Chapter 129: Operation: Re-Woo Rui (Aiwa's Counterattack)

The hallway incident has a profound effect on Aiwa. LUNA's brutal takedown of Rina and Haruka was effective, yes, but the icy disdain, the cold superiority… it felt wrong. Especially when she saw the look on my face afterwards – not just impressed, but slightly wary, maybe even a little scared. That is not how she wants me to see her. She does not want to be LUNA to me. She wants to be Aiwa, the girl who shares his love for 'Starlight Paladin', the girl who might be his childhood friend. The girl who desperately, confusingly, likes him.

Her strategy needs a complete overhaul. The cold shoulder was a disaster. The LUNA outburst created distance. She needs to get closer. She needs to remind me of the connection we have, the easy friendship that exists outside the cosplay battlefield. She needs to launch "Operation: Re-Woo Rui." (A name she immediately blushes at having thought of, then scribbles determinedly in her secret LUNA strategy notebook – yes, she has one).

Her approach is twofold, leveraging both her shy Aiwa persona and strategic, subtle deployments of LUNA-Lite confidence, now with an added sprinkle of romance.

Phase 1: The Shy Offensive (Enhanced Cuteness Protocols)

The awkward clinginess returns, but with a new layer of calculated intent and weaponized cuteness. She still "accidentally" bumps into me, but now, instead of just recoiling in panic, she lingers for a fraction of a second, her eyes wide with feigned surprise, maybe letting out a tiny, adorable "eep!" before darting away, leaving me flustered and confused.

The snack offerings become more frequent and personalized. She starts bringing in homemade Korean treats and meticulously researched Japanese sweets she overheard me mentioning I liked. "I made too many kimbap rolls," she will mumble, offering me a perfectly arranged bento box decorated with little seaweed hearts, avoiding my eyes. "And I also accidentally bought too much sakura mochi. Please take some, Rui-kun." It is weaponized shyness combined with a culinary assault, and it is dangerously effective because the food is genuinely delicious and my willpower is weak.

Her most potent weapon remains physical proximity, now deployed with slightly more daring. During our mandated literature project sessions (which Rina and Haruka now grudgingly allow, but always under heavy, albeit distant, surveillance from strategically placed "study groups"), she seems to have lost all sense of personal space while pretending to maintain it. She leans in close to look at my notes, her purple hair falling across my textbook, her shoulder "accidentally" brushing against mine. She points to a line in the poem, her finger brushing against mine, lingering just a moment too long before she snatches it back with a panicked gasp. Every accidental touch feels charged, sending jolts of static electricity through my overloaded nervous system. I am constantly blushing, stammering, and generally malfunctioning, much to the amusement of Aiwa (who seems to find my flustered state both adorable and encouraging) and the simmering fury of my ever-present observers (Rina and Haruka).

Phase 2: LUNA-Lite's Targeted Romantic Strikes

While shy Aiwa works on melting my defenses with awkward sweetness, LUNA-Lite is deployed for strategic impact, now with a distinctly romantic edge. Aiwa seems to have gained more control over the shift, able to access that calm confidence when needed, particularly when it involves subtly staking a claim on me or defending our connection.

During a class discussion where I am struggling to articulate a point about a complex historical event, she jumps in, not with LUNA's icy command, but with Aiwa's voice, strengthened by LUNA's clarity. "Perhaps what Hinamata-kun means," she says, calmly and eloquently rephrasing my jumbled thoughts, "is that the socio-economic factors created a predisposition towards conflict…" She makes me sound smarter than I am, then gives me a small, secret smile before retreating back into her shy shell. It is subtle manipulation via intellectual validation, and it is weirdly effective.

She uses it outside of academics too, particularly when Rina or Haruka try to pull rank. One afternoon, Rina is insisting I help her carry an absurdly large pile of Cosplay Club materials. "Onii-chan, my arms are going to fall off! You have to help me!"

Before I can protest, Aiwa steps in. The shift is subtle, just a straightening of her posture, a focusing of her gaze. "Actually, Hinamata-san," she says, her voice steady and cool (LUNA-Lite activated). "Rui-kun promised to help me collate our literature project notes this afternoon. Prior commitments should be respected." She looks directly at Rina, a silent challenge in her eyes. Rina, momentarily thrown off by this unexpected defense of my schedule (which I definitely did not agree to), is left sputtering. Aiwa gives me a quick, almost imperceptible wink before turning back into shy Aiwa and murmuring, "S-sorry, Hinamata-san, maybe later?"

This dual-pronged attack is incredibly effective and deeply confusing. Shy Aiwa makes my heart do stupid, fluttery things with her hesitant advances and delicious snacks. Confident Aiwa impresses me with her intelligence, her unexpected protectiveness, and her ability to stand up to Rina and Haruka in a way I rarely can. She is attacking my brain and my heart simultaneously, using two completely different sets of weapons.

Rina and Haruka are watching this unfold with growing alarm and frustration. Their attempts at sabotage and surveillance seem increasingly futile against Aiwa's unpredictable, two-faced charm offensive. They need a new plan. And Kenji, ever the agent of chaos and accidental brilliance, provides the spark during another tense lunch.

"You know," he muses, watching Aiwa offer me a perfectly peeled orange slice (which I accept, because oranges are delicious and I am weak), "Aiwa-chan is super nice and cool, and we know she is LUNA now, but we still do not know much about her past. Like, besides the Rui connection. What was she like growing up? What are her deep dark secrets?"

Rina and Haruka exchange a look. Kenji, in his infinite idiocy, has just stumbled upon a brilliant idea. If they cannot beat Aiwa in the present, maybe they can dig up some dirt from her past. Operation: Re-Woo Rui is about to face a counterattack: Operation: Who Is Aiwa Matsuki, Really?