Author's note: Hello everyone! This chapter is another build-up. Something big will happen soon.

I made some improvements to the plots from the reviews I received. So you don't need to be afraid that your reviews are useless. It is what helps to improve the quality of this story and makes you able to get a more enjoyable story.

I look forward to hearing your opinions on this chapter in the reviews.

Enjoys!

Qwqs

Betting on her assumption

In the end, the tension between Yuzuru and Haruka still continues.

With the thought of 'We can't continue like this,' one day, when Haruka comes to report to him about a new soul arrival in the student council room and asks him to go out to see the person together with her, he stops her.

"Wait, Saigusa-san! Before we go out to help this guy, I think we should have a talk first."

"…A talk? About what?" Haruka replies, feeling perplexed.

"Our relationship from now on," Yuzuru states the topic.

"…Why would we have to talk about that?"

"I don't like the air around us now when we are together so I believe I better settle things with you once and for all," Yuzuru replies seriously.

Haruka goes silent. No one knows what she is thinking about during the silence. Eventually, however, she speaks again with a smile that can't be called anything but bitter, "Alright, I'm all ears."

"I have come to a decision on what I should do about my wish to see Kanade again. It is thanks to Sakamoto-san that I could arrive at a conclusion that I can agree with," Yuzuru smiles wryly before he continues.

"I don't need to see Kanade anymore. Like Sakamoto-san and his chess, I think I can be satisfied if I have memories of her and reminisce about our time together from time to time. I don't think I need anything more. I won't bind her to me with my love and instead allow her to have a happy future without any bindings of the past."

Yuzuru pauses as he closes his eyes.

"Although the dream and this ring may still hurt me as it causes me to miss her, I will compensate for it by thinking about our happy past memories together. That is already plentiful for me."

He opens his eyes and looks straight at Haruka.

"That's why I don't need your help with this problem anymore, Saigusa-san. I hope, however, that you will still be my helper in helping other souls move on. This awkward air between us should be stopped in order for us to effectively carry on our duty."

The intensity of Yuzuru's gaze increases as he stares straight at Haruka.

"I will ask you again, Saigusa-san. Will you be willing for us to start anew and continue our job together as the guiders of souls here in the Afterlife? Our relationship will be nothing more than that of working partners."

Although it pains Yuzuru that he has to start anew with Haruka as working partners since he has come to see her as a friend, there is no choice but to do this. Furthermore, he believes their relationship will eventually go back to how it should be – that of friends or comrades.

"…"

Haruka has been staying silent throughout his entire speech.

"What would your answer be, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks when Haruka still stays silent.

To that, Haruka makes a difficult expression and eventually sighs.

"…I guess that is how it goes after all," Haruka lets her words out unconsciously.

"Eh? What do you mean, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks, puzzled.

"Don't mind my words, Otonashi-san. To answer your request, I guess the answer is yes."

Haruka sighs again before she continues.

"Let's start anew as working partners, Otonashi-san."

Haruka holds out her hand for a handshake.

Yuzuru shakes her hand.

"Let's do our best together, Saigusa-san!"

…

…

…

-o-O-o-

After the two made the soul move on…Yuzuru is smiling like a fool when he is by himself.

He thinks back on the talk and can't help but smile when he remembers that the awkward atmosphere between him and Haruka finally ended.

'I won't let my love for Kanade be an obstacle to the duty I have to do here in the Afterlife.'

Yuzuru decides so.

This is the path he chose and he will definitely don't let anything bring it any harm. For the sake of the souls like his old friends, he will continue to guide them towards the right path.

He is very happy that he gained quite a competent working partner such as Haruka. He believes that with her presence, his job will become much easier.

And so, Yuzuru continues to reminisce about the event while smiling like a fool.

…

…

…

-o-O-o-

On the other side, a girl is making a difficult expression while thinking about something.

Yes, that girl is Haruka.

She has been making this difficult expression after she parted with Yuzuru when they finished helping the new soul to move on.

'It is no good. I won't be able to achieve my goal like this,' This thought is a summary of her current worry.

Haruka is a big schemer. After she had obtained information about the Afterlife from her talk with Yuzuru, she thought up a plan. She planned to start by being his helper, obtain the information about his regret, make him move on, and finally, make the world her turf.

Of course, she will still make other souls move on normally. But it is not out of the kindness of her heart but because she doesn't want any of them to linger here and be obstacles to her when she does things.

The reason she, at first, decided to help Yuzuru with his problem is because of this: she wants him to quickly move on so she can take over his place as a boss of this world. Later on, she gave up helping him because of a certain reason though. She noticed something and made an assumption about it and decided the course of her actions from that assumption.

There is actually another reason for her action though. Another reason she decided to stop helping him is to force him to be insecure and at the end lent him her help when he can't take it anymore. It would be much easier to make him move on that way. The plan is perfect since she has an excuse that Buddhist freak's words got to her and made her change her mind which she believed Yuzuru can only think of that as a reason for her stop helping him. She believes that the probability of success of this plan is very high and worth trying. It is especially so when she also considers her assumption.

However...

'That chess maniac ruined my plan!'

The plan that she carefully constructed got destroyed by Hiroshi's words. Yuzuru was able to calm his nerves because of them. Now, he decided that he definitely won't leave the Afterlife.

That's why she and Buddhism's ways of thought really can't get along!

Haruka wants so dearly to make this Afterlife to be her exclusive turf and his staying here would be a huge bother to that aim.

'I have no backup plan except from…'

No matter how clever she is, she can't really think up another plan so suddenly when Yuzuru is so resolved in staying here. How could she not be bitter when Yuzuru made that talk about his resolve? Her goal is getting harder and harder to achieve!

'Yes, I guess I have no other choice but to bet on my assumption.'

There is only one other plan left that is possible for her; the first reason why she decided to stop helping Yuzuru. The uncertainty of this plan is quite high though since it is her assumption based on few pieces of evidence.

'If things really go accordingly to my assumption, I will not only achieve my goal but also get some bonuses.

It is not like her to bet on uncertain chances but she has no other way. Gambling is not her cup of tea but she knows that she has to do it when it counts.

'Let hope my assumption is correct. Otherwise, it will take me a long time to get rid of that student council president.'

Betting on her assumption is the only way left for her now, after all.

…

…

…

-o-O-o-

'Now that their relationship went back to normal, interesting things won't happen again,' the divine one thinks while mentally sighs.

'…But it is strange, why does my intuition still tell me that interesting thing will happen soon?'

He is a divine being; his intuition is something special, unlike that of mere mortals': It is quite accurate.

However, the situation suggests to him that his intuition is wrong and interesting things are over now.

'Well, I guess we will soon see whether my intuition is wrong or not.'

The sacred one thinks with a little amusement.

Done!

Haruka is a big schemer, folk.

Before this, did you still think that Haruka is an ordinary good person? Sorry to disappoint you though, she is quite neutral and probably a little bit on a wicked side.

I am looking forward to surprised you guys again in the next chapter.

A certain reviewer made some guesses on the contents of this chapter and the next. I am sure that this chapter surprised her, hehe.

I am sure the next chapter will surprise you also, my dear reviewer.

Please read and review!