Real teaching, but diary flow

She held Hayasaka Ai's hand, but turned her head away when Hayasaka Ai stopped and turned around.

The sense of guilt was obvious.

"I think we should still have enough trust in our partners. Only in this way can we show the magnanimity that a member of the Shinomiya family should have. Yes, that's it."

The attempt to cover up the truth was crystal clear.

Just as Hayasaka Ai was feeling a bit amused but not quite able to laugh openly, and just as Shinomiya Kaguya was starting to feel the awkward silence,

"—"

The doorbell rang.

It seems to be outside, in the birdcage where Miss Shinomiya lives, outside this enormous mansion.

Uninvited guests arrived, not part of the pre-arranged itinerary.

The monitor that was tracking the activity at the door lit up. Although she didn't know how to use electronic devices, at least looking at a screen wasn't a problem for Kaguya Shinomiya.

So the two of them turned their heads together.

I looked at the screen that lit up along with the doorbell.

A familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared on the screen. The man they had just been discussing, named Asakusa Tetsu, was the subject of their conversation.

"I think I heard someone calling me, so I came."

He flashed a bright, sunny smile and raised his hand toward the camera.

"Although you can come in directly, I think it's better to ring the doorbell first."

"However, now that the doorbell has been rung and I've said hello, I should come in."

Before Kaguya could make a move, or Ai could open the door for him, the words were spoken.

With a ding, Asakusa Tetsu's figure disappeared from the frame, as if the door had opened and he was approaching.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey—"

After a brief moment of shock, Kaguya Shinomiya and Ai Hayasaka quickly found themselves in a state of frantic chaos.

"Um, uh, um, I need it first—"

"—First, get dressed and tidy yourself up, Kaguya-sama!"

Hayasaka Ai quickly helped Shinomiya Kaguya turn around and sit down in front of the dressing table, while tidying up her messy clothes and grabbing a coat from the side to put on her.

There's no time to carefully choose an outfit, so a coat can cover up most of the problems.

With practiced ease, she tied up Kaguya Shinomiya's hair.

Although it may seem like a surprise response to a lover suddenly showing up, it is not actually like that; it is simply the proper etiquette to show to a distinguished guest.

They were clearly not familiar enough with Asakusa Tetsu to meet and spend time together in their casual, unadorned at-home appearance, let alone this being what seemed to be their first formal meeting.

Even if it's just for the sake of ritual, Kaguya Shinomiya has to take it a little more seriously.

Calculating the time it would take a normal man to arrive, Hayasaka Ai didn't intend to include those people in her calculations, even though the mansion was certainly secure. After all, those guys couldn't possibly stop her. She methodically organized and prioritized the tasks that needed to be completed at the moment.

But just as she tied up Kaguya Shinomiya's hair, before she even had a chance to tidy herself up,

"Squeak-"

The door opened.

So fast!

Although I don't know why Kaguya's room door was making that strange noise, and it will definitely need to be checked and fixed later, this sound was really a big help!

Without hesitation, she lifted the chair along with Kaguya Shinomiya, turning it twice to face the door. Hayasaka Ai quickly straightened her back with a tense expression.

"Long time no see, Asakusa... classmate."

After hesitating for a moment, she finally chose the term "classmate," which was neither too close nor too distant.

Calling him by his first name would be too disrespectful, but addressing him as "sir" would be too distant, and their relationship wasn't close enough to warrant any special nicknames.

Therefore, classmates are the best choice.

However, the moment the words left her lips, Hayasaka Ai knew that she had made a mistake in her haste. She shouldn't have preemptively given Kaguya the greeting before she could speak, even if it was just to remind her of the distance between them or to mention the cooperation they had agreed to. She shouldn't have done this before her mistress.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Shinomiya, and it's been a long time, Hayasaka."

Fortunately, Asakusa Tetsu's response finally put Hayasaka Ai at ease.

He greeted Kaguya Shinomiya first, and then responded to his own words.

It's important to clearly distinguish between primary and secondary priorities.

Although this back-and-forth tug-of-war will only highlight the difference between him and me and between him and Kaguya-sama, it doesn't matter!

"Yes, nice to meet you, Asakusa-kun."

With one hand supporting her cheek, Kaguya Shinomiya greeted Toru Asakusa with an incredibly calm expression.

But all three people present knew that her heart was not at peace at that moment.

Why did they suddenly come?! I wasn't prepared at all! If they were going to come, why didn't they come at the agreed time instead of making me worry until now?

Was it intentional? It was definitely intentional, wasn't it? If it wasn't intentional, why would the timing be so precise?!

And what does "I think I heard someone calling me" mean? Have you been spying on me? If having a diary means I'll be spied on, does that mean I'll never get married? This feature wasn't mentioned in previous content, was it? But isn't this a new version? What exactly is it?

Kaguya Shinomiya's mind was in a mess.

But as long as there is your own palm pressed against your cheek, as long as there is that warmth, it is like feeling your mother stroking your cheek when you were a child.

At least on the surface, she will remain calm.

Hayasaka Ai-sei has this habit.

Asakusa Tetsu... naturally knew that Shinomiya Kaguya had such a character setting.

Therefore, when faced with Kaguya Shinomiya, who seemed capable of calm conversation, he didn't speak too directly, but instead gave her some time to calm down.

Unfortunately.

This seems to have the opposite effect.

