Storm of Confessions

·Chapter 65: Fujiwara Chika wants to call her name27 JunShare"I can't believe someone as good-looking as you is a pervert," Iino Miko said, sighing as she stared at Hayasaka Ai's made-up face.Such a beautiful young man, and yet he'd actually risk sneaking into the girls' changing room.

Next to Miko, Kobachi Osaragi, also a member of the Disciplinary Committee, pushed up her glasses.

"Appearance can't be used to discern a person's inner self, and neither can rumors," she said sagely. Then, turning to Hayasaka Ai, she added, "Student, please come with us."

Hayasaka Ai froze.

Even she wanted to find a hole to crawl into from embarrassment—but unfortunately, the floors of Shuchiin Academy were too well-maintained. No escape there.

"Um…"She thought about her words carefully.

"Actually, although I appear male, my inner self is female! That's why I went to the women's changing room to change," Hayasaka Ai said earnestly. Surely they couldn't just assume her gender.

In response, Miko made a face like she was staring at a complete idiot.

"Are you kidding me, student?" Miko snapped. "The school rules don't care about your psychological gender, and there's no political correctness in Japan! Just give up already!"

Kobachi Osaragi nodded in agreement."This isn't free America. We don't support freedom of speech or sexual minorities."

Hayasaka Ai blinked.These high school girls sure knew a lot, even using terms like political correctness and sexual minorities.

She pulled out her phone, ready to message Kaguya to cancel the plan.

"Put your phone away!" Miko shouted. "I knew it! You're bold because you've got connections! Hmph! But let me tell you—I, Iino Miko, won't be swayed! Calling for reinforcements won't work!"

She snatched the phone out of Hayasaka's hand.

"This is confiscated! You'll get it back after you give a clear explanation!"

Hayasaka Ai sighed helplessly.

"…Alright. I'll go with you."

Hopefully, they could settle this before Kaguya Shinomiya began her plan.

Meanwhile, inside the Student Council Room—

The atmosphere was casual. Everyone was chatting idly.There weren't any urgent matters lately. After the last club joint meeting, the next busy period would probably be the Ball Game Tournament… but that was after Golden Week.

Golden Week was in two weeks: April 29th was a public holiday, May 3rd was Constitution Day, May 4th was Greenery Day, and May 5th was Children's Day. With the weekend, it made for at least a full week of rest.

Their conversation eventually drifted to the topic of how they addressed each other.

"Sakurai-kun, can I call you… Saki-kun~?" Fujiwara Chika asked, trying to inch their relationship closer.

She found it strange—even though she could easily call others by name, when it came to Sakurai Saki, the words stuck in her throat. That's why she usually only dared to whisper his name secretly.

The first step to becoming a couple with Sakurai-kun… was to close that distance through how they addressed each other!

Before Sakurai Saki could answer, Kaguya Shinomiya cut in with a commentary—

"Ultimately, a name is just a symbol of a person. There's nothing to care about in such things," Kaguya said, her voice calm and composed. She truly believed it.

Was it really embarrassing to call someone by name?

With a serene smile, she turned to Ishigami Yu."Yu-kun~"

Ishigami Yu: "…"

Shinomiya-senpai, please be normal! Or at least go back to glaring at me like usual! I'm begging you!

This warm, friendly Kaguya Shinomiya… it wasn't the one he knew.He preferred the icy version of her—the noble young lady of the Shinomiya Family, cold and distant.

And this way of addressing people… it just felt wrong.

He shivered and lowered his head to play his game.

Kaguya's smile faded slightly as if she'd discovered something curious.

Everyone really does care a lot about how they're addressed~

She turned to Chika.

"Chika~"

A chill ran from the soles of Fujiwara Chika's feet to the top of her head. Her face stiffened.

"Um…" she stammered, lowering her gaze. "Just call me Fujiwara-kun. Kaguya-san doesn't need to force herself…"

She really couldn't handle it either.

Seeing this, Kaguya felt even more amused.At this rate, she might be able to walk sideways through the Student Council Room with pride.

"Miyuki-kun~," she said sweetly to Shirogane Miyuki, who was sitting opposite her.

Just then, Shirogane had taken a sip of the coffee Sakurai Saki had made.

"Cough! Cough!!"

He choked violently, coughing several times in a row.

Taking out a handkerchief, Shirogane Miyuki wiped his mouth.

"Shinomiya-san, this way of addressing me… I'm a bit unaccustomed to it."

"Then I'll just call you President Shirogane from now on~" Kaguya Shinomiya replied sweetly.

Having already defeated three people in a row, she was now completely in the zone—on a roll and seeing red.

Her gaze turned to Sakurai Saki, who sat calmly in the center of the three, unflinching.

"Saki-kun~" she called, testing him.

Sakurai Saki took a sip of coffee, expression unchanging.

To be honest, he felt nothing about it.Completely indifferent.

"I don't care about forms of address, Kaguya-chan. You can call me whatever you like."

Kaguya Shinomiya: "…"

Wait… what?Kaguya-chan? Did he just say—Kaguya-chan?

That form of address…!No male peer had ever called her "-chan." Not even once!

Fujiwara Chika seized the opening immediately.

"Then can I call you that too?"

"No," Sakurai replied bluntly. He looked slightly flustered under her hopeful gaze, holding his coffee cup and lowering his head.

Being called "Saki-kun" by Kaguya Shinomiya was one thing.But being called that by Chika? That hit differently.

It made him feel… ticklish inside.

Once or twice, sure. But if she kept doing it, Sakurai Saki felt like he might actually short-circuit.

"…Hmph." Fujiwara Chika pouted.

She muttered under her breath, "Hayasaka-san can call you Sakura-chan… so why can't I?"

It made her feel like she was a whole level below Hayasaka in Sakurai Saki's heart!

Don't tell me… he doesn't even see me as a girl?They were clearly close! Yet he wouldn't even let her call him by name? How could that be?

"If… you really want to call me that, I won't stop you," Sakurai Saki said finally, a little sheepish.

She did make a fair point. Both she and Hayasaka had good relationships with him—it wouldn't be right to play favorites.

Fujiwara Chika beamed. "Then it's settled!"

Ishigami Yu, watching silently from the side, slightly lifted his head.

His glare at the two of them said only one thing: die, die, die.

Why don't you just start dating already?! Why do I have to be subjected to this in the Student Council Room!

This isn't flirting—this is emotional warfare!

Out of everyone present, Ishigami Yu probably had the clearest view of the situation—far more than the clueless Shirogane or even the involved parties themselves.

Is Sakurai-senpai really just that awkward? Does he like her but not dare to confess?Or was he unsure whether he liked Fujiwara-senpai at all?

Suddenly, Kaguya Shinomiya broke in, her tone sharp.

"That form of address just now… forbidden."

"Kaguya-chan, didn't you say a name is just a symbol—" Sakurai Saki started, casually trying to continue.

But she cut him off, her cheeks puffed with frustration.

"Forbidden! 'Kaguya-chan' is absolutely forbidden!"

"…Alright." Sakurai Saki nodded, looking perfectly "helpless."

It's just a name, he thought.It would take a few hundred years for something like this to actually make him blush.

"Saki-kun~ Saki-kun~ Saki-kun~" Fujiwara Chika suddenly began chanting, playfully calling him several times in a row.

"W-What is it?" he asked, flustered.

"Nothing," she said, grinning mischievously. "Just wanted to call you~"

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