Kaguya Shinomiya's Impossible Challenge: The Jewelled Branch of Hōrai

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Let's begin by looking into the near past.

Chika closed the door to the bedroom with her foot, carefully holding a tray filled with cookies. "I'm back!" she announced, leaving the snacks on an empty space on the tatami table, away from the books and papers, before sitting down in front of it.

"Thanks." answered the other two occupants of the room. Miyuki and Kaguya were pouring over the books and simultaneously reached for the sweets without looking up. Chika smiled contently while watching them eat before returning to her own studies.

For a while, the only noises in the room were the scribbling of pencils and the turn of pages while orange sunlight peeked inside the room through the curtains, wisps of light dancing on the king-sized bed.

Chika, however, frustratedly kept looking at her math exercise. It was just so hard to even think, her thoughts forming painstakingly slowly, and her eyes glazed when she tried to focus on the numbers.

"Chika?" the pink haired girl's eyes snapped to Kaguya. "Is something the matter?"

"I think I'm done for the day" she pushed the notebook away and the pencil, tiredly rubbing her forehead before slumping on the table. Kaguya and Miyuki chuckled quietly

"I suppose it's rather late. Let's enjoy the snacks before calling it a day." Miyuki took the tray as he sat closer to her. His sleeveless royal blue robe was very fit to his body, and his toned arms, product of his arduous training, were a very welcome sight. He took a chocolate cookie and presented it to the still slumped girl. Chika gobbled it in the blink of an eye. Kaguya stood up and walked to her other side, the tails of her long, red royal kimono glided along an unfelt breeze that followed her quiet steps. She kneeled beside Chika, pushing behind her ear a stray bang of hair.

"Oooohh, fine. Tomorrow, then." she groaned, before sitting straight again. "Hopefully tonight I'll get a full night's sleep." no sooner those words left her mouth the sound of a warhorn blasted. Chika sat, very very still, while the noise persisted, blinking slowly. Finally, when the horn died, she groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Me and my big mouth. It's the fourth time this week." Kaguya and Miyuki gave her sympathetic and slightly regretful looks.

"I should go out today. You've done enough." Miyuki offered.

"Thanks, Myu, but you know you can't. As soon as he sees you'll that dumb boy will enter in a rampage." Chika shook her head and stood up, the other two following behind her. "And out of us, I'm the bigger threat to him." she shrugged off the cricks in her neck and prepared to open the door when a set of arms enveloped her.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, my princess."

"Mo, again with that nickname." a pretty red dusted the ruby-eyed girl's cheeks. She pulled the pink haired to herself and whispered in her ear. "Come morning we'll have a fitting reward for your bravery, so look towards it, ok?." her breath tickled Chika in her ear, an electric sensation running through her body.

"Y-yeah, ok..." Chika gulped thickly as her eyes jumped from the matching smiles of the other two. The sound of the warhorn booming once again, reminded her she had a job to do.

She left, closing the door behind her. She took a key, the Kingdom's Key, from between her breasts and locked the door. Once it clicked shut, the door evaporated, leaving her alone in the empty grey land. There was never a breeze in the surface of the moon, so she could hear clearly the sounds of an army marching towards her.

Like always, spearheading the army of aliens and monsters was the Demon Butler himself, Haysaca, blowing into his warhorn one last time. "Princess Kaguya! Return my boyfriend to me!" he roared to high heaven, his voice heard clearly even from his distance.

Chika cupped her mouth with her hands and yelled. "They say you should fuck off!".

Finally noticing her, a vein popped in Haysaca's grey forehead, while fire sparked in the horns at both sides of his head, making him look like a weird, elegantly dressed silver candelabra.

"Specimen C! We meet again." he growled.

"Yes! Now fuck off! I was about to go to sleep, but now I have to deal with you! Honestly, it was somewhat bittersweet the first time, until you flew of your handle and almost nuked everyone in a ten kilometer radius" she complained, uninterestedly waving him off.

"I wouldn't have to keep returning if your mistress would kindly release her hostage and then die." the dark haired man crossed his arms, his fingers tapping incessantly on his arm.

"Miyuki is not her hostage, nor did she steal him away! He broke up with you months before they even knew each other!"

"Bullshit! You've been tainted by that temptress as well; any word that comes out your filthy mouth is null to me." he glared with pure hatred, his blue eyes shining dangerously behind glinting glasses, while his mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth in a terrifying snarl. It was like an intense hate rave party coming from his face, I kid you not.

"Excuse you!?" Chika was actually offended this time. "I haven't had a cavity in my life."

"Enough! Talk is cheap. You will give me that key, even if I have to pry them out of your stupidly lewd breasts!" he butler unsheathed his sword and held it high over his head. The dark blade burned with an ethereal black fire, signaling his army to rise.

"Just come and try!" Chika's Z-saber flared to life and she took off sprinting towards her enemy.

With mighty war cries, both enemies lunged towards each other for an epic fight-!

Chika Fujiwara opened her eyes with a gasp.

She sat up. Looking out her window, she noticed it wasn't even dawn yet. She looked back down to her sheets and blinked a few times, before she uttered in the quietness of her bedroom:

"What."

She couldn't fall asleep again after that, so she spent the time on her phone trying to distract herself from replaying the dream over and over again. But even when she arrived at the school the dream remained vivid in her mind. Unlike most of her other dreams, so far she was sure she could remember most if not all of it. Especially, erm, the part where the "Princess" promised a reward for her just after being left alone with the President, and for the umpth time that morning Chika started blushing again.

She vehemently shook the dumb thoughts out of her head. 'It's absurd, obviously. As if, the cute, pure maiden Kaguya would ever ask to be left alone with a boy, even if it's the president.' she rationalized to herself. 'Although, if she ever were to date, she always has those maids after her, so she would definitely need me to turn them away… Dunno if I can handle the scary head maid, tho.'

'Anyways, Kaguya dating… seems impossible. I mean, anyone would want her, but has she ever been interested in someone? The only guys that come to mind are the Prez and Ishigami- yep, just the Prez comes to mind. And she is at the age for those things. Then again, so am I, and yet here I am by my single-self...'

'... What was I thinking before? Oh yeah, the dream.'

'How cool would it be to live on the moon. Although, there was only Kaguya's room in the dream, so where do I sleep? Does that mean I share the room with them…? Wait, then the reward is-!'

She violently shook her head again, fighting down another blush. But the memory of the girl whispering in her ear would not disappear.

'W-w-well, would that be so bad? If it is Kaguya then I don't think I could ever tell her no. Tho I sure hope the prez would know how to share.'

She stumbled on air, but she caught herself before she could greet the floor and thanked she was alone.

' Wowowowow, wow, hol up, back up, where did that come from? '

She yawned again.

'Tired, I'm just tired'

She walked inside the student council room, but stopped just beside the door.

Kaguya was chatting amicably with the President. It wasn't anything amazing, there wasn't any sort of special lighting coming from the windows, but when she entered, Kaguya turned to her and smiled, and Chika felt her stomach churn and her heart swell and-

Oh.

Oh no.

"Ah! I FORGOT SOMETHING!" She couldn't help but yell as she absconded from the room.

Nononononono

The girl was pacing in circles inside her club room, thankfully empty today.

I don't have a crush on her! Don't be silly, she's my best friend!

She was in denial.

Crush? What does that even mean? Do you eat it? I mean, how would I know I have a crush?

... It's not like I've ever had one...

Indeed! Chika Fujiwara has never dated before, nor had her first kiss yet. All her knowledge of romance comes from media like movies and, most recently, manga. Despite that, she forgets that and believes herself as an expert and veteran of love when it suits her. She's another, different type of a virgin monster!

