"I heard that you have a girlfriend, Ishigami-kun."
Ishigami, who put his gakuran on, stopped for a moment, then looked at Kaguya and nodded with a soft expression. "I do."
From whom did Kaguya hear that he had a girlfriend?
There was no need to ask such a question since he was sure that there was only one person who would tell Kaguya.
"Did you hear it from Chika-senpai?"
"You could guess it easily, huh?"
"I think that there is no one that will tell you that except for that silly senior."
"Well, even if you have a girlfriend, you still go on a date with Fujiwara-san, huh? More importantly, did you call her by her first name?"
"....."
Ishigami shivered, then glanced behind, watching Kaguya, who had anticipated his gaze. Unlike her previous gentle and mischievous expression, this time, her expression was a little cold.
"I wanted to refuse before, but she forced me to go."
This time, there was no need for him to hesitate and put all the blame on Chika since this silly girl really caused him trouble everywhere!
At the same time, he wondered whether Chika had told Kaguya about what he did, asking Chika to date him even if he had a girlfriend. While he was helpless, he knew that this was also the consequence of his actions for being greedy. In the eyes of others, this might be wrong, but then again, he didn't regret it.
After all, even if he became the existence that was loathed by the previous Ishigami, this was something that he had chosen, especially when he sought the rewards from the system.
The rewards were a good thing for him, and while he might be hated, he wanted to get more.
His actions might hurt many, and he might say that he would compensate them in his own way, but then there was no doubt that it might cause resentment, and it was impossible for him to stop, so the only way for him to handle all of this, was to go on and take responsibility if they wished to.
However, if they really couldn't accept it, then even if it was hard, he could only leave since staying with them would bring them torment instead of happiness.
Still, instead of facing a problem in the future, he had to face the problem in the present, or else he would have to leave this country tonight if he made a wrong answer.
"You really love your girlfriend, huh?"
'Hmm?'
As he observed Kaguya's expression, he could see her complicated expression, realizing that Chika didn't say anything to Kaguya, which made him kind of relieved. He thought that with Chika's mouth, nothing could remain hidden, but it seemed she was more reliable than he had thought.
"...." Chika.
Still, if Chika didn't even tell her best friend, Kaguya, then how could Ishigami tell her?
While Ishigami had made up his mind, and this might be a social norm within those people with high positions, he knew well that most people didn't see this action of his in a good light, so to answer Kaguya's question, he could only show a gentle smile without saying anything.
This answer made Kaguya grind her teeth tightly, which made Ishigami feel helpless and doubtful.
'Why did you show me such an expression?'
Had her love really returned to Shirogane?
While this was what he wanted to believe, he suddenly hesitated, especially when he saw her with such an expression, but suddenly, all of that disappeared and became the mischievous smile of his beautiful senior.
"I see..."
Kaguya nodded, then asked, "By the way, why did you date her? Your first impression of her wasn't that good, right? Why did you date such a girl when Fujiwara-san would have been a better choice for you."
Compared to his current girlfriend, Kaguya felt that Chika was better.
After all, while Chika might be a silly girl, she wasn't like Onodera, who had mocked him in the beginning, so this confused Kaguya.
Why did Ishigami choose someone like Onodera?
If it was someone else, Ishigami would find this question troublesome, but it wasn't the case with Kaguya.
"I guess... I just want to move on, and she's just happened to be there when I needed someone."
Hearing that expression as Kaguya stared at his soft expression, she couldn't help but fall into silence, thinking of their previous exchange in the beginning.
Initially, he often teased her that he liked her and even confessed to her, but Kaguya knew that this was his joke.
Or was it the truth?
Yet, even if this wasn't a joke, and this was what he truly felt, Kaguya knew that it was impossible for him to make a move on her.
Why?
Wasn't it obvious?
Shirogane Miyuki.
Because of him, Ishigami had never thought to get closer to Kaguya more than needed, yet instead of having maintained a relationship between a junior and a senior, the two felt more than that.
More importantly, from the beginning to the end, Ishigami knew that she had fallen for Shirogane, so he had never thought that it was possible to make her fall in love, yet, why did everything change?
'I wonder when it is...'
Previously, Kaguya had always thought that everyone had hidden intentions whenever they approached her. As the daughter of the current head of the Shinomiya Family, many people came to her without good intentions, and all of them had a hidden purpose whenever they approached her, but everything changed when Chika approached her for the first time, or when Shirogane started to challenge her to become the 1st grader in the school.
For the first time in her life, she knew that there was someone who approached her just because of who she was instead of her family.
Still, because of that, she gained a best friend and learned to like someone for the first time, even if she couldn't admit it.
Yet, when everything was moving in a good direction, Ishigami came into her life without hiding his intention, hoping she would help him.
By then, the two continued to interact with each other, and the two realized the importance of each other.
However, instead of pressing forward, hoping she could be his, Ishigami gave her up and just wished for her happiness from the side.
As he tried to move on and get a girlfriend, why couldn't she move on and just return to how it used to be?
'Ah... why you are like this...'
If Ishigami was that pathetic junior that she always needed to watch, then would she feel like this?
If he doesn't work hard and change, then nothing will change.
Unfortunately, he had changed, and this also made her feelings start to change.
However, for the happiness of the person who had saved him from his most pathetic moment, Ishigami decided to move on and give her up since he knew that person loved her, yet she—
"Eh? Is it locked?"
The two were stunned when they heard the door was about to be opened and the familiar voice of the person who wanted to open the door.
"Is there someone inside? Ishigami? Shinomiya? Or it must be you, right, Fujiwara-san? Don't play around within the student council room!"
While Shirogane tried to scold Chika for making a little prank, Kaguya and Ishigami looked at each other, and their expressions were far from calm.
Still, Ishigami took a deep breath and calmed himself since he knew that he hadn't done anything wrong with Kaguya; so he thought to open the door, but when he was about to reach the door, he suddenly felt the time had stopped.
No, he didn't gain a superpower, or he was hit by a time-stop hentai-like power, but he was stunned since Kaguya suddenly hugged him tightly.
Gulp!
"Senpai?"
His voice was quiet, so only Kaguya could hear it.
"Don't say anything. Just stay like this."
Similarly, Kaguya's voice was also quiet as she tightly clung to him from behind.
The two remained fixed within their position, with Kaguya quietly hugging him from behind.
---
It's been a while.
Well, I have returned.
Thank you for waiting!