Heartbeats and Illusions

That night, Natsukawa Kanade wasn't the only one struggling to find sleep. Far away, in the grand Shinomiya estate, the eldest daughter of the main family, Shinomiya Kaguya, was wrestling with her thoughts—and her pillow.

"Unforgivable! The president is absolutely unforgivable!" Kaguya grumbled, her voice muffled by the pillow she hugged tightly.

She rolled back and forth across her bed without a shred of the elegance expected of the Shinomiya heiress. The luxurious silk sheets were tangled around her legs, but Kaguya couldn't have cared less.

On the other side of the room, Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya's ever-loyal maid, observed the scene with a calm, almost resigned expression. She had seen this many times before. Still, she played her role perfectly, her tone unwavering as she responded to her young mistress's grievances.

"Yes, Miss Kaguya, you are completely right."

"The president! He left me behind in the student council room! Do you know how long I waited for him?!" Kaguya fumed, her crimson eyes glinting with frustration. "Hayasaka, don't you think that's just too much?"

"Absolutely," Hayasaka replied smoothly, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"I was so looking forward to the president inviting me to dinner, but instead, he just walked off! Without a single word! Can you believe it?!"

"Indeed, Master Natsukawa's behavior was exceedingly cruel," Hayasaka agreed, though her expression betrayed no emotion.

"That's right! He's just—he's just bullying me!" Kaguya declared, sitting up suddenly, her hands clutching her pillow like it was a weapon.

"Of course, Miss," Hayasaka said with a nod.

But the mood shifted almost instantly. Kaguya's indignation melted into a flustered panic as she hugged the pillow tighter and whispered, "No, no, wait… Hayasaka, you're wrong! The president isn't bullying me! He's just… embarrassed. Yes, that must be it!"

Hayasaka's brow twitched ever so slightly. Didn't she just accuse him of bullying? Why does she keep flipping her stance? And we've been having this same conversation for twenty minutes now…

Deciding to intervene, Hayasaka reached for a clipboard she had discreetly kept at her side and began to sketch out her thoughts in neat, efficient handwriting.

"Miss, if I may, I believe this could all be part of Master Natsukawa's strategy," Hayasaka said with a thoughtful tone. "He may be employing the classic 'hard-to-get' technique on you."

"'Hard-to-get' technique?" Kaguya repeated, tilting her head curiously.

"Precisely," Hayasaka said with a faint smile. "Consider this: his abrupt resignation from the student council last time wasn't random. It was likely designed to create a sense of urgency in you. Something like, 'Oh no, I'll never see him again,' so that you'd act impulsively and expose your true feelings."

Kaguya blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly. "W-Would the president really go that far? It seemed like he genuinely wanted to quit…"

"Don't be deceived by appearances, Miss," Hayasaka said, adjusting her glasses for dramatic effect. "Based on my analysis, every action Master Natsukawa takes is carefully calculated. He's incredibly skilled at understanding people's emotions—especially women's. Even someone as perceptive as you, Miss, has found herself ensnared by his tactics."

Kaguya's eyes widened as she absorbed Hayasaka's words.

Hayasaka continued, her tone growing more serious. "Not only that, but Master Natsukawa is adept at identifying individual preferences and exploiting them. He likely knows what makes you tick, Miss, and has tailored his behavior accordingly."

The maid paused for effect, glancing at Kaguya to gauge her reaction. Satisfied, she pressed on.

"Frankly, I suspect that even your desire to convince him to rejoin the student council is something he predicted. By resigning, he's drawn you closer, forcing you to confront your own feelings."

Kaguya's face turned redder with each word. "T-Then what am I supposed to do, Hayasaka?!"

"Simple." Hayasaka's voice was firm, her words cutting through Kaguya's swirling emotions. "You must take the initiative, Miss. Be direct. A straight-ball confession is your best chance."

Kaguya stared at her maid in disbelief. "A… straight-ball confession? Y-You mean I should just tell him outright?!"

