Just as they stepped out of the room, the crisp sound of a bell echoed throughout the house, signaling the end of the game.
Almost immediately, the old woman NPC appeared before them, extending her hand. "The items. They need to be returned."
This time, her voice wasn't the raspy tone she had used before; it was clear and pleasant, with a strangely familiar ring to it.
Kanade Natsukawa didn't dwell on it, though. This wasn't the time for reminiscence—especially since he was still carrying another girl in his arms.
Wait… why am I still holding her?
The game was over, and there was no need to run anymore. Realizing this, Kanade quickly set Kaguya Shinomiya down. But as he tried to straighten up, he noticed Kaguya clinging tightly to his shirt.
"Kaguya… your hand…" Kanade said gently, trying to remind her.
It was as if she were in a daze. She didn't respond until he repeated himself a second time, snapping her out of her trance.
"Huh? Oh…"
"..."
Kanade found her behavior odd.
Being spaced out was one thing, but her actions didn't align with her injury. The issue was with her foot, yet she kept lightly covering her right cheek with her left hand as if hiding something there.
He didn't understand it but decided to respect her choice.
For now, his attention turned to the NPC.
"Here," Kanade said, handing over all the items they had collected.
"That's everything… Oh, and the 'Token of Affection.' I gave it to the girl in the room earlier, so you'll need to retrieve it from her," he added.
"Understood. You don't need to worry about that," the NPC replied curtly. Her tone was colder now than when she'd been in character.
"..."
Did I do something to offend her? Kanade wondered.
"Congratulations on clearing the game! Congratulations indeed! Here's your reward for completing the challenge—please accept it~"
Her monotone delivery made it sound as though she were reading from a script, utterly disinterested.
"..."
Kanade accepted the reward and found himself holding a pair of intricately made keychain charms. They depicted the popular bunny head character Usa-chi from the latest viral meme trend.
Kanade recognized the character immediately. He had even seen parody memes featuring Usa-chi that Ishigami had sent him. At the time, his only reaction had been:
"Ishigami, even if no girl likes you, that doesn't mean you need to resort to this nonsense."
After a lengthy explanation, Kanade had understood it was just a joke. However, he had since associated the bunny with "not exactly wholesome" vibes.
And now, here it was again, handed to him by a girl. Could she be one of those fangirls obsessed with shipping me?
Kanade mulled over the possibility. After all, there were people who shipped him with other male Student Council members, going so far as to draw… certain kinds of fan art. He had accidentally seen one once, and it left him avoiding Ishigami and the others for days.
What if she's the culprit behind those drawings?
It made sense. With her heavy makeup in the dim lighting, he couldn't tell who she was.
Taking two steps back instinctively, Kanade watched her warily, prepared for her to pull some stunt.
"Thank you. We'll be leaving now," he said, keeping a safe distance. Grabbing the still-dazed Kaguya by the hand, he made a swift exit.
He wasn't scared, per se, but the thought of those drawings resurfaced, making his head ache. And with someone as pure as Kaguya by his side, he didn't want her exposed to anything unsavory.
The NPC girl arched an eyebrow, clearly noticing his guarded behavior. Still, she didn't act further, merely giving Kaguya a glance before turning to leave.
Relieved, Kanade let out a breath and looked at Kaguya.
"I forgot to ask earlier—how's your foot? Is it feeling better?"
"Yes, thank you, President. Resting it seems to have helped somewhat," Kaguya replied with a neutral tone.
"..."
Her words felt distant, making Kanade think she was upset. Even her tone lacked the usual warmth.
Not knowing how to make it up to her, Kanade could only apologize softly.
"I'm sorry…"
"Why is the President apologizing?"
"Huh?" Kanade blinked, surprised by her question.
"Well… because earlier… I carried you without asking first…"
"That's nothing to apologize for, is it?" Kaguya tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "If anything, it was the right decision. Without it, we wouldn't have cleared the game in time."
"I wouldn't have been able to keep up with an injured foot, after all."
"Well… when you put it like that…" Kanade muttered, feeling slightly lost.
He had been certain she was angry with him. Why was she now rationalizing his actions? He hadn't even said much!
Could it be she was trying to justify things to herself because she was too embarrassed to express her real feelings?
Kanade felt like he'd stumbled upon the truth.
After all, Kaguya was naturally proud and reserved. She rarely allowed anyone to get close, let alone engage in anything remotely intimate.
Faced with such an unprecedented situation, she likely didn't know how to react. On one hand, she was furious at his "inappropriate behavior," but on the other, it was the best solution. Add their friendship into the mix, and she couldn't bring herself to scold him, instead choosing to internalize her frustration.
She's so kind… Kanade thought, feeling a lump rise in his throat.
I could cry.