Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World-Chapter 143 - : Awakening of Love

"So, do you want to take this opportunity to get closer to Amamiya?"

Kaguya's eyes widened as she stared at Hayasaka.

She wasn't that naive, she understood exactly what Hayasaka meant.

Something inside her stirred, but her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

"Hayasaka... what do you mean?"

In response, Hayasaka's voice remained light, carrying a hint of amusement.

"Do you really not know?"

"Your attitude toward Amamiya is different."

"W-What... what's different?"

Kaguya tried to maintain her composure, but deep down, she was anything but calm.

"It seems that your attitude toward Amamiya-san changed when you first read the diary."

"And if I recall correctly... wasn't it when you came across the part mentioning his female neighbor?"

"Back then, I even suggested that you should pay attention to that female neighbor. But you immediately refused."

Hayasaka's words triggered a memory.

That had happened.

"If it were the old you, would you have ignored such an opportunity?"

"I..."

Kaguya found herself unable to answer.

She had always been the type to plan ahead, to make strategic moves.

Gaining leverage over someone's weaknesses was one tactic.

Helping them so they would owe her a favor was another.

If this had been before, Kaguya wouldn't have hesitated.

She would have done both, securing a weakness while ensuring gratitude.

That was the correct approach.

But when it came to the issue of Ren's female neighbor, she hesitated.

And in the end, she did nothing.

Why?

If she wanted to phrase it in a more dignified way, she could say she didn't want to manipulate Ren into befriending her.

But to be brutally honest.

She was afraid that if Ren saw through her schemes, he would grow to hate her.

That was why she hesitated.

That was why she ultimately backed off.

If this were just a matter of personal interests, then her choice had been wrong.

But if emotions were involved.

Then her choice had been right.

And what exactly were those emotions?

"Because you care, right?"

Hayasaka's words struck Kaguya like a thunderbolt.

"If you didn't care, you would have made the rational choice, the one that benefited you the most."

"But because you do care, you rejected that choice, thinking it was wrong."

"The variable here is Amamiya-san."

Seeing Kaguya momentarily speechless, Hayasaka knew she had hit the mark.

Today, she had to make sure Miss Kaguya realized what was in her heart.

That way, her approach toward Amamiya would finally change.

"I... but... it's too fast..."

Kaguya looked deeply conflicted.

She understood what Hayasaka was getting at.

Wasn't this basically an admission that she had started caring about Amamiya? That her feelings were beginning to shift toward liking him?

But her upbringing, her pride—made her feel like it was all happening too quickly.

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Like she was being careless.

Like her emotions had changed before she had even realized it.

Watching Kaguya's tangled expression, Hayasaka immediately understood the issue.

It was her pride.

This was something every high-class young lady struggled with.

...Well, except for Miss Suzuki.

From Hayasaka's intel, Sonoko had already asked Amamiya out on a date before she even knew his secret.

And her relationship with him had developed even further after Ran dragged her into confessing.

From that perspective, Kaguya's concern for Ren wasn't too fast at all.

If anything, it was perfectly natural.

It was only because she was so reserved that she was still hesitating.

Which meant...

Kaguya's outdated thinking needed a little adjustment.

"Miss Kaguya, think back to your past life, the life of a canary in a cage."

Kaguya's thoughts were a mess, but Hayasaka's words guided her.

And when she did think back.

Suddenly, everything became clear.

"You spent your days trapped in a life you had no control over."

"And then, out of nowhere—there was a light in front of you."

"A light that Amamiya unconsciously cast but one that became the only hope in your desperate life."

Kaguya couldn't deny it.

That was the truth.

"With that hope, you broke free from your shackles."

"You took control of your destiny and stepped on the Shinomiya family to do it."

"Then, you took the initiative to contact Amamiya."

"And what did he do?"

"He made no excessive demands of you. All he did was warn you about the risks of making money from the diary."

"That by doing so, your fate would become intertwined with his."

"And in that moment, your connection with Amamiya was formed."

"You couldn't help but grow curious about him and from that curiosity, you gradually began to care more and more."

"At first, it was gratitude."

"But now, it's something else."

Hayasaka's voice was soft, her words logical and methodical.

She was painting a picture, one that forced Kaguya to step back and look at her emotions from a third-person perspective.

And from that distance, she saw the truth.

Yes—her interest in Ren had started from gratitude.

But now—

It had grown.

"Amamiya-san has no ulterior motives toward you. He doesn't even react to your tests or attempts to tempt him."

"It's precisely because he's different from others that you care about him more."

"To the point where... even the mere mention of another woman makes you uncomfortable."

"Miss Kaguya, this emotion is called love."

"And that uncomfortable feeling? That's called jealousy."

Kaguya was completely stunned.

For the first time—she realized it.

Her emotions weren't just curiosity.

Her emotions weren't just gratitude.

She was jealous.

And she was feeling love.

"If it were anyone else, you might have used your usual methods."

"But with Amamiya-san, those methods won't work."

"Besides—"

Hayasaka paused, her voice carrying a sharp edge.

"You should also realize something else—"

"You will never be able to monopolize Amamiya-san."

"Why!?"

Kaguya flinched.

Those words not being able to monopolize, struck a deep, painful chord in her heart.

"Because of the diary."

Kaguya's mind froze.

"Didn't Amamiya-san himself say it?"

"Your fate is intertwined with his."

"But it's not just your fate."

"It's also Sanzenin-san's. And Mouri-san's."

"And in the future, there will be even more diary holders."

"Maybe even Fujiwara-san will be among them."

"Your dream of monopolizing him... is destined to be impossible."

(To be continued.)