I said I would lead him, right? I said I would conquer him, right? Why do I suddenly feel goodwill towards him?
She immediately suppressed the feeling that had just emerged.
Hayasaka Ai took a deep breath.
It's fine.
If he tends to be proactive, that would only benefit her plan.
The two of them lined up at the ticket gate.
Yukima Azuma and Hayasaka Ai both presented their tickets.
Aside from the hand they were holding, their other hands gently brushed against each other in the air as they handed over the tickets.
Despite the situation seeming tense, it was this very tension that made their hearts flutter.
The staff member glanced at them both for a moment and then smiled warmly as if they were family.
She took the tickets, tore them, and handed them back.
"Enjoy your movie. There's a special promotion right nowcouples who buy popcorn will get a 50% discount on the second serving."
Hayasaka Ai gently scratched the back of Yukima Azuma's hand with her finger.
She wanted to convey her subtle intentions to him.
The scene where they were mistaken for a couple.
Once accepted, many subsequent actions would naturally make sense.
"Then, please give us two servings of popcorn."
Yukima Azuma followed Hayasaka Ai's lead.
The staff quickly brought the two servings of popcorn.
They went to their seats according to the numbers on their tickets.
At this moment, their hands finally parted.
Hayasaka Ai sat down, her fingers gently brushing over the spot on her wrist where Yukima Azuma had just held it.
She lowered her head, her expression slightly bashful.
Yes, this was all acting.
At this point, acting shy would encourage the guy to make a move.
However, there was no reaction.
Yukima Azuma showed no interest in discussing the misunderstanding that they were a couple.
Still, he ate the popcorn with a very cheerful expression.
Hayasaka Ai bit her lower lip.
This guy!
He should have acted on this opportunity!
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened.
The large screen before them began to show images.
The movie started.
It was a slice-of-life anime movie.
There were no heavy plot points or major twists.
But it was made very well, enough to make the viewers smile easily.
On screen, the male and female leads were in a somewhat ambiguous phase, sitting on a couch, their fingers gradually moving closer together.
A classic scene testing the waters to hold hands.
Hayasaka Ai's slender fingers, like tender buds, slowly reached toward Yukima Azuma.
When her fingertip gently touched his finger,
Hayasaka Ai glanced sideways at Yukima Azuma's reaction.
What would he do?
Would he be shy? Or would he happily grab her hand?
"What's wrong? Want some popcorn?"
Yukima Azuma pulled his hand back and brought his popcorn box to Hayasaka Ai's face.
Hayasaka Ai forced a smile and nodded.
She picked a piece of popcorn, threw it into her mouth, and bit down hard with her white teeth.
Popcorn you mother!
Looking at me, you can only see me as popcorn!
Is it really that I don't have popcorn either!?
What is this guy even like? A stiff man made of reinforced concrete!?
And then, as Hayasaka Ai was still fuming, gritting her teeth in frustration,
Her hand, clenched tightly to vent her anger, suddenly felt a warm and strong sensation.
Hayasaka Ai looked down.
The hand of that boy had reached out, taking hers.
His beautiful fingers nimbly slipped into her palm, intertwining with her fingers.
Ten fingers woven together.
Hayasaka Ai blankly looked up at Yukima Azuma.
"Ahem... actually, you wanted to hold hands, right, Hasaka?"
Yukima Azuma lowered his head, giving a small cough as if trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Now that I think about it, Hasaka also has popcorn, I don't know what I was saying earlier."
"Sorry, I almost wasted your courage and feelings, Hasaka."
Hayasaka Ai looked away, her little head turning to another direction.
"Ah... it's fine, you don't have to apologize."
Well it seems like it worked, right?
Though the process was a bit different from what I imagined.
But the result should be fine.
Deep inside, Hayasaka Ai felt a little unsure, so she told herself this to reassure herself.
When the movie ended,
The two of them naturally walked out of the cinema, still holding hands.
Their fingers remained tightly intertwined.
No one mentioned it.
"It's really interesting, you know, even though none of my classmates are interested in anime, I still like it."
Hayasaka Ai lowered her head, sighing.
These words were spoken to someone who understood her.
Stories that easily evoke sympathy.
