"Ah, it's Hayasaka-san." Kanzaki Saku responded to Hayasaka Ai in a normal tone.
"No need, thank you for your kindness. I was just reading over there for a long time, my legs got a bit numb, so I stood up to walk around. I'm also checking for lost books in the library while I'm at it," he said, taking two natural steps forward as he spoke.
"Lost books in the library?" Hayasaka Ai tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin lightly with her finger. "Ah, are you talking about that ghost story rumor that suddenly popped up?"
As she spoke, her gaze habitually sized up Kanzaki Saku. The other party stood perfectly straight, holding that heavy copy of World History with one hand, while his other hand hung casually at his side.
There was nothing wrong with it, but she felt his posture was... well, slightly tight? It was as if his clothes didn't quite fit, or there was something pressing down on him.
"Come to think of it, Lady Kaguya did indeed assign that matter to the Vice President to handle before."
Hayasaka Ai recalled the meeting when Kanzaki Saku first joined the Student Council; Kaguya had handed over matters related to studies and the library to Kanzaki Saku.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell this was just a random idle job assigned to Kanzaki Saku. Hayasaka Ai hadn't expected Kanzaki Saku to actually take it seriously.
"However, I didn't expect you to come investigate personally. Should I say you have an excess of responsibility, or great initiative?"
As a maid, facing this man whom Kaguya frequently muttered about wanting to capture—someone who, if not yet the male master of the house, was at least treated with special preference—she naturally had to accord him some courtesy.
So, she immediately decided to put down the work in her hands and accompany Kanzaki Saku for a few rounds first.
As for Mai-senpai, who was hanging on Kanzaki Saku's chest, her current state could be described as both bitter and exhilarating.
The bitter part was that she had to work hard to keep hanging there. If she landed on the ground and they switched to a posture where one walked behind the other, being the one in front, she wouldn't be able to control Kanzaki Saku behind her to align their granularity—their movements—perfectly.
After hanging for so long, Mai-senpai's entire body felt a bit numb, her thighs stiff as if she were a real pendant. Only when she occasionally slipped down a little uncontrollably would her calf muscles twitch violently, coiling around him even more forcefully.
"Just part of the job," Kanzaki Saku responded simply.
"Part of the job, is it? Boys who are willing to think like that, and actually do it, are almost non-existent nowadays," she said with a hint of lament in her voice.
"Look at what those other boys have become, relying on their privileges. Someone like the Vice President is... hmm, should I say 'simple' or 'steadfast'? Anyway, very rare."
She spoke casually, but her words were a microcosm of this society's current state.
As mentioned before, the combination of the [Reversal] and the scarcity of men—these two buffs—had spawned many 'Little Fairy Males' who were even more entitled than the 'Little Fairies' of the old world. Normal men were few and far between, and those with good looks and good personalities were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
So, for someone like Kanzaki Saku—who had outstanding looks and a pure personality, yet could still maintain normal logic and initiative—it was quite normal to become a 'Male Succubus' who made others fall in love at first sight.
Hayasaka Ai, as the maid to Kaguya, the sole designated heir of the Shinomiya family, wasn't like some delinquent girl or band girl who had never seen a man before.
But in the circle of the conglomerates, men were either sucking up to sugar daddies and selling their bodies, or they were even more perverted capitalists.
It was no wonder the domineering CEO Kaguya would take a fancy to the "Cinderella" Kanzaki Saku.
"You flatter me, Hayasaka-san." Kanzaki Saku didn't really care about other men. With his superpowers, he could be a happy superhero even in a normal world.
It was just that in this world, he could be a happy superhero without using superpowers. In fact, without using superpowers, and just acting a little, he could happily watch the drama unfold.
Hayasaka Ai didn't continue to complain. Instead, she asked curiously, "Did Vice President Kanzaki discover some clue, which is why you specially ran into the depths of the library? Or did you get somewhat lost?"
She glanced at the copy of World History in Kanzaki Saku's hand. "That book... I remember it being placed on that bookshelf at the other end, right?"
Good question. But you asked the wrong person; you should go ask Repressed Senpai.
Kanzaki Saku's expression didn't change. "I was just walking around randomly to familiarize myself with the layout."
Hayasaka Ai nodded, seeming to accept this explanation.
"In other words, Vice President Kanzaki has no clues, right?"
What kind of talk is that? Do I need clues? The answer is right in front of your eyes, you just can't see it!
"If Vice President Kanzaki has no clues, I actually have one here," Hayasaka Ai continued.
"But it's for reference only. I don't know if it has any reference value for the Vice President."
Kanzaki Saku remained noncommittal, nodding to signal Hayasaka Ai to continue.
Thus, Hayasaka Ai spoke with a subtle tone, as if sharing a secret rumor: "Among the students, a saying occasionally circulates called 'Estrus Syndrome.' Some people also call it 'Sexual Repression Syndrome'."
Kanzaki Saku's footsteps paused for a moment. Not because of Hayasaka Ai's words, but because the pendant hanging on his chest suddenly contracted her body unnaturally upon hearing a certain keyword.
"Oh?" Kanzaki Saku responded, seeming to have his interest piqued.
He took the opportunity to adjust his posture of holding the book. Using the book as cover, his other hand moved imperceptibly upward from below, stabilizing a certain anchor point that had almost slipped off due to nervousness.
Mai-senpai didn't notice. Even if she did, she would only think Kanzaki Saku was uncomfortable and adjusting his trajectory.
Hayasaka Ai didn't notice this small interlude. "How should I put it... it's a rumor that a very small number of people in specific groups, when under certain states of extreme repression, might awaken some rather unusual abilities."
"Rather unusual?" Kanzaki Saku asked cooperatively.
"Yes. Not the kind in movies where they fly in the sky or burrow into the earth. It's more like..." Hayasaka Ai tried hard to find an apt description. "Being able to realize some very personalized, even somewhat absurd little wishes?"
"In short, it sounds like a collective hysteria produced by puberty restlessness combined with excessive stress. But as a fellow ghost story legend, perhaps it might be helpful to your investigation."
After she finished speaking, her gaze inadvertently swept over Kanzaki Saku again.
He still maintained that calm appearance, only the arm holding the book seemed to be gripped a little tighter, and a few beads of fine sweat could be faintly seen on the side of his neck. Was the library heating too strong?
"Sexual Repression Syndrome..." Kanzaki Saku murmured the name in a low voice. "It sounds like a setting from a third-rate light novel or a trashy adult doujinshi."
"Who says it isn't?" Hayasaka Ai shrugged. "So it's just a ghost story the girls chat about in private. However..."
She changed the subject. "The rumors mention that this kind of ability brings side effects while realizing the owner's wish, and they gradually intensify."
"If—and I'm saying if—the library ghost really exists and it isn't a prank, perhaps it might even be a manifestation of this syndrome?"