The Heroines Want to Confess.

Chapter 81: Future Diary

I don't know if you still remember, but a few days ago, Sakurai Saki received random superpowers without any side effects twice in a row.

That was because his body was providing a buffer period.

As for the superpower and side effect from yesterday, Wednesday, they were completely beyond being called extremely dangerous.

That leaves only one possibility: the dangerous part is still waiting.

This situation made Sakurai Saki realize that something was off.

Thursday morning, six o'clock.

Sakurai Saki woke up on time. Normally, after waking up and washing his face, he would go jogging, but today he had lost all interest in running.

Sitting at the study desk in his room.

Sakurai Saki pulled out a diary that had suddenly appeared on the bookshelf beside him, his expression serious.

[Today's Superpower: Future Diary (Sakurai Saki's Diary)

Effect: You will randomly receive a future diary.

Side Effect: Unknown]

What is the most terrifying thing? The unknown is the most terrifying!

This was the first time this superpower had been activated.

Sakurai Saki couldn't determine whether the side effect of today's power was the result of the physical warning signs from the past few days.

He even considered taking the day off today. Sakurai Saki couldn't go to school in a state where he might completely lose control.

There were many people at school he cared about. The last time he accidentally erased someone from existence, it had already frightened him a bit. If back then the target hadn't been Nakano Nino, but Fujiwara Chika or Shirogane Miyuki, Sakurai Saki might not have been able to forgive himself.

"Future Diary. As the name suggests, it can predict the future. Moreover, this power seems to be a compound ability, capable of summoning more than one diary." Sakurai Saki glanced at the diary, which had his full name written on it.

[Sakurai Saki's Diary]

This was about his future!

So, could there be other futures? For example, for escaping: [Escape Diary], for love: [Romance Strategy Diary], for raising pets: [Breeding Diary]. These all seemed like they could exist.

Of course, Sakurai Saki was just speculating.

With an unknown power, all he could do was guess to gain partial understanding.

Sakurai Saki took a deep breath.

Slowly, he turned to the first page of the diary.

[Hello, I am you eight days from now.]

Just that first line sent a chill down Sakurai Saki's spine.

This kind of bizarre superpower, Sakurai Saki had rarely encountered, and even when he did, he hardly ever used them.

[I'm talking to you through this diary. Please remember clearly, next Wednesday, one day before Golden Week—don't go to school! Remember this well!]

[A super dangerous power called Time Controller will activate next Wednesday! Remember! Don't go to school! If you absolutely must go, then reinforce the restraints on your superpower beforehand!]

[But you have to use it! At least 30 times!]

[Don't use it! Don't use it! Not even once!]

[After school next Tuesday, walk home with Chika! Because of a certain mistake you made, she'll need your protection.]

[On the first day of Golden Week, don't go home by train that night.]

[Beware of monsters!! If you don't want the world to plunge into even more chaos, don't do unnecessary and pointless things!]

Sakurai Saki finished reading the first page.

His mind was tangled like a ball of thread.

[Yesterday, I died once.]

On the second page, there was a single line written in blood-red ink.

As Sakurai Saki was still trying to sort out his thoughts—

He noticed the words in the Future Diary before him gradually fading away, and finally disappearing altogether.

A few seconds later, new writing appeared.

[Hello there~ hey hey, Sakurai Saki-kun~ ヾ(＾ ∇ ＾).]

The first line this time sounded much more cheerful compared to the previous writer.

[Weird, right? Wondering why the Future Diary suddenly disappeared? Muhehehe, that was me! (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)]

And who are you?

[You must be wondering who I am, right? I'm you from five years in the future! (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧]

Sakurai Saki's face was full of question marks.

This guy was even more terrifying.

If he really was Sakurai Saki five years later, then by that point, the other party must have fully mastered all his powers and successfully become a normal person.

[That's right, you got it. I've mastered every powers. I can tell you clearly, over the next three years, you'll continue to awaken new abilities. Even now, my powers are still evolving every day. As an esper, getting stronger daily is totally normal, right?]

[No one can reach perfection—except me! ( • ̀ω•́ )✧]

Sakurai Saki was more than halfway convinced.

This guy's narcissism was exactly like his own.

["Future Diary is a very useful superpower, but currently, it has a certain flaw. It will provide two pieces of false information! So, you have to distinguish them."]

["I can't give specific hints, but when the time comes, you'll probably be able to spot one or two things."]

["I hate Fujiwara Chika. I will never marry her in this lifetime."]

["I hate Hayasaka Ai. I will never fall for her in this lifetime."]

["Be a bit kinder to Nino. Her mental state is a little dangerous right now."]

The message ended there.

Sakurai Saki closed the Future Diary, then opened it again—he discovered the contents had reverted to the original text.

Next Thursday was the first day of Golden Week.

