"How do you seduce a man...?"
"U-Um..."
Maki nodded shyly when Ishigami repeated her question with a confused expression. "I-I know that it might be a weird question, especially when we just met, but... it is hard for me to talk about this problem with my friend..."
Especially when her crush was the boyfriend of her best friend, but... if possible, she wanted to know how to seduce a man first, and this junior of hers, Ishigami, must know the reason, but—
"But... I am a man." Ishigami looked at Maki speechlessly and said, "While I don't discriminate, I don't have an interest in the same gender."
"..."
While Maki was speechless, she quickly fixed her question. "I-I mean... you are a guy, right? What makes a guy like you fall for someone?"
Face.
If Ishigami had been blunt and rude, then he would have said that he was only interested in the beautiful girl.
"Is it something that you need to ask? You are beautiful, Senpai. If you fall in love with that person and tell her your feelings sincerely, then I think he will be more than happy to have you as his girlfriend."
No guy hates to be loved by a woman, especially a beautiful one like Maki.
Even girls are happy being favored and idolized by guys, right?
It is human nature to feel happy to be liked, especially when the feeling is sincere.
"That's it...?"
Maki was dumbfounded, to which Ishigami nodded. "That's it. Or do you think it is shameful to think you like someone?"
"N-No... it's just..."
"Embrassing?"
"Um..." Maki blushed shyly, then nodded. "I am a girl, after all, so... is it okay for me to express my feelings like that?"
"Well, if you don't, then your loved one will be stolen." Yet when Ishigami finished speaking, Maki's eyes reddened once again; then she started to cry.
"Huwaaaa!"
Maki cried with all of her might. "Yes, you are right! My loved one has already been stolen by my best friend since I don't dare to express my feelings!"
If she could be more honest with her feelings if she didn't deny her feelings, and if she didn't mess around at that time, then would she lose her loved one?
"Don't cry, okay? What if someone misunderstood me and thought that I had bullied you—"
Gulp!
"What's wrong?"
When Maki noticed Ishigami's strange expression, she followed the gaze of his eyes and fell into silence.
"What's wrong? Did this beast bully you?"
Kaguya was there, showing a gentle smile at Ishigami.
"Ah, aunty."
Yet, while Maki could smile, Ishigami couldn't at all.
"So, what's wrong? Why did you cry? Did this beast do something to you?"
"...why did you call me a beast, Senpai?" Ishigami asked awkwardly, but Kaguya only smiled.
"...."
"Well, I admit that this guy is a beast, but he is good at giving advice."
Nonchalantly, Maki wrapped her arm around Ishigami like they were best friends. "Moreover, since this guy has a girlfriend, he has quite a good experience."
"Yeah, if it's an experience, then you ask the right person." Kaguya nodded in agreement.
"...." Ishigami.
"So, what's wrong?" Kaguya looked at Maki and Ishigami curiously, and naturally, her expression softened since she could see that they didn't seem to have such an intimate relationship.
Yup, they appeared close, but they didn't seem to be dating.
Instead, Kaguya felt that they were really like brothers, according to modern standards.
However—
"Don't get too close to him."
Kaguya parted the two away, then stayed in the middle, even letting herself stick to him.
Ishigami, who was so close to Kaguya, could feel her sweet scent invade his senses, and even if her body was slender, he could feel how soft it was, especially when she pressed him so close, yet he remained calm.
No, he was just confused.
Why the heck did this girl seem so chummy with him?
"It's fine, isn't it? Or are you planning to manage who I want to get close with as a member of the Shinomiya family, and I am—"
"Senpai, how about we go to the student council now? I am sure that everyone is waiting."
Before Maki finished her outburst, Ishigami suddenly cut her off, which made her quickly realize what she was about to say, and then lowered her head awkwardly.
"...you are right."
Kaguya was strangely obedient to Ishigami's words, nodded, and decided to leave while waiting for him.
"Then, we will leave first, Shijo-senpai."
"Maki."
"Hmm?"
"Call me Maki-senpai and I will call you Yuu-kun."
"...okay, Maki-senpai."
Maki smiled and said, "Thank you, Yuu-kun." Standing up, she patted the bottom parts of her skirt, then looked at Kaguya for the last time. "Then, I will leave first, Aunty. Good luck with your student council job."
"Um..." Kaguya nodded as she responded to Maki's words.
Still, when Maki left, Ishigami also said, "Let's go, Senpai."
Kaguya raised her brows and asked, "You don't want to ask?"
"Do you want to talk?"
"Well, this isn't a problem that you can solve either. If you carelessly enter, you will enter the Pacific Ocean."
"...can you not make such a scary joke, Senpai?"
However, Kaguya didn't refute his words and only showed a gentle smile.
"Senpai? You are not serious, right?"
"Fufufu, I wonder." Kaguya smiled, feeling better when she saw Ishigami's expression, but—
"However, if you really need my help, then please tell me. I know that... in your eyes, I might be unreliable, but you are my precious senior, so while my ability is limited, tell me if you need my help."
When Ishigami thought about their first meeting, he also understood why Kaguya thought of him as unreliable, especially when he hardly showed how capable he was in front of her.
Unlike Shirogane, who worked hard to show that he was better in education than Kaguya.
Ishigami didn't do anything, and in her eyes, he was just someone who loved to mess around, especially after he had shown her many of his scumbag parts, yet why?
Despite his attempts to push her away, she always came so close to him.
Yet, his words made Kaguya stare at him in a daze for a moment, then said, "You are right. You are unreliable and stupid, so show me your effort first on the middle semester exam later."
"Ouch! You are as strict as ever."
Still, inwardly, Ishigami sighed in relief when he saw Kaguya's reaction, who looked away and decided to part with him.
Yes, they were close, but this closeness was a normal closeness between a senior and a junior.
"I think that you should have known that part for a long time, right? Don't make Kaichou be embarrassed."
"Yes."
Those words made him smile and feel happy, thinking that Kaguya's feelings had returned to Shirogane as they had in the original.
At the same time, Ishigami thought that he might be thinking too much since, from Kaguya's reaction, he thought that she happened to stumble into the music room when he had sex with Chika for the first time, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
However, when they arrived at the student council room and were greeted by Shirogane and Chika, Ishigami wondered why Chika's expression showed nervousness and awkwardness toward Kaguya.
'No way, right?'
Yet, when he thought so, Kaguya turned her gaze toward him with the gentlest smile.
"..." Ishigami.