"It was you who proposed this study session in the first place, yet you're the only one not studying seriously... Even the junior next to you is more focused than you. Don't you feel at least a little embarrassed?" Natsukawa Kanade let out a long sigh, pressing his palm lightly against his forehead.
He had known. He had known from the start that Fujiwara Chika would pull something like this. And yet, even after preparing himself mentally, he still couldn't help but complain when it actually happened. Come on, it hadn't even been a full ten minutes yet! Her patience was worse than a goldfish's!
"That's not true~!" Fujiwara Chika puffed up her cheeks slightly as she protested, raising her voice instinctively. Realizing a beat too late that her voice had been too loud, she hurriedly clamped her hands over her mouth, glancing around nervously.
Luckily for her, the second floor was nearly deserted, and the few distant students seemed too absorbed in their own work to notice. Relieved, she turned back to continue her heartfelt (if slightly ridiculous) argument.
"The study sessions I imagined weren't like this at all, okay?! Everyone's just silently doing their own thing... It's so boring!"
"..." Kanade couldn't help but stare at her blankly.
Seriously, what did she expect from a study session if not studying? A tea party? A festival? Maybe she thought they were supposed to throw confetti while solving math problems?
Suppressing the urge to facepalm, Kanade asked dryly, "Fine then. What exactly was the 'study session' you imagined?"
Fujiwara's eyes sparkled, as if she had been waiting for that exact question. "Obviously!" she declared, dramatically waving her hand, "Everyone sits together, shares their struggles, helps each other with tough problems... Then after working really hard, we eat some snacks to reward ourselves!"
She wasn't done yet. Oh no. "And, and! We can even play a few little games, you know? Maybe chat a bit, talk about romance topics—kyaa~! In short, it's supposed to be fun! Not this dreary 'study in total silence' thing. Otherwise, we might as well have just stayed home!"
Her energetic outburst left a slight echo hanging awkwardly in the otherwise silent library.
Across the table, the others finally raised their heads to look at her. Iino Miko in particular nodded slightly, eyes shining with hidden agreement. In her heart, she had been thinking something similar: If all she was going to do was sit quietly studying, she would have much preferred staying home, where she could at least listen to her favorite music while working. But as the junior here, after seeing both the president and vice president so serious, she didn't dare to voice her complaints. Thankfully, Fujiwara-senpai had come to her rescue! As expected of Fujiwara-senpai! So reliable!
Meanwhile, Shinomiya Kaguya's reaction was even simpler. The moment Fujiwara mentioned "love topics," Kaguya's ears perked up like a curious cat. Her expression remained neutral, but inside she was seriously pondering: Was this... part of the plan? Either way, it didn't matter. If it involved love discussions, she was all for it! Yosh! As expected of my dear friend Fujiwara-san!
"...Ugh." Kanade was left speechless, caught off guard because... well, Fujiwara actually had a point. At least about the first half.
A reward system after studying was actually a proven method for maintaining motivation. Hearing it from Fujiwara, though, still made it sound somehow... suspicious.
Scratching the back of his head, Kanade sighed again. "Even if you say that... we're still in the library, right? Eating isn't allowed here. It's against the rules."
His words were firm, but there was a trace of apology in his voice. As student council president, he had to at least pretend to follow school rules seriously. Leading a snack party in the library would just be asking for a scandal.
"Ehh~ Kanade-kaichou is such a stickler for rules!" Fujiwara puffed her cheeks again, pouting cutely. "As long as we clean up afterward and don't make a mess, it should be fine, right?"
"That's not the point," Kanade muttered, shaking his head firmly while his hands continued to move automatically across his worksheets. Thanks to years of practice, he could finish national language assignments on autopilot at this point.
"The library's meant to be a quiet space for everyone. Even if nobody complains, it'd still be weird to start munching away when everyone else is working so seriously," he explained patiently. "Not to mention the smell of food—it would bother others."
"As for playing games and chatting..." Kanade shrugged lightly. "I'm not totally against it. But the key is choosing the right place." He gestured around the library with a small, helpless smile. "This isn't it. If you wanted to goof around and chat, you should've reserved a room at a family restaurant or somewhere casual. At least then you wouldn't have to whisper and sneak around like criminals."
He paused, realizing something uncomfortable: Wait a minute... Am I getting dragged into Fujiwara's pace again?!
Without even realizing it, he had started chatting and losing focus on his studies.
