Heartbeats and Illusions

"President, try this!"

 "Ah, good."

 "And this... this too!"

 "Um..."

It was a scene almost too surreal to believe. Watching someone trade luxurious, extravagant dishes for simple, homemade lunchbox meals created a strange contrast that felt both absurd and oddly endearing.

In this case, the young lady in question, Kaguya Shinomiya, had never tasted ordinary home-cooked meals before. Her curiosity about such mundane flavors had grown into a fascination, almost a yearning, that drove her to try them whenever she could.

However, Natsukawa Kanade couldn't help but feel the situation was becoming ridiculous. The way Kaguya's sharp gaze fixated on the side dishes in his modest lunchbox—like a hawk eyeing its prey—was unsettling. Were those cuttlefish sausages and hamburger patties really that captivating?

From his perspective, it seemed as though Kaguya's refined demeanor might crumble at any moment, and she'd openly salivate over his meal.

Earlier, Kaguya had suggested they eat their lunch before addressing the reason for their meeting. Kanade had agreed without hesitation. Yet, as he opened his modest lunchbox, he immediately sensed her intense interest.

Kaguya's bento, an exquisite array of high-end delicacies crafted by famous chefs, sat untouched while her attention was glued to Kanade's humble homemade meal.

Feeling magnanimous, Kanade offered to share some of his dishes with her, assuming she might never have tried these "common" foods before. He wanted to be generous, not to embarrass her or make her feel guilty. But what followed threw him completely off balance.

Before he could react, Kaguya began exchanging her luxurious ingredients with him: French foie gras, Caspian cod caviar, Tania blue lobster... Some he recognized, while others were too exotic even for him to identify.

It was absurd. His humble lunchbox, costing no more than 1,500 yen, was suddenly brimming with ingredients worth tens, perhaps hundreds, of thousands of yen. The mere thought made him break into a cold sweat.

This wasn't a simple exchange between friends. It felt more like a con, and Kanade couldn't shake the guilt that gnawed at him. Though he had the option to simply give Kaguya his entire lunch, doing so would mean accepting her over-the-top bento in return—a trade he simply couldn't stomach.

"Ahem... Let's talk business first," Kanade suggested, hoping to steer the conversation back to safer waters.

The tantalizing aroma from the luxurious dishes in his lunchbox kept distracting him. If he didn't redirect his focus soon, he might lose his composure entirely.

"I believe in your abilities, Shinomiya," Kanade said earnestly. "There's nothing you can't handle, right?"

Elegant, poised, and undoubtedly brilliant, Kaguya Shinomiya was the epitome of a capable and intellectual young woman. Kanade didn't know the full extent of the effort she had poured into becoming such a remarkable person, but he had never doubted her capabilities.

After all, she was the heroine he had once admired. Trusting someone he had feelings for came naturally to him, as did recognizing their strengths.

 "Huh?" Kaguya blinked in surprise.

For a moment, she looked like she might burst into tears—perhaps because Kanade had closed his lunchbox, cutting her off from his homemade treasures. But her expression quickly transformed into a radiant smile as she absorbed his praise.

He... believes in me?

Kaguya's heart soared. She felt as though she was floating on clouds, enveloped in warmth. Her face flushed, and she struggled to suppress her grin.

"Shinomiya?" Kanade prompted, breaking her reverie.

"Ah! Y-Yes! Of course!" Kaguya stammered, quickly regaining her composure.

"So, for example?" Kanade asked curiously, noting her earlier distraction.

Girls' thoughts were a mystery to him, and he had no interest in unraveling them. It was far less exhausting to try his luck with a lottery ticket.

Kaguya straightened up, her tone growing serious. "For example... being a good student council president! That's something I could never do!"

Kanade raised an eyebrow. "A good student council president?"

This was the "difficult" issue she had wanted to discuss? To him, the role seemed straightforward. Hadn't the student council functioned perfectly well during the days he was absent? His responsibilities could clearly be handled by others.

Take Miyuki Shirogane, for example. In the original story, Shirogane was meant to be the student council president. Kanade had effectively stolen the role from him by intervening in this world. Stepping down now and letting Shirogane take over felt like returning what rightfully belonged to him.

"But isn't Shirogane more than capable of taking over? I think he'd do just fine..." Kanade began.

"No!" Kaguya interrupted, her voice firm. Her crimson eyes gleamed with determination. "Shirogane may be capable, but no one is more suited to the role than you!"

Kanade blinked, startled.

"The president is the president," Kaguya continued, her voice softening slightly. "There will never be another one like you."

Her cheeks turned scarlet as she finished speaking, and she mentally cursed herself for sounding so dramatic. Would Kanade think she had feelings for him? This was all Hayasaka's fault! Her instructions had been too precise, too sincere-sounding.

Kaguya stole a quick glance at Kanade, who appeared genuinely moved by her words. His expression was unreadable, but a flicker of warmth lingered in his eyes.

"Thank you for saying that," Kanade said quietly, his voice tinged with emotion.

Yes! The president thanked me! He must have been touched! Hayasaka's advice is golden!

While Kaguya basked in her small victory, Kanade grappled with a whirlwind of emotions. Was Kaguya affirming his abilities? Or was she acknowledging something deeper, something personal about him?

Her words struck a chord, reminding him of something he had pushed aside for too long: he had never confessed his feelings to Kaguya.

