SCIAW: Chapter 132/133

Chapter 132: Chika – Kaguya, Lend Me Hayasaka
Sitting in the car, Aizawa Sakuya's silver-gray eyes locked onto the three people in front of her.

"You three… shouldn't you explain things to me?"

Nagi, under her gaze, snorted and crossed her arms.

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because if you don't, I'll pester you nonstop until you do."

Nagi almost lost her temper.

But she had to think carefully about the situation because this person really could be annoying.

Annoyed, she couldn't help but grumble.

"This is all Amamiya's fault."

"Why did you have to say all that in front of her?"

Maria, sitting beside her, shook her head slightly.

"Nagi-chan, your behavior with Miss Isumi has completely piqued Miss Sakuya's interest."

"I think even if Mr. Amamiya hadn't mentioned anything, Miss Sakuya would still have dug into it sooner or later. She's not the type to let go of a mystery that easily."

Maria also felt the need to remind Nagi of something.

"Your grandfather already knows what happened to you on Tsukikage Island. There are some things he needs to understand; otherwise, he will be worried."

"Tsk, that old man too."

Nagi clicked her tongue in frustration.

But there was no way to hide it from her grandfather. Given what they knew about Amamiya, her grandfather was also someone who pursued the so-called "royal authority."

That damn old man must know about supernatural things.

The only question was whether or not he had figured out what had happened to her yet…

…Maybe he had already guessed but was just waiting for her to say it herself.

"Nagi-chan, Grandpa is someone who seeks out the unknown. He understands the supernatural better than anyone."

"Mr. Amamiya also said as much."

"So no matter how much you try to hide it, there are some people you just can't keep secrets from forever."

"Isumi, what do you think?"

Maria then turned to Isumi.

"Hmm…"

Isumi stared at Sakuya for a long time before finally speaking.

"Sakuya might be unreliable in some areas, but what she's best at is taking care of people. She's always been considerate of Nagi-chan's feelings, especially when Nagi is upset."

"Even though her cold jokes aren't funny at all and tend to kill the mood, Sakuya would never reveal something carelessly."

As she listened to this evaluation, Sakuya felt a pang in her heart.

Her jokes weren't funny at all…? They killed the mood…?

Each word felt like a knife stabbing into her soul.

At that moment, Sakuya felt her breath hitch. The blood in her face was rushing so fast that her whole face turned slightly red.

"Isumi, you're really not holding back at all, huh?"

"Well, Miss Isumi hit Miss Sakuya right in her weak spot."

"Huh?"

The one who landed the critical hit looked confused, not understanding why Nagi and Maria were saying that.

"I didn't hit Sakuya at all."

"…?"

No critical hit?

Nagi and Maria both turned to look at Sakuya, who was now completely red.

Her face was flushed, the veins on her forehead were twitching, and she showed clear signs of high blood pressure.

If this wasn't a critical hit, then what was?

Seeing Sakuya's expression, Nagi figured it was better to just tell her the truth.

Her grandfather already knew. And this nosy woman was shameless. If she didn't say anything, something irreversible might happen.

After struggling internally for a moment, Nagi made her decision.

"Fine. We'll talk about it when we get back."


---

Meanwhile, in another car, a similar conversation was taking place.

"Kaguya, please lend me Hayasaka."

Chika clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.

Kaguya remained expressionless.

"You're planning to confront your family this soon?"

"Well~ I don't really have a choice."

Having her thoughts exposed so easily, Chika's face twisted into a bitter expression, far from her usual lively and playful self.

"This whole situation has gotten out of control. If I don't tell my father and grandfather soon, I probably won't be allowed to leave home anymore."

Ideally, she would've liked to tell them at a more appropriate time.

But time wasn't on her side.

If she didn't act now, her father and grandfather would make sure she never had the chance to speak up in the future.

Right now, Chika knew, the key to obtaining that diary in the future was Ren.

If she lost the ability to go out freely, how would she ever find a way to surprise her father and grandfather?

It was almost inevitable that they would try to lock her down.

For someone who had already caught a glimpse of something interesting but couldn't reach it, that kind of situation would be pure torment.

To avoid that outcome, Chika had only one option, she needed to give her father and grandfather an ultimatum before they could trap her.

Kaguya considered it for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Hayasaka, go with Fujiwara."

"I understand, Kaguya-sama."

Hayasaka nodded slightly and opened a shimmering doorway in midair.

"Miss Fujiwara, please step in."

"Okay~"

Sitting in the back seat, Chika immediately leaped up, stepping through the door and vanishing into another dimension.

Hayasaka followed right after.

The doorway closed behind them.

Two people had disappeared from the car.

Nao, who was driving, felt like her worldview had just shattered.

She had just watched Chika and her own daughter disappear into thin air.

"Aunt Nao, today is a rare weekend. Contact Uncle Masato later—we'll have a family gathering at my house tonight. A weekend dinner."

Nao took a deep breath, then nodded slightly.

"I understand, Miss Kaguya."

After calming down, Nao started to piece things together.

Now, she understood why Kaguya had such a strong connection with Sanzenin.

It all came down to this.

And now, little by little, they were beginning to uncover the truth.

Nao, whose worldview had just been shattered, quickly composed herself.

At this moment, she demonstrated the impeccable professionalism of a top-tier maid.

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Chapter 133: Why Am I always Scapegoated?

