Shirogane didn't panic. Instead, he pushed her to the floor and covered her again, forcing both their backs flat against the elevator wall and their knees bent upward.
"Bend your legs, don't lock them—trust me!"
She listened without hesitation.
As the elevator plummeted, he used his body to shield her head and neck, distributing the force of impact away from her spine. At the last second, he tightened his grip—
CRASH!
The bottom buffer system caught the elevator cabin, absorbing most of the fall with hydraulic pistons—but it was still a brutal stop. The entire cabin shook violently. Dust exploded from the corners. Shirogane felt the force rattle his bones. His vision blurred. Pain spiked through his ribs.
Then—nothing.
A few hours later – Hospital
White ceiling.
Sterile air.
Beeping.
Shirogane opened his eyes, vision blurry but returning. The dull ache in his chest made it hard to breathe deeply.
"Ah… crap…" he muttered.
"You're awake."
He turned his head.
She was sitting on a chair beside the bed, arms crossed, a few scratches on her knee but otherwise fine.
"You really are insane," she said.
"…Glad you're okay."
She looked away, hiding the way her brows dipped. "They said you took the brunt of the fall. The nurse was shocked you managed to curl yourself around me like that."
Shirogane groaned, adjusting slightly. "Had to distribute the impact. Elevators usually have a shock-absorbing system, but if you land wrong… spine, neck, even internal organs—it can mess you up. Thought I'd rather be the airbag."
Her eyes flicked to him, serious now. "Why?"
"Because," he said simply, "you were scared. And I was there." 'Thanks to that analytical skill, glad I upgraded it.'
A pause.
She stared for a long moment, then looked down at her hands.
"I'm not good at this stuff," she muttered.
"What stuff?"
"…Trusting people."
He didn't say anything—just waited.
After a beat, she stood, walked over, and handed him a cup of water.
"…It's Nino."
Shirogane blinked, caught off guard by her sudden shift in demeanor.
"Nice to meet you," he said with a tired smile. "Finally."
There was a beat of silence as she passed him a bottle of water, her gaze lingering for just a moment longer before looking away.
'Nino... That name sounds familiar.'
The thought flickered in his mind like a distant memory. Then, it hit him—hard.
'Wait a minute. Nino Nakano? From the 'Quintessential Quintuplets'?!'
His eyes widened in disbelief. 'Holy crap—it really is her! That sharp-tongued anime girl who kept showing up on my old social media feed... That's why she felt so familiar. That attitude... that face... no doubt about it.'
His stunned expression didn't go unnoticed.
Nino narrowed her eyes. "What? You look like you just saw a ghost. Is something wrong with my name?"
Shirogane snapped out of it, quickly shaking his head. "No! I mean—yes! I mean—no, not at all," he stammered, trying to reel in his thoughts.
She tilted her head slightly, puzzled by his reaction but choosing not to press further.
Meanwhile, Shirogane's thoughts were spiraling. 'I need to be careful. If she finds out I'm not supposed to be in this world… things could get complicated.'
And then another realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
'Wait... why is Nino here—in the world of 'Kaguya-sama: Love is War'? This isn't just a crossover... is it something bigger?'
He sat quietly, eyes lowered, the weight of confusion settling on his shoulders.
Suddenly, Nino's phone buzzed. She answered it with a sigh.
"Hello? Nino? Where are you? It's getting late, and we're starving over here! Can you pleeease cook us that dinner you made last time?" said a voice over the phone, equal parts playful and pleading—clearly one of her sisters, sounding both worried and hungry.
"Something just happened... I'll explain it to you girls later," Nino replied softly.
"Okay, just grab an Uber on your way home. Take care, alright?"
"I will. You guys too," she answered before ending the call.
Shirogane looked over. "Looks like they're already worried about you. You should probably get going."
Nino nodded, her voice quieter than before. "Yeah…"
As she stepped toward the door, she paused, hand on the knob. Without turning around, she spoke—just loud enough for him to hear.
"Thank you... and also—" her voice dropped, almost hesitant, "sorry for all the trouble I caused you."
Shirogane didn't heard the last phrase and raised his head. "And sorry for what?"
She froze, then immediately tensed up, her usual attitude snapping back like a rubber band.
"Shut up, idiot!" she barked, turning her head sharply as she slammed the door behind her.
Shirogane remained in bed, the loud click of the door echoing in the now-quiet room. The stillness returned, broken only by the soft, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside him. Sighs "Did I triggered something else again? But good thing is we are like in good terms now, i think..."
Until—
Bang!
The hospital door slammed open.
"KAICHOU!!" Chika Fujiwara burst in like a pink-haired typhoon, flailing a bouquet of what was probably a mix of convenience store flowers and a snack basket. "Are you aliiiive?! I heard you were in an elevator accident! Were there ghosts? Did you see the light?!"
Behind her, Ishigami trudged in with a blank expression, hands in his hoodie pockets.
"I told you it wasn't ghosts," he muttered. "It was just a mechanical failure."
"Still! Ghosts "could" be involved! Elevators are basically haunted boxes with buttons!"
Last came, Kaguya Shinomiya, walking with quiet but purposeful steps. Her expression was perfectly composed—at least on the surface.
As they passed the doorway, Kaguya's sharp eyes subtly drifted toward the girl walking away down the hallway—Nino. Just a glimpse. Cold at first. Then a flicker of curiosity.
But she said nothing and closed the door.
Instead, she stepped forward, brushing past Chika and standing at Shirogane's bedside with that same unreadable gaze.
"Kaichou," she said, voice controlled, but a little tight around the edges. "Are you alright? What did the doctors say?"
"I just woke up," Shirogane answered with a small smile. "I've had worse. I'm okay."
Kaguya exhaled, barely audible. "Good…"
"Man, I thought you were dead for a second," Ishigami said as he slumped into a chair. "Would've been a weird student council without your weird lectures."
"Hey!" Chika pouted, slapping his shoulder. "Don't say that! And besides, "I'm" the heart of the student council!"
"You'd have turned the room into a karaoke club if left alone," he mumbled.
Chika growled. "Do you want to fight right now?!"
Kaguya ignored them. Her eyes hadn't left Shirogane.
"You were with someone," she said plainly. "Was it a student?"
Shirogane hesitated. "Yeah. She's fine."
Kaguya blinked once. "I see."
She didn't press further. But the tiny shift in her posture said enough.
"Anyway," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "thanks for coming, really."
"We're the student council," Chika beamed. "It's our duty to check on the president!"
"You were screaming something about ghosts two minutes ago," Ishigami deadpanned.
"Shhh!"
As their chaotic energy filled the room, Shirogane let out a genuine, amused breath. The pain dulled in the background. For a moment, everything felt normal.
He glanced down at his pocket.
[Mission: Turn an Enemy Into a Friend– COMPLETE]
A small message blinked across the screen of a sleek, high-tech gadget
His fingers shifted subtly, tapping a side button.
[Next Directive Pending...]
He smiled faintly, just to himself.
"Guess I'm not doing too bad... for a guy who doesn't belong here."
Today's Battle Results: Nino loses.