She was saying them to Yukima Azuma.
"I feel the same. No matter what others say, I still like it."
Yukima Azuma responded.
Hayasaka Ai silently sighed in relief.
Now she really couldn't guess how Yukima Azuma would react.
Plans that were carefully calculated, but not many things went according to plan.
Even though the results seemed fine.
But for someone like Hayasaka Ai, who was a planner, she was truly not good at dealing with unexpected chaos.
Fortunately, Yukima Azuma's reaction at this point was still within her expectations.
"Well how about we go to the movies again next time?"
"Do you know the 'Youth' series? The second volume of the light novel will be released around mid-month."
"I'm a huge fan of the 'Youth' series, let's go together then, okay?"
Hayasaka Ai smiled.
So?
I'm a fan of yours!
In a field you love, having your accomplishments recognized by a cute girl.
No matter how you think about it, it's just a joyful feeling.
Moreover, beyond the relationship between the author and the fan,
The level of intimacy will increase beyond the initial "friend" boundary.
It's usually difficult to cross the "close friend" line, but by using this little trick, it's easily broken.
As long as we reach the level of "best friends."
Then, the romantic relationship will smoothly follow.
"Umu, sure."
Yukima Azuma simply nodded normally.
Hayasaka Ai: ?
Wait, what's this reaction?
Where's the heart fluttering? The surprise mixed with joy? The feeling of secret happiness?
Aren't you the author of the "Youth" series?!
Stiff.
She fists are clenched!
All the intricate plans I meticulously set up,
The end result only got me an "Umu."
Taking a few deep breaths,
Hayasaka Ai finally managed to pull herself together.
"Alright, it's decided then!" She forced a smile. "It's already noon, Azuma-kun, are you hungry? How about we go get something to eat?"
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 152: Hayasaka Ai, I Like You
Today's lunch, Hayasaka Ai ate without any sense of taste.
At first, while eating, she had planned many small interactions.
But in the end, she completely lost the mood to do anything.
As someone who always has a plan, Hayasaka Ai likes to calculate everything before taking action.
She had investigated Yukima Azuma thoroughly, without missing a single detail.
Adding to that was the day of interaction yesterday.
Hayasaka Ai was confident that she had grasped Yukima Azuma's personality and psychology.
Based on Yukima Azuma's personality, she had devised a step-by-step conquest strategy with tight connections.
But as it turned out, the plan, although seemingly perfect step by step
None of the steps actually connected with each other.
Hayasaka Ai felt as if the progress bar for conquering Yukima Azuma was flashing erratically before her eyes.
Sometimes full, sometimes disappearing.
His attitude truly left her unable to understand what he was thinking.
Frustrated, she took out her anger on the food in front of her.
...
As Hayasaka Ai angrily ate in a frenzy
Yukima Azuma simply sat next to her, smiling as he observed her.
This girl's intention to conquer was so obvious that it couldn't be hidden.
But thanks to her thorough intelligence work, the effectiveness of her conquest was actually quite good.
It could even make someone's heart flutter a little.
After all, in the art of conquest, information is extremely important.
If Yukima Azuma didn't know Hayasaka Ai
If the person who interacted with Hayasaka Ai yesterday was truly Yukima Azuma himself
Then today, perhaps he would have actually been swayed by her.
Unfortunately, there were no "ifs."
Yukima Azuma knew very well that the person before him was the multi-layered actress maid, Hayasaka Ai.
He knew that this dark-hearted maid was acting from head to toe.
When you already have the answer in mind while analyzing a situation, naturally, you won't fall into Hayasaka Ai's trap and have your heart race.
Moreover
A bigger issue was
The one who interacted with Hayasaka Ai yesterday wasn't Yukima Azuma.
It was Miyamizu Mitsuha, the simple and innocent cute girl from the town of Itomori.
Using Miyamizu Mitsuha's personality to design a trap
It was only natural that Yukima Azuma wouldn't step into it.
As for Yukima Azuma's unpredictable attitude
It was precisely to throw Hayasaka Ai off balance.
If Hayasaka Ai had been able to cling tightly to her plan
Then no matter what happened today, she would have remained steady at the top, unshaken.
