44. The answer is both.

Extra in The Student Council

44. The answer is both.

"You know, Kaguya became softer and kinder this past year. I favored that." Then Shuu looked like he had realized something. "Oh, maybe you did something. Thank you, Shirogane. I'll pick up the flower you groomed," Shuu said, then he walked away. "See ya."

"Wait!" Shuu's shoulder was caught by Miyuki, and he was forced to face him again. "Shinomiya wasn't that kind of person!" He refuted it with a stern face.

"Well, true." Miyuki was taken aback when he suddenly agreed with him. Shuu released himself from his grasp. "And that's why we had an agreement." Shuu continued. "As for what the contents of our agreement are..." Shuu purposefully elongated his last word. Then, as expected, Miyuki was impatient, waiting for his next words.

"You don't have to know." Shortly, his face crushed the same as his hope to hear the content of their agreement.

Shuu grinned along with Miyuki's anguished face. "Just know, the moment I become the student council's president, she's mine."

Miyuki only listened, unable to refute, or was he?

Of course, Miyuki wouldn't back down easily. He already had a backup plan if something like this happened.

"Katsuragi" Miyuki called. Shuu was intrigued by his calm reaction. "I heard you are engaged with Secretary Fujiwara." Shuu was able to see a hint of grief on his face because Miyuki also felt uncomfortable in this way. (It looks like I pushed him quite hard. I guess I don't care.)

"Did Chika or Yuu tell you?" Shuu let out a chuckle. "Well, it doesn't matter. Here's the thing: Between Chika and Kaguya, which one will you choose?"

'Obviously, Kaguya!' Miyuki, caught off-guard, almost blurted that out. Thankfully, he managed to hold it. "I don't understand," he replied, acting clueless.

Shuu didn't get mad at Miyuki's obvious act and kindly explained his meaning. "To make it easier for you to understand, between Fujiwara and Shinomiya, which one is better?" He opened his arms wide and said it pompously. You don't need a good head on your shoulders to understand which one has more wealth, no?" He added it with a smirk on his face.

"You!" Miyuki becomes angry at Shuu's attitude toward Kaguya. He's about to grab his collar...

*Pash

Shuu easily deflected Miyuki's hand. "Tch" He clicked his tongue. "I let you before; realize it."

Miyuki was stunned for a moment while pulling back his stinging hand. However, there's no way his anger died down. "What---"

"Shut it" Shuu cut his words. "I know what you wanted to say, and I don't care. Besides, it doesn't matter whether it's a simple Kaguya or the daughter of the Shinomiya household. Both of them are hers. It's idiotic to separate that." Then Shuu continued without giving Miyuki any time to reply. 

"Well, I'm in a good mood. Here's some advice from me: Shirogane, you know nothing about our society," Shuu added with a smug face. "Having more than one wife wasn't a strange thing."

"Wha-?!" Miyuki was dumbfounded by the revelation. "That's illegal." He blurted it out unconsciously.

"Hahaha" Shuu laughed out loud. "That's why I told you. You know nothing about our society."

"Between Chika and Kaguya. The answer is both." He whispered. "Well, Ex-President, Bye!" Shuu once again tried to walk away.

"Katsuragi!!" Miyuki shouted, "I won't let you," with conviction and desperation in his voice. And Shuu just walked away, ignoring him. Then, the next day comes, Shirogane Miyuki's re-election was published on the news board.

***

It's been a few days since then.

It's not like the student council members are avoiding each other, but there are just a few opportunities where they meet each other, unlike before. And today, Shuu is...

"And that's why I want you to help me in my campaign speeches." He said to the person with bewildered eyes staring at him, She was so shocked that she forgot the bread in her mouth.

*Cough *cough

She was choked, and Shuu kindly helped her pat her back and prepared water for her.

Then, with a slight tear in her eyes, she finally calmed down. "What do you want? I'll at least hear you," Shijo Maki replied.

Shijo Maki is finally able to get time for herself. It's not like she hated the time she spent with her best friend Nagisa, BUT! there's a big BUT. Watching your best friend flirt with your crush EACH and EVERY second they spend was quite taxing, even for her, a 'Shijo'. Therefore, she needed time like this where she could be alone and recollect herself. But today, she knew she wouldn't have that time anymore.

"Well, because of this and that, then bla bla bla, so it's concluded I need you for my campaign speeches" Shuu explained.

Maki felt her head start to have a headache. "Do you think bla bla bla explains anything?!" She refuted.

"You couldn't tell? That's why I can't believe people like you." Shuu said, fully engrossed.

"I'll punch you, okay," Maki replied instantly, then she suddenly felt his words felt quite similar. "Let me hit you once, then we talk after," she added.

"Hahaha, sorry, it's just fun to mess with you." Shuu apologized sincerely.

"Hmph! That's why I can't believe people like you...." Her voice slowly went down before it became completely silent.

"Pfft, a, anyway I need your help with my campaign speeches" Shuu tried his best to hold his laughter.

"Why me?" Maki knew refuting his chuckle wouldn't help her in any way, so she followed along with him. She replied with an embarrassed face.

"You knew what happened yesterday, no? Shirogane will have Shinomiya in charge of his campaign speeches."

Maki nodded, that memory still fresh in her head.

"I can easily best Shirogane, however... Shinomiya is the problem." Maki nodded again; she didn't understand where his self-confidence came from, but putting that aside, it was a fact that Shinomiya Kaguya, her aunt, would be the biggest problem.

"That's why, just like how Shirogane compares to me, I need you, who can't compare to Shinomiya but is the closest one to reach---" Before Shuu could finish, "I'll leave," Maki was annoyed as she cut him down and was about to go.

"Wait," Shuu said, catching her hand. "Then how about we make a deal?"

"If you help me this time, I'll let you win the next exam," Shuu offered with a smirk on his face.

"Hmph!" Maki strongly brushed away his hand. "I don't need it," she said, walking away.

"Then, how about this one? if you help me, I won't hold back in the next exam."

Maki suddenly stopped in her tracks, then looked back. "You…" She realized this was what he had been aiming for since the beginning. All the foreplay from before was to halt her critical thinking. (He knew I was trying to get my revenge on the next exam.) Maki thought. Now that she heard it, she couldn't unhear it anymore, nor would it leave her mind. Even if she won the exam, it would make her second-guess her victory.

"This is the situation you wanted from the start," Maki said, walking back to him. (But when did he start planning for this?) When he beat her in the exam, it was the first time his name was on her mind, and since then, he has deliberately taunted her in a way that has pushed her to win back her place. She was having goosebumps all over her body when she thought that even their first meeting was planned.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Shuu smiled innocently.

"Just who are you…?" Maki asked. (Katsuragi Shuu—that name never rings a bell in her head, no matter how many times she repeats it.) Still, looking at his smiling face without a slight change in his facial muscles, she gave up for now.

"Fine, but the agreement seems a bit unfair for me."

Shuu agreed with her. "Then, how about I'll help you once in the future on top of that?" He suggested a way to balance it out.

"What can someone like you do to help me?" Maki scoffed. "In the first place, how can I trust you to still help me in the future?"

"You can only trust my words for that."

"Heh" Maki sneered at him again. She didn't believe his words at all. Still, it doesn't matter (I just don't want an unfair deal). "I'll take your words. It's a deal," she stated.

"It's a pleasure to work with you." Shuu reached out his hand toward her, which she took without hesitation.