The night before exams! By this time, even the least motivated of students will be nose-deep in a book, either giving up in despair or powering through no matter their level of exhaustion!

Naturally, as a student at the top of her class, Ai Hayasaka had no troubles with understanding the material. The day that their teacher had kindly reminded them of their impending finals, Hayasaka had resolved to go straight home to study!

Of course, I think that we've all been in this fandom long enough to know that she was lying.

"I'll do it tomorrow" turned into "I'll worry about it later" until, when it came time to finally confront the wall of work that had built up for her…

I pay attention in class and I understand everything the teacher says, so what's the point?

Indeed, Ai Hayasaka had started on her dark descent towards slackerdom. Still, she was not yet beyond saving! Mustering up her last bits of motivation as the final bell rung, Hayasaka stalked out of her class and headed for a place that she figured would be a reasonable place to study:

The student council room.

"Wait!" you may cry. The student council room? But shouldn't Hayasaka know that that is one of the least orderly places she could go to? Well, let's at least hear her argument, shall we?

Student council activities are usually suspended around this time of year, and I'm the only one who can realistically bypass the security system, so I should be able to have the room all to myself.

A foolproof plan! At least, it would have been, if not for the fact that the first thing she saw when cracking open the door was a familiar president X vice president duo.

Huh. I didn't take Ishigami as the type for a study date.

Study dates! A hallmark of the high school romcom, study dates are a delicate dance of intellect and emotion, providing a nearly perfect battleground for displays of intellectual prowess and romantic tension.

Our brilliant minds convene, armed with textbooks and notebooks, ready to conquer the formidable challenge that lies before them. The atmosphere crackles with anticipation as they delve into the realms of calculus, literature, or perhaps the intricacies of quantum physics. Every word exchanged is laden with meaning, concealing desires and emotions beneath the guise of scholarly pursuits.

As they pore over the pages, their eyes occasionally meet—a fleeting connection that transcends the boundaries of academia. In those stolen moments, the depths of their souls intertwine, silently confessing the unspoken admiration they hold for one another. Yet, pride and the fear of vulnerability bind their tongues, sealing their emotions within.

At least, I think that that's vulnerability?

Well, it's either that, or…

They're so wrapped up in their textbooks that they aren't even looking at each other…

It appears as though the pressure of finals has claimed out protagonists as well. While that may be admirable from an objective standpoint, from Hayasaka's perspective…

Boring.

However, upon closer inspection, Hayasaka noticed a slight discrepancy. Every now and then, she caught Ishigami looking up at Iino, some of the time, opening his mouth as if to say something before clearing his throat and looking back down at his notebook.

Alright. Less boring.

A familiar grin appeared on Hayasaka's face as she cracked the door open slightly more before opening it all the way, waving at Ishigami.

Well, that got his attention. Looking up, Ishigami narrowed his eyes at Hayasaka, though something instinctual prevented him from audibly calling out her presence. He certainly didn't like that obnoxious look on her face, though.

What on earth is she planning?

Checking to see that Iino was still focused on her work, Hayasaka pointed at Ishigami, then pointed at Iino before making a heart with her hands. Ishigami flushed somewhat, but the confused expression on his face overshadowed any embarrassment that may have appeared.

Hah? What the-

Ah. Ishigami was a lot of things, but 'stupid enough to misinterpret a giant sign saying 'culture festival 3'" wasn't one of them.

"Seriously? Why would I-"

Before he could finish mouthing that to Hayasaka, a paralyzing chill ran down Ishigami's spine. Why?

That would probably be due to the picture of him with makeup that she had on her phone.

One reluctant nod later, Hayasaka was out of the room with a satisfied look on her face.

I'll probably message him to tell me what happened later. Still, what to do-

"Oh, hiya, Hayasaka-san!"

Huh. Perfect timing.

"What are you doing here, Secretary-chan?"

The smile that had popped onto Fujiwara's face upon seeing Hayasaka did not fade in the slightest as she shrugged, saying:

"I was having some trouble focusing on studying, so I figured that since StuCo activities are out, I'd use that room!"

"Huh. You still have the key?"

Fujiwara nodded, an oddly proud expression showing on her face.

"Yep! I think everyone on the last one kept theirs."

"Interesting… Anyways, Ishigamicchi and Prez-chan are still in there, so you might wanna use the library."

Immediately, all of the positivity on Fujiwara's face was replaced with dread as she let out a defeated groan.

"Urgh… But the library's full…"

"You could always use an empty classroom or something."

Fujiwara shook her head.

"Nope. Most of the classrooms are reserved for clubs and the ones that aren't are locked. Security, y'know?"

Yet every member of the former student council gets to keep their keys…

Pushing that thought aside (after all, it wasn't as if someone was going to go breaking into Shuchi'in), Hayasaka started walking past Fujiwara, not all that surprised when she followed.

