It was the year of our Lord and Savior, 2020.

Japan was a nation of tradition. A nation of culture. As a nation that would stubbornly cling to the past, there were some aspects of that nature that still persisted in the age of advanced digital technology.

That being the existence of Garakei.

What were Garakei?

Garakei was an acronym of two words, Galapagos and Keitai (phone). It referred to rare phones and to the fact that this kind of phone only existed in Japan at the time. As the world moved into the Age of Smartphones around 2008-2010 the Japanese still persistently clung to their old models, deceptively powerful flip phones which resembled something straight out of the late nineties. In the early 2010s, a foreigner would have a strange experience looking at scenes where teens lovingly played with their Garakei.

However, things had changed.

As Generation Z* matured, their tastes were entirely different than the Millenials that had preceded them. Starting in 2015, smartphones had become the norm among the youth. As teens began to adopt it, older people would also buy one out of convenience as manufacturers started to phase out garakei from their catalogs.

The year was 2020. Virtually the whole cell phone market had been filled to the brim with various smartphones.

And yet, just like the story of the Galapagos, there were always those rare breeds that simply continued to exist, those that didn't have a cell phone. Period.

Shirogane Miyuki was one of them.

Shirogane Miyuki was from a poor family. So, as a child, he simply could not afford to have luxuries such as having a cellphone. As he grew up without cell phones, he grew accustomed to not having one. And the result, he never thought of actually buying one because other things simply took priority over a personal phone.

"Cheap phone! Cheap SIM card!"

Miyuki's ears perked up as he heard the word cheap.

When you don't have much wealth to spend, the word cheap can be extremely tempting. Indeed, the word cheap is an irresistible bait for those who aren't blessed with a fortune. And sometimes, even those blessed with wealth can be attracted too. Even things that you don't need, you might actually want to buy when you hear the word 'cheap' attached.

That's just basic Economics 101, earn the largest amount of reward for the smallest possible cost.

"Are you for real? Ooh!"

When Miyuki saw a trendy-looking female student with a uniform from the same school as his rush towards the source of the noise he instinctively followed suit. In fact, he saw a middle-aged man in a formal suit asking for the price as well. What an amazing offer indeed, even if it was hardly a small amount of money.

But, Miyuki could at least afford this much. All the money from his intense part-time work could be put to good use. As he reached for his wallet however, someone stopped him, grabbing his wrist.

"Eh?"

Miyuki looked back and saw a familiar, grim-looking face. Though they shared similarly-shaped, frightening eyes, this boy's eyes were much more lifeless and lacked passion; as opposed to the intense gaze that he himself possessed. The young man's bangs were combed to his left side, long enough to cover his eyebrows but not his eyes. He was slouching a little bit, which made him look shorter than he actually was.

He, too, also wore the same uniform as Miyuki. Though, his uniform was unbuttoned.

"Ah, it's just you, Hachiman." Miyuki let out a breath of relief.

"What were you going to do?" Hachiman asked.

"Ah, I was just thinking, maybe I could splurge a bit now that it's a new semester and I have a little bit of money from my summer part-time work." Miyuki told him confidently, "Don't you think it's a good idea?"

"Nah, I don't think so." Hachiman scoffed, his eyes glaring at the salesman. He then dragged Miyuki away. "The price for these models is too cheap. From that alone you can draw some conclusions."

Miyuki's eyes widened in response, "Don't tell me they're-"

"There are a few possibilities." Hachiman muttered, "They're OEM, refurbished, or bootlegs."

"Refurbished? You mean recycled?"

"Correct. Parts from broken phones dismantled and reassembled and then sold for cheap." Hachiman explained, "As for bootlegs, that's rather obvious. But, are you aware of what an OEM is?"

Miyuki gulped, as if he were afraid to ask. "What is an OEM?"

"It stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. To put it simply, it's the same model as any other phone, but sold for a cheaper price because they're manufactured elsewhere. Generally, for Japanese brands, it would be manufactured in China." Hachiman explained, "In most cases, an OEM product should have the exact same specifications as the original, they just don't last as long. It sometimes depends on the quality control involved. In any case, they're better than bootlegs or refurbished models."

