Maybe it was written all over his face. As soon as they made eye contact, Katou Megumi started explaining, her voice soft and composed—as always.
"Because I was taking a bath earlier... I got a little distracted," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a shy smile.
"..."
If you were taking a bath, Natsukawa Kanade screamed internally, then maybe don't rush to throw on clothes just to start a video call!
Seriously—what was wrong with just a voice call? Or was Katou actually the type who preferred seeing people's expressions while talking? Did she get more comfort from the visuals, the tiny nuances in a person's face?
Feeling more confused than ever, Kanade tried to ask tactfully. "So, um… why the sudden video call? Katou, do you… not find it… inconvenient?" He caught himself before saying uncomfortable. That word felt like it implied she was being too forward. He didn't want to give her the wrong idea or make her feel embarrassed.
But to his surprise, Katou's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly bowed her head. "Gomen… I didn't think it through. I bothered you, didn't I, Natsukawa-kun…"
"W-wait! No! Not at all!" Kanade frantically waved both hands in front of the camera like an overworked anime protagonist. "You didn't bother me at all. I was just curious, that's all."
Okay… maybe it did technically disturb something—like a certain senpai lying in wait in the other room, hungry for more than just a study session—but Katou's appearance right now was the literal equivalent of a healing spell. He should be thanking her, not making her apologize!
"Besides," he added, trying to make light of it, "if it were me, I wouldn't give up my bath time just to video call someone…"
Kanade wasn't joking either. He loved long, comfortable baths. If he were on the phone during one, he'd just lounge there and let the conversation flow—definitely wouldn't rush to get out just for a call. The thought alone made him wince.
Katou fidgeted on the other side of the screen, her expression growing a bit awkward for once. "Um… I guess I was just overthinking it. Actually… I didn't know what kind of clothes would be appropriate for tomorrow. I mean, it's my first time being invited to someone else's house…"
"Sou ka… That makes sense." Kanade nodded, his face softening. "It is your first time visiting Eriri's place."
And then—he froze.
Wait a second.
Until now, Katou didn't know. That blonde-haired, twin-tailed girl had never told Katou about her other identity—as a certain legendary doujin artist. Not directly, anyway.
Sure, Katou had seen a few of her illustrations before, but she just thought Eriri was a "talented, open-minded painter." Nothing more. But tomorrow, she'd be stepping into enemy territory—the lion's den! Eriri's room was practically a shrine to her secret life!
Yabai. Katou was definitely going to find out. Tomorrow. No escape.
"Well," Kanade said, trying not to show the storm of panic inside him, "you don't need to stress too much. I'm guessing you're worried about meeting Eriri's parents too, right?"
He forced himself to sound casual, even as alarms rang in his head.
"It's always good to bring a small gift for your first visit. Doesn't need to be expensive—desserts are great. Bonus points if they're handmade. As for her parents, Eriri's dad is rarely home, and her mom usually works late. You probably won't run into them. But if you do, just say hello normally. They're both very kind and easy-going."
That part, at least, was true. But there was one issue Kanade chose to leave out: Sawamura Sayuri—Eriri's mom—was a fashion-loving, cosplay-obsessed madwoman with a daughter complex. And the moment she laid eyes on Katou, who just so happened to be her daughter's pretty, same-age friend…
Well, Kanade could already picture the chaos. Sayuri-san would 100% drag Katou into a full-on dress-up montage. Cute outfits. Weird outfits. Maybe even magical girl cosplay. And considering Eriri refused to model for her mom, Katou was the next best mannequin.
He wanted to warn her. Really, he did. But…
If she got scared and backed out of going to Eriri's house… then how would he get a chance to tutor Katou in math?
And math, as everyone knows, is a cruel, unforgiving god.
"You can't half-bake your commitment to math," Kanade muttered internally. "It returns your feelings in full—both the good and the bad."
Trying to be helpful, he glanced at her through the screen again. "As for your outfit… I think it's perfect. Cute and approachable, very girl-next-door. Definitely leaves a good impression on the grownups."
She was wearing that same pink and white hoodie and a simple striped skirt—nothing flashy, but it made her look like a sweet younger sister character who'd show up at your door with a warm smile and say, "Natsu-niisan~!"
…It wouldn't be enough, though.
Based on his past encounters with Sayuri-san, Katou was walking straight into a trap. A fashionable, overly enthusiastic, borderline terrifying trap. But Kanade chose silence.
Some truths were better discovered firsthand.
"Um… that should be enough, Natsukawa-kun…" Katou said softly, visibly overwhelmed by how thoroughly he had thought everything out. Her cheeks were slightly pink.
"Oh, uh—actually…" Kanade opened his mouth to add something else—he still had more to say about snacks, timing, even the weather—but he stopped mid-sentence.
