Heartbeats and Illusions

Chapter 97: 097. I’m Not a Pervert, Okay!



"Good afternoon, President."

"Good afternoon, President."

"Good afternoon," Natsukawa Kanade replied, nodding politely as he entered the student council room.

As usual, the room was lively, with Fujiwara Chika already beaming with anticipation. "President! Hurry up and sit down! I've been waiting all morning!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, but Kanade could already feel the need to temper expectations. He set his bag down and pulled out a neatly wrapped bento box, its presentation immaculate.

"Before you get too excited, I need to tell you something." Kanade opened the bento and revealed its contents to Fujiwara and Shinomiya Kaguya. "This lunch isn't my own creation today. It's from a friend."

There was a brief silence before Fujiwara's eyes gleamed mischievously. "A friend? Oh ho~"

Kanade blinked, confused by the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Uh… yeah. Is there a problem?"

Kaguya's gaze sharpened slightly as she repeated, "A friend?"

"Y-yeah," Kanade stammered. "What's wrong with that? It's normal to have a friend make you a bento once in a while, right?"

Fujiwara leaned in with a grin, her voice dripping with teasing glee. "President, you really are…" She cast a sidelong glance at Kaguya before finishing her sentence with a cryptic, "…so clueless~."

Kanade frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Despite being no stranger to the labyrinth that was female logic, Kanade couldn't help but feel he'd wandered into uncharted territory. Fujiwara's playful smile only deepened his confusion.

"I should've mentioned it earlier," Kanade said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "If you were hoping to try my cooking, I'm sorry to disappoint you today. Next time, I'll make something that satisfies even your insatiable appetite."

Kaguya, who had remained silent but visibly curious, finally spoke up. "This friend of yours… is she a girl?"

Kanade paused. "Uh… yeah. Why?"

The room grew eerily quiet for a moment before Fujiwara erupted into laughter. "Oh, President! I didn't know you were so popular! A girl made you a bento? Could it be that she likes you?"

"Likes me?" Kanade repeated, startled. Images of Shiina's angelic smile flashed in his mind, accompanied by the memory of her fussing over him like an older sister. "No, no, it's not like that. If anything, it's more like… concern? She probably just pities me for being so hopeless at taking care of myself."

He sighed, recalling the night that had cemented their friendship. "It all started on a rainy evening. I was at one of my lowest points, and she stepped in to help. Since then, she's been looking out for me—teaching me how to cook, helping me clean up my act. Honestly, without her, I don't think I'd have made it this far."

Kanade chuckled softly, more to himself than anyone else. "In a way, she's like a close sister. An angelic one at that. She's small in stature but has the biggest heart I've ever seen. She's always there to encourage me, even when I feel lazy or defeated. Sometimes, I feel like I don't deserve her kindness."

He glanced up to see both Kaguya and Fujiwara staring at him, their expressions unreadable.

"So the president has…" Kaguya started, before abruptly trailing off. Her tone was measured, but her fingers lightly fidgeted with the hem of her uniform. "...never thought about her that way?"

Kanade tilted his head. "That way? You mean romantically? No, not really. She's just a good friend. Someone I trust."

Fujiwara's smile returned in full force as she poked Kanade's arm playfully. "President, you're either incredibly pure or incredibly dense! Either way, this is getting interesting~."

Meanwhile, Kaguya's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. On the one hand, she was relieved to learn that Kanade didn't harbor romantic feelings for this mysterious girl. On the other hand, his obliviousness was both endearing and frustrating.

It reminded her of a classic love triangle from a shoujo manga. The second female lead would be moments away from confessing her feelings, only to hesitate and ask, "Would you regret choosing me?" Inevitably, her hesitation would push the male lead into the arms of the first female lead, leaving the second girl with heartbreak and a bittersweet smile.

Love is a battlefield, and in war, there are no rules! You can't afford to tremble before rivals or let hesitation cloud your mind. Victory is the only outcome that matters. As long as she wins in the end, everything else is irrelevant!

Shinomiya Kaguya would never, ever, admit that she could be cast as the miserable second female lead in this story. Even if fate dared to place her in such a humiliating role, she would bribe the director, buy off the editor, and rewrite the script herself. She wasn't the type to lose—she was destined to emerge as the heroine who takes everything in the end.

Bad production? Poor reviews? Who cares? Victory is the only thing that counts! The losers? They can wallow in the dust left behind!

