122. Has the Tsundere Gone Out of Style?

After calming himself down, Kanade Natsukawa started heading back to the dorm. The journey was uneventful; he didn't run into anyone on the way.

When he quietly slipped into the sleeping quarters, he found that his three roommates were already fast asleep. That saved him from having to come up with an excuse to explain his late return—he hadn't thought of one anyway.

Thus, the next day began peacefully.

Thanks to his internal clock and disciplined lifestyle, Kanade was the first to wake up. His roommates were still sound asleep, so he carefully got out of bed, washed up, and returned to the room to wake the others.

"Wake up, everyone. Time to get up. If you keep sleeping, you'll miss morning prep."

With his volume, he could easily double as an alarm clock. Slowly, the others began to stir, their first instinct upon opening their eyes being to voice their "friendly grievances."

"Seriously, dude? It's not even 7 yet! What's the rush? Are you auditioning for a corporate drone?" Hachiman Hikigaya grumbled groggily.

"What kind of grudge do you have against the word corporate drone, Hachiman-san?" Kanade shot back with an exaggerated eye roll. Then he playfully reached for Hachiman's blanket, prompting the latter to jump up in alarm.

"Don't you dare! What if I'm sleeping commando, huh?!"

"And? We're all guys here."

"Show some respect for others' boundaries, you jerk!"

Despite his vehement protests, Hachiman ultimately succumbed to Kanade's persistent efforts and got out of bed. Their energetic banter served to wake the other two roommates, who got dressed and headed to the washroom together.

They exchanged jokes and quips along the way, their camaraderie growing bit by bit. Even Hachiman seemed more comfortable, voluntarily joining the group without needing to be dragged along.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, they found it already open for breakfast. Though the selection was limited and somewhat uninspiring, Kanade decided to make the most of the moment.

"What should we eat? How about a grilled meat set?" Kanade suggested.

Sharing breakfast with such a lively group of guys felt like a rare achievement, almost like unlocking a new milestone in life.

"No way. Too greasy. Can't we have something lighter—"

"I'm treating."

"Count me in," Hachiman interrupted before anyone else could finish their objections.

"Didn't you just say it was too greasy?" Kanade teased.

Hachiman was unfazed. "Science says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A hearty morning meal fuels you with energy for the whole day."

"Are you sure you need energy?"

"Sh-shut up! Anyway, you promised to treat. I recorded it, so don't even think about backing out."

"..." Kanade could only shrug in defeat.

The other two roommates watched their back-and-forth with amused curiosity.

"You guys get along really well."

"Yeah, seems like it," the other agreed.

"It's all in your heads!" Hachiman protested, shaking his head vigorously. "This guy just clings shamelessly to me, and I can't shake him off!"

"Right, sure," Kanade said, feigning a wounded expression. "I'm just an annoying pest, huh? Maybe I should stop bothering you altogether..."

"N-no, wait, it's not that bad..." Hachiman faltered, guilt creeping onto his face as he opened his mouth to apologize—only to see Kanade smirking triumphantly.

"You see? Isn't this fun?" Kanade pointed to Hachiman with a playful grin before wagging his finger. "But come on, guys, let's be real: tsundere is so out of style. Especially for boys—what's with those looks?"

His roommates' expressions turned odd, as though they were watching a disaster unfold. It was the kind of face you'd make if someone's thoughtless comment had just crushed the spirit of a girl secretly listening in the background.

Feeling a creeping sense of foreboding, Kanade turned around and froze. Standing there with a tray in her hands was a twin-tailed blonde girl with teary eyes and a devastated expression.

"Ka-Ka...Kanade..." she stammered, her voice trembling.

It was none other than Eiri Spencer Sawamura, a classic tsundere through and through. She stood there, rooted to the spot, looking utterly crushed.

"..."

"I... I was... I..." Before she could finish her sentence, she turned on her heel and bolted, tray and all, exuding the unmistakable aura of a crying loser.

"..."

"W-wait! That's not—" Kanade instinctively wanted to chase after her and explain, but she was already gone. He could only sigh in frustration. "Why didn't you guys warn me?"

"Uh, well, we didn't really know what was happening," Tsubasa Tanuma said sheepishly. "We just saw her standing there, looking like she was about to say hi, and then she froze up."

The others nodded in agreement, none of them understanding the situation.

"..."

Kanade, however, pieced it together immediately. After all, he knew Eiri well. While she outwardly presented herself as a dignified, refined young lady, her true nature was that of a deeply proud, irredeemable otaku tsundere.

Her pride couldn't handle perceived slights, especially from someone she considered a friend. Hearing him casually declare, "Tsundere is out of style," must have felt like a direct blow.

But I was talking about Hachiman! Kanade lamented internally. I never meant it for her!

"Not sure what's going on, but I believe you'll figure it out," Hachiman said, patting Kanade on the shoulder with a smug grin. "This is the price of being a normie. 'With great power comes great suffering,' or something like that."

Kanade shot him a withering glare. Clearly, I've been too lenient. I need to step up the teasing next time to properly show him what 'friendship' means.

For now, though, clearing up the misunderstanding with Eiri took precedence. After saying goodbye to the group, Kanade took off in the direction she had run. However, after searching around, he couldn't find her anywhere.

Left with no other choice, he called her best friend, Megumi Kato.

It didn't take long for her to pick up—Megumi was as dependable as ever.

"Hey, Kato. I need your help. Do you know where—"

"Eiri? She's probably by the small lake on the west side. If you hurry, you can still catch her."

"..." Kanade paused, stunned. How does she always know everything? I haven't even explained yet.

"When I passed by the cafeteria earlier, I saw her running out, eyes red. She didn't even respond when I called her. Did something happen?" Megumi asked calmly.

"It's... a long story. I'll explain later. Thanks for the tip."

Hanging up, Kanade sprinted toward the small lake, determined to make things right. Eiri, wait for me. I'll fix this.