Why did he suddenly stop talking? Did I greet him incorrectly? Is he looking at me now? Is it because I didn't have enough time, or is there something wrong with my behavior? Is it my clothes? My hair? Or did it look strange that I suddenly put my hand on my cheek? But if I don't put it on my cheek, I can't project a calm image...

Instead, it made Kaguya Shinomiya's mind even more cluttered.

Even after thinking for a long time, looking at Asakusa Tetsu's face.

Without any warning, a sentence suddenly popped out of her mouth.

"...Have you completely forgotten about me?"

A voice filled with deep sorrow and resentment, a mixture of grief, grief, and a myriad of emotions that had been building up over this period, was uttered by Kaguya Shinomiya.

Even the habit of holding one's left cheek with one's hand cannot hide it, and even placebos to calm one's emotions cannot completely soothe it.

Suddenly, she ended the silent eye contact with those words.

"......No."

Asakusa Tetsu shifted his gaze and glanced briefly at Shinomiya Kaguya's room.

But Kaguya Shinomiya immediately interpreted this action of looking away as 'guilty conscience'.

Guilty conscience, guilty conscience, guilty conscience!

I felt guilty just now, and that's what I did. Hayasaka felt guilty just now, and that's what she did too. You, Asakusa, must have felt guilty, so that's why you did it!

"—Liar." Kaguya Shinomiya uttered the words softly, her tone slightly cold: "Liar."

Silently, the form of Princess Kaguya of Ice seemed to begin to appear. The relaxed aura she had when she was at home quickly contracted and transformed as her mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts. The girl stood up and looked at Toru Asakusa.

"A complete liar."

A look of disdain for others seemed to float across Kaguya Shinomiya's expression.

Disdainful, contemptuous, utterly disgusted.

The air froze once again.

Kaguya Shinomiya's mind, frozen solid, began to... become chaotic once again.

At this moment, something called the "Inner Court" silently unfolded in Kaguya Shinomiya's mind.

"Verdict! Kaguya Hyouya, death penalty!"

Wearing a small uniform but with a body so small it was the same size as her current chest, Kaguya, flat-chested, slammed the gavel down in the head referee's seat and loudly announced.

"Death penalty! Death penalty! Death penalty!"

The various Kaguyas around them responded noisily.

Forced to stand in the center of the trial, Princess Kaguya of Ice still rested her hand on her cheek.

"I'm telling you..." she said coldly, her tone extremely impatient, "aren't you all a little too concerned about him?"

"In the end, he's just a student, right? He's still at the age of a student, isn't he? Students your age are basically minors."

"Even with his extraordinary deterrent power, how much time has passed? How powerful could he have become in such a short period of time when he was just an ordinary student?"

"Anyone who uses their brain can figure out this logic, right?"

Princess Kaguya paused for a moment, then continued with her arguments. As she spoke, the other noises in the courtroom of her mind instantly quieted down.

Ultimately, the so-called "inner court" is simply the voice of her own heart. When one voice is expressing an opinion, the other voices naturally become much quieter.

“Yes, that’s right. The danger to life, the danger of the supernatural world, the threat of cursed spirits—these are all objective facts,” she said. “But instead of placing all your hopes on this man you’ve only met today, focus on improving yourself.”

"Don't they exist? What sorcerers and magicians? With the power of the Shinomiya family, they can always obtain power from those who cannot resist modern armed forces or financial offensives. There is no need to be so subservient to him!"

"In the end, he's just a liar who can't even keep his promises. What trust does he have left?"

With a cold snort, Princess Kaguya of Ice raised her snow-white neck and turned her head away as if declaring victory to herself.

The brief silence was like a period of reflection, or a moment of respite.

Gently, the other girls in the mental court finally opened their mouths.

...Well, the first one to open her mouth was Infant Kaguya, who couldn't open her mouth at all. Like an infant, she had a pacifier in her mouth and a toy in her hand. Dressed in baby clothes, Kaguya was whimpering and shaking the toy in her hand.

Following her, Kaguya spoke softly:

"You know that these are not the things you care about."

Repeated, consistent, from different ages, different levels, and different voices, yet undeniably all of them were Kaguya Shinomiya's voice, echoing in the courtroom of his mind.

Kaguya Shinomiya, so innocently naive, was speaking; Kaguya Shinomiya, slightly chubby and plump, was speaking; Kaguya Shinomiya Shinomiya, so melancholy and gloomy, was speaking.

So, what is it that I care about?

I watched as Princess Kaguya of Ice was judged, as she refuted her arguments, only to be questioned once again.

Kaguya Shinomiya fell into thought.

The answer we arrive at at this moment.

...Ah ah.

What she cares about.

It is the 'agreement' itself.

It is the 'commitment' itself.

It is 'trust' itself.

Trust is a very difficult thing to establish. At least for Kaguya Shinomiya, she grew up in an environment where she didn't easily trust anyone.

Suspicion upon suspicion, lies upon lies, deception upon deception.

Building trust is itself a very rare thing.

So to this day, the only 'friends' she can trust are Hayasaka Ai, her maid who has served her since childhood, and Fujiwara Chika, her best friend.

The former is due to long-term interaction, which makes them seem to know each other well, while the latter is due to equal status and unpredictable, changeable, yet full of personal style.

Originally, Asakusa Tetsu's name would have been added to this list of trusted individuals.

If she hadn't truly chosen to trust, how could she have so easily made such an agreement in advance, believing that something extraordinary would actually appear?

Complementing each other, she chose to trust, and this, in turn, gave her trust in Toru Asakusa, creating a harmonious union.