"So let's go back there and ask."

Miyuki wasn't usually the type who jumped to the worst conclusions of people, but if nothing else, he wasn't dumb. He knew that Hachiman could see things that he normally would not be able to see. And so, this time around, he would trust his judgment. It wasn't as if Miyuki lacked critical thinking himself; he was extremely confident when it came to that. But, a second opinion was always needed. No man is perfect, and Miyuki wasn't an exception.

Hachiman approached the salesman and smiled creepily, "Hey uncle, it looks very cheap."

"Yes, it's cheap, please buy one!" The man responded cheerily, without any hint of irony or subtext.

Hachiman quirked his eyebrows, then grabbed one of the boxes. He moved it around in his hands, checking to see it was still sealed. The box appeared to be genuine. "It's original product, huh?"

"Yes, yes, it's original! I can guarantee it's original!" The salesman replied happily.

Miyuki gasped in realization.

"I see." Hachiman scoffed, "Maybe next time then."

Miyuki looked at the phone boxes. Deep down, he knew he might regret this. He could use a cheap phone regardless of its quality simply because he didn't have one to begin with. Even so, it wasn't like he was unaware of the risks from doing that. The salesman didn't appear to be lying. It likely wasn't a bootleg. The packaging mentioned it as an original product rather than OEM. In other words, it might actually be an original product.

However, if it really was an original product, how could they sell it for such an extremely cheap price? No other store sold them for this low a price. It was far too low. And now, Miyuki saw the truth.

The most plausible, logical conclusion: those were refurbished phones. Refurbished phones weren't bootlegs or OEMs. They were simply broken phones that had been reassembled and repaired. The quality wouldn't be as good as new, and the lifespan would be completely unknown.

Unlike automotive parts and engines, built from durable cast iron, aluminum, and steel; smartphones were built from a myriad of sensitive microelectronics prone to accumulated damage just from usage alone. Their lifespan was extremely short in comparison, and in the case of rebuilt phones, massive amounts of caution would have to be heavily exercised.

Miyuki was quite a bit paradoxical, in that, he could be simultaneously careless and paranoid at the same time.

This time was not an exception. He could just imagine what would happen when he showed up at the student council...

"Oh gawd, my phone is broken."

"Is that so? I thought you had just bought that phone recently?"

He could just imagine her. Her piercing, ruby eyes gazing at him with pity and amusement; a small smile filled with a smug sense of superiority.

He could just imagine it, her low, ridiculing voice as she said:

"What a pity."

He didn't want to see it. He didn't want to hear it either.

That ain't happening! And so, Miyuki made a decision.

Miyuki sadly smiled and then left the store, following Hachiman. "I think I'm just going to save a bit more money and buy an OEM brand."

"Brands from other countries are good too, as long as you're selective." Hachiman told him, "Maybe you should try Motorola or Lenovo."

"Looks like the plan failed." The salesman bit his lip, "How could this have happened?"

The middle-aged man in a formal suit shook his head, "I don't know. What should we do, Miss Hayasaka?"

The girl who had come into the store earlier turned her head, her piercing gaze pointed squarely on the backs of Miyuki and Hachiman, who swiftly disappeared into the crowd of the shopping center. She picked up her phone and made a call, "This is Hayasaka. I apologize, but President Shirogane did not get his phone today."

When she heard a high pitched scream of anguish and complaints come from the other end she quickly withdrew the phone away from her ear.

The girl, the middle-aged salaryman, and the salesman had rehearsed a scenario. They would pretend it was a sale and thus Miyuki would be interested and buy a phone. It was just that they hadn't taken into account the sudden appearance of the other student, Hachiman, who Shirogane seemed to be close with.

The girl, named Hayasaka, wondered just who that was? Was he deliberately trying to foil their meticulously laid out and executed plan, or was he simply unintentionally distracting enough that Shirogane backed down...?

"If I may ask, do you know a student named Hachiman?"

Hayasaka showed mild surprise when she heard the answer. "...Eh?"

In the battlefield of geniuses, full of tricks and manipulation, would a twisted sort of common sense prevail?

