Iino Miko grew increasingly uneasy. The realization that her true appetite would inevitably be exposed to Natsukawa Kanade dampened her enthusiasm for indulging herself in barbecue.
What she hadn't expected, however, was that Kanade soon averted his gaze. He even seemed to be avoiding looking at her altogether, shedding the focused attention he'd had moments earlier.
What's… going on?
Miko blinked in confusion, and a sinking suspicion crept into her mind.
Could it be… Senpai's figured it out?!
He must have! From the morning until now, she'd been eating non-stop. And now, she was still grilling and refilling her plate. How could anyone not notice?
It was obvious: Senpai was trying to be considerate, silently telling her through his actions, "Don't worry, I'll pretend I didn't see anything. Just enjoy yourself today."
Realizing this, her already flushed cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. Embarrassment spread through her like wildfire.
But it was too late to stop now. She'd already been caught. If that was the case, she might as well embrace it and fully enjoy herself. After all, it was her birthday! Surely, Senpai would understand.
With that thought in mind, Miko didn't just continue eating—she picked up the pace.
Meanwhile, Kanade remained quiet, preoccupied with his own thoughts. After his earlier blunder of trying to teach a "barbecue master," he couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of shame. He spent the rest of the meal trying to process his feelings.
Thus, the two ate in silence until they finished lunch.
"I'm full! That was delicious! Thank you for the treat!" Miko clasped her hands together in gratitude, sincerely thanking the grill in front of her.
It had been a rare and memorable experience for her, prompting her heartfelt exclamation.
Across from her, Kanade nodded in agreement. Though the barbecue wasn't cheap, the quality made it worth every yen. His satisfaction was equally high.
They had arrived early, and the second floor had been relatively empty when they sat down. Now, as they finished their meal, they saw that the room was packed. Deciding not to linger, they prepared to leave and free up their seats for others.
After paying downstairs, Kanade opened the door and prepared to step outside—only to stop abruptly in his tracks.
Behind him, Miko peeked out curiously. "Senpai, what's wrong?"
The answer became clear in the next moment.
Standing before them was a couple holding hands—a pair Miko recognized immediately. They were her classmates, the same couple she'd seen earlier that day at the dessert shop.
The couple appeared equally surprised to run into the student council president, their expressions shifting quickly to something even more intriguing as they noticed Miko behind him.
Clearly, they'd realized Kanade and Miko had come to the restaurant together.
Miko reacted quickly. The moment she saw them, she ducked behind Kanade, burying her face in his back in an attempt to hide. However, it was too late—they'd already spotted her. Worse yet, the pair decided to address them directly.
"Oh, good afternoon, President. And… Iino-san, too."
Kanade showed no sign of discomfort, nodding slightly. "Good afternoon."
Behind him, Miko flinched, letting out a soft whimper.
"Ugh…"
Kanade turned his head, trying to check on her, but given their height difference, he couldn't see her at all. Looking around, he realized their current position was blocking the entrance, inconveniencing both the couple and the restaurant staff.
"This isn't the best place to chat. How about we find somewhere else to talk?" Kanade suggested.
He personally didn't mind clearing up the misunderstanding. With all the odd rumors already surrounding him, one more wouldn't hurt. But seeing how distressed Miko was, he decided to prioritize her comfort.
The couple exchanged glances before nodding. "Sure, that works for us."
Kanade gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, then turned back to Miko. Tugging gently on her sleeve, he said, "Watch your step. Let's go."
Miko, however, was still too overwhelmed to process the situation. Despite Kanade's soft reassurances, she couldn't calm down. She clung to the back of his shirt like a lifeline, following him closely.
Her actions only deepened the couple's curiosity, their expressions turning even more curious as they exchanged knowing looks.
For high school students, the most suitable place to talk casually was a dessert shop, which also offered Kanade an opportunity to buy some goodwill.
"Would you like to order something?" Kanade asked the couple after they'd all taken their seats.
In any negotiation, it was wise to offer a gesture of goodwill to establish the upper hand.
"Oh, we're fine…"
"No need to be modest. Consider it my treat. Running into each other twice in one day feels like fate," Kanade said with a wave of his hand. He wasn't suspicious of them stalking him—this was clearly just a coincidence.
"Well… in that case, thank you, President." The boy nodded, accepting the offer.
The conversation thus far had been primarily between Kanade and the boy. The girl, meanwhile, seemed perfectly content with her partner taking the lead, suggesting this dynamic was the norm for them.
On the other side of the table, however, Miko had completely shut down. Overwhelmed by panic, she sat stiffly, her usual sharp wit nowhere to be found. She looked like a girl caught sneaking out with her boyfriend by overly strict parents.
In short, she was a mess.
What's there to be so scared about? All we need to do is explain the situation! Kanade thought, exasperated.
Does being seen with me bother her that much? Is it really so unbearable to have rumors about us? If she keeps this up, I might just get mad for real!
