Chapter 49: Fujiwara Secretary's Triple Kill
"Would you dare to swear a deadly oath? If you started reviewing half a month ago, you'll never have a boyfriend in this lifetime. How about that?"
Ronan felt that this oath wasn't too harsh, as he observed that Kaguya seemed uninterested in boys or romance. It was just an instinctive counterattack, and he himself thought it wasn't a big deal.
However, upon hearing Ronan's demand for a deadly oath, Kaguya hesitated—a rare occurrence for her.
Swearing deadly oaths is generally a matter of personal belief, often tied to superstition and usually just a heated remark in the moment. Those who don't believe in such things would typically just go ahead and swear.
Kaguya, of course, knew this, but at this moment, she hesitated.
Her eyes secretly glanced at Shirogane, who was sitting at the desk.
At this moment, Kaguya truly didn't dare to swear this oath.
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead as she desperately tried to find a way out of this predicament.
This was far more exhausting than her usual battles of wits with Shirogane, where they would gradually push each other to the brink of confession. Ronan, however, was completely different.
He went straight for the kill, pushing her to the edge of "dying alone."
'Think carefully. If I refuse to swear the oath outright, it would be tantamount to admitting that I've been secretly reviewing. Then the rumor would spread that I've been misleading my classmates while studying in secret, and my dignity would be ruined. But if I swear the oath...'
She glanced again at Shirogane beside her.
'How could I possibly swear such an oath!!!!'
Kaguya simply couldn't stay calm when it came to matters involving Shirogane.
Ronan watched Kaguya, who stood frozen and sweating, with a hint of curiosity and suspicion in his eyes.
'Is she worried about not finding a boyfriend? That shouldn't be the case. From her demeanor, it's clear she sees all the boys at school as insects (misconception). But if she's genuinely worried, then... could it be that she really has been secretly reviewing at home?'
"Miss Shinomiya."
"Huh?"
"You haven't... really been secretly reviewing at home, have you?"
"What? What nonsense are you talking about!?" Kaguya shouted, her grip on the teacup trembling slightly. "How absurd! Why would I do something like that!?"
"If you haven't, then why is swearing this oath so difficult for you?"
'Of course it's difficult!!'
"It's not... particularly difficult... it's just... I think it's meaningless."
"Exactly, it's completely meaningless."
At that moment, that woman—Chika Fujiwara—stepped forward.
"Huh?"
"Using someone else's misfortune as a bet is just too cruel. Ronan-kun's idea is too dark!" Chika puffed up her cheeks in anger. "And it's not fun at all. We should change the bet."
This woman hadn't even clearly understood what the two were betting on, but whenever it involved romance, she was always eager to jump in.
Kaguya: 'Thank goodness, as expected of Fujiwara-san!'
Ronan: 'Tch, this woman again.'
He sat back in his chair, crossing his legs, and asked Chika, "Well then, Fujiwara-san, what do you suggest we bet on?"
"Let me think..."
Chika tapped her chin with her finger, pondering for a moment before suddenly smiling.
"How about this: whoever loses the bet has to confess to the person they like!"
Shinomiya & Ronan: 'Is this woman a demon!?'
"Uh, Fujiwara-san... isn't confessing a bit too reckless?" Kaguya said, sweating slightly. "And what if someone doesn't have a person they like?"
"Ah... for once, I actually agree with you, Miss Shinomiya."
Ronan glanced to the side, pretending to be indifferent as he spoke.
"After all, this kind of thing goes against school rules. High school students dating is just too problematic..."
"What's wrong with that? If you like someone, you should express it boldly. Isn't that the right thing to do?"
Kaguya & Ronan: 'The right thing, my foot.'
In truth, Ronan wasn't afraid because he genuinely hadn't been reviewing. However, the word "confession" was a psychological scar for him, causing him to momentarily forget that he was actually in a winning position.
It was like someone facing a high-stakes gamble—even if they were sure to win, they'd still become overly cautious.
Meanwhile, Shirogane, who had been quietly working, suddenly perked up. He subtly gave Chika a thumbs-up and said with feigned composure, "Hmm, I think this proposal is quite good."
But his inner thoughts were:
'Kaguya definitely went back to review. If this proposal works, she'll confess, which means I win...'
"Really, President?!"
Chika beamed with joy upon hearing Shirogane's approval, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.
"Of course, it's an excellent suggestion..."
"Then you should join in too, President~"
"!!?"
The smile instantly vanished from Shirogane's face.
In fact, everyone in the student council office except Chika now wore a serious expression.
All three of them suffered from "confession phobia."
In reality, no one could verify the truthfulness of a deadly oath. They could just insist they hadn't reviewed, and even if they lost, they could always weasel out of it later.
The problem was that all three of them had momentarily lost their composure.
However, Ronan quickly regained his calm. After thinking it over, he realized he hadn't even touched his books during his suspension, so there was no way he had been reviewing. No matter how they bet, he would win, and any oath would have no effect on him.
"I'm fine with it. I can swear the oath," Ronan said, raising his hand.
"Eh!? Don't be impulsive!"
"Uh, Ronan... maybe you should think about it again?"
Both Kaguya and Shirogane panicked upon seeing Ronan's willingness to continue. If he kept going, it meant neither of them could escape.
At that moment, Chika suddenly grabbed Ronan's shoulder.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"I'm really sorry, Ronan-kun," Chika said, her expression on the verge of tears as she apologized.
"What?"
"I forgot that you had a failed confession in the past. If you haven't gotten over that girl, then this would mean you'd have to confess to her again. Confessing to someone who already rejected you is basically impossible to succeed—it's like committing social suicide."
*Stab!*
Her words felt like a knife plunging into Ronan's chest.
"I didn't think it through properly. I shouldn't have let you suffer a second trauma..."
*Stab!*
Ronan felt as though he had been stabbed twice in the chest.
His face turned ashen as he slowly made his way toward the student council office door.
"President, I think I need to go die for a bit. I'll take my leave now."
"Uh, please don't actually die..."
After Ronan left, the bet about swearing the oath naturally fizzled out.
At the same time, he swore to himself that he would never come to the student council room again when Chika was around.
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