Chapter 497. The Dual Loser Dogs: Shinomiya and Shijo
Faced with a panicked and furious Shinomiya Kaguya, Shirogane Miyuki could no longer pretend to be a statue.
"It's true that this priestess has her secrets, but to claim she's some villain with ulterior motives is far too arbitrary... and isn't it a bit too early for you to be interrogating me, Shinomiya!?"
In romance, momentum plays a crucial role.
At this very moment, utilizing his knowledge of romantic confrontations, Shirogane Miyuki stood up abruptly and slammed his hands on the table. Without a hint of guilt, he looked directly into the eyes of the aggressively accusing Kaguya.
This approach of counter-attacking instead of retreating instantly overwhelmed Kaguya's momentum, forcing her into a state of stunned silence.
Immediately following this, Shirogane gave a large wave of his hand, launching a relentless pursuit:
"Besides, who do you think I am? Is my love really that cheap? I never expected that after spending two years together day and night, you would still harbor such prejudice against me. I'm truly heartbroken, Shinomiya!"
"Eh? Uh... no, that's not it, I—"
Although Shinomiya Kaguya won more often than she lost in their daily "Love Brain Battles," it was glaringly obvious that once the cards were on the table, her defense was pathetically low. She was sunk instantly, completely at his mercy.
Before she could regain her clarity, Shirogane shifted the conversation, arguing his innocence from a different angle.
"Furthermore, whether I like her or not is one thing, but is it even possible for her to like me?"
He used facts as examples.
"In terms of the charm that attracts girls, Hikigaya is a level above me. Even so, didn't people like Ram, Mimi, several Witches, and Arakiura still fail to fall in love with him?"
It wasn't a given that just because a man or woman was excellent, other high-quality members of the opposite sex would certainly fall for them. It involved factors like personality compatibility and shared experiences. For instance, Mimi liked boisterous boys like Garfiel who loved to brag; no matter how excellent someone else was, she would never abandon Garfiel for another man.
"Hmm, that makes a lot of sense."
Fujiwara Chika joined in from the side with sincere agreement. "Even though Kaguya-san likes the President very much, the President's eyes are so fierce that many people actually find it hard to like him."
"T-Then that means!" Listening to the two of them chime in together, Kaguya couldn't help but be moved. She felt that, as expected, her position was as steady as an old hound.
She began to soften... but it wasn't enough. In a few minutes, her brain would likely reclaim the high ground.
Shirogane Miyuki rolled his eyes slightly and leaned his upper body forward, wearing a deep, meaningful expression.
"So, what are you afraid of, and what are you accusing me of, Shinomiya? It's clearly impossible between this priestess and me at this stage."
After saying this, he let out a mockingly enlightened "Oh," narrowing his eyes as the corners of his mouth curled into a teasing arc.
"I see. So you love me so much you can't help yourself, and you're terrified of losing me. I see, I see. In that case, I can forgive your anxiety, Shinomiya."
"Wha—"
Shinomiya Kaguya turned into a steam engine, her brain completely short-circuiting from embarrassment.
Although the President was right, and even though her feelings were now known to the whole world, if she admitted to loving him to such a degree, wouldn't she lose the game for good? She absolutely didn't want that to happen!
She racked her brains for a way to rebut... but in the meantime, she had fallen completely into a disadvantage, utterly played by Shirogane Miyuki.
"Uwaw..." A trembling Miko Iino couldn't quite grasp the nuances of the battle, but judging by the outcome alone, she knew the President was on a "Mega Kill" streak.
Ishigami Yu scratched his head. He didn't understand. In their previous "love consultations," the President's level wasn't high at all. How could he have improved so much all of a sudden?
Taking in everyone in the Student Council room, Shirogane Miyuki held his head high with a smile.
It was true that he used to be at the level of "two noobs pecking at each other" with Kaguya, but he hadn't watched Hikigaya Hachiman's romantic journey for nothing. While he could never reach the supreme heights seen in those broadcasts, merely learning a fraction of it allowed him to feel his own exponential growth.
Specifically, the video had outed his feelings directly, leaving him with no retreat. Thanks to that, he had barely managed to reach the current realm of Hikigaya Hachiman.
That is to say: he no longer made mistakes due to embarrassment over his love, he was brave enough to throw straight balls, and brave enough to accept the straight balls of his beloved.
In contrast, Shinomiya Kaguya had watched for nothing; she hadn't improved at all. Even now, her thoughts became a mess whenever a straight ball was involved.
The gap between them was now clear.
Today, Shirogane Miyuki had no problem crushing a mere Shinomiya Kaguya!
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Kaguya's crusade ended in failure, but outside the Student Council, people's thoughts were varied.
Most Shuchiin students were fans of Kaguya and the "Shirogane x Kaguya" ship. Consequently, they were currently shouting fierce slogans like "Expel Shiro-Kikyo, Restore Shiro-Kaguya!" Although the so-called "Shirogane x Kikyo" ship didn't even have a single hair of evidence yet, they were already taking precautions.
Outside Shuchiin, however, no one viewed this isekai world with the premise that "Shirogane Miyuki and Kikyo would have a romantic entanglement." After all, that would be quite disrespectful to the pure and honorable Kikyo.
"And it would be too unfriendly to that Shinomiya Kaguya, just like Yukinoshita... Oh crap, why am I getting excited just thinking about that?" Kousaka Kyousuke was shocked; he hadn't expected to unknowingly develop such a bizarre hobby.
Just as he was feeling lost, his sister Kirino Kousaka patted his shoulder. Her eyes were deep and filled with a philosophical aura as she said:
"That day, when I saw Yukinoshita abandoned, sitting in the Service Club crying her eyes out, I was thinking... Emilia and Rem are number one in the world, and Yukinoshita's crying is just so satisfying, pfft hahahahaha!"
The siblings had both developed the wicked taste for watching a "better Genuine" persecute the "Original Partner"!
Under Kirino's vivid description, Kyousuke had already begun to visualize the scene of Kikyo absolutely obliterating a weeping Shinomiya Kaguya.
"There is hell ahead."
He tried his best to suppress this mental imagery, but he already had one foot through the door.
Thus, Kousaka Kyousuke focused intensely on the video. He hoped there wouldn't be the slightest spark between Kikyo and Shirogane later on; otherwise, he feared he might truly be lost to the dark side.
Meanwhile, in the distant Shijo residence, there was a stunned, pitiful child still immersed in despair.
That was Shijo Maki's twin brother, the genius who harbored a secret crush on Shinomiya Kaguya: Maki's brother, Maki's twin... Shijo Mikado.
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