Once Fujiwara joined in, the takoyaki disappeared in no time. Including what Kanade himself had eaten, he only managed to grab two pieces. The rest? They all went straight into Fujiwara Chika's stomach.
After finishing, she licked the corner of her lips lightly, looking as if she wasn't quite satisfied.
"Hmm… President, what should I do? The more I eat, the hungrier I feel…" Chika said with a hint of distress.
"If you're hungry, go eat dinner. Isn't it about that time?" Kanade sighed, glancing at her.
Somehow, a leash had appeared in his hand, connected to Fujiwara's golden retriever, Pace. But wasn't the person responsible for walking the dog supposed to be someone else?
"Oh no, not today. Big Sister Toyomi is home, so I have to wait for her to cook dinner. If I eat out, she'll feel hurt," Chika explained, her voice full of conviction.
"Then go home and eat there," Kanade retorted, exasperated.
Chika puffed out her pink cheeks, as if scolding him. "President, what kind of thing is that to say? How could I leave you alone and just run off?"
"…" Kanade was speechless, his face darkened. The way she said it made it sound like he was some helpless elementary school kid who needed looking after.
As they walked and chatted a bit more, they came across a vending machine on the side of the road. Feeling thirsty, Kanade stopped and turned to Chika. "Want something to drink?"
"Hmm… ramune, maybe… or no, it's not quite summer yet. How about fizzy fruit juice? But then again, ramune sounds so tempting… Maybe both…"
"Sorry, but you only get to pick one," Kanade said with a blank expression, thinking how shameless she was. Not only did she take her time choosing, but she also wanted both!
"Ehh~ President, you're so stingy…" Chika grumbled under her breath. Faced with Kanade's sharp, almost predatory stare, she eventually made up her mind. "Alright, fizzy fruit juice it is. After all, the first ramune of the year should be saved for the true summer!"
"I don't get where you get this sense of ceremony from," Kanade muttered, shaking his head. With practiced ease, he bought two cans of fizzy fruit juice and presented them to her.
"Orange or green apple. Which one?"
"Ugh… You're playing this game now?" Chika looked torn.
Kanade rolled his eyes and urged her, "I'm letting you pick first. Don't waste time clowning around. Hurry up."
"Okay… Orange, then…" Chika finally decided, albeit hesitantly.
Kanade handed her the orange soda, but as soon as she pulled the tab open, she stared longingly at the can in his hand, making it impossible for him to take a sip.
"Do you want this one?" Kanade sighed. Fortunately, he hadn't drunk from it yet, so he didn't mind swapping.
Even so, Chika hesitated, her eyes still fixed on the soda in his hand.
"Hey, don't push it! I need to drink something too, you know!" Kanade shot her a look.
"I'm not going to steal it!" Chika pouted, her pink cheeks puffing up again. "I'm just… curious about how it tastes."
"Then try it next time," Kanade replied, lifting his unopened can.
"President, you just don't get it. These things need to be satisfied immediately! If I wait until next time, my mood might change, and I might want something else instead!"
"Then buy your own," Kanade said, unimpressed.
"I didn't bring money," Chika said, placing her hands on her hips like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Whenever I take Pace out, I don't bring money. That way, I won't be tempted by food!"
"And yet, here you are, tempted," Kanade shot back.
"I am not! It's—it's because of you! You tempted me! This is your fault!"
"Wow, you're something else. I treat you to food and drinks, and somehow, it's my fault? Don't expect me to do this next time," Kanade said, pretending to threaten her. Of course, he wasn't serious; he knew Chika was just spouting nonsense.
Still, the remark seemed to work. Chika blushed, her face turning a cute shade of pink, and she stammered, "I-I didn't mean it like that… I just… I…"
She fumbled for words for a while but couldn't articulate anything coherent. Kanade sighed. "So, which one do you want to drink? Do you want to switch or not?"
"Um…" Chika hesitated again, clearly struggling. After some thought, she finally suggested, "How about… letting me have a taste?"
"Why didn't you just say that earlier?" Kanade muttered, handing over the soda.
Chika took the can, her movements becoming even more hesitant and awkward.
Kanade found the whole thing inexplicably baffling. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and decide already. If you're not thirsty, I'm dying of thirst here."
Chika composed herself and gave Kanade a strange look before finally taking a small sip of the soda.
She smacked her lips a bit, tilting her head as if carefully evaluating the flavor. Then she declared, "It's not good. Definitely not as good as mine."
"How would you know? It's not like you've tasted the one you're holding yet," Kanade quipped, taking the soda back.
He didn't mind that Chika had just drunk from it. He was used to sharing food and drinks with her, so it didn't bother him as long as she didn't mind either.
Taking a large gulp, Kanade wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a satisfied sigh. "Eating takoyaki and drinking fizzy fruit juice afterward—nothing beats this combo."
Chika, clutching her own drink, mirrored his satisfied expression. Truly, she was a foodie through and through.
"Let's go." Once Chika finished her soda, Kanade gestured for her to follow. Turning toward a different direction, he added, "It's getting late. I'll walk you home."
"Eh? But I don't want to go home yet…" Chika grumbled, glancing at Pace, who was now lying down and clearly dozing off. "See? Pace doesn't want to go home yet either."
"…"
How can you even say that with a straight face? You're always using your dog as an excuse!
"Didn't you just say you were hungry? Go home and eat. That way, your family won't worry about you."
