"Got it, President! I'll do exactly as you say!" Tsubasa Tanuma's eyes gleamed with a hopeful determination.
To him, Natsukawa Kanade wasn't just a "senior" but practically a god of romance—a man who had allegedly dated numerous adorable girls, parted ways with them, yet still held a place in their hearts.
This included none other than Kaguya Shinomiya, the infamous "Ice Queen"! What kind of legendary romantic prowess was that? In Tanuma's mind, Kanade's exploits were nothing short of divine.
His faith in Kanade only deepened after following his advice and noticing his own luck with girls improve. His newfound confidence showed.
"So, should I take specific measures? Should I request a seat change to the back of the classroom for better observation? Maybe prepare binoculars for long-distance surveillance? Or perhaps bribe one of their friends to get intel for me?" Tanuma's excitement escalated with each increasingly wild idea, leaving the others dumbfounded.
"Stop! Don't do that!" Kanade frantically interrupted. "Don't do anything drastic! That'll just… yes! That'll alert them! We can't have that. Just act natural and go about your day as usual."
Kanade hadn't anticipated this level of enthusiasm. While the earlier suggestions were feasible, the latter were straight-up terrible. Tanuma's plans were veering dangerously close to stalking territory. If executed, they could lead to disaster—perhaps even criminal charges.
Kanade couldn't let his friend become a peeping tom or worse.
"Seriously, just pay subtle attention when you interact with them. Keep it casual. No over-the-top actions," Kanade emphasized again.
"Understood, President. I'll stick to that," Tanuma said solemnly, realizing the potential gravity of his earlier plans.
Kanade finally exhaled in relief, content that the matter was resolved.
"Alright, anyone else want to add anything? There's still time," Kanade said.
However, he quickly noticed all eyes in the room were now focused intently on him.
"…"
A sinking feeling welled up in his chest.
"President, what about your situation?" Tanuma asked boldly. "We don't need to offer advice, but honestly… we're all curious. Who's the girl you like the most? How long were you together? And why did you break up?"
Even Hachiman and Shirogane, usually quieter, nodded in agreement, their gazes locking on Kanade.
"…"
Kanade fell silent, his mind racing.
Who do I like most? How long were we together? Why did we break up?
When… did this happen?!
Kanade wracked his brain. He couldn't recall dating anyone, let alone breaking up with them. Every single one of his confessions had ended in rejection!
Could it be… that the rumors about him had morphed into a twisted narrative? Had people decided he was a serial dater who broke hearts for sport?
Until now, Kanade had thought the worst of the rumors about him were that he had ambiguous relationships with many girls, implying he might be dating one—or several—of them. He had believed that staying quiet and proving his integrity through actions would suffice to clear his name.
But now he realized his silence had been misinterpreted as tacit confirmation of these rumors. Worse, his indifference had only fueled the gossip, painting him as a player extraordinaire!
Suddenly, it all made sense: Tanuma's reverent attitude wasn't because of Kanade's position as student council president. It was because he admired Kanade's supposed romantic conquests!
"No, no! This is all a huge misunderstanding!" Kanade waved his hands frantically. "I've never—"
But fate had other plans. The dorm door burst open.
"You're so loud the whole hallway can hear you! Are you going to sleep or not?!"
It was none other than their dorm supervisor—Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"Oh, it's you, Natsukawa. Since the president's here, the whole group's punishment just doubled. If I come back and find you all still awake, you're running 20 laps around the field tomorrow! Got it?!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The others reluctantly answered, their disappointment evident. They had shared their stories but hadn't gotten to hear Kanade's—arguably the juiciest of them all.
But no one dared argue with Hiratsuka, also known as the "Iron Fist Spinster."
"Keep it down, and don't wake the whole dorm!" Hiratsuka ordered before leaving. "Honestly, I don't understand you boys. So much energy to waste. And even the girls' side is…" Her grumbling faded as she disappeared down the hall.
The room fell silent.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open again. Light from the hallway cast a shadow of someone standing at the threshold, revealing a grinning figure.
"Tch, really asleep already? What a waste. I was hoping for some fun…"
The "demon" surveyed the room, ensuring everyone was tucked in, then retreated, satisfied.
"…"
The dorm returned to silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of blankets.
Then, one by one, the sounds of light snores filled the room, blending into a peaceful rhythm.