"What's wrong? Miko, is something bothering you?" Natsukawa Kanade asked gently, leaning forward ever so slightly to show sincerity. His voice held no pressure, just the casual concern of a thoughtful senpai.
"!" Iino Miko practically snapped to attention, her posture going stiff as she blurted out, "N-No! Nothing at all! Please don't worry about me, senpai!"
Kanade let out a light chuckle. "You don't have to be so tense. Relax a little, ne? Just imagine we're still in the student council room. The only difference is the location."
Even though Miko's reaction was intense, Kanade couldn't tell if she had noticed anything strange about the room. Still, keeping her distracted from asking too many questions—or worse, noticing certain things—was a top priority. Helping her feel comfortable with the rest of the group was part of that plan.
"You like the snacks?" Kanade asked, glancing over at her empty plate. "Should I bring you some more?"
"N-No, it's fine! You've already done so much. Please don't trouble yourself for me!" Miko's face turned a soft pink as she quickly waved her hands in refusal. She looked genuinely flustered.
To be honest, she hadn't expected to find herself sitting inside a boy's home today. Much less this boy's home. The realization made her squirm internally, and the awkwardness had driven her to nibble through the snacks faster than she intended. Trying to cover up her embarrassment, she scrambled for a distraction.
"Ah! This cup—so cute!" she exclaimed, pointing to the ceramic mug on the coffee table. "It… um… suits you, senpai…?"
"Eh?" Kanade froze. His gaze slowly followed her finger… and sure enough, it was that cup. The cursed one.
It was a painfully adorable little thing. A clumsy cartoon bear holding a heart, with a matching bear plush keychain tied to the handle. The kind of cup a middle school girl might cherish. Definitely not the kind of item that should be found in a high school boy's room—let alone a student council president's!
"…" A cold sweat began to trickle down Kanade's neck. Shimatta! In his rush to stash away the more obvious threats like the dakimakura and those embarrassing slippers, he'd completely overlooked the cup!
The tension in the room spiked again. It was like a silent alarm had gone off.
Fujiwara Chika, ever the curious one, immediately leaned forward and stretched her neck out to get a better look.
"Eh? She's right… it is cute…" Chika nodded in agreement with Miko, then gave Kanade a wide, mischievous grin.
Though she didn't say anything aloud, Kanade could feel it. Her gaze practically screamed: Ohhh~ I see now, President likes cute things, huh?
"Ugh…"
Just being stared at like that was enough to make Kanade want to melt into the floor. But ironically, her reaction gave him an idea. If he leaned into it just a little… maybe it would draw suspicion away from the real secret.
"…Actually, that cup isn't mine," Kanade said, straightening up and adopting a calm, collected tone. "It belongs to my sister. She visits now and then, sometimes stays over. So I keep a few of her things here."
When making a lie… it's best to root it in some truth. That old piece of advice came to mind. Technically, he did have a "sister"… well, Mahiru. She wasn't blood-related, but if they asked more questions later, he could lean into that narrative and deflect the real issues.
It was the safest bet.
After Natsukawa Kanade explained about his so-called "sister," the entire room quieted for a beat before erupting into a wave of surprise.
It wasn't just Fujiwara Chika or Miko who looked taken aback—the biggest reaction actually came from someone who had been quiet up until now.
"Eh? Ehhhhh?! The President… has a little sister?! A biological one?!" Shinomiya Kaguya gasped, leaning forward, her normally composed expression slipping into one of genuine disbelief.
Kanade turned to her and gave a calm nod. "Yeah. She's two years younger than me. She'll be graduating from junior high soon."
"Wow, really?! Do you have any photos? Can I see?" Chika immediately perked up, eyes practically sparkling. "I'm suuuper curious! I wanna know if she's anything like you, President!"
As someone who also had a younger sibling, Chika's curiosity was understandable. Perhaps she was imagining Kanade's sister to be more well-behaved than her own.
"Chika, mou~! Don't ask for things like that out of the blue!" Kaguya scolded lightly, although her voice held no malice. "That's a private matter, you know?"
She then turned to Kanade with a small, apologetic bow. "Sorry, President. I was just... surprised, that's all. Please don't mind her."
Although she kept her composure, Kanade could tell that even Kaguya was more curious than she let on. Her gaze lingered a little too long, and her fingers gently fidgeted with her sleeve.
Kanade shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. "I'd like to show you guys if I could... but unfortunately, I don't have any photos of her on my phone right now."
