After deciding to give up, I became popular

Kaguya Shinomiya watched Chika Fujiwara, who was picking and choosing from her bento box, with a smile, seemingly finding her behavior very cute.

However, for some reason, there was no warmth in her eyes.

"Kaguya-chan, try this quickly, it's super delicious!"

Chika Fujiwara naturally didn't forget her good friend, so she quickly picked up half a hamburger steak and brought it to Kaguya Shinomiya's mouth.

"Ah~~~"

"Even if you say ah...it's delicious!" Kaguya Shinomiya's eyes lit up, instantly transforming into a foodie.

"Right?! Although the hamburger steak with warm gravy is delicious, the feeling of all the flavors being concentrated in the meat when it's at room temperature is also great!"

Chika Fujiwara spoke eloquently, looking like a food critic tasting delicacies.

So, Kanade Natsukawa once again sized up Kaguya Shinomiya's luxurious bento, which had exhausted the chefs' efforts, thinking that they were really pitiful, actually being outshone by ordinary ingredients.

However, he could now confirm that Kaguya and Fujiwara had indeed gotten used to delicacies, so they had a special liking for this kind of home-cooked dish.

Kanade Natsukawa himself didn't eat much, basically just eating a few bites of rice and side dishes exchanged from Kaguya Shinomiya, while his efforts all went into the stomachs of the two girls.

"Ugh, I'm full!" Chika Fujiwara patted her small belly, looking very happy.

"Ugh..." Kaguya Shinomiya was also very happy.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Chika Fujiwara was actually acting like a person this time, so she would generously forgive her, Kaguya Shinomiya thought.

But although they were happy eating, the president hadn't eaten much yet, so it was her turn to take action!

"President, I'm sorry for eating all your side dishes, if you don't mind, please have some of mine..."

Along with that, Kaguya Shinomiya handed over her chopsticks as well.

Of course, they were the ones she had used, otherwise she wouldn't have deliberately handed them over, for the sake of an in!di!rect! kiss!

Come on! President, this time you should be shaken!

"I'm okay, I don't have much appetite," Kanade Natsukawa shook his head, choosing to refuse.

The piercing truths struck his heart one after another, and it would be a lie to say that he could still eat, it was already a testament to his high psychological quality that he didn't break down on the spot.

"Why is that..." Kaguya Shinomiya immediately looked disappointed.

Chika Fujiwara looked at her, then looked at Kanade Natsukawa who was flipping through the office documents, and immediately said with a serious face: "President, being picky is not good! Even if the things made by Kaguya's family's chefs are unappetizing, you can't waste food!"

Kaguya Shinomiya: "...!"

Kanade Natsukawa: "...?"

What was she saying? Picky? Unappetizing? Was she serious? Was she talking to him or Kaguya?

"Fujiwara...are you talking about me?" Kanade Natsukawa asked uncertainly.

Even though he knew from the beginning that Chika Fujiwara was a very eccentric person, he didn't expect her to be so eccentric.

Was it because of...Kaguya?

Kanade Natsukawa looked at Kaguya Shinomiya and noticed that her mood seemed a little low, so he understood.

"Indeed, being picky is a bad habit...Shinomiya, if you don't mind..."

"Of course not! President, please eat," Kaguya Shinomiya became more energetic.

Kanade Natsukawa nodded, silently took her bento, and started eating.

In his opinion, he had lost his appetite because he knew the truth that Kaguya didn't like him but liked Shirogane, but in Kaguya's opinion, she probably felt guilty for causing him to have no food to eat after eating his bento.

After all, Kaguya was different from Fujiwara, her self-esteem was very high, and she wouldn't accept help for no reason, but an exchange of benefits would make her feel at ease.

That's good, a world where no one gets hurt is complete.

"By the way, Kaguya-chan, quickly tell me about your matter, who is the person you care about?" Chika Fujiwara was as energetic as ever.

"That kind of thing is not important," Kaguya Shinomiya said without turning her head, she was busy admiring the president's elegant eating posture, she didn't have the time to chat with this octopus head.

