Sweet Encounters and Script Rehearsals

"It's crowded and noisy here. Let's go outside and practice separately,"

Kurokawa Akane suggested.

Yukima Azuma nodded in agreement.

After all, he had only come to the film crew today to get acquainted with the environment and pick up the script. Since official filming hadn't started yet, it didn't really matter where they practiced.

And so, the two left the set for a while.

The director, unsurprisingly, had no objections.

"Let's find a café with private rooms. Let me see…"

Akane pulled out her phone and began searching nearby places.

Eventually, she picked a charming dessert shop running a promotion—reserve online and get a 50% discount voucher. Not only that, they also offered private rooms for customers.

Azuma glanced at the menu and furrowed his brows.

Wasn't this way too cheap?

Even if they were doing it to attract customers, the prices felt almost suspiciously generous. And… something else felt off.

There was a faint sensation of being watched.

He turned toward the source of that gaze—and spotted two familiar high school girls.

The moment their eyes met his, the girls panicked and immediately turned their heads away, clearly embarrassed.

(๑°ㅁ°๑)!!

Was that real or just my imagination? Azuma wondered.

But just as the two girls left—

"Kaguya-sama, the target is moving to the designated location."

The two whispered discreetly into their collars, like characters from a spy movie.

At the dessert shop, Kurokawa Akane went to confirm the reservation and pay the bill.

Meanwhile, Azuma quickly searched the name of the establishment.

As expected, the dessert shop was part of a mid-tier restaurant chain.

Most people wouldn't think twice about it. But Yukima Azuma noticed something others might miss:

The entire chain was under the Shinomiya Group.

Which meant—this was Kaguya Shinomiya's turf.

Azuma's eyes narrowed slightly.

(≖_≖)ゞ Naruhodo…

"All done! Let's go in."

Akane ran over, waving the receipt proudly.

Azuma smiled and nodded. They walked into the private room section of the shop.

The private room was unexpectedly luxurious, nothing like the typical café booths. Even Kurokawa Akane was visibly surprised, her gaze drifting around the elegant room.

Before long, their pre-ordered desserts arrived.

Azuma had ordered a slice of green grape cake and two donuts.

Akane, on the other hand, only had a sugar-free black coffee—no cream, no sweeteners.

"You're being way too harsh on yourself," Azuma commented after taking a sip of her coffee. He stuck out his tongue in exaggerated suffering.

(੭ ˊ^ˋ)੭ ☕☕☕

Akane couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.

(≧ᗜ≦)

After all, they'd already shared meals in even more intimate ways—"feeding each other" during that incident—so drinking from the same cup didn't faze her much.

"I don't really have a choice," she said, shaking her head. "I gain weight easily, so I have to control my calorie intake."

(｡•́︿•̀｡)

"A small bite won't hurt."

Azuma scooped a small bite of the grape cake, half a glistening green grape balanced on top, and offered it to Akane.

"If it's just a small bite…"

Temptation flickered in her eyes. After all, she was being fed directly by Yukima Azuma.

With a soft brush of her hand to move a strand of hair, she leaned in. Their eyes met. Her lips parted slightly as she took the cake delicately from the spoon.

(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)

ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ 🍰

The moment was brief—but emotionally charged. There was something electric in the quiet intensity between them.

After a second, Akane was the one to avert her gaze first.

"Let's read the script!"

She quickly pulled it out to shield her slightly flushed cheeks.

(>/////<)

Every time she looked into Azuma's eyes, that memory of the stormy motel night resurfaced—the hand-holding, the cuddling under one blanket… and that kiss he slyly stole from her.

Back then, she had somehow kept her composure. But now, the embarrassment that had built up was crashing over her like a wave. It would take a while to fully sort through these emotions.

Azuma also retrieved his script and began reading.

Once he finished, Akane asked curiously, "So? What do you think?"

Even though he wasn't the scriptwriter, Yukima Azuma was a renowned light novel genius. His input mattered.

"Umu… it's pretty good."

He offered an honest assessment.

As a drama script, the structure was solid and clearly crafted with care. If he really wanted to, he could fine-tune it to perfection—but he had no intention of taking over someone else's job.

"Then let's try this scene here."

Akane pointed to a part where the young protagonist first meets the spirit shogi player.

Yukima Azuma memorized his lines, while Akane—surprisingly—took on the role of the seven-year-old boy.

Fifteen minutes later, they finished the rehearsal.

Azuma let out a breath of admiration. As expected of a genius actress.

Akane looked nothing like a child, yet the moment she stepped into character, she truly became that innocent, wide-eyed boy. It felt real. Her acting didn't just match his—it guided him, leading his performance naturally.

She even held back her own skill level to better support his delivery.

"In this part, express the emotion more vividly. And over here, your expression was a bit stiff,"

Akane offered her feedback gently.

Azuma nodded attentively.

Then suddenly—

📣 [Notification: Your acting skill has reached the maximum level.]

🎭 [Acting (Lv2) → Acting (Lv3)]

Akane noticed Azuma spacing out.

"…Did I say too much?" she asked, feeling slightly guilty. "Actually, you were really good. No pressure—we can take it slow."

Azuma snapped out of his interface and smiled reassuringly.

"No, no. Everything you said was helpful. I learned a lot."

Akane smiled faintly, assuming he was just being polite.

"Then, shall we try again?"

Azuma nodded.

The second round began—and even Akane was shocked.

Azuma had already incorporated all her earlier suggestions. His delivery was smoother, more emotionally resonant, and natural.

Was this really the same person from just fifteen minutes ago?

It hadn't been a complete transformation, but the progress was unmistakable.

Akane had never seen an actor who improved so dramatically after one rehearsal.

(ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧)

"Azuma, you're amazing! This kind of improvement is unheard of!"

"With your current acting skill, you're already better than half the working actors in the industry!"

Azuma chuckled.

"It's thanks to Guardian's teaching."

"No, it's because you're a genius!" she insisted. "There are still a few minor things—like here…"

"Umu umu, I'll think about it more. Ah, give me a second—I need to use the restroom."

"Alright."

Azuma stepped out of the room, quietly opening the system screen to check his updated stats.

His acting skill growth was extraordinary.

Thanks to being coached by a professional, his lower starting level meant rapid gains.

Akane must be at least Level 7.

Her ability to become her character felt almost supernatural.

As he was scrolling through, a nearby door suddenly flung open.

"I'm heading out for a bit—I'll be back soon!"

A lively voice rang out.

At that exact moment, Azuma happened to be walking past—and collided with someone.

"Uwah!" the girl yelped.

(๑°o°๑)!!

The difference in size was clear.

Azuma, over 1.8 meters and well-built, barely stumbled.

But the girl, barely 50kg, was sent reeling. Azuma immediately caught her by the waist to stop her fall.

"Are you okay?"

He looked down to check on her.

Silky, soft pink hair. A black ribbon tied to her bangs. A soft and innocent face with large, sparkling sapphire-blue eyes.

A name flashed in Azuma's mind:

Fujiwara Chika.

Second daughter of the Fujiwara family. Heiress of a political lineage.

Close friend of Shinomiya Kaguya.

Azuma blinked.

Umu… he understood what was happening now.

(っ ͡º - ͡º ς)