"Hayasaka Ai, I like you."
"I will definitely take you back from the Shinomiya family."
"No matter how difficult it is, no matter how many obstacles stand in my way."
"You, and the entire Hayasaka family—I will reclaim them with my own hands. I swear it."
"If it means helping you live a life of freedom—free from the shackles of duty, deception, and despair—then I'm willing to do anything."
Yukima Azuma's voice was gentle, like a soft breeze brushing across her cheek, yet it held a steel-like conviction. Each word he spoke reverberated with quiet strength—unshakable, undeterred.
His hand, warm and reassuring, rested gently on Hayasaka Ai's face.
Her breathing quickened.
Though her eyelids remained closed and her expression still, her heart pounded beneath her ribs like a drum echoing through a quiet battlefield.
She was pretending to be asleep. That much was true.
But after hearing those words—after hearing him—Hayasaka Ai could no longer focus on keeping up the act.
He likes me?
Not Hasaka.
Not the cheerful, convenient mask I wear to keep people at arm's length.
But me—Hayasaka Ai.
That thought alone sent her entire world tilting.
Suddenly, the strange behavior Yukima Azuma had exhibited over the past few days—the way his tone softened, how he stared at her too long, the flickers of intensity in his gaze—it all clicked.
Everything made sense now.
Because from the very beginning… he had seen through her.
Even when she introduced herself under a false name, even when she wore a different personality like a costume, Yukima Azuma had spoken to her with a strange, almost painful sincerity.
Because he wasn't speaking to the facade.
He was speaking to her—the real her.
Hayasaka Ai didn't know exactly what her mother had said to him. But judging from the depth of his words, it was likely that he already knew much of the truth. He knew the Hayasaka family's shame. He knew how her mother and ancestors had become vassals to the powerful Shinomiya clan.
He might even know the ugliest truth of all—that she wasn't just Kaguya-sama's loyal maid, but also a pawn, secretly reporting to Kaguya's older brother.
Even so.
Even knowing everything, Yukima Azuma still—
He still wanted to save her.
Still wanted to free her from this life.
Still wanted to… like her.
How? Why?
Why would someone so kind, so bright, so brave—choose her?
This affection, this resolve—it was so overwhelming, so blindingly sincere, it made Hayasaka Ai's chest ache. Her nose stung as if she were on the verge of tears.
"Today, Hayasaka is especially cute," Azuma murmured with a fond chuckle. "Though… she's definitely plotting something."
He softened his voice into a teasing tone, half-joking.
"Whether it's annoyed Hayasaka or slightly mischievous Hayasaka… you're always adorable."
"So much so that I can't help but tease you… Am I being too mean?"
"When you wake up later, will you confess to me? I feel like you might."
He paused, his voice growing wistful.
"In retaliation, you might even try to seduce me a little. What should I say in response?"
"Should I just agree right then and there? If I do… I'd get to date Hayasaka… No, wait—Hasaka, right?"
That momentary hesitation in his voice was unmistakable.
A sigh escaped his lips. "…What am I even thinking?"
"I've already asked so much from her. She's clearly exhausted."
"And here I am… selfishly hoping for more. What kind of guy does that make me?"
Yukima Azuma's voice had grown heavy with self-reproach. "I should probably turn her down later."
It was a rejection.
But somehow, hearing those words—
They were sweeter than any confession she had ever dreamed of.
As his hand slipped away from her cheek, the warmth lingered.
Her skin still burned where his fingers had rested.
Some time later—
Hayasaka Ai "woke up" with a soft groan, fluttering her lashes and lifting her head groggily.
"Ehh? Did I fall asleep?"
She glanced down at her watch.
"…No way. Three hours already?!"
Realizing how long she had dozed, she buried her flushed face in her hands in mock embarrassment.
Except… this wasn't entirely fake.
That blush on her porcelain skin was real.
So was the quiet sting of emotion rising in her chest.