やはり, 彼らが望む告白は間違っている.

As expected, the Confession they want is wrong

Original Story by: Watari Wataru and Akasaka Aka

Written by: ZeroXSEED, Co-Writer/Editor: GoukaRyuu

Chapter 1: Kaguya wants to exchange.

Shuchiin Academy.

It was a prestigious school with an ancient and honorable origin, founded as a facility to educate upper-crust children.

The focus on nobility was gone, but many talented students born into wealthy, distinguished families and shouldering the nation's future still attended the school.

Naturally, ordinary people would not be permitted to lead and bring these people together.

"Everyone, look!"

"It's...the student council!"

Such amazement and overwhelming praise tended to be uttered in their presence. The presence of the student council of Shuchiin Academy. As people who were trusted with such prestigious positions, they were indeed elites among the elites.

The Vice-President, Shinomiya Kaguya.

Total assets owned: 200 Trillion yen. Her family owned the Shinomiya group, a massive conglomerate company with more than 1000 subsidiaries!

Befitting her superior lineage, she was a talented young woman who had attained splendid achievements in various fields such as traditional performing arts, music, and martial arts!

Blessed by grace only paralleled by the most charming traditional beauties of Japan, her lustrous silky black hair contrasted her ruby-like eyes. She was like a goddess in the mortal realm!

That was the Vice President, Shinomiya Kaguya.

And the young man Shinomiya supported was...

Shirogane Miyuki, the President of the Shuchiin Academy Student Council.

Wise and intelligent. Strong and silent. He scored first place in the practice exams.

In contrast to the talented Kaguya, his devotion to studying commanded awe and fear.

Due to his other exemplary behavior, he was selected to be the student council president. The weight of a solid gold aiguillette on his chest had been passed down from one president to the next for the last 200 years!

"They always look perfect together!"

"Yes, when they're together they seem to look even more noble and elegant! Kyah!"

"I wonder if they're dating?"

"No way! But...but they're so perfect for each other!"

"I wonder what they talk about in their lonesome..."

In their elegant council room, draped in welcoming red carpet, this story shall unfold.

The sound of tea being poured from a high-quality porcelain pot into matching cups emanated in the otherwise quiet room.

Following that was the gentle, soothing voice of Kaguya as she mumbled, "It seems that there's a rumor going around that we're in a romantic relationship."

Miyuki leaned on the deceptively-modest looking green sofa with a confident smile as he said, "Again? They're just at that age. Pay them no mind."

"But even so, I can't help but pay them a little mind." Kaguya averted her eyes shyly, "I, too, am at that age after all."

Shirogane averted his eyes and then huffed as he thought, "Me, dealing with such tripe as dating? As if. Though I suppose if Shinomiya asked me out it wouldn't be COMPLETELY out of the question."

"Besides, it's kind of inevitable. It's just a matter of time before she develops an interest in me."

Indeed, Miyuki had read this in a magazine before. Signs of a girl showing attraction to you? She mentions rumors that you're going out. She mentions that she doesn't have a boyfriend. She sits down next to you...

"Maybe if she let go of that facade of an invulnerable, rich girl that she built around herself and begged for me, I might accept."

Even as Shirogane Miyuki drowned in his self-centered delusion, Shinomiya Kaguya was having entirely different thoughts.

"Those shortsighted simpletons. Just who do they think I am? I am Shinomiya Kaguya, the heart and soul of Japan. In what bizarre fantasy would I date a commoner?"

"For me, he's nothing more than an ant. Though, I suppose if he begged on his knees there might be a teeny tiny drop of possibility that I might accept!"

"After all, there's no man in existence who would not fall for me." Kaguya decided, "Its just a matter of time."

Or maybe not so different.

And so, with those kinds of thoughts, six months passed and nothing happened.

Shallow feelings and thoughts of "Maybe I will go out with that person?" had been twisted, squeezed, and altered so much through the passage of time and an inhuman sense of pride, drifted endlessly, and now had become "I will make that person ask me out!"

Love is war. There is always the winner and the loser.

In a battle of wits and dominance the one who confesses first loses all rights in deciding the direction of their relationship. They would be nothing but a slave; completely at the mercy of the one being confessed to!

