105. Annoying Senpai

"Is senpai feeling better?" Kato Megumi's voice came through the phone, calm and steady as always.

"Well, she doesn't seem seriously sick..." Natsukawa Kanade glanced over at Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was currently lounging on the sofa. In fact, she looked more energetic than ever—so much so that she could probably pin him down in a wrestling match if she felt like it.

Kanade sighed and adjusted the phone. "Do you want to talk to her, Kato? She's right here."

Kato was such a considerate friend. Even though she was preparing to return to her hometown, she still made the effort to check on Kasumigaoka's condition. It was sweet, though slightly puzzling why she had called Kanade instead of Kasumigaoka directly. He figured the senior's phone was probably dead or unreachable.

"Oh... sure," came the reply from Kato.

Kanade handed the phone to Kasumigaoka without another word. With his senpai occupied, he began tidying up the living room, which had somehow turned into a disaster zone in a matter of hours. After that, he headed into the kitchen to check if he could whip up something to eat.

"Patients should eat something light after recovering," he mused, rummaging through the refrigerator. He highly doubted Kasumigaoka would take the initiative to cook for herself.

Opening the fridge, however, was like staring into the void—empty, barren, and utterly devoid of purpose. Not even a stray leaf of lettuce graced the shelves.

"Uso daろ..." Kanade muttered, momentarily questioning the fridge's very existence. Was it just here for decoration?

Thankfully, there was an unopened bag of rice, but that wouldn't suffice for a proper meal. Resigned, he called out to the living room, "Senpai, I'm heading out to buy some groceries. Don't destroy anything while I'm gone."

"Hai hai~," came her lazy reply, accompanied by the sound of her poking at his phone.

Kanade returned half an hour later, arms laden with fresh ingredients. Kasumigaoka was still sprawled on the sofa, but at least the phone call seemed to be over. Oddly enough, she was still clutching his phone like it was some precious treasure.

"Senpai,my phone's battery must be dead by now. How about playing with your own phone instead?" Kanade grumbled as he set the groceries on the counter.

"The battery is dead," she replied, sounding remarkably confident for someone making an excuse.

"Then charge it."

"Mendokusai, junior. Help me, will you? I'm too tired to even lift a finger." With that, Kasumigaoka dramatically collapsed further into the sofa, looking as if she had just run a marathon.

Kanade pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't push it, senpai... You're going to college soon, right? What'll you do if you're this helpless when you move out?"

Kasumigaoka tilted her head thoughtfully before flashing a mischievous grin. "Hmm, I suppose I'll just enroll in a university close to your house. Or maybe... I'll move in with you?"

"In what world does that sound like a good idea?" Kanade retorted, his tone flat.

"What's wrong with it? I'm perfectly fine as I am. See, I've been surviving just fine!" she shot back, puffing out her chest in mock pride.

Kanade raised an eyebrow. "And by 'surviving,' you mean freeloading off others, right?"

Kasumigaoka waved him off with a laugh. "Come on, junior-kun. Imagine it—having a cute girl in your house every day! Wouldn't that brighten your life? It's a win-win!"

"If that 'cute girl' handles all the housework, I might consider waiving her rent," Kanade deadpanned, turning back to unpack the groceries.

"Hmph! You're no fun," Kasumigaoka pouted before going back to poking at his phone.

As Kanade began processing the ingredients, he remarked, "By the way, the neighbor dropped off some plum wine earlier. I didn't want to take it, but she insisted..."

"Sou ka," Kasumigaoka muttered distractedly, her attention still on the phone.

"Honestly, senpai, you've been here for months and haven't even greeted the neighbors. They think I'm the owner of this house!"

"Isn't that perfect? Why don't you move in, then?" Kasumigaoka suggested casually, still glued to the screen.

"Absolutely not!" Kanade shot back, glaring at her.

The thought of living with Kasumigaoka sent a chill down his spine.

Kanade sighed as he glanced at Kasumigaoka Utaha. On one hand, he had a virtuous angel who would cook, clean, and maybe even let him act a little spoiled. On the other hand, there was this black-bellied devil who only thought about teasing him and turning him into her personal servant. The choice was as clear as day, right?

"Senpai, hurry up and finish using my phone already," Kanade reminded her, his voice firm but not harsh. Although there wasn't anything particularly embarrassing on his phone, it still felt unsettling to have someone else going through it.

"I know, I know! Just give me a second!" Kasumigaoka replied, her hands moving a bit faster now.

Of course, she wasn't foolish enough to push him too far. She wouldn't do anything outrageous—just a few minor tweaks to her profile notes on Line, along with adding a couple of her selfies to his gallery. Nothing that would make him furious... but enough to leave her mark.

As her cheeks flushed a soft pink, Kasumigaoka smiled to herself, imagining the look of shock on Kanade's face when he eventually discovered her little additions. It would be even better if there were other girls vying for his attention—she could lord it over them, triumphant in her subtle claim.

"Junior, you're so impatient, aren't you? Can't wait to snatch it back?" she teased, her voice dripping with amusement. Slowly, she climbed off the sofa, her movements deliberate and her posture... provocative. Leaning on the armrest, she looked at him with an impish grin.

"Could it be there's something... yabai on your phone? You know, the kind of stuff boys like to hide?"

The thought briefly crossed her mind to do something truly outrageous—like slipping the phone into her cleavage and daring him to take it himself. But even she balked at that idea, her face heating up at the mere thought. It was too embarrassing! What if he thought she was desperate or, worse, unsatisfied?

"Sorry to burst your bubble, senpai, but there's nothing of the sort on there," Kanade replied coolly, taking the phone from her outstretched hand. His tone was steady, but his eyes flicked briefly to the edge of her shirt, where a hint of cleavage peeked out, before quickly averting his gaze.

Of course, what he didn't mention was that anything truly precious was stored on his computer. Those files were hidden deep within a labyrinth of folders, camouflaged under misleading names. No one—not even the most determined snoop—would ever find them.

"Oh?" Kasumigaoka tilted her head, her expression suddenly thoughtful. "Could it be... you're part of the magazine school? That explains your confidence! Guess I'll just have to visit your house and confirm it for myself."

"Don't even think about using such a flimsy excuse to invade someone's home!" Kanade snapped, his cheeks tinged with exasperation.

The truth was, he had no embarrassing magazines stashed anywhere. Times had changed; everything was digital now. What he did have, however, was an angelic presence living under his roof—someone he wanted to keep out of the gossip mill. If rumors spread, it wouldn't just inconvenience him. It might hurt Shiina, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Instead of indulging her nonsense, Kanade placed a small plate of freshly cut fruit on the coffee table. "Here. Eat this instead of spouting nonsense." His tone was sharp but tinged with concern.

Kasumigaoka blinked, looking down at the neatly arranged fruit slices. "What's with the attitude, junior? You're being unusually cold today."

"Patients need rest after recovering," Kanade huffed, arms crossed. "But you? You're prancing around half-dressed, complaining about the heat, and trying to turn on the AC like you're living in a tropical resort. If you get sick again, don't expect me to take care of you."

Kasumigaoka giggled, clearly unfazed by his scolding. "Sou sou, junior-kun~! You're such a tsundere sometimes."

Kanade ignored her playful tone, focusing instead on tidying up the kitchen. Honestly, dealing with this senpai was like trying to manage a mischievous cat—equal parts exasperating and oddly endearing.