Chapter 256: Stop! He Doesn't Want to Be Taken for a Creep!
After realizing that their stalking had been exposed, Chika Fujiwara suggested continuing the pursuit. Although Kanade Natsukawa tried persuading her otherwise, her insistence left him with no choice but to follow along.
Despite moving quickly, they found no sign of Moeha and her companions once they exited the restaurant. Just as Chika began to panic about losing them, Kanade spotted Moeha and another girl exiting a nearby boutique across the street.
To his surprise, Moeha waved cheerfully in their direction.
"..."
"Huh? Did we lose them again?" Chika fretted as she turned toward Kanade. "Should we split up to search this time?"
"No need," Kanade replied with a sigh, pointing behind her. "They're right there."
Moeha and her friend had clearly noticed them and were now heading straight over.
"Wow, what a coincidence! Running into you here, sister! Oh, and Natsukawa-senpai, you're here too!" Moeha greeted them with an innocent smile.
Kanade took the opportunity to observe them more closely.
Moeha, as usual, looked like a younger version of Chika—lacking some of the elder's airheadedness but possessing a slightly sharper, more mischievous aura. The girl beside her seemed fairly ordinary. She wasn't someone Kanade recognized, and while her features were cute and fresh, they bore the telltale marks of a "background character."
Chika, however, was visibly flustered. Her entire body stiffened as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "Uh, wow, what a coincidence indeed…"
"Sooo… why are you two here together?" Moeha asked, her tone full of curiosity and just a hint of teasing.
"..." Kanade struggled to come up with a response. Moeha's expression practically screamed, I know exactly what's going on.
Meanwhile, Chika's panic shifted into full-blown chaos. Her thoughts were in disarray—not because she was worried about being seen with a boy, but because she feared her sister discovering that she had been following her.
"Ah! Uh, w-we're just, um—"
"On a date, right? Wow, I'm so jealous!" Moeha interrupted, her voice dripping with faux admiration.
"Wha—? A date?!" Chika's mind blanked for a moment before quickly nodding in agreement. "Y-yes! That's right! A date! You caught us! President was so insistent about going out together—he wouldn't take no for an answer!"
Kanade: "...???"
Excuse me?
So now everything was his fault? Sure, fine. If that's how it's going to be, he might as well sit back and enjoy the show.
Clearly, Moeha was leading Chika by the nose, but Kanade had no intention of intervening. Letting her get a taste of her own medicine seemed fair enough.
After some lighthearted small talk, both sides clarified their reasons for being out.
Kanade and Chika stuck to their "date" cover story, while Moeha and her companion—introduced as Sakura Aino—explained their situation.
As it turned out, the boy who had been with them earlier was pursuing Sakura romantically. Not interested, she had sought Moeha's help. The plan was for Moeha to act as her "girlfriend," hoping that the sight of their "sincere love" would dissuade the boy from further advances.
Kanade was dumbfounded. The logic seemed convoluted. Wouldn't asking a boy to pose as her boyfriend have been more straightforward?
Still, it wasn't his place to judge.
What did catch his attention, however, was Sakura's repeated glances in his direction. Despite his minimal involvement in the conversation, she kept looking at him. When their eyes met, her gaze flitted away quickly, carrying a faint but discernible hostility.
Kanade found it puzzling.
By then, they had all returned to the restaurant. The girls decided to settle in for desserts and a chat, claiming their earlier meal hadn't been satisfying.
The conversation, dominated by the girls, left Kanade little room to interject. He occasionally chimed in with polite remarks, but the constant chatter was mentally draining. Seizing an opportunity, he excused himself to the restroom for a brief reprieve.
After washing his hands, Kanade stepped out, only to bump into Sakura.
He paused, giving her a polite nod. But before he could say anything, she grabbed his sleeve and said in a low voice, "Follow me."
"..." Kanade froze for a moment. His first instinct was to refuse, but her next words caught his attention.
"It's about Moeha."
"…Alright." Now curious, he decided to follow her to a secluded corner.
"What's going on with Moeha?" Kanade asked directly, cutting to the chase.
"..." Sakura didn't answer. Instead, she began unbuttoning the top of her blouse.
"...???" Kanade's eyes widened in shock.
Instinctively, he staggered back several steps, his voice rising in alarm. "What are you doing?! Are you insane?!"
This bizarre turn of events was beyond anything he'd ever encountered. Even the most aggressive maid recruiters in Akihabara wouldn't pull a stunt like this!
As Sakura continued, Kanade's mind raced with worst-case scenarios.
Am I being set up? Is this some kind of trap?!
Raising his hands defensively, he slowly backed away. "Hey, calm down. Whatever's going on, we can talk it out. Just… button up first!"
Sakura halted, looking down at herself with a conflicted expression. She muttered under her breath, "I knew it. I'm not enough… Moeha would be better for this…"
"..."
