When Natsukawa Kanade finally returned to his dormitory, the other three roommates had already showered and settled in. At this moment, they were sprawled across their respective beds, engaged in an animated discussion about tonight's events.
Unsurprisingly, the topic of conversation was—girls.
"Yo, why are you back so late?" Hikigaya Hachiman poked his head out from his bunk, eyeing Kanade with curiosity.
Kanade waved his hand dismissively. "That's not important right now… Anyway, don't stop! I'm actually curious about what you guys got up to tonight."
With that, he casually grabbed a hug pillow, stuffed it into his arms, and plopped down on the floor. Resting his chin on his clenched fists, he adopted the perfect pose of an eager gossip consumer.
After all, he had already heard the buzz from the hallway. It wasn't that his roommates were particularly loud—no, the entire dormitory was practically vibrating with excitement. Laughter and hushed whispers spilled from different rooms, proof that the real highlight of the night wasn't the test of courage itself, but the post-event storytelling session.
Because let's be real—spilling tea was a universal human instinct.
Especially when it came to high school boys and their romantic escapades.
"So, even the great student council president is interested in this sort of thing?" Tanuma Tsubasa raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised.
"What do you take me for? I'm a perfectly normal high school guy, alright?" Kanade responded, sounding half-offended.
People who avoided talking about girls while hanging out with other guys usually fell into one of three categories: total weirdos, emotionless robots, or… well, people with different preferences.
Kanade was none of those things.
"I am a completely sane, healthy-minded teenage boy who happens to appreciate cute girls! Don't go making weird assumptions!" Kanade declared with utmost seriousness.
Hikigaya Hachiman, betraying his usual indifference, nodded in agreement. "I can vouch for that."
"No, no, President, you misunderstood me." Tanuma waved his hands, looking slightly flustered. "It's just… considering how many rumors there are about you, I figured it'd be harder for you to admit who your true love is. That's all! No offense!"
"Huh?" Kanade blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Wait, what rumors?"
His mind clicked as he suddenly recalled something.
Come to think of it, he and Tanuma had only known each other for a few days, but they had hit it off right away. However, now that he thought about it… Tanuma's perception of him seemed kind of, well, exaggerated.
If even a new friend thought this way, then what about the people closer to him?
Suspicion creeping in, Kanade turned his gaze toward Hachiman and Shirogane.
…And was immediately met with some incredibly guilty expressions.
Hikigaya was suddenly very interested in the ceiling. Shirogane hesitated, as if debating whether to say something or stay silent.
Kanade's face twitched.
These guys seriously believed those rumors?!
If even his closest friends thought this way, then just how badly had his reputation spiraled out of control?
"Alright, tell me the truth." Kanade inhaled deeply, preparing himself for whatever nonsense was about to come. "I promise I won't get mad—just be honest with me. Do you guys actually think I'm some kind of… scumbag or something?"
Silence.
Then, in the next second, Hikigaya looked away again, Shirogane scratched his cheek awkwardly, and Tanuma…
Tanuma, for some reason, was looking at Kanade with blatant admiration.
"How could I think that, President?!" Tanuma's eyes practically sparkled. "On the contrary, I think you're amazing! Really, I'm not joking! I mean, even Shinomiya-san—Shinomiya Kaguya, the legendary 'Ice Princess'—actually pays attention to you! That's legendary! You're basically a love saint!"
"..."
Kanade opened his mouth, then promptly shut it again, at a complete loss for words.
How.
How had things gotten this bad?!
He needed damage control. Fast.
Luckily, there was still hope! There was still one rational person in this room—Shirogane! Surely, as a fellow student council member, Shirogane would clear up this ridiculous misunderstanding, right?
Desperation creeping in, Kanade turned to Shirogane and gave him a pleading look.
"Shirogane, you can back me up here, right? This is definitely a misunderstanding, right?!"
Shirogane hesitated. "Uh… probably? Maybe? I mean… Shinomiya-san might just be mistaken?"
Kanade felt something inside him crack.
"What do you mean 'probably'?!" Kanade's voice pitched slightly. "This is obviously a HUGE misunderstanding!"
Kanade felt like he had been hit by a Genjutsu—one so powerful that even a thousand reality checks wouldn't snap him out of it. He had gone out of his way to avoid being seen as some detestable playboy, carefully maintaining an image of unwavering devotion whenever he pursued a girl. He had even mentally prepared himself for the pain of potentially rejecting others! But now they were telling him… it was all meaningless?!
No, that's not how this was supposed to go!
"What about you, Hikigaya? You should be able to see things clearly, right?" Natsukawa Kanade turned to his last beacon of hope—Hikigaya Hachiman, the self-proclaimed cynic with razor-sharp observational skills.
Surely, this guy would restore justice to the situation!
Under Kanade's hopeful gaze, Hikigaya hesitated slightly before sighing and saying, "That's why I told you, you were overdoing it. You should have toned it down a little, you know? Kept things more subtle, been more secretive, or something…"
Natsukawa Kanade: "..."
Hikigaya Hachiman… you traitor.
Kanade's expression darkened as if he had just been served the ultimate betrayal in a shounen battle manga. Seeing the look of pure devastation on his face, Hikigaya quickly tried to defend himself.
"Hey, hey! You told us to tell the truth! You said you wouldn't get mad! You can't go back on your word now!" Hikigaya frantically pointed out, dragging the other two into it with his gaze, hoping they'd back him up.
Kanade exhaled slowly, placing a hand over his chest as if steadying his wounded pride. "Right. You're right. I did say that… I'm not angry. I can't be angry."
But even as he said that, the betrayal lingered. His so-called closest friends had just collectively labeled him as some kind of legendary womanizer. What was he supposed to do with that information?!
After a long moment of silence, Kanade let out a heavy sigh, his body deflating slightly before he abruptly grabbed a towel and stormed toward the door.
"Oi, wait! Where are you going?! Don't do anything stupid!" Hikigaya panicked, suddenly realizing his words might have hit too hard. He scrambled upright, ready to chase after him.
But before anyone could move, the door swung open again, revealing Natsukawa Kanade standing in the doorway, his expression completely unreadable.
"...Bath," he muttered flatly.
Then, without another word, he stepped back inside, grabbed his pajamas, and walked out again, shutting the door behind him with an air of silent devastation.
The three left behind in the room exchanged glances, unsure whether they should feel relieved or even guiltier than before.