"Then what should I do?" Eriri feigned a pitiful expression. "You know how bad I am at English…"
She had a plan, but she couldn't bring it up outright. If she got rejected, it would be devastating. So, she decided to play the sympathy card first.
"And if I have to attend makeup classes every weekend, I won't have time to finish my illustrations for the convention," she added, turning to Kanade with pleading eyes. "Kanade, you won't leave me to suffer alone, will you?"
Kanade sighed, his voice tinged with exasperation. "Even if I wanted to help, I can't exactly take your exams for you."
He wasn't entirely against lending her a hand, but he wanted to push her to take responsibility for herself.
"Can't you postpone the art deadlines? Take a break or ask for an extension?" he suggested.
Eriri shook her head resolutely. "No way. This work is for the upcoming convention. I've already used almost all my free time to work on it, but I'm barely keeping up with the schedule."
She had even brought her drawing supplies to the forest school retreat, hoping to sneak in some work during her free time. But the tight schedule and fear of her roommates discovering her secret identity had thwarted her plans, leaving her behind on deadlines.
Kanade frowned, deep in thought.
The ideal solution would be for her to prioritize one over the other, but Eriri was clearly unwilling to give up on the convention. At the same time, failing her exams and being forced into remedial classes would eat up even more of her time, leaving her unable to finish her work.
"…"
After pondering for a while, Kanade sighed heavily. "Looks like there's only one way."
Helping her study was fine, but he hoped she'd learn to manage her responsibilities better in the future. She couldn't keep relying on last-minute help.
"After this retreat, we'll have the weekend before the exams. I'll give you an intensive crash course," Kanade declared with a stern look. "Prepare yourself."
"O-okay…" Eriri shrank back, sensing a foreboding aura.
She was happy he agreed to help, but seeing his serious expression made her realize that this wouldn't be as easy as she had imagined.
"When's the convention?" Kanade asked.
"The weekend after next. It's in Akihabara."
Kanade nodded. No wonder she didn't want to miss it. This was clearly an important opportunity for Kashiwagi Eri-sensei to boost her reputation.
"Can you meet the deadline?"
"Probably… I think?" Eriri said hesitantly.
While Kanade's tutoring would ensure she passed her exams, she was uncertain whether she could catch up on her artwork after losing precious time over the weekend. And if anything unexpected came up, it could derail everything.
"…"
Seeing her lack of confidence, Kanade relented. "Fine. I'll help with the illustrations too."
He wasn't the type to meddle unnecessarily, but based on past experiences, he doubted Eriri could handle everything on her own. If left to her own devices, she'd likely end up pulling all-nighters, sacrificing her health to meet her deadlines. Knowing this, he couldn't just stand by.
"I can help with coloring. That's about the extent of my skills," Kanade offered. Then, with a serious tone, he added, "But don't think this means you can slack off. If you delay again for any strange reason, I'm not staying up all night to help you."
"Got it! Got it! I'll work hard!" Eriri nodded enthusiastically, her heart brimming with joy.
She hadn't expected Kanade to be so considerate. Not only had he agreed to tutor her, but he was also willing to help with her artwork.
"Thank you, Kanade…" Eriri said softly, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
"Just don't get carried away. That'll be thanks enough," Kanade replied, glancing at her with mild exasperation.
He was too kindhearted for his own good. He couldn't bear to see his friends struggling.
"Hmph, and here I thought you'd appreciate my gratitude," Eriri pouted.
Still, she didn't mind this dynamic between them. It was refreshing.
With her worries temporarily alleviated, the two chatted casually for a while before Kanade excused himself, citing student council duties.
His next task was to meet up with Mahiru Shiina. However, on his way, he was stopped by a breathless student council assistant.
"A student has gone missing in the event area?" Kanade repeated, frowning.
"Yes, President," the assistant confirmed.
"How do you know they're missing? Are you sure they didn't just wander off to another area?" Kanade asked skeptically.
Similar incidents had happened before, only to turn out as false alarms. Sometimes, a student would leave the event grounds without signing out, leading to unnecessary panic.
"This time, it's serious," the assistant said urgently. "Their partner reported them missing. We checked the sign-out records and confirmed they didn't leave the grounds. We also searched the event area, but there's no sign of them anywhere."
"…"
The gravity of the situation sank in.
"If someone really is missing… even if we find them by morning, spending the night alone in the forest could leave them traumatized. And if they encountered something dangerous…" Kanade's mind flashed to the feral cat from earlier.
"I need to speak to their partner. Take me to them," Kanade instructed firmly.
"This way, President."
The two hurried off, running to save time. Before long, they arrived at their destination.
"This is the missing student's partner."
Kanade followed the assistant's gesture and was surprised to see a familiar face—Megumi Kato.
"Kato?"
Normally composed and calm, Megumi's expression was unusually tense.
"Kanade-kun," she began solemnly, "the missing student is Yukinoshita-san."
"…"