"Yashoku, I'm currently trapped in the school equipment shed. Please help me get out of here."
Suppressing the strange, flickering suspicion in his heart regarding the girl, Izuru tapped into the hand speed he'd cultivated through years of elite bachelorhood to fly across his phone's screen. Almost instantly, the message was composed and fired off to the "Ice Queen."
He didn't explain why he was trapped, nor did he mention that Yotsuba Nakano—a girl whose beauty rivaled Kaguya's and whose physical development was, frankly, on a whole other level—was trapped right there with him.
He knew Kaguya understood his heart... Okay, let's be real: Izuru was just being a massive wimp. A total coward.
Despite it being unclear how she actually felt about him after only knowing each other for a few days, he knew one thing for certain: the sight of him, a healthy young man, alone with Yotsuba, a sweet girl with an extraordinary figure, in a pitch-black shed without lights... was something that must never reach the light of day.
In their current situation, any witness would undoubtedly sport a knowing smirk that said, "I get it, I know exactly what's going on, no explanation needed."
Still, Izuru stuck to the plan. Send a message to Shinomiya with a few omitted facts. Given her status, she'd surely dispatch a servant to handle the mess. At that point, he'd just have to bribe or threaten the "dirty-minded" maid using a more "direct" approach to ensure she understood the "truth" according to his version. Then, everything would be golden!
{Yep, no doubt about it—my brain is actually useful...}
Izuru wore a smug grin, completely oblivious to Yotsuba's gaze as she watched him silently in the dark. It was the look of someone who felt everything was going exactly according to plan.
The speed of the reply from the other side was terrifying. Within five minutes, his phone buzzed.
"It's not Yashoku, it's Kaguya. But President, why are you trapped in the shed? Don't you usually avoid that place? Furthermore, as the President of the 'Go Home Club,' it makes zero sense for you to be at school this late. Regardless, just wait a moment. You'll be out shortly."
The message gave Izuru a bit of a start. He knew perfectly well that Kaguya was an "IT illiterate" who barely understood digital technology. Her typing speed was usually pitiful. A paragraph that long would take Izuru seconds, but for her, five minutes might not even be enough.
This meant Kaguya had whipped out her phone and started replying the very second she received his text, without a moment's hesitation...
{Ehhhhh, there's no way she's that invested, right?}
Whatever—he'd worry about the details later. The priority was getting out. Since Kaguya had promised, the problem was solved. With her efficiency-first genius mind, she'd send her fastest servant. That's when Izuru would execute his plan.
"President...?"
Yotsuba's voice was low, and her petite body pressed a little closer to him again.
{Is she really that afraid of the dark?}
Izuru frowned slightly. While having Yotsuba cling to him—giving him all sorts of "bonuses"—made him feel thrilled, happy, and practically over the moon, he was still a model student who prioritized logic. How could he let the girl he liked suffer in fear just for his own base desires?
So, even if it meant letting this "bonus" fly away, even if it meant being labeled "lower than a beast," Izuru resolutely switched on his phone's flashlight to pierce the gloom.
"I'm going to find the light switch..."
"Ehm..."
Yotsuba gave a soft reply. Izuru didn't think much of it, assuming it was just the lingering fear. He focused on holding his phone and sweeping the light around.
The shed wasn't huge, but it clearly hadn't been tidied in ages. Equipment was strewn across the floor, which not only made it hard to find his bearings but also meant he had to step extremely carefully.
After a few moments of intense concentration, Izuru spotted the switch. He moved to take a quick step toward it...
"Wait, President!"
Just as Izuru made his move, Yotsuba let out a panicked cry behind him.
{She really is too scared...}
Realizing his mistake, Izuru spun around, intending to go back and escort her to the switch. But as he turned, he saw it happening.
Because Izuru had suddenly moved away, a panicked Yotsuba had tried to chase after him with a wide stride. Unfortunately, she tripped over a stray dumbbell, lost her balance, and came hurtling toward him!
Izuru's pupils shrank. He knew the floor was a minefield of metal equipment. If Yotsuba hit the deck there, she'd get seriously hurt!
"Look out—!"
Without a second thought, Izuru tossed his phone aside and caught Yotsuba's small frame. In a split second, he adjusted his weight so they both landed on a rare patch of empty floor.
But as luck would have it, thanks to the momentum, Izuru ended up flat on his back with Yotsuba in a "straddling" position—Yotsuba on top, Izuru on the bottom. It was an incredibly shocking pose that would make any witness jump to the wrong conclusion...
{It's fine, it's fine, there's nobody around, especially not a witness...}
Izuru thought with a sigh of relief... for exactly one second.
*CREEEEAK!*
The sound of the door opening. The shed door.
Someone had arrived. And they arrived at the exact moment Izuru and Yotsuba were in this mortifyingly ambiguous position. To make matters worse, they were facing the door directly.
Lying on the floor, Izuru could see the newcomer from the ground up. Instantly, his face went pale, his expression screaming, "Goddess of Misfortune, just drop dead!"
Because the newcomer was none other than Kaguya, the very person he'd asked to save him!
Kaguya stood there, expressionless, with a terrifying dark aura manifesting behind her, staring down at Izuru and Yotsuba with eyes as cold as a frozen grave...