Feeling a bit panicked, Kanade quickly turned to glance at Shinomiya Kaguya, only to find—
She had stopped writing too.
Her hands rested neatly on the table, her expression calm and serene as she listened to their conversation intently. It wasn't obvious, but Kaguya was clearly invested.
Seeing that, Kanade finally relaxed a little. Phew... At least it's not just me being led around by Fujiwara's nonsense this time...
Even if he knew deep down that goofing off for a few minutes wouldn't affect the final results of their studies, seeing himself slacking while his "rivals" worked diligently would usually gnaw at his pride a little. But if Kaguya herself was interested in the conversation... well, that changed things.
Even more unexpectedly, Iino Miko had already put down her pen too, her attention captured completely. She lightly raised her hand, her small voice joining the discussion.
"Um... although I don't have a lot of experience, it feels like study sessions really are the way Senpai described them... I mean, that's what I saw on TV and stuff," she said timidly.
In Miko's mind, both Natsukawa-senpai and Shinomiya-senpai were the kind of geniuses who always aced exams. And Fujiwara-senpai must be the same, right?
Since everyone seemed so relaxed and open now, she had to join in too! Otherwise, she might get labeled as the boring one again. She absolutely didn't want anyone to say, "You really can't read the atmosphere, huh?"
"Absolutely not!" (Zettai ni iyada!)
"Even Iino thinks so, huh..." Kanade chuckled lightly, then turned his attention back to Kaguya.
"What about you, Kaguya? What's your opinion?" he asked casually.
Kaguya turned her head slightly toward him, a faint, dazzling smile gracing her lips. Her crimson eyes shimmered faintly, locking onto his with a mysterious gleam.
Her heart, which had been dancing happily all day, leapt even higher at the sound of him calling her name again. Even now, after hearing it so many times, she hadn't gotten used to it. If anything, the sensation was only getting worse—or rather, more intoxicating.
Every time Kanade looked at her like that, she felt as if there were secret words hidden behind his calm gaze... Words meant only for her.
Her mind began to spiral into sweet, fluttery delusions.
However— "Eh eh eh?!" A loud squeal from the side ripped her straight out of her daydreams.
"..."
Kaguya turned, expressionlessly, to face the source of the disruption: Iino Miko, who was now covering her mouth with both hands, eyes wide with panic.
"I-I'm sorry!" Miko whispered frantically, sneaking anxious glances around the library. Only after confirming that nobody else had noticed did she finally relax a little, bowing apologetically toward them.
"I'm so sorry! I just... got surprised and yelled without thinking..."
"Huh? Surprised? About what?" Kaguya blinked in confusion. She hadn't even said anything yet. And Kanade's words weren't particularly shocking either. What was there to be surprised about?
Fujiwara Chika and Kanade both tilted their heads slightly, equally curious. Fujiwara leaned closer, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. "Mou, Miko-chan, it's fine! Just tell us what's on your mind~" she coaxed cheerfully.
Though Fujiwara's voice was sweet and encouraging, anyone who knew her well enough would suspect a hidden agenda: She definitely just wants to watch the fireworks.
However, Miko, pure and innocent as she was, didn't notice any ill intent. Flustered, but moved by their encouragement, she mustered up her courage.
"Actually, it's because... when I heard Natsukawa-senpai call Shinomiya-senpai by her name... I, um, thought... maybe the two of you are... dating already?" She finished in a voice so tiny it almost disappeared into the air.
The library suddenly felt a lot quieter.
Miko peeked up nervously from under her bangs, her face burning red. She wasn't trying to be rude! But ever since joining the student council, she had heard all kinds of rumors— Rumors that the president and the "Shinomiya princess" were secretly an item. Yet no matter how closely she watched them, she had never seen any signs of obvious intimacy.
In fact, if she had to say, it seemed like Natsukawa-senpai and Fujiwara-senpai were closer...?
But just now—he had called her by name so naturally— Of course she'd be surprised! Besides, after everything that had happened recently... in Miko's heart, she had already decided that Natsukawa-senpai was a really good person! Naturally, it made her curious about his relationship with Shinomiya-senpai.
After hearing Iino Miko's words, Shinomiya Kaguya stiffened in surprise.
Eh? This kouhai... does she have such sharp instincts?! Kaguya's heart practically leapt. Could it be... she also thinks that Kanade and I are destined for each other? Like a perfect match made in heaven?