After ordering a couple's set to win over the pair, Kanade finally got down to business.
"I'll keep this short. Here's why I've been with Iino-san today."
"…"
Out of Natsukawa Kanade's sight, Iino Miko trembled briefly before returning to her silent state.
The couple across from them exchanged a quick glance before turning their attention back to him, wearing expressions of genuine interest.
"Well, today happens to be Iino Miko's birthday," Kanade began in a calm tone. "I ran into her by chance earlier and happened to learn about it. Since it's the birthday of a junior from the student council and I had nothing else planned, I offered to keep her company. She didn't seem to mind, so here we are."
To make things clear, Kanade started from the very beginning, sticking to the key points. Details like visiting a cat café or giving her a gift weren't worth mentioning—they weren't central to the explanation.
"That's about it. Earlier, at the dessert shop, she got flustered after spotting you two. My guess is that she was worried about rumors spreading, so she pretended to be my little sister. Unfortunately, we ran into you again just now."
Kanade bowed his head slightly, speaking with genuine sincerity. "It was wrong of us to conceal the truth. I hope you can forgive us."
While Kanade didn't need to be this humble, he wasn't entirely sure about Miko's social standing in her class or how close she was with her peers. For all he knew, the couple in front of them might be her friends.
As her senior, with Miko reduced to a "flustered mess," Kanade felt it was his duty to take charge of the situation. Luckily, he had plenty of experience with scenarios like this and faced it with ease.
Practice makes perfect, after all.
"No, no, it's not that serious…" The boy scratched his head awkwardly. At this point, the real reason he had approached—curiosity about who the president was dating and the desire to know who might "win his heart"—was something he couldn't possibly admit.
As for Miko… while they were classmates, they weren't close. In fact, her habit of interfering in their relationship often left them feeling more annoyed than anything else. Still, there was no way he could voice those thoughts now, especially given the current situation.
Kanade breathed a sigh of relief. The boy's polite demeanor suggested the matter could be resolved smoothly.
"One more thing," Kanade added, glancing at Miko, who showed no intention of speaking up. "Iino-san has requested that you keep today's encounter private. While it's not a big deal, as you probably know, people are naturally curious. Even the slightest hint of gossip can spiral into baseless rumors. They might not mean much to others, but for the people involved, it can be troublesome… wouldn't you agree?"
As he spoke, Kanade narrowed his eyes slightly, exuding an air of seriousness.
The combination of kindness and authority was deliberate. Since this matter involved Miko's reputation and social life in her class, Kanade felt it was best to handle it this way.
"Of course, we understand," the boy said quickly, nodding. The girl beside him also agreed without hesitation.
With the couple's reassurances, Kanade's tone softened. He no longer seemed as intimidating.
"Thank you for understanding. Since everything is cleared up, we'll leave you to your meal." He turned to Miko and prompted gently, "What do you think, Iino-san?"
Miko, still dazed, finally snapped back to reality. "Huh? Oh, um… no problem…"
Yet, she remained seated, clearly unsure of what was happening.
Kanade's brow twitched at her response. Unable to stand it, he tugged her sleeve lightly and repeated, "We'll leave them to their meal. Let's go."
This time, Miko scrambled to her feet, but in her haste, she nearly lost her balance.
As she stumbled forward, she closed her eyes, bracing for a painful collision with the table. Instead, she found herself enveloped in warmth.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Kanade looking down at her with concern. His strong arms held her securely, and he spoke in a gentle voice: "Are you okay, my princess(Iino-san)?"
"…"
Am I dreaming?!
Her earlier fantasy had come true so suddenly that she froze, her ears burning bright red. Her gaze darted nervously, and her face flushed with panic.
"I-I'm fine… Wait, stop calling me that, Senpai!" she stammered, hastily escaping from his embrace. Yet, as soon as she left the warmth of his arms, she felt a pang of loss.
"Ugh…"
What is wrong with me?!
The couple watched the scene unfold, their eyes wide with astonishment.
This was the same Miko Iino who frequently preached, "No impure relationships between boys and girls!" and "Schools should ban students from dating!" She was the enforcer who firmly believed that "a student's duty is to study, and dating is just wrong!"
Yet, here she was, blushing like a lovestruck girl.
This was breaking news.
Even more shocking, it seemed Miko Iino had joined the "President Fanclub." This was dynamite-level gossip!
Unfortunately for them, they were bound by their promise to keep the encounter secret.
Still, having exclusive "first-hand information" felt like a win. They couldn't help but savor their newfound superiority.
The atmosphere was undeniably strange.
Miko was flustered, the couple was relishing their front-row seat to the drama, and Kanade… Kanade was just frustrated.
All he'd done was catch his kouhai to stop her from falling. Why did she have to act like it was some grand scandal?
Being a good guy is tough…
Notes-Read all chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X