Would something bad happen on the way to the subway station?

"Time Controller," Sakurai Saki muttered.

Just hearing the name, you knew it was related to time. In Sakurai Saki's memory, any superpower connected to time always came with terrifying side effects.

Then, the first two warnings were probably valid.

His "future self" discouraged him from going to school next Wednesday, but also added that if he had to go, he should reinforce the restraints on his powers in advance.

Thinking about this, Sakurai Saki opened his right hand.

In the palm of his right hand was a seal shaped like a lock.

This was what allowed Sakurai Saki to successfully separate and manage his superpowers in their current state. It was also a type of superpower—one that could stack up to seven layers of restraints onto a target.

Currently, Sakurai Saki had already applied four layers to himself, just enough to keep his powers under control. Since this was a completely controllable ability, he wasn't worried about losing control over it.

"The information given by my future self is probably real."

But whether that person was truly him or not—Sakurai Saki still couldn't be sure.

He couldn't imagine why his five-years-later self would be that cheerful, and it didn't feel like he was pretending either.

The strangest part was that guy told him to treat Nino better?

What was that supposed to mean?

Based on Sakurai Saki's understanding of himself, unless Nino sacrificed her life to save him, he absolutely wouldn't soften toward her!

And then, next Tuesday after school, he had to walk home with Fujiwara Chika?

What was that about? He and she didn't even go the same way! And more importantly, what mistake had he even made?

Could that line be one of the fakes?

Sakurai Saki thought for a while, then shook his head.

The third and fourth lines definitely included one false piece of information—because they directly contradicted each other. One told him to use his superpower, while the other told him not to. One of those must be one of the two false statements mentioned.

The bit about Chika could be put aside for now.

But as for the subway and the monster…

Which one was false? The monster warning was split into two sentences—so it was very likely the first part was fake, and the second part was real.

The more Sakurai Saki thought, the more his head hurt!

"Can't my future self from eight days later stop turning everything into a riddle?"

"(ノ _ <,, )

Why couldn't he be more like his self from five years in the future—just plainly list the two incorrect pieces of information?

Short and clear.

What exactly did he do on the first day of Golden Week? Why did he even have to take the train? Was he going out with the student council members? Or was it something else entirely?

Originally, Sakurai Saki had planned to visit the Nakano sisters' house to tutor them during Golden Week.

Because right after Golden Week was the midterm exam period. Last time, Mr. Nakano—Nakano Maruo—had even called to express his concern and said he wanted to see results.

The tutoring job was partly connected to Shirogane Miyuki, and also a crucial path for Sakurai Saki to defeat Shinomiya Kaguya. Only through tutoring could he both earn money and gain knowledge. Being a rental boyfriend couldn't accomplish both.

Studying secretly two hours a day, Sakurai Saki felt that surpassing Shinomiya Kaguya and stepping over her would be as easy as flipping his hand.

As for Shirogane Miyuki, Sakurai Saki thought it'd be better to just let it go—backstabbing a close friend wasn't a good look.

Besides, he wasn't even sure he could beat him.

...

Spending some time thinking in place of his usual morning jog, Sakurai Saki got up, prepared his bento and breakfast, then left the house after eating.

Rather than worry about an uncertain future, it was better to live the present well.

"When the cart reaches the mountain, there'll be a road. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight."

People should ask themselves the same question Larkin once did: "What is it most necessary for me to do at this moment?"

Sakurai Saki's answer: Go to school!

Today, the side effects of his superpower were minimal, with hardly any noticeable impact. It wasn't a continuous strain like the power of the [Storyteller], so his urges weren't constantly being amplified — absolutely wonderful.

But the weaker the side effects today were, the more it showed how powerful the ability next Wednesday might be.

Sakurai Saki arrived at the school gate.

"Good morning, Miko-chan."

(„• ∇ •„)੭

Sakurai Saki greeted the disciplinary committee member.

He spoke just as Iino Miko was about to respond, slipping a piece of candy into her hand.

"Good luck on your test."

ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

This time, Miko didn't refuse. "Thank you, Sakurai-senpai."

(✿ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)⁾⁾

Today, Sakurai-senpai seemed much more normal. Yesterday, he'd been so cold.

But afterward, Miko heard he'd had a sore throat, and figured that must've been why he hadn't talked to her.

…

A luxury car pulled away from the Shinomiya estate.

In the back seat of the car—

Shinomiya Kaguya glanced at Hayasaka Ai sitting beside her.

"Hayasaka, last time I mentioned karaoke, but I still haven't found the right opportunity to talk more about it."

The reason Shinomiya Kaguya was so fixated on karaoke was likely because she had never gone to KTV with friends before. Not even with Fujiwara Chika—her long-time best friend—had she ever gone singing.

