Though Kanade felt a bit wronged, as if he were being discarded after helping, he wasn't one to hold grudges. Considering it was his kouhai's birthday, he decided to let it go.
After saying goodbye to the couple, he and Miko left the dessert shop and began aimlessly strolling along the streets.
For Miko, the regret came almost immediately after blurting out, "Senpai, don't touch me like that." Kanade had only been helping her avoid falling, yet she'd repaid his kindness with ingratitude. As they walked, she kept agonizing over how to apologize without making things more awkward.
Kanade, on the other hand, had forgotten about the incident almost as soon as they exited the dessert shop. His mind was focused on something else entirely—how to inform Miko that he had to leave soon.
After all, he'd already made plans with someone else. He couldn't just abandon those plans, even if it was Miko's birthday. It wasn't a matter of importance but rather a principle of honoring prior commitments.
After wasting a bit of time wandering around, Kanade finally spoke up. "Sorry, but I've got another appointment later, so I can't keep hanging out with you…"
His tone was soft and apologetic, aiming to make the news easier to accept.
Miko's reaction, however, caught him off guard. She looked visibly upset, but what she said next confused him even more:
"I'm sorry, Senpai… I went too far earlier."
Kanade blinked in surprise as Miko grew increasingly flustered. She feared she'd regret it deeply if she didn't make amends now.
Originally, she'd thought that if they kept hanging out, Kanade might naturally forget the incident, sparing her the embarrassment of bringing it up. But now, with Kanade saying he wanted to leave, she was convinced he was still upset about it.
"I-I didn't mean it! I just said that on impulse…" She tugged at Kanade's sleeve, her expression a mix of guilt and desperation. "So, can you please… not hate me?"
It was rare for Miko to apologize. She prided herself on always doing the right thing, and pleading like this was even rarer. Not even her parents had ever seen her this way.
Kanade, however, was utterly baffled. It took him a moment to realize she was talking about the earlier incident.
"It's really fine. I wasn't upset about it at all," he reassured her. "Your reaction was completely normal—it's just that you're not used to being that close to guys, right?"
Now understanding her concern, Kanade tried to comfort her, even offering a plausible explanation to ease her guilt.
Still, Miko found his words hard to believe. After all, he had announced his intention to leave shortly after the incident. Surely it wasn't just a coincidence.
"Senpai… Do you really have other plans?" she asked, unable to resist.
She wanted to ask, Why won't you stay with me? but the directness of such a question made her too embarrassed to say it outright.
"Yeah, I do," Kanade replied with a nod. He pulled out his phone and showed her part of the chat logs confirming his plans.
"…So it's true," Miko murmured, finally convinced. A sense of disappointment welled up within her. If only Senpai could spend the whole day with her…
That thought, however, soon transformed into something else.
What if she insisted he stay? Or what if she asked to tag along to the study session? How would Kanade react?
She suddenly remembered a game they'd played back when she first joined the student council. As the winner, she had earned the right to ask Kanade for one favor, provided it wasn't unreasonable. Surely "let me join your study session" wasn't too much to ask…
"Senpai…" Miko looked up at him suddenly.
"Hm? What is it?" Kanade asked, puzzled.
"…No, it's nothing." Miko shook her head and forced a weak smile. "I just wanted to wish you a safe trip."
After all, she'd spent plenty of birthdays alone. The fact that Kanade had spent the entire morning with her was already more than enough. She didn't want to trouble him further. Besides, that favor… she should save it for something more important, right?
"Thanks," Kanade said, nodding. He waved as he began to walk away. "Well, I'll be off then."
He had only taken a few steps before stopping and turning back. With a gentle smile, he called out, "By the way, I know this is a little late, but… Happy birthday, Iino-san. See you at school."
"Mm, see you, Senpai."
Miko waved back, her mood visibly improved.
Senpai had said, "See you at school." It wasn't just some act of pity for her birthday—he genuinely cared. The thought filled her with joy, and she found herself eagerly anticipating Monday despite the weekend having just begun.
After parting ways with Miko, Kanade headed to the nearby train station and boarded a train.
He stopped by his house first to change into a fresh set of clothes before heading out again. About twenty minutes later, he arrived at a townhouse and rang the doorbell.
This was, of course, Eriri's home. Kanade had been here many times before and was completely at ease.
While waiting for Eriri to answer the door, he found himself glancing at the cherry blossom tree in the yard. Last time he'd been here, it had been in full bloom. Now, most of the petals had fallen, leaving the tree looking sparse. Time certainly flies…
"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and come in." Eriri appeared at the door, urging him inside.
"Alright, coming." Kanade nodded and stepped in.
At the entrance, he slipped off his shoes and naturally put on a pair of indoor slippers that had essentially become "his" due to how often he visited.
"Is Kato here yet?" Kanade asked.
"Not yet. Megumi said she's on her way, but she should be here soon," Eriri replied, shaking her head.