I'm being silly! I didn't sleep well and I had to skip breakfast, that's all!

Resolve mustered, she left the club room.

Thus, with a dream, this story of love begins.

When she returned, she refused to look anywhere near the black haired girl, disguising it as keeping herself busy with paperwork.

The others didn't really question it, papers were aplenty and Chika had done weirder things before.

Later, as they left, Kaguya remembered suddenly. "Fujiwara-san, what was the thing you forgot?"

"Eh! Ummmm... I don't remember...?"

"You forgot what you've forgotten!?"

"We need to review the petitions from the sports clubs-"

Did her lips always look so... Soft? She isn't imaging things, is she? There wasn't anything different about her, or else Chika would have figured it out by now, but it somehow didn't look the same...

"The mass media club also requested to be able to host the next sports festival"

Maybe it's a new lip gloss? No, that's not it either, she's still using that soft pink bar Chika gave her once years ago and that she kept using after that.

"On the other hand, the volunteer club offered to... Chika?"

She instantly snapped to attention "Hmmn?"

"Is something the matter? You were staring rather intently."

"Oh! Oh no no, not all! I'm here, listening. You were talking about the volunteering club..." Even while only half-listening she still had followed the conversation to the letter and managed to make her sudden daze to be swept along.

Chika had seen the chain around Kaguya's neck. She only caught a glimpse of the thin metal bellow the collar of her shirt, in a brief moment when it rode a little loose as she stretched, fresh out from archery, but it was enough.

All thoughts and tales flew out the window as that silver chain took the forefront of her mind.

This was the third time. The third time Kaguya wore any sort of accessories. Chika knew, she remembered (and she remembered all those little attempts to make her wear any other number of cute things. None ever stuck).

And Kaguya was hiding it. Keeping it close to her, away from prying eyes, when she displayed without care her bow and the stones in her nails.

Someone had given it to her.

Even if her mind couldn't see a direct connection (or didn't want to), her gut, her Love Radar, was blaring loud alarms.

And for the first time ever, she ignored it.

Chika was quiet these days, Kaguya noted. But it only seemed to be around herself.

Around others, Chika never had less than 5 different topics at any time, or had a new anecdote to share. But around herself, she wouldn't even look at her in the eye. And even then, she looked perfectly fine. She had that little spring in her step that followed a chaotic, impossible rhythm. Her radiant smile that could power up a city alone. In fact, her smile seemed more powerful these days.

So why did it feel so wrong?

This was getting ridiculous.

Chika had been so excited to tell Kaguya something that had happened to herself recently, involving rice balls, a live squid, and roller skates, but the moment she got close the words simply dried and died there in her throat.

Her heart needed to wake up and remember who her real crush was.

She picked the card, carefully filed and protected from harm, that embodied her rival, her missing half that she still searched for to this day.

"Today, I'm going to uncover Arsène." announced Fujiwara, detective hat on her head, as she opened the doors to the student council. Her claim was met with the bemused silence of the rest of the council members.

"Fujiwara, how come?" the president asked, returning back to the papers in front of him. "The school festival was three months ago. We have other things to worry about now, so give it a rest." however, inside, his heart had frozen solid for a second.

"Haven't you heard? Arsène is still the talk of the school! Rumour has it… well, nevermind the rumors, I must uncover the mystery myself. And besides, I already eased my workload in advance for this, so it must be today." she grinned as she walked closer to the President's desk.

"... why today?" he decided to bite the bullet.

"Because today I have a lead!" she proudly proclaimed as she slammed the third calling card on the table. "Fufu!"

…

"Are you going to tell us or not?" prompted Ishigami, half curious.

"Oh, yeah! So Karen-san talked about this synthetic paper. But people don't normally buy this paper, and not unless it's in a high amount. That already narrows it down. Then it's the criminal profile; a highschool student, naturally, he must be very smart and a perchance for big, complex, meaningful plans. But he's also heart-squeezingly emo! And I feel he might have a bit of a complex for attention..."

Shirogane felt like he had been verbally stabbed.

"But what's important is that he's a highschooler here in Shujin, so that means he would buy from a copy shop near the school to not move around too much. So, that leaves us with a high schooler buying a big stack of printed synthetic cards from the nearest shop!"

'... Oh fuck.' Shirogane thought to his insides, even though his face was the perfect picture of calmness with a touch of exasperation. 'Damn you, Fujiwara, why is it that is at moments like this you become ridiculously acute!'

Unconsciously, he sneaked a glance to Shinomiya, his confidante, the only other person to know his secret. She was giggling. Quietly, as to not be noticed by the pink haired girl, she laughed at his expense, as if saying, 'you made your bed, now you lie on it.'

'Oh come on! No, it's fine, you can dig yourself out of this one, Calm down, think! '

"Hah? That's all?" Ishigami was the first one to break the silence, awfully unimpressed. "Your criminal profile is pure conjecture, and Arsène could have bought the cards from anywhere. Tokyo is a big city, are you really going to search through each copy shop?"

"Of course not! Aren't you listening? It'd only make sense for a student to use the school festival for such a massive game! In fact, I bet Arsène ordered the cards in the CopyCenter." Chika was referring to the copy shop nearest to the school. Of course, because of its placement it was the go-to place for most students.

"Bet" Ishigami challenged back.

'... Looks like I worried over nothing.' Shirogane relaxed internally. Precisely because the shop was so popular among the other high-class students, Shirogane accustomed another shop some streets away that served with better prices. 'Still, I must discourage her from searching for any more stores after the first one. I need to plan my play and…

...

"Why are you so insistent on finding Arsène, Fujiwara?" he asked, resting his head on his crossed fingers.

"Why...? Uh, because a thief's rival is the detective! And… I feel like I let him down for not figuring the final clue… And, also... I-"

"Fujiwara-san, I'm Arsène." everyone stopped. "I apologize, but I won't have you go in another goose chase."

"Eh?" Chika blinked rapidly. Wordlessly, Iino gasped, and Ishigami's eyebrows shot over his hairline.

"I'm the thief Arsène, who stole the school's hearts as my grand act for the school's culture festival." he glanced at Shinomiya, and as their eyes met a wordless conversation was shared in an instant. Red started to creep up their necks. "And, I also used it as an opportunity to create a situation for Shinomiya and I to confess."

"HUH!?"

"Well, this had to come out eventually…" Kaguya's face turned soft and incredibly red. (Chika, at this moment, hated how adorably distracting it was). "The President and I started going out after winter break."

"Oh, congrats!" Ishigami walked around the desk to fist bump the President. Iino, however, didn't move from her spot, even though she was smiling quite happily, and a dark thought flashed across Chika's mind.

"Iino, Ishigami, you knew already?" her voice was completely devoid of emotion, and her eyes were dangerously dull.

Iino, ever the naive and honest girl, answered without a doubt. "Yeah, they really weren't that subtle. I'm more surprised Ishigami-kun didn't notice before."

"Yes, well, excuse me for not being focused on other people's love life over mine." he replied, ticked off. He momentarily glanced towards his senpai and found Subject F staring right into his eyes, his lies as transparent as glass. The scare shaved off a year from his life span.

Water started gathering in Chika's eyes and wordlessly she ran out of the room. She vaguely heard someone calling after her, but it was drowned by the pounding in her ears. In her blind rush, her feet lead her to the mostly empty library, to that miraculous book, and then to the secret watchtower she had claimed as her own space after the festival. There, she finally collapsed and curled into a ball over the mattress she had smuggled inside, and the tears finally fell down her cheeks.

