After being pointed in the right direction by a well-meaning informant, Natsukawa Kanade wasted no time heading straight for his destination—the girls' dormitory.
Well, calling it a girls' dormitory wasn't entirely accurate. The accommodations here weren't like those stereotypical all-girls sanctuaries you'd see in shoujo manga. Instead, the dorms followed a more standardized layout, much like a regular hostel. Boys had their own section, girls had theirs, and while there were some restrictions in place, they weren't particularly strict.
At least, not during the day.
Since it wasn't evening yet, the rules were a bit more relaxed. As long as he checked in with the health teacher stationed downstairs, he'd be allowed to go up. It was a simple procedure. Nothing to stress about.
Or so he thought.
The moment he approached the desk, the health teacher—an older woman with a mischievous glint in her eye—gave him a look that sent an odd chill down his spine.
"Even if you're the student council president, you shouldn't be doing anything too extreme... At least wait until it's completely dark~"
"…?"
Kanade froze. What did she just say?
It was common knowledge that health teachers were usually the most enthusiastic when it came to physical education. It was also common knowledge that discipline committee members, like himself, were supposed to set an example for maintaining school rules.
As the leader of the discipline committee, he understood this better than anyone.
So why… why was she looking at him like he was about to commit a scandalous act?!
"…Right. Thanks for the reminder, sensei." Kanade responded as politely as he could manage, hoping to sidestep whatever weird assumptions were happening here. He was just about to move past her—when suddenly, something was shoved into his hand.
A small package.
He glanced down.
His brain short-circuited.
It was a… a small umbrella.
No, not an actual umbrella. That kind of small umbrella.
His expression twisted into something unreadable.
"…Sensei."
"Yes?" The health teacher smiled innocently, completely ignoring the storm of emotions raging within him.
"You… seriously misunderstood something."
"No misunderstandings at all!" she declared with an oddly confident nod. "As a teacher, I must be responsible for the health and well-being of my students. You're a very popular young man, Kanade-kun. That means you need to take responsibility, too."
"…I really don't need this."
"Not acceptable." The teacher shook her head, suddenly taking on a sagely, all-knowing expression. "Proper safety measures are crucial, especially when it comes to caring for young ladies. They deserve to be treated with care and respect!"
"..."
Then maybe don't hand out these things so casually?!
Kanade was beyond exhausted at this point. There were too many things he wanted to say, but his common sense told him that arguing with her would only make things worse.
Defeated, he let out a long sigh, shoved the item into his pocket, and made a mental note to discreetly toss it in the trash later.
"…Fine. Thank you, sensei."
"Good boy." The health teacher beamed, looking oddly proud of herself. "It's always so rewarding when I can save a pair of lost boys and girls~"
"…I see. Well then, I'll be on my way."
And with that, Kanade swiftly walked away before she could say anything else that might shatter his soul further.
As he made his way toward Mahiru's dorm, he passed by several girls, but surprisingly, none of them reacted negatively to his presence. There were no gasps of shock, no accusations of being a pervert sneaking into forbidden territory—just a few curious glances here and there.
At least that's a relief…
After all, even though he was the student council president, this was still the girls' dorm. If someone did stop him and ask why he was here, how was he supposed to answer?
"Oh, I'm just here to deliver a bag to Mahiru."
Yeah, that wouldn't sound suspicious at all.
He sighed. Maybe he needed to work on his social shamelessness. If he were a little more brazen, maybe things like this wouldn't get to him so much.
Maybe he wouldn't have let that health teacher walk all over him.
Maybe he wouldn't feel so flustered every time he dealt with Kasumigaoka-senpai.
But… how was he supposed to train for that kind of thing?! There was no guidebook on "How to Be Shameless 101."
Shaking his head, Kanade pushed those thoughts aside as he arrived at his destination.
Room 2108.
The room number matched what Mahiru's friends had told him. And their instructions were clear:
"You can walk in directly without knocking."
Kanade blinked.
…Did they seriously expect him to do that?
What kind of person just barges into a girl's room like that?!
Even if it was just Mahiru inside, even if they had known each other for a while, it was still insanely inappropriate.
Not to mention—what if she wasn't alone? What if he walked in on something unintended?
That's literally how lucky pervert incidents happen in anime!
Nope. Not happening.
Determined not to become the protagonist of an embarrassing rom-com scenario, Kanade raised his hand and knocked.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?"
His voice was loud enough for the person inside to hear, but not so loud that it would disturb the neighbors. The last thing he wanted was to be that guy—the one who wakes up half the dorm just because he can't control his volume.
A few seconds passed.
From inside the room, he heard some faint noises—like someone moving around—but no actual response.
He waited a moment, then knocked again.
"…Mahiru? Are you in there?"
This time, he got an answer.
"…Come in."
The voice was soft, almost hesitant, but definitely hers.
Kanade exhaled, reached for the doorknob, and stepped inside.
