[TSSIM] Chapter 405: A Goodbye Kiss

Although Chika asked about Homura's reasons for liking Kaguya, he started talking from the time he first met Kaguya and Chika.

With Kaguya and Chika, along with Ai listening remotely through her earpiece, Homura recounted the past.

===

"Fortunately... in the end, we managed to succeed, melting the solid ice encasing 'Ice Princess'."

Homura spoke with a smile as he finished recounting the past.

"Though reminiscing about it was nice..." Chika nodded. "That's not why Homura-kun likes Kaguya-chan, right?"

"Okay, okay..." Homura sighed. "After saying all that, it's obvious I've gone from liking her bit by bit to liking her entirely."

"Plus, even though Kaguya can be so tsundere, sometimes she shows this cute side that I really adore." Homura added and chuckled.

"Tsundere, huh..." Chika chuckled a bit.

"Cute side..." Kaguya's mouth twitched, unable to resist patting him.

"Chika, you deliberately asked me those two questions... not at all to verify if I was lying?" Homura said in a questioning tone but with an affirmative air.

"After spending so much time with you, I know you wouldn't lie to us! At least, not to me!" Chika smiled warmly.

"My goodness... you're really helpless..." Homura sighed with a faint smile.

Although he realized that, through his interactions with them, he was gradually developing fondness for them and eventually liking them, he wondered what they saw in him during their time together.

"By the way, it's time to go." Homura stood up upon seeing the clock on the wall.

"Um." Kaguya nodded, stretching her body as she stood up. "Anyway, if we want to have a chat, we can always do it online... And I'll come to find you too, it's time I made my voice heard at home..."

Kaguya, who had always hesitated before, seemed more relaxed now. It seemed like she wanted to break free from the constraints her family had put on her.

"Have you made up your mind?" Homura asked gently.

Kaguya shook her head.

"Not yet... I haven't found the right opportunity recently... If I do, I will."

"I, Chika, Eriri, Tsumugi, Saori, we're all your support. Once you've made up your mind, nothing will be a problem!" Homura grinned.

"Um... thank you." Kaguya smiled gently.

Seeing her smile, Homura patted her head and asked, "What are you thanking me for? Do we still need thanks between us?"

"That's right! Kaguya-chan, feel free to rely on me too!"

Chika patted her own chest heavily, causing Kaguya significant damage.

Kaguya: "..."

"Oh? Kaguya-chan! Do you have a special hobby?" Chika asked with a teasing smile as she noticed Kaguya staring intently at her chest.

"..."

Hearing Chika's words, Homura felt his nose itch.

"Hobby this, hobby that, it seems like you're the one with a special hobby..." Kaguya glared indignantly at Chika.

"Nope~" Chika denied with a smile.

"Alright, let's get going already!" Kaguya started ushering everyone out of her room.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Kaguya-chan~" Chika waved her hands cheerfully.

"Kaguya..." Homura turned his head.

"Hmm?" Kaguya turned to look at him.

"Where is the 'have a safe trip'?" Homura couldn't help but smile.

Upon hearing that, Kaguya was confused for a moment before blushing deeply, her mind starting to imagine a scene.

As Homura's wife, she saw him off at the front door.

"Honey, I'm going." Homura, clad in a black office suit and holding a briefcase, said with a smile.

"Darling, have a safe trip." Kaguya replied warmly, leaning close to him with eyes closed.

Bit by bit, their lips drew closer and closer, until—

"Kyaaa—!"

Kaguya frantically waved her hands to dismiss her imagination!

Seeing Homura's amused smile, Kaguya yelled out.

"No way!"

"Okay, then I'll give you a goodbye kiss." Homura shrugged his shoulders casually.

In the next moment, they started kissing.

"Mmm~" Kaguya wanted to get away but eventually relented and closed her eyes.

"Ohh!" Chika, astonished, peeked through her fingers and watched the scene unabashedly.

After a while, the kiss finally ended.

"Yosh, let's go!" Homura waved his hand and quickly left the room.

Kaguya's eyes were unfocused, but when she came back to her senses, she realized Chika hadn't left yet. Just as she was about to say something, Chika spoke up.

"Kaguya-chan, how about my goodbye kiss?"

Turning crimson, Kaguya pushed Chika out the door.

"Just go already!"

Click

"Ehehe, Kaguya-chan is really too shy..."

Chika chuckled as she watched the door close before turning and waving her hand.

"Homura-kun, wait for me~!"

With that, she ran after Homura, even though he was already waiting for her.

===

Thud Thud Thud

"Kaguya-sama, it's me."

After the sound of door knocks, Ai's voice came.

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

As soon as Ai entered, she spotted Kaguya poking out from under her covers.

"Kaguya-sama, how are you feeling? Is your body alright?"

Swish!

"How did you know?!" Kaguya exclaimed, throwing off the covers in surprise, her face flushing uncontrollably.

"I heard."

Ai answered calmly and briefly, pulling out a small item from behind Kaguya's pillow.

"..." Kaguya's lips couldn't help but twitch continuously. "If you heard, why ask me..."

"From the look of your complexion, it seems you're doing very well." Ai nodded understandingly. "By the way, why does Minamiya-sama know about my identity?"

She finally asked the question she had been holding in all afternoon, deciding not to ask Homura but to ask her lady instead.

"Well..."

Kaguya began to explain what Homura had told her earlier.

"..."

"Indeed, a little trickery wouldn't escape the notice of the somewhat fearsome Minamiya-sama..." Ai said with an impressed tone, her head shaking lightly. "Kaguya-sama... why did you choose Minamiya-sama?"

"...There's no particular reason." Kaguya answered, her eyes dodging.

"Considering your pride, it doesn't quite seem like you." Ai continued.

Kaguya fell silent for a moment before speaking up.

"But Hayasaka, I truly couldn't find anyone more amazing than him..."

"If I were the 'Ice Princess' from before, maybe I would have given up... But now, I'm just Kaguya, an ordinary girl named Kaguya. Moreover... for the boy who has done so much for me, I can't help but feel moved..."

"And..."

Blushing, Kaguya burrowed back under the covers.

Before long, a muffled voice reached Ai's ears.

"Two people together, yet still easily worn out by him..."

Ai: "..."

'Can we talk about this already? This change is quite big... Well, Kaguya-sama is a woman now. I guess... it's a pretty good development, right?'

Thinking so, Ai sighed silently.

===

"Chika, can I ask you a question?"

On the way, Homura asked Chika.

"Hmm? Sure!"

"When did your plan for today start?"

"W-What plan?" Chika shifted her gaze. 

"Was it after you went into Kaguya's room?"

Homura stroked his chin, but before Chika could respond, he started muttering to himself.

"But you ran pretty far right after entering the house..."

Homura looked at Chika, who was busy searching the ground for ants.

"It started when you called me on the phone, right?"

Under his questioning stare, Chika blinked incessantly, avoiding eye contact.

"..."

Seeing her reaction, Homura was one hundred percent sure he was correct.

'Eriri... Would you cry if you found out?'