Chapter 199: Indulgence and Restraint

As the only member of the student council currently in a relationship, Rinji's views on romance naturally held some weight.

Miyuki agreed wholeheartedly with what Rinji said.

Kaguya found it completely absurd.

But judging by Rinji's past, it made sense. After being rejected by Hayasaka and retreating abroad heartbroken, he did nothing until Karura confessed to him—and then they immediately entered a passionate relationship. That's why he concluded that boys should wait for girls to confess.

Shirogane nodded and said, "Yeah, Rinji's point makes perfect sense."

Kaguya couldn't help but scream internally: 'How is that reasonable!? That's just one isolated case! And Rinji isn't even a normal person—you can't use him as a reference! President, snap out of it!!'

"In my hometown, there's a saying: 'For a man to chase a woman, it's like crossing a mountain; for a woman to chase a man, it's just a thin veil.' President, as a man, your chances of being rejected when confessing are pretty high."

"Hmm... Makes sense."

'It doesn't make sense at all!!'

Kaguya knew that if she didn't say something soon, things might spiral out of control.

"President, Takamine-kun's opinion is just something to take lightly," Kaguya said with a smile. "Think about it—would you really agree to go out with any girl who confesses to you?"

"Well…"

Shirogane looked at Kaguya and was about to say "of course not," but then paused and smiled instead. "You never know. We're already in our second year—if a girl were to confess to me, it'd be a rare opportunity."

'President, have you gone mad!?'

Kaguya was fuming inside. Meanwhile, Shirogane closely observed her expression.

He was sure saying that would spark a sense of urgency in Kaguya.

Unfortunately, no matter how turbulent her inner emotions were, her face betrayed nothing.

Rinji then spoke up, "Don't worry, President. You've got great potential. It's only a matter of time before someone confesses to you."

"I think so too."

Kaguya: "…"

She was starting to panic.

She recalled what Hayasaka had told her—if she didn't make progress soon, the president might get snatched up by someone else.

Only Rinji knew that Shirogane liked Kaguya.

But Kaguya had no idea. Which meant if a girl really did confess to Shirogane, he might actually agree.

Should she confess now?

The thought crossed Kaguya's mind—but she quickly shook her head.

If she confessed first, wouldn't that mean she lost? Still… it might be better than letting another girl steal him...

Just as Kaguya was completely at a loss, Fujiwara Chika, who had already finished her watermelon, suddenly spoke.

"But Rinji, doing that makes you an easy target."

"Huh?"

"Saying yes to any confession—it's kind of weird, isn't it?" Fujiwara said. "You didn't even take time to really understand that girl."

"No need. It's fate."

"...Fine. Since you've experienced rejection, I guess being tricked is part of your destiny. But President, you're different."

She turned her gaze to Shirogane.

"You've never been rejected, right? It'd be kind of strange if you just accepted any girl's confession."

"Well…"

"Or are you the type who says yes to every girl?"

"No…"

"Only playboys do that."

"…"

"President, are you trying to become a player? Accepting every confession from any girl who likes you?"

"Of course not!"

Shirogane didn't want Kaguya to think of him as a jerk. After Fujiwara's accusation, he quickly straightened up and said, "There's no way I'd become a playboy. Even if a girl confessed, I wouldn't say yes right away—I'd take time to evaluate."

Thud.

As soon as Shirogane said that, Rinji's head slammed onto the table.

"So that's how it is… I'm a player… I want to die…"

"No no no, Fujiwara was just giving an example! Cheer up!"

"Yeah, Rinji didn't do anything bad."

Crisis averted, Kaguya was absolutely delighted. She kept smiling the whole time.

"Rinji, you really should spend more time getting to know your new girlfriend," Fujiwara said. "If you treat romance too lightly, you might miss the person who's truly right for you."

"…"

"Oh, right, Rinji."

Ishigami, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "How far have you two gone?"

"Huh?"

"A, B, C. What step are you and your girlfriend at?"

In the romance code:

A = holding hands

B = kissing

C = [censored]-(fucking)

"Uh… A, I guess. And only once."

"Surprisingly innocent," Fujiwara said with a wicked grin. "But that's just like Rinji."

"You seem way too happy. I've only been dating her for a few days. I'm very cautious about going that far."

---

After eating the watermelon, the student council cleaned up and prepared to leave.

Rinji stood at the bottom of the office building, opened a pack of cigarettes, and lit one.

Fujiwara Chika might constantly hit him with verbal critical hits, but she was an irreplaceable part of the student council—and more importantly, she didn't mean any harm. That's what made it so frustrating.

"Takamine-kun, no smoking on school grounds," said Kaguya, who seemed to be the last one to leave.

"This is outside school jurisdiction. School rules don't apply here."

Rinji glanced at Kaguya.

She was unlike the rest of the Shinomiya Family. Putting aside her demeanor, the key difference was she didn't seem particularly afraid of him.

Whether it was her older brothers or Shinomiya Gan'an, the main family treated Rinji like a plague—avoiding him at all costs, terrified of provoking him.

But Kaguya wasn't like them.

Even in the student council, she'd throw barbs at him now and then. She was clearly a little wary, but nowhere near the level of her family, who treated him like a living disaster.

Standing beside him, Kaguya asked, "That girl named Karura—what do you think of her?"

"She's perfect. She accepts everything about me, even my bloodstained hands. Being with her feels easy."

"That's good to hear."

Kaguya smiled.

"But have you considered this: between someone who lets you do whatever you want and someone who restrains you—which one is actually better for you?"