Heartbeats and Illusions

The moment Fujiwara Chika proposed her bold idea, Natsukawa Kanade froze. Her suggestion was tempting in its own way, but there was no way he could let it happen. The sheer embarrassment alone would be enough to bury him alive.

"Thanks for the offer," he muttered politely, though his words carried no warmth. The honorific tone wasn't even directed at Chika—it was for the unseen chef who had prepared the meal.

"I'm going back," he added firmly.

Being dragged to the Fujiwara household for no apparent reason had been strange enough. To then be casually referred to as a "marrying-in-law"? That was an entirely different level of awkward. It didn't matter how carefree Chika seemed; to Kanade, it was an exhausting ordeal.

In fact, the entire experience left him wondering if he should start keeping his distance from her. Being misunderstood by her family—or worse, the ever-watchful student body—wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

"Eh? Already?" Chika pouted, her cheeks puffing out like an indignant hamster. "President, can't you stay a little longer and chat with me?"

She had been buzzing with excitement ever since he'd arrived, peppering him with questions while he ate. Her energy was relentless, her curiosity boundless. For Chika, it seemed, having someone her age visit her private home was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It's not every day I get to do this! Why not stay up all night and have a girlfriend talk?" she suggested with a mischievous grin.

Kanade's eye twitched. "If you want to have fun, leave me out of it," he replied flatly.

"Hmm…" Chika pouted again, clearly dissatisfied. Normally, Kanade wouldn't be so blunt, but the familiarity of being in her house seemed to loosen his usual restraint.

"It's so late anyway," Chika suddenly brightened, clasping her hands together as if she'd just come up with the most brilliant plan. "Why don't you just stay here tonight?"

Kanade sighed, his patience thinning. "Can you at least consider my gender for once?"

Chika tilted her head, blinking innocently. "Huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

"A boy staying over at a girl's house will definitely cause gossip," he explained, his tone laced with exasperation. "And don't even get me started on how your parents would react."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Chika waved her hand dismissively. "Mom and Dad don't live here. It's just me and Moeha!"

Kanade froze, his internal alarm bells ringing at full volume.

Isn't that even worse?!

Three teenage girls under one roof, and now they were suggesting that he, a perfectly normal high school boy, should stay the night? This was how scandals—and possibly entire manga arcs—were born!

His eyes darted toward the mansion's gates. Even the bodyguards stationed there showed no signs of stepping in.

What kind of bizarre trust does their grandfather have in me? Kanade thought, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Is he really okay with leaving his three precious great-granddaughters alone with some random guy? What if ten months from now, he ends up with three new great-great-grandkids?!

"Listen, Fujiwara—"

"Are you talking about me or Moeha?" Chika interrupted, tilting her head in mock confusion.

Kanade pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. "Chika. Just listen carefully."

He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, locking eyes with her to emphasize his point. "For the record, I am a normal male high school student. Do not underestimate me!"

Chika blinked, her face quickly turning a shade of crimson. She flailed her arms in a panic. "Th-that kind of thing… I-I can't help you with even if you tell me, stupid president!"

Kanade's jaw dropped. "…"

You're an idiot. You're a complete idiot, aren't you?! That's not what I meant!

He wasn't asking for her "help" with anything. What he meant was that she should at least exercise some caution around him. Did she really see him as some kind of harmless herbivore?!

"I'm leaving," he declared, shaking his head.

"But it's so late!" Chika protested. "There won't be any trains now. If you try to walk back, it'll take at least half an hour, and it's dangerous to go out alone at night!"

"I'm not a girl," Kanade shot back. "What's there to be afraid of?"

It's more dangerous staying here… he thought, glancing warily at Chika and imagining her mischievous sister Moeha joining in the chaos. If he stayed any longer, his innocence might actually be in peril.

"President, stop being so stubborn!" Chika huffed and shoved her phone in his face. "Look at this!"

Kanade squinted at the screen.

"Breaking news: A molester has been spotted in Bunkyo ward. Witnesses describe her as an eight-foot-tall woman who targets male high school students late at night. Nearly 20 victims reported so far. Citizens are urged to stay indoors."

"…What."

Kanade's brow twitched. "…Are you kidding me?"

He squinted harder at the image, disbelief flooding his system. "Are you sure this isn't fake news you whipped up on Photoshop? This is supposed to be the real world, not some urban legend playground. Why is Hachishaku-sama even here?! And why is she targeting high school boys now? Go haunt someone more age-appropriate!"

Despite his outburst, a chill ran down his spine. Whether the story was real or not, the idea of being hunted by a towering specter in the dead of night wasn't exactly appealing.

Wait… If it's already a known danger, why are there still 20 victims?! Did those guys willingly walk into her path just to test their luck?!

Kanade swiped the phone from Chika's hand and inspected the article with suspicion. He scrolled through every detail, tapped on the links, and examined the source. To his dismay, everything seemed authentic. There were no signs of digital manipulation, and the links led to a legitimate news site.

Kanade exhaled sharply, his pride crumbling. "I was too presumptuous. Please, Master Chika, take me in for the night. I will forever be in your debt."

His survival instincts were screaming. Whatever supernatural nonsense was out there, he'd rather risk staying in the Fujiwara household than face Hachishaku-sama in the streets.

"Mmm-hmm!" Chika grinned triumphantly. "Then it's settled! President, go take a shower and freshen up. I want to chat all night!"

"It won't work if we're up too late," Kanade replied flatly. "I still have to get up early tomorrow. I'm not about to jeopardize my responsibilities for your gossip marathon."

Despite his refusal, he couldn't help but marvel at Chika's unusual enthusiasm. Normally, her energy was scattered across a hundred different topics, but tonight, she seemed laser-focused on him. Her curiosity about his personal life was baffling. What was so fascinating about the love life of a regular high school guy?

He sighed inwardly. Seriously, what's gotten into her today?

Chika leaned forward, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You've got to tell me more, President! Don't think I didn't notice you've been rejected before. How many times? Five? Six?"

Kanade's face darkened.

This girl had no filter, no sense of restraint. While her teasing was lighthearted, her playful smirk stung more than he cared to admit.

"Chika…" he growled, his hands twitching in frustration.

Before he could stop himself, he reached out and grabbed her cheeks, stretching them mercilessly.

"Wahhh! Pwesident! Tha' hurths!" Chika wailed, her voice muffled through her pinched cheeks.

"That's what you get for mocking me!" Kanade declared, his tone equal parts scolding and petty.

For a moment, the room was filled with the sounds of their antics, their banter echoing like the lively exchanges of a classic rom-com.

At least here, Kanade thought, I'm safe from Hachishaku-sama.