Shijo Mikado!
This handsome yet modest-looking red-haired young man was beyond simple eye candy. In addition to being the sole heir to the Shojo group, a conglomerate group rivaling that of the Shinomiyas, Mikado Shijo had also placed first in the mock National Exams last year, beating Shirogane Miyuki.
If one were to look inside Miyuki's wretched hive of a half-bedroom, you would find a single piece of paper with letters written on it: "Beat Shijo Mikado!"
Fear, anger, jealousy. The turbulent feelings of Shirogane Miyuki had turned into that of an obsession. Obsession to beat Mikado so he could at last achieve academic perfection.
Only that way, then... Miyuki could...
Yet, in a twist of fate, he ended up in Shuchiin High. He transferred after leading his non-name school soccer team to the National Championship of the Prince Takamado Cup.
Family status, athleticism, and academics. This seemingly unrivaled figure could be said to deserve the nickname Emperor.
Why?
Why had he come here?
"I never expected him to come here. Mid-semester even." Someone commented. "Was it because of his defeat in the Prince Takamado Cup?"
Defeat? Shijo Mikado had been defeated?! Who had defeated him? Who dared?!
"What do you mean he was defeated?" Miyuki asked.
"You see? His team was the prime dark horse of the championship." The student explained. "A no-name private school, not worth talking about. His team rose so fast it was like a miracle had happened."
"All because of his drive and leadership, he brought his team to the national stage." The boy gritted his teeth. "He lost in the semifinals to the Soubu High Soccer Team. Soubu won the cup shortly after."
"What? Soubu Municipal High in Chiba?" Miyuki grimaced.
"Huh, President is aware of it?"
"We didn't expect you to know about it."
"Of course I do." Miyuki explained. "Hachiman's little sister plans to enroll there."
"Whoa, the little sister of PR Manager Hikigaya?"
"But I never knew they had such a strong team." Miyuki rubbed his chin. "They're also a college preparatory school like us."
Soubu Municipal High was hardly comparable to Shuchiin Private Elite Academy. However, it was still a top college preparation school in Japan. It was considered the best High School in Chiba Prefecture.
Indeed, Hachiman had actually made it his second choice after Shuchiin.
"They've always had a strong team." Shindo from the Soccer Club suddenly chimed in. "Still... Shijo Mikado's team was considered unstoppable... he was considered a genius who would stop at nothing until he got the ball inside the goal."
"Until that guy appeared. Their newly appointed Captain, the Demon Prince of Soubu... thinking about him makes me shiver with fear."
What a scary guy. Shindou was hardly weak as a player himself. And he was known to be fearless.
But not only did he fear Mikado, but that mysterious person who beat him...
Miyuki wondered what kind of person could crush Mikado's momentum like that. All this time, in his mind, the image of Mikado was perfect. Miyuki almost felt his belief shatter, especially when he saw Mikado talking with Kaguya.
Danger!
No matter what, this person is a danger!
They were distant relatives, with the Shijo being a foreign offshoot of the Shinomiya clan. However, the relationship between the two clans was exceedingly hostile.
All of these changes could be attributed to the person known as Yukinoshita Yukino. The hidden ice queen of Shuchiin!
After their contest day, Kaguya seemed to grow closer to the hostile Shijo Maki. This was because Shijo Maki was one of Yukino's closest friends, and Kaguya wanted to get closer to Yukino. Naturally, Kaguya had to suck it up, discard her pride, and cope with Maki's presence.
Usually, Maki would try to throw a barb in Kaguya's direction. However, Yukino always snarked back her direction with the finest counterattacks known to humankind, defending Kaguya. Therefore, Maki was forced to be less abusive. At least when the three were together.
Her sense of fairness had earned her a reputation in Shuchiin in a way that mirrored Hachiman's rise to power.
Miyuki could only feel mild relief when Kaguya openly beelined to approach him. "Good afternoon, President."
"Right, Shinomiya." Miyuki grimaced. "He just transferred into my class. Do you two know each other?"
"I supposed you could say that, since we met as children." Kaguya flicked her hair. "Though if you ask if we're close..."
That answer wasn't helping at all. If anything, that mischievous expression was grating. It was clear that Kaguya had said it to provoke him. Miyuki could not show her even a hint of weakness. Otherwise...
