085. Iino Miko’s Outburst

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Happy Valentine's week for the lovers. The current trend in our country is self love and care. Therefore, even without a date, treat yourself a bit this valentine's

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"President, is there anything you need me to do?" Iino Miko asked softly, her voice tinged with hesitation.

It had been a solid ten minutes since she'd entered the student council room, and aside from the brief exchange of pleasantries, Natsukawa Kanade hadn't spoken much. His silence, coupled with her lack of direction, left her sitting awkwardly on the sofa, feeling restless.

Her fingers fidgeted nervously with the hem of her skirt. "Anything! As long as I can help," she added with a burst of determination.

Kanade finally lifted his head from his paperwork, his sharp gaze settling on her. He opened his mouth, ready to respond, but before he could get a word out—

"Ah! But weird... strange... improper things are definitely not allowed!" she blurted out, her cheeks flushing pink. "Anything else is fine!"

Kanade's expression froze, his lips pressed into a tight line as he stared at her in silence. For a moment, the air between them hung heavy with awkward tension.

"Then," he said at last, voice flat, "can you pass me those documents on the coffee table?"

Iino Miko immediately sprang into action, her face still burning from her earlier outburst. She darted to the table, retrieving the stack of papers with the diligence of someone who had just been given the most important task in the world.

Kanade accepted the documents with a raised eyebrow, quietly observing her overly enthusiastic response. Though he said nothing, his mind wandered back to the earlier incident when she'd barged in on him changing. He hadn't done anything inappropriate, but her flustered reaction—and now, this over-the-top eagerness to help—made him wonder if she was trying too hard to erase the memory of what she'd seen.

"Well, she's a good kid," he mused internally, shaking his head slightly.

Clearing his throat, he asked, "By the way, aren't you a part-time member of the disciplinary committee? Don't you have duties to attend to today?"

Miko's eyes lit up at the question, as if she'd been waiting for a chance to explain herself. "Oh, Senior Fujiwara said I should report here as a new member. She offered to cover my duties for the day!"

Kanade blinked, his face betraying no emotion, though internally, he sighed. Of course, it was Fujiwara Chika's doing. He couldn't muster the energy to complain, though; this sort of thing was par for the course when dealing with her.

"Is it really okay to leave things to her?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course! Fujiwara-senpai is amazing! She's so talented and reliable!" Miko declared with sparkling eyes.

Kanade's lips twitched. He suppressed the urge to point out how misplaced her faith might be. "Amazing, huh?"

"Yes! She won a gold medal in the Pythia Piano National Competition!"

"That was in fourth grade..."

"And she's a linguistic genius who knows five languages!"

"Her Chinese grades are abysmal..."

"And she's a brilliant scholar at Shuchiin Academy!"

"Her grades are average at best..."

"In short," Miko proclaimed, puffing up her chest with pride, "Fujiwara-senpai is incredible! A role model I deeply admire!"

Kanade could only nod weakly, marveling at Miko's innocence. She had clearly been taken in by Fujiwara's polished exterior, completely unaware of the chaos that often lay beneath.

"Listen," Kanade began, choosing his words carefully, "it's fine to admire someone, but try not to form expectations based solely on appearances. People aren't always what they seem, and sometimes they might surprise you in ways you're not prepared for."

He wasn't trying to shatter her image of Fujiwara, but he figured a gentle warning wouldn't hurt. If Miko idolized her senpai too much, the inevitable disillusionment might hit her harder than necessary.

Miko tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Don't form expectations…?" Her eyes suddenly widened, as if a realization had struck her. "Oh! I see now! You must be talking about Senior Shinomiya!"

"...Huh?" Kanade blinked, caught off guard.

Miko nodded sagely, her expression serious. "You're telling me not to misunderstand Senior Shinomiya, right? But it's too late for that! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Saw what?" Kanade's confusion deepened.

Miko's face reddened with anger as she took a step back, her posture shifting into one of righteous indignation. "Don't play dumb, President! Senior Shinomiya proposed that kind of deal to me. Are you really going to pretend you don't know about it? Or are you the one who ordered her to do it?!"

"Wait, what?!" Kanade's voice rose slightly, his usually composed demeanor cracking.

"As expected!" Miko pointed an accusatory finger at him. "I knew it! There's no way Senior Shinomiya would act like that without your approval! You're trying to clear yourself of suspicion by pretending to be ignorant, aren't you? But I won't be fooled!"

Her voice grew louder, and her emotions spilled over like an uncontained storm. "This student council is full of shady dealings! I knew I was right to hesitate about joining!"

"No, no, no, wait!" Kanade exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I don't understand a single thing you're saying!"

To him, her accusations were as baffling as they were absurd. They'd been talking about Fujiwara Chika just moments ago, and somehow the conversation had spiraled into accusations of conspiracy and misconduct.

"Alright," he said finally, his voice smooth but firm, like the quiet before a typhoon. "Let's take a step back and start from the beginning. At the very least, help me understand what's going on here."

Iino Miko hesitated, her sharp gaze scrutinizing his face as if searching for signs of deceit. Though her suspicion lingered, she seemed to relent, folding her arms and nodding begrudgingly.

"Fine. Ask your questions," she said, her tone clipped but cooperative.

"First question," Kanade began, locking eyes with her. "What exactly is this 'deal' you mentioned earlier?"

Miko stiffened slightly, but after a brief pause, she answered. "It happened last week. Senior Shinomiya asked to speak with me privately. During that conversation, she… suggested that I withdraw from the student council election. In exchange, she promised that you—once you're in your third year—would help me become the student council president."

"I see..." Kanade murmured, nodding thoughtfully. It wasn't entirely surprising that Shinomiya Kaguya would resort to such tactics. As a scion of the Shinomiya family, she embodied their cutthroat reputation to a tee. If bribery and manipulation were tools in her arsenal, she wielded them with practiced precision.

"And you think I was the mastermind behind this?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Miko's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp. "Correct."

"Understood," Kanade replied, his expression unreadable. His mind whirred as he pieced together the situation. There was no denying the finesse with which Kaguya had maneuvered, but now it fell on him to clean up the aftermath.

"Alright, final question," he said, his voice taking on a weight that made Miko straighten unconsciously. "Iino-san, have you ever lied?"

The abruptness of the question caught her off guard. "Huh? What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Just answer yes or no," Kanade said, his tone unyielding.

"...I have," she admitted after a moment, her voice quieter now.

"Good," Kanade said with a slight nod, his demeanor calm but calculated. He had regained control of the conversation, setting the pace and tone. "I won't ask about the details. What I want to know is this—were those lies for yourself or for others?"

Miko's breath hitched slightly at the question. Her gaze faltered as if his words had struck a chord deep within her.

Kanade's expression softened ever so slightly, but he maintained his steady gaze. Whether her lies were self-serving or selfless, he already had a plan in mind. If it was the former, he could subtly question her integrity, redirecting the narrative to shield himself and the student council from suspicion. If it was the latter, he could take full responsibility, employing a carefully crafted apology to win her trust.

Miko was silent for a long moment, her internal conflict playing out in the tightening of her fists and the faint quiver of her lips. At last, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"...They were for others."