Free Web NovelChapter 319: Chapter 319: Ways to Coax Saint Megumi
Chapter 319: Ways to Coax Saint Megumi
"Uh... Chika?"
Seeing Fujiwara Chika appear, Eriri froze for a moment. Then she immediately revealed a gentle smile and spoke in an extremely soft, elegant tone.
"It really has been a long time."
The speed at which Eriri changed expressions was so fast it made people suspect she had a split personality. Her elegant young lady persona was completely different from the one she showed when facing Kasumigaoka Utaha, where she bared her fangs like a chihuahua ready to bite.
"Oh, right. Vice President, let me introduce you."
Fujiwara Chika pointed at Eriri and introduced her to Asagiri with a sweet smile.
"Her name is Sawamura Spencer Eriri. Our families know each other, and because of work reasons, we’ve known each other since we were very young. She’s my friend."
"Oh, I see."
Asagiri nodded noncommittally. He did not seem very interested in Eriri and simply shifted his gaze toward Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Kasumigaoka Utaha frowned slightly at first, then said with some frustration,
"What? Is the winner going to mock the loser now? Say whatever you want. I won’t argue back."
"Look at what you’re saying. Am I that kind of person?"
Asagiri replied with a smile. Then, before Kasumigaoka Utaha could respond, he added,
"Winning against a genius like Kaguya Shinomiya is something worth being happy about, but winning against you is only to be expected. It’s like asking whether you would feel proud just because you put on your own clothes after waking up today. People don’t feel pleasure from things that are taken for granted."
Hearing this, Fujiwara Chika tugged on Asagiri’s sleeve.
Seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha’s expression darken slightly, she leaned close to Asagiri’s ear and whispered,
"Vice President, your words... seem even harsher than mockery."
Asagiri also leaned close to Fujiwara Chika’s ear and lowered his voice with a smile.
"Couldn’t help it."
Feeling his breath brush against her ear, Fujiwara Chika suddenly realized their whispering was a little too intimate.
When she turned her head and saw Asagiri’s black eyes filled with laughter, her fair cheeks flushed instantly. She subconsciously took two steps back, and even her speech became a little unsteady.
"Th-that... Vice President... The Student Council President asked me to notify you that it’s time to go to the auditorium."
"Oh, right. It is time to go to the auditorium."
After Asagiri left, Eriri looked at Fujiwara Chika, whose face was still flushed red and seemed close to steaming. She could not help but look hesitant as she asked tentatively,
"Chika, you wouldn’t happen to have feelings for this Utsunomiya-san, would you?"
"Eh? Eh?"
Fujiwara Chika let out two confused sounds. Then she put on a smile that anyone could see lacked confidence, waved her hand, and pretended to explain carelessly.
"That... no, it’s not like that. One of my good friends likes him. As a love detective, I’m only here to assist."
"Assist?"
Hearing this extremely forced explanation, Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed to think of something. She said thoughtfully,
"If I understand correctly, that Utsunomiya-san doesn’t have a girlfriend yet?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"What do you mean?"
Fujiwara Chika, who usually greeted everyone with a smile and acted gentle and sweet, suddenly turned serious the moment Kasumigaoka Utaha asked that question.
She stared straight into Kasumigaoka Utaha’s eyes and said word by word,
"I’m warning you. Don’t have any twisted thoughts about Utsunomiya-san, or you will face the judgment of the God of Love!"
"Hmph."
Kasumigaoka Utaha shook her head. She looked at Fujiwara Chika in front of her, then glanced at Eriri beside her, and said indifferently,
"No wonder you two are friends. It seems both of you have a screw loose."
...
A little later, outside Shuchiin Academy’s auditorium.
"Eh, this beautiful and cute classmate, please wait a moment."
Hearing Asagiri’s voice, Kato Megumi first raised her head.
When she saw Asagiri blocking her path with a smile, the corners of her lips almost curved upward. However, she immediately turned her face away and said in a deliberately indifferent tone,
"What is it, classmate?"
Asagiri shifted direction and stood beside Kato Megumi, facing the auditorium doors with her. He smiled.
"A bit cold, aren’t you, Megumi? Are you jealous?"
"I am not..."
Although Kato Megumi denied it, her unhappy yet cute expression, along with the way her hands tugged at the hem of her clothes, clearly conveyed one meaning.
Come coax me.
"Regarding how to coax my cute girlfriend, I thought about it quite seriously. At first, I considered buying you a gift or something."
"Buying a gift? I don’t..."
"I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t be in such a hurry yet."
Asagiri seemed to have long anticipated that a cliché apology method like buying a gift would not be enough to coax Kato Megumi when she was jealous, so he chuckled.
"Do you remember what I once told you?"
"Hmm..."
Kato Megumi thought for a while, then tilted her head cutely and said with some shyness,
"Put my hair up?"
"That’s not it."
"Want to [something] on my face?"
