Chapter 26: Even the Best Coffee Turns Bitter When I'm with You

All the mysteries had been undoubtedly exposed in front of Kagura Hikaru.

Or rather, they were deliberately exposed for him to see.

Why had Hina deliberately created bullying rumors, why had she allowed the Society Discussion Meeting to manipulate public opinion without fighting back, and why she showed no fear up until now?

The moment Hina obtained the recording, she had predicted everything that would happen afterwards.

She intentionally used rumors to make Ayakoji Chiyoko realize the importance of public opinion, thereby facilitating the birth of the Society Discussion Meeting and ultimately becoming the victim.

When Ayakoji Chiyoko was gearing up for a real fight, she didn't realize that the other side had, from the beginning, held the nuclear button that could reverse everything.

She bided her time, plotted slowly, and struck a fatal blow at the end, using Ayakoji Chiyoko's pride to walk her into the trap.

Allowing herself to approach the target using the identity of an ex-boyfriend was a strategy to relax them.

Even the only potential variable, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, had been turned into one of her own.

Looking back now, all her actions were indeed foreshadowing, a terrifying plot.

"Just the recording might still be insufficient evidence, don't you think, huh?"

Kiryu Hina blinked her left eye, pulled up a photo from her phone's gallery—a photo of Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko sitting on a bench talking, clearly taken surreptitiously.

"But with this, there'll be no problem, rest assured~"

Can't be reassured at all...

Kagura Hikaru couldn't help but retort in his mind.

If Hina released this recording and photo, in the blink of an eye, he and Ayakoji Chiyoko would become like rats crossing the street, and the Society Discussion Meeting would also become accomplices.

Everything was doomed.

"Are you really okay with doing this?"

"Ah, are you worried about your own safety? Sorry, the plan is this, and it's too late to change it~~"

Kiryu Hina said with a smile, "Did you really expect me to continue to be bullied and not fight back? Now, the looks I get from the girls in class are a bit off, I suspect if the Society Discussion Meeting continues to spread that fake news, I'll be bullied."

"I wouldn't want to see that happen."

"Ah don't, don't suddenly act all caring, it's creepy, stay away from me."

Though she spoke chilling words, Kiryu Hina's face cracked a smile and leaned back a bit, as if physically expressing her disdain for him.

Even though Kagura Hikaru could now remain unaffected by her performance, he couldn't help feeling a bit sad inside.

Looking at them now, they were like sworn enemies.

"...Anything else, or shall I go now?"

"Is it work again?"

"Yes."

At that moment, the waiter brought Kiryu Hina's cappuccino.

The two of them instinctively paused their conversation.

Kiryu Hina thanked the waiter, then lifted the coffee cup and took a sip, her expression one of surprise.

"This place's coffee isn't bad."

"Yes."

"Really, you're as clueless as before." Kiryu Hina glanced at Kagura Hikaru, "When a girl says that, you should reply that the evening atmosphere is even better and smoothly set up a second date."

"Would you come if I invited you?"

"No way," Kiryu Hina laughed, taking another sip, "Even the tastiest coffee goes sour when I'm with you."

"..."

Kagura Hikaru picked up his briefcase and stood up, "I'm leaving."

"Take care~" Kiryu Hina tucked her phone back into her bag without looking up and said, "You'll see that evidence on the News Department's campus forum tomorrow, okay?"

"If it's already decided, stop asking me."

"Oh, are you annoyed?"

Raising her head, Kiryu Hina chuckled, "Come on, don't be so tense, I'm doing this for you. Look, even after all this time you haven't broken through Ayakoji Chiyoko's defenses. If nothing major brings you two together, you might not see any progress for another year."

Why was she so concerned about his relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko? Did it relate to her true intention?

Kagura Hikaru's expression turned puzzled as he asked the question that had been there from the beginning, "What exactly do you want my relationship with Ayakoji Chiyoko to be? Friends? Lovers?"

"Hmm... a relationship where you can visit her home, perhaps?" Kiryu Hina said with a laugh, her tone seemingly meaningful.

Upon hearing this, Kagura Hikaru nodded thoughtfully.