Caught in the crossfire of this conflict were two people.

"Ehhh? President, you have a smartphone now?!"

Fujiwara Chika, the Secretary of the student council, was one of them.

Fujiwara Chika wasn't quite a traditional beauty like Kaguya. However, her appearance could easily be described as pretty, with a voluptuous body that would make many men turn their heads!

Comparing her to Kaguya would be like comparing apples and oranges, each had their own appeal to them.

Friendly and sociable, Fujiwara Chika wasn't just all physically attractive traits either. Despite her appearance and seemingly air-headed personality, Fujiwara Chika had already mastered no less than five languages and was adding even more to her repertoire. And more than that, she was also a talented piano player who had won multiple competitions in the past, including national ones!

Born and raised in a family of politicians, she was blessed with many connections and a knowledge of politics. Indeed, this was how she had been chosen as the Secretary in the first place.

"Can I see it?" She asked cheerfully.

"Of course!" Miyuki cockily showed it off, "I even have my LINE account set up!"

Chika bowed politely, with a welcoming voice she greeted the President. "Welcome to the 21st century!"

"What am I, a Heisei boy?" Miyuki asked in dread, "Though, it's true that until today it was kind of hard to communicate with each other."

In this digital age, smartphones and social platforms are essential to high school daily life.

They could be used to make schedules, arrange meetings, or simply for idle talk. Worrying about the tone of voice and written messages as you communicated with each other, indeed, myriads of information and emotion could be crammed into such simple messages.

Indeed, the reason for the uneventful six months that had passed, the main reason for that was because Shirogane Miyuki didn't have LINE!

And now he had it. It was time to move to a new step in his plan to make Kaguya ask him out!

"Funny, yesterday President almost got himself swindled."

"Swindled?" Chika blinked, "What do you mean by that, Hikki-san?"

Sitting on the corner of the President's table was the General Affairs Manager, Hikigaya Hachiman. Just like Miyuki, he was a common-born, normal high school boy who had made his way to Shuchiin Academy through a hard-earned scholarship.

As the General Affairs Manager, Hachiman dealt with day-to-day trivialities such as acting as a the face of the student council in delegating to the clubs, serving as a messenger and liaison to and from the teachers and students, as well as managing the non-financial assets of the Student Council.

"It's a long story, but thanks to Hachiman, my eyes are wide open now." Miyuki boasted, "It's very convenient to have a phone that can double as a mini-computer without worrying about its quality."

Kaguya sharpened her eyes, angrily glaring at the General Affairs Manager.

Many people, including Kaguya, had drawn a lot of similarity between Hachiman and the President. Even their eyes were similar. The two were good friends who shared the same social background. And, they looked so good together-

No, it wasn't like Kaguya was drawn to their eyes or anything!

"Oh, could you tell me what happened, Manager Hikigaya?" Kaguya asked with an extremely cold tone.

"A bunch of very suspicious people suddenly appeared in the shopping district that we usually pass through." Hachiman commented, "Selling phones for a suspiciously low cost. So, I told President about the risk of buying such a suspicious deal. He felt a little bit leery himself, so instead we decided to find actual good, cheap phones to buy."

Hachiman raised his own phone, a replacement for his old one.

"You used to use an old type of iPhone, right? I'm surprised you changed the brand this time." Chika pointed out.

It could be said that Hachiman was one of the first adopters of a smartphone in Japan! He had owned an iPhone Series 1 that his father had given him as a birthday present. It had recently broken down beyond repair.

Hachiman didn't have any special attachment to it, but he simply hadn't felt the need to replace it before.

"Newer iPhones are flat out shit. They don't even come with a 3.5mm jack anymore. Not to mention their needing of proprietary chargers and cables," Hachiman replied, "I swear, Apple fans are just masochistic sometimes."

"...You know you're talking to an Apple user, right?" Chika asked with a low voice of repressed anger.

"I stand by my point." Hachiman shrugged.

Kaguya rolled her eyes aside and gave out a small "Tsk!" It looked like Hachiman really was the culprit.