"How can it not be important?! That's the first boy Kaguya-chan has ever cared about! It's the first time I've heard of it!" Chika Fujiwara was relentless.

"It's just that...ah, my nephew," Kaguya Shinomiya still stared at Kanade Natsukawa, unwilling to look away, looking so serious that she wanted to analyze and record every movement of his frame by frame.

"Very cute; tries hard to learn to walk; doesn't cry when he falls, very strong, will continue to stand up and walk; often stares at me with a smile..."

"Ugh! That's too much, that kind of thing doesn't count at all!"

"Why not? I really care about him."

"Ugh...anyway, it doesn't count!"

"You're really troublesome..."

The two girls continued their intimate conversation, and Kanade Natsukawa found it difficult to interject, and he was eating with great suffering.

Listening to Kaguya's obviously perfunctory explanation, he felt...his stomach hurt.

017. This Isn't the You I Want

Shuchiin Academy, in a vacant classroom.

"Now, let's start the first briefing!" Shiyu Kasumigaoka said loudly with her arms crossed.

"Eriri, please record the important content of the meeting."

"Why me? You do it yourself," Eriri pouted, looking unwilling.

Just some Kasumigaoka, did she not have any face?

"Because I borrowed the classroom, and I also have news about your interesting junior, are you sure you don't want it?"

"Ugh! L, let me say this in advance! I just think you worked hard to borrow the classroom, it's not for any other reason, don't get me wrong!" After hearing Kasumigaoka's words, Eriri stood up and walked to the podium.

"..." Kasumigaoka didn't refute, just nodded lightly.

For her, Eriri or anything was not important at all, this guy was too weak as a love rival, she didn't even need to defend against her.

The key was that Eriri and Katou were good friends, and she really needed Katou's help, so she used "information about Kanade Natsukawa" to seduce this idiot.

"Katou, you have the closest contact with the junior, if possible, I hope you can provide some information about the junior,"

"Um...actually, I only recently contacted Natsukawa-kun," Megumi Katou raised her small hand, indicating that she couldn't help.

"It's okay, you just need to talk about your understanding of the junior," Kasumigaoka said nonchalantly, "like habits, ways of doing things, the more detailed the better."

Kasumigaoka had 100% trust in Megumi Katou.

Eriri was an ultimate small fry, but after all, she had been pursued by the junior like that, and she might make the junior rekindle his love.

But Katou was okay, no matter how much she knew about the junior, no matter whether she liked the junior, it wouldn't have much impact on her, Kasumigaoka's, strategy.

Because the junior...he would never be "unfaithful" when he had a girl he liked.

Eating together, spending time alone, helping with research...no matter what the reason, it couldn't make him waver, even if he was invited for official business, if he was in a situation where he was alone with another girl, he would report it to the girl he liked in advance.

His perfect defense hardly gave outsiders any room to intervene.

How could such a junior not be likable? Shiyu Kasumigaoka was naturally no exception, after all, she wasn't some demon who liked to play with other people's feelings.

Perhaps before she realized her wrong feelings for Renya Aki, she might have used the junior, but since he enlightened her, she could no longer ignore his efforts.

The brave knight who saved the princess from the mud...Kanade Natsukawa's spirit of self-sacrifice deeply moved him.

However, he seemed to be very tired...

Almost always available, preparing lunch for her on time every day, taking the initiative to care for her when she was angered by that Renya Aki, and not even getting angry when she used him as a tool for venting, and remembering her preferences, maintaining everything about her...

She almost couldn't help but take the initiative to confess to Kanade Natsukawa! However, she couldn't do it.

It wasn't because of some girl's restraint, but because she felt that if she liked someone, she must show her most authentic self.

The junior's feelings for her were naturally real, and she could of course feel it, but the junior like that was definitely not what she wanted to see.

He should be himself!

If he felt sleepy, he should sleep more, he didn't need to rush over immediately; she wanted to enjoy lunchtime with him, but it really didn't matter what they ate, there was no need to spend time preparing a nutritious bento every day.