Although she didn't know exactly what was going through Miko's mind, Kaguya decided then and there: This kouhai was clearly blessed with excellent judgment!
Based on this conversation alone, Kaguya had already made up her mind. When the time came for Kanade to step down as student council president, this kouhai would be his rightful successor! No one else could even come close!
"Absolutely!" zettai da!)
Despite the blooming happiness in her heart, Kaguya kept her expression perfectly composed. With an elegant motion, she rested her cheek lightly against her hand, casting a sidelong glance at Kanade. Graceful, refined—every movement like a scene from a shoujo manga.
Of course, even though she was overjoyed inside, she couldn't afford to answer first. If she spoke up too eagerly, the president might get the wrong idea—or worse, tease her again! And if that happened, there was no way she could maintain her calm façade...
No, she needed to see what Kanade himself would say first. Keep cool, keep cooL… (reisei ni, reisei ni…)
Naturally, since Kaguya stayed silent, the others turned their eyes to Kanade. Kanade met her gaze briefly, and seeing that she didn't look angry at all, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief for the brave kouhai who had asked such a bold question.
This junior... she's got guts, Kanade thought with a touch of admiration. Daring to joke around with the legendary "Ice Queen"—not bad at all!
"You're misunderstanding," Kanade said with a calm smile, shaking his head gently. "It's just calling each other by name. That's pretty normal between friends, right? Besides... haven't you heard it before? Why are you only getting curious about it now?"
In Kanade's mind, it wasn't a big deal. Calling someone by their name or by their family name didn't mean much to him personally. Still, from the way people reacted, he could tell that in Japan, switching to first names felt a lot more intimate.
Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do... or in this case, when in Japan, follow the custom. He'd simply adapted to how people addressed him.
"Uh..." Iino Miko opened her mouth, about to explain, then froze.
Only now did she remember... On Monday morning, when she had just walked into the student council room, hadn't she vaguely heard Kanade call Shinomiya-senpai by her name? But at the time, she had been too distracted—her mind focused entirely on the "compromising position" she had stumbled upon between the two—so she hadn't processed it fully.
Now that Kanade mentioned it, the memory resurfaced, causing her to turn beet red.
Ugh... doesn't this make it look like I've been secretly paying attention to them?! The tips of her ears turned pink as she squirmed in place.
From where Kanade sat, it was obvious she was embarrassed. Feeling a little sorry for her, he was about to change the topic when—
"That's right! Miko-chan wasn't there at that time!" Fujiwara Chika, looking oddly excited, suddenly leaned in closer, practically whispering into Miko's ear.
"Don't worry about it, Miko-chan! It's just calling names, okay? Everyone does it~" She smiled sweetly—but there was definitely a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"..."
Kanade shot Fujiwara a deadpan look. Oi... who was the one making a big fuss about it first?!
Meanwhile, Miko blinked wide-eyed. "E-Everyone...?"
She looked at Fujiwara with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"Does that mean... Natsukawa-senpai also calls you by your first name?"
"Yup, yup! He calls me Chika!" Fujiwara puffed out her chest proudly. "But honestly, I still think 'Fujiwara' sounds cooler."
"Ahh..." Miko let out a small sound of admiration.
Senpai... so free, so casual... Miko felt a little envious. Compared to that, she was worrying way too much, wasn't she?
Noticing the spark of envy in her kouhai's eyes, Fujiwara's grin widened.
"Miko-chan, why don't you try it too?" she urged enthusiastically. "We've all been together for a while now! It's about time, don't you think? Calling each other by first names makes us feel more like real friends, ne~?"
"Eh? Eh, eh?!" Miko's whole body stiffened. "M-Me?!"
Her voice rose a pitch higher, panic flashing across her face.
"B-But... wouldn't that be a bit... rude?"
She fidgeted nervously, but even so, her eyes kept sneaking glances at Kanade. Her true feelings were painfully obvious.
Kanade immediately understood. This junior... she's way too easy to read.
Clearly, she wanted to close the distance between them. For a girl who had spent her birthday alone not long ago, the warmth of friendship must have been almost irresistible.
Seeing that, Kanade smiled gently. His usual teasing tone, reserved for Fujiwara, was nowhere to be found.
"No, I don't mind at all," he said kindly. "If you're okay with it, Miko-chan, I'd be happy."