Chapter 93: Sakurai Saki, Only Ten Years Old, Doesn't Know What Fear Is
There were more than thirty people in the class, and the cleaning duty rotated once around.
Unexpectedly, it was Sakurai Saki's turn on the very last day before Golden Week vacation.
Today, he managed his emotions quite well—even when arguing with Shinomiya Kaguya at noon, he still maintained the demeanor of a gentleman, never making any personal attacks.
It was the last day of cleaning duty—once it was done, he could go to the house of those five sisters to tutor them for a while, and safely get through this dangerous day.
Thinking of that, Sakurai Saki turned to look at Hayasaka Ai, who was rearranging the desks and chairs.
Today, one of the two remaining people on duty had an emergency, so Hayasaka Ai took over the task for that person.
In his mind, the words Shinomiya Kaguya said at noon echoed again:
[You bastard! You clearly know she like you!]
Had he once played with a girl's feelings? Sorry, but that relationship hadn't even started yet.
In light novels, the kind of indecisive male protagonist usually keeps an ambiguous distance with multiple girls, reaping all the benefits from the beauties, and only in the end chooses one among them.
That's what people call a "Waifu War."
Everyone enjoys the ambiguity, but once the male lead has made his choice, the competition ends, the show wraps up, the curtain falls on the stage, and every other heroine, no matter how loved she may be, must quietly retreat. No matter how much they win over the readers' hearts, if they fail to win the male protagonist's, it's as if they lose all reason for existence.
Once the main heroine is confirmed, no one enjoys the love stage anymore.
Audiences always love the unpredictable dance of fate, because it's the unpredictability that makes things interesting.
Sakurai Saki didn't like romantic light novels where the main heroine was already placed on the cover—that basically meant the final winner had already been decided, and he didn't like such battles.
'As long as someone says those three words to me, I'll give up resisting.' Sakurai Saki always thought so.
He didn't dare to take that step, because that meant breaking the rule he had set for himself.
He still couldn't fully control his superpower, and that could be dangerous to others, so he didn't dare start a relationship.
But he still yearned for love.
So... as long as someone told him [I like you], confessed to him, he would be willing to lower his standards and take the risk to protect that person.
'Half a year! Why is it so hard to hear those three words!?' Sakurai Saki himself also felt confused.
At first, he thought Hayasaka Ai's feelings for him weren't quite at the level of "liking," but since the time she cornered him against the wall, Sakurai Saki realized that she truly did like him.
Similarly, Fujiwara Chika also liked him.
Then why? It's already been half a year, and there hasn't even been one confession? Could it be that he wasn't worthy?
He erased the remaining writing on the blackboard.
A sound came from behind the door.
"Click~"
Sakurai Saki turned back and saw the back door of the classroom had just been closed.
He didn't really mind—after all, the back door should be closed, and the front door didn't need to be.
"I'm going to get water for the plants." Hayasaka Ai glanced over the desks and chairs and saw everything was perfectly neat.
"Umu." Sakurai Saki continued wiping the board.
...
Leaving the classroom, Hayasaka Ai took a few pieces of gum from her pocket and began chewing.
For the first kiss, she wanted to leave a good impression. Sakurai Saki often chewed gum during break time between periods, so this time, the two of them would probably have a good experience.
Since she had decided to confess, Ai-chan was ready to take another step forward—just holding hands wasn't enough to satisfy her.
She discovered that Sakurai Saki was the type who was very hard to break through emotionally, but once the walls were down, he would be as vulnerable as a white rabbit. So this plan was highly feasible.
When she reached the water basin to fetch some water, Hayasaka Ai saw Fujiwara Chika heading toward the student council room.
Black bowtie, radiant face full of smiles, energetic and adorable—compared to herself, Hayasaka Ai, the real Hayasaka Ai, Fujiwara Chika was clearly much more well-liked...
Hayasaka Ai looked down at her hands.
'Can I really do this?'
As a servant of the Shinomiya family, Hayasaka Ai had been bound to them since birth. As both maid and bodyguard to Shinomiya Kaguya, she knew many secrets about the Shinomiya household, and the Shinomiyas would never allow her to leave so easily.
Though she often talked about wanting to quit, she had never truly believed she could escape the Shinomiya family.
'Someone like me… can I really live a happy life?' Hayasaka Ai asked herself.
She realized—probably not.
Every day, 80% of her time was spent taking care of and ensuring the safety of Shinomiya Kaguya. Hayasaka Ai didn't really have much free time.
If they really dated, would there be time to go on dates with him? No—after school, she had to go home with Kaguya-sama.
Normally after school, he went into the student council room—could she follow him there? No—the student council room was Kaguya-sama's private space.
If she left everything behind to run away with him, would he agree? Probably not. He was just a transfer student at Shuchiin, his family ran a wagashi shop—he wouldn't give up his future just to run off with her. As a student council member graduating from Shuchiin, he had a very promising future ahead.
So then… why did she still want to confess to him?