"Yes. March right up to Master Natsukawa and say, 'I like you. Please date me.'" Hayasaka said, perfectly imitating Kaguya's tone.

Hayasaka Ai was, without a doubt, the one person who understood Shinomiya Kaguya better than anyone else. Her ability to mimic Kaguya's voice down to the smallest inflection was uncanny—a skill she wielded to push her young mistress toward self-reflection.

And as expected, it worked like a charm.

Kaguya's mind immediately conjured a vivid fantasy:

"Oh? So you've always had a crush on me, Shinomiya? You're really cute..."

Her face went beet red in seconds. "W-What?! That's impossible! There's no way the president would say something like that!" Kaguya shrieked, slapping the pillow in her hands as if it were Natsukawa Kanade himself.

Her embarrassment quickly turned into indignation. "If I confessed like that, he'd just laugh at me! It would be a complete disaster!"

Hayasaka sighed and pressed her temples, already feeling a headache coming on. Honestly, Miss Kaguya, your imagination is too powerful for its own good.

"Miss, please trust me on this," Hayasaka said firmly. "If my information is accurate—and it always is—Master Natsukawa would absolutely say yes if you confessed. He's already pursuing you. Why would he mock you when this is what he's been hoping for all along?"

Kaguya hesitated, her grip on the pillow loosening. "B-But if I confessed first… wouldn't I lose all my dignity? I'd never be able to hold my head up high in front of him again!"

Hayasaka's eyebrow twitched. Dignity? Head held high? Who even thinks like that?

"Miss, let me be blunt: if you don't confess, you won't even have the chance to look up, let alone hold your head high!"

Kaguya pouted, burying her face in the pillow to hide her conflicted expression. Hayasaka, meanwhile, was trying to suppress the urge to grab the pillow and throw it across the room.

This whole 'dignity' thing is ridiculous! What's the point of holding your head high if the person you love isn't even yours? Secure the guy first, worry about the rest later! You're wasting precious time!

Still, Hayasaka couldn't deny that progress had been made—albeit at a snail's pace. At least Kaguya had admitted, if only to herself, that she liked Natsukawa Kanade. For Hayasaka, that tiny step forward was a victory.

"Miss Kaguya," Hayasaka began, her tone more measured now. "Let me clarify: you're saying that if Master Natsukawa confessed his feelings to you first, you'd be willing to accept him?"

Kaguya peeked out from behind her pillow, her cheeks tinged with a soft pink. "W-Well… if the president said he liked me… I might consider it..."

And there it was—the opening Hayasaka had been waiting for.

Kaguya's mind drifted once again into a dreamy haze, her imagination running wild.

"Shinomiya… I like you."

"President…" she whispered, a small, blissful smile forming on her lips.

"Shinomiya..."

"President!"

"MISS!" Hayasaka shouted, shaking Kaguya by the shoulders with enough force to snap her back to reality. "Please focus! We're strategizing here, not indulging in fantasies!"

"H-Hayasaka!" Kaguya stammered, blinking rapidly. "That was uncalled for!"

Hayasaka exhaled deeply, releasing her hold. "Miss, do you want to hear my plan or not?"

Kaguya huffed, crossing her arms in mock indignation before reluctantly nodding. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Alright, here's what we'll do," Hayasaka said, leaning in with a conspiratorial tone. She laid out her strategy step by step, her voice calm but persuasive.

Kaguya listened intently, her initial reluctance giving way to a growing excitement. Her crimson eyes sparkled as she nodded along, her imagination filling in the blanks with visions of success.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Kaguya exclaimed, clenching her fists in determination. "With this plan, the president and I are destined for a bright future!"

Hayasaka smiled wryly, watching as Kaguya practically radiated confidence.

At least for now, things are moving in the right direction. Let's just hope the president doesn't pull another unexpected stunt before Miss Kaguya gets the chance to act.