Mask Hayasaka Ai

　　As a maid and guard trained by the Shinomiya family since childhood, Hayasaka is not a weak woman by nature. Even if she wanted to swing her body and bump her elbows, she used the fastest speed to get rid of the "gun muzzle", and at the same time charged backwards.

　　However, the extraordinary familiarity brought by the voice made her quickly stop her instinctive movements, and then show surprise.

　　"Who are you-"

　　Looking at the Student Council team, at some point, the six figures had turned into five. Under her unprofessional tutelage, someone quietly disappeared and appeared behind her.

　　After analyzing this fact, Hayasaka's face became cold, and she gritted her teeth.

　　"It's really hidden… Ishigami Yu!"

　　"Humph." "Ishigami" voice sneered, and the tone was arrogant, "Hayasaka-san... No, you are a year older than me, I should call you Hayasaka Senpai."

　　"Hayasaka Senpai, it's really hard for you to watch here for so long, are you enjoying the festival well?"

　　"Hmph… Thanks, the originally boring reconnaissance mission has finally become interesting."

　　Hayasaka crossed her arms, and said casually: "Then, before you 'shoot', can I ask you a question?"

　　"Why are you sneakily attacking me at this time, even at the cost of exposing your identity?"

　　Without a straight answer, "Ishigami" just chuckled with interest.

　　"Oh? Are you so sure that I will shoot? Maybe I'll take you hostage and visit all the stalls."

　　With her back facing him, Hayasaka showed an emotional expression for a moment, took off her cold disguise, bit her lower lip with a rosy face, and nodded her head slightly.

　　"Too bad, Fujiwara Senpai and the others are waiting, and I must continue with my mission. There is no time to wait at all."

　　"So you still have to 'shoot'... My relationship with you isn't good enough to go to the stalls together."

　　After hesitating for a moment, Hayasaka looked at the ground in front of her, and her voice became softer: "...Unless you 'force' me to leave my work position and ask me to explain something to the family... By the way, Ojou-sama will be watching for a long time, if it's just a certain amount of time, I..."

　　Before she finished speaking, she couldn't continue because her face turned red and her heart beat faster.

　　Luckily, her back was facing him. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to talk to him calmly before using "acting skills".

　　(Is he going to invite me… No, probably not. After all, he has to return to the Student Council team, and the favorability between me and him is about 60 points. He left the Student Council and hung out with me at the festival, it really- absolutely impossible... But, only if...)

　　Anticipation and nervousness mixed into an extraordinary emotion surging within her heart. Hayasaka waited for an answer behind her.

　　"Ishigami" was silent for a moment, then said dryly: "You are right, I just found an excuse to go out, I still have to come back later, I can't talk to you for too long."

　　The blush on Hayasaka's face completely faded, her heartbeat stabilized, and her expression turned indifferent.

　　"Is that so? Then after you've said the reason why you came to me, hurry back— Asada-kun."

　　"Ishigami"… Shinichi in disguise, changed back to his own voice: "You actually exposed me so quickly, it seems you're getting impatient, Hayasaka-san."

　　"Call me Hayasaka Senpai, you impolite junior." Hayasaka said coldly.

　　Shinichi is also used to wearing masks, knowing that his statements are just to brag.

　　"Okay Hayasaka-san, I know Hayasaka-san." In a relaxed manner, Shinichi lowered his arm.

　　"Is there a reason… Apart from feeling the faint stares, there's probably only one reason why I came here to look for you, right?"

　　"No need to be complicated, please finish quickly, Kaguya-sama and the others are barely visible." Hayasaka had no hope in her heart.

　　"Alright, then I'll say it directly." Shinichi immediately stuffed the fireworks into his palm, "I bought additional fireworks, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to waste it, so I'll give it to you."

　　"... Hah?" Hayasaka stared dumbfounded at the fireworks "Wait, your excuses are too—"

　　"Just take this as my boring sympathies. You wear a nice yukata, but can't enjoy the shrine festival because I have to take care of Ojou-sama. You can only hide in a corner and eat an apple, I really can't stand this kind of sight."

　　Staring at the violet patterned yukata that matched perfectly with the small accessory on Hayasaka's body, the blonde hair that was tied into a side ponytail seemed to shine under the light of the lantern, Shinichi touched his head and sighed helplessly.

　　"Even though my acting skills are much better than yours, we are considered 'similar' after all, let's put it this way."

　　Shinichi suddenly laughed.

　　"Come on, put on the 'mask'. You're more used to talking like this, right?"

　　"...What a boring proposal." Hayasaka said in a cold tone, "…That kind of thing, I never let it go."

　　"If you don't wear a mask, you can't get love. The real you will never be loved by anyone else."

　　"I have always thought this way, in order to better survive in this world, I will wear various masks and assume various identities to face everyone I meet."

　　"Ordinary Hayasaka, Hayasaka from Shinomiya Senpai's maids, Hayasaka from the students of Shuchi'in Academy, Hayasaka from passers-by, Hayasaka from girls disguised as boys... You wore so many 'masks' that it almost ran away from the real Hayasaka Ai. Even you are alone, you rarely reveal her true nature."