With the other girls in his life, he had always been clear about his emotions. Whether it was the angelic figure who first captivated him or Yukino, who always seemed to clash with him, he had expressed his feelings without hesitation.

But with Kaguya, things had always been different. He had avoided confronting his emotions, assuming she didn't reciprocate. Yet, what if he was wrong?

"Shinomiya, there's something I need to tell you..." Kanade began, his voice trembling slightly.

"Hm? What is it, President?" Kaguya asked, tilting her head curiously.

Kanade took a deep breath, steeling himself. His hands clenched into fists beneath the table as he braced for what might come next.

"I..." 

"Sorry, I think this may be a bit sudden, but I still want to say it clearly..." 

Natsukawa Kanade's voice wavered slightly, a testament to the storm of emotions raging within him. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as though the air itself were heavy. His hands clenched tightly, and despite his tall, composed figure, his entire body trembled, betraying the fear of what might come next. This moment felt pivotal, yet the weight of the unknown nearly paralyzed him.

"I..."

Before he could utter another word, the door to the student council room flew open with a resounding bang.

"Yahallo!" 

The cheerful voice pierced through the charged atmosphere like a lightning bolt, breaking the fragile tension between Kanade and Kaguya Shinomiya. Both turned sharply toward the source of the disruption.

There, in the doorway, stood Fujiwara Chika, her unmistakable energy radiating as brightly as her mischievous grin. Her pink hair, styled in its usual playful fashion, bobbed as she swayed slightly, clearly pleased with herself.

"So, this is where you've been hiding, President! Kaguya-chan! You won't believe what I just saw!" she exclaimed, her words tumbling out with uncontainable glee. "The little pigs in the breeding farm got chased up a tree—can you imagine that? Haha! And wait, wait, look at this!"

Without waiting for a response, Fujiwara dramatically pulled her hands from behind her back, palms open to reveal a tiny, fuzzy hamster. The small creature sat comfortably, gnawing on a melon seed with a surprising degree of focus.

"It's Hamster Taro!" she announced proudly, as if revealing a grand treasure.

Kanade stood frozen; his thoughts fragmented by the sheer absurdity of the moment. Meanwhile, Kaguya's face darkened, her expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

"Secretary Fujiwara," Kaguya said coldly, her voice carrying the weight of barely contained irritation. "Keeping animals from the breeding farm is a clear violation of school rules. My suggestion is that you return it immediately."

Her crimson eyes flickered briefly toward the hamster before narrowing back at Fujiwara. Inwardly, Kaguya seethed. This big-breasted fool! How dare she barge in and ruin such an important moment! Absolutely unforgivable!

"Eh? No way! I just found Hamster Taro, and he's so cute! Let me play with him a little longer, pleeease?" Fujiwara whined, hugging the hamster protectively.

Undeterred by Kaguya's frosty glare, she bounded over and latched onto her arm, her antics shifting into full-on pleading mode. 

"Kaguya-chan, did you change your hairstyle?!" she exclaimed, her tone filled with exaggerated admiration. "It looks amazing!"

Kaguya blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden compliment. "Ah… well, yes. I suppose I did," she replied, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. She then cast a quick, almost imperceptible glance toward Kanade, as if hoping for some kind of acknowledgment.

But none came.

Inwardly, Kaguya felt a pang of regret. While it was nice that someone had noticed her subtle change, why hadn't the President noticed first?

Kanade, meanwhile, stood silent, a myriad of thoughts racing through his mind. Fujiwara's interruption had derailed his train of thought, but her mention of Kaguya's hairstyle now brought a new layer of complexity to his emotions.

People usually change their hairstyle only when there's a significant shift in their mood or emotions, he mused. This must apply to Kaguya Shinomiya as well.

But why? Why had she changed her hairstyle? What had happened in recent days to affect her so deeply?

Kanade's mind reeled with possibilities. He quickly ruled out the mundane—this wasn't a random whim. The timing was too coincidental, especially with everything that had transpired recently. 

His resignation from the student council.

The thought struck him like a lightning bolt. His decision to step down had caused ripples far beyond what he had anticipated. After his departure, Miyuki Shirogane had stepped in, swiftly stabilizing the council and preventing its disintegration. The strain of the situation was evident in Shirogane's sleepless eyes and determined demeanor.

Yes, Kanade thought bitterly. If it weren't for my interference, Kaguya Shinomiya would have naturally gravitated toward Shirogane. Even with my presence, I only managed to delay the inevitable.

A deep sense of inadequacy washed over him. In that moment, he realized the truth he had been avoiding: he had never truly stood a chance. Fake things could never replace the genuine article.

His gaze fell to Kaguya's new hairstyle once more, a stark reminder of how much he had missed. I didn't even notice it first, he thought, the sting of self-reproach cutting deep. How could someone like me ever have the right to like her?

Kanade clenched his fists tightly, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was grateful now—grateful that Fujiwara had interrupted him before he could humiliate himself further.

For the first time, Kanade found himself genuinely liking Fujiwara Chika. Her usual antics, which often annoyed him, had saved him from making yet another irrevocable mistake.

As Fujiwara continued to chatter about Hamster Taro, oblivious to the emotional maelstrom she had disrupted, Kanade allowed himself a faint smile. Perhaps things hadn't gone as planned, but for now, he was content to let the chaos of the student council carry on. 

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We missed our daily goal by only 3 stones. Last week's second bonus chapter is already scheduled for release. Happy Holidays y'all!!