"Why are you only wearing underwear?!" Shiina Mahiru exclaimed, her face flushed crimson. Seeing Kanade frozen in place, she averted her gaze, unsure where to look. "Just… hurry up and get dressed already!"
Kanade, snapping out of his momentary daze, quickly grabbed his school uniform and put it on. Only once fully clothed did he finally turn his attention to the clearly flustered angel standing before him.
"Why are you here? Don't you have outdoor classes this afternoon?" Kanade asked, genuinely curious.
Unlike him, Mahiru's routine was impeccably disciplined: early to bed, early to rise, with a mid-day break for lunch and a short rest. For her to appear in the boys' dorm, of all places, was highly unusual.
"I… I came to check on you," Mahiru mumbled, her voice soft and shy. Her small hands pressed against her burning cheeks, trying to recover from the earlier shock.
"Also, I brought you lunch…" she added, raising a bento box slightly to show him. Though it wasn't handmade, she had personally requested the kitchen staff to include a decorative heart to convey her well-wishes for his recovery.
But looking at Kanade now, brimming with energy, she couldn't help but think, This idiot looks perfectly fine!
Yet her thoughts strayed again to what she had seen earlier. The image of Kanade, practically bare, resurfaced in her mind. She frantically shook her head, hoping to dispel the memory, but the harder she tried, the clearer it became.
"Thank you," Kanade said with a nod, taking the bento. He hadn't noticed Mahiru's jittery behavior, nor did he connect it to her earlier glimpse of him. After all, their interactions were often peppered with moments of accidental vulnerability.
"Let's head to the cafeteria," he suggested. "I'll carry this for you."
Realizing that Mahiru seemed uneasy in the boys' dorm, Kanade decided to take the lead. But before they could leave, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, growing louder with each second.
"!" Mahiru's eyes widened in panic. "What should I do, Kanade?"
"Do about what?" Kanade blinked, confused.
Before he could process the situation, Mahiru bolted toward his bed and dove under the covers.
"…"
Kanade stared at the now-bulging blanket, dumbfounded.
Isn't this… a bit much?
Before he could coax her out, the door creaked open, revealing none other than Hikigaya Hachiman.
"I brought you some food—oh, you're up already," Hachiman remarked, surprised. He had been worried about Kanade after seeing him looking half-dead that morning, but it seemed the president had made a miraculous recovery.
As he stepped inside, his gaze drifted to the conspicuously lumpy bed.
"…"
The sight of the oddly shaped blanket, paired with the fancy bento on the floor, left little room for doubt.
After a brief silence, Hachiman's lips twitched as he gave Kanade a knowing look that screamed, Of course it's you.
Kanade shrugged helplessly, his expression saying, This isn't my fault.
Hachiman scoffed but decided not to pry. Instead, he picked up the bento and declared, "Since you're up, you can head to the cafeteria yourself. I'll just take this off your hands."
His voice was loud—deliberately loud.
Kanade played along seamlessly. "Sure, thanks for the thought. I'll head there now."
The two exchanged a glance before Hachiman walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Kanade waited until the sound of footsteps faded completely before crouching beside the bed.
"You can come out now, Angel-sama who panicked so adorably," he said in a teasing tone.
"Mmmph…" came a muffled response from beneath the blanket.
"…"
Thinking she hadn't heard him, Kanade lifted the edge of the blanket.
"No!" Mahiru yelped, reaching to pull the blanket back, but it was too late.
In Kanade's view, Mahiru looked less like the dignified "Angel" she was known as and more like a mischievous child caught red-handed. She squirmed under the blanket, her cheeks puffed out in embarrassment.
Kanade chuckled. "Need help getting up?"
The sight reminded him of times at home when Mahiru would doze off on the couch and wake up disoriented, her arms reaching out for support like a sleepy toddler.
Her sleepy, vulnerable expression was utterly endearing.
"D-Don't look at me…" Mahiru murmured, her gaze hazy and unfocused.
The warm midday air, coupled with the snug blanket, had left her slightly flushed, with a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. But what truly flustered her was the lingering scent of Kanade on the blanket—a subtle, distinct fragrance that made her heart race.
In her mind, Mahiru berated herself for her uncharacteristic reaction. The composed, angelic facade she usually maintained had crumbled into something far more… human.
Kanade, meanwhile, realized the precariousness of the situation.
The once-pure and untouchable "Angel" now lay before him, looking irresistibly sweet and delicate. Her current state, paired with the fact they were in a boys' dorm room, was enough to spark anyone's imagination.
"Right, um… you can get up on your own then," Kanade stammered, standing abruptly. "I-I'll go wash up."
Without another glance, he strode toward the bathroom.
Once inside, he splashed cold water on his face, willing his thoughts to settle.
Yeah. Definitely need to cool down.