083. Like Everyone

It felt like a dream. A strange, surreal dream.

Natsukawa Kanade lay there, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling into a tangled mess. He replayed what had just transpired, questioning if it had truly happened or if his mind had conjured up the bizarre scene out of sheer exhaustion.

"..."

He had experienced… intimate contact. With a girl.

Granted, it wasn't exactly voluntary, but still.

Someone had touched that place.

Again, not voluntarily, but the fact remained.

And of all people, the girl in question was Fujiwara Chika.

Kanade sighed heavily, his face burning. Maybe he should pinch himself—no, slap himself across the face—to wake up. Surely, this had to be some fever dream conjured up by a combination of stress and lack of sleep.

"It hurts…"

Nope. Reality, unfortunately, was not so kind. He was still here, staring at the same closed door through which Chika had disappeared moments earlier. Inside, she was tidying up a makeshift bed on the floor, claiming she wanted him to stay in her room tonight. Apparently, it was for his own safety, to prevent another surprise ambush from her overly "enthusiastic" younger sister, Fujiwara Moeha.

Kanade felt a pang of gratitude, but also... utter humiliation.

"..."

It wasn't like he hadn't stayed overnight in someone else's room before. It was a relatively trivial matter, really. And he had enough self-control to ensure nothing indecent happened. But no matter how he framed it, what had occurred earlier was still rattling around in his brain like a broken record.

The door creaked open. Chika peeked her head out, her usual carefree smile plastered across her face. "President, come in! The bed's ready!"

"...Okay."

Unlike him, who was still internally combusting, Chika didn't seem even the slightest bit fazed by what had happened. Her expression was serene, completely devoid of embarrassment.

Kanade couldn't decide whether to admire her carefree attitude or be annoyed by it. As expected of an optimist, she could brush things off so effortlessly. It only made him feel like he was overthinking everything.

"It's late! Go to bed, go to bed!"

With a click, Chika climbed onto the bed and turned off the ceiling light. Darkness engulfed the room in an instant.

"..."

The pitch-black silence felt oddly comforting, like being wrapped in a soothing cocoon. In contrast to her wild and unpredictable sister, Chika's presence was strangely calming in this moment. It was one of those rare occasions where she exuded a quiet dignity that could almost be called beautiful.

Kanade let out a small sigh of relief as his scattered thoughts began to settle. The exhaustion from the day finally began to creep in, and his eyelids grew heavy.

"...I can't sleep."

"..."

"I said, I can't sleep at all!"

The rustling of blankets and the sudden click of a bedside lamp broke the quiet. Chika leaned over the edge of the bed, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the light. She stared at Kanade with a pout, her eyes wide and expectant.

"President, don't sleep yet! Come and chat with me!"

"..." Even with his eyes closed, Kanade could feel the weight of her gaze boring into him. He opened his eyes reluctantly, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's work for the student council tomorrow morning, you know…"

Chika ignored him completely, propping her chin on her hands as she stared down at him. "I can't sleep! I want to hear more of your stories, President. Tell me something interesting!"

"There's not much left to tell…" Kanade muttered, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he tried to avoid her eager expression.

Natsukawa Kanade leaned back, letting out a quiet sigh as Chika's expectant gaze bore into him. He had already laid bare the broad strokes of his relationship woes, almost like venting to a close friend. Now, being asked to dive back into those waters felt awkward and unnecessary.

Could he really tell her how he felt about Kaguya?

The thought sent a faint ripple of embarrassment through him. He had never confessed his feelings to Kaguya—not directly, anyway. It wasn't just that he hadn't told her; he wasn't even sure she had the faintest inkling of his feelings. And sharing that with Chika, Kaguya's best friend? That seemed both reckless and unnecessary.

"Besides," Kanade mumbled, trying to redirect the conversation, "it's not fair if I'm always the one spilling my feelings. If this is supposed to be a mutual conversation, shouldn't you share something too?"

He hadn't expected much from his lighthearted complaint—just a way to deflect and, hopefully, convince her to call it a night. But to his surprise, Chika's eyes sparkled mischievously, and she nodded.

"Alright, but just a little! I'll share something with you, President!"

Her sudden enthusiasm caught him off guard. Before he could process it, she was already launching into her stories. She spoke animatedly about her first impressions of Kaguya, the little quirks she had noticed, and their journey to becoming friends. Every now and then, Chika sprinkled in snippets about herself—small, random anecdotes that were so her.

"So, I like Kaguya the most! The most in the entire world!" she declared with dramatic flair, her hands on her hips as if daring him to challenge her claim.

Kanade couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Yeah, I can see that…"

Chika's face lit up at his agreement, but her next question came out of nowhere, catching him completely off guard.

"What about you, President? What do you think of Kaguya-chan?"

Kanade froze for a moment. It wasn't an unfair question—it was the logical next step in the conversation. But the directness of it still made him hesitate.

"What do I think of Shinomiya…?" he murmured, buying himself a little time. He stared at the ceiling, the words forming slowly in his mind. "I think she's… cute, I guess."

It was the safest answer, but it wasn't a lie. He had always thought Kaguya was beautiful, and her recent smile—rare, genuine, and radiant—had only solidified that thought.

"That's not what I mean!" Chika exclaimed, her hands slapping the bed in frustration. "I mean like. Do you like her?"

Kanade sighed, sensing where this was going. "She's definitely popular," he replied, sidestepping the question. "Not just with boys—plenty of girls admire her too. What you're talking about might be more like admiration than anything else…"

But Chika wasn't having it. "No deflecting! This isn't about admiration. It's a yes or no question! Do you like her or not?"

Kanade rubbed his temples, knowing there was no way out of this. "If you're asking whether I like her," he said finally, his voice steady, "then yes. Of course I like her."

Chika froze, her eyes widening slightly at his straightforward answer.

"It's not just her, though," Kanade continued, his tone softening. "I like all of you. You, Ishigami, Shirogane... I want to keep spending time with everyone."

Chika blinked, momentarily stunned.

"I mean it," Kanade added, his voice growing wistful. "Each of you is special. I admire Shirogane's determination, Ishigami's courage, and you—you're... well, you. I don't want these times to change. I wish things could stay like this forever, but I know they won't. So, all I can do is treasure the time we have now."

For a moment, Chika said nothing, her expression unusually subdued. Then, her cheeks puffed up, and she pouted.

"That's so unfair, President! You're too sneaky!" she huffed. "You dodged the question and turned it into something mushy! And you even included me in your answer! So unfair!"

Kanade couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm just being honest."

Chika crossed her arms, feigning indignation. "Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore! Good night!"

"...Good night," Kanade replied, his voice tinged with quiet amusement.