'My best friend, and yet, I'm the last one to know she's finally found a boyfriend!?' Traitorously, her mind supplies the image from that fateful dream, and she starts to remember.

'The necklace, when they disappeared for a while during the Christmas party, the school festival!'

'He was Arsène this whole time? Dual confessions? KAREN!' shakingly, she stood back up and looked through the window. There wasn't much to see, as the clock tower blocked the view of the schoolyard… The clock tower… Chika's eyes started trailing upwards, and she remembered that night when she was defeated by the gentleman thief as the hearts floated over the clock tower. She could see it, almost like a ghost memory, that fateful moment that struck down the shipper, and she could feel her stomach constrict. 'Oh…'

'Ok, that's fine. Now that I know that Arsène is the President, I can get rid of that silly crush. Because there's absolutely no way I can get a crush on the clumsy, girly, pathetic President! And it goes for two! Because I can't get a crush on Kaguya, that I absolutely don't have, if she's dating the President!'

'So, why' Her hands went up to cover her face. 'Why can't I stop smiling…?'

Her heart was beating stronger than ever.

Chika didn't return to the Council Room for the rest of the day.

The next day, the door opened and in entered Chika Fujiwara, smiling radiantly like the sun. "Good morning!" she greeted as she sat down on the sofa with her kohai.

"O-oh, morning…" answered Ishigami as he looked up from his papers.

"M-morning!" Iino squeaked.

"Morning, Fujiwara." The president greeted her, not looking up from his papers.

"Good morning, President I-lead-my-friends-by-the-nose!"

Shirogane's pencil slipped from his fingers, streaking the draft in his hands with a thick line. Chika made as if everyone's eyes weren't on her as she continued on with her business.

"Fujiwara-san, are you angry?" Kaguya tried asking.

"Hmm? For what reason would I ever be angry, Shi-no-mi-ya-san?" Chika made sure to enunciate each syllable, all while keeping a 1000 watt smile on her face.

Kaguya almost choked on her own spit.

The nicknames, and there were several, only lasted three days, and by the same time Shinomiya-san was once again Kaguya-san.

This was the longest yet Fujiwara had kept a grudge alive. The previous only lasted 12 hours.

Things didn't change much after that, but they did.

The Prez and Kaguya acted like they always did, but Chika would sometimes glance when no one was looking and see the softness each time their eyes met.

It was adorable.

Except…

There was something she had to do first.

Fujiwara slammed her hand to the wall next to Miyuki's head, making his heart jolt in surprise.

'Kabe-daan!?'

It's Kabe-don.

Despite usually towering a head over her, the menacing aura she exuded kept him in place. No, in fact, now she was taller than before, actually reaching to his eyes!

She slowly lifted her head to look at him straight in the eye. She was smiling.

"Preeeeeeez~ Congratulations on dating Kaguya~"

Oh no.

He gulped. He was only trying to get to the Student Council room early, what did he do to be suddenly assaulted like this?

"I know you prez, I know you're responsible and determined, if a bit way too clumsy."

"H-hey n-now-" his protests died a swift death when she delicately placed her other hand on his shoulder and pressed lightly on the nerve, just enough to make him shiver.

"I know you wouldn't ever consciously hurt her, but, if I ever hear she's unhappy," she got up very close and whispered in his ear. "Imma kill you myself, capisce?"

Miyuki fainted right there and then, foaming by the mouth.

"Ah!? Eh!? P-prez! PREEEEEEEEZZZZ!"

He woke up to find a panicking Fujiwara sorting through a first aid kit.

He noted that she had dragged him to the Room's sofa. He coughed, awkwardly, and she froze.

They maintained eye contact for a second before she slumped.

"Uyaaaaaaa, don't scare me like that. I won't actually kill you, you know!?"

Later, he noticed that she was the same height she was before.

Had he imagined that...?

Fujiwara was towering over her. She didn't say a thing, for the moment just standing close and looking down on her.

She wasn't smiling.

Kaguya could count several things wrong with this situation, starting with Fujiwara now being much taller than her, or how she suddenly cornered her, but the one that bothered her the most was that Fujiwara was practically glaring at her. Her usually big eyes were laser pointed on her, making her feel small.

Kaguya was fighting down a blush. Her heartbeat was running like a horse on a race track.

What is happeniiiiiiiiiing?

The silence was stretching, and Kaguya started to reach for her cheek when Fujiwara finally spoke.

"Kaguya-san"

"Y-yes!?" she squeaked. Curses! She did not squeak! She, uh, yelped!

That isn't better.

Chika stopped short for a moment, both thrown off by Kaguya and still trying to sort over her thoughts.

Finally, she began again. "Kaguya-san, you know that the Prez is my friend, right?

The ruby-eyed girl froze. Well, this was not the conversation she expected.

"Of course."

"But you're also my best friend, and I trust you! But, please, I really need you tell me here, outloud, that you'll never hurt him, on purpose or not."

"Huh!? Y-you-" her words died an agonizing death in her throat when Fujiwara reached for her hands, and still looking directly on to her eyes, said:

"Please?"

"Yes, I would never." she caved in.

Smiling and satisfied, Fujiwara let go and went on her way, leaving the still reeling Kaguya by herself.

The next time they met, Fujiwara was once again her usual height.

For the sake of her sanity, Kaguya elected to say she imagined her being so tall and having a piercing gaze that-

It'd be best she stopped there.

Ishigami walked into Fujiwara-senpai, sitting on the sofa, as she took something out of her shoes.

'SH-SH-SHOE PLATFORMS!?'

Suddenly, Fujiwara was there grabbing him by the neck of his shirt and glaring deep into his eyes.

"You. Saw. Nothing."

It would be more intimidating if it wasn't for the fact that she was red all over.

Still, Ishigami got the message. "Saw what? I wasn't even here at all."

She let go of him and he made a hasty retreat.

The letter fell out when Kaguya opened the door to her shoe locker. A white envelope, and a heart as the seal, it was obvious what kind of letter it was. Kaguya barely acknowledged it, already reaching to dispose of it before Fujiwara snatched it. She was glaring holes into it (and given it was the mysterious Subject F, the card might just catch fire under her stare), before simply shredding it by half and trashing the remains.

Kaguya felt oddly touched by the gesture, even though it didn't have any deeper meaning. But knowing Fujiwara supported made her feel glad they were friends.

Then, a letter fell out of Fujiwara's own shoe locker and Kaguya couldn't stop herself from giggling. The pink haired girl turned red, naturally embarrassed, and quickly disposed of her own letter.

"Aren't you going to read it, at least?" Kaguya asked, curious that her love-crazed friend wouldn't even read the love letter addressed to her, even if it wasn't the first nor probably the last she've had.

" I just don't feel like it, today." Fujiwara dismissed the issue and they went on her way.

Finding the President fast asleep was rare, but not uncommon. Some days the classes were too dull, the Council work too large, the sleep hours too few and then he would just let his head rest for a couple of hours. Chika learned he more or less worked like a clock. Every odd week, on Friday, was a high chance for a crash, for example. Those days the rest of the student council tended to avoid and block off the room, to give him privacy.

Today was off schedule. One afternoon, late after club meeting, that Chika used to keep herself up to date with her share of the work. And there he was, head hidden in the crook of his elbow while orange streaks of sunlight came through the window behind his chair.

