After finishing breakfast and checking out of the inn, Kanade and Senpai made their way to the station, walking side by side under the soft morning sunlight. The streets were quiet, the air cool and refreshing—the kind of peaceful morning that made you want to take your time.
Which was, unfortunately, exactly what they'd done.
By the time they reached the platform, the first train had already departed. With no other choice, the two settled onto a bench and began to wait for the next one.
Kanade, being the unfortunate soul who'd forgotten to charge his phone, had no digital distraction to pass the time. His screen remained as black as his hopes of avoiding Senpai's teasing for the day.
Meanwhile, the woman in question—the ever-languid Kasumigaoka-senpai—stretched her arms with an exaggerated yawn before flopping lazily beside him.
"Kouhai-kun~ I'm gonna take a nap, ne? Take care of everything for me, okay?" she mumbled, already halfway to dreamland.
Kanade shot her a sidelong glance but didn't bother replying. He just nodded once, accepting his fate as the designated guardian of sleepy senpais.
Of course, that wasn't the end of it.
Kasumigaoka-senpai scooted closer, snuggling into his side like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her head rested on his shoulder, her breathing soft and rhythmic. In sleep, she looked almost innocent—a quiet beauty from some retro shoujo manga, delicate and refined.
She's way too good at weaponizing her charm, Kanade thought bitterly.
It was early, and the platform wasn't too crowded. Most of the people present were couples, clearly out on weekend dates. As the two of them sat there, tangled in an oddly intimate pose, they blended right into the atmosphere—just another lovey-dovey pair waiting for the next train.
Eventually, the train rolled into the station with a low hum and a hiss of brakes. Kanade tried gently nudging Senpai awake.
"Oi… Senpai, the train's here."
No reaction.
He nudged her again, a little firmer.
Still nothing.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
With a resigned sigh, Kanade did the only thing he could do—he grabbed her hand and hauled her up like a sack of rice, half-dragging her into the train.
Inside, the carriage was relatively empty—no salarymen in sight, just a few scattered passengers and sleepy-eyed students. They slipped into a double seat by the window, but the moment they sat down, Kasumigaoka-senpai groaned dramatically and slumped against him again.
"Ugh… Junior is so mean… dragging me around like that. My delicate body can't take this~"
Kanade didn't even blink. "If I hadn't dragged you, we'd still be on the platform. The train waits for no one, you know."
He'd long since learned not to fall for her bait. Her habit of turning innocent actions into scandalous misunderstandings was practically a superpower at this point.
"Besides," he added dryly, "you're the one who refused to wake up."
"Mou~ but Junior's always rough with me," she whined, nestling closer. "Even last night, I was sleeping peacefully… until you had to sneak into my futon."
Kanade froze.
His head slowly turned to look at her, eyes wide. "Wait… what did you just say?"
"Don't play dumb, baka Junior." She smirked, eyes closed but lips moving freely. "I was already asleep, but you still crawled into my bed. Honestly, so bold…"
"…I… I thought you were asleep," he muttered, clearly rattled.
Senpai didn't answer. She simply leaned back, resting her head once more on his shoulder, looking far too smug for someone who was supposedly drowsy.
Kanade, meanwhile, was having an internal meltdown.
So she really was awake… the whole time…?
The embarrassment hit him like a freight train. He'd spent the whole night lying stiff as a board, trying not to touch her too much or make her uncomfortable, worried she'd freak out if she woke up.
And she knew. The entire time.
If I'd known, I would've just gotten in earlier and slept properly! Ugh, dammit!
He stared blankly out the window, lost in the spiraling whirlpool of regret. His soul had temporarily exited his body.
Kasumigaoka-senpai, noticing the silence, peeked up at him curiously. "…What's with that face? You look like you just got dumped."
"…"
No response. The light had left his eyes.
Senpai gave a little shrug, clearly bored now that her teasing had left him broken. With a soft hmph, she settled back into her original nap posture and dozed off once more.
And so, the remainder of the train ride passed in silence.
When they finally arrived at their station, the chime of the announcement jolted Kanade out of his despair spiral. He stood up quickly and nudged Senpai awake—this time successfully.
Still clinging to the edge of sleep, Senpai followed him off the train, blinking against the daylight. But before she could so much as yawn, Kanade turned to her with a blank face and said:
"You can go home from here, right? I've got stuff to do."
"…Eh?"
Not waiting for a reply, he walked off briskly, vanishing into the crowd. Senpai stood there, lips parted in disbelief.
