When Natsukawa Kanade returned to his dorm, his three roommates had already finished their showers and were lying on their beds, chatting about the night's events.
Unsurprisingly, the topic of discussion revolved around girls.
"Why are you back so late?" Hikigaya Hachiman asked, poking his head up when Kanade entered.
Kanade waved him off nonchalantly. "Forget that for now. Keep going. I'm curious about what you all got up to tonight."
He grabbed a pillow, hugged it to his chest, and plopped himself onto the floor, resting his chin on his fists like someone eagerly waiting for gossip.
He had heard their voices from the hallway—not because they were particularly loud, but because the entire dorm was abuzz with chatter and laughter from various rooms.
This only confirmed that the true highlight of the test of courage wasn't the event itself, but the afterparty-like discussions that followed.
After all, gossip was a deeply ingrained human instinct. And since his roommates were people he got along with, Kanade couldn't help but be curious about their romantic escapades.
"I didn't think the president would be interested in this kind of thing," Tsubasa Tanuma remarked, surprised.
"What do you take me for? I'm a perfectly normal, psychologically healthy high school boy," Kanade said, exasperated.
People who avoided conversations about girls or steered clear of such topics entirely either had extreme introversion, unusual circumstances, or simply different orientations.
"Let me be clear—I absolutely adore cute girls!" Kanade declared earnestly.
"I can vouch for that," Hachiman said, raising his hand and nodding solemnly.
"No, no, you've got it wrong, President," Tanuma quickly clarified, "I just mean… with all the rumors about you and certain girls, it'd be hard to guess who your true love is without you explicitly stating it. No offense meant!"
"Rumors? What rumors…?" Kanade froze, then quickly realized what Tanuma was alluding to.
They had only known each other for a few days, but the two of them had hit it off almost instantly. Yet, Tanuma's impression of him seemed bizarrely exaggerated.
If even a newly acquainted friend thought this way, what about those who were closer to him?
Kanade turned to look at Miyuki Shirogane and Hachiman. Their shifty gazes immediately gave them away.
"…"
Seriously? They think the same way? Kanade felt his head throb.
If his closest friends viewed him this way, how much worse would it be for people who didn't know him well? The so-called dignity of the student council president had clearly been replaced by something far less flattering.
"Be honest with me—completely honest!" Kanade demanded. "I promise I won't get mad. Do you guys think I'm… some kind of playboy or something?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then Hachiman averted his eyes, Shirogane hesitated as though weighing his words, and Tanuma… well, Tanuma looked inexplicably impressed.
"Not at all, President! In fact, I think you're amazing! Seriously, I'm not lying! Even someone like Kaguya Shinomiya, the 'Ice Queen,' fell for you. You're practically a legend!"
"…"
Kanade opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to respond.
Then it hit him—Shirogane was also in the student council! Surely he would clarify things and dispel these ridiculous misunderstandings.
Turning to Shirogane, Kanade gave him a hopeful look. "This is slander, right? You'll back me up, won't you, Shirogane?"
"Uh…" Shirogane fidgeted. "It's… probably a misunderstanding? I mean, I think Shinomiya might just… misinterpret things sometimes?"
Though he tried to justify it, Shirogane's uncertainty only made things worse.
Kanade: "…"
What do you mean probably a misunderstanding? It's a huge misunderstanding!
Kanade had always made a point to stay committed whenever he pursued a girl, even going so far as to adopt a persona of absolute loyalty. He'd been prepared to face the emotional repercussions of potentially hurting other girls to ensure sincerity.
But now he was being told all that effort had been for nothing?
This was too much!
"Hachiman, you've got sharp observation skills. You've got my back, right?" Kanade turned to his last hope, fixing Hachiman with an expectant gaze.
Hachiman hesitated briefly before saying, "Honestly? I've been telling you—you're overdoing it. At least tone it down or be more discreet about it…"
Kanade: "…"
Hikigaya Hachiman… you traitor!
Seeing Kanade's increasingly sour expression, Hachiman quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Hey, you told us to be honest! And you said you wouldn't get mad! No take-backs!"
For once, Hachiman seemed oddly assertive, even roping Shirogane and Tanuma into his corner to share the blame.
"Fine, fine… you're right… I'm not mad…" Kanade muttered, pressing a hand to his chest to calm his rising frustration.
What could he do? Even his closest friends thought this way.
After standing in place for a moment, Kanade finally grabbed a towel, his annoyance boiling over. He stormed out of the room.
Hachiman immediately panicked. "Where are you going? Don't do anything rash!"
Guilt began to creep in; they probably should have comforted him instead of ganging up on him. Just as Hachiman was about to get up and follow, the door swung open again.
Kanade stood there, his face impassive.
"Shower."
He enunciated the word slowly, then stepped inside to grab his pajamas before silently leaving again.
The three remaining roommates exchanged awkward glances, unsure of what to say.