A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

She saw that the person next to her was a student from Shuchiin Academy, so she assumed that this was her junior from Shuchiin Academy.

“It’s alright,” Uesugi Genshin said with a smile. “But does it really look that similar?”

"Ah, uh, it's the back view, I guess." Zi'an Yan smiled with narrowed eyes, "And your hairstyle is very similar to Yu's, I almost thought they were the same person."

"Well... that's probably because I'm his uncle."

"Huh? Really?" Zian Yan asked in surprise, her eyes wide with innocent delight.

No, it's obviously fake. Hayasaka Ai thought to herself, how could he possibly know Accountant Ishigami?

"I guess so in terms of relationship." After all, according to the nursery rhyme, a father's brother is called an uncle.

"Is that so?" Zi'an Yan actually believed it. After all, relatives might really exist, such as uncles and nieces with such a small age gap. In this school, there was an aunt and her grandniece who were in the same grade.

No, no, no, that's why it's fake. Hayasaka Ai didn't know where to even begin to complain.

"Ah! I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Uncle Shi Shang, it's a pleasure to meet you." Zi An Yan waved her hand, intending to say goodbye.

“Me too.” Uesugi Genshin waved goodbye with a smile. “I’m also very happy to have met the girl my nephew likes.”

After saying that, he and Hayasaka Ai left in another direction.

Zi'an Yan had just taken a few steps forward when she suddenly turned around and realized something...

Hey!! What did he just say?!

After taking a few steps, Hayasaka Ai covered her mouth behind Uesugi Genshin and whispered, "Is this really okay?"

“This is sure to be interesting,” Uesugi Genshin turned around and smiled happily.

"You have a terrible personality."

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"Ah, Yan-senpai!" Ishigami Yu looked at Koyasu Yan walking over, completely unaware that something was wrong.

Those around him could see that he was acting all shy and awkward, completely different from his usual cheerful self.

"Yu-Yu-kun." Zi An Yan turned around to leave, her movements mechanical and stiff.

"Senior?" Yu Ishigami took a step forward.

"Ah!" Zian Yan took a step forward as if she had thought of something urgent.

"I need to speak with you..." (Regarding work-related matters).

"I have things to do!" Like a horse freed from its reins, Zian Yan galloped along the road.

"..." Ishigami Yu looked at the list of supplies in his hand. Wasn't this exactly what his senior was supposed to be busy with?

This is...it seems like she's deliberately avoiding him!

-----------------

"How is it bad?" Uesugi Genshin retorted. "You didn't stop it either, did you?"

"That's..." Hayasaka Aiko couldn't bring herself to say it. "It's really interesting."

"However, I'm on Ishigami and Iino's side. As for Ishigami Yu and Koyasu Tsubame's relationship, I'm just watching from the sidelines." But it's really interesting. Even in different times and spaces, people who are down on their luck and people who are kind can still attract each other.

"What did you just say?"

There were other people nearby, the very same protagonist that Uesugi Genshin had just mentioned.

"Where is he?" Uesugi Genshin turned his head but did not see anyone.

"Trouble! Lower your head!" Miko Iino snapped, barely containing her anger.

Ah, this child is clearly inflexible and very serious. Although she is indeed short, she is also very cute, a petite little girl.

Beside her is her friend, Dafo Xiaobo, who is also a very unbelievable person. She was a child star before and almost went down the path of a bunny girl senior. Now she is disguised as a rustic girl with a shiny high forehead and big round glasses.

"Just now, you mentioned me and Ishigami? Please don't spread rumors; that's wrong." Iino Miko was intolerant of any injustice.

Uesugi Genshin first looked at Hayasaka Ai, his eyes seeming to say, "Your school has kids like this?"

Hayasaka Ai, on the other hand, had an incredulous expression on her face, as if to say, "I can't believe you know so much."

"I didn't say anything wrong, you are Iino Miko?"

“Yes, I am Iino Miko.” She stood at attention. “And what you said is completely wrong, Ishigami is an idiot!”

"But he's also a gentle fool. The one who silently removes the embarrassing note stuck to your back as you pass by, the one who argues with the teachers at school about his unfair expulsion. Which one is the real fool?"

This story has a bittersweet feel to it, reminiscent of the relationship between two silly couples.

"That is......"

Before she could speak, Uesugi Genshin continued, "But he really was an idiot. Back then, in his chuunibyou phase, when he saw the girl's efforts being ignored and he was about to give up, he even slipped a letter into her desk saying things like, 'Your efforts will pay off sooner or later.' That kind of behavior that created his own embarrassing history..."