"How about you? What brings you to the hallowed halls of the Student Council?"

Giving a light laugh at Fujiwara's faux reverent tone, Hayasaka simply stated:

"Same as you, though I'll probably head home for now."

"Wait, that's perfect!"

Raising an eyebrow at Fujiwara's reinvigoration, Hayasaka watched her walk 2 steps closer before asking:

"Could I come over to your place?"

"Wha-"

She'd heard her right, right?

Flushing a bright red, Hayasaka turned away, sputtering out words while making a futile attempt to hide her face.

"I- my parents aren't home, so-"

"All the reason for me to keep you company then!"

"And my room's messy-"

"Oh, please. If you think your house is messy, just wait until you see mine. Plus, it's not like you cleaned up for Ishigami!"

As she said that, however, a thoughtful expression overtook Fujiwara's enthusiasm as she scratched her chin.

"Hm… I guess it's kinda flattering to have you do that for me, though."

"Huh?"

Still pink but also confused, Hayasaka waited for Fujiwara to elaborate.

"I mean, like, The first reason that people lie to others or conceal parts of themselves to look better is if they have something to gain, like how people leave off embarrassing details on their resumes, or cover up their mistakes to their bosses or teacher."

"And the other?"

And that's when a devious grin formed on Fujiwara's face as she said:

"Well, it could just be that they really like the person they're lying to."

"I-"

Steam billowed out of Hayasaka's head as she cupped her cheeks in her hands.

"I-I disagree!"

"Hm? We're debating?"

Still not meeting Fujiwara's gaze, Hayasaka lowered her voice with a huff, continuing to the front gates with Fujiwara in tow.

"I mean, shouldn't love be where both people accept all parts of one another, both good and bad?"

Fujiwara shrugged.

"Sure, but it's not like you've never lied to a crush before."

"That's-"

"Wait, what?"

Again, Hayasaka was slightly confused at Fujiwara's enthusiasm. She was, that is, until she heard her say:

"You had a crush? Who was it? You still like them? Since when?"

Hayasaka froze, her face flaring in colour again but this didn't seem to faze Fujiwara in the slightest.

"I- um…"

"How old are they? It's not Ishigami, is it? Oh, what am I saying, of course it's not. Still, I'd love to know-"

"If you don't stop asking, you're not coming to my house!"

Immediately, Fujiwara clamped her mouth shut, making a show of zipping her lips and throwing away the key before promptly forgetting about her vow of silence and bursting out:

"Hold on, so that means I can come over?"

With a sigh and covering her face, Hayasaka gave a weak nod before looking up at Fujiwara.

"Yes. You can come over to study."

And despite all the embarrassment and sighing, Hayasaka couldn't help but feel a twinge in her heart at the ecstatic cheer that left Fujiwara.

Today's result: Subject F wins.

Bonus: Chika Fujiwara wants to spin

"I cannot get over how futury your house is, Hayasaka-san!"

Not even batting an eye at Fujiwara's invention of a new word, Hayasaka fiddled with her keycards, saying:

"Eh, it's nothing, really."

A pout formed on Fujiwara's face as she shook her head.

"Yeah, but Kaguya-san's house makes me feel like I'm stepping back into the 1900s! And my house is tiny, especially whenever my big sister comes by. Seriously, do you live in this place on your own?"

"Yep. Mom and dad drop by sometimes, but I pretty much always have the place to myself."

"Huh…"

A look of contemplation came over Fujiwara, only intensifying as Hayasaka let her through the front gate. The 2 of them said nothing, Hayasaka curious as to what she would say, before Fujiwara finally questioned:

"Are you lonely?"

Hayasaka swiftly turned away, making sure that her voice was even as she said:

"Well, I'm not today…"

"You know what I meant!"

Hayasaka thought to herself for a moment before giving a shrug.

"I guess I just thought it would be nice to have an energetic household."

As the 2 of them once again fell silent, Hayasaka wondered if she should elaborate or not. There was one thing she was thinking of saying, but would it be out of line? Would Fujiwara get creeped out again and start running away from her again? Was it worth the risk of going through that whole fiasco again?

Then again, if Fujiwara never worried about what she was going to say, then why should she?

Gathering her courage, Hayasaka turned back to face Fujiwara and while her eyes were still glued to the ground, her voice stayed steady as she said:

"You know, I think that it might be nice to meet the rest of your family."

"Eh? No. Trust me, you don't."

Hayasaka had several reactions in mind, but that wasn't one of them. Knowing better than to try to press further, Hayasaka decided to drop the topic.

"So anyways-"

"Oh my god! What's that?"

Following the trail led by Fujiwara's finger, Hayasaka was slightly confused until she noticed…

"Ah. The revolving door? We could use it, but it's pretty far away, so-"

She didn't even get 2 full sentences in before Fujiwara dragged her into it.