[TL/N: Read my new work - Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
-------
Kaguya remembered what Alexander had just said—that he was only kind to those he considered "his own." Yet, Alexander had given such a valuable item to Chika Fujiwara but not to her. Did he not regard her as one of his own? Was this a slight against her?
At that moment, Hayasaka stood up, as if to remind her of something.
"Miss, it seems he doesn't see you as one of his own," Hayasaka said.
"Your observation is quite reasonable, but so what? Perhaps he simply prefers Fujiwara-san's type," Kaguya replied. She was about to turn and leave, but her eyes lingered on Chika, who was playing enthusiastically with the Devil Revolver. The sight filled Kaguya with discomfort.
Seeing Kaguya's expression, Hayasaka sighed and said, "Perhaps, Miss, you could consider changing your personality."
"What?" Kaguya scoffed disdainfully. "Are you suggesting I turn into a silly love-struck fool like Fujiwara-san?"
Huh? If Kaguya were to see "Kaguya-sama Love is War" right now, who knows how she would react? Would she feel an overwhelming urge to crawl into a hole?
"Actually, you don't need to go to such lengths. With your looks, Miss, there shouldn't be a problem," Hayasaka said with a smile.
"No problem? How could it possibly be that easy? Love? How could something like that ever involve me?" Kaguya muttered, her thoughts drifting. Then, her gaze shifted back to Hayasaka. "But you—you're always so confident in your charm. If it were you, Hayasaka, I bet you could handle it with ease."
"I suppose so," Hayasaka replied lightly, though her tone was brimming with quiet confidence.
"Oh, is that so? Then why don't you prove it? If you're so confident, go ahead and try charming Alexander," Kaguya said, her voice laced with challenge. "If you can win him over effortlessly, I'll be convinced."
"I never said it would be effortless," Hayasaka responded, keeping her composure.
"Then stop making bold claims without proof. If you don't believe me, go and try it yourself," Kaguya retorted sharply.
Hayasaka remained calm. "I never claimed I could win him over in an instant."
"So, take back your words then," Kaguya shot back.
Hearing Kaguya's dismissive tone, Hayasaka clenched her fists in frustration. Did her Miss truly doubt her abilities? Winning over a man isn't something that happens with the wave of a hand.
"If Miss wishes me to try, I'll do it," Hayasaka finally said.
"Oh? Very well then. I don't expect you to obtain something as rare as a Devil Fruit. Just bring back anything that doesn't belong to our world, and I'll consider it a victory for you," Kaguya said before walking away. On the other side, Hayasaka silently clenched her fists.
"I... I won't fail," she muttered.
——
Elsewhere, Alexander returned home. As he entered, he saw Kurumi sitting on the sofa with Nero and the others, watching TV. They were absorbed in a show called Date A Live Fragment: Date A Bullet. It's a movie about Kurumi.
The group was so engrossed that they hardly noticed Alexander's arrival.
"What's this? A bunch of people fighting to have their wishes granted? With swords and guns, no less. Are you sure this isn't just the Holy Grail War?" Nero complained, her sarcasm drawing chuckles from the others.
"Alright, stop complaining," Alexander said as he walked over. "Kurumi's here at our house anyway, so it's fine. That's just about her avatars; there's no need to worry about it."
Kurumi turned to Alexander with a smile. "Did you finish Tohka's enrollment process?"
"Of course," Alexander nodded.
"Then... does this mean we can finally start dealing with the spirit' issues?" Kurumi asked, her tone tinged with subtle resentment. She had been one of the first to join, yet Alexander had visited every other world except hers.
If it weren't for Tohka's arrival, Alexander probably wouldn't have remembered her world.
Alexander scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh... I've just been really busy."
Kurumi gave him a pointed look. "We're not busy now. Why don't we go take care of it?"
"Alright, alright," Alexander relented. "How about we head there now?"
"Finally," Kurumi said, walking over to Alexander with a graceful stride. The two of them headed toward the world-transmission gate.