"Ehhh~? That's so disappointing!" Chika pouted, puffing out her cheeks in exaggerated frustration. "You've gotta be hiding one somewhere! C'mon, not even one cute picture?"
Even Kaguya looked just a little disheartened at the missed opportunity, though she masked it behind her usual poker face. Still, hearing about Kanade's mysterious sister was intriguing enough on its own.
In fact, Kaguya was already making mental notes: I must win over the president's sister one day… that connection could be invaluable.
Meanwhile, Iino Miko sat quietly, but her inner world was unusually chaotic.
A younger sister…? That explains it…
Suddenly, many of the moments she shared with Kanade seemed to make more sense. The way he looked out for her, reminded her to eat, walked her home when it was late—it wasn't just kindness. Maybe… it was because she reminded him of his little sister?
Does Senpai see me as a sister too…? she wondered, her expression growing slightly conflicted. On one hand, it explained the closeness between them. On the other… the thought left a strange, uncomfortable twist in her chest.
Before anyone could notice the subtle shift in Miko's expression, Kanade did.
"...Miko? Are you okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
She was unusually quiet, her lips pressed into a line, eyebrows gently furrowed. It looked like she was deep in thought—never a good sign with someone as emotionally transparent as Iino Miko.
Kanade felt a slight chill run down his spine. Yabai…! Don't overthink, don't overthink! I can't let her start connecting dots!
Thinking fast, he stood up.
"Are you hungry? I'll go prepare something," he offered in a smooth, almost casual voice, but inwardly he winced. Gomen ne, Miko… I really didn't want to out your… bottomless appetite, but desperate times…
His plan worked.
Miko snapped out of her trance-like state and quickly waved her hands. "N-No! It's fine, Senpai! You don't need to trouble yourself!"
Although she was hungry, she didn't want to seem troublesome. Plus, after thinking Senpai viewed her like a younger sister, it made sense that he'd worry about whether she had eaten.
From her point of view, it wasn't teasing or pointed. It was… caring.
Just then, Chika tilted her head thoughtfully before clapping her hands together.
"Oh! Speaking of food… it's almost dinner time, huh?"
She stood up and beamed. "Alright, then let's wrap things up here! I hereby declare today's 'Visit the President's House' mission a huge success~!"
Chika even gave a mock salute and clapped twice, prompting Miko to copy her before she even realized what she was doing.
Then, suddenly, Chika grabbed Miko's arm with a grin. "Miko-chan, wanna go grab dinner together? I'm starving~ Let's gooooo!"
She then turned to Kaguya and smiled sweetly. "Kaguya-chan, wanna come too?"
"..." Kaguya hesitated. The offer was tempting. Spending time with friends outside of school was rare and precious… but after glancing at her phone, her expression stiffened.
"Maybe next time," she said softly. "I've already been out longer than expected. If I don't head back soon, the servants might get worried…"
In truth, it was less about the servants and more about the meticulous household rules she lived under. If she stayed out too late, Hayasaka would get dragged into the mess again. And that was the last thing she wanted.
"Ehhh… too bad." Chika pouted, but didn't press further. She knew better than to push Kaguya when it came to her family matters.
Then she turned back to Miko with mock drama in her voice. "That means it's just the two of us now! You won't abandon me too, right, Miko-chan?!"
Fujiwara Chika gave a theatrical little clap, as if declaring the end of an epic school trip. Iino Miko, still somewhat spaced out from everything that had just transpired, absentmindedly mimicked her, clapping softly a moment later without thinking.
Before she could even question what she was doing, Chika looped her arm through Miko's and beamed. "Miko-chan, let's go grab something to eat, ne? I'm suuuper hungry~!"
The invitation came out of nowhere and hit Miko like a surprise quiz in math class. Her eyes widened slightly, but before she could even answer, Chika had already turned to Shinomiya Kaguya with the same bright energy.
"Kaguya-chan! You're coming too, right?"
"..." Kaguya hesitated, her gaze flickering toward her phone. She really wanted to join them—it was rare to be invited to something so casual—but…
"Let's do it another time," she said at last, lips curling in a small, regretful smile. "I've already been out longer than expected. If I stay out any longer, the staff at home might… get worried."
Worried, in this case, wasn't the usual kind. It wasn't about her safety or well-being. It was about image, protocol, and what was expected of a Shinomiya. If she lingered too long, Hayasaka would have to clean up the fallout, and Kaguya wasn't about to dump that on her loyal maid again.