What to do, what to do~

Chika chuckled quietly, the President just had too many openings. This was a prime time for a good natured prank that she couldn't miss, but what to do, what to do~

With a flash of inspiration, Chika retrieved some cute animal hairclips and silently approached her prey, eyes glinting with mischievousness. She was already in range for her attack, and the clips we're hungry for hair-

"Hrnnn…" Chika froze as the President snorted and moved his head to the side, still asleep. Her heart had jumped straight to her throat for a moment, and she remained very still as she looked for signs of him waking up. His eyelids didn't twitch nor flutter like one did waking up. She closed up to him, hand reaching up to push away his bangs. His eye bags were as prominent as ever, but knowing how he looked without them, she preferred him like this. He could use some more hours of sleep, if anyone asked her.

'His hair is very soft-'

Like struck by static, Chika jumped back, her heart running at full power. The president groaned, waking up from the sudden movement, and Chika bolted out of the room as fast as she could.

She could still feel the sparks in her fingertips.

Chika cut the carrot, deftly using the knuckles to guide the blade as she made little orange circles. She popped one in her mouth, happily tasting its sweetness. Satisfied with the amount, she pushed them to the side before she grabbed a green pepper bell and started cutting it up, starting at both ends, then cleaning up the inside from seeds. She sliced it up in thin strips, then into small bits. Finally, an onion, peeled of its outer layer then cut into small bits as well. Her eyes, of course, were itchy and teary.

As she continued cooking, she heard a door opening, followed by a pair of distinct footsteps approaching the kitchen, the first a small and excited pit-patter and the other dragged on the floor.

"Good morning, you two! Or rather, good afternoon! Did you sleep well?" she asked without turning, focused on her task.

"Hrrrmnrnnn" came the barely human growling of an adult fresh from waking up.

"We did! Papa snored non-stop again, though!" was the glowing answer of the bundle of endless energy that was commonly known as a kid.

"He does, doesn't he?" she chuckled while her husband prepared himself his afternoon cup.

She felt the small creature hugging her, nuzzling his face in her thigh.

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~ What cute kid she had! If she wasn't so busy making dinner she would carry him and spin him around and hug him and-

"Ouch! Son of a- g-gun!" she barely saved the swear, but no such luck for her finger, which was now bleeding a small river. She kept looking up and ahead so her son wouldn't have to see her crying face.

"Chika!" her husband immediately sprung into action, running to the bathroom for the first-aid.

"Mum! Are you okay!?" her baby-boy worriedly asked. Ahhh~ he's so cute, even when he's concerned about her wellbeing! She feels healed already.

"Yes, mi cielo, I feel better already."

"Mum! Your finger's gushing out blood like a fountain!" Okay so she's not healed at all, but she doesn't even mind it.

After all, here came her cute husband, cotton and alcohol and gauze and- is that a syringe!?

"D-dear? Calm down, I-it's just a cut, dear- no, dear calm down!

.

.

.

Now with her cut properly covered with a band-aid, she put the vegetables she had cut in a pot with oil to fry.

The kitchen was comfortably sized, so she never felt like they were stepping in each other's toes, for which she was intensely grateful for. It was originally pristine white, silver and black, the example of a high-class kitchen with state-of-the-art electro domestics, but now it had splashes of color here and there, nominally the fridge, with photographs of herself and her family, drawings from their cute child, post-it notes, and a drawing board with the shopping list.

"Smells delicious already." her husband commented.

"You flatterer! I just started!" she giggled.

"Mum, what's 'flatetere?'" her child wondered about this new word. Even without looking at him, she could picture him cutely tilting his head.

"'Flatterer'" she pronounced correctly "is a flimsy person who throws out lots of compliments." she explained as she took a wood spoon to stir the vegetables in the pot.

"Hey now-"

"Papa is a flimsy person, then?"

"Oi, what are you teaching our kid?" protested the peanut gallery. She snickered deviously.

"Mum, what are you making?" her child asked.

"It's a special rice that my cousins taught me. We're eating foreign food tonight"

Once she judged the vegetables to be ready, she poured a cup of rice, then two cups of water, and finally a spoonful of salt, all in quick succession. For now she could leave it alone while mixing it once in a while.

"Honey, please get me the pan and the lid." she requested her husband.

The chicken breasts were already seasoned with salt and spanish paprika powder, so she only needed to cook them in oil and then close the lid after some time.

"Mum? Where's Mama?" her son asked.

"She got held up at work, so she'll be arriving soon." she answered. "Can you set up the table for dinner?"

"Okay!"

She returned to the rice, noticing that the water had already been consumed enough, so she closed the lid and turned off the electric stove. Now she could just leave it alone until it was time to serve it.

She turned the chicken on their other sides before she felt a pair of arms encircling her from behind. She chuckled as she rested her head on his strong chest. He swayed, slowly guiding her waist to his lazy waltz.

"Oh my, what would your wife say if she saw you like this with another woman?" Chika chuckled with faux embarrassment.

"Well, that depends if she feels like a top or a sub today." he whispered into the crook of her neck, eliciting a spark of electricity that ran all the way down her body.

Suddenly, they felt another small pair of arms joining in the hug. Chika's heart warmed up like it was about to boil.

"Ah, dear, can you ask our princess how long until she arrives?" the man nodded, detaching himself so he could look for his phone while Chika returned to look over the food, the little squirt still attached to her waist.

"She says she still has another half hour left" announced her husband from the living room.

"Hah? She said that half an hour ago! Humm, we'll have to reheat the chicken... Oh! I can't believe I still forgot." she walked to the freezer, the small boy trailing behind like a duckling, and retrieved a tupperware, eggplant bathed in tomato sauce inside. Can't forget the veggies for a rounded and nutritious meal.

Once the chicken was ready, she turned off the stoves and lifted her cute little boy to carry him to the living room, settling down on the couch beside her husband.

The kid automatically left to turn up the TV, immediately searching for the cartoons. Her husband placed his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer.

A while passed, the adults half paying attention to the TV, before the boy turned to Chika.

"Mum, what does 'mi cielo' mean? You always call me that."

"It means you're our beautiful sky, Yuya." she leaned down to kiss him on the crown of his blonde head. Embarrassed, he tried to rub off the kiss, because kisses are gross, before looking at her with those beautiful red eyes of his.

"Love you, mum!" He smiled before laying his head on her lap. Her husband used the chance to scoot closer to her and gently scratch his head. His son nuzzled closer to his hand, not unlike a cat.

Then, they heard the sound of the door unlocking. "I'm home!" announced her wife.

Simultaneously, the rest of the family responded with "Welcome home!"

"Smells delicious!" her wife exclaimed as her footsteps grew closer.

Just as she turned the corner, one foot peeking through the door frame, Chika Fujiwara opened her eyes to her ceiling.

The artificial light from the city still lighted up the night sky.

Slowly, she sat up as she processed the vivid dream.

She buried her face in her hands, blushing like a red traffic light.

'I don't have a crush on them, I don't have a crush on them, I dont-' Chika kept repeating to herself over and over as she pinched her fried nugget with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.

Across the table was the Student Council's secret couple. They smiled openly, as if just eating besides each other filled them with happiness. Chika felt a stab to her heart. 'I'm just jealous of what they have, I just want someone to date, I don't have a crush on them-'

Kaguya laughed. The President had somehow gotten sauce on his nose, and she wiped it clean with a tissue. The red had tinted their cheeks.

Chika expected another stab, yet all she felt was warm feeling pooling on her stomach and filling her heart.

'No! They're just being cute! No- ah- I mean... I don't have a crush on them, I DON'T HAVE-'

"Here, Fujiwara," Chika looked up. Kaguya was offering her one of her precious sausage octopus on a wood pick. "I saved you one."