"Alright. Let's start studying while we wait. I can take a look at your progress first," Kanade suggested. After a pause, he added, "By the way, is your mom home? Should I say hello?"
"No, she's out… And don't worry about her," Eriri said, waving him off. Her tone was dismissive, but her slightly flustered expression betrayed her unease.
The commotion Eriri caused last night while hastily cleaning her room had, of course, attracted her mother's attention. After relentless questioning, Eriri confessed that Kanade would be visiting the next day. What followed was an onslaught of teasing and unsolicited advice from her mother.
Advice would've been fine if it had been practical, but "Just kiss him right away—he won't be able to resist!"? That was absurd! Who would actually do such a thing?! It was easy for her mom to talk big, but there was no way Eriri could pull something like that off!
Then, this morning, her mom refused to leave the house, insisting she had to see Kanade first. Only after Eriri promised to help her sell some doujinshi later did her mom reluctantly agree to head out.
"Anyway, the goal today is simple: help me cram enough English to pass. That's it. Don't worry about anything else!" Eriri declared, trying to refocus the conversation.
Initially, she'd thought about creating a romantic atmosphere or maybe even some playful tension, but with Megumi Kato also joining, those ideas flew out the window. It was better to stick to straightforward studying—she couldn't handle the embarrassment of staging a rom-com moment in front of a third party.
"I got it, which is why I brought this with me," Kanade replied, handing her a notebook.
He hadn't just gone home to change his clothes; he'd also retrieved an English study guide he'd prepared specifically for Eriri during their school retreat.
The notebook meticulously detailed all the grammar points their grade level should master, complete with examples. Another workbook filled with exercises was intended for Eriri to practice hands-on.
For high-achieving students, such a "study guide from a top student" would be a treasure. For Eriri, however, it was…
"Ugh! This is so dense! Just looking at it makes my head hurt!"
"Let's simplify it a bit," Eriri stammered after coughing awkwardly. "I mean, I only need to pass, right?"
Though she appreciated Kanade's effort and care—it truly made her happy—the intensity of his approach was far from appealing. It also brought back traumatic memories of a previous "study from hell" session, leaving her deeply uneasy.
Kanade sighed but refrained from criticizing her. "Can't you aim a little higher? Like getting a B or even an A?"
"Impossible, impossible, impossible! I just can't, okay?" Eriri retorted, clearly annoyed.
It wasn't that she didn't want a good score. But with English tests, she always ended up staring at her terrible grades in a daze. How could someone who was half-English and half-Japanese consistently fail English?
The worst part was her classmates—proudly showing off their grades—coming to ask how she'd done.
Of course, her results were one of a kind! The kind that could top the rankings… if the rankings were reversed.
"Anyway, English is useless in daily life! None of this will ever come up, and even if it did, people would just think you're showing off!" Eriri declared passionately, clenching her fists. "And besides, I've already decided I'll live in Japan forever. So, English is completely unnecessary for me."
Kanade: "…"
Why does she sound so confident about this nonsense? Kanade sighed again.
Sure, in everyday life, English might not be crucial. But for university entrance exams or further studies, it was indispensable—not just for tests, but also for reading academic materials.
"Fine. Let's focus on clearing the upcoming midterm hurdle first," Kanade relented, giving up on convincing her otherwise.
"Where's your last English test? The April monthly exam—let me see it," Kanade said, extending his hand.
It had been a long time since their last study session, so Kanade wanted to assess her current standing through her most recent test.
Fortunately, Shuuchiin Academy had excellent resources, with exam papers carefully designed to evaluate a wide range of abilities. This made it easy for Kanade to identify her strengths and weaknesses from the test itself—a method he'd used before.
"Oh… uh…" Eriri shrank back slightly, knowing this moment was inevitable.
She didn't bother resisting and handed over the paper she'd prepared in advance, knowing there was no escape.
Kanade raised an eyebrow, surprised by her compliance.
That was… unusually cooperative. In the past, she would've hemmed and hawed, trying to stall. Maybe things weren't as bad this time?
That thought vanished the moment Kanade saw the score.
"This low?!" he exclaimed, his face twitching.
Ignoring Eriri's embarrassed expression, Kanade began scrutinizing her test paper.
Difficult questions were wrong—not surprising; most students wouldn't get those right. Advanced-level questions were also incorrect—acceptable, given they were out of Eriri's league. Basic questions? She got a few right—mostly multiple-choice. But the free-response questions?
Even the easy, freebie questions were absurdly wrong. And not just careless mistakes—these were complete guesses!
Kanade was silent for a long time, piecing together how she'd managed to get this score. He realized it was likely thanks to sheer luck. Without it, her score might've been even worse.
Studying the paper further, Kanade discovered numerous common vocabulary errors. Her performance was so poor that…
"This is worse than a middle schooler's level!" Kanade finally said, horrified.
"Ah… ahaha…"
Eriri, thoroughly humiliated, could only let out a weak laugh.