"Ehhh, such a shame…" Chika deflated like a balloon, but quickly nodded in understanding. "Well, okay then. But next time, no backing out, alright?"
Then she spun back to Miko, narrowing her eyes with playful intensity. "Miko-chan, that means you can't abandon me either, okay?!"
"Eh? I—uh… if Senpai doesn't mind…" Miko fidgeted, cheeks pink. It wasn't often that she was invited so directly. Especially not by someone like Fujiwara Chika, who she'd always admired—but also kept at arm's length ever since realizing her chaotic true nature.
Still… maybe this was a good opportunity to learn more about her?
"Yatta!" Chika threw both arms in the air in victory. "Then it's settled! You, me, food! Let's gooo!"
Then, turning her head like a general issuing marching orders, she glanced at the remaining members. "Ishigami, Shirogane, wanna come too?"
"Nope," Ishigami replied bluntly without even looking up. "I gotta get home and finish my game."
His expression didn't budge an inch. Not even the promise of food could pull him from the digital world.
Chika frowned. "Mou~! That's why you never get invited anywhere! You're always glued to your PC!"
"Hmph. Women are fine and all, but they're just the product of small teams, maybe two or three people working in a room. But video games—true art—are made by massive teams working day and night to perfect their vision! Respect the grind!"
"...Are you seriously comparing girls to game development teams?" Chika stared at him, expression caught somewhere between disbelief and pity.
Then, turning dramatically to Miko, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Did you hear that, Miko-chan? That's a walking red flag. Never date someone like this, okay?"
Miko nodded solemnly. "Hai. I understand, Fujiwara-senpai."
Satisfied, Chika gave her an approving thumbs up. "Good girl."
She then turned her sights to Shirogane. "And you, Shirogane?"
"I've got work later," Shirogane said with a shrug, adjusting his watch. His tone was casual, but also final. Even if he didn't have a shift, it was unlikely he'd come. He had a strict rule about not spending money eating out. Discipline builds character, after all.
Chika pouted again, but didn't argue. "Tch, boring…"
As for Natsukawa Kanade—no one even turned to ask.
Even Chika knew it would be weird to invite the host of the gathering to dinner right after invading his home. Not to mention… something about him today felt just a little different. He was acting more guarded, more cautious. Maybe it was just the vibe of the house, but still.
Kanade, meanwhile, stood by the door watching them all chat and make plans. Relief quietly washed over him.
Finally… they're leaving.
Part of him was glad—he could finally drop the smiling mask and exhale. But another part felt just a little… lonely.
It was rare to have friends over. Maybe, in another situation, he could have offered to cook something. He was confident enough in his skills to impress them. But with her still inside—the angel—he couldn't risk it. Another time, maybe.
With all the goodbyes exchanged and the door finally shut, Kanade turned around with a sigh and was just about to call the angel out when—
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang again.
"Hah?! Who now…?" Kanade froze. A cold sweat crept down his back. Had a neighbor seen something? Had someone caught a glimpse of something they shouldn't?
He carefully opened the door, only to find Ishigami Yu standing outside.
"Oh, Senpai," Ishigami greeted nonchalantly, hands in his pockets. "I forgot something."
Before Kanade could even react, Ishigami stepped inside, eyes scanning the room as if making sure no one was watching.
"Oi—what are you doing—" Kanade began, panic rising again.
"Relax," Ishigami said, reaching into his backpack. "Just came to give you this."
With a dramatic zip, he pulled out a glossy photobook and handed it over with both hands.
Kanade blinked. "…A swimsuit magazine?"
"The latest issue," Ishigami said proudly. "Just a little something-something. I figured you'd appreciate it after letting us all into your place."
Kanade stared at the cover, then at Ishigami, then at the magazine again. His expression didn't shift. But inside, a part of him was screaming.
"...Thanks," he said flatly, casting a nervous glance back toward the bedroom.
"Heh. Don't worry. I won't say a word," Ishigami added with a smirk. "After all, I got something good out of this visit too."
"...Right."
And with that, Ishigami waved and turned toward the door.
"See ya tomorrow, Senpai."
"Yeah… see you."
As the door finally shut behind him, Kanade stood still for a moment longer.
"…Yabai na," he muttered.
He tucked the magazine away, sighed again, and finally turned toward the hallway.
"Alright, angel. Coast is clear…"