Yamamura Miki clearly heard her say, "Suzune."
Not Horikita-san, but Suzune.
In Japan, people usually address others by their surnames rather than their given names to show respect and politeness. Only people who are close to each other use given names.
Were they really that close?
A faint sense of loss rose in her heart without warning. She couldn't tell why she felt that way, or put it into words.
Horikita Suzune's eyes narrowed slightly. She didn't give Kitagawa Kai another cold look. Instead, she suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Kitagawa Kai's wrist at extremely close range!
However.
The expected scene of the other person stumbling as she pulled him, then being forced to follow, did not happen.
No matter how hard she pulled, Kitagawa Kai didn't budge.
Horikita Suzune felt as if she were tugging on a steel beam, solid as a rock.
This unexpected resistance made her freeze mid-motion. Her cheeks flushed from the effort, and her eyes turned even colder.
She stared at Kitagawa Kai as if he were an unreasonable monster.
A brief stalemate.
Then Kitagawa Kai sighed softly. A look of helplessness, like "I can't do anything with you," flashed across his face, and he could only go along with her.
"Yamamura-san, wait for me. Don't leave, no matter what. I'll sort this out right away."
"Bang!"
The bathroom door slammed shut, completely cutting off the inside from the outside.
The thin door panel now seemed like an impassable barrier, leaving Yamamura Miki alone in Room 308.
Yamamura Miki was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
What had happened?
Had Horikita-san dragged Kitagawa-kun into the bathroom?
Was it because of her?
Sort what out?
Was he going to calm Horikita-san down?
Inside the bathroom.
"Kitagawa Kai, what's going on with you? I was wondering why you were being so nice today, messaging me first and even going out to buy ingredients yourself. So you were planning to have me help you pick someone up?"
Horikita Suzune's sarcasm was undisguised, though she lowered her voice a little.
Kitagawa Kai stood opposite her, leaning against the bathroom door with a relaxed posture. He didn't argue.
His silent gaze irritated Horikita Suzune even more than any verbal rebuttal could have. It made her feel completely ignored.
How could he be so calm?
"What, did I hit the nail on the head? Are you using our contract and my housekeeping skills to fulfill your sleazy dream of having a harem?"
Kitagawa Kai shook his head slightly.
"Yamamura-san just happened to have skipped lunch and was standing alone in front of the Vending Machine. As her friend, I invited her back to the dorm to eat together. That's perfectly normal, isn't it?"
"Hmph. Handle your own relationships properly. Don't drag innocent people into our contract. I'm not your nanny."
Kitagawa Kai's gaze slowly swept across her tense face as he lowered his voice.
"Suzune-chan's worried other people will misunderstand and think there's some special relationship between you and me, since you're helping entertain my female friend?"
"Pointless speculation. Your private affairs have nothing to do with me."
Horikita Suzune spat out the words, each syllable icy. At the same time, she instinctively tried to pull back the hand she had kept tightly wrapped around his wrist ever since she'd dragged him inside.
But the instant her fingers loosened slightly-
Kitagawa Kai suddenly moved. His wrist turned with remarkable agility, and his fingers closed around hers.
He gave a gentle tug, and the distance between them vanished.
Horikita Suzune felt a just-right force pull her forward, her body moving against her will.
She could almost feel the warmth coming through his clothes and smell his fresh, clean scent as it completely surrounded her.
Kitagawa Kai freed his other hand and gently stroked the top of her head.
!!!
A scorching heat surged uncontrollably up Horikita Suzune's back and all the way to her head!
His gentle strokes, one after another, felt like they carried a strange electric current, making her whole body go weak. Only her cheeks burned fiercely.
"All right, Suzune-chan. Don't be jealous."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Horikita Suzune staggered backward, retreating in a hurry, her eyes clouded with tears, whether from anger or embarrassment she couldn't tell.
[ Ding! ]
[ Horikita Suzune Affection Level +10, current Affection Level: 50 (Special) ]
[ Affection Level reward: Master-Level Cooking ]
"I'm not! Don't flatter yourself!"
"Is that so?" Kitagawa Kai met her furious, flustered glare. "Then I guess I misunderstood. Let's go out."
He turned the doorknob and walked out first.
At the sound of their footsteps, Yamamura Miki looked between them.
Kitagawa Kai's expression was as calm as ever, and he even seemed more relaxed than before he went in.
When she saw Horikita Suzune's unusually flushed cheeks, she instinctively held her breath.
What had the two of them been doing in there?
"Yamamura-san, there was a little misunderstanding, but it's been sorted out. Sorry for the wait."
"That's good."
Yamamura Miki's lips moved, but she could only manage a few words. Her gaze couldn't help drifting again to Horikita Suzune, who had started washing vegetables at the sink.
She couldn't keep standing there like an idiot.
Yamamura Miki felt she had to do something to break the stifling silence.
"Kitagawa-kun, I'll help Horikita-san cook, too."
"Sure, Yamamura-san. Suzune's washing the vegetables over there. You can help her with those, or see what else needs preparing."
With his permission, Yamamura Miki nodded as if she'd been given an important task. "O-okay!"
She turned around and hesitantly took a few small steps toward the figure by the sink, whose back seemed to warn everyone to keep their distance.
"Horikita-san..."
"Yamamura-san, how did you meet Kitagawa Kai?"
"We met on the bus at the start of the school year. I was sitting by the window, and Kitagawa-kun was next to me. We greeted each other and chatted for a bit."
"Did you see each other often afterward, in Class A?"
"No." Yamamura Miki hurriedly shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "After the classes were assigned, we didn't have much contact. I just happened to run into him by the Vending Machine today."
"What about you, Horikita-san? You knew each other from before, right?"
The moment she asked, Yamamura Miki regretted it a little.
The question was too personal. She couldn't help thinking of the faint sounds she'd heard from the bathroom just now, and Horikita-san's unusual expression when she came out.
"I got set up by the capitalists."
Huh?
Kitagawa Kai paid no attention to the two girls whispering. He lay on the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
"Kitagawa-kun, the food's ready."
There was 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.
"Great, time to dig in. Thanks, Suzune-chan and Yamamura-san."
"Heh, you slept like a log and left two beautiful girls to cook for you. You must be pleased."
"Extremely pleased."
Yamamura Miki felt that what she'd experienced today had been more exciting than half a lifetime.
It had all started at that Vending Machine, where she'd run into a friend she'd never dared to contact.
Then things unfolded in an even more unbelievable way. First they went shopping together, then somehow she ended up at the Boys' Dormitory, cooking with a girl from Class D.
And there was that strange atmosphere between Kitagawa Kai and Horikita Suzune. Yes, strange. She couldn't think of a more fitting word. Was this how a boy and a girl could act around each other?