"President, could you let me taste that bento?" Kaguya's voice was steady, yet her eyes glinted with determination as she gestured toward the lunch box. She was probing, trying to gauge the enemy's strength. After all, sharing food was a battlefield maneuver she couldn't afford to take lightly.

Though the president's description of the mysterious chef didn't suggest romantic intentions, Kaguya wasn't naive. A carefully prepared lunch box could speak volumes, and love often hid in the subtlest gestures.

Worse yet, this so-called "Miss Angel" had the audacity to position herself as a confidante. It was the oldest trick in the book! Get close, act like a caring sister, and wait for the perfect moment to strike. If Kaguya wasn't careful, she'd have the president crying in her arms before she even knew what hit her.

It was infuriating!

"Oh, oh, oh! Me too!" Chika Fujiwara chimed in with boundless enthusiasm, as if she'd been waiting for her cue.

"Of course," Natsukawa Kanade replied with a small nod, passing them the lunch box. It wasn't as if sharing a few bites was a big deal, though he hoped they wouldn't squabble over it. In truth, he even looked forward to the day when he could introduce all his friends—no, rivals and allies alike—to one another.

If possible, he dreamed of them all playing games together, laughing and strengthening their bonds. But at the moment, the reality seemed far off. Shiina and Kato had already connected somehow—when had that happened? He could've sworn Shiina and Kato went out together last weekend... Were they becoming friends behind his back?

"President?" Kaguya's voice broke through his musings.

"Ah, sorry, I got distracted," Kanade admitted sheepishly. He handed over the bento, only for Chika Fujiwara to pout dramatically.

"President, feed me! Come on, hurry up!"

"...Huh?"

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. The temperature around Kanade dropped several degrees, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.

"Why can't you do it yourself? Isn't this just peak laziness?" he asked incredulously, holding the chopsticks just out of her reach.

"This is your punishment, President, for daring to bring a lunch made by another girl!" Chika huffed, puffing out her cheeks like an angry squirrel.

"I told you, I'll make you your own next time!" Kanade sighed. It wasn't that he minded her enthusiasm for his cooking, but a little tact wouldn't hurt. Still, despite his grumbling, he picked up half a hamburger patty and held it out toward her.

Chika leaned forward and took a dramatic bite, chomping down with such enthusiasm that Kanade half-worried she'd snap the chopsticks in two.

"Mm! It's surprisingly good!" she declared, her tone laced with surprise.

"That's why I said her cooking skills are better than mine," Kanade replied, shrugging. "She's kind of like my cooking master, so I've got a long way to go before I can surpass her."

"President, don't get so full of yourself. It's not your cooking we're complimenting here," Chika teased, hands on her hips. Then, turning to Kaguya, she grinned mischievously. "Kaguya-chan, your turn! Don't be shy—our President here is just a big pig's hoof anyway."

"Why am I getting scolded again?!" Kanade protested, though he resigned himself to the situation. Picking up a piece of cuttlefish sausage, he hesitated before gesturing toward Kaguya.

If he was already feeding Chika, there was no point in holding back now. Might as well go all in. But deep down, he couldn't help but wonder how Kaguya would react to such an intimate gesture.

"!?"

Kaguya's heart skipped a beat, but outwardly, she remained composed.

Though she felt a flare of irritation at Chika's antics, she couldn't deny that this unexpected opportunity was worth forgiving the cow's shameless behavior. Carefully, Kaguya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, leaned forward ever so slightly, and parted her lips. She bit into the piece delicately, her movements graceful and precise.

After chewing and swallowing, she smiled softly. "Not bad. Thank you for the hospitality, President."

"Uh... Yeah," Kanade stammered, averting his gaze. He'd only intended to gauge her reaction, but now he realized he'd been staring. Watching a girl eat so intently? He probably looked like some kind of weirdo.

"The President is such a pervert, staring at Kaguya-chan like that," Chika teased mercilessly, poking his reddened cheek.

"You—don't talk nonsense!" Kanade snapped, flustered. "I was just waiting to hear her opinion, that's all! There's no hidden meaning here!"

Desperate to clear up the misunderstanding, he turned to Kaguya, hoping for support.

"H-Hmm... Yes, that's it..." Kaguya replied, her own cheeks tinged pink.

"...Great," Kanade muttered internally, slumping. "I've been misunderstood anyway."

Victory, it seemed, wasn't as simple as he'd hoped.


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