She couldn't even do the basic things a normal girlfriend could do—not even play games with him at night!
"…Maybe I should give up." she whispered.
The courage Hayasaka Ai had just managed to gather had already half vanished in this moment.
"Ai-chan~ what's wrong? The water's spilling out of the jug." From behind, Fujiwara Chika—who had just walked off earlier—came back.
"Eh, really! Oh right, Chika-chan~ why are you here anyway?" Hayasaka Ai returned to her usual gyaru appearance.
"Saw you, so I came to say hi, that's all." Fujiwara Chika explained.
"Alright, I'm heading to the student council room now."
She walked a few steps, then turned back and encouraged: "I don't know what Ai-chan's thinking about, but do your best, okay? Even when something bad happens, keep doing your best!"
"Thank you, Chika-chan."
Hayasaka Ai replied.
Then she picked up the water jug and prepared to head back.
The more you think, the more tangled things get—and the easier it is to overthink gains and losses.
Rather than worry about the future, focus on the present!
Go confess! Go confess to Sakurai Saki!
...
"Something bad happened?"
Sakurai Saki watched as Hayasaka Ai burst into the classroom full of energy, and found it a little strange.
Wasn't she just getting a jug of water? Was it really that serious? She looked like she was about to charge into a battlefield.
"Nothing happened…" Hayasaka Ai placed the jug on the nearest desk.
"Weren't you going to water the plants?" Sakurai Saki asked curiously.
Hayasaka Ai didn't answer that question.
She casually locked the front door of the classroom, while the back door had already been locked earlier — with that, the classroom had become a sealed room.
Sakurai Saki immediately sensed something was off.
Creating a sealed room… could it be an intent to murder?
"Um…" Hayasaka Ai didn't quite know how to begin.
She pretended to grab the jug and get ready to water the plants.
"There's dust on the floor, and it's hard to clean if the doors are open." Hayasaka Ai came up with a clumsy excuse.
"The wind blows in and the dust flies everywhere."
The more she spoke, the more flustered she became: "If we're on cleaning duty, we should do it properly."
A thin stream of water flowed from the jug's spout, dripping onto the leaves of the green plants.
Hayasaka Ai stared fixedly at the jug, until the water nearly overflowed from the pot beneath, and only then did she snap out of it.
Sakurai Saki glanced at the floor — indeed, there was quite a bit of dust.
It had been dry lately, so there was more dust in the air.
But still, closing all the doors just for that felt a little excessive, didn't it?
Hayasaka Ai set down the water jug, and for a moment, her legs felt weak, her heart racing uncontrollably.
She slowly turned around — and saw the person she liked.
Jet-black hair, a fair and handsome face under the setting sun that took her breath away, a slightly disheveled uniform adding a touch of rebellion, even the chalk dust floating around the blackboard seemed more endearing just because he was there.
That beautiful boy was looking at her, the corners of his lips lifting into a soft smile.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
'This is cheating… it's way too unfair.'
Hayasaka Ai thought to herself, then slowly walked toward Sakurai Saki.
Clack, clack~ Her classroom slippers lightly brushed against the floor.
The two of them drew closer and closer.
Sakurai Saki simply thought she was walking over to grab something off the desk.
Until a hand touched his cheek.
'Huh?'
Sakurai Saki turned slightly with her movement, a look of confusion flashing across his face.
"Um…" Hayasaka Ai blushed, stammering, unable to speak.
"I have something I want to say to you."
In this situation, even Sakurai the wooden plank Saki understood what she meant.
[She's about to confess?]
The three words he'd been waiting for all this time...
Yet in this moment, Sakurai Saki found that he didn't really want to hear them. He still remembered the side effects of his ability from earlier today.
Still, even so, his heart couldn't help but beat faster.
"I want to confess to you."
As soon as she said it, Hayasaka Ai buried her face into his chest.
'I can't believe it's actually real…'
Sakurai Saki was briefly at a loss for where to place his hands.
"Your heart's beating so fast…"
Hayasaka Ai's voice rose from his chest — it was completely different from how she sounded in class or when they gamed together. This voice was clearly… spoiled and sweet.
"…Can you hold me?"
With that kind of tone, this was the first time Sakurai Saki had ever heard it from her.
There was no way he could refuse that request.
He wrapped his arms gently around her slender waist. A sweet fragrance drifted from her hair, and from deep within, Sakurai Saki felt a surge of happiness swell in his chest.
Hayasaka Ai looked up — their eyes met.
The distance between them narrowed…
Until they could feel each other's warm breaths.
This time, no one interrupted.
Hayasaka Ai slowly closed her eyes, her arms looping behind Sakurai Saki's neck, pulling him closer.
"Kiss me," she said.
"Mm."
Sakurai Saki tilted his head and kissed her.
At that moment, the world around them seemed to melt away, leaving only the soft feeling of the other's lips.
His heart pounded wildly, far exceeding any limit his superpower could measure — but Sakurai Saki no longer wanted to suppress those feelings.
