Chapter 445: If Only We Could Switch Places

"This is bad. This is so bad…"

"What happened, President? You look worse than before!"

Ishigami returned to the student council room with two drinks, only to find Shirogane with his head in his hands, looking even more depressed than before.

"It's over..."

"So what exactly happened?"

"Shinomiya... she invited Rinji out alone..."

"...And?"

Ishigami couldn't really understand what Shirogane was so worked up about.

Even as an observer, Ishigami could pick up on some of the tension between Shirogane and Kaguya, but it was just an invitation outside, wasn't it?

Shirogane clearly didn't want their issues to be known by others, so he didn't respond to Ishigami's question.

Perhaps sensing his worry, Ishigami chuckled and said, "Rinji and Shinomiya-senpai don't get along that well. Let's just hope they don't end up arguing."

"Y-Yeah, that's exactly what I'm worried about," Shirogane said, trying to calm down.

From their usual interactions, it was clear Rinji and Kaguya didn't exactly have the best relationship—certainly not bad, but not especially good either. And Rinji had a knack for making Kaguya angry.

They really didn't seem like a pair that would get together.

Still, the worry lingered. What Shijo said earlier had left a strong impression on him.

---

"So, what did you want to talk about? You even brought me somewhere like this."

The rooftop was usually deserted. After bringing Rinji out, Kaguya led him up here.

"I want to ask you something about the President."

"Since it's about him, I guess it makes sense not to ask in front of him," Rinji said with a smirk. "As expected of the old Shinomiya—completely numb to others' feelings. I couldn't even manage to ignore the people around me the way you can."

Kaguya's dominant personality at this moment was the cold and distant Ice Kaguya, molded by the Shinomiya family.

Though she surely didn't appreciate the biting sarcasm, she didn't let it show.

"Fine. What do you want to ask? Depending on the question, I might give you something."

"Thanks… I'm only asking because I trust you, Rinji-kun. Please don't tell anyone what we talk about."

"Alright."

"What do you think..."

Kaguya's usually cold expression flushed slightly.

"...I should do to make the President take the initiative?"

"Huh?"

"I mean... how do I get him to take the initiative to... confess to me?"

"...Wait, didn't anything happen on the final night of the Hoshin Festival?"

"He did show me something very romantic, but..."

But he still didn't confess.

In the end, it was she, Kaguya, who kissed him first.

Every time she remembered her impulsive and irrational behavior that night, she wanted to strangle her past self.

"I think since things already worked out, you should focus on deepening the relationship. Why rewind to where you were before?"

"I just wanted... to experience a normal kind of love," Kaguya muttered.

"Tch. Aren't you picky."

"Speaking of which, I haven't asked yet. How did things happen between you and Hayasaka?" Kaguya asked suddenly.

"During the Hoshin Festival, I lit some fireworks. Hayasaka took that opportunity to confess, I said yes, and then we kissed. That's all."

"Even you took the lead… why is the President so stubborn?"

"People are different."

Rinji shrugged.

"Things between me and Hayasaka were complicated, but in the end, it was just a normal confession and a normal kiss. No dramatic love story or anything. These things should just happen naturally. Why obsess over formality? All those rituals people do are just averages based on others' relationships. As long as it works out, who cares?"

"...Sometimes I really envy you, Rinji-kun."

Kaguya smiled bitterly.

"Even though you were born into a powerful family, nothing ever seems to tie you down. You do whatever you want without hesitation. Sometimes I wish I could become you."

"You can't become me. Like I said, people are different."

Rinji replied.

"Back then, what did you treat the people around you as? Tools? Allies to win over? Bargaining chips? Or something else? I'm not like that. Whether they're nobles or commoners, I don't care. I've never once cared about their opinions, their feelings, or even their lives. Can you say the same?"

"Of course not..."

"Exactly. And while you envy me, I envy you guys too. Sometimes I wish I could just be a normal person... but then again, if I were, I wouldn't be able to deal with annoying problems my own way."

After a pause, Rinji grinned.

"To put it simply, even if we switched places, I could never be like you, and you could never be like me."

"If one day we really could switch places, that might be nice," Kaguya said with a soft laugh.

"Forget it. I don't want to end up wearing a girl's uniform to school."

---

Knock knock knock.

"Come in. It's not locked."

"Sorry to intrude."

Sagara Sousuke had just landed at Narita Airport and rushed straight to a hotel in the Minato district. He knocked on one of the room doors.

After hearing a response from inside, he straightened up and entered.

Though he was now the president of IW and one of the most powerful men in the world, standing in front of the man inside still made him act with respect.

"Long time no see, Instructor."

"Ah, Sousuke."

Rinji's father smiled gently and closed the book he was reading.

"It's rare to see you in Japan, sir. Did something happen that needed your personal attention?"

"Not really. My kid had a classmate who wanted to meet me, so I stopped by."

"A classmate? Someone wanted to meet you?" Sousuke was stunned. "Weren't all your records erased by the world governments last century? How could anyone in this generation recognize you?"

"Well, I visited her family shrine two years ago. That's how we met."

"Two years ago... You were in Japan back then?"

"Yeah. In fact, you were part of that incident too, weren't you? The meteor that fell in Hida, Gifu."