The area wasn't very large, and after just a few steps, I reached the small lake that Kato had mentioned. The early morning air was crisp, the surface of the lake reflecting the soft hues of the sky. And there, right by the water's edge, was a familiar golden-haired figure, squatting down with her arms wrapped around her knees. Whether she was deep in thought or just sulking, I couldn't tell at first glance.
"..."
Thankfully, I had found her. Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I took a cautious step forward, making sure not to startle her.
"Hate me, don't hate me, hate me..."
Her soft muttering reached my ears just as I called out her name.
"Eriri..."
Though my voice wasn't particularly loud, she visibly jolted, like a startled cat. The small flower she had been absentmindedly holding slipped from her grasp, the delicate petals scattering to the ground. Worse yet, in her panic, she lost her balance and teetered dangerously toward the lake.
"Whoa—Be careful!"
Reacting on instinct, I lunged forward, grabbing her wrist just in time and pulling her into my arms before she could take an unplanned morning swim.
"!"
At first, she froze in place, stunned by the sudden turn of events. But, true to her tsundere nature, that moment of stillness didn't last long. Like a trapped rabbit, she immediately started struggling, her small frame wriggling as she kicked her legs in protest.
"Oi, stop moving," I warned, tightening my grip slightly.
As if my words held some magical power, she immediately went still. She peered up at me with an almost pitiful expression, her emerald-green eyes shimmering, betraying the hint of unshed tears.
"..."
Crap. I never expected a single, offhanded comment to cause this much emotional damage. Wasn't this way too unreasonable?
"Let me go..." Eriri murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
I blinked. Our current position was, admittedly, a little awkward. If someone were to walk by now, I'd probably find my name headlining the school gossip boards by lunchtime with something absurd like: Student Council President's Secret Morning Rendezvous with a Mysterious Blonde!
Though, considering my general reputation, it might actually improve my standing...
"Fine, but only if you promise me you won't do anything stupid," I said firmly.
Of course, I knew Eriri wasn't the type to actually harm herself. Judging from the evidence—the scattered petals—I could already guess what had happened. She had probably been plucking them, playing the classic does-he-hate-me-or-not game, getting progressively more depressed with each unfortunate petal.
Silly? Yes. But somehow, that silliness made her all the more endearing.
"Huh? What do you mean? I wasn't going to—" she began, but suddenly cut herself off.
Her gaze flickered toward the lake, a guilty expression flashing across her face. For a brief second, I could practically hear her inner monologue: I mean, I did think about dramatically sitting at the bottom of the lake and sulking, but that doesn't count as doing something stupid... right?
"Pfft—" This time, I couldn't hold it in. A genuine laugh escaped me.
"W-Why are you laughing?!" she huffed, her cheeks puffing up indignantly.
"Nothing, nothing," I waved it off, still grinning. "It's just—you really are hopeless sometimes."
"Tch. Shut up. This has nothing to do with you anyway..." she muttered, her voice growing smaller with each word.
Of course, I knew what she was thinking about. That one careless line I'd thrown out earlier at breakfast: "Tsundere are out of fashion!"
Those words had clearly hit her harder than I'd anticipated, ringing in her ears long after I'd said them. And now, here she was, genuinely doubting herself over something so trivial.
"I'm just an annoying person anyway... Just leave me alone."
"Not happening." I shot her down immediately. After all, I had come all this way precisely because I was worried about her.
"Listen, let me make this short and simple: That whole 'tsundere is out of fashion' comment? It wasn't directed at you. I was just teasing Hachiman. He was acting like one, and it was hilarious, so I said it. That's all."
There was no point in sugarcoating things or beating around the bush. The best way to clear up misunderstandings was to be straightforward.
As soon as I finished explaining, I noticed Eriri's shoulders relax slightly. Though she was still looking away, the tension in her expression had eased.
But even so, a flicker of doubt remained in her eyes.
"So... you don't hate me?"
"How could I?" Natsukawa Kanade replied without hesitation. "There's no reason for me to hate Eriri, right?"
No matter how he looked at it, disliking Eriri was impossible. Even her "tsundere" tendencies—though sometimes exhausting—were undeniably one of her most endearing traits. To be honest, they made her even more charming in a way that made him want to protect and cherish her.
"But... I'm always so arrogant towards you... and I say things like that..." Her voice dropped as she fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, avoiding his gaze.
She wasn't oblivious. Every time she lashed out, she regretted it almost immediately. She had tried so many times to change, to suppress that knee-jerk reaction of snapping at him, but no matter how hard she tried, the words always slipped out before she could stop them.
She knew, deep down, that her sharp tongue was a defense mechanism. But at the same time, with how things were now, there was no way she could measure up to Kasumigaoka. That thought alone made her feel even more insecure—like she was only pushing him further away instead of keeping him close.
"It's fine," Kanade said, shaking his head. He had expected her to get defensive or deny it outright. He hadn't expected her to bring it up herself. "I know Eriri doesn't mean it. It's just... well, because she's embarrassed or shy, so she covers it up with sharp words, right?"
"—?!"
Eriri's face instantly turned red, her eyes widening in panic. The realization hit her like a truck—he had seen right through her. Worse, he had known all along. No wonder he never took her outbursts seriously! He wasn't ignoring her; he was just aware that her words never matched her true feelings.
That meant... that meant...
Her mind raced. What about the others? Had they figured it out too? Did they see through her the same way? And what if... what if he—
"Y-you—you shut up!"
The shame engulfed her completely. Before she could stop herself, she lunged forward, slapping a hand over his mouth, her twin tails bouncing wildly as she shook her head in desperation.
"Forget it! Forget it all!"
"Mmph?!"
"No! Don't remember! Don't store it in your memory bank! Erase it! Format everything!"
Kanade blinked, caught between laughter and disbelief. What was this ridiculous overreaction? He could barely process what was happening before her hands started flailing at his face in a desperate attempt to physically force him to forget.
"Ow, ow—hey! Eriri, calm down!"
But Eriri was in full panic mode. When her hands failed, she switched tactics—her signature twintails whipping around like trained weapons, striking at his arms and shoulders with surprising force. The repeated thwaps echoed in the quiet lakeside air, as if she had spent years honing her twin-tail technique into a deadly art form.
"Okay, okay! I get it! Stop it already!" Kanade finally caught her wrists, holding them firmly but gently, preventing any further onslaught. "Geez, you really don't hold back, do you?"
Breathless, Eriri finally slowed down, her struggles fading. She had clearly exhausted herself. As expected of a true homegirl, even this much physical exertion was a challenge.
She leaned against him slightly, still gripping the corner of his shirt as she muttered weakly, "No... don't remember... just forget it..."
Kanade sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. "Really, my mind is totally blank. Zero memory storage. Full system wipe."
"Pfft." Eriri couldn't help but laugh at his dramatic response. She rolled her eyes at him, but her expression had softened. Somehow, despite everything, she felt a little better.
Seeing that, Kanade relaxed. He had been worried at first, but now that the storm had passed, it was safe to say she would be fine.
And, at the very least, he wouldn't have to go back and explain to the others that the scratches on his face were from an out-of-control tsundere kitten.