Chapter 264 – Has Ice Kaguya Turned into "Love-Brain-Dead Kaguya"?
Shuchiin Private Academy.
Student Council Room.
"Is it really... not going to look weird like this?"
(،،>﹏<،،)
Shinomiya Kaguya showed a typically girlish worried expression, staring intently at herself in the mirror.
Standing beside her, Hayasaka Ai felt a slight headache coming on.
"(ノ _ <,, )
Since early morning, her Oujou-sama had suddenly said she wanted to change her image a little.
Because makeup was banned at Shuchiin,
After careful consideration, Hayasaka Ai decided that changing her hairstyle would be the simplest option.
So she lent a hand, gathering up the long black hair that had been flowing down her Oujou-sama's back.
Based on Shinomiya Kaguya's usual image,
Hayasaka Ai first tied her hair into a ponytail—
Then folded the end of the ponytail back once, securing it with a dark red ribbon.
That way, the excess hair wouldn't fall down anymore.
From the front, it looked neat and elegant.
The ribbon at the back of her head became a cute focal point, adding a touch of moe.
The image of the "Ice Princess" Shinomiya Kaguya was suddenly transformed—
Into a graceful young lady with a hint of cuteness, very eye-catching.
Even though the transformation was flawless,
Shinomiya Kaguya was still repeatedly checking herself in the mirror.
It was unclear whether it was because she feared someone (whose name started with Y-A) wouldn't like her new look.
Hayasaka Ai had never imagined a scene like this before—
Her Oujou-sama checking herself in the mirror back and forth like this.
Ever since returning from the deserted island...
Shinomiya Kaguya seemed like she had turned into a completely different person.
Although most of the time she was still clear-headed,
Every now and then, she would act foolishly.
Especially whenever anything related to Yukima Azuma came up.
It was like her IQ would suddenly drop to zero in an instant.
If Hayasaka Ai hadn't checked and confirmed that her Oujou-sama was still 100% the original Shinomiya Kaguya—
She would've thought that on that deserted island, Yukima Azuma had trained her Oujou-sama into...
Thinking about such blasphemous things,
Hayasaka Ai shook her head, brushing the words like "SM, Pet, Hard Play" out of her mind.
(˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)
How could she think of her Oujou-sama like that?
Her Oujou-sama probably just had water in the brain.
After looking at herself in the mirror over and over again, Shinomiya Kaguya finally set it down.
She waited eagerly for Yukima Azuma to walk into the student council room.
Then see her new image and say something.
Would he like it?
Would he even notice?
(≧ᴗ≦✿)
"It's almost time for the parent-teacher meeting."
Hayasaka Ai spoke up to remind her.
Which made Shinomiya Kaguya realize that now wasn't the time for idle fantasies.
The Shinomiya family would be sending someone to attend the parent-teacher meeting.
If Shinomiya Kaguya performed poorly during it—
It would definitely be reported back.
At that point, the little freedom she still had might very well be taken away.
Upon hearing that,
The bright look of anticipation on Shinomiya Kaguya's face dimmed a little.
Although in name, she was the Oujou-sama of the Shinomiya family, the heir of the main lineage,
In reality, within the Shinomiya household, she had to tread extremely carefully.
Just one small misstep,
And she would be punished severely without hesitation.
Being the Oujou-sama didn't mean she had freedom.
Shinomiya Kaguya unconsciously recalled the days she spent on the deserted island.
Since birth, those might have been the only days when she truly felt free.
She shook her head, dispelling those thoughts.
She wasn't the type to drown in memories or run away from problems.
No matter how dark the road ahead might be, she had to keep walking forward.
"Is Hayasaka's mother, Nao-san, coming?"
Shinomiya Kaguya asked casually.
But there was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Her own mother had already passed away.
And her father...
Don't even mention the idea of Shinomiya Gan'an ever attending a parent-teacher meeting because of her.
Even if he did show up, Shinomiya Kaguya would hardly feel even a shred of affection from Shinomiya Gan'an.
That so-called head of the Shinomiya family, her father in name—
The number of times they had met could be counted on one hand.
Let alone any affection between father and daughter.
