006. Even a Loser, as Long as She’s Cute...

Waking up on time, washing up, dressing neatly—Natsukawa Kanade treated every day like a fresh start. No matter how insurmountable the challenges might seem, he believed in facing life earnestly.

The beauty of the world was endless, he thought. Even without the sweetness of love, life deserved respect and care. Love was just a seasoning, enriching the dish of life.

Kanade understood this well, which is why he never stopped taking life seriously.

"Good morning, Natsukawa-kun!"

"Good morning," he replied, returning his classmate's cheerful greeting.

"Wow, you seem to be in a really good mood today! Did something nice happen?"

"Hm? Why do you say that?" Kanade was puzzled. He'd simply followed his usual routine, treating everything like a matter of habit—even returning greetings felt like a routine task. What about him seemed "happy"?

"Well... it feels like your smile is more genuine, more... pleasant? You're not as serious or unapproachable as before. Could it be that—"

"By the way," Kanade interrupted, feigning casualness, "didn't yesterday's math homework feel like a lot? Took me ages to finish."

"Oh no! Math homework! I didn't finish it yet!" The girl yelped in panic before running back to her group of friends.

"Mahiru-chan, quick! Lend me your math homework! Class is about to start!"

"Again?! Do your own work for once!"

"Can't! Math is impossible for me!"

"It's so easy, though. Just pay attention in class for once..."

As the girls chattered animatedly, Kanade found himself lost in thought.

Genuine? Pleasant? Were those words that could really describe him?

Perhaps they had, before he'd met his heroines. But since then, he'd rarely been "himself."

The pathetic loser, the understanding confidant, the enthusiastic fan... He had played so many roles for so long that he had almost forgotten his true self.

When was the last time he had acted naturally?

Serious, unapproachable... Oh, right—when he'd been striving to be the perfect, devoted man for Shinomiya Kaguya. His persona back then was one of a determined suitor, single-mindedly climbing to the top for the sake of the girl he loved, ignoring all other distractions.

But today, he'd dropped that role entirely.

Did that mean he was a little fickle at heart?

Maybe so, he thought. But that didn't matter anymore. He had come to forgive himself for being that way.

The morning classes passed quickly, and soon it was lunchtime.

Kanade stretched in his seat, shaking off the weariness of paying close attention in class.

The classroom buzzed with life as small groups clustered together to eat their packed lunches, their chatter filling the air.

Kanade watched them for a moment, feeling a pang of nostalgia.

He used to spend lunch breaks in the student council room, sharing his homemade bento with the others. His real goal, of course, had been to grow closer to Kaguya Shinomiya.

But more often than not, his carefully made bento ended up in Fujiwara Chika's stomach instead.

That pink-haired whirlwind had caused so much trouble for him—whether out of sheer silliness or deliberate interference, he could never tell. If his relationship with Kaguya had ultimately failed, Fujiwara surely deserved at least half the blame.

"Kanade-kun, someone's looking for you," a classmate called from the doorway.

"Got it. Thanks," Kanade replied, standing and heading to the door.

He couldn't help but wonder—who would want to see him at this time?

When he reached the hallway, he was greeted by none other than Eriri Spencer Sawamura.

The half-Japanese, half-British beauty stood before him with her signature golden locks cascading smoothly down her back. Her fair skin glowed softly in the light, and her small, pointed fang peeked out adorably as she fidgeted nervously.

Though she was secretly a messy, childish doujin artist, Eriri maintained an image of refined elegance, presenting herself as the perfect upper-class young lady.

Petite and undeniably cute, Eriri was an incredibly popular figure, adored by many.

Even if her tsundere personality made her feel like a "supporting character" in the original series, Kanade couldn't deny that her overwhelming cuteness had always made her one of his favorites.

But that was in the past. Kanade no longer felt the need to pursue her or disrupt her daily life under the guise of admiration.

"What brings you here, Sawamura-san?" Kanade asked calmly.

Close call, he thought. He'd nearly called her "Eriri" out loud. With so many people in the hallway and classroom watching them, using such a familiar nickname would surely spark unnecessary rumors.

"Ha!" Eriri jolted upright at his voice, her ostrich-like posture giving way to a nervous yet determined stance. But her voice wavered, betraying her nerves.

"K-... K-Kanade-kun, hello!"

"You said my name backwards," Kanade reminded her with a sigh.

Her awkwardness brought a smile to his face.

Even now, Eriri seemed unable to shake off the guilt of rejecting his confession. Kanade found it unnecessary—he had long since moved on.

"Did you need something? Let me guess..." Kanade's voice trailed off thoughtfully.

He couldn't think of much she might want from him, except perhaps help with an art deadline.

Unlike Kasumigaoka Utaha, who might ask for research assistance or errand-running, Eriri's requests typically revolved around her frantic attempts to meet doujin deadlines.

"That?" Eriri blinked in confusion, then quickly realized what he meant. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.

"N-not that! I... I..."

Despite her efforts, she couldn't muster the courage to say what she'd come to say—that she wanted to have lunch with him.

Yesterday, after hearing from Megumi Katou that Kanade was "single" again, Eriri had been so excited she'd barely slept.

She had spent all night rehearsing how she would invite him to lunch, planning to use the opportunity to mend their relationship.

But now, standing before him, her carefully practiced words evaporated into thin air.

This is all that stupid black-stockinged woman's fault! Eriri cursed silently, recalling Utaha's "advice." She said, 'These things have to be done in person to be sincere.' If not for her, I could've just sent a Line message instead!

In the heat of the moment, Eriri froze, unable to say anything.

Unlike her, Kanade remained acutely aware of their surroundings.

Noticing the growing crowd of curious onlookers whispering about their "ambiguous" interaction, he decided to break the tension.

"If there's nothing important..."

"You're as useless as ever, you blonde loser," a familiar voice interrupted.

Kanade turned, startled. Kasumigaoka Utaha stood nearby, her sharp eyes glinting with amusement.