Being used as a punching bag? Then he should refute her loudly! That was clearly her mistake, why choose to bear it silently?!

Kasumigaoka couldn't understand why Kanade Natsukawa seemed so humble when he was pursuing her, like...he had lost himself.

So, on that day, she rejected Kanade Natsukawa's confession.

"I'm sorry, Junior, I don't like you like this, please cherish yourself more..."

Although she didn't explicitly state the reason, she felt that the junior understood her meaning.

After all, look, she often only needed a look, and the junior could understand what she wanted, so how could he not understand her so obvious hint?

She happily looked forward to the junior's change, looking forward to him meeting her with his original face, but she discovered a fact that she didn't want to face—the junior seemed to have given up on pursuing her.

As for the reason...after rejecting Kanade Natsukawa at that time, she hadn't been able to spend time alone with him for many days, he would no longer send her messages and invitations, and when she looked over, she wouldn't find his warm gaze, she knew he was sad enough, but she thought he probably understood her thoughts, and just needed a process of self-change.

Then she would give him this time.

Fortunately, although she still couldn't talk to him, she could always watch him, and she was also arbitrarily looking forward to his change.

However, a long time had passed since then, and even the sports festival had ended, she thought he would come back after he shone, but she waited for a long time and still couldn't wait for his good news, and finally...once, she accidentally discovered him and Eriri walking in the corridor "talking and laughing"...

Was he...was he...unfaithful?

No...unforgivable! Being unfaithful is the worst!

He clearly said he only liked her, but he left the girl he liked alone and got close to that blonde loser? It was like pointing at her nose and mocking her, saying "Look, you don't like me, naturally someone will be willing to like me."

She naturally couldn't tolerate such a scene, so she took the initiative to find Kanade Natsukawa, wanting to get an explanation from him.

At that time, the naive her was still thinking that if the junior could have a better attitude and sincerely apologize to her, she might not be able to forgive her.

The result was—she was rejected.

"I'm sorry, Senpai, you have the right to reject, and I also have the right to give up, we're over, please don't contact me alone anymore, I'm afraid Eriri will misunderstand."

She was immediately stunned.

What was the junior saying? The right to reject? She didn't reject, she just...just wanted to see a more authentic you!

"No, you misunderstood, I didn't..."

"Ah, Eriri! So you're here, I've been looking for you for a long time."

"Ugh! I told you not to call my name like that outside! What if someone hears it? Idiot!"

"What does it matter, doesn't this show that we have a good relationship?"

"Who, who has a good relationship with you! Hmph, I'm ignoring you, I'm leaving."

"Wait for me..."

Just like that, Kasumigaoka stared blankly as the two walked further and further away, until their backs were swallowed by the twilight and disappeared from sight.

...

...

...

Unforgivable! I will never forgive you! Eriri!

It must be that you said something to the junior, which caused him to misunderstand her! Since you, the thief, made the first move, then don't blame her for being impolite!

So, from then on, Kasumigaoka kept trying to obstruct the love between the two.

Either secretly guiding Eriri back to the "childhood friend line", or openly destroying the two's time alone, as long as there was an opportunity, she would intervene.

Despicable? Mean? A bitter woman? No matter how she was thought of! She just couldn't let that Eriri steal happiness from her!

Under her unremitting efforts, the two finally ushered in the tragic ending she had been expecting—Eriri rejected Kanade Natsukawa's confession.

Perhaps it was because she told Eriri "Before pursuing you, the junior pursued me first, but didn't succeed." making the other party misunderstand that Kanade Natsukawa was trying to find a substitute for her.

It was also possible that Eriri herself couldn't let go of her expectations for Renya Aki, after all, she was a firm "childhood friend party".

But in any case, she achieved the goal she wanted.

The next thing to do was to comfort the very depressed junior at the moment, and then take back his heart in one fell swoop...

However, she simply couldn't do it.

It wasn't that she didn't want to do it, but that she couldn't do it.