"A dandelion?"
Staring at Kyousuke's face, Katou Megumi softly repeated his word, this time turning it into a question.
Seeing this rare look of curiosity on her normally emotionless face, Kyousuke couldn't help but find her adorable. Smiling gently, he nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. When I think of you, Katou-senpai, the image of a dandelion pops into my head."
"Hmm" Katou turned her gaze toward the garden outside, her eyes settling on the sakura tree glowing faintly under the night sky.
"Dandelions are fragile. Just a little force can snap them. They're weak, just a tiny breeze is enough to scatter them. And they're ordinary, you see them anywhere there's grass…"
Her voice was flat, like a lifeless narration from an old educational film.
"I suppose I really am like a dandelion, huh" A hint of amusement slipped into her tone, but that in itself felt strange.
The more unusual the situation, the calmer Katou Megumi became—so calm that no one could ever guess what she was truly thinking.
"But hey, Hojou-kun... is a dandelion really a flower?"
Kyousuke also looked at the weeping cherry tree, its petals faintly glowing like soft lights.
The pink blossoms were thinning now, revealing the brown branches beneath.
Even though this sakura variety bloomed later than others, its time was almost up.
All it awaited was a spring rain—something Tokyo never lacked.
The gentle sound of Katou's voice lingered in his ears, but he didn't answer right away.
He was pondering why she would be a dandelion in his mind. After all, what he sensed in people was often different from what others saw.
It wasn't because he had sharper senses—it was because of the "filter" he always wore.
The "absolute justice of Hojou Kyousuke" colored everything he saw.
Selfish, perhaps. But also his own kind of happiness.
If he ever told Eriri she smelled faintly of eggs...
"You're the egg! You and your past, present, and future lives are all eggs!"
No doubt she'd explode in anger.
And if he told Miki her scent reminded him of cigars... she'd nearly lost her mind over that before, thinking she smelled like old tobacco from her youthful mistakes.
But Katou Megumi... this gentle, beautiful girl with such faint presence that no one minded what they asked of her, knowing she'd accept everything with a calm face...
Why was she a dandelion to him?
In his mind, it wasn't the bright yellow bloom he saw—it was the fluffy white ball of tiny parachutes.
And he was sure Katou knew that too.
"A breeze might not be enough to scatter sakura petals," he said softly, "but it can easily carry a dandelion far, far away to places it's never seen before."
He picked up the yogurt cup in his hand, peeled back the lid, and passed it to Katou along with the little plastic spoon.
Smiling as she stared blankly at him, he continued:
"Dandelions are strong. They only need a tiny patch of soil to take root and grow. They're beautiful—if you really look closely, you can see how intricate their design is."
"And they're gentle—just the lightest wind can carry them away to far-off lands they've never dreamed of…"
Of course, that wasn't everything he wanted to say.
'Strange… why does Hojou-kun's voice suddenly sound so nice?' Katou wondered silently.
Scooping up a spoonful of yogurt, she popped it into her mouth.
The sweet and tangy taste spread across her tongue as she closed her eyes in quiet enjoyment, listening carefully to his gentle voice.
"Senpai, you're so easy-going because you're easy to please, aren't you?"
Cars roared by outside.
A mischievous child could kick you as they ran past—or even just blow softly—and that would be enough to grant a dandelion its wish.
Where the wind came from, where it would take her—none of that mattered to the dandelion. As long as the breeze lifted her up, that alone was joy enough.
"Not joy~"
Katou shook her head, her short bob swaying gently.
The dampness from her earlier bath had completely vanished.
"Like you said... even the tiniest wind can carry a dandelion far away, helping it to scatter its seeds. And what could be more important to a plant than sowing its seeds?
Nothing, right?
So it's not joy—it's happiness.
No matter what causes it, as long as the wind comes, the dandelion can chase after its happiness."
Her voice was soft and airy, like a dandelion already drifting on the breeze, enjoying its journey toward happiness.