"Oh, are you jealous that we have known each other for a long time?" Kaguya made a mocking expression. "How cute."
Miyuki would never let that happen!
"I see." Miyuki coldly huffed as he turned his back toward her and left with his lunchbox. "See you later."
He had let his jealousy and emotional dependence get the best of him last week. These feelings were nothing but the weakness of his mind. Never let your weakness be shown in front of Kaguya.
Otherwise, she will look down on you!
All this time, Miyuki had truly believed it. And for the most part, he was not wrong to think that way. Kaguya, in the past, was ruthless and antisocial.
Never again.
Unfortunately, Kaguya couldn't be more misunderstood than today.
As Miyuki's broad and athletic shoulders became more and more distant, Kaguya could not help but break apart inside. She was only teasing him a little, but for him to give her the cold shoulder...
Kaguya thought she had made a grave mistake!
She planned to find a suitable opportunit so they could have lunch together, though, of course, she was still too prideful to ask him outright. In her usual form, Kaguya would try to abuse opportunities and use other people to achieve her goal.
"Ehh? Miyuki isn't coming with us?" Chika asked.
"That seems to be the case." Kaguya tried her best to hide her disappointment and anxiety.
"Mmm, strange," Chika mumbled. "Hayasaka-san, do you want to have lunch with us?"
"Nah, I'm having lunch in the cafeteria," Hayasaka said as she waved her hand, with Mirin and Subaru in tow. "See you later in the Council."
Most people saw that Hayasaka looked awfully cheerful, but Kaguya knew just how done Hayasaka was with her antics. Kaguya had learned nothing from the last week and the week before. This was the end of June. If she maintained this pace, their Summer would be wasted for nothing.
"You've already done enough. Don't yield." The cold and rational Kaguya told her panicked, lovestruck side.
The rational part of Kaguya thought it was too hasty and reckless to give up now. After all, she still had her pride to maintain. And if Miyuki could get mad at such simple teasing, was he worth it?
Objectively, Kaguya had done nothing wrong. This belief was immutable and could never be revised.
Shinomiya Kaguya was a complicated person. She was all too aware of her unpleasant personality, but she could not reject it. She needed that personality to survive the hellhole of the Shinomiya household.
Kaguya was slightly eased when Hayasaka whispered to her. "It's not entirely your fault. Just leave him be."
?
Kaguya widened her eyes at Hayasaka, but she wordlessly smiled and left.
It was not entirely Kaguya's fault? This meant Hayasaka didn't fully blame her. Still, after the grueling June, from the exams to the tense aftermath, Hayasaka almost always chastised Kaguya for something.
This time, Hayasaka was specific about it not being her fault. Not entirely, anyway. It was still a weakness on Miyuki's part that caused him to get mad.
While the cold side of Kaguya smugly acknowledged it, part of her was even more concerned.
Just leave him be.
Right.
Kaguya decided to do just that.
やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている. S2
As expected, the Confession they want is wrong S2
Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka
Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-written by: GoukaRyuu
Chapter 32 - The boys wanted to be loved, part 1
What Kaguya had gotten wrong was Miyuki wasn't mad at her. In any other circumstance involving other people, Miyuki would never feel so shaken. Kaguya had few classmates or other students she was close with, and fewer than half were men. In fact, Miyuki knew at least one.
That would be Hikigaya Hachiman.
A few months ago, Miyuki would even express his jealousy toward Hachiman. Until he understood very well that the chances of romance blooming between Hachiman and Kaguya was next to zero.
Although they understood and cared about each other enough to be considered friends, they couldn't stand each other's presence for long stretches of time.
However, Shijo Mikado was an outlier. Shijo Mikado was nominally Kaguya's childhood friend. Although the relationships between the Shinomiyas and Shijos was awful, the family feud didn't bleed into the relatively younger children.
In other words, the risk of Shijo Mikado becoming a suitor for Kaguya was not zero. Worse, because this compunded the fact that Miyuki already considered him a rival in academics.
Miyuki was being crushed under the weight of his own insecurity and sighed.
Only to be shocked when he found a guy crying his heart out.
"Wha..."
Miyuki vaguely recalled this guy from his class, though his memories were jumbled. He remembered this guy looking different than he was now.
