Chapter 095: Thankfully, the Prize Wasn’t Him

After dropping off his bag in the classroom, completing his duties as the class monitor, and organizing his assignments, Kanade Natsukawa headed toward the student council room. Along the way, several students greeted him, though their energy seemed sapped, likely due to the stifling summer weather.

Last night's rain had done little to cool things down. If anything, it had only made the air even more humid—a classic case of "I could have tolerated the heat, had I not experienced the fleeting relief of coolness."

"Good morning, President," greeted Kaguya Shinomiya as Kanade entered the student council room. She was already at her desk, diligently working.

"Good morning, Kaguya…" Kanade replied, taking a seat on the sofa.

Despite the chaos of yesterday, Kaguya seemed completely unbothered. If not for Miko Iino's nervous reactions confirming it all, Kanade might have thought the whole incident had been a fever dream.

"President, I'd like to apologize for the strange things I said yesterday…"

"Hm?" Kanade looked up at her, confused at first. Then realization dawned. "Oh, you mean that? Yesterday's… incident?"

So, Kaguya had been reflecting on it. Not that it showed on her usually composed demeanor.

"Don't worry about it. I figured it was a misunderstanding from the start…"

After all, asking someone about their underwear preferences out of nowhere was hardly normal behavior. Given Kaguya's personality, it was easy to guess that Fujiwara Chika had probably filled her head with more of her bizarre ideas.

Poor Kaguya, Kanade thought sympathetically. She had been friends with Chika since elementary school—there was no telling how many times she had been dragged into absurd situations because of her.

"It didn't cause me any trouble, so there's no need to dwell on it," Kanade said with a dismissive wave, rotating his shoulders to relieve some tension.

Sleeping on the sofa last night had taken its toll on his body. Though he hadn't woken up with a stiff neck, the soreness in his back and shoulders was hard to ignore. Coupled with his usual sedentary habits, the discomfort was particularly pronounced today.

"Even so, I feel guilty…" Kaguya said, her expression softening into an uncharacteristically warm smile. "If you don't mind, I could give you a massage? You look very tired, President."

Since that day, Kaguya had been smiling more often in his presence. The icy, impassive demeanor she used to carry was slowly giving way to moments of gentle warmth.

"If you're offering, I'd appreciate it," Kanade said, turning his back to her and relaxing.

"Eh? President, what are you doing?" Kaguya asked, startled.

"Aren't you giving me a massage? It's easier to access my shoulders this way," Kanade replied matter-of-factly.

"Ah… I was thinking of starting with a hand massage…" Kaguya murmured, hesitating. While massaging his shoulders would suffice, holding his hands felt far more intimate—and it provided a chance to see his face up close.

She even considered extending the massage to his back and waist… Stop it, Kaguya, she admonished herself, shaking the inappropriate thoughts away.

"My hands don't feel sore, though," Kanade said, wiggling his fingers.

"You might not know this, but hand massages can target specific pressure points that benefit the whole body," Kaguya explained confidently.

"If you say so," Kanade said, extending his hand.

Kaguya placed her small, delicate hands over his, handling them as though they were fragile treasures. Gently, she pressed his palm, seeking out the proper acupressure points. Then, cautiously, she applied firm pressure.

"Ungh!" Kanade groaned involuntarily.

In that instant, it felt as though his soul had been momentarily wrenched from his body. He barely managed to stop himself from jumping out of his seat.

"What's wrong, President?" Kaguya asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"It's… nothing. Just… a little ticklish," Kanade lied, forcing a smile. "Keep going. It's fine."

He had heard that proper massages were supposed to hurt a bit, but this level of pain was far beyond what he had imagined. It felt like she was trying to press his very life essence out of his body.

"Alright, then," Kaguya said, resuming her technique. But before she could continue, the door to the student council room burst open.

"Yahallo! Good morning, everyone!" A lively voice filled the room—it could only belong to Chika Fujiwara, the council's walking ray of chaos.

Kanade and Kaguya both turned to see her standing at the door, her ever-curious expression locked onto them.

"President! Kaguya! What are you two doing?" Chika asked, her face lighting up with intrigue.

"As you can see, Kaguya is giving me a massage," Kanade explained, raising his hand for emphasis.

"Ooh! I know this! Let me help, too!" Chika declared enthusiastically. Without waiting for permission, she plopped down on the sofa and placed Kanade's head onto her lap.

"Ta-da! Ready to go! President, you're so lucky! Two adorable girls are giving you a massage at the same time!" she cheered.

"!"

Unlike Chika's cheerful grin, Kaguya's face darkened immediately.

That accursed pink-haired octopus…! Kaguya seethed internally. Chika had brazenly claimed a lap pillow position—something Kaguya herself hadn't even dared to attempt.

To think she would steal the President's "first"… Unforgivable!

"But just massaging isn't fun," Chika said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "It's no fair if only the President enjoys it. Let's make it a competition, Kaguya-chan! Whoever makes him feel better wins his lunch today!"

"!" Kaguya's competitive spirit ignited instantly. "Fine! Bring it on!" she declared.

Kanade: "…"

What about his opinion in all of this? Did his consent even matter?

As if reading his thoughts, Chika lightly bopped his forehead and teased, "Don't be ungrateful, President. This is a privilege. Just sit back and enjoy it."

"…"

If Kaguya's massages didn't kill him with pain, and if Chika didn't try anything ridiculous, maybe he could enjoy this.

But he couldn't help recalling the "incident" in the infirmary. The memory of being pinned down in utter humiliation still haunted him.

Please, just let this end without another traumatic experience…

Notes-Read advances chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i have finished uploading the whole series in patreon, a total of 274 chapters you can find it in the collections, thanks for supporting me and special thanks to all the patrons for joining