Ryota's POV.
It's Saturday! And yep, Tohma-senpai and Sora are coming. Though, I still have work at the café. I'd better ask them first what time they will come here.
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Music Club Group Chat
Ryota:
Tohma-senpai, Sora, what time will you guys come into our house?
Tohma:
Oh, right! You still have your work at your café. When will your café close during the weekends?
Ryota:
8:00 pm. Since it's the weekend. We usually close at 7:00 pm during the weekends.
Sora:
Oh! It means can we stop at your café!?
Tohma:
And since it's 8:00 pm, would you mind if we stay at your place for the whole day?
Ryota:
You guys sure?
Tohma:
Yeah! Sleepover + Netflix marathon!? This is going to be the best!
Sora:
Yeah!
Ryota:
Well, I'll inform my parents about the sleepover.
Tohma:
All right.
Sora:
Take your time.
----------------
I put my phone down and asked my parents.
Ryota: Mom, Dad. Tohma-senpai and Sora are going to our house for a sleepover.
Koharu: Sleepover?
Tatsuya: That's rare for you to bring your friends over in our house.
Saya: Um, this is the first time that he's gonna bring some friends inside the house.
Koharu: Eh!?
Tatsuya: Eh!?
Ryota: Saya's right, though. This is first time I'll bring some friends to our house.
Koharu: But how are you exactly going to do that? We have our work at the café today.
Tatsuya: Hmmm, it's a sleepover. They're probably gonna go during our closing hours.
Ryota: And that's what I wanted to talk about.
Koharu: Well, it's fine for me. I wanted to meet some of your friends in high school.
Koharu: You should also invite your fellow student council members as well!
Ryota: Well........it depends on their schedule. Though, yeah. I can ask them away anytime.
Tatsuya: You know, you've always been on work or sometimes doing your schoolworks when you go home.
Tatsuya: You need to enjoy your youth, y'know.
Saya: Yeah.
Tatsuya: The same goes for the both of you, though.
Saya: Uh, yeah..........
Koharu: Then why don't you let your friends stay here for the day.
Ryota: Eh? But.......
Koharu: Well, if they're also willing to help with our work for today.
Ryota: Hmmmmm.........wait a moment.
I pulled out my phone and messaged the group chat.
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Music Club Groupchat
Ryota:
Tohma-senpai, Sora, my parents proposed that of you guys wanna hang out with, you'd better stay the whole day and whole night.
Sora:
Eh!? Your parents said!?
Tohma:
Say whaaaaaaaat!?
Ryota:
Under the condition that you guys will help us out in our work.
Tohma:
That sounds fair, tbh. After all, we would feel bad that we came there to visit you despite you working at the café.
Sora:
Oooooooh! Working at the famous Kaede Café!? Alright, I'm in!
Tohma:
Me too. When will you guys open?
Ryota:
At 6:00 am. Just a few minutes from now. We're already preparing for opening our café.
Tohma:
Alright, we'll get going now!
Sora:
See ya later!
Ryota:
Yeah. See ya later as well.
-------------
I put down my phone with a smile on my face.
Koharu: Your face is saying me that they accepted it.
Ryota: Yep. They did.
Tatsuya: Alright!
But then my phone buzzes again.
Ryota: Hm? Who could that be?
I saw the stars icon and it was Hayasaka-san.
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Hayasaka
Hayasaka:
I'm free today. So, can I join you guys for the marathon?
Ryota:
Well...........
Ryota:
We changed our plans. It's not just a marathon anymore, it's a sleepover and both Tohma-senpai and Sora will stay in our home for today.
Hayasaka:
Are you sure? I mean, they're your friends but........
Ryota:
It's okay. I know you'll get along with them but, I don't know. Seeing you suddenly wanted to join us, I guess you'd better think this through.
Ryota:
I mean, you're not initially available today, right?
Hayasaka:
Yeah.........
Hayasaka:
I'll see if I can make it.
Ryota:
Just don't force yourself, okay? If you really can't make it, there is no need to be so stuck up about it.
Ryota:
We can still hang out somewhere and sometime.
Hayasaka:
Okay, I'll check my schedule today if I'm free.
---------------
I put my phone down and eat my breakfast.
--------------
Hayasaka's POV.
Hayasaka: We can still hang out sometime, somewhere, huh?
Kaguya: What's wrong, Hayasaka?
Hayasaka: Well, Kaedehara-kun's friends are going to go in their house for today and having a sleepover.
Kaguya: Really? I'm so jealous.
Hayasaka: Hm? What do you mean?
Kaguya: I mean, yeah sure, we already saw their café but not their house.
Kaguya: As far as I know, the building in their café has three floors........on the third floor, that is their living quarters.
Hayasaka: Pretty convenient if you ask me.
Kaguya: True. Not bothering to take transportation if you can make your workplace and your home combined.
Kaguya: So, why bring this up, Hayasaka?
Hayasaka: Um..........
Hayasaka: I........wanted to hang out with Kaedehara-kun.
Kaguya: Aren't you two just hanging out during lunch?
Hayasaka: Well, if he only chooses to have lunch outside. He's always having lunch with the student council or with his clubmates.
Kaguya: Hm........
Kaguya: Say, Hayasaka? Do you like Kaedehara-kun?
Hayasaka: !!!
Hayasaka: T-that question is just from out of nowhere! Also, aren't you supposed to be thinking of your plans for making the president fall for you?
Kaguya: Yeah...........
Kaguya: Wait a minute, don't try to change the topic back at me! Answer my question, do you like Kaedehara-kun?
Hayasaka: .................
Hayasaka: As a friend.
Kaguya: That's not it! What I'm asking is, do you like Kaedehara-kun as a romantic interest?
