Sakurai Saki suffered a terrible defeat in the last monthly exam.
He didn't lose to Kaguya Shinomiya. He lost to himself. In the final subject, he had left dozens of questions blank—an unbearable headache had crippled him, the side effect of his latest superpower. That day, his ability had been Time Stop, one of the more dangerous powers he had randomly acquired.
The previous limitation—only lasting one day—had been removed. His control had increased significantly. But in return, the side effect had transformed into intermittent, crippling headaches.
He had paid for power with pain.
Next time he encountered Time Stop, however, he should be able to use it freely. For anything at all.
That's right. Anything at all.
For example—
Study hard.
If you don't study, you'll be trampled underfoot by others, never to rise again.
Or—
Catch up on sleep.
Long-term insomnia and late nights cause irreversible damage to the body.
And—
...Uh.
That was it. That was all.
Sakurai Saki couldn't think of a third use.
After school. Student Council Room.
Sakurai General Affairs walked in and found Kaguya Shinomiya reading.
She held a hardcover book in her hands, her expression calm as she looked up at the door. In terms of appearance alone, the carbon-based lifeform named Kaguya Shinomiya truly reached the pinnacle of human beauty. Aside from her pitifully flat chest—as flat as the Guanzhong Plain—she was still beautiful.
"Shinomiya-san, reading extracurricular books? You certainly have leisure time."
Sakurai Saki sat on the sofa. His gaze lingered on the coffee table for a few seconds before he pulled a practice workbook from his bag. He had already completed it once—this was review, reinforcing the material.
Why would a superpower user still bother to study?
His answer: It's fun.
Were there other reasons? Games required rules. Even if you cheated, you couldn't overdo it—otherwise, the whole thing lost its meaning. Using superpowers to master knowledge quickly was boring.
"If you're just cramming at the last minute, Sakurai General Affairs, you still won't beat me this time." Kaguya Shinomiya's tone was arrogant.
She had the capital to be arrogant. Sakurai Saki had never beaten her. She was his undefeated opponent.
"Kaguya-chan." He took out a pen, held it between index finger and thumb, and spun it lazily. "Do you think I'll lose this time?"
"Kaguya-chan?" She sneered, her voice carrying frost. "I believe I told you that nickname was forbidden."
Even angry, she maintained her beauty and composure.
Sakurai Saki understood one thing: an angry beautiful girl was still a beautiful girl. (Of course, this observation was no different from a platitude.)
"Isn't it cute?" He stopped the pen's spin and tapped it against the coffee table—a sharp,清脆 sound. "By the way, let's make a bet, Kaguya-san."
He changed his address just enough.
"Hmm~?" Kaguya rested her hand on her smooth chin, a smile curving her lips. "Tell me."
There are always those on the ground who dare to challenge divine majesty.
"The bet will be our rankings on the midterm exam." Sakurai Saki's expression radiated confidence. "The loser must serve the winner for one day. On call. Any request that does not insult the other's dignity can be made, and the loser cannot refuse."
He had no intention of losing. Last time, despite losing dozens of points for nothing, he had still ranked third. There was no reason to lose this time.
"You mean... if you lose, you'll agree to whatever I ask?" Kaguya's expression shifted to one of keen interest.
This wager was very interesting. One victory could wash away all previous humiliations. Going all-in seemed like a safe bet.
But what if she lost? Kaguya Shinomiya certainly wasn't afraid—she was simply considering the worst outcome. If the other party ordered her to do things, there were many ways to avoid compliance. Her maid was also his girlfriend; worst case, she could ask for help.
I'm definitely going to win.
No matter how she turned it over in her mind, she couldn't lose.
"Of course. As long as it doesn't insult the other person's dignity."
"Sakurai-kun." Kaguya's eyes gleamed. "I don't think the stakes are high enough."
She was preparing to play big.
"What do you suggest?"
"How about... the loser wears a maid outfit?" She imagined a boy in a maid costume—deliciously humiliating.
"Then let's add another condition." Sakurai pulled a blank sheet of paper from his bag. "The loser must change how they address the winner. I think 'Master' is appropriate."
"Fine." Kaguya Shinomiya had beaten him in exams more than a dozen times, both major and minor. She saw no reason that pattern would change now.
She extended her hand.
He shook it.
The wager was sealed.
She even began to imagine how she would order him around after winning the bet.
As Sakurai Saki wrote down the terms of the wager, he glanced at her face and offered a reminder: "Kaguya-san, do you think you've already won? People who pop champagne halfway usually don't end well."
He signed the document, then produced an inkpad and pressed his fingerprint.
The sudden formality made Kaguya Shinomiya feel a flicker of unease.
His action was tantamount to telling her directly: I came prepared to make this bet. I am very confident.
"Um... how about we remove the additional clauses?" she said carefully. "Having Sakurai-kun wear a maid outfit might be considered insulting to your dignity."
Sakurai Saki smiled. "Not at all. I love maids. Wearing a maid outfit is perfectly fine."
"Since you've said so." Kaguya snatched the pen from his hand and signed, teeth gritted. Then she pressed her fingerprint—very slowly.
"Kaguya-san, your signature is crooked." He tilted his head. "Hmm? Why is your fingerprinting motion so unsteady? Did you not sleep well last night?"
She ignored him.
Once she finished, Sakurai placed the wager document inside the Student Council Room's storage cabinet.
"We'll retrieve it after the exams." He closed the drawer. "But even if this document were destroyed, Kaguya-san, you would still honor the bet, wouldn't you?"
"I'll return that statement to you. Word for word." Her sneer was cold.
The Shinomiya family might resort to any means necessary, but they did not casually violate their word.
"I look forward to seeing you in a maid outfit, calling me 'Master,' Kaguya-san." His cheerfulness was deliberate.
"Likewise." Her eyes narrowed. "I look forward to the exams arriving quickly."
Sakurai glanced around. Nearly ten minutes had passed, and no one else had arrived. The Student Council's workload had lightened considerably since the ball games tournament.
"Since no one else is coming, I'll head out first." He packed his practice workbook.
"All right. I'll leave after reading a bit more." Kaguya returned her attention to the hardcover book.
After Sakurai left, Kaguya let out a slow breath. Then she reached inside the book's cover and withdrew a folded test paper—hidden between the pages.
He almost found out.
She allowed herself a small smile.
Knowing I was reading a leisure book, Sakurai General Affairs should lower his guard...
Outside the Student Council Room.
Sakurai Saki walked down the hallway, his expression shifting.
Heh.
She was doing practice tests.
Good thing I spotted the eraser shavings on the table. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known.
His face went cold.
Studying is a battlefield. The slightest relaxation can cost you everything.
You cannot drop your guard for even a single moment.
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