The layout of Mahiru's room wasn't any different from the boys' dormitory. Minimalist in design, it had the same basic facilities, with a few personal touches scattered around. A few suitcases and backpacks were neatly stacked in the corner, a subtle reminder that this wasn't just a solitary space—it was shared.
And yet, in this quiet moment, it felt like the room belonged to just one person.
Mahiru.
She was curled up under a blanket, her back turned toward the French window. Her delicate figure seemed even smaller than usual, cocooned within the fabric, as if she were trying to disappear into its warmth. A soft, almost fragile voice drifted through the still air:
"Sorry…"
Natsukawa Kanade froze. Huh?
Why was she apologizing all of a sudden? He hadn't even said anything yet.
Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, she continued speaking in that same hesitant voice.
"I'm sorry for what I said before… I-I really don't blame you. I know you were just thinking about me, but… I wasn't brave enough to say anything to him…"
Kanade's eyes widened slightly. Oh.
She thought he was one of her roommates.
A deep silence filled the room as Mahiru received no response. Misinterpreting his quietness, her voice turned even softer, as if she was losing the strength to hold back her emotions.
"No, it's okay. I understand if you don't forgive me. After all, I was in the wrong… but still… I'm really lucky to have good friends like you. Even if we can't stay friends anymore, I'll always cherish the time we spent together…"
Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper, like the faint rustling of autumn leaves before they fell. The raw vulnerability in her tone struck Kanade harder than he expected. It felt like, at any moment, she might break down completely.
He couldn't stay silent any longer.
"…It's me, Mahiru."
Her entire body tensed. That voice—
She knew that voice.
Slowly, she turned her head, wide amber eyes locking onto him as realization dawned.
"E-Eh?! K-Kanade?!"
Panic flickered across her expression before she instinctively turned away, trying to put distance between them.
"W-Why are you here?! You should go back—"
But even turning away didn't feel like enough. Flustered beyond belief, she grabbed the blanket and yanked it over her head, completely burying herself inside.
Kanade sighed. Well, that's not happening.
"Mahiru doesn't want to see me?" he asked softly, taking a step closer.
"…It's not that…" came the muffled reply from under the blanket. "It's just…"
Her voice was barely audible now, buzzing against the fabric. Kanade could barely make out the words, but it wasn't hard to piece everything together.
She was embarrassed.
Seeing how she kept retreating, he let out another small sigh. Guess I have to be the one to close the distance.
Taking slow, measured steps, Kanade approached the curled-up figure. He reached out carefully—only to suddenly pause as a very critical thought hit him.
"…Wait. Mahiru, you are wearing clothes under there, right?"
A deadly silence.
Then—
"Y-Y-YOU IDIOT!!"
Mahiru's head popped out from under the blanket, her face glowing a deep shade of crimson.
This was supposed to be a serious moment! A delicate atmosphere! And then he just had to go and ruin it with that kind of remark?!
"You absolute fool! Stupid! Moron!"
She threw every insult she could think of at him, her frustration bubbling over. And honestly, it wasn't just about the dumb comment—no, this was payback for all the times he had been so frustratingly dense.
Kanade blinked, then sighed again, raising his hands in a small gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright. I get it. I deserve that."
Seeing that she wasn't about to stop anytime soon, he simply accepted his fate and let her vent. If getting yelled at helped her feel better, then so be it.
After all, what mattered wasn't the scolding itself—but the fact that Mahiru was finally responding to him again.
As her tirade finally ran out of steam, she suddenly realized something.
Kanade… wasn't looking away.
He was staring straight at her.
Her breath hitched.
"D-Don't look at me…" she mumbled, lowering her head.
"Why not?" Kanade asked, his voice still gentle.
"…Because…"
"Hmm?"
"…Because my eyes are red."
The admission was barely above a whisper, but it carried so much weight.
Mahiru kept her gaze fixed downward, her hands resting lightly in her lap. But her fingers trembled slightly, betraying her emotions.
Kanade didn't say anything right away. Instead, he slowly reached out and placed his hands over hers.
She tensed, but he didn't let go. Gently, he lifted one hand and cupped her cheek, tilting her face up so their eyes met.
"I was wondering why Mahiru looked extra cute today," he said, his tone completely serious. "Turns out you put on makeup."
Mahiru blinked, momentarily stunned.
"…Eh?"
"But you know…" Kanade continued, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "I think Mahiru is always cute. Even without makeup. Especially when she smiles."
His voice softened as he added the last part.
"There's something about it… It's like getting tipsy. Makes me feel a little drunk."
For a second, there was silence. Then—
"Pfft—"
Mahiru let out a tiny giggle, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth. But it was too late—the dam had been broken.
"What kind of line is that?!" she said between laughs. "That's so outdated and corny!"
She tried to put on an unimpressed face, but her heart was practically screaming in excitement.
How could she not be happy hearing something like that?
She wanted to hear more. She wanted him to keep saying things like that… until she got tired of hearing them. Until he said he liked her.
Kanade, on the other hand, felt a small sense of victory. Because at that moment, Mahiru wasn't avoiding him anymore. She wasn't hiding.
And more than anything—she was smiling again.