Chapter 355: Under the Moonlight
Outside the window, the rain still hadn't stopped.
But inside the student council room, the atmosphere was unusually warm.
Sakurai Saki and Kaguya sat leaning against each other; she tilted her head, resting it on his shoulder.
The two quietly enjoyed that tender moment.
'Finally managed to calm her down.'
Sakurai Saki realized that Shinomiya Kaguya was truly a difficult person to understand — compared to Hayasaka Ai, a thousand times more complicated.
Ai-chan was the type who would say it straight out if she wasn't happy; once you got to know her, there was no need to guess her mood.
But Kaguya was different — she always kept everything inside, never saying a word.
That forced Sakurai Saki to both guess and comfort her.
Because of that, at first, he thought Kaguya was having some kind of trouble.
She had a habit of overthinking, always believing she could solve everything on her own, and shouldering all the burdens herself.
In Sakurai Saki's eyes, she could absolutely rely on others — on him, on Hayasaka Ai, on the other student council members.
All of them were solid supports for her.
"Not enough."
After a long silence, Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly stood up and said something that made no sense.
Sakurai: (｡· v ·｡) ?
What did she mean by that?
"Hug me~" Shinomiya Kaguya used the face of "Ice Kaguya" to say something that only "Baka Kaguya" would say.
Sakurai Saki felt like her two personalities were blending together!
"Alright, alright, I'll hug you." Sakurai Saki said in a tone used to coax a child.
His face showed a mix of helplessness and amusement.
"It's been a week since you last hugged me." Shinomiya Kaguya gently stroked his back, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"Then don't hold it in anymore. As long as you say it, I'll come to you."
"No~ I don't want to say it."
A man should be the one to take initiative — Kaguya longed for his proactive affection.
"Even in the student council room, it's okay?"
"No." Shinomiya Kaguya absolutely didn't want anyone to find out about their relationship.
She could never do something like Fujiwara Chika.
Only when there was no one around did she dare to act spoiled.
"Kaguya-chan, you're really troublesome…"
Hearing that, Shinomiya Kaguya pouted, wrapping her arms around his waist.
(｡•̀ ⤙ •́ ｡ꐦ) !!!
"Say that again?"
"You're very cute."
"Hmph." Shinomiya Kaguya let out a small hum, then pulled open his uniform and kissed his neck.
"What are you doing?" Even though he knew she was "marking her territory," Sakurai Saki still asked.
"My mark."
"Even if you mark me, I won't belong to you. Also, that spot you kissed has a lot of arteries."
Sakurai Saki had seen the news — someone actually died once because his girlfriend left a hickey on his neck.
"Why not?" Kaguya pouted: "Hayasaka hasn't been around these past few days, can't you be mine just a little bit?!"
She purposely skipped the next part — she kissed gently enough that there'd be no problem.
"..."
Ai-chan, your boyfriend's in danger, hurry and come back!
Hayasaka: ʰᵘʰ (ꐦ○_○）✧
"Hayasaka agreed already~"
"?"
Wait, what?
Agreed? Are you kidding me?
"She said, 'I'd rather let you sneak around than let some fox steal him away~'" Shinomiya Kaguya whispered softly into his ear.
"I'm not an object, you can't just divide me up like that." Sakurai Saki felt his ear tickle — Shinomiya Kaguya was licking its edge.
"You can do whatever you want to me, for the next few days~."
Sakurai felt that this girl was deliberately trying to seduce him.
Why though?
Had she reached the point where she couldn't hold it back anymore?
"That question earlier, you still haven't answered." Shinomiya Kaguya asked again: "Do you want to come to my house?"
"...Can I say no?"
"No." Kaguya giggled softly, immediately rejecting his thought.
"You really are a dictator. Not even a hint of democracy." Sakurai Saki muttered.
Then the two of them hugged each other again for a long time.
Only when the rain outside grew heavier did they finally separate.