Indeed, those suspicious people that happened to be promoting the phones for cheap? They were people sent by Kaguya solely to entice President Shirogane Miyuki into buying a phone. However, she had miscalculated, missing the possibility of Hachiman tagging along. Had it not been for him, Kaguya's efforts wouldn't have been wasted and her plans wouldn't be left in disarray.

Kaguya wondered if Hachiman was aware of her intentions. Probably not.

Thankfully, the outcome was still the same, and the President now had a smartphone of his own. Deep down though, Kaguya still resented Hachiman for taking the credit.

Still, there was no need to cry over spilled milk; might as well step into part two of her plan.

Indeed, she didn't just have a plan. She had plans. Forty volumes worth of plans she had prepared to make sure Miyuki would ask her out as soon as possible!

And her next step would be to make sure the President asked her for her contact info!

Indeed, both Kaguya and Miyuki shared the exact same intent.

Asking a member of the opposite sex for their contact information. When the possible desperation and ulterior motives in such an action are considered, special meaning is given form.

That is, an admission of love!

And in matters of love, the one who admits their love first loses. The first person to ask the other for their contact information will be the loser. And neither Miyuki nor Kaguya was willing to be the loser.

"Go on, and ask my contact info!"

Their synchronous thoughts never reached each other. The only thing that got between them and their resolutions was nothing but their own personal pride.

"Speaking of LINE ID...lets exchange one!" Chika quickly asked.

Indeed, Fujiwara Chika was a very social person. As such, for her, exchanging contact information with people around her was no more special than eating or sleeping.

Her sensibilities were different from Kaguya or Miyuki. Her line of thought was far more common with that of an average girl.

"And now we've done it!" She said happily without any hint of an underlying message.

Chika looked at Hachiman, expecting him to follow suit. But, instead, he averted his eyes. "I have your e-mail, so it's more than enough, Fujiwara."

Indeed, even discounting LINE, Chika and Hachiman did have that sort of contact with each other, and for quite a while as well. Hachiman and Chika would rather use e-mail service than LINE message.

It wasn't like they were especially close however. It was mostly because of Hachiman's knowledge of geek culture allowing him to lend assistance to the Tabletop Gaming club that Chika was a part of.

But, the hesitation in Hachiman's voice was odd. And from there, Chika felt a sudden rush of realization.

Almost everyone that Chika knew personally had LINE contact with her. However, Hachiman was the only person that Chika exchanged email with on a regular basis.

If one considers the rarity and privacy of communication, an e-mail would seem much more frugal and intimate than LINE.

"I have your e-mail, so it's more than enough." His voice resounded in Chika's mind.

Maybe Hachiman wanted to keep it special between them.

Fujiwara Chika had just realized that maybe, maybe the quiet and somewhat distant General Affairs Manager harbored some feelings towards her?

It wasn't as if Fujiwara Chika had no interest in romance. On the contrary, she was very much interested in it. Only, her father had banned her from having a boyfriend.

Someone like Hachiman, who was a scholarship student from a normal family, trying to pursue her romantically? It would be like a story of reverse-Cinderella!

Though his face could be described as fairly handsome, his eyes were always lifeless and lacked passion. It was an incredible contrast and made him unappealing. Sometimes, they looked like the eyes of an experienced predator or a serial killer, who would relentlessly hunt their prey.

Just the image of Hachiman pursuing her with those eyes...It gave Chika sheer amounts of terror and disgust... and excitement.

"Oh, I see..." Chika blushed hard and looked down, twiddling her feet as she did. "Just email is enough, huh?"

Kaguya watched intently as Chika quickly switched back to talking with President about LINE. It seems that he too was fully intent on withholding his contact info from her.

She looked at Hachiman, who looked intently back at her. She flinched a bit, wondering what was going on in Hachiman's mind at that moment.

Come to think of it, they hadn't really had an exchange of contact information either. Maybe if he begged just a bit. Maybe Kaguya would give it to him.

As if!

If Shirogane Miyuki was to be considered the King of Ants, then Hikigaya Hachiman would be his drone worker. Even today, Kaguya still wondered why he had bothered enough to join the council at all.

