083. Liking Everyone

It felt like a dream.

Kanade Natsukawa began questioning whether the events of the past few hours had truly happened.

"…"

He had been in close contact with a girl… though it wasn't voluntary.

He had touched that part of someone… though, again, it wasn't voluntary.

And the girl in question had been Chika Fujiwara.

Maybe he should pinch himself to wake up from this bizarre dream.

"Ow…"

Despite several attempts, the sight before him remained unchanged: Chika's closed bedroom door. Inside, she was tidying up a futon for him, insisting he sleep in her room tonight to avoid another late-night ambush from Moeha.

"…"

It wasn't that big of a deal, really—just spending the night in the same room. Kanade had experienced this sort of thing before and was confident in his ability to behave himself. Still, the earlier events had left his mind in such a whirl that he couldn't quite collect himself.

The door creaked open, and Chika poked her head out, motioning him inside.

"President, come in. The bed's all set up."

"…Alright."

Unlike him, burdened by an unshakable heaviness, Chika seemed completely unfazed by what had happened. There wasn't even a trace of embarrassment on her face.

How carefree can she be? Kanade thought, slightly amazed. Maybe he was the one overthinking everything.

"It's late—let's sleep," Chika declared.

She climbed into her bed, leaning over to switch off the light with a decisive click. The room was plunged into darkness.

"…"

The enveloping blackness felt oddly soothing to Kanade. Compared to her mischievous younger sister, Chika's quiet presence in the dark was a welcome reprieve. It made him feel surprisingly at ease.

For once, she seemed composed, almost elegant, and Kanade's restless thoughts began to subside. Sleepiness crept over him.

"Can't sleep…"

"…"

"Really can't sleep!" Chika suddenly flung off her blanket and switched on the bedside lamp, leaning over the edge of her bed to peer down at him. "President, stop trying to sleep and talk with me!"

"…"

Even with his eyes closed, Kanade could feel her expectant gaze boring into him. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and replied, "I have student council duties tomorrow morning."

He tried to reason with her, but it was clear she wasn't listening.

"I can't sleep! I just can't!" Chika propped her chin on her hands, staring at him. "Tell me more stories about yourself! I want to hear them!"

"There's nothing else to tell…" Kanade said, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He had already shared most of his romantic misadventures, venting as if to a close friend. But the thought of revisiting old memories now felt exhausting.

What next? Should I talk about pursuing Kaguya? he mused. But he hadn't even confessed his feelings, and Kaguya likely didn't know. There was no need to complicate things by revealing it to Chika, Kaguya's close friend.

"And besides," Kanade added, "if this is supposed to be a friends' heart-to-heart, it's unfair that I'm the only one sharing. How about you tell me something for a change?"

He hadn't expected her to agree, but to his surprise, Chika nodded.

"Alright, but… just a little bit!" she said, sitting up straight.

Chika began recounting stories about her life, mostly focusing on how she'd met and bonded with Kaguya. Mixed in were bits and pieces about her own experiences.

"That's why I love Kaguya! She's the best in the world!" Chika exclaimed proudly.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious," Kanade replied with a chuckle.

"What about you, President? How do you feel about Kaguya?"

The sudden shift in the conversation caught Kanade off guard, but as a natural continuation, it made sense.

"My thoughts on Kaguya…" Kanade murmured. "I think she's cute."

He had always thought so, and after seeing her genuine smile recently, that feeling had only deepened.

"Not that kind of thought!" Chika groaned, knocking on the bed in frustration. "I mean, do you like her?!"

Kanade hesitated. "Well… because she's cute, right? She's popular with both boys and girls—everyone admires her."

"That's more like admiration, not romantic interest," Chika pointed out.

Kanade sighed. She wasn't wrong. He'd received countless love letters himself—some from boys, some from girls—but he wouldn't categorize all of them as genuine romantic feelings.

"Feelings like 'love' are complicated and hard to define," Kanade said. "I can't even fully understand my own emotions, let alone others'. Maybe some of those letters do carry sincere feelings, but…"

"President, stop overthinking it! Just answer the question!" Chika demanded, waving her hands dramatically. "It's a yes-or-no question: do you like her or not?!"

"Who are you imitating now…?" Kanade muttered before sighing and answering. "Of course I like her."

Maybe he couldn't articulate his feelings perfectly, but if the question was whether he wanted to continue spending time with her, the answer was clear.

Kaguya's exterior might seem cold, but beneath it lay a soft and kind heart. Her determination when it came to love was admirable, even if she could be hilariously awkward at times. Add her intelligence, beauty, and countless other qualities—what wasn't to like?

"And not just her," Kanade added. "I like you, Ishigami, Shirogane… I like all of you and want to stay friends with everyone."

Chika blinked in surprise.

Her playful demeanor faltered for a moment as she processed his words. "That… that's so unfair!" she muttered, her cheeks puffing slightly in protest. "You're just being vague to dodge the question! And why did you include me?!"

"Because it's true," Kanade replied simply.

Chika turned away, flustered. "I-I'm done talking to you! No more chatting for the next few hours!"

"…"

"Good. Now stay quiet and… goodnight!" she huffed, diving under her blanket.

"…Goodnight."