"Hojou... dandelions are such beautiful flowers, aren't they~~"
"Yeah. Just like every other flower."
Whether or not a dandelion was a "real" flower... why her flower was a dandelion... they both knew the answer without saying it aloud.
The moon shone brighter now, its gentle light spilling over their faces.
They smiled peacefully at each other.
Kyousuke opened his own cup of yogurt, scooped out a spoonful, and popped it into his mouth.
Strawberry flavor.
Annoying strawberry seeds.
No, not annoying—maybe just unlucky, since they'd never get to fulfill their purpose of growing into strawberries now.
Then again, maybe this was their happiness—being eaten by a noble primate like him.
Maybe they'd even found enlightenment in their lives as strawberry seeds.
…But wasn't that thought a little arrogant?
Even if getting eaten was part of their "spreading" as a species, civilization had long closed off that path.
Still, as a man of high moral standards, Kyousuke pondered this deeply—and when he couldn't find an answer, he spoke his thoughts aloud to Katou.
"If you don't mind, Hojou-kun... you can have mine too~"
The girl who had just been talking about the importance of sowing seeds held out her own yogurt cup, a small pit already dug out in its center.
He glanced at the cup, then at the white smear of yogurt on her soft pink lips. Smiling happily, he nodded.
Ah... the dandelion girl's way of life really was wise.
Something worth learning from.
And so, the master slacker added another skill to his list.
Yukinoshita should really see what a real teenage girl is like... she worries way too much.
From the corner of the room, the so-called "problem girl" stared at the two sitting on the tatami mat.
But before she could even finish wondering why Kyousuke dared flirt with another girl right in front of Sakura and Eriri... an arm suddenly wrapped around her neck.
Yukinoshita, who had just recently taken up Aikido again, instinctively grabbed the arm and prepared to throw her attacker over her shoulder—but the familiar voice in her ear made her stop.
"Whoa, dangerous, Yukino-chan! You weren't seriously about to elbow me in the gut, were you? I'd die, you know."
Sakura muttered as she rubbed her cheek against Yukinoshita's, clearly enjoying herself.
"Of course not!" Yukinoshita snapped back immediately.
She'd done her research—gone to the hospital, asked the doctors—Sakura was perfectly healthy now, no different from anyone else.
"Then you'd better watch out, Yukino-chan! If you hurt me, Hojou-kun will make you pay a hundred, no, a thousand times over! Super~ scary!"
Sakura grinned wickedly, acting like a spoiled brat hiding behind a big, scary guard dog.
Even Momotarou himself would probably bow down to her shamelessness.
Yukinoshita ignored Sakura's criminal-level remarks, casually tilting her chin in the direction of Hojou Kyousuke before speaking.
"Look at that. What do you think?"
The moment she said it, Yamauchi Sakura's "Springtime Theory" came bubbling back into her head.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything." A wave of defeat swept over the girl.
"Ahh, Megumi's smile is so beautiful! You can feel how happy she is even from this far away. As expected of my Hojou—amazing as always!"
Sakura gave a big thumbs-up with the hand draped over Yukinoshita's shoulder.
Hearing that, Yukinoshita froze for a moment.
That's right... she hadn't even realized it herself.
The Katou Megumi who rarely showed any emotion, no matter how many times Yukinoshita had tried to read her face—was now smiling so happily?
Surprise instantly filled the girl's clear, pale-blue eyes.
Blink. Blink.
Yukinoshita, ever the proper lady, blinked in rapid succession.
No mistake. It was indeed an obvious, genuine smile.
Was this a joke? Could it be that simply entering the "Room of Wishes (Ruyi)" dormitory actually makes dreams come true?
No... that was the smile of someone whose wish had been fulfilled.
"Come on, let's go see what they're talking about that's making her so happy. Maybe we can pick up a little of that joy for you too, Yukino~"
Sakura happily patted Yukinoshita's shoulder, picking up the yogurt cups they had left on the ground.
