Chapter 100: Sakura: What Is This Scent?

After exchanging contact information with the serene and bookish Hiyori and agreeing to discuss mystery novels together in the future, Hikaru's life became noticeably busier.

Mornings were reserved for running and physical training, followed by attentive participation in class. After school, Hikaru would return to his dorm to lead study group sessions with Ichinose, Shibata, and the others.

Since the upper floors of the dormitories were designated for female students and the lower floors for male students, the school enforced a strict rule: no male students were allowed to visit the upper floors after 8:00 p.m.

If Hikaru wanted to hold his private study sessions with Sakura, he had to manage his time carefully. His primary group study sessions typically concluded before dinner, after which everyone would disperse from his room.

However, today brought an unexpected development.

After the group session ended, Ichinose impulsively suggested cooking dinner to reward everyone's hard work. She cheerfully volunteered as the chef and invited the others to stay and enjoy the meal together.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Ichinose-san? There are five of us, after all," Hikaru asked, watching as the pink-haired girl put on her apron.

"It's no trouble at all. Back home, I often cooked for my entire family. Cooking for five people is nothing," Ichinose answered with a bright smile. Her eyes gleamed with confidence as she casually tied her apron around her waist.

She then turned toward Hikaru and, with a playful grin, handed him the apron's straps. "Unless… you want to help me, Hikaru-kun?"

"You're really not giving me a choice here, huh?" Hikaru sighed as he stepped forward and tied the apron's strings. "I guess I can't let you handle everything by yourself when I'm the host."

Standing behind her, Hikaru couldn't help but notice the faint, pleasant scent wafting from Ichinose's hair.

She always gives so much to everyone around her, he thought as he tightened the knot.

"Ichinose-san, you're always doing things for others."

"That's just who I am." Her voice came softly as she turned her head slightly, the warmth of Hikaru's breath brushing against her ear. "Does that… bother you?"

"Of course not," he replied, stepping back after tying the strings. "I just wish you'd think about yourself a little more sometimes."

He turned toward the others in the room and raised his voice. "Alright, team! Ichinose-san and I are cooking tonight, so sit tight and look forward to the meal!"

"Got it! I'm curious to see whether you actually know how to cook, Hikaru!" Shibata teased, lazily sipping his drink while watching the duo take their places in the kitchen.

"Thanks for cooking for us," Himeno said politely. She and her friend Shiranami had been struggling with math earlier, but Ichinose had patiently guided them through the material.

"Yeah, thanks, Ichinose-san… and you too, Hikaru-kun," Shiranami added softly.

As Hikaru and Ichinose began preparing ingredients, the others huddled closer, whispering among themselves.

"So," Shibata said, lowering his voice with a mischievous grin. "When do you think those two are finally gonna start dating?"

"Hikaru-kun and Ichinose-san?" Himeno's eyes lit up at the gossip. "Honestly, everyone's been wondering about that. I mean, it's obvious how close they are. They have dinner together all the time, and just look at how they act around each other."

Shibata chuckled. "Right? I'm calling it now—they're just one step away from becoming an official couple. Our class is about to get its perfect power duo."

"I heard some girls wanted to confess to Hikaru-kun a while back," Himeno added in a hushed tone. "But they gave up when they realized competing with Ichinose-san was hopeless."

"Ha! Can't say I blame them." Shibata shrugged. "Who in our class would dare go against her? She's practically our queen."

Shiranami shifted uncomfortably at their words, gripping her drink more tightly. "Maybe… they're just close friends," she muttered, her eyes flicking toward the pair cooking together.

Shibata snorted. "Seriously, Shiranami? You think they're 'just friends'? Look at how close they are—Ichinose-san doesn't mind physical contact with him at all. That level of comfort doesn't just happen overnight."

"And you'd like to see Ichinose-san happy, wouldn't you?" Himeno asked with a knowing smile.

"Y-Yeah… of course." Shiranami forced a smile and quickly took a sip of her drink to hide the turmoil in her eyes.

After nearly an hour, Hikaru and Ichinose brought out trays of freshly prepared dishes. The group eagerly helped set the table, and lively chatter accompanied the delicious meal.

By the time everyone had finished eating and helped clean the room, it was already close to 8:00 p.m.

As Hikaru saw the last guest out, he glanced at his phone.

Damn. It's past eight already. No way I can go to the girls' floor now.

He sighed and shook his head. The rules prohibited male students from visiting the upper floors, but there was no restriction on girls coming down.

Which means Sakura can come here. Time to send her a message.

He opened his chat and typed:

Hashima Hikaru: Sakura-san, I've finished cleaning up. You can come over now.

The reply came almost immediately.

Sakura Airi: Okay! I'll head out right away.

---

Meanwhile, in her dorm room on the 11th floor, Sakura stood before her mirror, clutching her phone with both hands.

I'm really going to Hikaru-kun's room…

Her heart raced as she studied her reflection. She briefly considered changing into casual clothes but dismissed the thought. What if someone sees me in the hallway and asks questions? It'd be too embarrassing.

Opting for her school uniform instead, she adjusted the red-rimmed glasses she wore to maintain her timid "school persona." Normally, she removed them when studying with Hikaru, but she wanted to avoid unwanted attention on her way down.

This is fine, she reassured herself. Hikaru-kun… is my friend. There's nothing weird about this.

Even so, her cheeks burned as she left her room and stepped into the elevator.

---

Ten minutes later, Hikaru heard a faint knock at the door.

"Um… Hikaru-kun? I… I'm here."

The voice was so soft that he almost didn't catch it.

Jeez, she really needs to work on that volume.

Smiling to himself, Hikaru opened the door to find the red-haired girl standing there, fidgeting nervously.

"Good evening, Sakura-san."

"G-Good evening, Hikaru-kun." Her voice trembled with embarrassment as she stepped into his dormitory for the first time.

"Come in. Did you bring your books?"

"Y-Yes. I brought them."

She followed him into the room and sat at the desk he indicated.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll get us some drinks," Hikaru said, walking toward his mini-fridge.

While he prepared the drinks, Sakura glanced around the room.

So… this is Hikaru-kun's dorm room.

The room was neat and organized, with very few decorations. The bookshelves were lined with neatly stacked textbooks and the occasional novel. His bed was perfectly made, with no stray items on the floor.

He's so responsible. I wish I were this tidy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint, unfamiliar scent drifting through the air.

Wait… this smell…?

Her eyes widened slightly as she tried to identify the fragrance. It was faint but distinctly feminine—something light and floral.

Why does Hikaru-kun's room smell like that?

Before she could dwell on the mystery, Hikaru returned with two glasses of orange juice.

"Is orange juice okay?" he asked, holding one out to her.

"Y-Yes, it's perfect." She accepted the glass and took a sip, the cool liquid momentarily distracting her.

Still, the scent lingered in the background.

She wanted to ask about it but quickly dismissed the idea. I'm here to study. Hikaru-kun is my friend. I shouldn't ask strange questions and risk making him uncomfortable.

So she kept her curiosity bottled up and opened her notebook instead.

He's my most important friend. I don't want to do anything to ruin that.

~~~

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