekend?
"Ishigami, what's wrong? Did she cause you so much trouble?"
As Ishigami didn't answer her question, Kaguya wondered whether Chika gave him so much trouble.
"...it wasn't much of a problem; you don't have to worry."
"You don't need to act cool as if nothing is happening." Kaguya sighed and said, "I know how troublesome that silly girl is." It was fortunate that Ishigami was there. If he wasn't around, then she was sure that Chika would do something that would make the situation even more chaotic.
"It's fine. She was just being herself, and she wasn't a bad person."
"You are right at that."
Chika might be silly and even an idiot, but there was no doubt that she was a good girl.
Still, Ishigami didn't intend to talk with Kaguya about his date with Chika since... he didn't think that Kaguya could give useful input, and he also felt that she would cause him more trouble.
At this moment, his goal was to become the best student in his grade, and by then, he could get a reward from his parents.
"I will hang up the call first."
"Okay. Don't forget to study. I will check on you tomorrow."
"...good night, Senpai."
"Um, good night, Ishigami."
As Kaguya smiled, thinking about Ishigami's painful expression, she felt relaxed, feeling that all the doubts in her heart had disappeared. 'It's great to have someone to talk to,' she thought.
Kaguya lay on her bed, ignoring Hayasaka, who had been at her side all the time and stared at her phone, watching the time she spent having a conversation with Ishigami, which made her speechless, as she felt she talked with her junior more than Shirogane.
Yet, as she felt conflicted, she was notified that someone had called her.
"Ah, finally, it is connected!"
Kaguya raised her brows, then accepted the call. "Fujiwara-san?"
"Um, Kaguya-san, can I discuss something with you?"
"What's wrong?"
"Well..." Chika appeared hesitant, but then she made up her mind and said shyly, "I-I will go on a date with Ishigami on the weekend. W-what do you think I should do?" She might be Detective Chika in front of Ishigami, but in front of her best friend, she is just an ordinary girl without any experience in love.
"....."
Only Kaguya and Hayasaka fell in silence.
Taking a deep breath, Kaguya thought about calling Ishigami again tonight.
---
It will be a bloodbath.
Still, to be honest, do you ship his relationship with Kaguya?
Usually, I would ask that question, but for this one, I will just leave it to the flow. Please leave everything to me.
Whether or not he will be with Kaguya, don't blame me, okay?
This story will be different since Ishigami, my boy, won't be a sad boy anymore.