You Deliver Yours, I'll Ask Mine Out

The second Sunday after school began.

Noon.

Having received no message, Ichinose picked up her bag, changed her shoes, and headed for Kamigami Haruo's room.

Meanwhile, outside Room 404.

Holding a bento, Horikita Suzune frowned as she pressed the doorbell, completely failing to notice the keycard wedged in the doorframe.

After waiting outside for quite some time without getting any response, Horikita Suzune decided not to waste any more time and turned to leave.

However, not long after she turned around, a beautiful girl comparable to herself appeared before her.

A class leader and a future class leader met ahead of schedule just like that.

"Are you a student here?"

Ichinose asked doubtfully.

"I'm delivering a bento to a future parasite on society. What about it?"

Horikita Suzune replied with a calm expression.

"Ah, all right. Go ahead and deliver it, then."

Ichinose gave Horikita Suzune a sincere smile, then walked past her toward Room 404.

After looking around, Ichinose successfully spotted the keycard. She pulled it out, used it to unlock the door, and entered the room.

Horikita Suzune, who had been about to leave, stood to the side with a frown, seemingly thinking about something.

Then, still puzzled and carrying her bento, she entered Kamigami Haruo's room as well.

"Excuse me."

"Huh? Is the person you were talking about Kamigami-kun?"

"Doesn't he seem like it? He either sleeps or reads manga in class. He even calls himself a kept man, and he takes up time that should have been spent studying."

"But Kamigami-kun is very kind, isn't he? Just a little cold."

Faced with Horikita Suzune seriously badmouthing Kamigami Haruo, Ichinose tried to change her opinion of him.

"Kind and cold? I don't feel that at all. He's just a—"

"Cough, cough. Horikita-san, don't badmouth me while I'm asleep. Please don't ruin my image in front of other girls."

"Ah, Ichinose, you're here. Sorry, I overslept. By the way, why are you here too, Horikita Suzune? I don't remember opening a harem battlefield."

Woken by the two girls' conversation, Kamigami Haruo half sat up, rubbing his eyes as he spoke to them.

"I was foolish to waste time arguing meaningless things with you. Goodbye."

As Horikita Suzune said her farewell, Ichinose walked over to the window and pulled open the curtains.

With the sunlight streaming in from outside, Kamigami Haruo clearly saw the bento box Horikita Suzune was carrying.

"D-Don't go! At least leave my exclusive love-filled bento behind!"

Well, Kamigami Haruo successfully kept Horikita Suzune from leaving. The price was being sent flying from his bed onto the freezing floor.

"Oh my, thank you, Horikita-san. I feel completely awake now."

Ichinose stared dumbfoundedly at the scene, looking at Horikita as though she had seen something terrifying.

Kamigami Haruo immediately fumbled for his shirt on the bed and put it on in an instant.

After getting dressed, he stood up and stretched, then looked at Ichinose and asked.

"Ichinose, have a seat first. Since both of you have graced my humble abode, would you like some tea, coffee, or milk?"

"Tea."

"Coffee."

"Ichinose wants tea, and Horikita-san wants coffee, right? Coming right up."

Kamigami Haruo took out the pot he had borrowed from Horikita Suzune's cupboard, then added sugar and tea leaves in order to simmer them before pouring in water and pure milk. Finally, he took out instant coffee powder and dumped it in.

The moment Kamigami Haruo took out the pot, Horikita Suzune had already put a hand to her forehead in speechless disbelief.

Only Ichinose sat there blankly, having no idea what was going on, so she tried talking to Horikita Suzune.

Unfortunately, she had picked the wrong person—this was Horikita Suzune.

She sat properly in a kneeling position, reading the novel she had casually stuffed into her pocket earlier, only occasionally giving a few perfunctory sounds in response to Ichinose.

Just as Ichinose was becoming unbearably awkward, Kamigami Haruo, now wearing an apron, finally finished preparing the drinks.

"Please enjoy the black tea-flavored milk coffee prepared by the strongest kept man. In short, coffee milk tea."

"Here, Horikita, your coffee."

"Here, Ichinose, your tea."

"You can experience the rich, mellow coffee while also enjoying the delicate fragrance of black tea. And it's made with milk from '98."

Kamigami Haruo added ice cubes to his own portion, intending to drink it after it cooled down.

"Idiot."

Horikita Suzune could only utter those brief but immensely damaging words in speechless exasperation.

"Ichinose, want some ice?"

"I'll have some, thank you."

When Ichinose tried a sip and burned herself, she stuck out her little tongue and could only ask for some ice.

Horikita Suzune, meanwhile, blew on hers before taking a small sip, looking at the two of them as though they were fools.

Kamigami Haruo took advantage of the time to happily eat the love-filled bento.

"As expected of Horikita-san. This is delicious. Next time, could you make me an omelet rice while wearing a maid outfit?"

Horikita Suzune's hand holding her book trembled slightly. The pages crumpled from the force of her grip, and she even reached her other hand toward her cup.

However, before she could pick it up, Kamigami Haruo, suddenly aware of the danger, hurriedly stopped her.

Pfft...

The sudden laughter drew the attention of the two who had been facing off.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. Kamigami-kun feels very different from how he usually seems."

"After all, how I treat people depends on what kind of person they are."

After clearing his throat, Kamigami Haruo spoke casually.

"Cough, cough. Take Horikita-san, for example. With her, you need to be tolerant and shameless. Wait, don't hit me yet."

"Or Kikyo. Since she enjoys being popular and praised, I occasionally go along with her. Don't make her feel embarrassed—then I'm happy, and she's happy."

"Then there's you, Ichinose. You're a complete and utter do-gooder, like a sage who selflessly devotes herself to others. Horikita-san, what attitude do you usually have toward people like that?"

Kamigami Haruo turned to Horikita Suzune and had her answer.

"Though I don't believe such people exist, I would keep a respectful distance. I might interact with them if our interests became entangled."

Horikita Suzune answered without even thinking.

"Don't say that. Maybe if you interact more in the future, you'll become good friends."

"So, do you understand why I treat you the way I do now?"

After teasing Horikita Suzune, Kamigami Haruo turned to look at Ichinose, who was forcing a smile.

"I just wanted to live up to everyone's expectations... I never want to disappoint anyone or hurt anyone again..."

After saying that, Ichinose lowered her head completely.

"You're only a sixteen-year-old girl, not a prime minister holding the fate of countless citizens in your hands."

"And if it weren't for that piece of bread, you and I would have had nothing to do with each other—and I wouldn't have wanted us to. Because I don't want to see my friend, who clearly has such a bright future, sink into the mud and willingly fall into depravity."

As the dejected Ichinose kept her head lowered, she felt her cheeks being touched, then kneaded and pinched into all sorts of shapes.

"Have you tried confessing that matter to your friends?"

"N-No. I've never found the chance."

Ichinose answered with panic, embarrassment, and dejection in her voice.

Then the hands kneading her cheeks stopped, and her face was lifted as she looked at Kamigami Haruo before her.

"You still don't dare. You have a chance right now. Tell Horikita-san."

Horikita Suzune, who had silently been drinking milk tea and watching the drama unfold, snapped back to her senses at Kamigami Haruo's words.

"I..."

Horikita Suzune had wanted to say she was not interested, but Ichinose's gaze, filled with summoned courage, made her swallow the words she had intended to say.