084. Something Feels Off, One More Look

"President, you're walking too fast! Slow down!"

The familiar, lively voice behind him made Kanade Natsukawa sigh in resignation. There was no escaping her now.

Not only had he spent the night at the Fujiwara household, but he'd also stayed for a delicious breakfast. Despite his best efforts to finish quickly and leave ahead of her, Chika Fujiwara had managed to catch up to him, bread in her mouth, running down the road.

"Stupid President, why were you running so fast? You didn't even wait for me!" Chika complained, catching her breath as she fell into step beside him.

"You were too slow…" Kanade mumbled, his reply tinged with guilt.

The truth was, he didn't want to be seen walking to school with Chika. Since they lived on opposite sides of town, anyone who noticed them together would inevitably jump to conclusions, leading to all sorts of unwanted rumors.

"This uniform…" Chika leaned closer, sniffing him lightly. A mischievous smile spread across her face. "President, don't tell me you didn't change clothes! Ugh, you stink!"

She was lying.

In reality, Kanade didn't smell bad at all. After all, it had only been a day, and he carried the faint, comforting scent of her family's shampoo. But as payback for him leaving her behind earlier, Chika decided to tease him.

"President, how could you be so gross? Wearing yesterday's clothes out in public!" she giggled, leaning in and poking his arm playfully. Her voice was just loud enough for Kanade to hear, a private jab meant to fluster him.

"I-I didn't have any other clothes to wear…" Kanade stammered, avoiding her gaze.

He hadn't planned to stay overnight, so bringing a change of clothes hadn't crossed his mind. After the chaos of last night, the thought of washing his uniform and drying it had completely slipped his mind.

It wasn't just the reused uniform that bothered him. If Chika found out he wasn't wearing a certain essential garment underneath… that would be mortifying.

"Then don't get so close if you think I stink," Kanade muttered softly, trying to deter her. But his hushed tone only made them look more like a close couple to passing bystanders.

"Mom, look!" a little boy on the side of the road tugged on his mother's pants, pointing at the pair. "A dumb couple showing off this early in the morning!"

"Goodness… you're right," the mother sighed, then sharply reprimanded her son, smacking him lightly on the head. "Don't say that so loudly! You'll cause trouble for them!"

"…"

"…"

Kanade and Chika both froze, their faces flushing red at the unexpected observation.

"L-let's hurry," Chika stammered, breaking the tension.

The two of them sped up their pace, fortunate that they'd left early and didn't encounter any familiar faces on the way to school.

Once inside the student council room, Kanade finally let out a breath of relief. There was a spare winter uniform here, and he wasted no time in preparing to change into it.

He'd sent Chika off to monitor the school gates, and with the room empty, it was the perfect opportunity to get changed in peace.

At least, that was the plan…

Miko Iino stood outside the student council room, conflicted.

She had never been elected to a leadership position before. Every campaign she'd run since elementary school had ended in failure. Even though this year's student council election hadn't been as demoralizing as past experiences, the sting of defeat still lingered.

Yet, she'd been invited to join the student council.

For Iino, this was entirely new territory. It felt like the invitation was a recognition of her potential, like an opportunity to prove herself and grow. Maybe, just maybe, the president saw something in her that even she didn't see.

Could he be trying to groom me into the next student council president? she wondered, half-laughing at the absurdity of the idea.

Regardless, the invitation was exciting. Working with the esteemed members of the student council, learning from them, being mentored—it all felt like a dream.

I should at least visit the student council room, Iino thought. Even if it's just as a prospective member…

With that resolve, she timidly pushed open the door to the student council room, only to be met with…

A half-naked boy, mid-way through pulling up his pants.

"!"

The sight stunned her. Her brain momentarily shut down as her wide eyes took in the horrifying scene: Kanade, his lower half exposed, facing away from her.

Without thinking, Miko quickly shut the door and leaned against it, her heart racing.

This isn't right! she thought, shaking her head. I was supposed to see the council hard at work, setting an example for the students! Why was he…?

It had to be a hallucination. She must have been so excited the night before that her mind was playing tricks on her.

Yes, that had to be it! Kanade Natsukawa was a serious and diligent president—surely he was just sitting at the main desk, sipping tea, and reviewing documents.

Determined to prove herself wrong, Miko hesitated, then pushed the door open once more to confirm—

And there he was, fully dressed and seated at the desk, intently working on paperwork.

"Ah, this makes sense."

Relieved, Miko stepped inside. "G-good morning, President…" she said, holding a clipboard close to her chest, her face still slightly flushed.

Kanade didn't respond immediately, appearing engrossed in his work. It wasn't until she raised her voice and greeted him again that he looked up, blinking as if waking from a trance.

"Oh, Iino-san. Good morning."

"Yes! Good morning, President…"

She lowered her head slightly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and guilt. After all, she'd just imagined her president doing something so indecent in the sacred student council room.

President Natsukawa, I'm so sorry for misjudging you!