Chika, by some herculean effort, managed not to flinch as static zapped her as their fingers touched. Kaguya smiled, as if she couldn't feel what she did, as if her heart wasn't beating like a drum like hers.

'I totally have a crush on them'

Her lit up like a firework, bright, loud and unstoppable.

"Fujiwara? Is everything alright?" The President tried to ask while shielding his eyes with his arm.

She didn't reply, she simply stood up and left while muttering something akin to "bathroom".

Instead, she went to her hideout and holled up in the corner on top of her mattress. Images were assaulting her mind, flashing at high speed.

Holding hands

Kissing

Cuddling in front of the fireplace

Sharing lunch

Shoulders touching

A whisper in her ear

Rubies

Sapphires

STOP!

She huffed as the images came to a halt, the train of thought derailed.

She really messed up, now. She's really done it.

'Developing feelings? Two people? They're dating and you still went and got a crush on both of them...

No, that's wrong.'

The first dream from a month ago came to her. This started way before she could stop it.

Now, she just had to live with it. There was nothing else to do.

When she returned, she said something in her food didn't sit well with her.

The matter was not brought up again.

Chika couldn't pass the threshold. Taking another step would mean entering the landmine field.

"Fujiwara-chan? Is something the matter?" Chika yelped out of her reverie. Nagisa jumped back in shock in response.

"Nagisa-chan! Yes, I'm fine, just dandy."

"Ok...? Are you going in, then? We don't have a lot of time to change for PE."

"Yeah, you go in, just give me a sec." Chika took out her phone, appearing to be distracted with something. The other girl shrugged and passed through the door to the locker room.

Indeed, Chika, in the wake of discovering a new world, is hesitating to step further and discover how the mundane has changed to the unknown. And for young teens, the unknown can be both very enticing and very, very scary.

'Should I just say I feel bad and skip PE in the infirmary?'

Chika is very much scared

'No! That's not what a good student should do!'

'Still, can I really go inside?'

'Can I?'

'Should I?'

'... Wait, Nagisa! She just went in!' Chika blushed fervently. 'And all the other times we had to change!'

Chika desperately started remembering all those times before. ' She never blushed or seemed embarrassed, she just changed and left with all of us. And she talked with me sometimes, but I don't think she was checking me out...?'

' Like Nagisa! I have to go in like Nagisa!' Chika gathered her resolve and stepped through.

The locker room!

Inside was every boy, or sometimes girl, wet dream, girls in varied states of undress, easily chatting and playfully touching one another. To its target audience, this sight would make them say "Thank you, I can die happy now."

And Chika, the beholder of this sight, felt...!

"Huh? This is completely normal?"

Absolutely nothing!

"What's normal?" asked Maki, clad in just her underwear. Chika's eyes quickly scoured her up and down, and Chika was surprised by her intense feelings of neutrality.

"Nothing is!" Chika happily replied, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Nothing is normal...?" Maki just shook her head, just chalking it up to Chika's general chaos.

Chika practically glided to her own locker. Everything was exactly the same, there wasn't any awkwardness, nor did she feel her eyes gluing to any girl's boobs.

"Fujiwara, you're a little blinding today, why are you so happy?"

Distracted, Chika turned to the voice. "Oh, nothing much..." her stomach constricted as if a boa snake was strangling it. Kaguya's gorgeous red eyes were staring right at her, shining like rubies. She was halfway done, her sports shirt still in her hands. Her fair skin was perfect and unblemished. The way her collarbone moved as she raised her arms to put on the shirt was near hypnotic, and Chika got a glimpse of her god-sculpted belly before it was covered by the clothing.

"Fu-Fujiwara? If you smile anymore I seriously think you'll blind someone" Kaguya winced, turning away from the human incarnation of the sun.

"Thank you very much, I can die happy now."

"Fujiwara-chan, please!" someone else yelled. "There are white spots in my sight now!"

One such night, already hidden under covers against the cold of the spring nights, Chika had a single idle question.

'There's probably a name for this, right?'

She reached for her phone on her nightstand and started to type, then delete, then type again, carefully considering each word, as if someone was looking over her shoulder. Finally, she decided on "I got a crush on two people?"

The first results we're among the lines of:

"Multiple crushes, yeah, easy, as long as it's not love."

"You'll find which one is the One."

"Open relationships."

"Emotional Affair."

A ball of lead was settling deeper in her gut with each result, something akin to dread and disgust.

And that's when she saw it, just before she was going to leave the forum. 9 letters, highlighted with a hyperlink to another page.

Polyamory

Just then, something deep inside clicked, even if Chika couldn't tell now. But her gut called to her, and she clicked on the link.

"The president is so cool!"

President this, Kaguya that... Seriously, don't they know any other topics?

Chika tiredly pressed the cold water bottle to her neck as she followed the gaze of the girls. Shirogane was almost by himself in the field, all his teammates on the other side waiting to be revived back in the game. Besides him was Tsubasa, being hit hard in the thigh by a ball that Shirogane just dodged.

"Sorry Prez, it's all yours." he lightly tapped him in the shoulder before going to the opposite field, limping slightly.

"Yeah, leave it to me." he grabbed the ball that hit Tsubasa before jumping over the second ball that came flying to his feet. Not waiting a second he launched the ball, striking an opponent's calf. The ball ricocheted, but before it could leave the field and into the arms of his teammate it was caught by another enemy player.

"Don't feel too bad, President, but we really have to win against you." the boy, Kazamatsuri, spun the ball on his finger.

"Try as much as you like, I'll take you all on." Shirogane boldly declared, making the fangirls squeal. Chika only rolled her eyes at them. She had a good idea of how this was going to pan out.

Both balls went flying towards him and passed right by as he simply side-stepped to the side. However, the balls were captured by the defeated enemies on the other side of his court. Indeed, Shirogane was fighting a two-front fight with he himself alone in the middle. In this situation, it was only a matter of time before he would be defeated.

And yet, the enemy kept firing at him, and he kept dodging each and every one of them. Each time, his teammates and the girls would cheer.

And Chika?

She was still not impressed. Why? BECAUSE HE WAS JUST DODGING!

She could see it clearly, how his blue eyes would widen when the ball came flying towards him and just move, albeit gracefully, out of the way. And that ball was one of the easy ones too!

He was deadly scared of the ball!

That or he was scared of trying to grab it and fumbling it!

And she honestly wasn't sure which was worse!

Apologize to your fallen teammates, she wanted to scream, Apologize!

This was a battle of endurance, of would tire first, himself or his attackers. And somehow, Chika thought he would be able to win like that, waiting for his attackers grew so tired he could catch any ball bouncing to his feet. She knew exactly how athletic the Prez was.

But that wasn't an honorable victory!

Apologize!

She glared at him as he dodged yet another ball by swing his hips to the right. He dropped low, low and lower as he dodged balls one after the other before jumping over another. He freaking matrix dodged another ball, making his shirt ride up, revealing muscles and skin and- wow, he's very fit.

Chika blinked.

Red-faced, she chugged down the bottle and never once looked back to the field.

The cheering never once ceased, and in fact seemed to grow in volume as the match continued.

"Did you see that!? It was like he's dancing around them!"

"And that killer throw!"

Still, she felt like a proud mother for using the skills she taught him.

The Student Council Room was empty when she opened the door. Chika had left club early today, as her eyelids kept threatening to fall and never rise again as she tried, and failed, to brainstorm rules and mechanics for their newest game.

She had meant to go home, but she had to get something from the Council Room first. She had, however, expected the President to be here, at least. No, wait, he mentioned something about a new part-time job, didn't he?

And it coincided with everyone else's' schedules...?

A two hour nap wouldn't hurt anybody, would it?

