Well, yesterday was a mess.

 

After Kaguya arrived, the situation at the house quickly became chaotic. I was able to resolve everything in the moment by sending everyone home, but the main problem has only been postponed. At the very least, I could take a breather during school, knowing that there was no way a situation could arise.

 

“Students, there’s someone I would like to introduce you all to today.”

 

My gut feeling was telling me that something was very wrong here. As the teacher spoke, the classroom fell silent, all eyes turning towards the front of the room. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, bracing myself for whatever surprise awaited us. The door creaked open, and in walked a figure cloaked in an aura of elegance and poise.

 

"Everyone, please give a warm welcome to our new transfer student, Kaguya Hinamori," the teacher announced with a smile.

 

My heart skipped a beat as Kaguya entered the room, her presence commanding attention without effort. She scanned the class with a serene expression, her gaze eventually settling on me. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, as if she knew the turmoil her arrival had caused me.

 

Kaguya gracefully made her way to the front of the class, her steps exuding confidence and grace. The other students whispered among themselves, clearly captivated by her beauty and aura of mystery.

 

"Hello, everyone. Please call me Kaguya. It's a pleasure to meet you all," she spoke with a soft yet authoritative tone, her words carrying a hint of intrigue.

 

The classroom erupted into whispers and murmurs, the students exchanging curious glances. It was evident that Kaguya's arrival had stirred up quite a buzz among my classmates. Even more so for Shizu and Sakura, both of whom glared at Kaguya as if she were their mortal enemy.

 

Transferring this late in the semester was unheard of, but it wasn’t too surprising for the successor of Hinamori Industries. With her family’s prestige, it wouldn’t be too difficult to arrange such matters.

 

Throughout the day, Kaguya made no effort to conceal her interest in me. She would occasionally glance in my direction, a knowing smile playing on her lips whenever our eyes met. It was unnerving, to say the least, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being watched at all times.

 

The silver lining was the fact that she didn’t reveal our relationship to everyone. Having spent a lot of time with me over the game, Kaguya knew I hated being in the spotlight. For that, I was grateful.

 

During lunch break, Shizu and Sakura wasted no time in bombarding me with questions about Kaguya. They were clearly concerned about her sudden appearance and the implications it held for our friendship. I assured them that I had everything under control, though deep down, I wasn’t so sure myself.

 

“Today has been too tiring…”

 

I was walking home by myself because Sakura suddenly pulled Shizu aside and told me to go ahead. Judging by their complicated expressions, I assumed they were going to have a talk with each other about something.

 

“Surprise! Guess who?~”

 

While I was walking, a small pair of hands covered my eyes, obscuring my vision entirely. The hands were soft and feminine, not rough at all like a guy’s hands. Using the process of elimination and my limited pool of female friends, there was only one person it could’ve been.

 

“Kaguya.”

 

“Correct!”

 

Kaguya released her hands from my face. Taking a couple steps back, she leaned forward while keeping her hands behind her back, a happy grin evident on her face. “How did you know that? Well, if I had to guess, that was the power of love at work!”

 

“Uh huh, sure…”

 

It felt weird conversing with Kaguya, not because of her quirks, but because she felt like a completely different person compared to her online counterpart. Kamori was a blunt person who wasn't afraid to say what she wanted to say, while Kaguya was an elegant princess from the Hinamori corporation.

 

“Are you free right now? There’s somewhere I’d like to go,” Kaguya asked, her expectant eyes shining.

 

I shrugged. “Sure, I’m not doing anything.”

 

“Yay! Let’s go right away,” Kaguya clapped her hands.

 

A black limousine arrived the moment she called for it. Was life always this convenient for rich people? If I had a limousine on demand, I would probably not ever need to get a driver’s license.

 

Putting that fantastical dream aside, we both got into the limousine and drove for a few minutes before arriving at the destination.

 

“An otaku enthusiast store?”

 

“Correct! We’ll be going inside to find the new plushies that came out for Wild Rift,” Kaguya beamed, excited to get her favorite characters.

 

The two of us entered the store and began browsing the catalog of items. When it came to anything otaku-related, this store definitely had it. There were figurines, plushies, games, light novels, manga, and so many more things.

 

“Ooh, look at this! It’s Nimurdo from arc three! Ahhhhh, she looks soooooo cuteeee!”

 

Kaguya’s excitement was contagious as she admired the Nimurdo plushie, her eyes sparkling with delight. I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, even though I didn’t share the same level of passion for the character.

 

“Yeah, she does look pretty adorable,” I replied, glancing at the plushie she was holding. It was intricately detailed, with vibrant colors and a cute expression on its face.

 

Even though I wasn’t planning on buying anything today, my otaku urges couldn’t be contained, resulting in a few figurines and manga being bought. What can I say? I’m just a person who’s really passionate about his hobbies.

 

As we made our way through the aisles, Kaguya’s eyes lit up with excitement whenever she spotted something she liked. It was refreshing to see her so genuinely enthralled by something as simple as browsing through a store.

 

“Hey, Kaguya, check this out,” I pointed to a display of limited edition Wild Rift posters.

 

Kaguya practically squealed with delight as she rushed over to examine them. “Oh, these are fantastic! The artwork is stunning!”

 

We spent the next few minutes admiring the intricate designs and vibrant colors of the posters. Kaguya’s enthusiasm was infectious, and soon enough, I found myself getting drawn into the excitement of the moment.

 

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to have one of these hanging in your room?” Kaguya mused, her eyes sparkling with a hint of longing.

 

“Definitely,” I agreed, imagining how cool it would be to decorate my walls with such impressive artwork.

 

As we continued exploring the store, Kaguya’s attention was caught by a display of retro arcade machines tucked away in a corner. Her eyes widened with excitement as she rushed over to inspect them.

 

“Oh wow, I haven’t seen one of these in years!” Kaguya exclaimed, her fingers itching to try them out.

 

I chuckled at her enthusiasm, joining her by the arcade machines. “Care for a game?”

 

Kaguya’s eyes lit up with excitement as she nodded eagerly. “Absolutely! But be warned, I’ve never lost when it comes to arcade games.”

 

I smirked, accepting the challenge. “We’ll see about that.”

 

In the end, I destroyed her in every game without remorse.

 

“Meanie,” Kaguya pouted.

 

I grinned. “Better luck next time.”

 

To get Kaguya’s mind off her devastating losses, we continued looking through the store for anything of interest. After what felt like hours of browsing, we finally decided to head to the checkout counter to make our purchases. Kaguya’s arms were filled with plushies and figurines, a testament to her unbridled enthusiasm for all things otaku.

 

As we stepped out of the store, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets. Kaguya turned to me with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with gratitude.

 

“Thank you for coming with me today, Haruto. I had a wonderful time,” she said, her voice filled with sincerity.

 

I returned her smile, feeling a sense of contentment wash over me. Despite the unexpected turn of events that had brought us together, spending time with Kaguya had been surprisingly enjoyable.

 

“I had a great time as well.”

 

“Really?” Kaguya’s face lit up. “Then, are you ready?”

 

“Ready for what?”

 

I don’t think we’re on the same page here. Please, please, please, don’t be anything problematic. My weak heart desperately needs a break from all the chaos recently.

 

Unfortunately, my luck was as rotten as ever.

 

“Are you ready to go on an adventure?”