Perhaps, because of his special friendship with President Miyuki. No, it was definitely that.

That's right.

Kaguya had a very skewed judgment of people. For her, third place and beyond were losers. Only the first and second place mattered because the second place had the potential to climb up higher. But, third place was hopeless.

Hikigaya had no special talents residing within him like Kaguya or Fujiwara had. He didn't have the perfectionist streak or drive to improve himself either, which was what made President Shirogane so famous.

He was great at sports, but was not a part of any of the clubs. In terms of overall school ranking, Hachiman would have to be around 8th. And he had a very little amount of contact with anyone outside of the Student Council.

He was a loser through and through in Kaguya's eyes. Though, sometimes he was quite perceptive. Indeed, just like Shirogane Miyuki, Hikigaya Hachiman was hardly a clueless person.

And sometimes his actions could be surprising. Kaguya at least gave him props for that.

Maybe if he begged on his knees like the worthless slave he is...

Kaguya actually laughed a bit at the extremely fitting imagery in her mind's eye. Still, at the moment, her focus should be on Miyuki and how he would react to her indifference.

Indeed, Shirogane Miyuki had a contingency plan.

In contrast to Kaguya, who would meticulously prepare her plans in advance, Shirogane Miyuki was adept at improvising to benefit from changes to almost any situation.

"Ah, your profile pic!" Chika gasped, "Is this a photo of you as a child? So cute!"

!

"That's right." Miyuki confidently winked, "Though I'm a bit embarrassed about it, perhaps I should change it soon. Like, in three minutes?"

This was Miyuki's game of speed chess. By throwing out a high-risk, valuable target he would be able to pull Kaguya's attention and catch her defenseless.

Kaguya began to break into a sweat. So this is how Miyuki was going to handle it? On the other hand, if she did not act quickly, she would miss the opportunity to see the photo. On the other other hand, if she did ask for his contact info that would mean it was her loss!

This conundrum, how could Kaguya solve it?

Maybe she would have to do THAT.

As she pulled a bottle of eyedrops out from a pocket, she began to formulate her last ditch approach.

With 'teary' eyes, Kaguya began to sob and rub her face, full of sadness. "President, you're cruel! How could you do that?!"

You're cruel. There was no special meaning behind it, however, put enough emotion in it, and people could be influenced regardless. And Miyuki was no exception.

Vague statements and emotional outbursts could be accepted as fact. Such psychological phenomenon was known as the Barnum effect.

And as a member of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya had mastered such techniques as a requirement.

Because Kaguya's sudden, well done act, Miyuki would have thought he had done something. And his instinct told him that leaving Kaguya behind and not showing her the picture was a horrible thing to do.

"Wait! Wait! Here, you can see it too!"

Shirogane Miyuki's defeat was almost ensured.

In a fraction of a second Kaguya's brain began to work to it's fullest, recording every pixel of information that her eyes captured. Even just a moment would be enough.

Perfect memory! It would let her burn and etch the image of the little Miyuki into the depths of her mind!

However, once again, her plan of deception was foiled by none other than Hikigaya Hachiman, who stood before her with a QR code on the screen of his phone.

Because of this sudden action, she was unable to see Miyuki's profile picture!

The QR code undoubtedly contained Hachiman's own contact info. "Vice-President, let's exchange LINE ID." He said, almost nonchalantly too.

Indeed, Hachiman had enough of this nonsense and decided to intervene. If Kaguya and Miyuki didn't exchange contact information, he felt something catastrophic would occur.

Unlike Chika, he wasn't blind to the situation. He knew very well the old song and dance that Kaguya and Miyuki had every second of every day they spent together.

Hachiman had to endure this stupid war for an entire semester. This needed to stop.

And, Hachiman had decided to put his embarrassment aside and take a hit in their place. He decided to ask Kaguya for her LINE ID, even though he had never asked for a girl's LINE this entire school year...well ever. As for Chika, email would have still be enough.

Once Kaguya gave him her contacts, Hachiman would send it to Miyuki. That way this stupid love confrontation could be avoided and both of them could get what they wanted. And it was only at the small, small cost of Hachiman's dignity.

