Shinomiya Kaguya, I'm Sure You Wouldn't Want That
Shouted at like that, Shinomiya Kaguya sat frozen in her chair.
It was as if someone had pressed pause on her world.
Her hands and feet turned cold. Her mind went blank, unable to process a single sound from outside.
Then the emptiness shattered.
Rage flooded in.
A mere commoner dared oppose the Shinomiya name like this?
In her entire life, no one had ever spoken to her that way.
But beneath the shock and fury, a tiny spark of something else surfaced, warm and strange.
So there really were people in this world who did not fear my surname.
That flicker barely lifted its head before a heavier wave of humiliation slammed it back down.
Insolent. Rude. Despicable commoner.
She had to strike back. She had to crush this provocation beneath Shinomiya authority.
Shinomiya Kaguya rose slowly and faced Kūjō Ryō across the table, her presence fully unleashed.
"President, mind your words. You are speaking to a Shinomiya heiress. Your disrespect is enough to make you unable to take a single step in this school, or even in this city."
A naked threat.
Ryō met her stare without flinching. "Shinomiya-san, you should remember your position."
"You are a member of the student council now, not a director of the Shinomiya Group."
"Here, your title is Vice President, and I am the President."
Kaguya instinctively wanted to retaliate with something sharper, something crueler.
Before she could, Ryō lifted a hand and cut her off.
"That's enough for today. The meeting is adjourned."
"Shinomiya-san, stay."
"Everyone else, you can go."
Iino and Shirogane Kei looked as if they had been granted amnesty, but they still glanced at the president in worry before hurrying out.
Fujiwara Chika, on her way out, even shot Ryō a secret look of pure admiration that said: President, you're insanely brave.
The door closed softly.
Now only Ryō and Kaguya remained inside, with the bodyguards outside like motionless props.
The tension did not disappear.
It simply shifted from public conflict into a private standoff.
Kaguya adjusted her expression, returning to that flawless mask.
The Ice Princess.
She spoke first.
"President, you have wasted three minutes of my time. If you kept me here to repeat your childish shouting, I can tell you right now, it is futile. My time is valuable."
Ryō did not let her bait him again.
He pulled a chair closer and sat across from her, looking at her calmly.
His voice was steady.
"Shinomiya-san, I didn't keep you here to argue."
"I kept you here to set rules."
"Rules?" A flicker of contempt flashed through her red eyes. "You want to set rules for me?"
Ryō nodded. "Yes. Student council rules."
"First, if you dislike something, you may criticize it. But you must state what is wrong and how it can be improved."
"Second, no one's goodwill is to be trampled on. You can refuse it, but you must refuse politely."
"Third, I am the president. Final decisions belong to me. You can propose any 'efficient' plan you want, but it must be discussed and approved by me."
The frost on Kaguya's face thickened. She almost laughed from sheer anger.
"Absurd. Who do you think you are, using such laughable rules to restrain me?"
Ryō ignored her outburst and asked a question that seemed unrelated.
"Shinomiya-san, you joined the student council only to polish your résumé, correct?"
Kaguya sneered. "Of course. Otherwise, what meaning does this childish little organization have?"
Ryō's tone stayed even.
"According to the Student Council Operating Charter, Article 17, the student council president has the right to initiate a vote of no confidence."
He spoke each word clearly.
"If more than half the members believe you are obstructing the council's functions, you will be removed from all positions immediately."
He leaned slightly forward, eyes locked on hers.
"Shinomiya-san… I'm sure you wouldn't want your résumé to say you were expelled from the student council for being arrogant, rude, and incapable of working with a team, would you?"
Kaguya's expression froze.
She had never even considered that possibility.
In her world, only she rejected others. She had never imagined being "expelled."
But the boy's gaze told her everything.
He was serious.
He really would do it.
A stained record was unacceptable to a perfectionist like Shinomiya Kaguya.
Ryō had found her weak point and pressed it without mercy.
She fell silent. Her slender fingers curled beneath the table while her mind calculated at high speed.
If she continued to fight, this insane president might actually tarnish her résumé.
If she yielded for now, it would be humiliating, but she could keep her seat and plan for later.
After more than ten seconds of silence, Kaguya's edge dulled slightly.
"President… you are interesting."
She shifted her gaze away. Her voice sounded dry, tight.
"For now, I acknowledge your 'rules.' I will use my own methods to make the student council more efficient."
"Let's hope your ability matches your arrogance."
With that, she stood and walked to the door without sparing him another glance.
"Wait," Ryō called.
Kaguya stopped, but did not turn around.
Ryō's voice softened.
"Shinomiya-san, I'm not trying to be your enemy. I only want everyone in the student council to get along, improve together."
"I hope we can become good friends."
Kaguya's back trembled, just barely, as if something had struck her from behind.
She did not answer.
She only made a tiny gesture to the bodyguards.
The door opened, then closed again.
The room was left with Ryō alone.
He released a long breath.
That was not easy.
Honestly, it felt harder than the final boss question on a math exam.
A mechanical voice sounded in his head.
"Host has confronted a high-tier opponent's provocation, defended personal authority and team equality with absolute dominance, perfectly embodying 'No Simping.' Reward: +1 point. Current points: 8."
Meanwhile, Shinomiya Kaguya sat in her family's luxury car on the way home.
She stared at the scenery flashing past the window, but in her mind, one scene replayed again and again.
Ryō slamming the table.
Ryō's anger.
Ryō's unwavering eyes.
Since childhood, anyone who opposed her either refused politely or flattered obediently.
This was the first time someone had raised their voice at her.
The first time someone had threatened her with rules.
The first time someone had treated her as Shinomiya Kaguya herself, not "the Shinomiya heiress."
Good friends?
Without realizing it, she lifted a finger and lightly pressed her chest.
A strange emotion, sour yet oddly hot, spread through the cold chambers of her heart.
What was it?
Anger?
Humiliation?
Or something else entirely?