With just enough mental power to set up her alarm, she flopped down on the sofa.

She was out instantly.

When she woke up, she was relieved to see she was still alone and overjoyed to discover she hadn't dreamed. Now that she had recharged her batteries a bit, she mentally recalled everyone's schedules. She would get chances like this at least two times a week, without missing club hours of course.

Yeah, it could work.

Whoops, Kaguya is glaring daggers at me again

It was hard not to notice the unmitigated killing intent. To be fair, finding your best friend giving a back massage to your boyfriend called in for a little jealousy, right?

What Kaguya felt could hardly be called 'a little'. Someone with more self-preservation instincts would be running for the hills already.

Well, I've already taught him everything I could, so it should fine. At least Kaguya won't leave with a bruised back...

...Owwy...

"Prez, why don't you use the skills I taught you to please your princess?"

Whoops! If looks could kill!

"Did you really have to put it that way?" groaned Shirogane.

A few moments later, Kaguya was putty in the president's hands.

There's that pretty blush.

Chika decided to indulge herself a little.

"See this president, I learned this just some time ago with Kaguya-chan." she scratched Kaguya's chin and she immediately started nuzzling against her hand.

Yup, we're besties again.

This was not a common occurrence.

Often times, the Student Council room would have at least one or two occupants, mainly the President or the Vice president, but there were rare days when everyone's schedules created the perfect opportunity for Chika to have the room all for herself. Normally, she would use the time here to do council work or to study, and as of this last month, when the night was particularly bad, she'll use it to catch up with her missing hours of sleep.

Today, however, she would not be able to do any of those things, for one Nagisa Kashiwagi sitting across her. The girl had come here to sip tea and talk with Kaguya, but instead found one tired Chika Fujiwara.

"Did you like it?" Nagisa asked. "I personally prefer tea to coffee to wake me up."

"With a bit of milk and sugar it's actually really good!" the pink one exclaimed.

There was comfortable, elegant quiet as the two girls enjoyed the refreshments.

"Say, Nagisa, how did you figure out you were bi?" Chika brutally smashed the silence with a proverbial sledgehammer. If she wasn't going to sleep, might as well take the chance and ask what's been on her mind. Nagisa, understandably, had to spit take her tea.

"I just knew that would come back to bite me in the ass" she coughed. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Just curious." Chika nonchalantly said as she took a sip.

"About me, or yourself?" the girl smiled deviously, but to her surprise Chika couldn't stop the blush from covering her face. "No way...!" she gasped.

Chika cleared her throat loudly. "Please answer my question?"

"O-oh, well, I sort of always knew? When I was thirteen I was infatuated with this one actress and that one musician, you know..."

"Not really? I never got any celebrity crushes." Chika shook her head. "But, then, how is it when you're around girls you find... attractive?"

"Sheesh, I have a boyfriend, you know? I just appreciate what I see, but nothing further than that."

"Does Tsubasa-kun know?"

"Yup, it just came in a conversation and I came out to him. He didn't really get it at first, but he didn't shun me or anything. He later searched for it, to understand me better." Nagisa smiled, reminiscing for a moment before her bubble popped. "Ah. So yeah, that, what about you?"

Chika fiddled with her fingers, before taking a deep breath. "I'm... not sure? I have one crush on a girl," Nagisa squealed. "but that's it! I don't... suddenly feel attracted to other girls, but just that one, but what does that mean!? And I also have a crush on a boy! Am I bi? Am I semi-straight!?"

Nagisa's eyebrows went over her hairline. "Two? Wow..." She shook her head, that wasn't the issue at hand. She pondered over her next words. "At the end of the day, do you really need a label? Personally, I like to say I'm 50% gay." Chika snorted. "What you identify yourself, well, you can only decide by yourself, because whatever answer they give you, be lesbian, bi, or straight, you still like one girl. But, it's like... dunno, like the exception to the rule."

Something flashed across Chika's eyes. "The exception... And I guess I'd be like, 1% gay!" she laughed, feeling much more relieved.

"That's the spirit!" then, Nagisa excitedly slammed down her hands on the table. "Now, details!"

Chika started sweating and blushing madly, but she still had an irrepressible smile on her face. "I'd rather not say a name. But you don't mind if a gush for a while, right?"

"Not at all, lay it all on me!"

She wasted no time. "God she's just so cute-"

"And…!" Chika and the President scribbled frantically, each filling up the blank spaces of the form in front of them "We're done!" she yelled triumphantly before they both slumped against the couch, exhausted. A towering pile of similar forms had formed in the middle of the table.

Because of conflicting club activities, the rest of the council was not available when the principal dropped the pile of papers on them, asking them to have them ready before the school day was over. With only Chika and The President available for the task, they kicked into high gear and hastily read and filled the forms.

Shirogane unfolded his fan, trying to cool down. Meanwhile, Chika was blowing air to herself with her hand, suddenly wishing she had a fan like the President's.

She gave it a slideway glance. 'Now that I think about it, Kaguya gave him that for his birthday, didn't she? They celebrated it alone, and I didn't even give him a good gift.'

Not wanting to follow that thought, she tried focusing on something else, but her eyes strayed to his face, which now had small droplets of sweat, the product of their labor and the artificial heating being some degrees shy of uncomfortable. It was odd, but in the last lights of twilight, it was like his skin was glistening.

"Fujiwara-san, you're staring. Is something wrong?"

"There's a bug behind you!" she blurted the first excuse she could think of. The President froze solid, unable to do so much as blinking.

"F-f-f-fujiwara-s-s-san, would you be so kind as to open the window?" he choked out, but Chika didn't notice his internal strife, as she was more relieved he had bought her lie.

"S-sure!" She hurried to scoop the imaginary bug, but to her surprise found a real ladybug on the curtain. Had it been there the whole time? She extended her finger, letting it walk up to her fingernail. "Aww, ain't you cute?"

"F-fujiwara-san, please hurry." Shirogane muttered with his back still to her.

"Hmn? What's the matter prez?"

"I would like to leave for home already, so stop wasting time already and help me clean up. We still have to deliver all this to the principal's office." he explained to her, unable to repress a bit of urgency in his tone. Even still, Chika cutely pouted and then smiled deviously as an idea came to her.

As told, she opened the window. "Fly away, little ladybug." Hearing that, the President finally relaxed.

"Thank you, Fujiwara-san. Now let's-" he turned towards her, finding her finger pointing at him right between his eyes. In her finger still rested the ladybug.

His eyes rolled back to his head and he fainted right there and then.

"Eh!? Prez? NOT AGAAAAAAAAIN!"

After he woke up.

"Secretary Fujiwara…"

"Y-yes!?"

"Not a word, to anyone."

"Yes…"

"Here you go, President." Ishigami retrieved the Weekly Shounen from his bag. Iino glared at it, but otherwise said nothing and continued studying. "Hamefura updated today."

"It did!? Yes!" He fist-pumped as he jumped straight to the page, Ishigami reading beside him. Before long, both the President and Ishigami were wheezing, barely struggling from howling like hyenas.

Iino, bewildered, decided to bite the bullet. "What's so funny?"

The president beat his chest, trying to push the air back inside. "Hrng, it's a romantic comedy manga we're reading, called Destruction Flag Otome, or Hamefura for short. It has very fleshed out characters and great hijinks. Wanna read with us?"

Iino bit her lip. "It's fine. Without reading the first chapter it's not like I'll know how to connect with the characters."

"O-oh. True." the president faltered before the doors to the room were violently pushed open.

