The next morning was a weekend morning—a time when most people were still asleep, enjoying their rare day off.

For working adults, weekends were precious rest days.

That was even more true for students.

But for Hayasaka, things were different. As a maid, she was used to waking up early every morning, without exception.

Today, too, she woke up by habit before sunrise.

However, despite being accustomed to this rhythm, Hayasaka made an unusual mistake.

She sat on her bed, staring blankly.

"...Ah, I woke up too early."

It was the weekend, yes—but that didn't necessarily mean she was off work. Her duties to Miss Kaguya usually continued regardless of the day.

But today was different. Today was her birthday.

And last night, before going to bed, Miss Kaguya had said:

"Hayasaka, since tomorrow is your birthday, I'm giving you the day off. Take a walk, go relax."

It was rare for Kaguya to be so considerate of her emotional and physical well-being.

And yet, even with the gift of a day off, Hayasaka found herself at a loss.

Had she still been carrying the secret of her undercover identity, she'd likely be under constant emotional strain. The pressure and guilt of living like that every day would have left her mentally and physically drained.

But ever since she cut ties with her double life and gained Kaguya's understanding, Hayasaka felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Work felt less suffocating. Without the guilt, her mood was more stable. The emotional stress that had once built up relentlessly had finally found outlets.

She even had new ways to relieve pressure.

Especially after obtaining the Door-Door Fruit—she had tested out several methods. For example, using the Door ability to travel the world and take in different views.

The island that Kaguya had purchased, despite being a volcanic region, had become her go-to stress-relief spot when it wasn't active. Her physique had also improved significantly since eating sea king meat with Miss Kaguya recently.

Nowadays, she took time out each day to teleport to the isolated island and practice the Six Powers.

But because she had too much free time today, she didn't know what to do with herself.

Sure, she could go train on the island, but physical strength didn't improve overnight. Her daily training needed to be kept within limits, especially since the Six Powers weren't techniques suited for the average human body. Overexertion could lead to injury.

As a result, even though today was her birthday and she had the day off, she was stuck with nothing to do.

"Should I go travel the world...?"

But she shook her head and dismissed the thought.

Sure, the world was vast, but traveling aimlessly with nothing in mind? That didn't sound interesting at all. It felt less exciting than it used to.

Even going overseas should be done with some purpose.

"No, I always feel like I'm just aimlessly wandering when I go out alone."

"The scenery abroad isn't that different. Besides, traveling alone is... kind of boring."

Over the past two months, Hayasaka had come to realize she was actually quite social.

She enjoyed doing things with others. Being alone just made her feel... alone.

"Besides Miss Kaguya, does anyone else even remember today's my birthday?"

Ring Ring~

Just as Hayasaka was sinking into boredom, her phone on the nightstand rang.

She glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered with a hint of surprise.

"Ren? You're up early today."

"Yeah. It's your birthday today, right? Just wanted to say happy birthday."

Hayasaka paused for a second. Her previously dull mood brightened a bit.

"So you remembered it was my birthday, huh?"

"Of course I did. I remembered it the first time you told me."

He's referring to back when they first met in the club. He must've seen it on her club application form... Hayasaka always kept strict control over her personal information.

While she had joined the Occult Research Club back at Shuchiin Academy, she never let it interfere with her duties to Kaguya. It wasn't until transferring to Teitan High that she let her guard down slightly.

Still, he'd remembered something as small as her birthdate from the form. Hayasaka couldn't help but feel that Ren was incredibly observant.

"Other than Miss Kaguya... you're the only one who remembered my birthday."

"Don't be silly. I'm sure your mom and dad remembered too."

Hayasaka curled her lips slightly. A small smile appeared.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad remembered. But since Miss Kaguya became the head, they've been busy with internal affairs at the Shinomiya Zaibatsu. They've been overseeing every detail, and just haven't had the time to celebrate."

"Even though Miss Senzanin's help has stabilized things within the Shinomiya group, there's still a lot of cleanup to do. Evaluating who can be trusted, who needs to be replaced... all of that takes time."

"My whole family's been working around the clock. My parents haven't had a real break in a while."

It was a happy kind of problem.

Thanks to Ren, both she and Kaguya had shaken off the awkward circumstances they were once trapped in. They were finally beginning to reclaim the positions they were meant to have.

And while this status came with responsibilities, Kaguya no longer needed the approval of the Shinomiya group.

Even Shinomiya Gan'an had no choice but to yield to Kaguya.

While Kaguya had used her presence like a spiritual anchor to calm the internal chaos of the group, it was still the Shinomiya family that held the strings of actual control. Shifting that power structure would take time.

Kaguya and Hayasaka were still too young to manage the conglomerate directly, so those responsibilities had been passed to Nao Hayasaka and Masato Hayasaka.

Naturally, that meant her parents didn't have time to host a birthday party for her.

But Hayasaka understood. She had already received their well-wishes yesterday.

"...So, Hayasaka, are you free today?"

That simple question instantly lit a fire in Hayasaka's previously aimless mood.

"I am."

(To be continued.)

***

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