On the screen, Katou was no longer sitting upright.
She had curled up on the pillow, eyes closed, breathing slow and peaceful.
She had fallen asleep. Just like that.
The phone stand had been conveniently placed beside her pillow, so now it was broadcasting her sleeping face in perfect detail. Her breathing made her shoulders gently rise and fall, and the loose fit of her clothes betrayed a softness and curve that made Kanade immediately regret having eyes.
His gaze dropped briefly before he yanked it back to eye level like a guilty anime protagonist.
The cotton fabric clung tightly as she lay on her side, and every subtle movement threatened to test the limits of her hoodie's elasticity. The gentle rise and fall of her chest felt like a temptation designed to obliterate the common man's self-control.
"..."
Kanade swallowed hard.
They were trying to escape.
The twin moons—compressed by the cruel physics of gravity and fabric—seemed desperate to breathe, only to be flattened again by her peaceful pose. It was a visual tragedy… and a moral landmine.
"…Yare yare."
With a helpless sigh and a small, awkward smile tugging at his lips, Natsukawa Kanade finally shifted his gaze from the screen. After confirming that Katou was deep in slumber—her breaths soft, peaceful—he leaned back and whispered, "Oyasumi, Katou…"
Then, he quietly ended the call.
But instead of heading off to sleep himself, he immediately pulled up LINE and fired off a message to a certain troublesome blonde twin-tail:
"Why didn't you tell me Katou is also coming to cram school tomorrow?!"
Kanade already knew she wouldn't be asleep. Eriri was practically nocturnal—especially when working on her drawings. Sure enough, the message was read within seconds, and her reply came flying back just as fast.
"Ehh?! I didn't say that?! Gomen gomen (＞人＜;) I totally forgot! I didn't even get your permission yet…"
Kanade rubbed his temple and sighed. This girl… so unreliable.
"It's not about that. I don't mind tutoring one more person. What I'm worried about is something else… ε=(´ο｀*)"
"Nani?! What is it?? (ΩДΩ)"
He didn't sugarcoat it:
"Is your doujin artist identity… about to be exposed to Katou?"
"...!!! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ Yabai! I would've totally forgotten if you hadn't said that!"
"You did forget, didn't you?! →_→"
"Then then then… what should I do?! (〃＞目＜) Can I still cancel or suggest a location change?"
Kanade's reply was swift and decisive:
"Nope. Doing that will just make it look like you're hiding something suspicious, which'll only make Katou even more curious."
"Wuuuuu ┭┮﹏┭┮ What do I doooo?! I'm not ready to tell her yet! I need time to mentally prepare! At least let me be the one to tell her, properly!"
Kanade leaned back in his chair, thinking hard.
"Then how about this—you lock your room tomorrow. Just say it's messy and you're embarrassed to show it. Keep everyone in the living room. That should buy you some time."
"…That's the emergency route though," he added, typing quickly. "We're still going to your place, and no matter what we say, I have a bad feeling it'll naturally evolve into the classic 'let's hang out in your room' situation."
He paused, then continued.
"So, you should seriously start moving all your 'dangerous' materials tonight. Shift everything—even sketches and posters—to the study or your parents' room. Hide it all."
"And most importantly… tell your mom in advance."
Eriri went dead silent for a moment—text-wise, at least. Kanade could almost feel her despair through the phone screen.
"…You mean I have to tell that woman a cute girl is visiting?"
Yup.
Sawamura Sayuri was definitely going to treat this like a cosplay audition. It was inevitable. Katou Megumi, with her calm demeanor and innocent charm, was practically built for Sayuri's closet of costumes. And if Eriri's mom got involved, things could spiral into full-on fashion show territory.
Still, compared to Eriri's identity as a high-profile doujin artist getting exposed in the most embarrassing way possible, Katou being dragged into a dress-up session was the lesser evil.
Besides, who knows—maybe Katou wouldn't even mind? Maybe she liked dressing up. If that was the case… well, everybody wins.
Kanade gave Eriri a few more pieces of advice, but she still seemed nervous. Eventually, she proposed a compromise:
"Then can we start the cram session in the afternoon? That'll give me more time to clean up and organize my room…"
That sounded reasonable, so Kanade agreed. But he left her with one last condition:
"You're the one who has to explain it to Katou. If you delay our meet-up right after I ended the call, she might think I made some weird excuse to ditch her."
After all, if they were going to keep secrets, they had to commit to the role completely. No suspicious overlaps. No gaps in the story.
Though personally, Kanade thought Eriri should just rip off the bandage and tell Katou the truth. She'd probably be surprised—sure—but it was Katou Megumi they were talking about.
A girl that calm, patient, and chill? She could probably accept even the wildest of bombshells with a gentle smile and a nod.
Besides, Katou didn't have many close friends.