At this moment, inside the Fujiwara household, a grandfather, a maternal grandfather, an uncle, parents, and sisters were all waiting.

"Dad, shouldn't we go pick her up?"

Fujiwara Daichi, always the cautious one, voiced his concern.

But the next second, his father shot him a stern glare, making him freeze in place, not daring to move.

"Chika ran into this mess today, this is all your responsibility as her father."

With a single sentence, the old man pushed all the blame onto his son without hesitation.

"Dad, but Chika transferring schools and going out this weekend was all because you."

Smack!

The old man slammed the table, his stern face dark with irritation.

"You brat! Are you saying this is all my fault!?"

Isn't it, though?

Fujiwara Daichi grumbled internally but kept a cautious expression on his face.

From past experience, he knew better than to argue, so he tried to shift the blame.

"Dad, what I meant was… shouldn't Chika—"

Bang!

This time, it was Chika's maternal grandfather who slammed the table.

"How is any of this my granddaughter's fault!?"

"Son-in-law, are you trying to push responsibility onto my Chika?"

"Don't you agree, in-laws?"

"Absolutely."

Without hesitation, the old man sided with his in-law.

"Chika is still young, of course she's playful. But you? You're a grown man! Can you really be compared to Chika?"

Daichi felt a deep sense of injustice.

An old father and an old father-in-law, whenever his daughter caused trouble, he was always the one sacrificed as the scapegoat.

Meanwhile, the actual troublemaker, Chika, was treated with utmost care and affection, without exception.

"Exactly! Can Dad really be compared to me?"

The two old men were about to nod in agreement—then suddenly froze.

Wait… when did their granddaughter get back?

They hadn't gone to pick her up, and they had been waiting for the Shinomiya family to send her home.

So how had she arrived so quickly?

Just as the two old men were puzzling over this, a circular portal suddenly materialized in the air before everyone's eyes.

A direct assault on their common sense.

As the entire Fujiwara family stood in stunned silence, Chika stepped through the portal with her luggage in tow.

There was no subtlety, no restraint just a blatant, reality-defying event meant to shake them to their core.

The so-called mystery had been unveiled right in front of them.

What the hell?! Is this really my daughter?!

Fujiwara Daichi completely abandoned his usual composure, nearly swearing out loud.

How did my daughter just walk out of thin air?!

At that moment, his mind was in complete chaos.

The two grandfathers, having experienced much in life, were the first to recover.

And despite the shock, they weren't particularly opposed to their granddaughter's involvement in mysterious matters.

Especially now that the truth was right in front of them.

"Chika, you're back. Did you have fun this weekend?"

The old man's smile was as warm as the early spring sun.

"Well… I saw some things I really wish I hadn't."

"But overall, it was a valuable experience, I'd say it was a good learning opportunity for me."

Chika gave a simple summary of her trip.

"Miss Fujiwara."

Before anyone could respond, Hayasaka stepped through the portal behind her.

She bowed politely to the elders.

"Excuse me."

"In order to return Miss Fujiwara home as quickly as possible, we employed some… unconventional methods."

The two old men were momentarily speechless.

Unconventional was an understatement, this was enough to give someone a heart attack.

"It's fine. As long as Chika is home safely, that's what matters."

The old man's expression was no longer imposing, he now looked like any ordinary grandfather.

But those who knew him well understood that, except when dealing with his granddaughter, his presence was always commanding.

Yet, after witnessing something beyond human comprehension, he instinctively knew that this was not something he could confront with mere authority.

Hayasaka gave a small bow and then turned to Chika.

"Miss Fujiwara, since you're home, I'll take my leave."

"Mm, thanks for everything, Hayasaka."

"Please pass my regards to Kaguya when you return."

"I will."

A new portal opened behind Hayasaka, and she calmly stepped back into another dimension.

The moment the door closed, her figure vanished from existence.

It was a scene that deeply shook the hearts of those who saw it.

"Mysteries… truly exist…"

The old man's dignified expression returned.

But when he looked at his beloved granddaughter, his face softened once more.

"I never expected my granddaughter to be caught up in something like this."

"This whole school transfer and weekend trip, so this was the reason."

"They even sent you home this way. Were they afraid that your grandpa and I wouldn't let you go out anymore?"

"Hehe~"

Chika set down her luggage and walked up to her grandfather with a sweet smile.

"No, I was never worried about you and Grandpa stopping me from going out. I was more worried about Dad."

"Grandpa and Grandpa love me the most, why would they ever restrict me?"

"They're only concerned about my safety, that's all."

Hearing this, the two old men were immediately in good spirits.

Their granddaughter's words were like a soothing balm to their hearts.

Unlike that other guy who always spoke so poorly.

"Chika, you're absolutely right. Your grandfathers would never restrict your freedom."

"Our only concern is your safety, like what happened with that drug dealer this time."

"But your father, he kept insisting to us that we should limit your outings."

"…!?"

Daichi stared at his father in shock.

Where the hell did that come from?!

He had been trying to protect his daughter this entire time!

Not once had he ever suggested restricting her movements!

Yet somehow, the blame was suddenly dumped onto him?!

Daichi felt like the ultimate scapegoat.

Not only did he constantly take the blame for his daughter's actions, but now he had to bear the blame from his father and father-in-law as well.

He was starting to wonder if he was even their biological son at this point.

Otherwise, why was he always the one getting thrown under the bus every single time?