"I heard someone say Hamefura!?" Chika yelled before her eyes zeroed on the magazine in the President's hands. "Kyaaaaaaa~ It's here! Lemme!" She bounded over to the boys making grabby gestures with her hands.

"Fujiwara, you read it too?"

"Of course! I'm a proud member of the Katarina harem!"

Iino choked on her own saliva and nearly collapsed on the table. Still, she pushed herself up and sputtering, she asked: "Wh-what!?"

Truly excellent eloquence, Iino.

"Oh! It's an in-joke, Iino-chan! In fact, haven't you played Otome games before? I think you'd really like this manga!"

"Eh!? Ho-how did you know?"

It was obvious. Fujiwara, Ishigami, and the President thought simultaneously.

"Here!" Chika gave her phone. "I purchased volumes 1 to 3!"

"N-no, I'm studying and…" Iino tried to protest, but Chika kept pushing the smartphone into her hand.

"It's fine! You're already a top student and exams won't come any time soon!"

Finally (i.e. easily) Iino gave in to Chika and started reading the manga. She smiled, then she giggled once, then she was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. "Idiot! You dense idiot!" she yelled between laughs.

"You see! You can't stay mad at her!" Ishigami proclaimed.

"I can't stay mad at her!"

"Now you're part of the Katarina harem!" Chika claimed while pointing her finger.

"I've been sucked into the Katarina harem!"

The teenagers finally broke laughing. Then, Iino foolishly invoked the ultimate taboo. "So, who do you think she ends up with?"

A lightning bolt ran through the President and cold sweat gathered in his brow. His eyes were twitching, looking for the fastest way to the exit, but only found Fujiwara, grinning at him as she blocked the exit. 'Damn you, Fujiwara…!'

"Hooo, we're having that talk now…" Ishigami said. "Fine, on one condition. The Council Room is a peace zone!"

"What do you mean?" asked Iino.

"Don't me if you got a problem with my ships, K!?" he hereby proclaimed. "I will not tolerate any ship wars!"

'Well done, Ishigami!' The President mentally fist-pumped. "In other words, no discussing why you think Katarina should end with anyone, nor disrespecting other people's choices, agreed?"

"That's fine." Iino nodded.

"Eeeeeeeehhhhhh, but I can't help it if you're being so basic." complained Chika.

"Then leave!" Ishigami yelled.

"I kid, I kid!" Chika put her hands in surrender, grinning deviously. "I'm fine with these terms and conditions. But better yet, let's play Guess!"

'She's truly an agent of chaos' Shirogane sweated.

"I'll start, then!" Chika dramatically let her finger point to her first vict- rather, target. "Iino-chan, I bet you think she'll end with Geord!"

"Eh!? You got it in one? You really know me well, Fujiwara-senpai." Iino looked oddly happy. Chika didn't have the heart to tell her it was kinda obvious, what with a sadistic prince that talked sweet things in her ear that went oddly well with her masochistic tendencies.

"Well, it's your turn, Iino-chan, pick and guess."

"Ummm… President… Also Geord…?" she hesitantly asked.

"I'm afraid that's not the case, although he is a close runner up for 2nd place." Iino looked slightly dejected, thinking that Geord was the closest thing to Kaguya among the characters.

"Hmmm, then, Fujiwara, you must be rooting for… Maria." Shirogane decided, thinking she would identify better with the heroine with the radiant smile.

"Bzzzzzzt!" Chika crossed her fingers in a 'X'. "But a good guess nonetheless. Ishigami! Mary!" she pointed to her other kohai.

"Too bad, senpai you got it… right!?" Ishigami stopped in his tracks. "I've been knew..."

"Fufufufu, I just had a gut feeling." Of course, the commonality between Mary and Tsubame-senpai was hard to miss.

"Well back to you, then." Ishigami had challenge written in his eyes. "Fujiwara-senpai, don't underestimate me. You're rooting for…" a mad idea crossed his mind, and he went full in with it. "The harem ending."

Chika choked on her spit.

Needless to say, the other two were shocked silent.

"Well?" Ishigami insisted.

"I definitely underestimated you, Ishigami-kun." Chika sighed. "Yes, you caught me. I want her to end with everybody."

The shocked stares rounded on her, even Ishigami looked surprised. 'I just bet on the most ludicrous one.' He muttered to his insides.

"I mean, you know Katarina loves all of them deeply! And they're all such good friends even though they're rivals-!"

"Bzzzzzzzt, senpai, you're breaching the treaty!" Ishigami buzzed her. "No discussion, no judging. If you think she does end with everyone, then that's fine."

"O-oh, right…" she could feel the red crept up her cheeks. "President, Sophia." She said, almost like an afterthought.

The President flinched. So what if he liked the reincarnated star crossed lovers troupe!?

"Fujiwara-san, these papers need to...? Hello? Fujiwara?"

"Oh god, oh fuck, she has her AirPods on! She can't hear us. Oh my god."

"Airpods- what...?"

Chika felt a tap on her shoulder, and was startled when she looked up to find Kaguya's face very near to her own. She immediately reddened, and her smile involuntary lit up like a headlight. "Y-yes?!" she squeaked.

Kaguya winced a little as the miniature sun flashed in her face. "Why were you not listening? I was calling you."

Chika reached into her ear and took out her wireless headphone, hidden away by her hair. "I was listening to music."

"Knew it." Ishigami murmured to himself from the opposite couch.

"These papers need to be reviewed, then sent to the faculty." Kaguya handed her a stack, though she was eyeing the headphone with curiosity. She knew of and have used handless receivers of course, but she'd never seen a headphone like this up close.

"Oh, sure!"

"... If I may, what were you listening to?"

"Oh, I'm in a mood for Utada."

"Nice." commented Ishigami.

"Utada?" asked Kaguya.

The other two dropped their pencils, astonished.

"Senpai, have you seriously never listened to Utada Hikaru?! And you call yourself Japanese?" Ishigami propped himself on the table.

"Jeez, this sheltered girl!" Chika's faux-disappointment turned to excitement. "But this means I get to introduce you to Utada!"

"Oh yeah!" Ishigami nodded. "And of course, the best song to introduce you is-"

"Beautiful World!"

"Simple and Clean (Ray of Hope Mix)..."

The temperature dropped a few dozen degrees.

"Oi oi, Ishigami-kohai, why are you butting in for? This my best friend I'm introducing to."

"Hah? Shinomiya-senpai is also my friend, you know? I don't see why I can't introduce her myself."

"Does it matter?" Kaguya tried to intervene. "I'll just listen one after the other."

"That's exactly why it matters!" they both yelled simultaneously.

"Your first Utada song is special!" Chika exclaimed.

"What you listen first will change how you listen to anything else from her!"

"Exactly! That's why you must start with the pure goodness of her voice! You must start with Beautiful World!"

"Hold it! Most of Utada's songs also feature strong percussion and melody. If you just focus on the voice tracks then you're missing on her best works!"

"Her voice is still the main appeal!"

"But it's just not it alone, the other instruments also have to compliment..." he trailed off. Chika followed his eyes to one Kaguya Shinomiya, headphones on.

"So this is Utada Hikaru, she really is a good singer, and she writes and composes her own songs? She really is talented!" Kaguya smiled as the beats from Automatic could be faintly heard from her headphones. As the song finished, she regarded the two stunned teens, "What songs were you two suggesting again?"

"O-oh, y-yeah."

"A-ah, sure."