After a gentle kiss, the two parted slightly.
Catching their breath…
"Not enough…" Hayasaka Ai whispered.
"Mm."
A second later, Sakurai Saki leaned in again.
One minute passed.
"Not enough…"
Two minutes passed.
"Softer~"
Little by little, both of them were swept away by their emotions.
Only after a long while… did their lips finally part.
"Ha…" Hayasaka Ai exhaled in small, soft breaths.
She pouted playfully, complaining, "Next time… can you go easier on me~?"
"I was about to suffocate~"
"Sorry, it's my first time kissing."
Sakurai Saki said, trying to avert his gaze — but he couldn't look away from her.
That fair, delicate face, a few strands of golden hair sticking to her cheek — the breathtaking beauty in that moment radiated an irresistible charm.
In that posture, Sakurai Saki only wanted to treasure her, keep her forever as something that belonged to him alone.
"It's okay…" Hayasaka Ai tiptoed, giving him a peck on the cheek, "You'll get used to it."
She spoke as she gently slipped out of his embrace.
Taking a few steps back—
Sakurai Saki never took his eyes off her.
He knew what she was about to say.
Hayasaka Ai paused for a few seconds, then said softly, "Sakurai-san, I like you."
"I've liked you since half a year ago~"
"Be my boyfriend~"
In that moment, the shy expression on her face, her gentle manner — everything about her was worthy of being etched into memory.
The contrail left behind by an airplane outside the window, the floating dust in the classroom, the distant cawing of a crow from the sports field — everything became crystal clear in Sakurai Saki's senses.
His throat moved slightly, but no sound came out.
A few seconds later—
"…Is that a no?" Hayasaka Ai lowered her head. She stood there, a bit awkwardly.
"Or… you don't want to?"
A few seconds later, Sakurai Saki collected himself and said softly:
"Sorry, I got a little overwhelmed… I didn't know how to respond at first."
Was that… a yes?
A few more seconds passed, and Hayasaka Ai looked up joyfully—
But what she saw on Sakurai Saki's face… was strange.
The way he looked at her—was as if she were a stranger.
"Who are you?" Sakurai Saki glanced around the classroom indifferently, his voice low and flat.
"Hayasaka Ai…" Ai-chan replied faintly, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Sakurai Saki didn't react much.
"So that's it… a side effect?" He checked his ability from today, vaguely realizing something.
He took out his phone and opened the first chat window on LINE.
It was a conversation with Fujiwara Chika.
This person must be someone close to me?
He typed a message: [Fujiwara-san, my younger brother might show up in a bit. Could you go to the locker room downstairs and bring him up for me?]
The side effect was still active—there was a chance his memory regression would continue.
Thinking this, Sakurai Saki began walking toward the classroom door.
Hayasaka Ai stared at his retreating figure, unsure of what to do.
Was that… a rejection?
A few seconds later—
Soft sobs echoed from behind.
Sakurai Saki had just reached the door when he turned back and frowned at her.
"Don't cry. I think I just accepted your confession."
He scowled slightly, unlocked the door, and stepped out of the classroom.
So this is the person who'll become my girlfriend in the future? The one I'd be willing to risk everything to protect?
I don't get it.
...
After heading down to the locker room and confirming no one was there, Sakurai Saki locked the door behind him.
There were no cameras in the locker room.
He had mapped out nearly every blind spot in the school's surveillance system—even before he officially transferred in.
"How many locks should I undo this time?"
Sakurai Saki muttered.
He was referring to the seal system on his body—seven total: both arms, both legs, brain, heart, and head.
His randomly changing superpower every day was a separate system—not relevant for now.
The limbs represented enhanced physical abilities. The heart—regeneration. The head—clairvoyance. The brain—miscellaneous powers. If even one of these was sealed, the power of the related type cannot be used.
Sakurai Saki had never sealed his heart before, and currently, four locks were active: both arms and both legs.
Physical enhancement powers severely affected daily life. So for now, he kept them sealed—after all, strength or speed ten times that of a normal human was hard to control and easily noticeable, risking exposure.
A year ago, Sakurai Saki didn't yet know about the "Future Diary," but he knew how terrifying his past self had been.
"Fwoo~ fwoo~"
Two iron chains appeared from thin air, writhing as they crawled toward Sakurai Saki's body—within seconds, they had merged into him.
With everything done—
Sakurai Saki sat on the bench in the locker room and closed his eyes to rest.
A few minutes later, his body visibly began to shrink.
The uniform that had fit him perfectly was now clearly oversized.
"…Did I isekai to the future or something?"
Little Sakurai looked around.
"This is… the changing room next to the bathhouse?"
If he followed human customs, then right now he should… undress?
Little Sakurai stood up, his young, adorable face completely expressionless.
Due to the lingering side effect, having regressed to the body of a 10-year-old, he wasn't afraid at all.
So, he began to… undress.
...
Note: Goddammit, I hate this! Ai-chan deserves better!!!