127. Where’s My Tsundere Golden-Haired Girl?

Eiri Spencer Sawamura was undeniably distressed. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the stakes. Sure, she could take her time and approach Kanade Natsukawa at her own pace.

But what if, one day, Kanade casually introduced a cute girl to her and said—

"Eiri, this is my girlfriend. To avoid misunderstandings or jealousy, let's not keep in touch anymore."

"..."

That kind of scenario was absolutely unacceptable! The mere thought of it was enough to send shivers down her spine.

"Grugh..."

Dejected, Eiri had forgotten all about her earlier embarrassment over the indirect kiss. Her mind spiraled into imagining a bleak future where Kanade had abandoned her.

She buried her face, nibbling on her sandwich in tiny, distracted bites. Her hand, as if seeking comfort, unconsciously clung tightly to Kanade's sleeve, refusing to let go.

Kanade, noticing her subtle movement, turned to look. Seeing her small gesture, he blinked in mild surprise. Eiri sure has thin skin. Something this trivial has her so rattled?

Gently, he placed his hand on hers, giving her a reassuring pat. Relax—it's fine. Yukino isn't the type to gossip.

Feeling the warm, ticklish sensation on her hand, Eiri glanced up, only to meet Kanade's comforting gaze. He even gave her a playful wink.

What does that even mean?! Eiri thought, her mind spiraling again. Isn't this way too intimate for public?! What if someone notices?!

If Kanade could hear her internal monologue, it would likely be something like this:

This is too much! But why does it also feel... exciting?

She found herself caught between the exhilarating thrill of the moment and her bashful embarrassment.

In that moment, she felt like one of the cheeky blonde characters from her own stories—Kanade was the flustered protagonist, and she was the teasing antagonist.

Get a grip, Eiri! Don't let a simple fantasy make your heart race!

"..."

"While I shouldn't be the one to say this..." Yukino Yukinoshita's calm, frosty voice broke the moment. "As the student council president, you should be mindful of your image in public settings."

Her tone was detached, almost businesslike, giving the impression that this was purely a matter of principle.

Kanade flinched slightly, his thoughts immediately jumping to his under-the-table interaction with Eiri. He coughed awkwardly. "You're right... I'll keep that in mind..."

He started to withdraw his hand, only to feel Eiri suddenly grip it tighter.

"This has nothing to do with Yukino-san," Eiri said sharply, her expression indignant. "I may not measure up to Yukino-san, but I'm not so lacking that being with Kanade would embarrass him!"

Her voice carried an edge of anger, though it was unclear whether she was defending herself or lashing out. Yukino's tone had reminded her of that woman—Kasumigaoka Utaha.

While Yukino and Utaha differed in personality, mannerisms, and appearance, the underlying energy felt eerily similar: A rival!

If she's a rival, there's no need to be polite! Eiri decided.

After all, no matter how pretty, charming, or talented Yukino might be, they couldn't possibly be friends—not unless Yukino was willing to be her art model, like Kato.

Eiri had learned her lesson from the past. Trying too hard to maintain superficial relationships had only distanced her from Kanade. Now, she knew who truly mattered to her.

"A close friend is worth far more than a bunch of acquaintances," Eiri thought. Especially if it's the person you love most. No way I'm letting go this time!

"Yukino-san, if you know it's not your place to comment, then maybe don't?" Eiri said, her tone blunt. "Kanade can choose who he associates with—that's his freedom. Neither you nor I have the right to dictate that."

Her words were resolute, but they lacked the sharpness of a seasoned debater. Still, after years of dealing with Utaha, she'd picked up enough to hold her own in a verbal spar.

"Sure, you're cute and have a nice voice, but that doesn't mean every guy will fawn over you. At least Kanade isn't that shallow... Right?" She turned to Kanade, giving him a pointed look of confidence.

Kanade, however, looked uncomfortably hesitant.

"Uh... well... I guess you could say that..."

He felt guilty. There had been a time when he'd been completely smitten with Yukino, orbiting around her like a moth to a flame. Saying otherwise in her presence would've been a blatant lie.

Yukino's lips curled into a faint smile, her earlier irritation melting away. Watching Kanade squirm amused her more than she'd expected.

Eiri, on the other hand, froze.

She wasn't an idiot. Kanade's reaction screamed guilty conscience.

The most humiliating part? She had just declared so confidently that Kanade wasn't like that, only to be immediately proven wrong.

She's definitely laughing at me in her head right now! Eiri thought, mortified.

She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself in it.

But to her surprise, Yukino didn't mock her. Instead, she calmly explained, "You misunderstand. That's not what I meant."

"I only wanted to point out that, as student council president, Kanade represents the school's image. Public displays of intimacy, while not forbidden, should be handled with discretion. It's about maintaining decorum, not judgment."

Kanade opened his mouth to respond, but Eiri suddenly exclaimed.

"R-r-r-romantic?! W-we're not that obvious, are we?!" she stammered, her face flushing bright red.

"..."

Yukino turned her gaze to Kanade, her expression unreadable. The look seemed to say, Is she always like this?

Kanade blinked, completely at a loss. He shook his head slowly.

In truth, this wasn't the Eiri he knew. The Eiri he remembered would've bristled at the implication, firing back with a tsundere retort like:

"We're not a couple! We just happened to bump into each other, okay?!"

Instead, here she was, blushing and giggling shyly.

So where's my feisty, tsundere golden-haired girl gone? Kanade thought, bewildered.