SCIAW: Chapter 233/234

Chapter 233: A Week of Symptoms
After stepping through the space gate, Hayasaka placed her hands on her lower abdomen and bent forward slightly.

"Good evening, Amamiya-san."

"Good evening, Hayasaka-san."

Since Chika was holding onto him tightly and he couldn't move freely, Ren could only nod slightly in greeting.

"Sorry for troubling you with Fujiwara's situation."

"It's part of my job."

"No, I mean... you might not be able to go back tonight."

Realizing Hayasaka had misunderstood him, Ren quickly gestured to Chika still clinging to him. Clearly, she wouldn't be returning home to rest tonight. This aftermath could last through the night.

Looking at Chika still holding onto Ren, Hayasaka let out a long sigh.

"Amamiya, is the situation Fujiwara encountered really that serious?"

"Yeah, it's quite serious. In that world, loss of control and corruption are practically irreversible. Fujiwara suffered psychological trauma after experiencing both. It's like facing the detonation of Little Boy and walking away with only a scratch."

Ren gave an example that, while not entirely appropriate, perfectly captured Chika's current mental state.

Hearing that, Hayasaka's face twitched.

She had known Chika had gone through something terrible, but she hadn't expected Ren to use such an extreme analogy. What unsettled her more was that Ren's tone was serious—he wasn't joking.

Looking at Chika now, Hayasaka could understand why her condition was so bad. Given something equivalent to a nuclear blast and escaping with only psychological trauma, it was practically a miracle.

"Fujiwara needs time to adjust. If she were a Sequence 7 Telepathist, she could sort herself out. But she isn't there yet, so I have to help her stabilize emotionally."

"If I soothe her mental turbulence a few more times, she'll gradually gain the courage to face it herself. The psychological shadow will fade over time, rather than settle as trauma."

"But... it takes time and patience."

As he spoke, Ren gently stroked Fujiwara's soft hair.

"I originally thought she wouldn't have an episode so soon. But now it seems she's been experiencing similar symptoms every night recently. Things are better during the day, but at night, she needs someone to calm her before she can settle down."

That was indeed troublesome... Hayasaka agreed. Chika's condition clearly required time and consistent care—and more importantly, it required Ren to provide comfort.

"Hayasaka-san, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Please go ahead."

"I've noticed Chika's condition tends to flare up in the evenings. So, I'd like to ask you to bring her over to my place each night."

That request genuinely caught Hayasaka off guard.

However, given Chika's current state, she understood why Ren asked. Her condition was visibly poor, and only Ren's presence could help her stabilize.

I'll bring her over after Miss Kaguya falls asleep... Just thinking about it made Hayasaka feel like Kaguya was being tricked.

But it should be fine.

Kaguya could accept Sonoko, so she likely wouldn't mind Chika. Besides, Chika was suffering from serious psychological trauma. If Kaguya knew that, she wouldn't object. She might look cold, but she was warm-hearted.

After weighing it, Hayasaka nodded slightly.

"I understand. I'll contact Fujiwara after Miss Kaguya falls asleep and bring her here."

"Amamiya, in that case... should I stay too?"

She remembered something similar happening on the last day of the cruise, when she stayed with Chika the whole night. The current situation was clearly close to that.

"It's necessary. Just like now. Hayasaka, stay with her for a bit. I need to change into pajamas."

Hayasaka glanced at Ren, who was currently wearing only a towel. She immediately stepped forward and pried Chika's arms off him.

"Miss Fujiwara, please compose yourself for now."

"Mmm..."

Right now, the last thing Chika wanted was to leave Ren's side. The trauma and his ability to soothe her emotions made her feel secure only when near him.

But Ren couldn't stay like that, dressed in just a towel.

Reluctantly, she nodded and tried to control her emotions.

Taking the opportunity, Ren returned to his room to change into pajamas.

Once he came back, Chika immediately walked up and, just like before, threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.

Ren held her gently, walking to the sofa step by step and sitting down with her still clinging to him.

Watching all of this, Hayasaka couldn't help asking,

"Amamiya, is Miss Fujiwara becoming dependent on you because of the trauma?"

Ren nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. What she went through left a deep imprint. Fear stems from cognition. She saw and recognized things that defy human understanding. And when she resists that recognition, fear surges up."

"The corruption and loss of control affected her deeply. She witnessed too many scenes that shattered her perception of reality. Those memories hit her like mental shrapnel, triggering stress reactions whenever the pain resurfaces."

"This is actually quite normal. Anyone who experienced what she did would react similarly."

"But last night's episode wasn't even the worst. This coming week, her reactions will peak. After that, things should gradually settle down."

A week? That's not long at all… Hayasaka nodded. If it was just a week, she could handle that much.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 234: Hayasaka’s Position

The sun always rose early in the mornings of early spring.

A ray of sunlight shone into the room, warm and gentle, causing Hayasaka, who was still asleep, to subconsciously open her eyes.

"!?"

Suddenly, the enlarged sleeping face in front of her startled her, and she nearly cried out. Fortunately, her professional ethics as a maid allowed her to suppress the reflex.

It's... Ren.

