Heartbeats and Illusions

Fujiwara Chika, ever the agent of chaos, clasped her hands together with glee. "Since Miko-chan is here today, let's play some games!" she chirped, producing a mysterious board game seemingly out of thin air.

"I refuse," came the immediate, synchronized reply from both Kaguya Shinomiya and Natsukawa Kanade. The memory of their last encounter with Fujiwara's games lingered in their minds like the aftermath of a disaster.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that!" Chika pleaded, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Let's call it a welcome party for Iino. Playing games together is a great way to bond!"

"You just made that up because you wanted to play," Kanade retorted flatly, his sharp gaze cutting through her façade.

Not one to be deterred, Fujiwara lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Iino Miko, their quiet and unassuming first-year member. "But Miko-chan definitely wants to play, right? You've barely gotten to know us!"

Iino stiffened under Chika's affectionate hold, her face betraying her inner turmoil.

Fit in? With this utterly chaotic student council? Impossible!

She tried to rationalize the situation. Surely the president and his council weren't the sort of people who'd do anything truly inappropriate in the sacred sanctum of the student council room... right? Yet the mental image of earlier events flashed in her mind, unbidden and mortifying.

That posture...

Iino shook her head violently, banishing the thought. Focus! As long as this doesn't devolve into anything weird, playing a game should be fine... I think.

She hesitated, her inner resolve wavering. "Since... since it's a welcome party, I guess I don't mind..."

"..."

Her awkward, hesitant acceptance was transparent, and both Kanade and Kaguya exchanged knowing glances. They didn't even need words; their shared look said it all: This poor girl doesn't know what she's getting into.

"Fine. Secretary Fujiwara, explain the rules," Kanade sighed, leaning back in his chair. His tone carried a mix of resignation and wariness. If the game turned out to be anything like last time, he'd veto it without hesitation. Judging by the grim determination in Kaguya's eyes, she'd back him up in an instant.

"The rules are super simple!" Chika beamed as she began unpacking the board game, her hands moving with an almost suspicious enthusiasm. She turned her back to the group as she drew a card from the deck and handed it to Kanade.

"For example," she said, "the president is now holding a card. The rule is, he cannot perform the action described on it. If he does, he loses!"

"That's it?" Kanade glanced at the card, his curiosity piqued. "Sounds straightforward."

"Yep, it's very simple!" Chika grinned wickedly, pointing at the card in his hand. "And it just exploded."

"What?" Kanade flipped the card over, reading the words scrawled across it: Say it simply.

"...!"

Kanade's eye twitched. Of course, he'd already broken the rule before the game even officially began.

"Great, I completely understand the rules now," he muttered sarcastically.

"Perfect! Let's start the game!" Chika cheered, grabbing a handful of cards and scattering them on the table. "The winner gets to make the president do something!"

"Wait a second!" Kanade objected, his voice rising. "Why am I always the one being used as a prize? This is totally unfair!"

"Fine, fine," Chika relented, waving him off like a parent appeasing a petulant child. "If you win, we'll each agree to one of your conditions."

"Hm... fair enough." Kanade nodded with a faint smirk. If I'm going to be dragged into this, at least there's some payoff. A bit of motivation always sweetened the deal.

Before the group could move on, a voice cut through the room like an unexpected thunderclap.

"In that case, I'll join too."

The sudden declaration startled everyone. Natsukawa turned around to see none other than Ishigami Yu standing behind him.

"Ishigami? Since when were you there?" Kanade asked, raising an eyebrow. "And where's Shirogane?"

"Don't misunderstand, kaichou. I'm not here because of anything weird! I'm just interested in the game," Ishigami replied with a defensive tone. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I've played it plenty of times... with my friends..."

A heavy silence followed as the group processed his words.

"With... friends?" Fujiwara Chika's face lit up mischievously. "Ohhh, I get it! You mean imaginary friends, don't you? I read about this in a book once! Lonely people—"

"It's not like that, you baka-senpai!" Ishigami's protest came out in a near-squeak as his face turned crimson. "They're real people, okay? Actual, breathing humans!"

Kanade placed a comforting hand on Ishigami's shoulder, his expression a mix of pity and resignation. "It's okay, Ishigami. We've all been there before."

"Kaichou! Not you too!" Ishigami clutched his chest dramatically as though Kanade's words had pierced his soul.

"Well, you did just confirm that they're online friends," Kanade muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The rest of the group nodded in unison as if solving a great mystery.

"Online friends?" Shinomiya Kaguya tilted her head, her elegant features betraying genuine curiosity. "What's that?"

Kanade sighed, realizing that Shinomiya—true to her sheltered upbringing—had no concept of such things. "They're people you meet on the internet, usually strangers, but you bond over shared interests. You talk, share your thoughts, maybe even vent about your day."

"Hmm..." Kaguya frowned slightly. "Doesn't that sound... lonely? You're just talking to strangers, right? Isn't there a risk of exposing yourself? I think it's safer to find a 'tree hole' to confide in."

"Uh..." Kanade scratched his head, trying to suppress a chuckle. Kaguya's sheltered perspective made explaining online culture feel like trying to teach calculus to a toddler. "It's not really like that... I mean, netizens can be pretty interesting, and they're a solid source of entertainment."

Beside him, Ishigami looked like he was on the verge of collapse, muttering words like "empty" and "tree hole" under his breath.

Kanade decided to rescue the poor guy before he turned to ash from sheer embarrassment. "Ahem, let's just focus on the game, shall we? No need to dwell on this any longer."

"Fine! But now I'm more determined than ever to beat you all!" Ishigami declared, pointing dramatically at the group.

Kanade sighed inwardly. Does playing a card game really count as 'training,' Ishigami-san? But he held his tongue, deciding it wasn't worth crushing the boy's fragile enthusiasm.

With the participants decided, the cards were drawn. Each card had a unique challenge written on it, displayed boldly above the players' heads:

Natsukawa Kanade – Speak in English.

Shinomiya Kaguya – Say "I like it."

Iino Miko – Stay silent for 20 seconds.

Fujiwara Chika – Talk about the concept of time.

Ishigami Yu – Breathe.

"..."

The group collectively froze, their eyes fixed on Ishigami. His challenge, compared to theirs, was...

"Why are you all staring at me like that?!" Ishigami asked nervously, touching his face as if expecting to find something amiss. "Is there something on my head?!"

Kanade hesitated before speaking, his tone gentle but firm. "Ishigami, are you sure you don't want to swap your card? I mean, it's not too late to reconsider..."

"Kaichou!" Ishigami's eyes sparkled with emotion, as though he was moved by Kanade's apparent concern. "I appreciate your kindness, but I refuse!"

"Eh?" Kanade blinked, confused by the dramatic outburst.

"I won't swap my card!" Ishigami declared, clenching his fist like a shonen protagonist ready for battle. "Do you think I can't see through your plan? The card above my head must say something like 'Change cards,' right? Nice try, but I'm not falling for it!"

"...What?" Kanade could only stare, dumbfounded.

"Pfft!" Fujiwara Chika doubled over with laughter, slapping the table as tears streamed down her face. "You... you just exploded! Oh my gosh, Ishigami, you're priceless!"

"What do you mean, exploded?!" Ishigami turned his head to look at the card reflected in a nearby mirror. When he saw the word written above his head, his jaw dropped.

"Breathe," it read.

"..."