"Is that you, Tanuma?" Miyuki asked.
Tanuma Tsubasa, early in March and before they became second years, came to consult with Shirogane Miyuki. Tsubasa had a girl he liked. That girl was also a classmate of Miyuki: Kashiwagi Nagisa.
Back then, Tsubasa looked meek and weedy. Tsubasa right now had dyed his hair, cutting it in a more aggressive, spiky way and was at least as fit as the average high school student should be. He even left his white shirt unbuttoned.
Yet, he was crying soundly.
"What happened?"
"I was rejected." Tsubasa bawled. "Kashiwagi-san rejected me."
"Ah..."
Miyuki was expecting a worst-case scenario. It turned out to be THE worst scenario.
"She rejected you?" Miyuki winced.
"I tried my best to change myself to become her ideal man. I found out that her type isn't the soft kind. She prefers someone brave, carefree, and perhaps even a bit rebellious. The past me was far from that. I was not ready to confess."
"I tried my best." Tsubasa continued. "I really tried my best, and now that I gathered the courage to confess, I was rejected."
This was Shirogane Miyuki's fault.
Miyuki and Hachiman had had a heated debate about how to solve it. Hachiman thought that Tsubasa had to give up and seek someone else. Miyuki insisted that Tsubasa needed to change himself and appeal to her.
"Why did you get rejected?" Miyuki's face darkened. "Did she at least give a reason?"
If it was because Tsubasa wasn't good enough... then... Miyuki was not sure how he would be able to face him anymore.
"She said she had someone else she liked." Tsubasa wiped his tears, finally able to calm down. "They met during Golden Week, and she was smitten with him ever since. Although, at that time, they weren't close enough for her to be serious, he was supposed to transfer to Shuchiin."
"Wait." Miyuki tried to do his math. "Was that person Shijo Mikado?!"
"..."
Tsubasa's eyes were bloodshot.
"I mean, think about it. That guy transferred to our class so suddenly. Everyone had been talking about him." Miyuki pointed out.
"Right." Tsubasa rubbed his eyes again and huffed. "The timing makes so much sense."
"AAAAAGH!"
They heard a scream from behind and noticed a panicked Mikado screaming his lungs out. "There's no way that's what happened!"
Miyuki and Tsubasa were collectively agape from shock and almost stumbled off the pavement they sat on.
"Ah, I'm sorry for surprising you." Mikado winced in realization and politely bowed. "I just noticed the two of you while searching for someone else. We're classmates, right? Besides, I've also known Tsubasa-kun for a long time."
"Right. I didn't think we were that close, Mikado-san." Tsubasa suspiciously responded. Although he was shaken and intimidated.
"Ah, actually, my sister..." Mikado was about to say something but felt a spike of murderous intent and changed his wording. "I mean. You've been my twin sister's friend since you were both kids."
"Ah, that is true." Tsubasa said, now that he was less guarded. "After all, you're Maki-san's twin brother."
"Is that the case?" Miyuki questioned.
"Yeah, I'm not that close with her, but I also knew Kashiwagi Nagisa for quite a long while, so it's not like we just met." Mikado hurriedly explained. "Nagisa-san said she met him during Golden Week, right? So that guy can't be me!"
"Right." Miyuki realized. "So it was a different guy? Is he transferring, too?"
"Yes. I know this guy to some degree." Mikado elaborated. "That was also the person who crushed my dream to win the National Championship."
Miyuki twitched.
"The Captain of the Soubu High Soccer Club?" Miyuki barked in disbelief. "Are you serious?!"
"I can't think of anyone else." Mikado shrugged. "The timing of it is very particular. It is also possible that Nagisa-san had seen him for a long while because of the Prince Takamado Cup and fell in love that way."
The world sure is small. Hearing this, Tsubasa was about to cry again!
"To be honest? I was trying to find him, but he's nowhere to be seen." Mikado explained further as he sat down beside Tsubasa. "But I'm glad I stumbled on you two somehow."
That was not a lie!
Since his arrival to Shuchiin this morning, his heart had been uneasy. Although he was so close to what could be considered a perfect male entity, all it caused was people to feel intimidated. Boys envied him, while the girls only saw him from afar.
