Although she could be unbearably tsundere at times—saying one thing while meaning the opposite, running in the wrong direction in moments of flustered panic, or lashing out for no discernible reason—at her core, Eriri was a simple and kind girl.
Which made her incredibly easy to coax.
A few well-placed compliments, a little patience, and you could actually see the mood swing reflected in her entire demeanor. Just like now, as she stood there, the sunlight catching her tiny, sharp fangs while her twin tails swayed slightly with her improving mood. She was practically glowing. A textbook example of a well-pampered tsundere.
"Eriri, have you eaten yet? Want to join us for breakfast?" Natsukawa Kanade asked, seizing the perfect moment.
It was a natural next step. He had originally gone out to eat with his friends before the whole misunderstanding had derailed things. Now that everything was smoothed over, it would feel insincere to just leave her behind. Besides, bringing her back to the group would prevent further awkwardness, and, more importantly, it would keep people from getting the wrong idea about the two of them having some secret, romantic rendezvous by the river at dawn.
And that was definitely something they needed to avoid.
"Mm... okay." Eriri nodded, her voice noticeably softer than before.
The slight commotion from earlier had drained her stamina. It wasn't surprising—she was a homebody through and through. Just a few emotional ups and downs were enough to leave her energy bar dangerously low. Still, her slightly weakened state only made her look even more petite and adorable. Kanade, ever the observer, couldn't help but acknowledge just how absurdly cute Eriri could be when she was calm and quiet. Of course, her usual fiery tsundere attitude had its own charm too.
Honestly, he liked both.
"Alright then, let's go back. Hachiman and the others must be wondering what happened to me," Kanade said, releasing her hand.
For just a split second, Eriri looked disappointed at the loss of contact, but she quickly brushed it off. After all, Kanade had come all this way just to clear up the misunderstanding with her. That meant he cared about her feelings, right? In other words, she was already in his heart!
Her dream might not be that far off after all...
=======================
The walk back to the cafeteria was mostly silent.
As an elite institution, the students at Shuchin Academy were highly self-disciplined. Despite the early hour, many were already up and about. Along the way, several students greeted Kanade, their eyes shifting curiously between him and the golden-haired girl walking beside him.
Though they said nothing outright, their glances spoke volumes.
Kanade could only hope they wouldn't jump to any weird conclusions. He really didn't need any strange rumors floating around.
Once inside the cafeteria, a quick scan of the room revealed his group. Without hesitation, Kanade led Eriri over to their table.
"You're so slow..." Hikigaya Hachiman grumbled upon hearing footsteps approaching from behind. He turned around, ready to complain further—only to pause the moment he saw Eriri standing there beside Kanade.
Wait a minute.
You mean to tell me he went out, found her, comforted her, and now he's bringing her back here like some kind of victorious hero?!
In the cafeteria?! In broad daylight?! Without a single shred of fear that someone might see them?!
Hachiman felt a headache coming on. He was fairly certain he had caught a glimpse of Yukinoshita Yukino just moments ago, and that wasn't even considering the rumored girlfriends of Kanade, who, according to legend, existed but had never actually been seen.
Yeah, this was definitely not his problem.
Better to just stay out of it.
=================
"Sorry for the long wait." Natsukawa Kanade spoke casually as he returned to the table, completely oblivious to whatever strange thoughts might be running through Hikigaya's mind. And even if he did know, he probably wouldn't care too much—wasn't it normal for friends to have a meal together?
"This is Sawamura Spencer Eriri, a member and good friend of my... uh... previous club," he introduced, gesturing toward the blonde twin-tailed girl standing beside him. "Anyway, that's the situation. Can we share a table together?"
"Of course, welcome, Sawamura-san." Tanuma Tsubasa, ever the smooth and sociable one, took the initiative to respond. Among the trio of male students present, he was the most outwardly approachable, making him the de facto diplomat in situations like these.
"As expected of the president," Tanuma added with a knowing smirk. "You sure have a wide social circle. And somehow, every girl you know is one of the academy's famous beauties."
"H-Hey, famous or anything like that... there's no such thing..." Eriri stammered, her face instantly flushed with embarrassment. She risked a quick glance at Kanade, as if hoping for some kind of reaction, but he remained unfazed. A small, inexplicable feeling of disappointment settled in her chest.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for your guidance."
Despite her usual tsundere antics, Eriri could be quite graceful when the situation demanded it. Her social etiquette was well-polished, at least on the surface, making her perfectly capable of handling formalities. Her dignified demeanor in public only served to enhance her reputation, solidifying her position as one of the academy's most admired girls.
Meanwhile, Kanade found himself lost in thought. Come to think of it... Eriri really was regarded as a school idol, wasn't she? He had spent so much time around her that he had almost forgotten. But more importantly—was this really how people saw him?
A student council president with a vast network of connections… popular with the opposite sex…
Well, technically, it wasn't incorrect, but it still felt a bit surreal.
And that probably explained all the weird looks they had gotten on the way here. People must have been making all sorts of wild assumptions about their situation.
Kanade sighed internally but decided not to dwell on it. After all, overthinking something like this would just be a waste of energy.
Once Eriri had taken a seat and exchanged a few polite words with the others, Hikigaya Hachiman abruptly stood up.
"I'm going to get some food." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked off.
"Oh, then I'll go too," Tanuma added, standing as well.
"Might as well," Shirogane Miyuki followed suit, and the three of them left together.
Watching them go, Kanade suddenly realized that he hadn't ordered anything either. He turned to Eriri, who was still sitting beside him. "I'm heading to order some food. Eriri, do you want anything? How about a sandwich and some milk?"
Kanade was no rookie when it came to handling a tsundere. He had long since learned that giving someone like Eriri an unlimited choice menu was the fastest way to receive an indecisive 'whatever' in response. It was far more efficient to suggest something directly.
"Uh, milk..." Eriri mumbled, her expression suddenly stiffening. Her gaze flickered downward—just for a fraction of a second—before her eyes darted away. "Th-That kind of thing..."
"That kind of thing?" Kanade tilted his head, puzzled. "You don't like milk?"
"N-No, it's not that...!" she said hurriedly, realizing she had nearly spoken her thoughts aloud. Her face burned. Desperate to change the subject, she asked, "Kanade, what are you getting?"
"I was thinking of getting a grilled meat set," Kanade replied, completely oblivious to her inner turmoil.
Eriri froze.
A grilled meat set...?
In the morning...?
The mental image of herself sitting across from Kanade, gnawing on a thick slice of beef like a starving beast, flashed through her mind. Her face reddened even further.
"Uhh... sandwiches are probably better..." she muttered, shrinking slightly in her seat.
As a girl, it was simply unacceptable to be caught eating something like that in public, let alone in front of Kanade! The very idea was mortifying. Now, the plan of subtly ordering the same meal as him and feeling that small sense of connection was completely ruined.
And as for the milk… well, that was just her own personal stubbornness speaking. She didn't need it. She would grow just fine without it!
Absolutely!
"Alright, got it." Kanade nodded. "I'll go order now, so just wait here for me."
"Ah…" Eriri nodded in response, her voice trailing off.