"That’s not it either."
"Turn around and lift your butt up..."
"Stop right there. Why are you acting like Iwanaga Kotoko possessed you?"
Asagiri interrupted Kato Megumi’s words, feeling slightly speechless. Then he took her hand.
Kato Megumi struggled a little, but it was only a halfhearted, coy struggle. Soon, she let Asagiri hold her hand. She even took the initiative to interlock their fingers in an intimate way.
"It’s the sentence I said when we first met. In my eyes, your presence may be low, but you are not ordinary at all."
Hearing Asagiri’s words, a hint of joy appeared in Kato Megumi’s eyes. However, she suppressed it, refusing to let the corners of her lips rise, and said softly,
"You want to coax me with one sentence, and one you’ve already said before at that? You really are insincere. But no matter how many times I hear it, whenever you say that sentence, it makes me very happy, so I forgive you..."
"Hey, don’t be in such a hurry to forgive me."
Just as Kato Megumi was halfway through speaking, Asagiri interrupted her with a smile.
"This isn’t how I plan to coax you. It’s just a recap of past events. The main event is still coming."
...
Fifteen minutes later, behind the curtain beside the auditorium stage.
"Where is that guy?"
Kaguya Shinomiya glanced at the time on her phone, then looked at the Shuchiin Academy and Toyosaki students waiting for the final closing speech of the joint examination.
She frowned slightly and looked at Fujiwara Chika.
"Didn’t I tell you to notify him? Why can’t I even see his shadow?"
"I did notify him, but I didn’t come over with him..."
Fujiwara Chika replied in a low voice. Then she looked toward Yuuki Asuna, who was standing nearby, and asked,
"Asuna, do you know where Utsunomiya-san ran off to?"
"I don’t know."
Yuuki Asuna shook her head and said with a slightly helpless smile.
"Maybe Megumi got jealous, so he ran off to coax her? By the way, for a speech, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for you, Kaguya Shinomiya, as the Student Council President, to do it? It doesn’t have to be Asagiri, right?"
"Nominally, it should be me, but..."
Miwa Ashikaga adjusted her gold rimmed Glasses and picked up where Kaguya Shinomiya left off.
"Only that kid has the unique charisma capable of stirring Shuchiin Academy’s students into excitement and creating the best possible effect, correct?"
"Yes."
Seeing that Kaguya Shinomiya and Miwa Ashikaga shared the same opinion, Fujiwara Chika suddenly had an idea and volunteered.
"Then let me do it? I’m also very good at speeches~"
"No."
However, Kaguya Shinomiya rejected Fujiwara Chika’s offer without hesitation.
"You are indeed very good at speeches, but you are the type of speaker who makes the audience feel goodwill toward you. You’re gentle. If this were for canvassing votes or improving support rates, letting you go up would be fine. But if we want to use the results of this joint examination to establish Ashikaga’s position as Chairman, only Asagiri... only Utsunomiya-san can do it."
Meanwhile, inside the auditorium, in the seats belonging to Class 1-B.
"Why hasn’t Utsunomiya-san appeared yet?"
"Could it be that they’re going to let Kaguya Shinomiya give the speech? I still wanted to hear Utsunomiya-san’s passionate victory speech..."
"Sigh, without Utsunomiya-san’s victory speech, this joint examination feels so dull..."
Listening to the surrounding students’ discussions, Shijo Maki, who was sitting in her seat, could not help but snort. A look of disdain appeared in her eyes as she muttered in a voice almost too soft to hear.
"That Kaguya really is incompetent. Even though she’s the Student Council President, that Utsunomiya stole all the limelight... If I’d known this would happen, I would have run for Student Council President myself..."
Shijo Maki’s attitude toward her distant relative, Kaguya Shinomiya, could be described as both love and hate.
On one hand, she disliked Kaguya Shinomiya’s overly perfect attitude. It made people feel as though Kaguya stood high above them, always regarding herself as part of the main family.
On the other hand, the fact that Kaguya Shinomiya was subordinate to Utsunomiya Asagiri made Maki feel extremely unhappy.
In short, Shijo Maki, like Kaguya Shinomiya, was a very awkward person.
"Everyone, please be quiet."
At that moment, Kaguya Shinomiya finally stepped onto the podium.
After the auditorium fell completely silent, she looked over the students below, many of whom appeared disappointed, and spoke in a calm tone.
"Because Utsunomiya-san has some private matters to attend to, I will be responsible for this speech. First of all, thank you to Toyogasaki Private Academy and everyone from Toyosaki for coming to our Shuchiin Academy to participate..."
Just as Kaguya Shinomiya reached this point, the heavy, tightly closed doors of the auditorium were suddenly pushed open.
For a moment, the eyes of the entire audience turned toward the entrance.
There, they saw Asagiri holding Kato Megumi’s hand. With a smile, he delivered an imposing opening line.
"Am I late?"
.....
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