Yamamura Miki's Wonderful Adventure (Part 1)

Overjoyed.

This word was like a tiny bomb coated in honey, exploding in the silent heart of Yamamura Miki, making her feel light as air.

[Ding!]

[Yamamura Miki Affection Level +5. Current Affection Level: 45 (Friend)]

Kitagawa Kai's smile widened as he naturally made a logical request.

"Let's exchange contact info."

"O-okay."

Yamamura Miki was practically pushed along by this frank momentum, fumbling as she pulled her terminal from her pocket and added Kitagawa Kai as a friend.

"I'm... I'm pretty happy to see you again too."

Kitagawa Kai watched her shy yet earnest expression, and the laughter in his eyes seemed to settle as he replied:

"That's good. I said I'd contact you after enrollment—it was my fault."

"No, it's not... I was the one who... didn't dare..." Yamamura Miki had long grown used to being invisible; where would she find the courage to reach out to that friend from Class B?

"It's in the past." Kitagawa Kai's voice cut in at just the right moment, interrupting her flustered excuses.

"We're connected now, aren't we? From now on, whenever you want to talk, or go somewhere, you can find me anytime."

"Mm..." Yamamura Miki nodded firmly.

"By the way, have you had lunch?"

Lunch?

Yamamura Miki froze for a moment, then shook her head instinctively. She'd been standing in front of the vending machine for so long that she'd completely forgotten about eating.

"How about we grab something together?"

Walking together, choosing together, sitting at the same table, sharing food—maybe even talking more.

"S-sure." Yamamura Miki heard her own voice, steadier than she'd expected.

"I... I haven't had lunch yet. I'm a bit hungry."

As soon as she said it, she felt a little embarrassed, instinctively lowering her head to stare at her own shoes. Her blue-gray hair fell forward, hiding part of her burning face.

Taking advantage of the girl's brief downward glance, Kitagawa Kai moved with perfect naturalness, pulling out his terminal from his pocket, quickly typing a line, and pressing send.

[Suzune-chan, I'll buy the ingredients myself today. Just come straight to my dorm later.]

The slight vibration of the sent message buzzed against his fingertip. Without changing his expression, he slipped the terminal back into his pocket.

After finishing, he turned sideways and gestured. "Let's go, then."

Yamamura Miki quickly took two small steps to catch up, walking slightly behind and to the side, carefully maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

As they walked, she realized this was the path to the convenience store. The familiar greenery on both sides, and the faint "ding-dong" of the automatic door opening and closing, confirmed it.

Going to the convenience store to buy a bento, finding a bench on campus, eating together—this realization settled Yamamura Miki's chaotic thoughts a little.

She took a quiet breath, gathered a bit of courage, turned her head, and said softly: "Kitagawa-kun, are we going to the convenience store... to eat?"

"No."

"We're going to the convenience store to buy some ingredients." He paused, then dropped the second half that left Yamamura Miki's mind blank: "Then go back to the dorm and cook."

Not a bento? Not eating outside?

Buy ingredients?

Going to a boy's dorm... and cooking together?

This had completely, utterly exceeded the boundaries of all her social experience.

Yamamura Miki stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide and round, filled with pure shock.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She could only stare blankly at Kitagawa Kai's still-calm face.

"Yamamura-san?" Kitagawa Kai looked at her face, which had gone pale and then flushed red in an instant, and furrowed his brow slightly, a note of genuine confusion in his voice. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

He was still asking her what was wrong?

Didn't he think this suggestion was... very, very strange?!

Yamamura Miki felt like her brain had been stuffed with a tangled mess. How could he say something like that in such a normal tone?

She pointed at herself, then at Kitagawa Kai. "Go to the dorm...?"

Then, under her burning gaze, Kitagawa Kai nodded clearly.

"Yeah, to the dorm." He actually admitted it! His tone was still steady, even carrying a hint of matter-of-fact confirmation.

Yamamura Miki's heart jolted in panic. Was this really how other people made friends? Wasn't this pace a little too fast?

"Please don't worry, Yamamura-san. There will be other girls joining us too."

Not alone...

There were other girls...

That relaxed her a lot.

At the very least, it wasn't the worst-case scenario she had imagined.

The heat on Yamamura Miki's cheeks didn't subside; instead, it burned even hotter from the belated embarrassment, spreading to her neck and ears until they were translucent red.

"S-sorry! I completely misunderstood! I thought it was..."

"It's okay." Kitagawa Kai's voice came quickly, carrying a hint of understanding gentleness. "I didn't explain clearly beforehand, so I made you worry."

"Is there anything you can't eat?"

"I can eat anything, no restrictions. Keep it simple, that's fine."

"Mm, got it."

Entering the convenience store, Yamamura Miki unlocked a shopping experience unlike any she'd had with family.

It felt novel and unfamiliar.

Walking side by side with a male friend between the shelves, picking ingredients for the shared goal of cooking together—this was absolutely the first time in her life.

After choosing the ingredients, Kitagawa Kai led Yamamura Miki to the third floor of the dormitory.

Yamamura Miki's heart instantly shot to its peak, nearly leaping out of her throat. The air was thick with a distinctly male scent—she was really about to step into a boy's dorm room!

She tiptoed, her steps unsteady, following behind Kitagawa Kai like a puppet pulled by invisible strings.

Kitagawa Kai, walking ahead, stopped. Yamamura Miki jerked to a halt too, almost bumping into his back. She looked up in panic.

Room 308.

Horikita Suzune had arrived early as usual, standing by the door.

She didn't seem to have just gotten there; she'd been standing for a while, as if waiting or lost in thought.

She was slightly turned away from the approaching pair, exuding a cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Horikita Suzune's amethyst eyes first looked at Kitagawa Kai, then fixed on the convenience store plastic bag in his hand, which held various ingredients. The amount prepared clearly exceeded a two-person lunch.

Then she turned to the girl behind Kitagawa Kai, a strange expression crossing her face.

Yamamura Miki felt like she was suffocating.

So this was the other girl? She was so beautiful, her gaze so icy, and also so intimidating that even the courage to greet her evaporated instantly.

Kitagawa Kai, completely oblivious to the stagnant atmosphere and the questioning look in Horikita Suzune's eyes, made no explanation and deftly pulled out his key.

"Click."

The door opened.

"Come in first, don't just stand at the door." Kitagawa Kai pushed the door open and slipped inside sideways.

"This is Horikita Suzune from Class D, and this is Yamamura Miki from Class A."

"Horikita-san, hello."

"Yamamura-san, hello."

The two exchanged greetings in a peculiar atmosphere.

"It just so happens Yamamura-san hasn't had lunch today either, so please prepare lunch for three, Suzune-chan."

Suzune-chan?