"I don't need that sort of thing. What makes someone else happy might just be what breaks your heart," Yukinoshita muttered with a pout, but her body faithfully followed along anyway.
"You're so mean, Yukino~ You've gotta learn how to feel happiness from other people's joy! That's one of my best life hacks, you know."
"..." Yukinoshita opened her mouth to retort but promptly shut it again.
To feel joy for someone else's happiness... Why did this idiot Sakura always say things that struck such strange, unexpected chords in her?
Could it really be for that reason...?
"Katou."
"Hmm? What is it, Hojou?" Megumi licked a spot of yogurt off her lips.
"Before, you mentioned that this whole 'barely noticeable presence' of yours was something you brought on yourself. I could sense how disappointed you were when you said that."
Kyousuke recalled their first meeting at the café.
Back then, she'd said, "So it can't be helped that everyone forgets about me~."
Her expression then... a faint trace of loneliness, a hint of sadness, mixed with a quiet sense of resignation.
She had said it couldn't be helped.
"But if there was a way... would you want to stand out a little more?"
Yes—that thought had only crossed his mind because of Sakura's 'Santa Claus' antics earlier.
"Stand out?"
Megumi turned to look at Kyousuke and noticed a dab of yogurt on the corner of his mouth just as he stuck out his tongue to lick it away.
For some reason, her pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away.
But no, she didn't misunderstand.
Kyousuke wasn't the kind of guy who'd think her low presence was a bad thing.
After all, anyone who could say those warm words about dandelions surely understood and accepted her way of living.
"If it's—"
"Alright! This request—the Service Club officially accepts it!" Sakura suddenly jumped in, boldly declaring it with the energy of a hero.
"Hey, I'm the club president! Don't just decide things on your own!" Yukinoshita barked, storming after her.
"Who cares~? Come on, Yukino, you think this is fun too, don't you?" Sakura teased casually.
"People who act just because something seems fun always end up becoming the joke themselves."
...
Megumi tilted her small face up, glancing at both Yamauchi Sakura and Yukinoshita Yukino.
The two of them arguing like this because of her... usually that would have made her feel a little special. But this time...
Actually, what she wanted to say was: 'If it's Hojou... I might be willing to try.'
But instead...
"Um, I don't think increasing my presence is something I can do... it feels like asking the impossible"
That should be enough.
Hojou would understand what she really meant.
"It is possible, and this request—the Service Club accepts it without question" Yukinoshita cut in sharply, sounding like a righteous hero making an irrefutable declaration.
"Huh?"
Megumi blinked in confusion, her small mouth slightly open as she turned to look up at Yukinoshita.
Hadn't she just said Sakura was being reckless?
"Hehehe~ Katou-chan, don't you know?"
"You must never use reverse psychology in front of Yukino. If you do, she'll charge straight into your trap every time!" Sakura grinned, squatting down to sit cross-legged at Megumi's right side, sandwiching her between herself and Kyousuke.
"Reverse psychology?"
Megumi tilted her head.
When did she use that? Besides, Yukinoshita seemed far too clever to fall for something that simple... right?
"In the eyes of an idiot, everyone else is an idiot too, I—"
"Oooh, did Yukino just admit she's an idiot?!" Sakura clapped gleefully, cutting Yukinoshita off.
"You—"
Yukinoshita gasped, her breath catching as Sakura's idiotic nonsense left her powerless to respond.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Megumi, realizing it was rude to loom over her like this—so she knelt down properly, sitting before the three of them.
"Don't listen to that fool. I just think... Katou-san is an excellent research subject."
"Research?" Megumi blinked in confusion.
"Ahem—observation. I'm simply curious... why someone like Katou-san—who is both attractive and well-mannered—has such a low presence."
Yukinoshita gave a small nod, as if confirming her own words.
"It's a fascinating research topic."
Still research, huh... Megumi sighed inwardly.