Hayasaka: I don't know.
Kaguya: *sigh*
Kaguya: Well, I can't blame you. You two really just barely interacted.
Hayasaka: See? I told you?
Kaguya: But whenever I can see you two hanging out, you're smiling.
Hayasaka: That's my acting skills.
Kaguya: Oh, yeah. Right. But........nothing gets past from Kaedehara-kun.
Kaguya: He's a very observant person. When he knows something is up, he'll just act obilivious like he can't see it.
Hayasaka: How do you know about that?
Kaguya: When he learned that I've been stalking him for a while now.
Hayasaka: Wow, I never imagine you to be caught that easily.
Kaguya: Kaedehara-kun is something else. I even thought, why did the president chose him to be the Public Relations Officer of the Student Council.
Hayasaka: Probably due to his observant nature. I mean, he's dealing with public affairs at the school, after all.
Kaguya: An ability to read people........
Hayasaka: You and the president can also do that, given that you two will always manipulate each other on forcing the other to confess.
Kaguya: Urk.
Kaguya: But still, I guess Kaedehara-kun probably knows my schemes for the president and he knows what the president's schemes as well.
Hayasaka: To think there is someone who can see through lies.
Kaguya: In a war, there are always strategic points. In this case, Kaedehara-kun is the strategic point.
Hayasaka: Because you came to the conclusion he can help you or he can help the president in your schemes.
Kaguya: It happened a bunch of times, when he accidentally helped me know more about the president or even put me in the disadvantage.
Kaguya: As long as he is the one standing in the middle of our battlefield, it's always a 50-50 win.
Hayasaka: And if you can get him to your sides.......you'll have the advantage.
Kaguya: Exactly, though we have another problem.
Hayasaka: The secretary. .
Kaguya: Yes, the embodiment of chaos.
Hayasaka: *sigh*
Hayasaka: Plan accordingly, Kaguya-sama.
Kaguya: Also, Hayasaka, it's fine if you wanted to hang out with Kaedehara-kun.
Hayasaka: Are you sure? Maybe you're going to ask help from me or something.
Kaguya: Nah, go ahead. You wanted to hang out with him, right? Might as well, knows what is he like outside of the school.
Hayasaka: I'll give it some thought.
Hayasaka: Do I really want to...........hang out with him? But........
Hayasaka: His friends are also there............not to mention.........
Hayasaka: His family..............
Hayasaka: Wait, why am I even overthinking about this!?
Kaguya: Hayasaka, just go out there and hang out with him!
Hayasaka: But–
Kaguya: Don't worry about me! Just go!
Hayasaka: I......I.........
Kaguya: I'll be fine. Just go.
In the end, I was persuaded to hang out in their house.
----------------
Kaguya's POV.
Kaguya: *sigh*
As soon as Hayasaka went on to change, I lay on my bed.
Kaguya: Now you finally know what it feels like..........
Kaguya: To fall in love with someone.
Kaguya: ...............
Kaguya: Goodluck, Hayasaka.
Kaguya: It's going to be a ton of work.
Kaguya: After all..........
Kaguya: Healing his broken heart, Kaedehara-kun's broken heart, he fact that he still can't move on........
Kaguya: How will she handle that.......
Kaguya: To think that is much harder than confessing to someone.
Kaguya: After all, Kaedehara-kun's case is a different one.
Kaguya: The fact that he lost someone he cherished...........
Kaguya: That it left a scar on his heart.........
Kaguya: Is this why, Kaedehara-kun is afraid........to love?
Kaguya: Hmmmmmmm...........
Kaguya: What can we, his friends do for him? How are we going to help him through this?
Flashback. Kaguya's POV.
Kaedehara-kun went home early because of his work at their café. The moment he left the Student Council Room, the President, who is sitting on his desk, having a pensive look.
Chika: Kaichou? Is there something wrong?
Miyuki: You know, when Kaedehara told us his tragic past, I can't help but think that his past is still...........
Miyuki: Kinda hunts him.
Ishigami: That's kinda creepy, prez.
Miyuki: Eh? Is there any other thing to put it?
Ishigami: Well........yeah. I guess I might've used the same words.
Kaguya: But to think that his past was that much.
Ishigami: Well, losing the people you love is much heavier than a heartbreak.
Ishigami: Just like how your parents or siblings died. In Kaedehara-senpai's case, it's the girl he loved for 7 months.
Ishigami: If they went through a normal break up, it would be easy for him to move on after three years.
Ishigami: But this is different. His ex girlfriend died because of her condition.
Miyuki: How is it that much painful?
Ishigami: Think of it. According to Koharu-san, Kaedehara-senpai and Yuki-san never had any arguments.
Ishigami: Which means, their relationship is going well.
Chika: Oh, you mean.......
Ishigami: Losing the person you love, in such a cruel fate, I think any person would be just as hurt as Kaedehara-senpai.
Ishigami: Especially, if they really both love each other but it was their cruel fate that tore them apart.
Shinomiya: I see. So.........
Shinomiya: He's afraid that it might happen again?
Ishigami: Yes. Maybe that is his trauma. Some sort of a phobia, I guess.
Miyuki: Well, atleast we can do something for him.
Ishigami: Usually, in those kind of situation, I guess this is where the saying is at play, "Time heals all wounds."
Miyuki: Yeah, I know. Moving on and all but for three years?
Chika: I'm kinda sad for Kaedehara-kun for what he went through.
Kaguya: Me too.
Kaguya: After all.........I also lost someone important to me.........
Kaguya: A long time ago..........
Kaguya: That's why.......I can kinda understand him. His sadness and the pain in his heart.