So, Hina's target wasn't Ayakoji Chiyoko herself but something in the Ayakoji family home...

Indeed, given their relationship, it was unlikely that Hina would be invited into the Ayakoji family home, unless it was him, then there might be a slight possibility.

From another perspective, if Ayakoji Chiyoko had other peers she could consider friends, Hina wouldn't have come to him for trouble.

Poor fellow, though he wasn't one to speak of others either.

"I'll find an opportunity," he said.

"Yes, if you truly manage it, I'll tell you what I need then," she replied.

At that moment, Kiryu Hina's smile suddenly turned complex, even evasive, as she averted her gaze and said with a fleeting tone, "Don't worry, it's nothing conspicuous, nor of much value. You just need to visit once, and you'll likely get your hands on it."

".....I understand," he responded.

Kagura Hikaru frowned, looked at her twice, but eventually decided against using his mind-reading and left the cafe.

Since their breakup, he had never used mind-reading on Kiryu Hina, just as a normal person wouldn't reach into a bag full of venomous snakes.

Kagura Hikaru feared the girl smiling and talking to him, and her truth.

Exiting Kafka Cafe, Kagura Hikaru stood at the door, took out his phone, and almost instinctively wanted to contact Ayakoji Chiyoko to inform her about the recording and photos.

But he quickly stopped, as he realized he couldn't explain the source of the information.

Ayakoji Chiyoko still thought that he had fallen out with Kiryu Hina and that their relationship was extremely poor... which was indeed true in reality.

From Ayakoji Chiyoko's perspective, there was no way Kagura Hikaru could know such secrets from Kiryu Hina now.

Therefore, he could not only not reveal it, but he also had to help Hina keep it a secret.

Otherwise, he was likely to lose the trust of both of them at the same time.

Perhaps this was so-called 'the fate of a double agent,' caught in the middle, unable to move forward or back.

Kagura Hikaru put away his phone and walked away.

They say life is built upon one lie after another.

Telling oneself that the next business venture will succeed after a failure, telling a young child at a deceased husband's funeral that "daddy has gone to a faraway place," reassuring frontline soldiers of abundant logistics to maintain morale when resources are depleted in the rear.

Now, Kagura Hikaru was doing the same.

As Kiryu Hina's spy, he had to help the former achieve her goals; it was a debt he owed.

As an ally and traitor to Ayakoji Chiyoko, he had to fulfill the commission while also pursuing his own goals, which momentarily involved cooperating with the victim, effectively betraying Hina as well.

So, who exactly was Kagura Hikaru working for? Himself? Kiryu Hina? Ayakoji Chiyoko?

One lie after another, like a snowstorm, filled his life.

Without lies, the world could not function.

But was the reality obtained through lies truly stable?

..............

The next morning, Kagura Hikaru met Ai Cheng Hua Lian on the tram.

Ever since the day he learned they rode the same tram to school, they often walked together.

If it had been a normal day, Ai Cheng Hua Lian would have come over smiling, but today, for some reason, her complexion seemed vague and she spoke less.

"What's wrong?" Seeing her distracted, Kagura Hikaru closed his book and asked.

Ai Cheng Hua Lian sat next to him, handbag on her lap, looking straight ahead as if afraid to meet his eyes.

"Well, this morning, a classmate sent me a lot of messages, asking me to look at a post on the school forum..."

Forum, post.

These two keywords instantly triggered memories of his meeting with Hina from the day before, and, already knowing the cause, Kagura Hikaru nodded, looking forward: "I already know about that."

"I see....."

"Stay away from me for the next few days. This is an issue between us and the Student Council President, and you shouldn't get involved."

"Eh? I—"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the tram's braking noise.

The tram stopped at the platform and opened its doors.

"That's it, goodbye," said Kagura Hikaru, not looking at her again as he got off.

"Wait, just a minute!"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly lifted her handbag and squeezed off the tram, but she was a step too late and was blocked by others alighting.

When she got out, Kagura Hikaru's figure was nowhere to be seen.

She drooped her shoulders dejectedly.

"Taking everything upon yourself is wrong, Mr. Kagura..."