Interlude 1-02: A Moment of Reunion with the Adorable Little Angel
"Maki?"
As the astonished shout of a friend nearby echoed, the girl snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was sitting in the clubroom, trying to pass the boredom of this uneventful day.
The four grueling days of survival at Shirokawa Apartment felt like an unreal nightmare.
It wasn't until she saw the sunlight again, and the familiar school grounds in front of her, that she realized she had truly returned to reality.
"What... what is this, Maki? Why are your clothes suddenly torn to shreds? What happened to you?!"
Ah.
I really did come back.
I've truly left that place and returned.
Her exhausted body collapsed backward, immediately supported by her worried friend.
The piercing noise around her, combined with the reminder from the Sacrifice Game about the next round in a month, and the concerned shouts of her classmates, made everything feel surreal. It was as if she couldn't tell whether she was dreaming or awake.
I finally... No, no! That's not the important thing right now!
It was as though she could hear someone whispering a faint "thank you" and "goodbye" to her, accompanied by an inexplicable surge in her physical and mental awareness.
But Maki had no energy to pay attention to any of that right now.
She remembered.
At the last moment, Takakai had pushed her through the door while he and oba-sama were dragged away by those black hands.
Had they returned yet?
Had the two of them managed to escape?
Kai-kun... Kai-kun... You didn't stay behind, did you? Someone as smart as you, as capable as you, wouldn't have stayed there... right?
She sprang to her feet.
The very next moment, the girl dashed out of the clubroom.
Ignoring her friends' calls from behind and the puzzled stares of her schoolmates, she ran.
Wearing a uniform stained with dirt and tattered from crawling through rubble, she kept running until she stopped in confusion, unsure of where to go. She found herself standing dazed on a path within the campus, looking up at the sky.
At the same time, at the gate of Shuuchiin High School, Takakai stepped out of a taxi. Muttering under his breath about the "ridiculously expensive taxi fares in Tokyo," he glanced at the school gate in front of him, took a deep breath, and walked forward.
As expected, he was turned away by the guard.
"They even threatened to call the police if I didn't leave. Do I look that suspicious? The security here really isn't very polite."
Wearing a baseball cap and a mask, Takakai, who had been about to barge in regardless, shook his head helplessly and turned away. He then looked up at the wall surrounding Shuuchiin High School.
It wasn't very high, just a little over two meters—closer to three.
He wasn't sure what Maki was doing right now, but at this time of day, she was probably somewhere inside the school.
Saying nothing more, he moved away from the main gate and walked along the outer wall. With his keen observational skills, he quickly found a secluded corner without surveillance cameras or much foot traffic.
Taking two steps back, he gained momentum and jumped.
In the next moment, Takakai, holding onto his cap with one hand, leaped to a height of over three meters. Twisting gracefully in midair, he landed lightly inside Shuuchiin's campus.
It had been a long time since he last felt this sensation—the thrill of stealthy, detective-like actions.
Takakai couldn't help but recall his days before he began writing novels, back when he used to do part-time jobs. But those memories weren't worth lingering on. Compared to the past, finding Shijo Maki and confirming her condition was far more important now.
While thinking, Takakai hid himself among the bushes and shadows of the trees within the school campus, carefully observing the surrounding buildings and facilities.
After some time, he sneaked into the male changing room by the school pool through a second-floor window. With his significantly enhanced strength, Takakai opened the locker belonging to the swimming coach, changed into their uniform and sunglasses, then removed his cap and mask, calmly pretending to be a teacher while continuing his movement inside.
If he remembered correctly, Maki was a second-year student. Would she be in her class right now? But he didn't know which class she was in. When reading the manga, he had never paid attention to that detail…
Takakai felt slightly awkward.
Around him, students occasionally walked by, politely greeting him. Some students whispered among themselves, puzzled as to why there was a new teacher who looked so young appearing in the school.
Takakai didn't care much and kept walking. Suddenly, a pink-haired girl with a black ribbon, holding a dice as big as a basketball, blocked his path.
"Next turn, move forward four spaces!"
The pink-haired girl threw the dice on the ground, shouting excitedly. Two girls accompanying her were also engaged: one held a rule board and read aloud, "In this turn, Chika earns 5,000 points." The other picked up the dice, enthusiastically saying, "It's my turn now!" and prepared to roll again.
Unexpectedly, he encountered the "Earth's Cancer," Fujiwara Chika, so quickly.
This girl, with her charming figure and incredibly humorous personality, was a fan-favorite character, whether in the manga or the anime. It had to be said that even during the bizarre arc at the end of the manga featuring "stir-fry noodles x photographer," she remained one of the few characters who left a pleasant impression.
Should he ask her for help?
"You there, student..."
Takakai cleared his throat, mimicking the slow and deliberate tone of an old teacher, and spoke gently.
"Ah! It's the teacher! Hello, sir! We're participating in a practical extracurricular activity. Is there anything you'd like to teach us?"