Although Secretary Fujiwara appeared lively, enthusiastic, generous, and rather knowledgeable about sexual matters, in truth, she was extremely naive. Even in class, whether it was boys or girls inviting her to KTV... come to think of it, no one really did invite her to those kinds of places.

Because when karaoke came up, love stories were always close behind.

Among Japanese high school students, the majority of casual meetups happened at KTV joints. But Fujiwara Chika always ended up ruining the mood, so it was no surprise she rarely got invited.

"Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever heard President Shirogane sing before," Hayasaka Ai recalled.

Last year, she'd been in the same class as Shirogane Miyuki for a whole year. Even during music class, she never once heard that guy open his mouth to sing. In class, Shirogane only mouthed the lyrics — and as someone trained in intelligence work, Hayasaka was extremely sensitive to things like that.

"…Come to think of it, I've never heard him either," Shinomiya Kaguya murmured thoughtfully.

"Hm~ Never mind the President's singing for now, I'm actually more curious about Sakurai-san's voice."

Hayasaka Ai's expression turned strange at that comment.

Hayasaka: (≖_≖ ✿)

Kaguya-sama, do you seriously care about that guy's singing voice?

No matter how many times Hayasaka Ai had warned her, Kaguya remained completely unaware of how blatantly obvious her actions were—blatant in the eyes of a girl in love!

She was even paying attention to tiny things like his singing voice—Kaguya's interest in Sakurai was steadily growing.

Sensing a looming threat.

Hayasaka Ai silently raised her internal alert level toward Shinomiya Kaguya from [C] to the same level as Shirogane Kei — [B].

Kaguya: ∘ ∘ ∘ (っ'ヮ'c)???

"Right, Hayasaka, how good is general affairs Sakurai's singing, overall?"

Shinomiya Kaguya asked.

"…It's not exactly unpleasant to hear."

Hayasaka Ai paused for a few seconds, then answered.

That guy never put in real effort unless he was doing his job as a rental boyfriend. If he really went to karaoke with Kaguya-sama, he definitely wouldn't try very hard.

Hayasaka Ai recalled times when she and Sakurai Saki were playing games together — now and then, he'd softly hum along to a tune.

He always sang those love-themed anime songs — lyrics like "I like you" or "I love you."

Just thinking about it made Hayasaka Ai's pale face flush pink.

Hayasaka: ( //>///

Kaguya-sama wasn't into anime, so this was a detail she didn't need to bring up.

"Umu, then I guess there's nothing to get too excited about." Shinomiya Kaguya gazed out the window at the passing scenery.

"Lately everyone's been so busy, no one has any free time."

Her social network wasn't actually that wide.

The people she could truly call friends were few and far between. The archery club members deeply respected her, but their relationship was more like subordinates to a superior — not friends. Even though the student council had only worked together for half a year, while she remained cold on the outside, in her heart she had come to acknowledge both Sakurai Saki and Shirogane Miyuki.

"What about Golden Week?" Hayasaka Ai spoke up.

"Starting next Thursday is Golden Week break — if we plan it right, we could organize a student council outing."

Seeing the hint of loneliness in Shinomiya Kaguya's eyes, Hayasaka ultimately decided to do something for her.

Even if it involved Sakurai Saki, she could temporarily "yield" him to Kaguya—after all, it was just karaoke for a few hours.

As long as the plan was solid and included other male students, the chance of the two of them being alone together would be low. That should prevent anything from going off the rails.

"Golden Week?" Shinomiya Kaguya's tone suddenly lifted.

She had nearly forgotten about it!

That's right, next week was Golden Week — a full seven-day holiday! Even if everyone was busy on the first day, surely they'd have some free time during the rest!

"Thank you! Hayasaka!" Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly hugged Hayasaka Ai.

"We're going to karaoke—you're coming too!"

(っ˶ ˘ ᵕ˘)ˆᵕ ˆ˶ς)

Hayasaka Ai felt like the sun had just risen in the west.

This stingy, unreasonable little sister actually remembered me?

"Seriously? Isn't this supposed to be a get-together between Kaguya-sama and the student council members?"

"Hayasaka, why do you think I even want to go to karaoke in the first place?"

(•̀⤙•́)

Shinomiya Kaguya asked in return.

"…" Hayasaka Ai was speechless.

Isn't it because you've never gone before?

"It's because of you! Hayasaka! I want you to use your singing voice to charm general affairs Sakurai and make him confess to you! Hayasaka, you're good at singing, right?"

(๑>◡<๑)

Shinomiya Kaguya encouraged her.

For a moment, Hayasaka Ai didn't know what to say.

Although she was genuinely touched that Kaguya-sama cared for her so much…

Sakurai Saki had already confessed to her!

"Thank you, Kaguya-sama."

"Umu umu~ No need to thank me!"

ദ്ദി(•̀ ᗜ <)