Heartbeats and Illusions

"Why the sudden change in hairstyle, Kaguya-chan? Your old look was already amazing!" Fujiwara Chika's curious eyes scanned Shinomiya Kaguya intently. Her uncanny sixth sense for drama and intrigue was buzzing like an alarm. There's definitely something fishy going on here!

The pink-haired secretary leaned in, sniffing metaphorical trouble. The scent of a potential special event hung thick in the air, and she wasn't about to let it pass unnoticed.

"It's nothing," Kaguya replied coolly, brushing Chika's bear hug away with practiced ease. "I just felt like a change of mood."

But even as she spoke, her crimson eyes flickered toward Natsukawa Kanade, seeking something—anything—that might betray a reaction.

Nothing.

Kanade stood impassive, his face betraying no hint of acknowledgment, let alone admiration. A tiny wave of disappointment washed over Kaguya's features before she quickly masked it with her usual composure.

I even took Hayasaka's advice and changed my hairstyle! she thought, fuming internally. I thought it might finally catch the President's attention, but he doesn't even notice. How can someone be this dense?!

Still, retreat wasn't an option. Not for her. The Shinomiya family didn't back down.

If there's no topic to draw his attention, I'll create one. If there's no good impression yet, I'll manufacture shared moments until there are. And if his heartbeat isn't racing, I'll engineer the suspension bridge effect!

Her determination flared as she adjusted her posture, a small smile curling her lips. Love was war, and losing was simply not in her vocabulary.

"Come to think of it," Kaguya began, her voice taking on a softer, more contemplative tone, "there's someone I've been concerned about lately..."

Her hand delicately rested against her cheek as she spoke, her smile radiating a rare tenderness.

"Eh? Someone you're concerned about?" Chika's eyes widened with excitement. "Could it be... a crush?! Tell me, tell me!"

Kaguya feigned a bashful expression, turning her face slightly away. "Well... he's very cute, hardworking, strong, and never gives up, no matter how hard things get. Honestly, he's quite pleasing to me..."

"Well, isn't that love?! Who is it? Kaguya-chan, spill it now!"

Chika's enthusiasm overflowed as she leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Hey, is this really something to discuss here?" Kaguya said, feigning embarrassment as she glanced toward Kanade. Her expression seemed to ask, What do you think, President?

But Kanade didn't rise to the bait. He shook his head slightly and said, "Personally, I think this is a private matter, Shinomiya. There's no need to indulge Fujiwara's curiosity."

His tone was calm and measured, but beneath the surface lay something else—relief. He didn't want to hear Kaguya openly declare her feelings for someone.

"Really, President, you're such a buzzkill!" Chika huffed, puffing out her cheeks in mock indignation. She wagged a finger at him as though scolding a misbehaving child.

"Love is the fertilizer for a girl's growth! Discussing romance is always in style!"

With a dramatic flourish, Chika struck a pose.

"Love Detective Chika Fujiwara is on the case!"

From seemingly nowhere, she produced a detective hat and a magnifying glass, adorning herself with the tools of her self-proclaimed craft.

"There's only one truth, and that is... Ishigami-da!" she declared, pointing her magnifying glass triumphantly at thin air.

Across campus, Ishigami Yu, who was currently in a fierce battle for fried noodle bread at the convenience store, felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

"Why do I feel like someone's blaming me for something again?" he muttered, only to be shoved aside by a taller student.

"Damn it! My fried noodle bread!"

Back in the student council room, silence hung heavy after Chika's bold proclamation. Kaguya stared at her with an expression somewhere between disbelief and irritation.

In her mind, things were supposed to unfold differently. The President was supposed to show some interest, maybe even ask, Am I the one you're concerned about? She wouldn't have answered directly, of course, but she'd planned to drop just enough hints to leave him in suspense. Everything would have built to the perfect moment for him to confess his feelings.

But instead of her carefully laid plan, she got this absurdity.

Not only did Kanade seem utterly uninterested, but now this overly excitable airhead was blurting out random guesses. What if the President misunderstood her feelings?

"Secretary Fujiwara," Kaguya said, her tone icy, "on what grounds did you deduce that the person I care about is Ishigami? Don't you think that's a little... far-fetched?"

"Eh? It's not?" Chika blinked, looking genuinely perplexed. "But they're so similar!"

"Hardworking and strong... Ishigami works really hard! I mean, it's not easy surviving all the teasing he gets. He's grown so much!"

Kaguya's irritation deepened, her eyebrow twitching as Chika continued.

"And he never gives up, even though no girl has ever liked him! He's never stopped liking girls, though!"

"Fujiwara," Kaguya said finally, her voice low and full of menace, "if you keep talking, I can't guarantee your safety."

"But I'm right, aren't I?!" Chika pressed on, undeterred.

Kanade, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold, trying and failing to suppress a smile. In the chaos, he found a certain comfort. Kaguya's emotions, Fujiwara's antics—this was the student council dynamic he'd grown to cherish.

