Chapter 386: The Answer to the Problem

"Rinji-kun, that move just now was way too obvious."

"Relax. Based on my analysis of Koyasu Tsubame, she didn't catch the underlying meaning," Rinji said. "I was just giving Ishigami a shot. Whether it works is up to him."

"You actually care about Ishigami's love life?"

Kaguya was surprised.

Based on what she knew, Rinji usually never got involved in others' relationships. Yet today, he'd gone out of his way to create an excuse and rope Tsubame in.

"Just raising the success rate a bit," Rinji said. "I'd rather stay in the background and watch things unfold, but sometimes, if you don't give it a push, nothing ever happens."

He turned and looked at Kaguya.

"Just like you and the president."

"Eh..."

The moment Rinji shifted the topic from Ishigami to her and Shirogane, Kaguya's face turned bright red.

"I... the president and I are just..."

"Don't forget what you promised me and Hayasaka last time. This Hoshin Festival might be your final chance, right?"

"...Yeah."

Even though her face had flushed red all the way to her ears, Kaguya still gave a small nod.

This Hoshin Festival was her final deadline—if Shirogane didn't confess, then she would do it herself.

"But... can this really succeed?"

Kaguya muttered quietly.

"What if the President rejects my confession?"

"What exactly are you worried about?"

Kaguya shook her head and leaned lightly against the wall, her gaze a bit complicated.

"Rinji-kun, you remember how I used to be, right?"

"Of course. You used to always look like someone owed you money, with a deadpan face 24/7. Your tone was so stiff, it was like you were chanting prayers over a corpse."

"You're really not holding back at all..." Kaguya sighed.

What Rinji had seen four years ago was Kaguya just after graduating from the elementary division into middle school. At the time, she always wore a stern expression, as if she didn't care about anything.

"I always thought life was about enduring everything you hate, just surviving through it all. That is... until I met the President and joined the student council. That's when my values began to change."

Kaguya spoke slowly. It was probably the first time she had shared her inner thoughts with Rinji.

Maybe she just needed someone to talk to.

"The more I interacted with the President, the more I felt disgusted with myself. He's always so gentle with everyone, and I... I judge everyone I meet by whether they're useful to me. It made me feel like I'm just cold and ugly inside."

Her voice gradually softened. Rinji didn't respond with his usual sarcasm.

"So I kept wondering—can someone like me really be liked by the President? Isn't his kindness the same to everyone? Am I not just imagining I'm someone special to him?"

Rinji fell silent.

Now he could tell—both Shirogane and Kaguya were agonizing over the same thing:

Whether or not they were worthy of each other.

Shirogane had always believed Kaguya was a perfect girl—top grades, awards in every field, and an incredible family background. He always felt like he could only look up to her and strove desperately to stand by her side.

He couldn't confess because even if she accepted, he'd believe it was out of pity or charity—because someone as outstanding as her accepting someone like him could only be out of sympathy.

He didn't want love tainted with those feelings, so he tried to make her confess instead.

Meanwhile, Kaguya believed that someone as cold and cunning as herself was unworthy of someone as kind as him. She feared he'd hate the darkness in her.

It wasn't about pride, or who confessed first.

They were simply running away from their own insecurities.

"Shinomiya, would you like me to answer both your questions?"

Rinji leaned back against the wall beside her, raising two fingers.

"You think you're cold and wicked. But compared to someone like me—who was already capable of taking a life four years ago—what do you think?"

"...Huh?"

Kaguya looked at Rinji, clearly surprised that he was earnestly responding to her self-loathing.

"Anyone at this school is kinder than me. When it comes to cruelty and coldness, I've got you beat by a long shot," he said with a smile. "But has the President ever hated me?"

"..."

"He doesn't care what kind of person you are, so you don't need to worry about him hating you."

After a pause, Rinji put one finger down.

"As for your second question—you think I'm helping you confess to him just because we're close? Do you really think I'd do that for free?"

"Of course not."

Kaguya replied firmly.

Though Rinji didn't treat her as an enemy and they worked together in the student council, they definitely weren't close. In fact, she had the worst relationship with him among all the council members.

So when he suddenly offered to help her confess, she had been completely confused.

"My relationship with you isn't great, but I'm very close with the President," Rinji said. "And I believe he'd be happy if you confessed. That's why I'm helping—because you're his happiness. That's the truth. No matter what, you are the most special person to him."

"I'm... special to the President?"

A glow returned to Kaguya's eyes.

"Exactly. So you can rest easy now, right?"

"Yes. Thank you, Rinji-kun."

Kaguya stepped away from the wall, smiling brightly as she faced him.

"Didn't expect you to be so good at comforting people."

"No need for thanks. Now that you're at ease, go get ready."

"Of course~ Still, I finally understand why Hayasaka likes you. You're unexpectedly charming when you're like this."

"Get lost."

…

After Kaguya left, Rinji remained leaning against the wall.

He lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.

"When did I start playing this kind of role?"