Macho Man Doesn't want a Slice-of-Life

It was a clear night. The southeastern side of the port faced Tokyo Bay, far from the city's bright lights, so the stars above Shuchiin Academy were clearly visible.

The full moon hung in the sky like a brilliant lantern, and stars scattered around it decorated the night.

Shirogane had called all the student council members to the rooftop—this was their first group activity of the term.

Naturally, Shinomiya Kaguya, the vice president, was present. She wasn't interested in moon-viewing, but since Shirogane loved astronomy, she tagged along.

Fujiwara Chika had somehow gotten a pair of bunny ears and was wearing them, saying they matched the mood.

"You can really see the stars!"

"Of course. Shuchiin's far enough from the city."

Rinji lit the portable gas stove and put the mochi in the pot to boil.

"Rinji-kun, get the dango out too."

Chika was already drooling at the glutinous rice dumplings in the container.

"We're here to enjoy the moon, not just eat."

"I know that! But you have to eat dango to really enjoy moon-viewing~"

Chika giggled and took off her bunny ears, placing them on Rinji's head.

"Yup yup, Rinji-kun looks super cute in them."

Ishigami: "Agreed."

"Like hell it is."

Rinji pulled off the headband and stuck it on Ishigami's head instead. He unwrapped the dango and poured them all onto a plate.

Standing beside the president, Shinomiya observed the three of them, her mind starting to turn.

'The atmosphere on a rooftop at night isn't bad… Maybe I can corner the president into a confession. But first…'

She glanced at Rinji, Chika, and Ishigami.

'I've got to get rid of those three nuisances.'

Before she could come up with a plan, Rinji moved on his own.

"Yeah, boiling mochi should be done somewhere without wind. It's too breezy here."

He picked up the gas stove and pot and moved to a sheltered spot nearby—a blind spot where neither he nor Shinomiya could see each other.

Chika followed, worried about the mochi. Ishigami, finding the night air a bit cold, went over to warm himself by the flame.

With those three gone, only Shinomiya and Shirogane remained.

"…That worked out surprisingly well. Oh well."

She turned toward Shirogane, who was sitting on a blanket, gazing at the sky.

She walked up and naturally sat down beside him.

"The other three?"

"Seem to be over there."

"I see."

Shirogane didn't press further and continued looking at the moon.

He might have been the only one here who genuinely came for moon-viewing.

As Shinomiya watched him, her mind began plotting again.

'Okay, now I pretend to be cold… then he'll blush and offer his jacket… that'll be so cute…'

Before she could act, Shirogane silently took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

'…What!?'

The one blushing wasn't Shirogane—it was Shinomiya.

'I didn't even say anything yet! He just gave me his jacket?'

She had planned to make him flustered, but ended up flustered herself.

As her brain scrambled, Shirogane opened his thermos, poured some hot tea, and handed it to her.

"Here. Warm yourself up with this."

"O-Okay… Thanks."

Shinomiya sipped the tea and had another idea.

'He didn't bring another cup… what if I just give this one back? Then he'll have to drink from it too… indirect kiss… that should rattle him…'

Then, Shirogane picked up the thermos and drank directly from it—his lips touching the same spot where Kaguya had just sipped her tea.

'Aaaahhh!! That was an indirect kiss!!'

The one completely flustered was Kaguya.

'What's going on?! Why doesn't the president react to things like this at all? He's just staring at the night sky... Could it be...'

Just as he had said earlier, Shirogane had come to genuinely admire the moon.

In his eyes, there were only the moon and the stars—his attention wasn't on Kaguya at all.

'Damn it! Am I not more attractive than the moon to you?!'

Looking at Shirogane, as if his heart had been stolen by the moon, Kaguya felt her anger rising.

"Hmm? Kaguya, are you not interested in the moon?"

Shirogane finally noticed Kaguya sitting beside him.

"Well... it's okay, I guess."

"Talking about the moon reminds me of the tale of Princess Kaguya. Since you share the same name, maybe you feel some kind of connection?"

"...Yes."

When he mentioned the story, a touch of sorrow suddenly appeared on Kaguya's face.

"Whenever I look at the night sky, I think of the story of the woman who was taken back to the moon and left the man she loved behind."

There was a trace of melancholy in her eyes.

"That's why... I hate the moon."

The story of Princess Kaguya comes from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, about a girl born from bamboo.

She was taken in and raised by an old man, and grew into a beautiful woman renowned far and wide. Five nobles from powerful families sought her hand in marriage, and she gave them impossible tasks—each to find a legendary treasure. In the end, none succeeded.

Eventually, messengers from the moon came to take her back, as she had always belonged to the moon.

There's a romantic ending too—Kaguya leaves behind an elixir of immortality for the man she loved. But he, unwilling to live forever in a world without her, burned the elixir atop a volcano—what is now Mount Fuji.

"Huh? You're talking about Princess Kaguya's story?"

Rinji walked over while chewing on mochi, just in time to catch part of the conversation.

"Hmm?" Shirogane looked up at him. "Rinji, you've heard the story of Princess Kaguya?"

"Of course. A woman tricks five suckers into giving her treasures, realizes they're all useless, and bounces back to her hometown. It's basically a failed harem story."

Kaguya: "...No matter how elegant a story is, your version makes it sound cheap."