"Hmph, if you want to act tough, now's your only chance~"
"No, I'm not acting tough at all." Rinji spoke coldly. "If this were the first semester, your trick might've worked on me. But now, it won't."
In the first semester, Rinji didn't have a girlfriend.
He longed for one, often fantasizing about being confessed to, agreeing on the spot, and even thinking about marriage.
Even if it were Fujiwara, if she had said "I love you" to him back then, he would've felt moved, even knowing it was just a game.
Unfortunately for her, the current Rinji already had two girlfriends. His spirit had long since been fortified.
"Then let's try it~"
Fujiwara waved lino over.
"Miko-chan, come here."
"Okay."
Though she didn't know why, lino obediently walked over when called.
The moment she stood before Fujiwara, Fujiwara placed a hand on her shoulder and, with a gentle smile, said softly:
"I love you, Miko."
"Eh?"
Iino froze, face burning red, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Fujiwara turned back with a smile. "See? As long as the other person blushes, you win. Simple, right?"
Ishigami: "That's just cruel, Fujiwara-senpai."
Rinji: "Only Iino would fall for that from you."
"Oh really? Then I'll change my target."
Fujiwara scanned the room.
Shirogane immediately shrank back.
Truthfully, Fujiwara was very cute, something clear from her popularity with the boys at school.
Even Shirogane wouldn't be able to stay completely unshaken by her "confession," even knowing it was fake.
Ishigami and Rinji, however, showed no fear.
"Then… Ishigami-kun it is."
"Tch, the same trick might work on Iino, but not on me."
Hearing his name, Ishigami stood up with disdain.
His heart already had someone he liked. He didn't believe he'd blush at the confession of a girl who only thought about making trouble.
"You sure you're fine with this, Ishigami?" Rinji asked.
"Think about her usual antics. Do you really think I'm the kind of idiot who says yes just because a girl confesses?"
"You sound like you're insulting me."
Ishigami and Fujiwara sat facing each other on the sofa.
Fujiwara gazed at him and began, "It's already been nearly a year since we started spending time together. Even though Ishigami-kun constantly disses me, you always hold back just enough."
She suddenly smiled softly.
"Somehow, I feel like you're actually a very gentle person."
"…"
"I… like you, Ishigami-kun."
She said it sincerely, watching his reaction.
Though he tried to control himself, a blush spread across Ishigami's cheeks.
"Hahaha! You lost! Where did that confidence go, you pure little baby~"
Fujiwara revealed her true colors, mercilessly teasing the embarrassed Ishigami.
Ishigami, annoyed, turned his head away.
"Tch, anyone would blush if someone confessed right to their face!"
"Is that so? Then Ishigami-kun, it's your turn to attack." Fujiwara smirked. "Anyone you want."
"…"
Hearing that, Ishigami started thinking about his target.
Iino? He felt like he'd just get cursed out.
Fujiwara? It felt like a trap, like she'd laugh in his face the moment he slipped.
Kaguya? Forget it, he felt like he'd die.
In short, Ishigami really didn't want to say this line to a girl. After all, he had always liked Tsubame. Even knowing it was fake, randomly confessing to someone else felt irresponsible toward the senpai he liked.
That only left the boys.
Anyway, between brothers, harmless jokes like this weren't a big deal.
His gaze turned to Rinji, who was sitting right next to him.
"Rinji."
"Hm?"
"I like you."
"…"
Rinji knew this was probably Ishigami's last resort.
He didn't say anything else. Instead, he suddenly smiled.
That smile was like sunlight breaking through the clouds, like a warm medicine for the heart.
"Ugh…"
Ishigami's face flushed red again.
But Rinji's smile instantly vanished, replaced with a look like he was staring at trash.
"Hahahahaha, Ishigami-kun! You were supposed to be the one attacking, but you ended up blushing first!" Fujiwara laughed without mercy. "And your target was even a boy, hahahaha!"
"I…"
"You really disappoint me, Ishigami." Rinji looked at him with disdain. "I was giving you an encouraging look so you'd pick a more worthwhile opponent. I don't even know why you're blushing. And you actually chose a boy?"
"No… because I'm not the kind of shallow guy who casually says that sort of thing to a girl."
"Then why didn't you pick the president as your target?"
"Because I felt like my life would be in danger."
"Oh…"
It was probably because Kaguya was standing beside Shirogane that Ishigami didn't dare make him the target.
"But Rinji-kun really is amazing. He didn't even say a word and still managed to 'counter' Ishigami-kun." Fujiwara giggled. "As expected of Rinji-kun, his charm even works on boys."
"I've tolerated you long enough, Secretary Fujiwara."
Rinji stood up from the sofa and walked toward Fujiwara.
The aggressive aura startled Fujiwara, making her instinctively back away until she hit the corner of the office wall.
"Ri… Rinji-kun?"
Thud!
Just as Fujiwara was frozen in fear, unable to speak, Rinji suddenly raised his hand and slammed it against the wall beside her ear.
A kabe-don sealed off her every escape route.
Then Rinji lowered his head, his face drawing closer and closer to hers.
Feeling the heat of each other's breath, Fujiwara's cute cheeks flushed scarlet.
"Secretary Fujiwara…"
Rinji whispered in her ear, his voice low and magnetic.
"Uu…"
"You already lost. Hahaha, pathetic, embarrassing."
"…Eh?"
Fujiwara froze, unable to react to Rinji's sudden switch into a mocking expression.