Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

"Why the sudden hairstyle change, Kaguya-chan? Your old style was so pretty!" Fujiwara Chika's curious gaze locked onto Shinomiya Kaguya, her astonishing sixth sense telling her that something was definitely up.

Sniff sniff… This smells like a special event!

"Oh, it's nothing much. I just felt like a change…" Kaguya replied, gently pushing Chika's bear hug aside and sneaking a glance at Natsukawa Kanade.

Seeing no reaction from him, she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

She had followed Hayasaka's suggestion, changing her hairstyle to catch the president's eye. But he didn't notice at all! How dense can he be?!

Still, no matter. She wasn't going to give up that easily!

When there's no topic, create one. When there's no goodwill, craft shared experiences. If emotional points were lacking, rely on the suspension bridge effect! Nothing would stand in her way. Love is war, and Shinomiya Kaguya never loses!

"You know," Kaguya said, resting a hand on her cheek with a soft smile, her eyes filled with warmth. "There's someone I've been thinking about a lot lately…"

"Eh? Eh?! Someone you're interested in? Tell me, tell me!" Chika bounced with excitement.

"Hmm, how should I put it… He's such a cute boy—hardworking, resilient, never daunted by challenges, and he knows just how to make me smile…"

"Ugh! That's definitely love! Who is it? Tell me, Kaguya-chan!"

"Do I really have to say it here?" Kaguya asked, feigning shyness and looking demure.

"Hmm… Who could it be? What do you think, President?"

Kaguya turned toward Kanade, but he simply shook his head, refusing to engage.

"I think this is a private matter for Shinomiya," Kanade said earnestly. "No need to satisfy Fujiwara's curiosity. Just let things happen naturally."

He meant what he said, though part of him didn't want to hear Kaguya confess her feelings for someone else right in front of him.

"Geez, President Grandpa, so uptight!" Chika waggled her finger at him in disapproval. "Love is the fertilizer for a girl's growth! Romance talk never gets old!"

Detective Chika Fujiwara is on the case!

From seemingly nowhere, Chika produced a detective's hat and magnifying glass, striking a dramatic pose.

"The truth is out there, and it's… Ishigami!"

Meanwhile, in the school store, Ishigami Yuu froze mid-battle for a yakisoba bread. A sudden chill ran down his spine.

"Why does it feel like someone's trying to frame me for something?" Distracted by his paranoia, he was shoved out of the bread-buying war zone.

"Damn it! My yakisoba bread!"

Back in the student council room, Shinomiya Kaguya stared at Chika as if she were an idiot.

In her perfect scenario, Kanade would eagerly ask, "Is it me you're interested in?" Of course, she wouldn't confirm or deny it outright—just enough ambiguity to leave him curious and pave the way for a future confession.

But reality was cruel. Kanade didn't seem the slightest bit interested, as if it didn't matter to him who she liked.

And this airheaded, big-chested cow dared to guess randomly?! What if Kanade misunderstood?!

"Secretary Fujiwara, I'd love to know what logic led you to conclude that I'm interested in Ishigami-kun. Don't you find that… absurd?"

"Eh? Isn't it him? I thought it made sense," Chika replied, scratching her head sheepishly. "Hardworking and resilient… Ishigami is both of those things! It's impressive that he's survived so much and grown up this much!"

"And never daunted by challenges—despite no girls liking him, he's never stopped liking girls!"

"And as for making Kaguya-chan smile, well, you often look at him with a happy expression, don't you?"

Kaguya: "…"

Kanade: "…"

Kanade, who had been feeling uncomfortable and debating whether to leave, couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

Bravo, Fujiwara-san! Truly unparalleled!

"Ahem. Ishigami's not as bad as you're making him sound, Fujiwara," Kanade said, coughing lightly and attempting to defend the absent Ishigami.

Unfortunately, his words fell flat in a room dominated by strong-willed girls.

"I'll admit your reasoning has some merit," Kaguya conceded, "but your conclusion is completely wrong. If I care about Ishigami-kun, it's in the way a mother worries about her wayward son—not any other kind of affection."

"Eh? Not Ishigami? So Kaguya-chan sees him as a kid? That's… a weird dynamic," Chika said, her expression lighting up with curiosity instead of disappointment.

"Then I'll guess… it's Shirogane, right?" Chika continued, shifting gears. "He studies hard, lives bravely, and faces challenges head-on. Though I can't recall him doing anything to make you particularly happy, has he?"

"Of course not!" Kaguya retorted immediately.

Shirogane? Someone she cared about? No way! He was her rival! Her mortal enemy! She'd sooner ship him off to Siberia to dig for potatoes than let him keep stealing Kanade's attention!

"Anyone else is possible, but it's absolutely not Shirogane! Honestly, Fujiwara, if you're going to guess, at least follow some basic reasoning. Making things up won't hold water!"

"Oh, so it's not Shirogane…" Chika finally looked a little deflated.

But Kanade, watching closely, knew Kaguya was lying.

Her loud denial and defensive body language gave her away. When they'd discussed Ishigami, she'd remained calm and composed. But the mere mention of Shirogane made her visibly emotional.

It wasn't hard to deduce the truth: Kaguya liked Shirogane.

Kanade sighed inwardly. He wasn't one to delude himself. When someone rejected him in the past, he'd accepted it without making excuses or clinging to false hope.

He wouldn't fool himself now.

"Whatever! I can't figure it out!" Chika puffed out her cheeks, tossing aside her detective hat and magnifying glass in frustration.

Kaguya opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped, glaring daggers at Chika.

This cow-brained fool ruined everything!

The student council only had three boys. Couldn't she have guessed the president, even once?!

Kaguya had prepared countless responses to subtly nudge Kanade into confessing, but all her plans were now in ruins.

Fine. If no one else would, she'd keep the conversation alive herself!

"Actually, the person I care about—"

"I'm so hungry! Huh? What's that amazing smell?"

Chika's attention snapped to the bento box on Kanade's desk, her tone shifting immediately to that of an excited foodie.

"Big find! Did the president make this? I haven't had your cooking in ages!"

"Uh, yeah," Kanade said, nodding. "But it's already cold. If you want some, I can make more tomorrow—"

"Cold? Who cares? If it's made by the president, it's delicious no matter what!" Chika waved off his concerns and dove into the bento, fishing out a piece of squid sausage.

"Mmm! Delicious! My brain's alive again!"

Kanade opened his mouth, hesitating before deciding against telling her he'd already eaten from the bento. If she didn't mind, why should he?

He sighed inwardly, watching her munch happily. Typical Fujiwara. Impossible to stay mad at.

Notes-Read advances chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i have finished uploading the whole series in patreon, a total of 274 chapters you can find it in the collections, thanks for supporting me and special thanks to all the patrons for joining