Kanade was speechless. What does Moeha have to do with this?! And what are you even trying to accomplish?
To his relief, Sakura finally stopped and buttoned her blouse back up. Kanade exhaled deeply, feeling like he'd narrowly escaped some sort of disaster.
"Alright, start explaining. What's going on?" he demanded.
Kanade Natsukawa remained tense, unsure what strange thing this girl might do next. He stayed on high alert, waiting for her to clarify her intentions.
"Alright, now can you explain what you're trying to do? I'll listen carefully..."
Under his watchful gaze, Sakura Aino finally spoke.
"I want you to stop making moves on Moeha. Instead, I'm willing to be your X…"
"Wait! Wait! Stop right there!" Kanade immediately cut her off, waving his hands in a panic.
If this conversation goes any further, it'll be rated R!
"Forget about the second part for now. Let's address the first part—what do you mean by 'stop making moves on Moeha'?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sakura retorted, crossing her arms as she began her explanation. "Just earlier, Moeha kept glancing at you—over 20 times! Isn't it clear she's very interested in you?"
"???" Kanade blinked, dumbfounded.
Of course, she'd look this way! We were sitting right across from each other!
"Moeha looked at her sister just as much, if not more!" he protested.
"Well, there's nothing unusual about looking at one's own sister," Sakura dismissed with a shrug.
Kanade: "…"
What kind of twisted logic was this?
Sakura continued, undeterred.
"Men are all the same—big pigs with big trotters. Even if they're already dating someone, they'd still jump at the chance if another girl throws herself at them. Especially if it's a pair of sisters. Hmph, men…"
Her scornful tone, coupled with that last disdainful "hmph," made Kanade feel utterly attacked.
How am I supposed to argue with that?
"Well, it's not like I'm interested in Moeha," Kanade explained earnestly, trying to dispel her suspicions. "For starters, she's still a middle schooler…"
"So, you're saying you'll wait until she's in high school, huh? Hmph, men…"
Kanade: "…"
This conversation is going nowhere fast.
Left with no other options, Kanade decided to come clean. He explained the real reason why he and Chika were there: to check on Moeha because her older sister had been worried.
"Oh, I see…" Sakura nodded, finally relaxing a bit. "I thought you two were—well, never mind."
"Come on, how could anyone mistake us for that?" Kanade sighed, gesturing dismissively. "We're not even remotely close like that!"
Sakura shot him a subtle, knowing look that made him feel strangely self-conscious.
"Well, this makes me feel a little better." She smiled faintly. "Thanks for clarifying. Enjoy your meal."
"…" Kanade was too drained to even react. Whatever. At least it's over now.
Or so he thought.
Just as he turned to leave, Sakura spun around and called out to him.
"One more thing."
"Huh?"
She fixed him with a serious gaze. "Just to be safe, let's exchange contact information. That way, if you ever try to make a move on Moeha… you can come to me instead. Leave her out of it!"
Kanade was left utterly speechless. "I WOULD NEVER MAKE A MOVE ON A MIDDLE SCHOOLER!"
Ignoring his protests, Sakura insisted until Kanade reluctantly exchanged contact information with her.
By the time she finally left, he felt like he'd just survived a high-pressure interrogation. Sighing deeply, Kanade splashed some cold water on his face in the restroom before returning to the table.
When he arrived, the girls were still chatting happily, as if nothing had happened. Sakura Aino's demeanor was so calm and cheerful that he almost doubted whether their bizarre encounter had even occurred.
Kanade couldn't help but marvel at her composure. Girls really are born actors. How does she pull this off so effortlessly?
"President, you were gone forever!" Chika complained, looking up from her dessert. "We're almost done eating!"
"Sorry, stomach issues," Kanade replied evenly as he sat back down, attempting to compose himself.
"Mmm, should we be heading out soon?" Moeha chimed in, her eyes glinting mischievously. "But what about the leftovers? It'd be such a waste to leave them behind…"
Kanade immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
Sure enough, Moeha turned toward him with a sweet, innocent smile.
"Senpai, could I ask you to help finish this? Boys have bigger appetites, right?"
She gestured toward a half-eaten fruit parfait. While much of it had been eaten, a significant portion still remained.
Under normal circumstances, Kanade wouldn't have minded. As Moeha was Chika's sister and not a complete stranger, he wouldn't hesitate to help out.
But after everything that had just happened—especially with a certain "guardian" sitting nearby, silently watching him like a hawk—there was no way he was touching that parfait.
Before he could even respond, however, Chika shot up from her seat, her face flushed with indignation.
"No way!" she declared, pointing an accusatory finger at Moeha. "You can't just ask President to eat your leftovers like that! Don't you care about appearances, you idiot sister?!"
"…"
Kanade gave Chika a long, complicated look.
Of all people, this coming from you? Really?
Today had been… an experience, to say the least.