Then, with a dramatic sigh, she muttered to herself, "Of course… I'm just one of his many playthings. Once he's had his fun, he tosses me aside… mou, how cruel…"
Her words echoed tragically, as if spoken by a jilted heroine in a romance drama. But in truth, the only ones around to hear her performance were a young couple from the train—both awkwardly looking away, pretending not to listen.
Senpai's dramatic parting words lingered like a melancholic breeze, but Natsukawa Kanade didn't even flinch anymore. Honestly, he was getting used to it. At this point, her rebellious monologues were just part of the daily soundtrack of his life.
Besides, there were only two other people who got off at this station—the embarrassed couple from earlier—so her theatrical antics didn't have much of an audience.
"I already showed plenty of concern for you," Kanade replied flatly, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Otherwise, I would've left you snoozing on the train, Senpai."
He turned his head slightly, his voice dropping just a little, as if delivering a final blow. "Anyway, that's it. If you're still sleepy, go home and nap properly. Oh, and… you're still wearing yesterday's clothes."
He didn't even look back as he said it. Just a low murmur, almost teasing—but the effect was instant.
"Ehh?!"
Kasumigaoka-senpai, who'd been walking away with calculated elegance, suddenly stiffened. Her eyes widened as she reflexively lifted a sleeve and sniffed at it.
"…Tch. Geez… then I really should go home." Her voice dipped into something resembling a pout, but she quickly recovered her usual cool.
Of course, there wasn't actually any smell. She was just overly conscious now that it had been pointed out. Even if nothing was wrong, now her brain was imagining all sorts of phantom odors. Kanade's words had that kind of psychological effect.
"Anyway, I'm heading out," he said, casually raising a hand in farewell. "Take care on the way back."
"You too, Junior~ Don't go falling for some random girl who jumps out of nowhere, okay?" she called after him with a sly smirk.
Kanade's eyebrow twitched. Mou, there she goes again. He didn't bother responding this time and just walked away, his pace brisk and full of purpose.
He was planning to catch a quick nap himself—after all, last night was basically one long psychological endurance test thanks to someone. Luckily, his study session with Eriri had been pushed to the afternoon, giving him a precious few hours of freedom.
But first… breakfast.
He made a detour to his usual spot, a small breakfast joint tucked into a side street. It wasn't anything fancy, but it had a certain nostalgic charm—and more importantly, it served savory food that didn't taste like sugary cardboard.
However, what he didn't expect… was to run into an acquaintance here.
There she was, standing at the very end of the line—her petite figure unmistakable even from behind.
"...Iino Miko?" he called out tentatively.
The girl in front froze. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes wide and cautious, like a startled cat. "Wh-Who's calling me…?"
Kanade blinked. Yep, it was definitely her. There was no mistaking that voice, or that iconic twin-braid hairstyle.
"It's really you, Iino Miko-san," he said with a small smile. "Guess my eyes weren't playing tricks on me."
"P-President?!" she squeaked, clearly flustered. "W-What are you doing here?! I-I mean, no! I'm not Iino Miko! I don't know anyone by that name!"
"…"
Kanade stared at her blankly.
You literally just turned around when I said your name. You've completely blown your own cover, haven't you…?
"But… you turned around," he pointed out, confused.
"Uuugh… That's because… um… ahhh I can't argue with that…"
Her voice trailed off in defeat. It was the most anticlimactic attempt at denial Kanade had ever seen.
Yabai, she's way too weak in conversation. Compared to Senpai, who could talk circles around anyone, this girl was like a kitten pawing at a lion.
"…I really didn't think the president would recognize me in a place like this…" she muttered, her cheeks puffed out in frustration. With a huff, she pulled down her mask. "I should've come earlier… How did you recognize me anyway?! I was wearing a mask!"
Kanade gave her a deadpan look.
"…I recognized you from behind. The mask didn't even matter."
She blinked. "…Huh?"
Honestly, where did she even get the idea that a basic cloth mask would make her unrecognizable? What kind of anime logic was that?
"Your hairstyle's the same. Your height, too. And, well… your silhouette is kinda unique," he added, trying to be diplomatic. "We work together on the student council, so of course I'd notice."
"Uuugh… really…?" Iino Miko looked down, suddenly squirming in embarrassment. "I didn't think the president… paid that much attention to me…"
Kanade's eyebrow rose. "Huh?"
Why did that sound like something out of a confession scene? Her tone had gone all shy and flustered.
"…You okay?"
He tilted his head, not quite sure what was happening anymore.
Iino Miko just clutched her tray, cheeks slightly pink, avoiding his gaze.
Kanade looked at her, then let out a silent sigh.
First Senpai, now her… Seriously, what kind of romcom situation did I wake up into today?