40 40. Hmm? I’m not.

Extra in The Student Council

40. Hmm? I'm not.

"Come in, sit as you like, and make yourself comfortable," Aoi said the moment they entered the Katsuragi Residence.

Shuu attempted to follow Aoi inside, but she yanked the shopping bag away from him and gave him a quick glance.

"Just accompany your friends," she said as though she were making a request. Shuu, though, knew what her eyes were trying to convey. It wasn't a request, it was an order.

Shuu had no choice but to sit with the other student council members. Giving up, he turned to face the other participants.

Shuu noticed that the other members had rather confused expressions on their faces as they looked around the room, as if they had something to say but didn't know how to say it. Shuu could understand why they appeared that way, for the most part.

It's because the house they were in was where Shuu lived alone on weekdays because it was closer to school. It's a house affordable to a normal salaryman. It's not big, but not small either. It's the right size for a family of three or four.

Chika and Kaguya knew the real Katsuragi Residence was not as big as Shinomiya's mansion because of the Katsuragi, who prefer functionality and practicality rather than frivolity and grandiosity. But Shuu never told them he had lived alone since they entered high school.

On the other hand, Yuu and Miyuki didn't know that fact and thought it strange for the students of the renowned Shuchiin private academy to live in this kind of normal medium-size house, especially someone like Shuu who has been in Shuchiin since kindergarten.

"I told my parents I wanted to live alone at school, and they gave me this place," Shuu explained with a slight wry smile. 

"Even now, I'm still against it," Aoi added as soon as she entered the room with a tray of drinks in her hands.

Shuu awkwardly smiled and quickly took the drinks from her hand and shared them.

"The maid will bring snacks later. Have fun~" Aoi said she then left after receiving gratitude from the student council members.

And once she left, ""You have a maid here?!"" Miyuki and Yuu quickly looked at Shuu. Chika and Kaguya didn't say anything, but their eyes also showed interest in this topic.

Meanwhile, Shuu was also dumbfounded by his mom's words. (Since when I had a maid stationed here? Takina shouldn't be here because I tasked her with constantly protecting Ai.)

"Maybe it's someone mom brought from the household," he brushed it off like nothing special.

"Anyway, good job to all of us for the past year," Shuu quickly added before picking up his drink. With his quick action, Shuu didn't give others a chance to ask further, but even if they did, he had already prepared an answer for that. "Cheers" 

Unable to continue, the other was forced to disregard and follow """"Cheers!""""

"By the way, what are you guys going to do from now on?" Shuu asked.

"Nothing" Miyuki replied lacklusterly, "We just have to pray for excellent successors."

"I don't think anyone would want to be your successor after seeing you nearly work yourself to death," Chika refuted, worrying about the bleak future of Shuchiin's student council.

"Ahh, I agree with that." Shuu also had the same thought. "No one wanted to be the next president if that's what it means to become like that." Slowly but surely, he made everyone forget anything related to his private life.

"Well, sure, it's tough being president." Miyuki also agreed. "But it wasn't without merit. As student council members, we already had many privileges at this school. However, there's also a privilege that is only given to the student council's president," he quickly added.

"Do you mean the letter of recommendation?" Yuu said that and joined them.

"Correct" Miyuki replied, "How about you, Ishigami? Do you want to try?"

"Ha ha ha, do you really mean that, Myu-senpai? Do you think I could get a vote?" Yuu let out a fresh laugh. It was the very first time for the others to see a very fresh and bright self-mocking smile. "All the girls in my class start crying with just eye contact" as he continued to bash himself. Miyuki could only apologize sincerely and thought to never bring this matter up again.

"Indeed…." Chika fancied, "If I become the student council president..."

""HAHAHAHA"" Her words instantly triggered big laughter from others.

"Okay, cut it out. Whose face should I smack first?" Chika perfectly understood the reason behind their laughter.

Erasing a slight tear from too much laughter from the corner of his eyes, "Well, jokes aside. I'm actually quite looking forward to Chika being the president," Shuu said sincerely.

"Shuu…" Chika, who got unexpected support, was touched by his words.

"Are you for real?" Kaguya voiced everyone's opinions as they all looked at Shuu in disbelief.

"I mean, just think about it for a moment. Unlike Shirogane, who's a proper president, imagining what kind of change and chaos would Chika bring as the student council president isn't that interesting and exciting?" Shuu explained. 

"Hmph!" Chika harrumphed her frustration and threw the small sofa pillow she's been hugging all this time at Shuu's face.

