"Even though I knew this would eventually happen if I stayed in the student council long enough, it still hurts now that it actually has."
"Same here."
The union club meeting had already concluded yesterday. As treasurer, Takamine Rinji had to compile and calculate the budget for the next quarter, so he stayed in the office today to do his work.
Shirogane and Fujiwara were in the same class, which was currently occupied with class duties, and Ishigami only showed up when he had specific tasks to do.
Which meant the only people left in the student council room today… were Shinomiya Kaguya and Takamine Rinji.
"This sucks. Why do I have to be alone in the office with you?"
"I should be the one asking that."
The tension was palpable.
Shuchiin Academy often had cases like this: sons of hostile corporations forced to interact, yakuza daughters paired with police officers' sons, heirs of rival families vying for inheritance. In short—conflict was common.
Likewise, there was conflict between Rinji and Kaguya. Not just between families, but personal conflict—Rinji himself held a grudge against the Shinomiya family.
It wasn't some inherited feud. It was personal and direct.
'This is frustrating… I never imagined I'd be left alone in the student council office with him… But thankfully, he promised he wouldn't cause trouble at school. That's something, at least.'
Kaguya sipped her tea and glanced at Rinji, who was typing away at his keyboard.
Thanks to Ai Hayasaka, she had known Rinji from four years ago—back then, he was a cheerful, smiley little boy. Though they didn't talk much, Hayasaka had told her about what kind of person he was.
If he said he wouldn't cause trouble, he wouldn't.
'Still, for someone who used to be so honest and sweet, how did he end up doing something so… insane four years ago?'
As Kaguya sipped tea and loafed around, Rinji focused intently on his work.
'Well, based on his work ethic over the past few months, I can tell he holds no real hostility toward me. He's probably just annoyed that I'm from the Shinomiya family. He argues with me sometimes, but nothing outrageous. That said… there's one problem.'
Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly.
Anyone with a bit of awareness could see that the person currently closest to Shirogane was Rinji. Not only did they spend time together, but Rinji had even visited his house and gotten along well with his family.
So, if Kaguya wanted to accelerate her "get the president to confess" plan, she needed intel—and Rinji was the best source.
'But how should I talk to him? We're not exactly close enough for him to spill secrets about the president. If I'm too obvious, he'll get suspicious. So the only option is… to get closer.'
"Um… Takamine-kun."
"What?"
Rinji kept typing, not even glancing her way.
"You must be tired from all that work. Want me to make you a cup of coffee?"
"Thanks, but I'm good."
He pulled a canned coffee out of his bag and set it on the table.
"..."
'Tch. He's really well-prepared, huh.'
Kaguya began to think up her next move.
'If you want to get closer to someone, the best way is to talk about common interests.'
No exaggeration—Kaguya was a genius.
From the awards she'd won growing up, she'd covered almost every field a high school student could. She could talk about anything—even if just superficially.
'Thankfully, I asked Hayasaka about what's trending recently. Boys are probably into things like idol groups or pop culture… but Rinji… he's…'
Kaguya's eyes widened.
She had no idea what Rinji was into. They barely talked—how was she supposed to guess?
"Um…"
"What is it?"
"What kind of things are you interested in?" she asked with a smile.
She had no choice but to ask directly. Whether he'd answer or not—she had no idea.
"Things I'm interested in? Let me think…"
'Great—he's thinking of an answer. Now I just need to follow up on what he says, and we'll establish a basic connection.' Kaguya clenched her fist secretly, optimistic.
"Yes, things you're into. I'm sure you have your own hobbies."
"Yeah, I do." Rinji looked up thoughtfully. "I think Israel's Arrow-3 anti-missile system is really impressive. Also, the latest developments in electronic warfare technology from various organizations are worth studying. Oh, and the modified version of the ECS electromagnetic stealth system from the last century was recently upgraded…"
Kaguya: "..."
'What is this man even talking about!? I don't understand a thing!'
As mentioned before, Kaguya was not very tech-savvy. And as for military equipment—she understood even less.
"I completely miscalculated! He's not an average guy at all!"
"What's wrong, Shinomiya heiress?"
"Ah!?"
Kaguya quickly covered her mouth—she had accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud.
"What do you mean I'm not a regular guy? There are plenty of military nerds among normal boys, you know."
"Y-yes, you're absolutely right."
She gave a nervous chuckle and tried to regain composure.
'Never mind that… he must have other interests too. Wait, didn't he confess to Hayasaka before? He probably still has feelings for her. Maybe I should talk about Hayasaka…'
In Kaguya's imagination:
"Rinji-kun, do you know Hayasaka?"
"Oh, of course I know her. How's she doing lately?" Takamine Rinji's interest was instantly piqued.
"Well, these days…"
Shinomiya Kaguya smiled and began talking at length about Ai Hayasaka.
"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so close to her, Lady Shinomiya," Rinji said admiringly.
"Of course! Hayasaka is my personal maid."
"You're already dead."
"Ehhhhh!?"
——End of Imaginary Sequence——
'I'll die for real if I say that!!!'
Kaguya was completely stuck.