Chapter 13 Something funny occurred to me

After several twists and turns by Kiryu Hina, the intense atmosphere lightened with gossip flying left and right.

What started as eating in prison had upgraded to a tea party among besties.

Kiryu Hina even physically closed the distance, suggesting to Ai Cheng Karen to change seats and sit next to her on the left, to which the latter did not even think of refusing.

".....Speaking of which, you weren't like this before, were you, President?" Ai Cheng Karen chuckled as she sipped tea from Kagura Hikaru's cup and took a bite of the senbei that Kiryu Hina fed her, "Hmm... You've suddenly become so much more lively, it's a bit surprising."

"Ah, you mean the whole Asase Yamato Nadeshiko thing? That was just to fool outsiders. Now that you know my secret, Karen-chan, you're one of us~"

"Karen-chan?"

"Don't like it? How about just Karen? Ai Cheng Tan? Madam Ai Cheng? Lord Ai Cheng?"

"That's going overboard! Karen-chan is fine, my friends usually call me that....."

"Then it's settled, Karen-chan! You can call me Hina too."

"Got it, Hina!" Ai Cheng Karen said with a goofy smile.

"Hmm, I'm so glad you could come. Actually, I've been holding onto this secret for so long, with no one to share it with!"

Kiryu Hina, with tearful eyes, clasped the hands of her new friend, seeking comfort: "My dear sister, can you understand? Thinking I would never see my ex again after graduation, and then he suddenly shows up at the same high school, I almost thought he was a stalker!"

"Pfft, Mr. Kagura a stalker? He seems more like the one who would be stalked."

"That's what I'm saying, look at how he is, an ascetic herbivore man, serves him right to be eating grass!"

"Hina... That pun is brilliant!"

"Right? But once we leave this room, I won't acknowledge it!"

"Heehee, President is so funny, I used to think you were so scary, now I'm relieved."

"Really? Just a misunderstanding then~"

The Student Council office was full of laughter.

Outside, however, the atmosphere was far from harmonious.

Approaching the hallway window, Kagura Hikaru opened it.

The weather was cold, but as long as one dressed warmly, a gust of cold wind on the face was merely 'a bit refreshing.'

It was like drinking cold beverages in winter, or eating hot pot in summer – a kind of rebellion.

Next to him, Ando Naoto clearly did not have the same sturdy build as Kagura Hikaru; he started shivering as soon as the cold wind hit him and promptly closed the window opened by Kagura Hikaru.

"Classmate Kagura, you should take care of your health. It's easy to catch a cold in this season from the wind."

Kagura Hikaru glanced at him, did not argue, and just calmly acknowledged.

Afterward, the air fell into a prolonged silence.

The two of them didn't have any topics in common. No, to be exact, they weren't familiar at all, having known each other for less than ten minutes.

In such a situation, it was Ando Naoto, the older of the two, who took the initiative to break the silence with conversation.

"Classmate Kagura, do you know the Student Council President?"

"....." Kagura Hikaru gave him a strange look, "She is the Student Council President, she has given speeches in the hall; is it strange that I know her?"

"That's not what I mean." Ando Naoto chuckled, "You and President Kiriyu have known each other from long before, right?"

So he had been seen through.

To continue playing dumb at this point would risk insulting his intelligence. Kagura Hikaru shook his head and began to make up a half-truth, half-lie: "The President and I went to the same middle school, met a few times, and that's about the extent of our acquaintance."

"Oh....."

Ando Naoto didn't show whether he believed it or not, merely nodding with an indifferent expression.

"But how did you figure it out, Senior Ando?"

"Because President Kiriyu's attitude towards you is quite special. I've been working with her for a few months now, and I can see these things," Ando Naoto said with a smile, "If you weren't an acquaintance, she wouldn't have been so cold. To be honest, I've never seen her show anything other than a 'smile' to other students. Just on that point, President Kiriyu never disappoints; she's the most perfect superhuman I've ever seen."

Superhuman, an entity that appears human yet surpasses ordinary people.

Kagura Hikaru and the vice president held different opinions.

In his view, Kiryu Hina was not only imperfection but also becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Bubbles shimmering with rainbow hues are beautiful but are ultimately bound to burst one day.

No one can remain perfect, not even a superhuman has no weaknesses.

Should he become Kiryu Hina's 'Wall Breaker'?

But what right did he now have to interfere in her life again?

Seeing Kagura Hikaru not joining the conversation, but instead getting lost in thought, Ando Naoto's eyes flickered, and he mused to himself with a chuckle, "Honestly, I'm a bit surprised. I didn't expect President Kiriyu to show such an attitude towards a classmate. It's like unlocking a new side of her, at least in my mind, haha."