Her hazy consciousness gradually cleared.

Hayasaka began to sort through the current situation.

Yesterday, she had brought Chika to Ren's home, helped ease her lingering psychological trauma, and, considering her condition, decided to stay to take care of her.

But due to the severity of Chika's symptoms this time, Ren had to comfort her through her emotional breakdowns in order to help her fall asleep, which led to the two of them sleeping together.

To prevent Chika from doing something out of line, Hayasaka had no choice but to stay as well and monitor her closely.

That led to the current situation—where the three of them ended up sleeping in the same bed.

She looked down at Chika, who was still nestled in Ren's arms.

If she hadn't picked her up yesterday, she would have seriously suspected that this woman had planned the whole thing... Hayasaka couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

She then looked up at Ren, who was still asleep.

At the moment, he wasn't wearing his glasses, and his bangs were pushed away from his forehead. Only when his face wasn't obscured like this could she clearly see his features.

Ren's face was really perfect for being a gigolo.

At this moment, Hayasaka understood how sharp Sonoko's instincts were. She had set her sights on Ren solely based on his appearance, even without knowing about the diary, and made a deal to date him once she got it.

If Kaguya could be as assertive as Sonoko, she might've already succeeded. Why else would she be getting crushed by Sonoko?

Hayasaka actually understood Kaguy's restraint. After all, they had only known each other for about a month. Confessing and getting into a relationship after such a short time did seem a little rushed. Moreover, Kaguya's personality and upbringing naturally made her approach love with more rationality.

There's nothing more to say at this point. Kaguya and Sonoko were on the same track now.

As for Chika, it was only a matter of time.

Thinking back to how heavily Chika relied on Ren yesterday, seeking comfort in his arms to cope with her fear and trauma, it was obvious that Kaguya hadn't completely fallen into despair yet.

Even I...

Although it might be a little unfair to Kaguya to say this, Hayasaka felt she had a clearer grasp of her own feelings.

She had a crush on Ren, and as she got to know him more, that crush was beginning to deepen.

Just like now.

If she truly didn't have feelings for him, would she have slept in the same bed as the man in front of her and shared a blanket with him? That was clearly unrealistic.

It was only because she didn't dislike him, because she didn't object to it, that she allowed herself to go along with Chika's situation and let things progress in a way that was unfair to Kaguya.

Otherwise, how could a girl maintain this level of contact with a guy she didn't even like?

Of course it was because she didn't hate him.

Faced with a guy she didn't hate, or even liked, and forced to stay with him for a week because of someone else's psychological issues—Hayasaka wasn't sure if she'd be able to hold out.

Take Ren right now, for example—still asleep, with a totally different demeanor from when he was awake.

Unlike his cold and slightly gloomy persona during the day, in his sleep, without any deliberate expressions, his relaxed face was calm and even a little childlike.

Kaguya really had a sharp eye when it came to men. She was on par with Sonoko.

Hayasaka knew this was the first time Kaguya had made such a bold decision, which made her even more certain of Kaguya's taste.

Originally, she thought Kaguya would take a long time to make her move, but with Sonoko pressing forward, everything sped up.

No wonder people say love is about chasing each other. Without that urgency, you'd never feel the heat of it.

But this had nothing to do with her. She was just Kaguya's dowry maid.

She would marry along with Kaguya and live with her and the man she chose. Given the current situation, she might even have to take care of their bedroom matters after they were married.

If the one she had to take care of was Ren, it wouldn't be too big of a problem.

Hayasaka glanced at the time.

5:24.

It was about time to get up.

Considering the situation at the Shinomiya and Fujiwara households, they had to be careful about their movements.

She tidied her pajamas and smoothed her messy hair, then gently pushed Ren, who was still sleeping.

"Amamiya-san, Amamiya-san."

"Hmm?"

Ren frowned slightly in his sleep, then slowly opened his eyes.

"Hayasaka...-san?"

Seeing her in front of him as he woke up startled Ren into full awareness almost instantly.

"Yeah. Amamiya-san, it's still early, but we need to keep an eye on Kaguya-sama, and we also need to make sure Fujiwara's family doesn't notice her condition."

Ren shook his head to wake himself up fully.

"Right."

If it could be avoided, it was better to keep Chika's condition hidden from her family.

It wasn't that her issues were untreatable. But if her family found out right now, it could make things unnecessarily complicated. It was better to handle it quietly without alarming anyone.

"How's Fujiwara-san?"

Ren looked down at Chika, who was still buried in his chest, and gently touched her with his fingers to enter his spiritual vision.

"She's in good condition. Her symptoms were severe yesterday, and she was struggling until really late last night. But that's not a bad thing. With spiritual counseling, her psychological issues can gradually be controlled. Tonight's episode will come later and won't last as long."

"Just like I predicted yesterday. It should take about a week."

At that, Ren glanced at Hayasaka with a hint of apology.

"Sorry, Hayasaka-san. I'll be troubling you this week."

Hayasaka naturally understood what kind of trouble he meant. She simply smiled and reassured him.

"Please don't worry, Amamiya-san. I can adjust my daily schedule accordingly. It won't affect my routine."

(To be continued.)