Yamamura Miki's Wonderful Adventure (Part 2)

Yamamura Miki heard it clearly—Suzune.

Not Horikita-san, but Suzune.

In Japan, people usually address each other by their family names to show respect and politeness; only those close to each other use given names.

Were they really that intimate?

A faint, inexplicable sense of loss welled up in her heart without warning. She couldn't tell why she felt lost, nor could she articulate it.

Horikita Suzune's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't spare Kitagawa Kai another cold glare. Instead, she suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance, and grabbed his wrist!

But.

The expected scene—where he would be yanked off balance and forced to follow—didn't happen.

No matter how hard she pulled, Kitagawa Kai didn't budge.

Horikita Suzune felt as if she were tugging on a steel bar—solid as a rock.

This unexpected stability froze her movement instantly. Her cheeks flushed from the effort, and the cold glint in her eyes sharpened.

She stared at Kitagawa Kai like he was an incomprehensible monster.

A brief standoff.

Then, Kitagawa Kai let out a soft sigh. A flicker of resignation crossed his eyes, as if to say, "I guess there's no helping it," and he decided to go along with her.

"Yamamura-san, wait for me. Don't go anywhere. I'll sort this out right away."

"Bang!"

The bathroom door slammed shut, completely sealing off the space inside and out.

That thin door panel now felt like an insurmountable chasm, leaving Yamamura Miki alone inside Room 308.

Yamamura Miki was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

What just happened?

Horikita-san dragged Kitagawa-kun into the bathroom?

Was it because of her?

Sort it out?

Sort what out?

Sort out Horikita-san's anger?

Inside the bathroom.

"Kitagawa Kai, what's wrong with you? I thought you were being unusually kind today—sending that message yourself, going to buy ingredients—but it turns out you wanted me to help you pick up someone else?"

Horikita Suzune's tone was dripping with undisguised sarcasm, though she lowered her voice slightly.

Kitagawa Kai stood across from her, his back against the bathroom door, his posture relaxed. He didn't refute her.

This silent stare was more infuriating to Horikita Suzune than any verbal rebuttal—it felt like utter disregard.

How could he be so calm?

"What, hit the nail on the head? Using our contract, using my housekeeping skills, to fulfill your sleazy harem dreams?"

Kitagawa Kai shook his head slightly, the motion small.

"Yamamura-san just happened to skip lunch and was standing alone in front of the vending machine. As her friend, inviting her back to the dorm for a meal is perfectly normal, isn't it?"

"Hmph, handle your own social life. Don't drag innocent people into this contract. I'm not your babysitter."

Kitagawa Kai's gaze swept across her tense face, and he lowered his voice.

"Suzune-chan is worried that others might misunderstand—that there's something special between you and me, to the point where we'd need to entertain my female friend together?"

"Pointless speculation. Your private affairs have nothing to do with me."

Horikita Suzune spat out the words, each syllable carrying a chill. At the same time, she instinctively tried to pull back her hand—the one that had been gripping his wrist ever since she dragged him in.

But just as her fingers loosened slightly!

Kitagawa Kai moved. His wrist twisted with incredible agility, and his fingers suddenly closed in.

With a gentle tug, the distance between them vanished.

Horikita Suzune felt a perfectly measured force pull her forward, her body moving against her will.

She could almost feel the warmth of his body through the fabric of his clothes, smell the clean scent that enveloped her completely.

Kitagawa Kai freed his other hand and gently stroked the top of her head.

!!!

A wave of scorching heat, completely beyond her control, shot up from Horikita Suzune's spine to the crown of her head!

Each soft stroke carried a strange electric current, making her body go limp, her cheeks burning hot.

"Alright, Suzune-chan, don't be jealous."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Horikita Suzune stumbled backward, her eyes misty—whether from anger or embarrassment, she couldn't tell.

[Ding!]

[Horikita Suzune Affection Level +10, current Affection Level 50 (Special)]

[Affection Level reward obtained: Master-Level Cooking]

"I do not! Stop flattering yourself!"

"Is that so." Kitagawa Kai met her glare, fierce yet tinged with panic. "Then I must have misunderstood. Let's head out."

He twisted the door handle and stepped out first.

Hearing their footsteps, Yamamura Miki glanced between the two.

Kitagawa Kai's expression was as calm as ever, even seeming more relaxed than before he went in.

When she saw the unnatural flush on Horikita Suzune's cheeks, she instinctively held her breath.

What had they been doing in there?

"Yamamura-san, there was a small misunderstanding, but it's been resolved. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"That's good."

Yamamura Miki's lips moved, but she could only force out a few words. Her gaze, however, couldn't help drifting toward Horikita Suzune, who was already washing vegetables at the sink.

She couldn't just stand there dumbly anymore.

Yamamura Miki felt she had to do something to break this suffocating silence.

"Kitagawa-kun, I'll go help Horikita-san with the cooking too."

"Sure, Yamamura-san. Suzune's washing the veggies over there—you can help her receive them, or see what else needs prepping."

Permission granted, Yamamura Miki nodded eagerly, as if she'd received an important mission. "Okay, got it!"

She turned, her steps hesitant, and shuffled toward the back by the sink, where that aura of 'keep away' radiated from the figure.

"Horikita-san..."

"Yamamura-san, how did you meet Kitagawa Kai?"

"At the start of school, on the bus. I was sitting by the window, and Kitagawa-kun sat next to me. We greeted each other and chatted a bit."

"After that, in Class A, did you see each other often?"

"No." Yamamura Miki quickly shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "After the class split, we didn't really cross paths. Today was just a coincidence running into him at the vending machine."

"What about you, Horikita-san? You two knew each other from before, right?"

The moment she asked, Yamamura Miki regretted it.

The question was too personal. She couldn't help recalling the faint sounds from the restroom earlier and Horikita-san's unnatural complexion after coming out.

"I got set up by capital."

Huh?

Kitagawa Kai ignored the two girls' whispers, lay down on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

"Kitagawa-kun, the food's ready."

No response. His breathing remained steady.

Horikita Suzune reached out, pinched Kitagawa Kai's cheek, and tugged it slightly to the side.

He woke up.

"Alright, time to chow down. Thanks, Suzune-chan and Yamamura-san."

"Heh, sleeping so soundly, leaving two beauties to cook for you. Satisfied?"

"Very satisfied."

Yamamura Miki felt today's experience was more eventful than half a lifetime.

It all started with that vending machine, running into a friend she'd never dared to contact.

Then came an even more unimaginable turn of events: first shopping together, then somehow ending up at the Boys' Dormitory, cooking with a girl from Class D.

And that strange atmosphere between Kitagawa Kai and Horikita Suzune—yes, strange, she couldn't think of a better word. Was this how a boy and a girl could interact?