If he suddenly showed up now, Shinomiya Kaguya would instead suspect he had ulterior motives.
As soon as she heard that, Hayasaka Ai immediately showed a hint of irritation.
"She's not coming. She's probably still busy over on Wall Street."
"She probably forgot she even has a daughter!"
૮₍ ˶>⤙<˶ ₎ა
As a thousand-faced maid—
Hayasaka Ai almost never revealed her emotions openly.
Even if she did, it was usually just an act.
But this time, it was real.
Her words had a bit of a tsundere flavor.
The anticipation of Hayasaka Nao coming—was practically about to spill out of her.
"Nao-nee, someone's talking bad about you, it seems."
Just then, the student council room door was pushed open.
Yukima Azuma's voice echoed from outside.
The moment Hayasaka Ai heard the name "Nao," she immediately turned her head.
Sure enough, standing behind Yukima Azuma was a graceful onee-san silhouette.
Today, Hayasaka Nao wore a long white dress, with a round-brimmed sunhat on her head.
She looked exactly like a stylish older sister on vacation.
"Mom!"
The moment Hayasaka Ai saw Hayasaka Nao, she couldn't take her eyes off her.
She ran over as if she were about to leap into Hayasaka Nao's arms.
Hayasaka Nao extended a hand and gently tapped her finger on Hayasaka Ai's forehead.
"How could I forget my adorable daughter?"
Poked in the forehead, Hayasaka Ai gave a happy smile.
After comforting her daughter,
Hayasaka Nao removed her hat and bowed politely to Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Kaguya-sama, wishing you good health."
"I've been appointed by the Shinomiya family to attend the parent-teacher meeting this time."
Shinomiya Kaguya gave a light nod.
But her attention wasn't really on Hayasaka Nao.
It was mostly fixed on Yukima Azuma.
Although Hayasaka Nao showing up was a bit unexpected, it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
Besides, if it had been another official from the Shinomiya family, Kaguya's reaction likely wouldn't have been much different.
"Good afternoon, Azuma-kun."
(✿ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)⁾⁾
Shinomiya Kaguya greeted Yukima Azuma.
Her small head tilted slightly, as if she had moved unconsciously.
The dark red ribbon tied in her bun swayed lightly, looking like a fluttering butterfly.
"Good afternoon, President Kaguya… you changed your hairstyle today, huh."
Yukima Azuma, of course, noticed the change in Shinomiya Kaguya's hairstyle the moment he arrived.
This current hairstyle was actually the one he remembered Kaguya usually having in his memories.
But still, changing back to this style—did that mean Ice Kaguya had turned into "Love-Brain-Dead Kaguya"?
Yukima Azuma found it rather interesting.
"Umu, after coming back from the sea, it feels like I'm starting life over again."
"So I wanted to change my image a little... how is it?"
(,,¬﹏¬,,)
Shinomiya Kaguya asked with a hint of shyness.
She looked intently at Yukima Azuma, waiting for the boy's answer.
"It really suits you. Elegant and lively, and you seem even more feminine than before—very cute."
Yukima Azuma didn't hesitate to compliment her.
The corners of Shinomiya Kaguya's mouth clearly lifted.
(❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡
Her slender, pale hand quickly pressed to her cheek.
After forcing herself to calm down,
Shinomiya Kaguya gave a soft smile and nodded.
"Thank you for the compliment. It's just a small experiment."
Standing nearby, Hayasaka Nao raised an eyebrow as she watched this scene.
At that moment, Hayasaka Ai finally wrapped her arms around her mother after some hesitation.
Hayasaka Nao gently patted her daughter's head.
Then she bent down, leaned close to Hayasaka Ai's ear, and whispered softly:
"What's the story with those two?"
Because she knew very well that the Shinomiya Kaguya she once knew was never that kind of person.
Even though she was an official of the Shinomiya family,
Hayasaka Nao had been stationed overseas.
So of course, she didn't know what had happened recently.
When asked by her mother,
Hayasaka Ai leaned in and whispered the whole backstory.
After all the missing drama was filled in—
A sparkle lit up in Hayasaka Nao's eyes.
Omoishiroi!
( • ̀ω•́ )✧