"Go home already." Shinomiya Kaguya held his hand. "You didn't bring an umbrella, and the rain's getting worse."
Sakurai Saki wanted to say that they hadn't finished reviewing the documents yet.
But with her affection right now, he couldn't bring himself to ruin the mood.
They'd handle it tomorrow.
Apparently, the documents were about a collaboration program with a school in France — something related to dancing.
...
Leaving the student council room, the hallway was now completely empty.
Kaguya comfortably held Sakurai Saki's hand, enjoying this rare, sweet moment.
Until, at the corner, they suddenly ran into a girl wearing a badge on her shoulder.
Seeing that, Kaguya-sama quickly let go of his hand.
"Sakurai-senpai!!! It's been so long since we met!" Iino Miko exclaimed excitedly, immediately throwing herself into Sakurai Saki's arms!
<(ꐦㅍ _ㅍ)>---- (づ ̄ ³ ̄)ˆᵕ ˆ˶ς)
The look in Shinomiya Kaguya's eyes beside them could kill, but Miko didn't notice at all — she was lost in the joy of pressing herself against her beloved Sakurai-senpai, paying absolutely no attention to Kaguya.
"It's only been a weekend since we last saw each other, you know?" Sakurai Saki realized that Miko was clinging to him more and more tightly.
Once he graduated next year, he wondered what would happen to Miko.
"But I didn't see you this morning, I thought you were absent." Miko rubbed her face against Sakurai Saki's chest, nuzzling like a cute little bear.
Meanwhile, Shinomiya Kaguya's expression was anything but cute.
'Using that barely-decently-cute face to touch someone else's belonging… in the end, that's all a lowly creature like her is. What's the word for it — trash. Yes, that's it. Trash like this…'
Just as she was cursing Miko in her mind, someone could already feel a dangerous aura.
"Alright, Miko-chan, you should head home early. It's getting late." Sakurai Saki quickly released her.
Too dangerous.
The 'yandere scent' from Kaguya could be sensed even from a kilomet away.
"Yes… then I'll see you tomorrow, Sakurai-senpai." Miko looked at him longingly one last time before heading toward the classrooms.
Why is it suddenly so cold…? But it's supposed to be spring now?
…
Inside the Shinomiya family's limousine.
Kaguya sat beside Sakurai Saki, quietly reaching out her hand, wanting to hold his.
But Sakurai Saki was gazing out the window at the rain, not noticing — he even placed his hand on the glass, as if trying to touch the raindrops outside.
When he finally turned his head, Shinomiya Kaguya was pouting, her cheeks puffed up in anger.
?(ᵕ—ᴗ—) (¬`‸´¬)
"Did I do something to make you mad again?"
"If it's about what just happened, then I'm sorry." Sakurai Saki did feel a bit guilty — holding another girl in front of the one he was with was indeed pretty scummy.
"It's not about that." Kaguya huffed.
Even though Sakurai Saki didn't know what she was mad about, he knew exactly how to make her stop being angry.
"W-what are you coming closer for…"
As his face drew nearer and nearer —
Kaguya quickly found herself unable to stay angry anymore.
——
Night fell. After dinner, Sakurai Saki stayed over.
The way Kaguya had been acting these past few days — unable to admit her feelings — reminded him of their first year.
After showering, as he walked down the hallway, Sakurai Saki suddenly recalled the past.
Back then, Kaguya had been as cold as a machine.
She cared about nothing, no one, and handled everything purely out of self-interest — but deep inside, she'd hidden a faint warmth that was hard to notice.
A hedgehog that used its quills to protect itself.
Looking back now — it was endearing.
Wasn't it?
Reaching Kaguya's room, Sakurai Saki knocked lightly.
"Come in."
He pushed the door open.
Under the silvery moonlight, the girl in a pure white miko outfit stood tall, a gentle fragrance spreading through the room.
"Come talk with me." — she said.
...