Chapter 101: Visiting a Sick Senpai

After wrapping up Miko's "welcome party" and finalizing plans for the summer retreat, Kanade Natsukawa's school day came to a close.

He briefly considered asking Mahiru Shiina to grab a meal to celebrate the approaching weekend but was intercepted by Megumi Kato before he could.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai is sick?" Kanade repeated, startled by the news.

"Apparently so. I heard it's quite serious—she's bedridden," Megumi replied softly, sipping her tea.

"For her, any little ailment probably qualifies as 'bedridden,'" Kanade muttered, unable to resist teasing.

In truth, Utaha Kasumigaoka was precisely that kind of person—an anti-athletic, bookish introvert who avoided unnecessary movement at all costs. While she gave off the vibe of a fashion-forward, socially savvy young woman, she was actually a homebody with a penchant for literature.

Her bond with Eriri, a mix of outward animosity and underlying closeness, made perfect sense in hindsight. Both were deeply entrenched in their respective hobbies, creating a shared understanding despite their differences.

"So, as her friends, we should check on her, right?" Kanade asked, stirring his coffee. "But how did you find out about this, Kato? You're not even in the same year."

He stopped short of saying, "You two don't seem that close," choosing his words carefully to avoid misunderstanding.

"The principal asked me," Megumi explained. "It might be because we were in the same club before. Senpai apparently moved recently, and while she took a leave of absence, her homeroom teacher wanted someone to deliver her class notes. Without her address, they were stuck."

"Senpai doesn't seem to have many friends in her class—or anyone who could step up for her, really."

"…"

Kanade stayed silent, sensing an undercurrent of dissatisfaction in Megumi's tone despite her calm demeanor. He suspected she cared more for Utaha than she let on and was genuinely worried about her.

"Let's visit her, then," Kanade offered. He did consider Utaha a friend, despite her penchant for teasing him mercilessly. It was just her awkward way of interacting with people.

"What about inviting Eriri?"

"No need," Megumi said, shaking her head. "She's been swamped with deadlines. Best not to bother her."

"And I'll be heading back to my parents' house soon, so I can't make it," she added, popping a small piece of dessert into her mouth.

The sour flavor overwhelmed her taste buds.

Not great.

She resolved to try something different next time.

"So, I'll leave it to you, Kanade. Do your best." She even raised a tiny fist for encouragement, though Kanade wasn't sure what she expected him to "do his best" at.

Megumi handed him a stack of papers along with the half-eaten dessert.

"Don't let it go to waste," she said with a small smile.

"…If you're in such a rush, why are you still leisurely eating dessert?" Kanade muttered under his breath.

But there was no arguing with Megumi. Task accepted, he left the café with her notes—and her dessert.

Following the address Megumi provided, Kanade soon arrived at Utaha's new apartment building—a modest single-person complex.

As he stood outside the door, Kanade couldn't help but wonder how Megumi knew Utaha's address when even her teacher didn't.

Probably because she's her friend, Kanade thought. She'd just shrug and say it's normal to know where your friends live.

The realization left him feeling oddly guilty, as though he'd been neglecting Utaha. They hadn't spoken much lately, and while he had his reasons, he couldn't fathom what had kept Utaha from reaching out.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Kanade reached Utaha's door and rang the bell.

"Hello? Senpai, are you home?"

No response.

He rang again, waiting patiently, but the silence persisted.

Kanade pulled out his phone and sent her a message:

"Senpai, are you home? I'm at your door. Can you let me in?"

Their last conversation was from the previous Friday—exactly a week ago.

After waiting a while with no reply, not even a "read" notification, Kanade grew uneasy.

Is she out? But if she were, wouldn't she have seen my message? Unless she's somewhere quiet like a bookstore—but who goes book shopping while sick?

Utaha's aversion to leaving her apartment made the idea even less likely.

"Should've messaged her before coming," Kanade muttered, sighing. "Now I'm stuck waiting…"

On impulse, he tried the doorknob.

"I must be out of my mind. There's no way it's unlocked…"

Click.

The door opened.

"Seriously?" Kanade stared in disbelief. "What kind of person leaves their door unlocked?"

Given Utaha's sharp, sarcastic personality, it seemed out of character for her to overlook something as crucial as locking her door. She wasn't exactly the trusting type—not even with her friends.

The only explanation was that she had forgotten in a moment of carelessness.

Kanade hesitated, then stepped into the entryway. He quickly sent another message to Utaha:

"Senpai, your door was unlocked. I'm at your entryway. Don't freak out if you see me—I'm not a burglar."

Satisfied he had given fair warning, Kanade called out softly, "Senpai? I'm coming in."

The apartment was eerily quiet.