Fujiwara Chika, who had been playing so enthusiastically a moment ago, froze when she saw Takakai. She quickly glanced around him as if searching for something. Not seeing anyone else, she sighed in relief, then cheerfully waved at him, flashing a broad smile as she asked.
Looking at the two girls behind her, who seemed quite relaxed, it appeared these students weren't shy about being playful in front of teachers. Or perhaps it was because most students at Shuuchiin came from prestigious backgrounds, leaving teachers to only advise while the disciplinary committee—also students—was the only authority capable of taking stern measures?
"Have you seen Shijo Maki pass by here?"
Takakai maintained a calm expression, asking in a very neutral tone.
"Shijo Maki? Oh, she's related to Kaguya-san, isn't she… I'm not sure, teacher. Is something the matter? I'm Fujiwara Chika, the school's famous detective! If you need help, I'm ready to assist!"
Chika paused slightly at Takakai's question, then gave a somewhat disappointing answer. However, as if she noticed something from his reaction, her eyes lit up immediately. She stepped forward, seemingly volunteering herself.
"No need, just continue your game, but don't disturb others, alright?"
At this moment, Takakai wasn't interested in opening any side routes in this galgame-like scenario. He simply waved his hand and left immediately.
"Ehh, why not?"
A somewhat disappointed voice sounded behind him.
Takakai's light steps carried him through the narrow park path under the teaching building, then veered onto a quieter road.
It was then that he overheard faint voices from students passing by.
"What happened to that girl just now?"
"Her clothes were so dirty."
"Isn't she Shijo, the second-ranked student in her year? How did she end up like this?"
Takakai's footsteps stopped abruptly.
He turned around and looked ahead down the road.
There, Shijo Maki sat quietly on a bench, her head slightly lowered, letting out a faint sigh.
Beside her, worried voices from her friends echoed.
A few teachers and other students gathered around, curious to understand what had happened.
How pathetic.
Despite being the eldest daughter of the Shijo family, appearing before a crowd in such a disheveled state would surely earn her a scolding from her father once she returned home.
As she thought about this, Maki sighed once more and prepared to stand up and leave.
After all, she needed to find oba-sama now. Oba-sama and Kai-kun had both been pulled away. If Kai-kun had returned safely, then oba-sama would certainly be fine as well. As long as she could confirm oba-sama's safety, there would be no need to worry about Kai-kun anymore.
Honestly, she should have thought of this from the start, instead of losing control and running out like that.
Aside from his name, she knew nothing about him.
Perhaps, they might never have the chance to meet again...
"Yo, why not change into some clean clothes? Looking like this, how are you supposed to maintain the image of the Shijo family's eldest daughter?"
And then, she heard that familiar voice.
The voice she thought she wouldn't hear again—or at least, not this soon.
"Eh?"
Surprised, the girl lifted her head and saw Takakai, who had just removed his sunglasses, gently waving at her.
"Kai-kun, why are you—"
Her words of astonishment were left unfinished.
Because in the next moment, Takakai stepped forward decisively, reached out, and pulled the girl into an embrace, completely unconcerned about the gazes or whispers of the surrounding students and teachers. Without hesitation, he lifted Maki off the ground.
"To celebrate our reunion in the real world, a little hug like this isn't too much, right, Maki?"
Takakai smiled casually as he looked at the girl.
Under layers of shock, Maki froze for quite some time before fully grasping the situation. Almost immediately, her face turned bright red. In just a second, the blush spread across her entire face.
"You... you you you baka! What the hell are you doing!?"
Her shrill yell was drowned out by the questioning voices of teachers rushing over, the teasing laughter of students, and Takakai's masterful escape, plunging the entire campus into a lively commotion.
In a quiet corner of the teaching building, in an empty classroom, Kaguya—having changed into a clean uniform—looked out the window. She gazed at the small path below, where Takakai was sprinting by, her usually cold expression softening with a hint of relief.
"So, everyone survived, didn't they?"
She spoke softly to herself, then turned to face her maid, who was holding her torn uniform with its ripped collar.
Judging by the worried expression on the maid's face, she would have to come up with a good explanation for the state of her uniform. But at least for now, in this very moment, Kaguya was filled with the joy of surviving a perilous ordeal and the happiness of knowing that Takakai and Maki were both safe. Her heart felt lighter than ever.
"This dirty hair tie... No, it's not a hair tie—it's just a piece of cloth torn from some T-shirt, isn't it? And it's a men's T-shirt, no less. Kaguya-sama, what's the meaning of this? I hope you can explain clearly."
The blonde-haired maid stepped forward, holding the fabric stained with suspicious red and white marks, questioning her.
"This?"
Kaguya lowered her gaze to the cloth, pausing briefly.
Then, as if recalling something, she gently touched the cloth with her fingertip.
"Changing styles a little wouldn't be bad. Hayasaka, could you please pick out a suitable red hair tie for me?"