Sometimes, people need a response—whether positive or negative—to continue a conversation. The worst outcome is silence after an action or statement, which leaves one feeling mocked or ignored.
"I'm sorry! I acted too impulsively!" Kanade immediately dropped to his knees, bowing deeply. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment! I'm truly sorry!"
"…"
Kanade dared not lift his head. He had underestimated Kato, assuming she would react like Eriri—perhaps with mock disdain or a playful retort. Then, he could've brushed it off with feigned ignorance, both fulfilling his intent to praise her and strengthening their friendship.
But Kato had merely stared at him with a look akin to observing a fool.
And now, he genuinely felt like one.
"Objectively speaking, what you did was a bit excessive, Kanade-kun…" Kato finally spoke, her tone as calm and unperturbed as ever.
"…"
Kanade understood. Beneath her seemingly gentle words lay unspoken feelings. Yet, with his head bowed, he couldn't gauge her expression to confirm them.
"For me, it's fine… but next time, at least ask for permission beforehand, okay?"
Her cryptic comment left Kanade momentarily puzzled. For her, it's fine? Did that mean she forgave him? Though her mention of "next time" seemed odd, he decided to focus on the positive implications. Feeling a glimmer of relief, he began to raise his head—
"Still, I'm curious," Kato added, her tone tinged with faint suspicion. "Why would you suddenly do something so forward? And you seemed… rather practiced at it."
"I wasn't practiced at all! Not even a little bit!" Kanade quickly protested, lowering his head again under the weight of her composed scrutiny. "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I swear! At most… I might've experimented on Eriri once or twice…"
Back when he was still pursuing Eriri, Kanade had tried all sorts of tactics to leave a lasting impression. Of course, he wasn't reckless—such intimate actions were only attempted after their relationship had warmed considerably. Besides, Eriri's reactions were always transparent. She might feign disgust, but her subtle hints of delight never escaped his notice.
That was why he'd assumed Kato might accept it, too.
"…"
Kato fell silent, seemingly unsure how to respond.
Meanwhile, from across the room, Eriri's voice suddenly cut in. "Huh? Did I just hear my name?"
"No, you didn't. Keep working—don't get distracted," Kanade replied at lightning speed.
Eriri let out an absentminded "Oh" before diving back into her studies. She was currently caught in the vortex of learning and had just found a rhythm that might lead her to a breakthrough. No way was she going to lose focus now!
For the sake of her anticipated reward time, Eriri pressed onward with renewed determination.
"…"
"…"
The brief interruption seemed to diffuse the tension between Kanade and Kato. Her tone, when she spoke again, carried a hint of bemused indulgence.
"Honestly… So, Kanade-kun, how long do you plan to stay in that position? Don't we have more studying to do?"
Their voices had instinctively lowered, avoiding another disruption to Eriri's focus.
"You're absolutely right. I'll get up now," Kanade said quickly, nodding as he rose. Even then, he only dared glance at Kato out of the corner of his eye, relieved to see her engrossed in her work again.
That's it? Kanade wondered.
Though the situation had been unexpectedly intense, it resolved far more easily than anticipated. Considering his past experiences, this seemed almost anticlimactic.
"You're not mad anymore?" Kanade asked hesitantly. He still believed that it was better for grievances to be aired immediately rather than festering over time. "I know it's not my place to say this, but if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know."
"Anything at all—as long as it's within my power," he added earnestly.
Kato turned to him, her gaze unreadable. And yet… she seemed genuinely upset now.
Kanade hadn't expected this. Usually, Kato's calm exterior betrayed no emotions. But his gut told him that while she hadn't been angry before, his offer to compensate her had somehow triggered her annoyance.
"I'm not angry," she said softly.
"…"
It's here! Kanade thought. The classic "I'm not angry" line that really means, "I'm super angry!" If he didn't handle this carefully, she'd be stewing over it all night.
"In fact, I didn't even feel the need to be angry until you mentioned compensation," Kato continued, her tone as steady as ever, perfectly matching her composed demeanor.
"…" Kanade remained silent. He could sense the truth in her words.
"Even if I were seen as petty for holding a grudge, I wouldn't have cared much," Kato added.
"That's not true! Absolutely not!" Kanade interjected fervently. "I never thought of you as petty! Actually, I think you're incredibly kind and understanding. You're like… like someone who could play a 'mom' role in my life!"
He blurted it out before realizing how it sounded.
Kato's expression turned even more perplexed, making Kanade wish the ground would swallow him whole.
"A… mom role?" she repeated, almost to herself.
"No, no, no! It's just a figure of speech!" Kanade hurried to explain. "It's something often used in ACG works—it means you're kind, empathetic, and take good care of others! That's all it means! It has nothing to do with, uh, age or anything like that!"
