The Heroines Want to Confess.

"Somehow, all holidays have become games for capitalists. They exploit festivals to drain everyone's wallets. What, are love hotels the only way to celebrate now? No! I want to say NO to that kind of world!"

"These holidays are too sad! Too unbearable! Sakurai-senpai! Please promise me you won't go out with your girlfriend on Tanabata! Let's go crazy together in-game instead! Tonight's drop rate is insanely high, and it's a brand-new version you've never played before, senpai…"

"BUUURRRP——~!"

Ishigami Yuu let out a string of nonsense, followed by a huge belch, then collapsed onto the sofa next to the dining table.

Everyone in the student council was currently present at Shinomiya Kaguya's villa.

Initially, Ishigami Yuu hadn't planned on coming, but! His mother said — they invited you to a party, and not just anyone, but your honorable senpai! Not going would be impolite. I can watch the shop myself today, and our family's wealthy enough already. Running the flower shop is just a hobby of mine.

And so, Ishigami was forced to come to the "Devil's Den."

Then — he got drunk. In less than thirty minutes.

Damn, how could someone be this weak? That fruit drink had even less alcohol than beer! Yet one glass was enough to knock him out!

"Go to sleep, Ishigami." Sakurai sighed.

"Sakurai, I'm surprised you're not out with Hayasaka-san today," Shirogane Miyuki said as he took a sip of his fruit juice.

"Hayasaka-san?" Beside him, Shirogane Kei held her cup with both hands, her beautiful blue eyes blinking.

That name — she'd heard it before!

"She's the one Saki-nii confessed to during the sports festival, right? I knew it!" Kei raised her hand.

"So romantic! I want a guy to confess to me at a sports festival too!"

Kei-chan: ♡♡♡(∩˃ω˂∩)♡♡♡

"Kei-chan, look at your brother's face — it's gone pitch black." Sakurai Saki chuckled.

He was in a pretty good mood today.

After all, this was a get-together, and it was Sakurai Saki's first time attending one.

When he lived with his mother in Kyoto, he'd never gone to parties like this.

Though his mother often attended gatherings of wealthy ladies — drinking tea, arranging flowers, discussing child-rearing, and doing all the usual rich-lady activities. It's just that his mother's looks always stood out among them, like a crane among chickens.

"Forget about Aniki's opinion." Kei delivered a line like a dagger to Shirogane's heart.

Shirogane Miyuki clutched his chest.

(っ╥﹏╥ ς)

He wore a pained expression that instantly drew everyone's attention!

"What's wrong, Aniki? Are you okay?" Kei wasn't even tsundere at this point — she was genuinely concerned.

"Just an old condition. Stomach pain," Shirogane lied, just to get sympathy from his little sister.

"But you're holding your chest?" Kei exposed him.

Meanwhile, Hayasaka Ai had been quietly listening to everyone chat, and she smiled.

As expected, Tanabata really is better when it's lively.

It's just that, when someone mentioned the sports festival confession from before, Ai-chan felt a little shy.

But since she was currently using her Herthaka-kun persona, it didn't matter.

"Herthaka-kun, you should eat something too!" Fujiwara Chika spoke with a shrimp in her mouth, its tail wagging as she talked.

"Chika, don't talk with your mouth full." Sakurai reminded her.

Chika nodded and swallowed the shrimp.

"As a servant, I can't sit at the same table as my masters. Just being allowed to stand here is already the limit." Hayasaka Ai, dressed in a butler suit, stood like a statue.

Shinomiya Kaguya spoke up: "Herthaka, sit down. There are no outsiders here right now anyway."

Upon hearing that, Hayasaka Ai didn't move.

"Sit down! That's an order from your master."

Hayasaka really was stubborn about weird things.

It gave Shinomiya Kaguya a headache.

But thankfully, after being told twice, she obediently sat down.

And she sat right next to Sakurai Saki.

After that—

After drinking a little more juice, Hayasaka Ai started feeling dizzy.

At first, Sakurai Saki didn't notice.

If he had known this was the real Hayasaka Ai, he definitely wouldn't have let her touch any alcohol!

Hayasaka Ai drowsily leaned her head on Sakurai Saki's shoulder, murmuring, "Young Master Sakurai-sama, you smell so nice… lavender scent…"

She still retained a shred of reason.

"That's just the laundry detergent," Sakurai Saki said as he turned to look at "him," then helped "him" sit upright.

At this close distance, Sakurai Saki realized something.

Herthaka-kun looked very delicate.

One glance and you could tell — "he" would look amazing in girls' clothes.

[You have received a quest: Cross-dressing]

[Make Herthaka-kun wear girls' clothes]

[Reward: Playboy's Survival Against Kitchen Knives (protective gear)]

This ability still isn't over?

Right, it's supposed to last a whole week.

This side effect wasn't bad though — not exactly a disadvantage.

After all, side effects are part of the package with powers. Some medicines work specifically because of their side effects.

...

After finishing their meal, everyone got ready to hang their written wishes on the sasa bamboo — a type of dwarf bamboo. In Japan, people have a custom of hanging wish tags on bamboo branches during Tanabata, hoping that Orihime and Hikoboshi will help make their dreams come true.

But really, it's just a form of spiritual self-comfort.

Orihime and Hikoboshi are super busy people. Fulfilling the wishes of that many people in a single day — even gods can't handle that.

Well, Santa Claus can't fulfill every kid's wish either.

Huh? Why are we suddenly talking about Santa Claus?

Because there are only 86,400 seconds in a day, and even if he could go down one chimney per second, he still wouldn't have time to deliver all the presents.

Wait no! That's not right! These days, there probably aren't even 86,400 homes with chimneys left — maybe he really could pull it off!

Gambare, Santa Claus-san!

ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

...

"Sakurai, what's your wish?" Shirogane Miyuki glanced at the tag Sakurai had just hung.

"My wish is — to make everyone's wishes come true!" Sakurai Saki replied with a smile.

He didn't say that out of some noble self-sacrificing spirit, mainly because he could do anything, so he didn't really have any dreams of his own.

"What about you?"

"I wish for my family and friends to always be healthy," Shirogane said softly. Even though his eyes were usually sharp, now they had a gentler look.

Sakurai stood next to him, waiting for him to finish hanging his wish.

In the meantime, his gaze drifted to a newly hung tag nearby. On it was written —"I want to go watch fireworks with friends, go to the beach, go to festivals!"

Shirogane saw it too.

"Must be Shinomiya's wish."

Sakurai nodded. For once, he didn't badmouth her:

"Hope Orihime and Hikoboshi can make it come true for her."