"I was going to wake Hasaka up," Yukima Azuma said gently, "but you looked really tired… so I let you sleep a bit longer."
"So embarrassing… uwu…" she whimpered, peeking at him through her fingers.
When the heat in her cheeks finally dulled slightly, she whispered the line she had carefully prepared beforehand:
"Someone like me… you could've just ignored and gone home, you know."
But the moment the words left her lips, their weight changed.
The sadness behind them felt too raw.
"There's no way I could leave Hasaka alone," Yukima Azuma said softly.
The exact reply she had expected.
But when he said it—her heart tightened.
"Azuma-kun…"
Her voice trembled slightly as she looked up at him.
And this time, there was no mask.
The emotion in her eyes was real. Open. Vulnerable.
"Ne, Azuma-kun… would you like to try dating me?"
She forced the words out, clinging to her rehearsed lines like a lifeline.
"I know we haven't known each other that long… It might seem sudden."
"But we can try it out… ninety percent as friends, ten percent as lovers."
"If you end up liking someone else, you don't have to feel guilty. Just go for her."
"Think of me as a backup girlfriend. I wouldn't mind."
Her lips curled into a practiced, sweet smile.
But she couldn't hold it.
Instead, she lowered her gaze, eyelashes quivering.
Because despite preparing for this moment, despite bracing herself—
It still hurt.
It still felt like jumping off a cliff without knowing what lay below.
If he rejected her… did that mean he really cared for her, enough to hold back?
If he accepted… did that mean he really liked her, enough to make a selfish decision?
Either way—her heart would be shaken.
"…I'm sorry," Yukima Azuma said quietly, "but I already like someone else."
The final judgment fell.
Hayasaka Ai didn't speak.
She simply stood, her chair scraping softly against the floor.
Then she turned and walked away—at first briskly, then faster, until she was running.
Each footstep echoed through the bookstore like a silent sob.
A trail of glistening tears marked her path.
Crystalline droplets fell to the ground and shattered.
Watching her retreating figure, Yukima Azuma clicked his tongue.
"…Was I too harsh?"
He scratched his head, feeling the sting of guilt.
He'd known she was pretending to be asleep.
He'd spoken anyway.
Had he toyed with her too much?
No… he hadn't lied.
He did want to reclaim the Hayasaka family.
And if that day ever came—
Maybe Hayasaka Ai would finally be free to walk alongside him.
But that was a bridge to cross later.
For now, all he could do was move forward.
Yukima Azuma sighed, gathered his things, and picked up the manga volume he had been reading.
Then, with quiet footsteps, he left the bookstore.
Later that evening, after returning to the Yukima household—
His phone buzzed.
A LINE notification appeared.
"Hasaka" had removed him from her friend list.
Yukima Azuma swiped the red dot away, and with a soft pop, the notification vanished.
But instead of closing the app, he tapped the chat window.
Azuma: "Hayasaka, good evening. Have you eaten?"
Hayasaka: "Azuma onii-chan, do you need something?"
Azuma: "Why so cold?"
Hayasaka: "Because that's the extent of our relationship now."
He stared at the final message.
Then closed the app and leaned back with a stretch.
The screen dimmed to black.
Meanwhile—
At the grand Shinomiya estate—
"Hayasaka, what's wrong?"
Shinomiya Kaguya tilted her head, brows furrowed in concern.
Technically, Hayasaka Ai was her maid.
But in reality, they were far more like sisters.
If anything, Kaguya often felt like the younger one between them.
Today, Hayasaka had asked for a rare leave.
When she returned, she didn't report in.
Instead, she locked herself in her room for nearly an hour.
And when she finally emerged, her eyes were red.
Her face—always calm, always perfect—still bore the remnants of tears.
It was impossible not to notice.
"…Kaguya-sama, I'm fine," Hayasaka Ai croaked softly.
That answer, of course, was completely unconvincing.
Kaguya's frown deepened.
Someone had clearly made Hayasaka cry.
And Kaguya would find out who.
Then—she would make them pay.