Storm of Confessions

"Everyone! Let's play a deduction game!"

[Deduction Game]A classic party setup. Multiple players, multiple roles, clashing objectives.The most infamous? Werewolf.Werewolves kill. Villagers and gods vote to root them out. The rules are simple; the gameplay? Not so much.Intrigue. Deception. Bluffing.Basically, all the worst traits of online discourse rolled into one game.Every time Sakurai played Werewolf, it felt like arguing with seasoned forum trolls—chaotic logic, incoherent accusations, and if you pointed out a flaw? Instant personal attack.Still, he liked it. Debating on his phone? That, he was good at.

"But!" Fujiwara Chika interrupted his thoughts, holding up a stack of colorful cards. "We don't have enough people for Werewolf, so—ta-da~~!"

"We're playing the NG Word Game! If you say or do what's on your card, you're out! Everyone gets three lives!"

Cue varied reactions.

Sakurai Saki's eyes narrowed. He still hadn't forgiven being chased and forced to meow earlier.

Shirogane Miyuki looked up from his notebook. He had just finished paperwork and wanted to study. Grind never sleeps. Top student life was no joke.Quiet study now, public awe later.

Kaguya Shinomiya stifled a yawn.So boring.

Ishigami Yu didn't even glance up from his handheld console. Budget sheets were done, so he'd logged into a dungeon raid instead.Tabletop games? Cringe.Still, he knew what was coming. Either Saki or Chika would rope him in. They always did.

As everyone geared up to decline, Fujiwara Chika struck.

"This game is hard," she said, finger to chin. "Especially when everyone's a genius. Outwit your opponents, survive their traps—whoever wins is obviously the smartest one here."

Then she turned to Ishigami, a sweet smile on her lips. "Oh! But Ishigami-kun, you don't have to join. You might bring down the difficulty curve."

Silence.

Ishigami's fingers froze. Then he looked up, calm as ever."Fujiwara-senpai, didn't you rank 93rd last term? Isn't that bringing the difficulty curve down?"

He casually returned to his game. "A whole 90 ranks below the top three, and you still have the guts to talk? If I lost that badly, I'd crawl into a cave and reevaluate my life. But you? You just keep suggesting games like nothing happened."

"And Sakurai-senpai? He's always tolerating you. Haven't you noticed? Honestly, if he played less with you, his GPA might survive."

Fujiwara puffed up. "W-Well, weren't your entrance scores bottom-tier?"

The room froze.Ishigami paused.Seconds passed.

"…Whatever. That's just the kind of guy I am."

A man who had given up on academics, social status, and shame itself—he had ascended.Not a monster.A god.The God of Slacking.

Fujiwara Chika scoffed and waved at him like swatting a bug.

Across the room, Kaguya spoke coolly, "Are we playing or not? I don't mind."

She didn't care about the game. She cared about not losing.Being second to Shirogane in rankings was a permanent stain in her family ledger.She had to prove her superiority. It was a matter of Shinomiya pride.

Shirogane smiled faintly. "Sounds interesting. I'm in."

Beneath that calm surface was a raging battle cry: WIN. AT. ALL. COSTS.He wasn't just president or top student.He was a demon, driven by a singular obsession—victory.

Sakurai Saki said nothing.He just nodded.Inwardly, he screamed.He would do anything—anything—to avoid another meowing incident.

Meanwhile, Ishigami pressed buttons on his handheld.

He had forsaken worldly concerns.Grades? Gone.Reputation? Ashes.Social standing? Who needs it?

He was a god now.

But what of Chika Fujiwara?

A different breed.Not a god.A force of nature.The God of Chaos.Cancer of Earth.Terror in pink.Her chest size alone could silence Shinomiya Kaguya, and her intellect? Pure trickster energy.

She leaned forward with her most angelic smile.

"Ishigami-kun, if you don't join… everyone might end up isolating you. Not us, of course! We'd never do that. But maybe you should, y'know… try to be more social~?"

Ishigami's hand trembled.

Then—

BAM!He slammed the pause button.

"…Fine. I'll play."

Shirogane, ever the composed senpai, said gently, "You really don't have to force yourself."

"No, Miyuki-senpai! I've decided."He placed his console down like a warrior setting aside his sword."I'm in."

Sakurai added dryly, "Don't meow—uh, I mean, don't force yourself."

"Sakurai-senpai, you mispronounced that," Ishigami Yu said flatly, but with the hint of a smirk. He figured the senpai was doing it on purpose to get a rise out of him.

Shirogane Miyuki gave him a concerned look. "Ishigami, seriously—don't force yourself if you don't want to play."

But Ishigami shook his head. "No… Fujiwara-senpai was right. People need to learn to be more sociable."

For a moment, there was silence.

Had he changed?

Was Ishigami Yu—the Ishigami Yu—about to evolve into a sunny, outgoing, normal person?

Hope flickered in their eyes.

Then Ishigami continued.

"I think… I can give up on trying to socialize with the rest of the class," he said solemnly. "It should be enough to build relationships with everyone in the Student Council. Once I enter society, I'll just keep in touch with you guys. That should cover all my networking needs."

Fujiwara Chika: "???"

She stared, dumbfounded.Ishigami-kun, your evolution is going backwards!From gloomy shut-in to full-on corporate dropout mentality?!A high-spec societal scum in the making!!

Shirogane Miyuki exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose.He wasn't sure if this was progress or regression.Maybe both?

Still…If Ishigami had moved from "I refuse to interact with anyone" to "I will exclusively interact with this one group of people," maybe that was progress.

Probably.

Hopefully.

"Can we put the issue of societal failures aside for now?" Kaguya Shinomiya said dryly. "It's game time, isn't it?"

"Societal… scum…" Ishigami repeated in a whisper, then curled up in his seat and hugged his knees like a tragic anime character.

Kaguya narrowed her eyes.

"Stop wallowing. Student Council President Shirogane and Sakurai-senpai didn't help you last year so you could spiral into self-loathing all over again."

Her voice softened—barely.

"You're capable. So quit selling yourself short."

Ishigami slowly lifted his head.

Shinomiya-senpai… can say nice things too?!

Kaguya immediately rolled her eyes. "Don't read into it."

Then, without missing a beat, she snatched up a game card and held it in front of her like a declaration of war.

"If you're done sulking—then pull yourself together!"

Ishigami straightened like a soldier being called to attention.

"YES, MA'AM!!"

P@treon Rene_chan