"You're really good at pleasing Kaguya-chan… Doesn't she always look at Ishigami-kun with a smile on her face?"

Shinomiya Kaguya froze.

Natsukawa Kanade blinked.

For a moment, Kanade felt an urge to escape this conversation entirely. The tension in the room had begun to weigh on him, and he considered using some flimsy excuse to step out for fresh air. But then Fujiwara Chika spoke, and her statement was so absurd that he couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

Fujiwara strikes again.

"Ahem." Kanade cleared his throat to regain his composure. "I think Ishigami-kun is... uh, not as bad as you're implying, Fujiwara. He's hardworking in his own way."

It was an attempt to defend Ishigami, but the effort was ultimately futile. The student council room was currently occupied by three unique girls, and none of them seemed particularly inclined to take Kanade's words seriously.

"I have to admit," Kaguya said, her tone measured as she shook her head, "that what you're saying, Fujiwara, has some logic. But..." She paused, her sharp gaze landing squarely on Chika. "It's not what you think."

Her words carried weight, but her next line hit harder.

"If I care about Ishigami at all, it's the way a mother might worry about her son's inability to get his act together. Nothing more."

"Eh?" Chika tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. Then, as though struck by inspiration, she clapped her hands together. "Oh, so Kaguya-chan sees Ishigami-kun as a child? What a fascinating dynamic!"

Kaguya's eye twitched.

Chika, unfazed by the growing tension, shifted her detective persona into overdrive. "Then if it's not Ishigami, it must be... Shirogane-san, right?" she exclaimed with renewed enthusiasm. "Think about it—he's always working hard, facing challenges head-on, all for your sake. Isn't that just textbook love?"

"Absolutely not!" Kaguya shouted, startling everyone in the room.

Her reaction was instantaneous and much louder than necessary, betraying the inner turmoil she'd been suppressing. She couldn't stand the idea of her affections being misinterpreted—especially not for someone like Shirogane.

Care? Like? No way.

Shirogane was a rival. Someone she'd rather ship off to Siberia to dig potatoes than let linger in her life. He was nothing but a distraction, stealing the President's attention with his incessant charm and competence.

"It could be anyone but that guy!" she added, crossing her arms defiantly. "Really, Fujiwara, if you're going to guess, at least try to stay grounded in reality. Making wild, baseless statements is just ridiculous!"

"Eh? It's not Shirogane-san either?" Chika frowned, pouting slightly. "This is so frustrating!"

Meanwhile, Kanade sat silently, observing the exchange with a carefully neutral expression. He could see through Kaguya's façade easily. Her loud protests, her overly dramatic gestures—they all screamed embarrassment.

She had been calm and composed when the topic was Ishigami, but the moment Shirogane's name came up, her entire demeanor shifted. The sharp retort, the defensive posture, even the slight redness in her cheeks—all of it gave her away.

She's definitely hiding something, Kanade thought.

But if there was one thing he wouldn't do, it was lie to himself about what he'd just witnessed. Whatever Kaguya's feelings for Shirogane might be, it wasn't his place to dig any deeper.

"What? I can't guess it at all! This is so annoying!" Chika whined, taking off her detective hat and tossing it onto the table. "I give up!"

Kaguya opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated, biting back her words.

In her heart, she cursed Chika silently. This big-breasted fool started this mess and now wants to end it on her terms?!

Kaguya had spent so much time and effort building up the perfect situation to nudge the President into confessing his feelings. And now, thanks to Chika's nonsensical guesses and abrupt surrender, all of that work had gone down the drain.

She clenched her fists under the table.

If things have come to this, I'll just have to force the conversation back on track.

"Actually, the person I care about is—"

"I'm starving!" Chika suddenly interrupted, sniffing the air like a bloodhound. "Eh? What's that amazing smell?"

Everyone turned to look at her in confusion as she honed in on Kanade, her gaze locking onto the lunch box he'd placed on the table earlier.

"What a great find!" Chika exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Did the President make this himself? It's been so long since I've had your cooking!"

Kanade nodded, sighing softly. "Yeah. I had some free time lately, so I thought I'd get back into making bento."

"But it's cold. If you're interested, I can make something fresh tomorrow—"

"Cold, warm, whatever!" Chika waved him off as if his concern were trivial. "If it's made by the President, it'll taste great no matter what!"

Without waiting for permission, she opened the lunch box and fished out a piece of cuttlefish sausage, popping it into her mouth.

"Mmm! Delicious! My brain feels like it's waking up!"

Kanade opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. He'd already eaten from that lunch box earlier—it wasn't exactly untouched. But seeing how much Chika seemed to enjoy it, he couldn't bring himself to ruin her moment.

Forget it. If she doesn't mind, why should I worry about it?

As Chika munched away happily, Kaguya slumped in her chair, glaring daggers at the oblivious secretary.

She's impossible!

Kaguya's carefully laid plans had been thwarted once again, but this was far from the end. She was Shinomiya Kaguya, after all. And in love, as in war, she would never admit defeat.