Shuu could catch it or block it. However, he didn't do that to let Chika vent out some. After he caught the pillow away from his face, Shuu continued, "With this line of thought, I am also interested in what kind of president Yuu will become. Maybe there will be some kind of Kudeta movement from the girl students," he said, as if that scene had already happened in his head.

At that moment, everyone agreed. Shuu might look fine on the outside, but he is most likely the most insane one among them.

"Right, Miy….President!" Kaguya called, but...

"Shinomiya," Miyuki cut in and reminded her, "I'm no longer president."

Yes, this was the sole reason Kaguya had remained silent—she had even denied having the opportunity to exact revenge on Shuu—aside from Chika's joke. She's been thinking about how to call Miyuki all this time. She thought it would be too shameless to call Miyuki by his first name, so she tried to call him by a nickname like Yuu, but...

(I can't do it!) Kaguya struggled before she glared at Shuu. (It's your fault!)

To Kaguya, Shuu was someone on the same level as her, and because of him using Miyuki's last name, Shirogane, she couldn't bring herself to call Miyuki more intimately. (Or it would be the same as confession!!) Kaguya thought. and just as she was about to find another way out. She suddenly realized there was something wrong. Suddenly, the other participants who were enjoying a pleasant conversation stop talking, and an odd atmosphere descends upon them.

Then, without a second, Kaguya found the cause. It was the maid who entered the room with the snacks Aoi-san promised. Chika and Miyuki were shocked at the maid's identity. Yuu even had this 'unbelievable' look on his face, as if someone just announced to him that 'No game no life season 2 had been confirmed'. But the one that shocked Kaguya the most was that even Shuu had this dumbfounded face.

Kaguya once again evaluated the maid's appearance. She appears to be in the prime of her life, just slightly older than them. She was astonishingly pretty, with a cute small face, a slim and perfect body, and long blue-purplish hair. It was as if her appearance was sculpted personally by God. But the most eye-catching were her pink-purple-colored, shiny eyes. Her gaze could catch and capture everyone's attention.

The maid slowly and gracefully put down the snacks he brought to the table. There's French fries, other fried food, cookies, even puddings and ice cream. After she was done, she showed a warm smile and said, "Please take your time."

Kaguya saw the maid was about to leave the room, yet she was still unable to understand others reactions, nor did she know the maid's identity.

"Wait," Shuu, who has recovered, called before the maid left the room.

The maid also didn't show any special reaction and just went toward him. then….

"It hurt!!" She instantly crouched and whined in pain, patting her forehead, which was flicked by Shuu. With a slight tear in the corner of her eyes, she pitifully looked at Shuu in protest.

Shuu sighed as guilt pricked his heart, so he called her closer and allowed him to see her slightly red forehead. He gently caressed that part to ease the pain. After a while, it seemed she didn't feel the pain anymore, as her expression relaxed. However, Shuu still kept gently caressing it. 

"So, what are you doing here? and what about that costume?" He questioned her maid-look.

"I suddenly got some free time, so I came~" She cutely hit her head. With that answer, there's nothing Shuu can say anymore. It was he who told her to come whenever she liked.

Then Shuu turned his attention to the student council's members, who had been staring at him all this time. "Haa…" Shuu sighed heavily.

****

"I'm sure some of you already knew her." Shuu said, "Let me introduce. Yhis is—"

The maid suddenly cut in "Ai from B-Komachi." She posed with a V-sign.

"As expected!" The trio finally convinced themselves they weren't dreaming. Some little doubt was left instantly washed away. Only Kaguya was still clueless. She had only heard B-Komachi a few times and wasn't that knowledgeable in that field.

"Ah, but that's my stage name." She quickly added, "My real name is Hoshino... Katsuragi Ai, nice to meet you~" She corrected herself.

Hammer instantly knocked on everyone's head, and they all left speechless. After the first shock, Shuu just gave up and let her do as much as she wanted.

Meanwhile, on the other side, "Are you Katsuragi-san's relative?" Kaguya asked, still quite shocked. She never heard of a person like her in Katsuragi's household. (an illegitimate child?) Kaguya specaulated.

Hearing that, Miyuki and Yuu also instantly focused their attention. Only Chika, who had already more or less guessed the maid's identity, didn't show any special reaction.

"Hmm? I'm not." Ai tilted her head slightly before shaking her head sideways. Then she jumped into Shuu's personal space, sat on his lap, and rounded her arm around his neck. "I'm his wife," she said with a bright smile.

The student council's members went blank and had no idea what happened after that. Still, there's something stuck in Kaguya, Miyuki, and Yuu's minds. They remembered that one-time event.

(((Isn't Fujiwara Chika his fiance?)))