It was hard to forget when Miyuki glared at him in class, full of hate and disdain. That's why Mikado tried to give up finding a friend in class and tried to seek out other transfer students.
"My name is Shijo Mikado." He offered his hand. "Please take care of me."
"We already know each other, but let's make it formal." Tsubasa grasped his outstretched hand. "Tanuma Tsubasa."
"Shirogane Miyuki, President of the Shuchiin High Student Council." Miyuki cautiously exchanged a handshake as well.
"You're THE Shirogane Miyuki?!"
What the fuck is that reaction?
"What?"
"The one who always scores first place in the National Mock Exam!" Mikado excitedly explained. "I always feel amazed every time they'd show the scores, and you always placed first without fail."
"Hold on a second." Miyuki defensively help up his hand to stop the other boy. "Weren't you the one who beat me last year? I always found it suspicious that your name never came up again! Why are you trying to be humble now?"
"No, you misunderstand!" Mikado flailed. "That one time I placed first, I was studying to near death so that my parents would let me do as I wanted in high school. In this case, I wanted to focus on soccer."
"And if I want to focus on soccer, I couldn't give my all in the Mock Exam. That's why I never joined again."
Huh?
"Compared to that, someone like you who always participated, winning first place every time. That's amazing!"
Mikado suddenly turned gloomy and lowered his head. "...Saying that... my team's spirit was completely crushed in the match against Soubu High. As it is, they have no chance to win the Nationals now."
Mikado was forced to give up because his team could not keep up anymore.
"That guy and I... we're both equally good, I think." Mikado sadly smiled. "But if we're talking average player skill, Soubu left us outmatched."
Huh.
Now that Miyuki heard it, it made so much sense. If there was someone anywhere close in skill to Mikado, then it meant the rest of the team needed to carry their own weight.
But Mikado's team was too weak to stand on their own. And they collapsed under pressure from the superior soccer team.
A team was only as strong as the weakest member. Hachiman always said this., which was why he hated sports based on teamwork.
"So... how did that guy come here anyway?" Tsubasa raised his hand, confused. "Can't be because... he also likes Kashiwagi-san?"
"Nah. It was because of me." Mikado suddenly blushed. "I was distraught when my team lost their will to fight, and I showed him my worst side. So he said he would take responsibility for me."
If the girls heard this, their imaginations would soar sky-high into the stratosphere. Unfortunately, Tsubasa and Miyuki weren't impressed.
It was like they were looking at living garbage!
"Hey, I didn't ask him to come!" Mikado clarified. "But to be honest, I am relieved that he did. Besides, he also knows someone else here... I mean..."
Mikado coughed and flustered. Miyuki found his behavior weird, but if he was being honest, Mikado sounded like an awkward but well-meaning guy. Perhaps Miyuki was being too harsh on him.
"Well, I am sorry to hear about your loss." Miyuki smiled.
Tsubasa patted Mikado's shoulder. "There are times when, no matter how hard you try... Lady Luck fails you."
"...I'm sorry about your rejection." Mikado clenched his fist and patted Tsubasa's back with his free hand. "Stay strong, Tsubasa-kun."
To be honest, Miyuki understood that. Even so... he felt he couldn't accept it.
"In the end, Hachiman turned out to be right." Miyuki looked at the cloudy sky. "No, he is always correct in his judgment. That's why everyone trusts him."
"I'm sorry that it ended like this, Tanuma." Miyuki earnestly smiled at Tsubasa, but he could not hide his pain. "It was my fault that you missed your chance."
"That's not... it was my choice to..."
Tsubasa tried to deny it, but it would not change the fact that Tsubasa decided to follow Miyuki's suggestion to change himself. Hachiman also warned Tsubasa that Nagisa's kindness and care toward Tsubasa was not romantic.
A nice girl is always kind to everyone. To Hikigaya Hachiman, this was the immutable truth.
It was always Miyuki Shirogane's fault.
...
"At the end of the day, romance is all about timing." Yukino firmly said. "Once you miss that timing, it is hard to grasp another chance."
As she said this, she was hiding somewhere close by with none other than Shijo Maki, watching the guys wallowing in collective despair. Kaguya and Hayasaka were standing behind them.