“What…” Iino Miko looked incredulous. How did he know?

This matter was a treasure she had kept buried in her heart since middle school. Whenever she felt down, thinking about this matter would give her the motivation to persevere. She felt that her efforts had yielded results and that there were people watching. But did the stone see the outcome?

Now this matter is connected to Ishigami! Was it... was it Ishigami Yu who did this?

"How did you know about this?" asked Oobutsu Kohachi, Miko's best friend, with a puzzled look.

This was practically an admission of the event's truth, causing Iino Miko to turn around abruptly, her mouth agape. "Aba aba aba..."

"Because I am Yu Ishigami's uncle."

"You're lying. Aren't you the Sword Saint of Hanamigawa? You're from Chiba." Oobutsu Kohachi shook his head.

"..." So you recognized me! Uesugi Genshin turned to look at Hayasaka Ai.

It wasn't a perfect disguise to begin with, and anyone with a keen eye would have noticed. Hayasaka Ai refuses to take the blame.

"Hanamigawa Sword Saint..." Iino Miko pondered, her head bowed, as if the name sounded familiar.

"Hanamigawa Sword Saint!" However, Oobutsu Kobo underestimated how sensitive others were to this term. People who were walking around exclaimed upon hearing the word, triggering a chain reaction as they began to look in their direction.

“…We’ll take our leave now.” Hayasaka Ai stepped forward, grabbed Uesugi Genshin’s wrist, and dragged him away before the others could react.

"Ah, bye-bye~" Uesugi Genshin didn't forget to turn back and say goodbye, leaving the two of them alone in the same spot.

During the escape, Hayasaka Ai couldn't contain her inner turmoil, which manifested in a meaningful and sarcastic remark.

"Accountant Ishigami, you must be very touched to find out that you've suddenly become your uncle."

"Hahahaha... right?"

Chapter 100: No means no

"Where are the guests?" Kaguya Shinomiya asked her maid, Ai Hayasaka.

"He said he had to go out for a while. What's wrong, Kaguya-sama?" Hayasaka Ai is now Kaguya-sama's confidante, a capable attendant.

"It's nothing, just asking around." Kaguya Shinomiya rubbed her forehead with her left hand and shook her right hand. "That person seems like a good person."

"I'm amazed you could tell," Hayasaka Ai said, bringing over a cup of herbal tea. "Was there some trouble at the meeting?"

"Troublesome?" Kaguya Shinomiya scoffed. "How could it be? With that rabble, there are just too many people. It's the same old story, there are just too many of them."

All the problems at Shuchiin are caused by the current number of people; a significant portion of them would be considered a contribution simply by staying there and doing nothing.

"So, Kaguya-sama's current state is indeed due to the Shirogane guild leader's matter."

"The president is working too hard. He always says life is the most important thing, and he keeps bringing people back from outside." As she spoke, she puffed out her cheeks. "He should take better care of himself!"

"Well, isn't this the kind of student council president that Kaguya-sama likes?" Hayasaka Ai understood this perfectly.

"I only admire hard-working people!" It was Shinomiya Kaguya who first noticed Shirogane Miyuki because of his hard-working attitude.

"Stubborn to the end." How could she feel at ease?

"Hmph~" Kaguya Shinomiya took a sip of her flower tea to relieve her headache and fatigue.

"Anyway, the problem is almost solved. Uesugi from Soubu High School..." Kaguya Shinomiya paused, "...is truly an extraordinary person."

"If he's not stupid, then he's someone who understands investing, and he's very clear about the principle of playing the long game. I reckon Shuchiin will have to pay a high price to repay his kindness later."

Inheriting one of the few outstanding qualities of a human being from the Shinomiya family, Kaguya Shinomiya possesses an exceptionally strong sense of contractual obligation.

"Does Lady Kaguya know his terms of exchange?" Hayasaka Ai hadn't asked about this yet, so she wanted to know the details now.

"Hmm? Ah~, he said he wants to find someone who meets his requirements. Well~, it's not a big deal." Kaguya Shinomiya hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem yet.

"As long as it's not me or the president, it's fine to send it to anyone from Shuchiin. It doesn't matter if it's someone from the student council."

Of course, it was just talk. Although she sometimes looked at Fujiwara Chika with some inappropriate eyes, they were still friends. Ishigami was a junior whom the president valued, and Kazumi was also quite capable as an accountant.