"But I'm not as good-looking or well-mannered as you say, Yukinoshita-san... so it makes sense I'd go unnoticed."
She sneaked a glance at Hojou beside her.
Even after he'd given her such a wonderful compliment earlier, she couldn't help but let the lie slip out.
Girls always wear two faces, right?
Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to the person they like. It's the oldest truth in the book.
Like her mother—who always joked about her dad's salary being worthless, yet cooked an elaborate dinner every time he got a raise.
That was happiness, wasn't it?
"Sounds good. It's settled then, Katou." Kyousuke smiled.
After all, aside from Yukinoshita Yukino, the so-called Service Club was pretty much the "Happiness Creation Club" in disguise.
After hearing their explanation, Megumi gave a small nod.
"Alright~ I'll leave it to you, Hojou~ and you too, Yukinoshita-san."
"Since when did you two start addressing each other so familiarly?" Yukinoshita asked—not out of real curiosity, but just to annoy Sakura.
"How wonderful! Kyousuke didn't have any friends with single-character names before—now the collection's complete!" Sakura cheered.
Somehow, the yogurt was already completely gone.
What is this, some kind of name-collecting game?
'Are we supposed to fill out the whole fifty-syllable chart or something?' Yukinoshita thought, exasperated.
"Now then, let's discuss how to raise Katou-san's presence."
Yukinoshita's sharp gaze landed on Megumi, full of interest.
When she said this was an excellent research topic, she meant it—it wasn't just an excuse to cover up her liking for reverse psychology.
From their brief contact so far, it was obvious: Katou Megumi was a remarkable person.
And yet... her presence was so faint.
With a presence this low, no one could even bother to ostracize her.
It ran completely opposite to Yukinoshita's theory that "the more outstanding you are, the harder life becomes."
The girl hadn't wavered in her beliefs.
Just as she'd once told Yamauchi Sakura: something so fragile that it breaks at a touch can't be called a dream.
She knew this was merely an unusual exception—nothing more.
Its only value lay in possibly using Katou Megumi to uncover a solution.
"First, let's analyze the data we have. Katou-senpai has two defining traits."
"One: she's a girl. Two: she's a student. If we want to make her presence stronger, starting by amplifying these two aspects seems like the logical first step..."
Katou Megumi stared blankly at Yukinoshita across from her, who was rattling off words non-stop.
Now she finally understood what "research" really meant.
"Hold on a moment, Madam President."
"What is it, Researcher Hojou?" Yukinoshita responded automatically.
Only realizing after the words left her mouth that she'd unconsciously fallen into playing Yamauchi Sakura's ridiculous research institute game.
"Ahahaha, Yukino-chan, you're half-asleep already~" Sakura teased gleefully.
"Sleepy...?"
Yukinoshita blinked slowly.
Only now did she notice the soreness in her eyes.
She glanced around, but couldn't spot the familiar wall clock.
Still, the fatigue in her body spoke clearly enough.
So it's already that time... she realized.
Time to sleep.
She turned her head toward the living room.
At some point, Eriri and Naoka had stopped their bickering and were now sitting calmly on either side of Shouko, chatting quietly while eating yogurt.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been lying on the sofa earlier, seemed to have fallen asleep.
Ah, right... Ever since they stepped into this dorm, these noisy girls hadn't given her a single moment's peace.
No wonder her mind had stayed so alert, keeping drowsiness at bay.
"Yep, time for bed. Tomorrow's not the weekend," Kyousuke said.
"Mhm. I know." Yukinoshita gave a small nod and then turned to look at him without saying another word.
Kyousuke blinked in confusion.
When he noticed Megumi also staring at him expectantly, he smacked his forehead.
"Ah, right—your rooms. Let's see..."
"Everyone's room here is open to you, including Hojou's!" Sakura chimed in excitedly, showing not a trace of sleepiness herself.
Megumi glanced at Kyousuke, blinking softly but staying silent.