The girls could not hear what the boys were talking about, but they could vaguely guess that Miyuki and Mikado were trying to console the heartbroken Tsubasa.
Yukino was talking about Tsubasa's rejection by Nagisa. However, everyone there knew the subtext about her fling with Hachiman last year. How they grew close over the inital three months of their first year, only to then grew distant over a single Summer.
And since then, their paths had separated, only meeting once or twice a month, both proverbially and literally. The love story that could have bloomed between the two of them had died just as it had started budding, never to fully grow and blossom.
"I don't want to say this, but objectively speaking, this is the best time for you to confess to him, Shijou-san." Hayasaka told the red-haired girl. "Tanuma-kun right now is at his weakest, so the chances of him accepting are high."
Of course, rely on Hayasaka to scheme even in the direst of circumstances.
"There's no way I would do that." Maki contemptuously seethed. "I am not some evil woman who'll exploit a man's weakness and insecurity to get what I want!"
Although Maki didn't say this about anyone in particular, Kaguya felt like she had gotten stabbed through her heart. After all, she always tried her best to exploit Shirogane Miyuki's weaknesses.
"...I will try to confess right now." Maki manically grinned. "So I can heal his wounds, just like he healed my heart back then!"
Give it back! My precious conscience! Kaguya screamed inside.
Yukino sighed. Sometimes, she thought Maki had a very bipolar attitude. It worried her a lot.
"You're not going to stop her, Yukinoshita-san?" Kaguya asked. "I'm not even sure what to say."
"No. Maki-san might be foolish at times. And even do some insane things occasionally, but, I think she is doing the right thing here." Yukino told Kaguya. "Who's to say Tanuma-kun won't fall for someone else once his wounds have healed? Maki-san should not miss this opportunity and end up regretting it twice."
"What do you think the possibility of her succeeding is?" Kaguya nodded and rubbed her chin, thoughtfully.
"Tanuma-kun has been oblivious to her feelings all these years. He might never see Maki-san as girlfriend material... but..."
Yukino hesitated to continue, so after a moment Hayasaka helpfully took over.
"As long as she makes him aware of her feelings, now that Kashiwagi-san's place in his heart has began to crumble... the possibility is not insignificant." Hayasaka raised her hands. "Human relationships change all the time, no?"
"That way, Tanuma-kun will think about Shijo-san. And perhaps reconsider their relationship based on his newfound insight. Besides, he just got rejected. What does he have to lose by accepting? His mental fortitude was hardly the best." Hayasaka cheerfully pointed out. "Just my opinion, the chances of Shijo-san being accepted are quite high."
"That actually makes a lot of sense." Both Yukino and Kaguya said at the same time.
Those two shared the exact same brain cell. A particularly prodigious cell, granted.
"But really, the girls around me have such bad taste in men." Yukino dejectedly said. "Nagisa-san fell for that guy and Maki-san for Tanuma-kun... heavens."
"In my opinion, your taste wasn't much better." Kaguya bluntly commented. Just thinking about falling in love with Hachiman made Kaguya feel ill.
Yukino cringed hard. "I'm afraid it is hard to refute that. My taste might be even more rotten."
"You got over him, did you not?" Kaguya tried her best to cheer Yukino up. "I'm sure there will be a better guy somewhere. Someone that fits you well."
"All I can assure you is that person would not be President Shirogane Miyuki." Yukino scoffed and left. "You don't have to be so worried, Shinomiya-san."
Kaguya's jaw dropped. Not just that, it was like she was about to lose bowel control at any second.
Yukino KNEW?!
"I'm not sure what you're trying to imply, Yukinoshita-san." Kaguya coughed, still in denial. "Is President Shirogane not good enough for you?"
"I admire his spirit in his strive to be a model student. But beyond that, I have no particular fondness for Shirogane Miyuki."
"I... I see."
At that moment, Hayasaka understood that Yukino and Hachiman's growing relationship back then wasn't a coincidence. And for some reason, it bothered her a lot.
Looking back, she saw Maki, had just bluntly confessed to Tsubasa in front of a shocked Miyuki and Mikado.
Even today, the atmosphere of Shuchiin High was changing yet again.
"I wonder what Hikigaya-san is doing right now." Hayasaka looked at her phone. Specifically, the clock.
And so, the lunch break came to a close.