108. I Don’t Want to Be a Small Fish

As Natsukawa Kanade worked alongside Shiina Mahiru, time seemed to flow effortlessly, like a stream gently winding its way through a forest. The chatter between them made the labor feel lighter, and Kanade found himself surprisingly at ease.

"Kanade-kun, have you done this before?" Shiina asked, her curious eyes fixed on him as she sat perched on a nearby tree stump. Her hands cradled her cheeks, giving her the serene appearance of an angel watching over her domain.

Kanade's movements were practiced and precise as he picked up a log, positioned it carefully, and split it cleanly with one swing of the axe.

"Yeah, I've done this before," Kanade replied, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "It was back in junior high during our forest school camp. Nobody assigned me anything to do, so I wandered off to chop wood on my own. At first, I couldn't even get the axe to stick, so I ended up asking one of the camp administrators to teach me. Spent a few days at it, and here we are."

Shiina's eyes widened, her surprise evident. "You picked it up in just a few days?" Her voice held the same astonishment as when she had learned Kanade could cook. "Kanade-kun, your learning speed is amazing!"

"Not really," Kanade shrugged, though a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Or…" Shiina tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "Is chopping wood actually simpler than it looks?"

Kanade turned to her, his smirk softening into a more inviting expression. "Why don't you find out? Shiina, do you want to give it a try?"

"Eh? Me?" Shiina blinked, pointing at herself as if the idea were unthinkable.

"Of course." Kanade handed her the axe with a reassuring smile. "I'll teach you how to do it."

At his encouragement, Shiina dusted off her skirt, stood up, and approached with a mixture of determination and apprehension. Kanade guided her hands to grip the axe properly, showing her the right technique.

"Focus on the center of the wood," he instructed, his voice calm and steady. "Raise the axe above your head, aim carefully, and bring it down with controlled strength."

The steps seemed straightforward enough, but Shiina quickly realized that the execution was far from simple. On her first attempt, the axe barely grazed the log. Her second swing got the blade stuck halfway, and her third scattered splinters in every direction.

"Nervous?" Kanade teased lightly, stepping closer. "Relax your shoulders. You're holding too much tension."

"I-I'm not nervous!" Shiina protested, though her reddened cheeks betrayed her.

Kanade chuckled softly. "Okay, okay. Don't close your eyes this time, or you'll miss the target completely."

Despite her resolve, Shiina squeezed her eyes shut again as she raised the axe, her stance as stiff as a board. Kanade sighed in exasperation, though the sight of her flustered determination was undeniably endearing.

"Alright, I'll help you," he said, moving behind her. His arms reached around her, his hands guiding hers on the axe handle. "Watch closely this time, okay?"

With his guidance, they swung the axe together. The blade struck true, splitting the wood cleanly in two. Shiina's eyes widened in amazement as she saw the results of their combined effort.

"See? Easy, right?" Kanade stepped back, giving her room to try again.

"I-I'm not sure I've got it yet," Shiina admitted, her cheeks flushed as she turned to him with an almost pleading expression. "Kanade-kun, can you teach me one more time?"

Kanade scratched the back of his neck, unsure how to respond. He'd hoped this exercise would impress Shiina with how difficult the task was, maybe even earn some praise. Instead, she seemed more motivated than ever to continue, her excitement practically shining.

Still, how could he refuse her?

"Well, okay…" he began, stepping closer to guide her once more. "Just one more time."

However, before they could start, a voice cut through the quiet of the forest.

"Kanade?"

The familiar tone sent a jolt through Natsukawa Kanade. His body froze in place, his heart skipping a beat. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he turned toward the source.

Standing there was none other than Sawamura Spencer Eriri, her signature twin tails swaying as if mirroring the indignation in her wide, sparkling blue eyes.

"Hey… uh… you… what exactly are you doing here?" she stammered, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

For someone with her typically tsundere personality, Kanade would have expected her to bolt at the sight of a compromising scene. But not only had she stayed, she was now marching toward them, her expression a mix of embarrassment and… something else.

Kanade scratched the back of his head, suddenly feeling inexplicably guilty. "Umm… probably… just teaching her how to chop wood?" His words stumbled out clumsily.

It was the truth—an entirely innocent activity—but caught in Eriri's piercing gaze, Kanade felt as though he had been caught committing some great crime. His face burned, though he wasn't sure why.

Shiina Mahiru, on the other hand, remained composed, stepping forward to clarify the situation. "Please don't misunderstand, Eriri-san," she said, her voice as graceful and melodic as ever. "Natsukawa-san was simply teaching me the proper way to chop wood. That's all."

Her explanation would have been perfectly convincing, too—if not for the rosy blush still lingering on her porcelain cheeks.

Eriri's eyebrows twitched, her eyes narrowing slightly before she quickly looked away. "Oh… I-I see. That's all it was…" she murmured, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. "I thought… n-never mind!"

Kanade sighed internally. Seriously? You've definitely misunderstood, haven't you? But he knew better than to try explaining further—it would only make things worse.

To diffuse the awkwardness, he latched onto the first distraction he could find. "By the way, Eriri, what brings you here? Did you get lost?"

"Lost? As if!" Eriri shot back, her tsundere side flaring up. "I was sent to fetch firewood, okay?"

Her words were sharp, but there was a trace of hesitation in her gaze as it flickered to Shiina, who stood quietly beside Kanade. Something in Eriri's expression softened—an almost wistful look that Kanade didn't miss.

"Ah, so that's it," Kanade replied, nodding. But a question lingered in his mind. Why send Eriri of all people to fetch firewood? Isn't there literally anyone else in her class better suited for this?

Meanwhile, Eriri's thoughts were spiraling into chaos. She glanced at Shiina Mahiru again, her chest tightening with a mix of envy and frustration.

She's so elegant, so angelic… even her nickname is "Angel-sama." How am I supposed to compete with that? Eriri's fingers curled into fists at her sides. And she's blonde too! My one standout feature—completely overshadowed! I'm not even the best blonde girl here!

A small, dejected sigh escaped her lips as her self-esteem took another hit.

"Kanade-kun," she began hesitantly, breaking out of her thoughts. "I'm… not very good at chopping wood. Could you… help me?"

Her cheeks flushed as she spoke, and her voice wavered slightly. What she really wanted to say was, Teach me like you taught her, but she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud. It would sound too… desperate.

Kanade blinked at her request. "Sure, no problem," he said, nodding. But as he watched her fidget nervously, a new thought crossed his mind: Is Eriri being bullied in her class?

The idea unsettled him. If she was being treated poorly, it would explain why she was sent alone to do such an inconvenient task. He decided to investigate later, just in case.

"For now," he continued, "why don't I give you some of the wood we've already chopped? There's more than enough here."

Eriri pouted slightly at his response. That's not what I meant, Kanade! But she couldn't voice her complaint, not with Shiina standing right there. Instead, she forced a smile.

"Th-thank you," she mumbled, though the words felt hollow.

Kanade nodded, oblivious to her internal turmoil. "I'll even help carry it back for you. This much would be too heavy for one person, after all."

Eriri's heart sank further. That's not the kind of help I wanted…

She glanced at Shiina again, who stood watching with her usual composed expression. Compared to Shiina's angelic demeanor, Eriri felt painfully inadequate. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't match that kind of effortless grace.

"Alright," Kanade said, breaking her train of thought. "Let's get started. Shiina, can you hold on here for a moment while I help Eriri?"

Shiina nodded, her smile as serene as ever. "Of course, Kanade-kun. I'll wait for you here."

Eriri forced another smile as Kanade bent down to pick up the firewood. But inside, she was screaming.

Why couldn't he just teach me like he taught her?!