　　Shinichi's words are just bullshit.

　　"Okay, then I'm here." Without saying anything else, Shinichi closed his eyes, and three seconds later.

　　The moment he opened his eyes, there was a warm smile on the corner of his mouth, and his demeanor became more gentle and kinder, like an average male protagonist in light novels.

　　Hayasaka turned her back on him, she didn't notice the change in Shinichi at this time. She simply folded her arms across her chest, idly guessing what trick she was trying to play.

　　Shinichi looked at her slender back, and suddenly smiled.

　　"Thank you, Hayasaka-san!"

　　This warm voice made Hayasaka stunned.

　　Before she turned around, he spoke clearly and continued.

　　"Perhaps, no one wants to watch the fireworks with you today? Because you are a very serious servant, and you always carry out your duties conscientiously."

　　"Just like Shinomiya Senpai asked you to approach me to catch me. You are so reluctant, but you still want to be on good terms with me while smiling."

　　"In this way, you will definitely be hiding in a hidden corner at the fireworks festival later, looking after Shinomiya Senpai, while watching the fireworks in the night sky alone?"

　 The mood sank further, Hayasaka lowered her head, "...So what? What do you want to say?"

　　"I would say the light from the fireworks is beautiful."

Shinichi took a step back, his smile still bright: "Maybe later it will be more beautiful than the fireworks festival?"

　　A soft voice came to her ears, covered by her hair, Hayasaka widened her eyes.

　　The heartbeat suppressed by her disguise seemed to speed up at those words.

"For that, you choose to occupy this light alone, even if everyone is watching the fireworks in the sky, it doesn't matter – In your hands, there are more beautiful colors than those dazzling fireworks."

　　"If you may, please think so."

　　"If possible, please cheer up too, Hayasaka-san."

　　"You have more than you think, and your color is more beautiful than anyone else's."

　　"At least, I think so."

　　"Please enjoy this festival, even if no one can see you."

　　As soon as the words fell, Hayasaka turned around and reached behind her to grab.

　　Clenching her fingertips in empty space a few times, but she could only see him retreat into the crowd as if running away, and is tone returned to calm.

　　"This is the 'mask' of the harem protagonist. It has nothing to do with me. I reject misunderstandings and ambiguous guesses. Thank You."

　　"And Hayasaka Senpai, if you meet someone like this in the future, you should give him a shoulder before speaking. Otherwise, he will definitely humiliate you to death or he will humiliate himself to death."

　　"Okay, see you another day. "

　　In the next instant, the noise of the festival engulfed everything, be it his voice or figure, and she was the only one standing there alone.

　　Slowly withdrawing her hand, Hayasaka looked down at the ground.

　　After a while, she turned around and rushed towards the small hill beside her. It was one of the observation spots she had surveyed previously, if she accidentally lost Kaguya in the crowd, she could use this high altitude to find her.

　　Her eyes swept across the crowd and she quickly found a familiar Ojou-sama – Shinomiya Kaguya, and her companions, five people in total.

　　She only stared for a while, and the sixth person who had disappeared stepped out of the crowd and joined them, an apologetic smile on his face, but too far away to see clearly.

　　Even so, Hayasaka still showed a helpless smile.

　　"They said they wanted to talk... But he wouldn't let me talk at all."

　　"So frankly, did you come here to talk to me when you noticed that I was following behind you with a displeased face and that I couldn't even go to the festival?"

　　"If you don't refute in ten seconds, I'll take it for granted."

　　After counting for ten seconds, the hand that was holding the glove and fireworks was placed on her chest and slowly clenched into a fist.

　　"Then the next time we meet...You dare to talk to me, I should reward you with a shoulder throw first."

　　On the always expressionless face, a smile was drawn, with a blush.

　　"Humiliated me and didn't give me a chance to fight back, Asada Shinichi.... Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

　　In the middle of speaking, Hayasaka crouched down covering her face with her hands, her face was red from her neck to her ears, and she curled up into a ball.

　　She hid her panicked and timid appearance behind her knees, her cold demeanor completely shattered at this moment.

　　"He just said I was beautiful?! What's this? Confession? Although many frivolous men have confessed this way, it is a kind of sincere and enjoyable compliment. Could he be serious? Yeah, I'm too embarrassed to say it... Ugh, what mask, to hell with such a hassle, can't you be more honest!? Speak frankly, you bastard!"

　　Hayasaka completely denied her own rules of survival this time.

　　But after complaining, she spoke so quietly on the lonely hillside.

　　"Even if it was me, I want to have a love that I won't regret in my high school life, which is only once in my life..."

　　If the object is him...

　　Staring in a daze at the figure that had gone far below and unable to see clearly, Hayasaka pressed the fireworks to her face, and the cold touch slowly warmed up.

　　Then, she gently closed her eyes, and said with a smile.

　　"—It feels pretty good looking."

　　[Today's victory or defeat——

　　Asada Shinichi, whose embarrassment level increased by 50%, and Hayasaka Ai, who calmed down after her heart sprouted, and as a result, her embarrassment level increased by 100%, both sides lose.]