"..."

Kagura Hikaru looked up at him briefly, expressionless, his heart sinking.

With such equivocal language, he provoked him for no reason.

In other words, that's what it meant.

"So you just said it outright, I can tell, your relationship is definitely not ordinary."

"You are wrong, our relationship is bad."

Ando Naoto, you are like the past me—

"Eh, is that so?" Ando Naoto exaggeratedly sighed with relief, "I thought you two were in some kind of ambiguous relationship. It's good to know you're not; it's great that you're not an enemy."

—was a moth that plunged into the flame that is Kiryu Hina.

Kagura Hikaru sighed.

He was already out of the game.

He lacked the ability to express his feelings to Kiryu Hina, and he had no right to obstruct her happiness.

Yet for some reason, this restlessness inside him, he just couldn't shake it off.

Knowing it was all in the past, he still couldn't let go or severed ties. In the end, that was the kind of man he was.

Click.

At that moment, the door of the Student Council office suddenly opened.

Karen Ai Cheng came out with a smile on her face, but when she turned her head and saw Kagura Hikaru after closing the door, her expression turned awkward, and she turned around and quickly walked away with her head down.

This reaction was unexpected for Kagura Hikaru.

What did Hina tell her?

"Your friend is leaving, aren't you going to follow?" Ando Naoto reminded.

Kagura Hikaru glanced at him and hurried after her.

Watching him walk away until his figure disappeared into the stairwell, Ando Naoto was about to return to the office.

Unexpectedly, Kagura Hikaru suddenly turned back around, looking serious, walked up to Ando Naoto, and said earnestly, "I like her too, so yes, we are enemies indeed."

Ando Naoto was stunned for a while, then smiled in understanding, "I get it now, then let's compete. Let's see who can win her heart first."

"If that's the competition, then you have already lost."

"Hey, what do you mean by that....."

Kagura Hikaru left after speaking, without paying attention to Ando Naoto's confusion.

Could he really say that President Kiriyu and he were in a romantic relationship? Of course not, the President had clearly stated that she had no history of romance; how could such a perfect person tell a lie.

Ando Naoto stood in place, pondering for a long time without figuring it out, finally pressing the question to the back of his mind, turning his hand to the doorknob, but then he suddenly remembered something.

The rumors that had been circulating around the school about President Kiriyu lately, that person who was being bullied, their last name seemed to be 'Kagura'.

No wonder the surname 'Kagura' sounded so familiar.

Ando Naoto pushed the door and walked into the office, only to see Kiryu Hina playing with a teacup expressionlessly, her gaze pondering something.

She sat there like a plum blossom growing on a snowy mountain, beautiful, still, and admiring herself in solitude.

But the moment she saw someone, that aura of aloofness melted away like ice and snow, and Kiryu Hina effortlessly switched to the perfect image of an honor student, revealing a gentle smile, "The secretaries are really slow, aren't they? We have a meeting at noon, and if they don't come soon, it will be too late."

Ando Naoto, utterly unaware of anything amiss, took out his phone, "I'll hurry them up right now."

"Yes, please do."

Kiryu Hina calmly opened "The Dancing Girl of Izu." Her favorite chapter in there was 'Asayun,' which described the ever-changing secret admirations of a schoolgirl with intricate detail and realism. She greatly admired Kawabata Yasunari's ability to convey the emotions of a female high school student.

Whether it was the protagonist in the short story or the real Karen Ai Cheng, they were strikingly similar, both using other feelings to cover their true inner thoughts, stubbornly reluctant to reveal their true intentions.

However, even worse than the story's protagonist was Karen Ai Cheng's terrible lying skills.

When she talked about her relationship with Kagura Hikaru, that second year's expression was almost comical enough to enjoy as a light snack with tea.

That expression was one of envy and jealousy.

There was no mistake; that girl was like her past self—a moth that plunged toward the flame that was Kagura Hikaru.

But unlike her, Karen Ai Cheng was timid, only seemingly strong on the outside, but frail both inside and out, lacking the courage to move forward in the face of difficulties.

The more she knew, the more she stagnated; if she continued to be delusional, her wounds would only deepen.

Kiryu Hina was already looking forward to seeing what she would become after thinking she knew everything and being betrayed yet again.

She did not intend to create another version of herself; however, if it was for entertainment, it might be worth watching.

"Hmm."

Kiryu Hina suddenly let out a light chuckle.

"What is it, President?" Ando Naoto asked, surprised as he looked up.

"Nothing, just thought of something funny."