But now
Yukima Azuma looked at Hayasaka Ai, puffing her cheeks in frustration as she ate.
Now, Hayasaka Ai was clearly no longer calm.
In a game of chess, when the mind is in turmoil
Whether due to anger or excitement
It means you've stepped into the game.
At that moment, the roles between the player and the chess piece would be reversed.
Lunch quietly passed.
Hayasaka Ai adjusted her emotions and looked toward Yukima Azuma.
No matter what, based on Yukima Azuma's behavior today, she had indeed made him waver a little more toward her.
Even though the plan was a mess
As long as the success rate remained high, there was no reason to give up.
The afternoon plan would proceed as scheduled!
"Azuma-kun, let's go for a walk at the bookstore. How about checking out some light novels together?"
Hayasaka Ai extended an invitation.
"Sure."
Yukima Azuma readily agreed.
And so, the two arrived at a large bookstore in Ginza.
This bookstore not only had a rich collection of books
But also had a caf and a relaxation area for customers.
Hayasaka Ai picked up a volume of Saekano.
Although she considered herself a fan of the "Youth" series
In reality, she had never read Saekano or Bunny Girl Senpai.
After all, as the personal maid of Shinomiya Kaguya, her work was very busy.
The moments of leisure to read light novels were almost nonexistent for Hayasaka Ai.
On normal days, the pressure was so high that whenever she had time to relax, she mostly watched entertainment videos or soaked in the bath to unwind.
Information about those two book series, she had only skimmed over online.
Now, picking up the book was merely to score points in front of Yukima Azuma.
Yukima Azuma picked up a copy of The Legend of the Phantom Blade.
This was a fantasy battle light novel series that had once been very popular, but it hadn't existed in Yukima Azuma's previous life.
Now, with some free time, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
After all, it was a work that had once stirred the market, it must have some unique aspects.
"Finally, I can read it again. I've wanted to re-read it for a long time, but never had the time~"
"Hasaka, are you usually so busy?"
"Yes, the studies are very intense. After all, it's a private girls' school, where academic performance is very important, and I have to study around ten hours a day."
"Ten hours... That's really tough. Is today a rare holiday?"
"Yep! It's an incredibly rare holiday! Spending time with Azuma-kun is truly wonderful."
At this point, not everything Hayasaka Ai said was a lie.
At least, her complaint contained some real emotion.
As the close maid of the Shinomiya family,
Ten hours of waiting with high intensity in one day was considered little.
There were times, such as when Shinomiya Kaguya attended high-class galas,
In the daytime, Hayasaka Ai had to prepare outfits and arrange schedules for Kaguya, and at night, she had to ensure her safety.
She had experienced days spinning non-stop for twenty-four hours.
That was completely normal.
Today was also a day she took off to go out.
Saying this, Hayasaka Ai suddenly realized that it seemed like all her vacations this year...
Had been used to spend time with Yukima Azuma.
Immediately, she gritted her teeth.
When she conquers Yukima Azuma...
She would make him pay back this debt a hundredfold!
Vengeance Will Be Mine!!!
"I'm the same, usually so busy. To be able to enjoy a rare holiday with Hasaka"
"Really, it's truly wonderful."
Yukima Azuma's voice then sounded almost like a whisper to himself.
Hayasaka Ai paused for a moment.
Suddenly, she remembered that the young man before her was the president of Laplace Corporation.
This person... Does he really have it easier than her?
Hayasaka Ai understood how difficult it was to run a corporation.
Perhaps, the young man before her was even more exhausted than she was.
Thinking about that,
Hayasaka Ai unconsciously felt a bit of sympathy.
At the same time, she couldn't help but feel curious.
He was so outstanding, why did he still have to work this hard?
Yukima Azuma didn't need to look at Hayasaka Ai's expression to know that she had definitely fallen for it.
This cunning maid, in reality, was very sensitive inside.
As long as he disturbed her reasoning,
It would become incredibly easy to stir her emotions.
Hayasaka Ai pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered that she was still in the middle of her conquest plan for Yukima Azuma.
So, she suppressed all the emotions in her heart,
Pretending to be tired, slowly resting her head on the table.