"But still…" Fujiwara Chika pouted, mumbling, "I don't get to see you often, President. I just wanted to walk around a bit longer with you…"
Kanade saw right through her. Clearly, she was using him as free labor to walk the dog. She'd probably just found an excuse to come out and play without actually wanting to take care of Pace.
"Then let's plan for next time. A proper outing—without Pace," Kanade suggested.
"Oh…" Chika nodded but crouched down beside Pace, whispering conspiratorially into the retriever's ear. "Look, Pace, the President's such a meanie. He doesn't want to bring you next time. Isn't that just awful?"
Then she patted its head and continued her nonsense. "That's why you have to keep trying, Pace. Work hard so the President will love you too, okay? Then he'll always think of you!"
"Hey, stop trying to sow discord here!" Kanade crouched down as well, giving Pace a few pats of his own. "Don't listen to your dumb owner. You're adorable and very likable. I don't dislike you at all."
To be fair, just the fact that this golden retriever was so calm and well-behaved was impressive. It showed remarkable patience, tolerating an owner as chaotic as Fujiwara Chika.
"Hmph, all talk," Chika huffed, turning her face away.
Kanade ignored her and stood up again.
"Alright, enough fooling around. Let's go. I'll walk you home," he said.
"President, don't you live in the opposite direction?" Chika asked, catching up to him. "You don't need to escort me. I can get home by myself."
Kanade shoved his hands into his pockets. "And if you get lost?"
"I'm not a child! How could I possibly get lost?" Chika puffed up indignantly. "Besides, I have Pace with me."
"Then why did you and Pace get separated earlier?" Kanade shot back.
Although she'd claimed it was because of him, Kanade didn't believe that such a well-behaved dog would abandon its owner just to find someone it had only met twice, no matter how good their relationship seemed.
"Uh… Well, I told you—it was because Pace saw you!" Chika stammered, avoiding his gaze.
Kanade stopped questioning her and instead focused on walking the dog.
The two of them chatted idly, making the trip less monotonous.
"Summer's almost here, huh? Winter only just ended," Chika mused aloud.
"That's normal. It's an industrial society now, with heat island effects," Kanade explained. "Add in global warming and excessive human interference, and it's no surprise that the Earth's natural systems are changing."
"So… this is all humanity's fault?" Chika asked, looking thoughtful.
"Not entirely," Kanade replied, shaking his head. "Struggles for survival are just part of natural instinct. Humans just happen to have stronger instincts and the ability to reshape their environment."
If he had to choose, Kanade would much rather live in a modern industrial society than in the past. While the present wasn't perfect, it offered ordinary people a better chance of survival.
"Whether other species or the planet itself like it or not, humanity dominates the world. The future will depend on us," Kanade said, noticing Chika's interest in the topic and elaborating further.
"So… if humanity wanted to, we could make the Earth a better place? As long as we chose the right path?" Chika asked.
"In theory, yes," Kanade nodded. "But in reality, it's unlikely. It's like the eternal debate of war and peace. Everyone knows war is bad and brings terrible consequences, yet wars still happen."
"As long as there are two or more individuals, conflict is inevitable. All the average person can do is take care of themselves."
"Hmm…" Chika nodded, seemingly pondering deeply. "So, to truly change society, you'd need to be someone who can influence others' thoughts?"
Kanade glanced at her, wondering how the conversation had shifted in this direction. "Don't overthink it. Your job right now is to study. Leave these kinds of things for later."
"Eh?" Chika looked at him, surprised. "I thought you'd say I was just daydreaming."
Kanade shook his head. "How can anyone know what's going on in another person's mind? To some, your thoughts might seem like daydreams, but I believe that as long as you're thinking, it's not entirely pointless. Cogito, ergo sum. The same principle applies here."
"Ugh, that's so hard to understand," Chika complained, shaking her head in frustration.
"That's normal. It's a quote from a philosopher, and philosophers are notoriously difficult to understand."
"'Notoriously difficult'? Are there other groups like that?" Chika tilted her head, catching onto the phrasing.
"Yes," Kanade replied with a faint smirk. "For example: the mentally ill… and women."
"Women?!" Chika froze for a moment, then puffed up her cheeks in protest. "That's just prejudice! Complete and utter prejudice!"
Kanade said nothing.
In truth, he found philosophers' thoughts somewhat easier to grasp than the whims of women.
After some playful bickering, the two finally arrived at Chika's destination.
As mentioned before, Chika and her two sisters lived together in a luxurious house with a yard. Kanade had been here before. Back then, the place had been swarming with burly bodyguards. Tonight, though, there wasn't even a gatekeeper, making the atmosphere much more relaxed.
"We're here. Go on in. I need to head home too," Kanade said, turning to Chika.
"President, why don't you come in for a bit? Stay for dinner?" Chika suggested, tugging lightly on Pace's leash as if asking for the dog's help.
Remarkably perceptive, Pace stood up despite clearly being sleepy, shuffled over to Kanade, and licked his hand.
"Alright, alright. I'll visit next time," Kanade said, patting Pace's head before turning to Chika with a resigned look. "Getting your dog to help invite guests… only you could come up with something like that."
"What's the big deal?" Chika pouted. "Besides, Big Sister Toyomi's cooking is really good!"
"I know. I've had it before," Kanade admitted, nodding. But he still declined. "Let's save it for another time. I'll bring a proper gift next time I visit."
The previous visit hadn't felt formal. He decided he'd make it up to them.
"Fine… See you tomorrow then, President." Chika waved goodbye, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow," Kanade replied with a small wave before turning to leave.