It was already late, and given the potential for awkwardness due to their differing genders, Natsukawa Kanade decided it would be best to personally escort Yukinoshita to the entrance of the girls' dormitory. There, he entrusted her to the female teacher on duty, who, thankfully, acted professionally this time instead of making any playful remarks. With a small sigh of relief, Kanade watched as the teacher led Yukinoshita inside, ensuring she would be properly cared for.
Pulling out his phone, he checked the time. The test of courage event was already nearing its end. He had promised to join Shiina Mahiru for it, but with everything that had happened, he had completely missed his chance. Guilt gnawed at him as he quickly typed out a message:
"Sorry, things just got resolved, but it looks like I'm too late..."
He had already informed Mahiru earlier about Yukinoshita's disappearance, so she was aware of the situation. He barely had time to think of a follow-up message when his phone vibrated with an instant reply:
"It's okay, let's participate together next time if we have the chance (smile *￣︶￣)."
Her kindness only made Kanade feel worse. He pursed his lips before replying:
"I'll make it up to you later. I promise."
Of course, she was an angel, so he had already predicted her response. But regardless, he wanted to make his sincerity clear.
"It's okay, at least I know you didn't intentionally break the promise. It was just unavoidable, right? (?'?' ?)??(???︿???)"
She even added a comforting cat-face emoji.
Kanade couldn't help but smile slightly, sending back a wronged cat emoji ??? in return.
And so, the two of them began casually chatting back and forth. Kanade had originally planned to return and check in with Shinomiya Kaguya, but before he could take more than a few steps, he suddenly spotted an unexpected figure.
"…"
Squinting slightly to make sure he wasn't seeing things, Kanade immediately typed out a new message and hit send:
"Guess who I just ran into."
"Who? (???*)"
"You."
"Eh eh eh? Σ(っ °Д °;)っ"
A few moments later, Mahiru finally looked up from her phone, her golden eyes widening in surprise as she spotted Kanade standing a short distance away, waving at her with a smug expression.
"Ah…" She let out a small gasp of surprise before breaking into a cheerful smile and trotting over.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a quiet voice, tilting her head slightly.
Since this was the vicinity of the girls' dormitory, there wasn't much reason for him to be wandering around. Any outsider happening upon this scene might misunderstand the situation entirely. That said, Mahiru knew Kanade well enough to trust that he wasn't lurking here with any strange intentions. Still, considering his usual carefulness, she was a bit curious.
Then, a thought crossed her mind, making her eyes shine with excitement. "Wait… could it be that you came here to find me?"
Kanade smirked, giving her a small wink. "Hmm… maybe?"
Mahiru narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Really?"
"Really," he repeated, though his deliberately vague tone made her puff up her cheeks slightly in mock displeasure.
Even so, she couldn't completely hide the joy in her expression. Of course, she wouldn't admit that she had been lingering outside a little longer than usual… just in case.
"Hmph, I don't believe you." She crossed her arms, trying to play it cool.
Kanade merely smiled without saying a word, his gaze soft as he observed her. Having spent so much time with her, he had already learned how to read her like an open book.
"Want to take a little walk?" Kanade asked after a short pause.
He had assumed Mahiru would have already gone back to her dorm, but seeing her still outside, he couldn't help but think she might have been waiting for him—whether she admitted it or not.
"Okay." The angel agreed without hesitation.
She then hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "But… um, let's go this way instead. I found a really nice spot earlier."
Kanade raised an eyebrow but didn't object. He trusted Mahiru's taste, and honestly, he still felt guilty about breaking his promise. Letting her choose their walking route was the least he could do.
While they had initially aimed for a more secluded area to avoid any unnecessary rumors, they didn't make any obvious attempts to hide. They walked side by side, naturally, without any concern for the occasional passing students.
Before long, they arrived at their destination—an all-too-familiar spot by the lakeside, located not far from the cafeteria.
It was their fourth time coming here together.
Rather, it was 'HIS' fourth time coming here
Kanade: "..."
"What's wrong?" Shiina Mahiru tilted her head slightly, her golden locks catching the soft glow of the streetlights. She looked at him with concern, her warm amber eyes searching his face. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"It's nothing." Natsukawa Kanade quickly shook his head, trying to push away the stray thoughts running through his mind. "I've just been here a few times before."
"Eh? You've been here too?" The angel let out a soft, surprised sound before her expression shifted to one of mild disappointment. "That's too bad… I come here often to sit and think, but I've never run into you, not even once."
"..." A drop of imaginary cold sweat trickled down Kanade's forehead.
Had he really never noticed? Or was it just fate playing its usual games?
Then again, why was he sweating? It wasn't as if he had done anything wrong… right? At most, he had simply—
—chatted with another girl here a few times…
Trying to shake off his guilt, Kanade put on a casual smile. "Well, we're together this time, aren't we?" He said, and before he could second-guess himself, he reached out and gently took Mahiru's hand. "The scenery here is nice. Let's take a walk for a bit."
Mahiru's eyes widened slightly at the sudden contact, and a soft blush crept onto her cheeks. She glanced at their intertwined hands, her fingers twitching slightly, but she didn't pull away.
"Mmm..." She hummed in agreement, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kanade, on the other hand, refused to look at her, fearing his resolve might waver. Please forgive me, Angel. He silently prayed in his heart.
Maybe Mahiru wouldn't call him out on it, even if she had sensed something. But if possible, he wanted her to stay in a pleasant mood, free of unnecessary thoughts.
He knew her well—despite all their past moments of closeness, taking her hand like this, out of the blue, was still a bold move that would make her uneasy. And by giving her something immediate to focus on, he could divert her thoughts away from anything that might trouble her.
Yes, he was a coward.
Yes, he was being a little underhanded.
But all of that melted away the moment they actually started walking. The lingering guilt, the awkward hesitation—everything faded into the gentle night breeze.
Instead, a different thought crept into his mind.
Now that he thought about it, this was the fourth time he had come here, yet he had never truly appreciated the scenery around him.
How should he put it? He had never been particularly interested in things like picturesque landscapes or poetic imagery. His vocabulary when it came to nature was laughably limited—tall trees, pretty flowers, very green grass… Not exactly the words of a poetic soul.
That was why he had never paid much attention to such things. Unlike those classic romantic protagonists who could recite haikus on a whim and make girls swoon, he wasn't the type to be enchanted by the beauty of nature.
Yet, at this moment, as he walked side by side with Mahiru, hand in hand, the tranquility of their surroundings felt different.
The gentle rustling of leaves, the distant shimmer of the lake reflecting the moonlight, the soft crunch of gravel beneath their feet—it was all strangely soothing.
Maybe it wasn't the scenery itself that mattered.
Maybe it was the company.
As he let himself relax, letting go of unnecessary thoughts and simply existing in the moment, he felt something stir within him. A poetic thought, faint yet undeniable, surfaced in his mind—
Ah, what a refreshing scenery…
Perhaps, after all, he wasn't as hopeless at this as he thought.
********************
Dam, I really can relate to this guy, our MC!!!
I know a guy who works at a boutique in my home area, he always has compliments for all the ladies who pass buy his place. Problem is, there are these ugly ass bitches who pass by and he somehow can still compliment them and I'm like; ' Naah fam, I'm a pragmatist, ain't no way I'm telling them the truth when It's clear to see!'
Still, he pulls bitches, which I don't, who's the true winner at the end of the day?