For Hachiman, an email carried a far more formal and impersonal tone than LINE did. After all, professionals and office workers also used email to communicate, as LINE was considered far too casual for such usage.

And as usual, Fujiwara Chika was even more out of the loop!

Hachiman had never been especially friendly with Vice-President Kaguya before. And again, from Chika's perspective, asking for a LINE ID would have been the more casual approach, which is what Hachiman had done just now.

Watching Hachiman nonchalantly ask Kaguya for her ID only cemented Chika's belief that Hachiman saw her in a different light.

"Oh my god! He really likes me!" Was practically what Chika was screaming inwardly.

Evidently, his mindset was the entire opposite of Chika's, and more in line with Kaguya and Miyuki.

However, Kaguya, was already distraught. To her Hachiman's actions were like being hit by a brick to the face. It was so sudden that she didn't know how to react, or think for that matter.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Why did Hikigaya-san suddenly ask for my ID? Didn't he just reject Fujiwara-san's explicit request to exchange IDs? This doesn't make sense! Unless-"

Kaguya's train of thought was completely inline with Miyuki's.

Miyuki's eyes widened in shock when Hachiman suddenly asked for Kaguya's ID, especially considering he actually refused Chika's request before.

Miyuki and Kaguya both came to the exact same conclusion: Hachiman was romantically interested in Kaguya!

Slowly, a fire of embarrassment began to spread from Kaguya's heart, corrupting what little common sense was left in her mind. Indeed, Hachiman had always been been prone to doing unexpected and drastic things like this.

Just like the first time they had met, a year ago.

As for Miyuki, a different fire began to burst out from his heart.

Flames of burning jealousy!

For good or for ill, Shirogane Miyuki had always seen Hachiman as an equal. Or, at least as close to an equal as you could get. Just like he strove to reach the highest place where Kaguya belonged, he always thought Hachiman would be there by his side. Forever.

But he could never have imagined that Hachiman would be interested in Kaguya. Not that Miyuki was interested in Kaguya or anything. But still...

Even discounting feelings aside, Hachiman still practically stole Miyuki's target. That's something even the best kind of friends cannot forgive!

Consumed by pure emotion, Miyuki stood up and grabbed Hachiman's shoulder, glaring at him. "Wait a minute Hachiman, what are you doing?"

Hachiman glared back at Miyuki, but he couldn't really say anything. What Hachiman wanted to say was, "Fuck off with your stupid jealousy. I'm doing this for who again?"

But no words came out. If a man could die from embarrassment, Hachiman probably would have died right then and there.

Still, Kaguya was freaking out even more as she noticed how furious and jealous Miyuki was becoming. These two young, incredibly fit, and somewhat handsome men with disgustingly grim, scary eyes were fighting over Kaguya's contact information.

She couldn't be more ecstatic!

"Wa-Wa-Wait a minute! Please don't fight for my sake!" Kaguya meekly, and halfheartedly, begged. This was getting out of hand!

She quickly pulled out her phone to share her contact info. As much as Kaguya loved being an object of attention, it would be heartbreaking to see two best friends clashing over her.

Chika blinked and pulled back from her delusion when she heard that, and then she remembered something. "Ah, I just remembered something! Kaguya-san's phone can't use LINE!"

Kaguya, Hachiman, and Miyuki all froze when they heard Chika's statement.

Slowly, their necks creaked as they looked down at the phone in question. In Kaguya's shaking grip was a flip phone beeping and turning on. A flip phone so old it didn't even have an adjustable Operating System let alone any ability to access a social media platform.

Like say, LINE.

"W-w-what?" Miyuki's jaw dropped, "How can...a rich girl doesn't even have a smartphone?!"

"I can't believe it. It's a fucking garakei." Hachiman said in complete and utter disbelief and disgust, "You are, quite literally, an endangered species out of the Galapagos, Shinomiya."

"I've had this phone since Kindergarten!" Kaguya screamed in pure shame, "There's no way I could replace it so easily!"

Result of today's battle: No Survivor

* Usually described as people who were born after the year 1998 or 2000
** Usually described as people who were born between 1985 to 1990s