Heartbeats and Illusions

"What… What are you doing?!" Natsukawa Kanade barked, his voice laced with panic. He instinctively stepped back, putting distance between himself and the petite figure in front of him, his body tensed in a defensive stance.

The girl tilted her head ever so slightly, her large, innocent eyes blinking up at him in confusion. Her expression was the picture of curiosity, and her posture—hands clasped behind her back—radiated a disarming cuteness. But to Kanade, this was no angelic figure. No, this was a devil in disguise, and he wasn't about to let his guard down.

It was undeniable: the Fujiwara family's genetic dominance was a marvel. The three sisters of this generation all shared the same striking beauty, enviable figures, and undeniably cute faces. If it weren't for their distinct hairstyles and subtle differences in demeanor, Kanade might have mistaken this girl for her elder sister, Fujiwara Chika.

"Eh? You're asking me what I'm doing?" The girl blinked again, her voice light and breezy. "I was just curious about boys' abs… or something."

"…"

Kanade's mind screamed internally. Don't say things like that with such a natural expression! What's wrong with you?!

There was no mistaking it now. This strange, overly inquisitive individual could only be Fujiwara Moeha, the youngest of the infamous Fujiwara sisters. Chika had mentioned before that she had both an older and a younger sister. The woman in underwear earlier? That had to be her elder sister, Fujiwara Toyomi. And now, here stood Moeha, this innocent-looking—yet undeniably odd—creature.

As expected of the Fujiwara family. Each sibling was unique in their own chaotic way, leaving Kanade feeling utterly drained just by being around them.

"Miss Fujiwara," Kanade began, straightening up and attempting to reclaim some semblance of authority, "listen carefully. No matter how curious you might be about a boy's abs, you can't just walk up and start lifting their shirt. That kind of behavior is completely inappropriate! People might even call you a… a nympho!"

He'd heard that the Fujiwara family adhered to strict, traditional values, so how on earth had the three sisters turned out like this? Free-spirited, unpredictable, and entirely un-ladylike.

"Eh? Even if it's you, President, I can't?" Moeha tilted her head again, her tone genuinely disappointed.

"That's right! Even if it's me—" Kanade stopped mid-sentence, blinking as her words registered. "Wait… What did you just call me? President?!"

Moeha nodded cheerfully, as though his reaction were perfectly normal. "Of course! You're Senior Natsukawa, the student council president, right?"

Kanade froze, stunned. She knows me?!

This was definitely their first meeting—Kanade was absolutely sure of that. Yet here she was, not only recognizing his face but knowing his name and title.

"Yes, Senior Natsukawa!" Moeha confirmed, stepping closer without hesitation. "I'm a third-year junior high student at Shuchiin. Next year, I'll be on the same campus as you!"

She said this with such unrestrained enthusiasm that Kanade didn't know how to respond. He also didn't know how to react to the way she started rubbing his hand casually, as if the concept of personal space was completely foreign to her.

"Senior, do you have a girlfriend?" Moeha asked suddenly, her wide eyes sparkling. "If you don't, are you tired of being single? Or maybe you're planning to break up with someone? If that's the case… Would you mind dating me?"

"Wha—?!" Kanade's voice cracked, but before he could formulate a coherent response, a loud, furious voice echoed from the stairs.

"MOEHA, YOU IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Chika Fujiwara burst onto the scene, her face red with embarrassment and outrage as she stormed toward the two of them.

"President, how dare you kidnap my sister in our own house! That's unforgivable!" she yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Kanade.

"I DIDN'T!" Kanade protested, but the sight of Moeha clinging to his arm like an affectionate koala made his denial seem far less convincing.

"Stupid Moeha, let the president go already!" Chika scolded, tugging on Kanade's other arm to free him. "He's a no-good scumbag! If you get too close to him, he'll eat you alive!"

"…!"

Kanade shot Chika a bewildered look, utterly floored by her statement. Wait a second! Is that how she sees me?!

Suddenly, everything made sense. The moments when Chika didn't resist his teasing, the way she sometimes acted flustered yet curious—it wasn't because she saw him as harmless. She genuinely believed he was a player!

But alas, she was sorely mistaken. Natsukawa Kanade was no scumbag. Not in the slightest! He was a gentleman—a misunderstood one, sure, but a gentleman nonetheless! So, her twisted fantasy of him being some kind of dangerous bad boy? Completely shattered.

So, sorry to disappoint you, you octopus-headed idiot, but your fantasies end here!

"It doesn't matter if you're a scumbag or not! I'm not letting go!" declared Fujiwara Moeha, clinging to Kanade's other arm with a vice-like grip. The two sisters now had him in a full tug-of-war, each determined not to lose.

"Girls are proud to have good boyfriends!" Moeha huffed, puffing out her cheeks in defiance. "Sister, stop interfering!" She then reached out, her small hand grabbing Kanade's chin and tilting his face toward hers.

"Senpai," Moeha said, her eyes sparkling with mischief, "don't listen to my sister. Just look after Moeha!"

"No!" Chika barked back instantly, mimicking her sister's dramatic gesture by grabbing Kanade's other cheek. "Stupid president, don't even think about it! If you even try to mess with a kid, divine punishment will rain down on you!"

"Moeha's not a kid!" Moeha shot back, puffing out her chest with a pride that made Kanade's head spin. "I'm already grown up!"

"You're a middle schooler!" Chika fired, crossing her arms smugly. "Stop pretending you're so mature!"

"Just wait!" Moeha countered, determination flaring in her eyes. "I'm still growing! By next year, I'll be a high schooler, and then I'll surpass you, sis!"

"That's not how it works!" Chika snapped, her tone almost triumphant. "You're still a kid, so no! End of discussion!"

"…If that's the case," Moeha said slyly, a teasing smile curling on her lips, "then compared to Toyomi-sama, aren't you still a child, Chika-sama?"

"Eh?"

Before Chika could process the verbal jab, a new voice chimed in.

"Can I join in?"

Standing at the top of the stairs, Fujiwara Toyomi observed the chaos with a serene expression, a faint glimmer of amusement shining in her otherwise angelic demeanor.

"!!!"

"Sister Toyomi!" Chika yelped, her face a mix of panic and frustration. "Please, don't make things worse!"

But before the argument could escalate further, Moeha's expression shifted. Concern flashed across her face as she glanced at Kanade.

"Uh… Sis? I think Senpai's in pain…"

"…Huh?"

Chika turned to look at Kanade and immediately froze. His face had turned pale, his eyes rolled back slightly, and he seemed on the verge of fainting.

"P-PRESIDENT!" Chika cried, releasing his arm. "Are you okay?!"

=========

When Kanade finally opened his eyes, he was greeted by the serene sight of the night sky. Stars twinkled softly above him, the cool breeze carrying the gentle scent of summer. For a moment, he thought he might've been dreaming.

Resting his head on something soft—Chika's lap, as he quickly realized—Kanade blinked. The cool touch of the breeze against his face seemed to sweep away the lingering chaos from earlier.

But then his stomach growled loudly, shattering the tranquil moment.

"Are you hungry?" Chika asked, her voice unusually tender as she set down the fan she had been using to cool him. She picked up a small bento box beside her. "Here, President, I'll feed you!"

Kanade glanced at her, his head still resting on her lap. Her face radiated an odd mix of smugness and care, as if she'd just claimed some sort of victory.

What kind of absurd situation is this?

Chika's bright smile didn't waver as she raised a piece of food toward him.

"…Fujiwara Chika," Kanade finally muttered after a long pause, his tone dry and exhausted, "you really are an idiot…"