"Hmm~" Although Hayasaka Ai knew that this young lady was just being stubborn, she was still a little disappointed that she hadn't heard her. Was it because she was too close that she was being ignored?

"What's wrong?" Kaguya Shinomiya looked up at the maid who had always been by her side.

"As for Uesugi, he mentioned this condition when he was in the General Affairs Department, and he had already specified it."

"Back then?" Kaguya Shinomiya seemed to have sensed something; she was just one step away from understanding.

Hayasaka Ai nodded and said, "Yes, he said he would let me go to his side in exchange, so I agreed to this somewhat disadvantageous exchange."

"What!" Kaguya Shinomiya screamed, suddenly recalling that Genshin Uesugi seemed to have said something about getting consent.

"Hayasaka! Could it be that you've agreed?" Kaguya Shinomiya exclaimed hurriedly, her hand trembling as she almost dropped her teacup.

"No."

This answer briefly relieved Kaguya Shinomiya.

"I told her I needed to come back and discuss it with Lady Kaguya."

"No! I said no! Hayasaka no!" With a fierce three-part denial, Kaguya Shinomiya felt she had never been so sad in her life.

"No wonder that guy was so decisive, that scumbag! A cunning fox! A devil!" This guy must have his eye on Hayasaka and wants to do *that* to her!

"Ah~ Ah~, she just said he was a good person, Kaguya-sama." Hayasaka Ai had already guessed that her master would be so excited.

"Hayasaka! Reject him!" Kaguya Shinomiya commanded.

"Is this really a good idea for Kaguya-sama? The other party is a crucial figure in resolving our current predicament. It's too hasty to make such a decision," Hayasaka Ai advised.

However, Kaguya Shinomiya was already getting angry. "Why are you acting so indifferent? Hayasaka is definitely more important! Even if the whole school is starving."

"Ah~ Ah~, I was just feeling sorry for President Shirogane." Although this is also Kaguya-sama's style.

"H-President, I'll stay with him and continue to work hard over there, so..." After her anger subsided and she regained her composure, Kaguya Shinomiya stammered.

"Excuse my bluntness, but Kaguya-sama still has President Shirogane. As for me, I'm all alone." In other words, she has no real ties. With the main family in Kyoto out of contact, and even the Shinomiya family not guaranteed to survive, her mother is also...

"No! Hayasaka, I'm here!" Kaguya Shinomiya hugged Hayasaka Ai's waist like a child, just like a child who clings to their mother's leg and cries when their mother is home alone while she works the night shift, not wanting her to leave.

"That's how it is for someone who works for the Shinomiya family." However, now that the Shinomiya family no longer exists, this relationship should be re-examined.

"Humph~"

"See, it's the same again, so unreasonable." Hayasaka Ai stroked Kaguya Shinomiya's head with her hand.

"In short, I will reconsider the conditions of Soubu High and try to reach a different agreement with them. As for Hayasaka, I will tell him not to mention it again." After careful consideration, Kaguya Shinomiya came to this conclusion.

As expected, the insults he uttered earlier were just words spoken in anger.

“The importance of the other party is self-evident, and I think it is the best choice for me to influence and maintain the relationship between Shuchiin and the other party in the past,” Hayasaka Ai said, expressing her thoughts.

"No! Why doesn't Hayasaka understand? I need you!" Kaguya Shinomiya cried out like a spoiled child.

"Ha, Kaguya-sama isn't a child anymore. If she marries President Shirogane, she'll take his surname, and there won't be any room for me to interfere. I can't be your servant for life." I can't stay with her forever. Even children will eventually leave their parents and start their own families.

"This is... that's a different matter."

"Here we go again," Hayasaka Ai sighed.

"Does Hayasaka really want to go there that much?" Kaguya Shinomiya asked, shaking her body playfully.

"I'm nothing special. But as an ally, I think I could have played a bigger role in the past. And the other party, as Kaguya-sama said at the beginning, is probably a good person." Although he's a bit too popular with women.

“What they value is my ability. Soubu High School is a school organization that links ability and contribution with status and reward. If I go there, whether as a liaison or something else, I will play a much greater role than I do here.”

“This is fine too. I’ll apply to the president right away to have Hayasaka serve as the student council’s general affairs officer.”

"Kaguya-sama, please consider my position as well." She always wore a mask of pretense at school, but suddenly she transformed into a capable, strong woman. Even friendships built on falsehoods are afraid of being lost.