Kaguya, instead of listening it by herself, just left her phone in the table and let the music fill the room, the tension that had built in the room leaving along with the silence

Ishigami quickly caught on the meaning. 'We were being silly. Each person has their own way of enjoying music, so Shinomiya-senpai brought the discussion over by looking for a song herself. We were only suggesting our favorite songs anyways.' looking across the table, he saw Fujiwara smiling at him. 'Looks like she understood it, too'

"Kaguya-san put my song first." she said, smugly.

"Oi! Give me back the sliver of respect I just gave you!"

(Chika did understand, but she was being petty.)

'No good,' Chika idly thought, 'I can't follow the class at all today. Sorry, Sensei, I'll ask the Prez for his notes later today.' She frustratedly dropped her pencil, trying to ease the growing migraine by rubbing her forehead. The teacher continued on, thankfully oblivious to her plight, for now.

Unconsciously, her head came to rest on her hand, supported by her elbow on the table, and looking out the window. 'It's a nice day outside.' Already she could feel her eyelids trying to close, heavy as lead. Her other hand came to hold her head, otherwise she knew she would fall asleep there and then, and most likely faceplant on her table.

Today again, she was rudely awakened by those dreams. Chika was at the end of her rope, here. If they could just leave her alone for at least a week that would be great, thank you very little!

She groaned quietly. These dumb crushes weren't worth the effort. If her heart could please move along, it's not like she was in lov-

No.

Absolutely not.

She was not in… the L-word. She could admit that finding Kaguya attractive as a whole new revelation, and begrudgingly accept that, yes, the President is very handsome and resembles her type to a T. Really, it's more surprising that there aren't that many more people she knows that are as devoted and hardworking as Miyu-

NO!

Stop that! Careful! Even if the President is the President, he's still the President! He's clumsy, and sometimes girlish when he faints when he sees bugs and he needs to be taught every little thing!

And!

And…

And she loved him.

And she loved her.

Chika Fujiwara had fallen in love with both of them. In a way that made her heart race and flutter, that made her seek their gaze and touch them. To hug them, kiss them, thread her fingers through her hair, and tightly hold his hand.

And just like that. It's like a tight knot in her head suddenly unraveled. Now she could see clearly a bright world like never before. Her breath hitched and her heart raced.

Her heart, it's beating so strongly she could feel it struggling against her ribcage. Was that what people meant when they say their heart was about to burst out? She had to drown a peal of slightly-manic laughter. For the first time in her life, she could actually understand the feeling!

…

Her heart was still beating. Not like, to pump her blood, more like it was beating her ribcage like it owned it money!

It hurts?

It actually hurts!

It's hurting her a lot!

Holy crap, it really hurts!

Was she having a heart attack!?

WAS SHE DYING!?

Fear started worming up head, and now she's hyper-aware of her body. Her leg quickly bouncing up and down out of control, her short, ragged, and shallow breathing, her face felt hot and a pit suddenly opened up in her stomach. No, it's like a black hole that's sucking up her stomach from the inside-out. It's like she's hungry after not eating for a whole day.

A nurse, she needs a doctor!

She tried to push herself up with her desk, but the strength of her arms failed and she's falling to the side.

Everything it's too bright. She could hear voices that are too loud to understand-

Chika woke up to a white ceiling. Sunlight streaked through the white curtains into the white room. She remembered everything, and was infinitely thankful that the… whatever that was had stopped.

Huh, she did say that she'd rather die than to fall in love with the President. Task successfully failed

"Fujiwara-san, good morning." Dr. Shozo Tanuma, the 'God Hand', greeted Chika. "How are you feeling? I want to ask you a series of questions to help us understand what ails you, is that alright?"

"Yes, of course."

.

.

.

"You're lovesick" the doctor deduced.

"... Is that a new disease?"

"Considering you're the third case in less than six months, it might as well"

"Huh…" Chika trailed off.

'Well, she's taking this rather well' the doctor thought. "Now, there's no really-"

"Tch."

The doctor and the nurse stared wide-eyed at the pink haired girl who just clicked her tongue in pure distaste. Chika was wringing the hem of her bed cover, hands trembling.

"Fucking! Verdammt! Mierda!" she swore. The nurse dropped her binder. "Of course falling in love nearly kills me! I knew it, I just fucking knew it nothing good would happen if I fell in love with him! Does he really need to give me grief every single time!? What the hell were you thinking, Chika Fujiwara!?" screamed Chika Fujiwara as she violently scratched her head in frustration.

Doctor Tanuma snapped out of it and tried to calm her down, but Chika bulldozed on. "And of course you couldn't just leave it at that, now could you! You had to go and fall in love with your best friend at the same time. Like, who even does that? Stuuuuuuuuuupid! Can't you even do that normally!?"

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Rrraaararagagrargaggghhhhh" Afterwards, she dissolved into unintelligible growling, face hidden away by her hands.

Silence reigned in the room. The nurse quietly picked up her binder.

"Is there a name for… this?" Dr. Shozo Tanuma, the 'God Hand', asked the nurse.

"I've never seen a creature like this in my life."

Much later, Chika was listlessly staring out the window, her cheeks sunken in and looking like a chronic patient at death's door. She had made her peace and now resigned herself to her fate.

Still, she had to ask. "Is there a cure, Doctor? How long until I start coughing flowers?"

Before he could answer, the nurse interjected first."Hanahaki disease is such an overrated troupe, you know? You know it's going to be alright at the end, but all the extra angst drowns the sense of fulfillment!"

"Well, I get what you mean, and I agree, but Hanahaki is a guilty pleasure of mine. I just can't get enough of it."

The doctor could only observe as the two of them lost themselves in their own little world, feeling a little left out. The patient was smiling again, ever so slightly, so it wasn't that much of a problem.

"Ehem" Dr. Tanuma coughed. "Getting back on topic. You're suffering from severe exhaustion and maintenance insomnia. We can help you set a routine so you can recover a proper sleep schedule-"

"Actually, don't you have something so I don't dream? Just deep sleep." interrupted Chika.

"REM sleep is an integral part of learning and development, as well as for your mental health." the doctor denied the motion. "You refuse to fall asleep again because until now you rejected the notion of falling in love, right?"

"Uhm, yes…?"

"Then, now that you've accepted your feelings, allowing yourself to dream should be fine, right? Your dreams are you own, after all, no one can begrudge you for them."

"Oh… hmm, yes, I think… ok" Chika slowly, reluctantly agreed.

"Very well. We'll give you an IV and release you afterward. Your father also came and is waiting outside. If you'll excuse us." And with that, he left.

That night, for the first time in months, Chika Fujiwara slept soundly, dreaming of rubies and sapphires.

But once she woke up, her heart was once again threatening to bust out of her chest. It faded away quickly, thankfully, but it was a really rude awakening. She wouldn't have to deal with this every morning, right?

Right…?

Results of these weeks' games: Chika Fujiwara loses, for getting lovesickness.

*Looks at the publish date.

*Looks at today's date.

... HooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Boy.

Hoo boy.

That took some time, but here we are.

I'd apologize, but this was harder on me that it was harder on you, trust me.

And now, presenting the real MVP of this story. My beta Chocolate y Vainilla, at u/6395332/

This chapter, then the next ones, wouldn't have been possible without his help and advice, even if sometimes it was just me ranting trying to make sense of this mess I call a fanfiction. I can't thank him enough

Some more good news, chapter 3 (which used to be part of this chapter, but I had to cut by half.) is 50% done and chapter 4 is 100% done (Thank my dumbass dumb ass for writing it before chapter 2.)

Something to note, chapter 1 happens some nebulous time after chapter 2. It's exact placement it's not really important.

Thank you all for reading and liking this story. I'm still awed that to this day I get favs and follows, but I suppose it goes with the new wave of fans thanks to Season 2.