"I wasn't thinking about that at all," Kato said, now looking more amused than annoyed. She even seemed to be comforting him. "And since I've been in a club with ACG fans, I do understand what you mean."
"Oh, good, good…" Kanade sighed in relief. "As long as there's no misunderstanding… And just to reiterate, I really don't think you're petty."
"It's fine. I wasn't upset to begin with," Kato said with a slight shake of her head, steering the conversation back on track. "But on another note… Kanade-kun, do you remember something I told you before?"
"Uh… before…" Kanade's expression turned uneasy. They'd had so many conversations—how was he supposed to know which one she meant? Still, considering the current context…
"You said I didn't need to be so formal or reserved when interacting with you?" Kanade ventured hesitantly.
"That's certainly important, but it's not what I'm referring to this time," Kato replied, shaking her head gently. She seemed intent on having him figure it out himself.
"In that case…" Kanade's brow furrowed as he thought hard, but he couldn't come up with anything specific.
"It's something I said specifically about you," Kato added, offering him a small hint.
"Uh…" Kanade suddenly recalled her words but hesitated to bring them up. It wasn't so much embarrassment as it was uncertainty about whether they fit the current situation.
"I do remember what you said, but… does 'let me be a little selfish' have anything to do with this?" Kanade asked, still puzzled. How could Kato's suggestion about being less reserved relate to the earlier "head-patting incident"? Wasn't the issue rooted in his overly casual gesture?
"It seems Kanade-kun still hasn't understood my point," Kato said, her tone steady as ever. "If you'd truly taken it to heart, you wouldn't have said something like, 'I'll do anything to make it up to you,' would you?"
"…" Kanade was momentarily at a loss for words, yet something about her reasoning felt off, leaving him unable to form a proper rebuttal.
"Only people who neglect themselves make such reckless promises," Kato concluded as if summarizing a lecture.
But Kanade's expression shifted as realization dawned upon him.
"No, that's not what's happening here," he refuted firmly.
"Maybe what you said applies in most cases, but it doesn't fit me," he continued, shaking his head. "I've always remembered what you told me—and not just remembered. I've acted on it."
"Though it might sound selfish, I've started living a life centered on myself…"
Kanade explained how he'd returned to the student council, rebuilt friendships he'd once let drift, and rekindled connections he thought he'd lost. All of this, he admitted, was for his own satisfaction. He wanted a life filled with laughter and camaraderie, and that desire drove his actions.
Now, he felt genuinely happy. The persistent fear of making mistakes that would alienate others had largely faded. While he might still occasionally worry, he'd adopted a more relaxed mindset: If someone dislikes me, that's just how it is—I've done my best.
While he still made compromises to maintain relationships, his approach had shifted from "appeasing others" to "fostering mutual enjoyment."
"Sure, I offered to make it up to you, but that wasn't out of some misplaced humility. It was because I felt I'd crossed a line by patting your head without permission," Kanade explained earnestly.
"This was my way of taking responsibility, of making up for the mistake—not some act of self-sacrifice."
After a brief pause, Kanade added, somewhat sheepishly, "Honestly, trading a casual promise for the chance to pat Kato-san's head feels like a pretty good deal to me…"
His words trailed off as he realized how it sounded—like he was openly admitting he enjoyed being close to her. And truthfully, he did.
Who wouldn't want to get close to a pretty girl? Kato, despite her usual low-key demeanor, was undeniably cute. Today, with her girl-next-door outfit that she'd shown him earlier, she was practically glowing.
If anything, Kato seemed less like a background character and more like a bona fide heroine.
"Um… Hearing that makes me happy, but it's also a little embarrassing…" Kato murmured, her eyes flickering as she avoided meeting his gaze.
Kanade froze.
Wait… did I just say all that out loud?
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he tried to move past it. "A-anyway, that's how it is. Maybe it's just my weird sense of humor, but I was curious about how you'd react. And yes, I genuinely wanted to praise you for your hard work, which is why I did it…"
"And I meant my apology seriously, too. I know I didn't consider things carefully enough, like you said…" Kanade paused mid-sentence as Kato's earlier remark came to mind: "At least ask the person beforehand."
Wait.
Did that mean… as long as he asked, he could ruffle Kato's hair anytime he wanted?!
Kanade's spirits soared at the thought.
If he was being honest, he'd always enjoyed small gestures of affection. From Yukinoshita to Eriri, Mahiru, Senpai, and even Kaguya—he'd ruffled their hair, patted their heads, or played with their locks. It was like a personal collection quest.
He hadn't fully appreciated it earlier due to the rush, but now he could savor the moment properly.
"Um… Kato-san, would it be okay if I patted your head again?" Kanade suddenly asked, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Hello? Police? Yes, there's a creep here…"
"…"
"It's a joke! A joke! Don't actually call them!" Kanade pleaded, horrified.