"...You really are an idiot," Yukinoshita muttered with a sigh, her sleepiness fading a little.
"But I saw some empty rooms on the third floor, didn't I?"
As a guest, she knew it wasn't proper to be picky, but clearly Kyousuke hadn't meant to say what Sakura so cheerfully had.
"Nope! Argue more and the only room left open for you will be Kyousuke's, Yukino-chan~," Sakura threatened playfully with a pout.
"Then let Katou-senpai pick first," Yukinoshita said quickly.
If she let this go on, they'd waste another half-hour.
After all, she was dealing with idiot Sakura.
"I'll share with Shouko," Megumi said promptly after glancing at Yukinoshita's troubled face.
"Ehhh, no fair! My bed's really big, you know? You and Yukino-chan could totally sleep with me, it wouldn't feel crowded at all! Kyousuke can vouch for that!" Sakura pouted regretfully.
"Heh~" Yukinoshita let out a cold laugh, stood up, and dragged Sakura to her feet by the arm.
"Good night, Kyousuke~~" Sakura waved energetically as Yukinoshita tugged her away, her lively voice nearly driving away Yukinoshita's sleepiness.
"...Yeah. Good night."
Hearing this exchange, Yukinoshita hesitated, then paused and turned around with her usual frosty expression.
"Good night, Hojou-kun. Good night, Katou-senpai."
'I can't believe I just said good night to someone at Hojou's house... and that I'll be waking up tomorrow and seeing him first thing. '
'If anyone had told me this would happen, I'd have told them to go see a neurologist. Or maybe a psychiatrist.'
"Whoa! Yukino-chan, when did you start playing Eriri's 'full-name game'?" Sakura teased.
"Shut up and brush your teeth already."
Dragging Sakura toward the stairs, Yukinoshita muttered her good nights to the other girls along the way.
Listening to their different tones as they each said "good night"—and glancing at Kasumigaoka, who now lay quiet and sleepy with none of her usual sharp edge—Yukinoshita felt a strange warmth in her chest.
———————————————————————
Megumi quietly stacked the empty yogurt cups, stood up, and smiled.
"Good night, Hojou."
"Yeah. Good night, Megumi. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow~"
As she said this, a bright, happy smile lit up her face, and her voice sounded light and carefree.
Just as Kyousuke was about to take the trash and see her off, a thought struck him.
He quickly called out:
"Megumi—did you tell your family you wouldn't be coming home tonight?"
From what he remembered, she'd only said she'd be home late... had she forgotten to mention staying overnight?
"Mhm, I told them. My parents said it was fine."
She nodded calmly, face as serene as ever—but Kyousuke caught the faint undercurrent of guilt in that calmness.
"...How exactly did you explain it to them?"
"Oh~ let me think... I told them I was staying over at Eriri's place~"
Her expression stayed perfectly composed—clearly the result of years of training under her diligent, study-hard older sister.
She'd even surpassed her.
"...Well, technically that's not wrong," Kyousuke muttered in surprise. He hadn't expected Megumi to be the type to pull such a sneaky little trick.
So ordinary, yet in a way totally different from Sakura, who'd openly barge into his bed in the middle of the night without hesitation.
"Oh, and before this I told my mom I was going to a friend's house—you know, the one who lent me manga last time~" Megumi added cheerfully, with a hint of pride on her face.
"Huh?" Kyousuke froze. That friend... was me, wasn't it?
"But my mom thought it was a girl~"
With a mischievous and adorable smile, Megumi grinned up at him.
"Haha, I don't know exactly how this happened, but... Megumi, you really are cute."
Kyousuke chuckled.
His hand instinctively moved to pat her soft bob-cut head—but he caught himself halfway.
Calm down.
This isn't some unavoidable story trigger scene!
"Mhm, well... I'm just an ordinary girl, after all~ It'd be weird if I wasn't cute, right?"
Hands behind her back, Megumi smiled sweetly—like the gentle glow of moonlight.
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