SCIAW: Chapter 81: The Transfer Student in the Clubroom

February 14th—Valentine's Day. A day filled with excitement, confessions, and the scent of chocolate lingering in the air. For many, it was an opportunity to express their feelings, a symbolic beginning of spring.

But for Ren, it was just another ordinary day.

His thick-framed glasses concealed much of his face, and even though his hair was neatly trimmed, he remained unnoticed. Not that he minded—Ren never wanted to be in the spotlight.

Understanding one's self was crucial, after all.

Meanwhile, his classmates were taking the occasion very seriously.

By the time morning classes ended, several boys had already received chocolates from various girls. Based on Ren's observations, most of those boys were already dating, though often with someone from another class.

And how did he know this? Simple. Ren had a low presence, which meant he frequently overheard couples talking freely around him.

Especially on the rooftop.

He had, on more than one occasion, been forced to abandon his quiet sanctuary after stumbling upon couples seeking a little too much excitement, sometimes even using the infirmary bed for their rendezvous.

That was his cue to leave.

Now that the morning classes were over, Ren quietly made his way to the clubroom.

However, someone had arrived before him.


---

"Hey hey~ Hello there! Are you part of this club?"

Standing before him was a pink-haired girl in a Teitan High School uniform, a dark black ribbon tied neatly across her bangs.

Fujiwara Chika.

The moment he saw her, Ren immediately recognized her.

A woman known by many as "The Cancer of the Earth."

Of course, that nickname was a bit of an exaggeration. She wasn't actually evil, just… a little too chaotic.

And unfortunately, chaos often won.


---

"Are you a transfer student?" Ren asked, eyeing her with mild curiosity.

"Yep~!" Fujiwara Chika beamed. "I just transferred here today!"

"…I see."

"But you still haven't answered my question!" she leaned in. "Are you a member of this club?"

"Yes."

"Ohhh!"

Fujiwara's eyes immediately lit up.

She had figured out who he was.

"So you're the one, huh?" she grinned.

"The reason Kaguya transferred here."

Ren went silent for a moment before giving a small nod.

"You know Shinomiya?"

"Of course! I'm her best friend!" Fujiwara declared proudly.

With an enthusiastic bounce, she stepped closer and studied him carefully.

Then, after a brief pause, she nodded to herself.

"Yep. Definitely more attractive than the Student Council President."

"…?"

The sudden topic shift caught Ren completely off guard.

Fujiwara's pace was impossible to follow.


---

"Your name is Amamiya Ren, right?"

"Yes…"

"Sorry! I did some research on you beforehand," she admitted cheerfully.

"I wanted to see what kind of boy Kaguya likes~!"

Ren's face twitched slightly.

"Shinomiya doesn't like me."

"You might be mistaken."

Suddenly, Fujiwara froze, her bright blue eyes locking onto him.

Then, from seemingly nowhere, she pulled out a detective hat and placed it on her head.

"That's impossible."

"My instincts as Love Detective Chika never fail!"

"I'm sure Kaguya has already entered love mode!"

Her unwavering confidence was almost convincing.

But not to Ren.

"…Detective Chika," he said, voice calm, "you seem very sure of yourself, but it looks like you've never actually seen a real couple before."

"Huh?"

Fujiwara froze again.

"You haven't seen a real couple, have you?" Ren continued.

"And that includes Shinomiya and the Student Council President."

Fujiwara's brain short-circuited.

"…W-Wait. Hold on a second."

She processed his words slowly.

"I, Fujiwara Chika, the greatest Love Detective, never realized that Kaguya and the President weren't actually a couple…?"

A deep existential crisis began to set in.

"This can't be…!"

She stood frozen for a solid minute, her expression blank, her thoughts spiraling into shutdown mode.

Only after some time did she finally snap out of it.

"NO WAY!"

"I—I missed something so obvious?!"

Ren simply watched, amused by her reaction.

But then, Fujiwara's eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute."

"If Kaguya and the President aren't together… then who else is in a relationship?!"

Ren remained silent, staring at her expectantly.

Fujiwara frowned, thinking hard until a realization hit her like a truck.

"…Wait."

"Could it be… Ishigami?!"

Ren nodded.

Fujiwara's jaw dropped.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. HOLD ON."

"Ishigami?! That Ishigami?! The guy who acts like he hates women?!"

"You're telling me he actually likes someone?!"

"Who?! Who is it?!"

Ren casually answered.

"Koyasu Tsubame."

Fujiwara froze again.

"Koyasu… Tsubame?!"

"The third-year gymnastics club ace?"

"The school's most beloved upperclassman?!"

Fujiwara was in shock.

Ishigami actually had a crush on her?

That gentle, kind, and beloved senior?!

"Ishigami has high standards."

"What happened?!"

"Rejected."

Fujiwara blinked.

"…Yeah, that sounds about right."

It wasn't exactly shocking.

Ishigami had always been seen as gloomy and unapproachable, while Koyasu Tsubame was practically the embodiment of sunshine.

When it came to choosing a boyfriend, someone like her would naturally prefer someone more outgoing and charismatic.

It was a logical outcome.

Still, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Man… that's rough."

"Ishigami isn't a bad guy," Ren said, his tone thoughtful.

"He's kind-hearted, though a little stubborn. His sincerity is actually his best trait."

"But because of what happened to him before, he's been stuck in a gloomy state for a year, and it's given people a bad impression of him."

Fujiwara nodded slowly.

"I get it."

Ishigami had been seriously hurt in the past.

Even so, she never imagined that he actually liked someone and someone so out of reach at that.

"He really aimed high, huh?"

She sighed dramatically.

"If only love was easy."