Chapter Thirty-Four: Fierce Offensive
“I see, it turns out you really want to date Nagiko~”
Ling’s voice floated gently from behind Kanade.
Kanade jumped, quickly covering his ears and pulling away.
“Ling!? Why do you always have to sneak up behind me and speak like that!?”
“Because—it’s my special skill.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
“After all, a skill is something you need to practice hard to master; if you don’t use it often, isn’t that a waste?”
“Righteous indignation?! What kind of training do you undergo to—”
“I used to secretly follow others every day after school to practice.”
“—isn’t that basically a crime!?”
“Don’t misunderstand! I’m not a criminal stalking others; I just always sneak up behind you, Kanade.”
“Have I stopped being human!?”
“Hahaha, well, let’s put the sincerity aside—”
Ling pretended to move objects in the air with a playful gesture.
“Is this not a joke!?”
Ling looked at Kanade, who had finally calmed down, and spoke again.
“By the way, you’re quite bold, aren’t you? Didn’t you know? The results of this vote will be reported to the girls by an undercover agent~”
“W-What!?”
“You openly voted for Nagiko; is that a confession?”
“T-That doesn’t necessarily mean I voted for her!”
Kanade quickly denied it, but his face turned bright red at an obvious speed, revealing his true feelings.
“Eh? Really? But I see your two votes went to her, which means you want to date someone else too?”
Ling grinned, “If Nagiko finds out…”
“W-Wait!? This has nothing to do with Nagiko, right!?”
“Well, I was just joking. You really haven’t changed at all~”
Ling patted Kanade’s shoulder, his expression turning serious.
“But can you really keep this up forever?”
“Ling?”
“Though it might be inappropriate for someone like me, who has no involvement, I still want to remind you… if things continue like this, you might lose Nagiko to someone else?”
“T-That’s—”
“Well! But it’s not a hundred percent that it will happen.” Ling interrupted Kanade.
“I understand the feeling of being unable to take that step because of fear of failure, but I’d like you to be brave and confess. Otherwise, you might regret it for the rest of your life…”
Meanwhile.
In the girls’ voting area.
“Tsukimi Kanade… vote for ‘the boy you most want to date’!”
The girl counting the votes at the podium stared in shock at the name “Tsukimi Kanade” written in elegant handwriting on the ballot.
Her first reaction was astonishment, followed by a delighted exclamation.
“Hoshimiya-san~ Did you vote for this!?”
The girl sitting next to Nagine couldn’t help but smile and ask.
“T-This is anonymous, right!?”
Hearing this, Nagine’s cute face flushed an enticing crimson.
“Eh~ So does that mean other girls want to date Tsukimi-kun as well—”
“N-No way!”
“Wow~ quick to answer! Hoshimiya-chan, aren’t you super into this~”
“Wah—wah—”
Nagine covered her scorching face with her hands.
“Speaking of which, Hoshimiya-san even voted for Tsukimi-kun. Didn’t he—”
One girl started to say something, but immediately received warning glances from other girls to keep quiet.
“This girl rarely votes for Tsukimi-kun! If you make her change her mind, who will take responsibility for that!?” The girls exchanged glances that conveyed this message.
But Nagine’s response surprised them.
“B-Because… I… like him…”
Nagine’s ears turned red, and her moist eyes peeked away shyly through her fingers as she whispered.
Her reaction left the girls present in awe.
“What on earth did she eat to grow up so cute!?”
“Tsukimi-kun, who is being secretly adored by such a cute girl and still hasn’t confessed, what kind of person is he!?”
…
At this moment, a storm had erupted in the girls’ hearts.
Meanwhile, from their perspective, Nagine’s lips curled into a crescent smile.
Now everyone knows my feelings for Kanade; no one will compete with me for him, right? Especially you—
Nagine thought, stealing glances at Alice, who was beside her, through the reflection in the window.
I’m willing to put aside my male pride and adult dignity to play the role of a pretty girl—it’s a worthy trade.
For example, at this moment, I can easily deter all potential girls who might consider approaching Kanade because of the gap between us.
After getting along well with them on usual days, I might even have them help bring Kanade and me together~
…..
…..
After the voting ended, Kanade stepped out of the empty classroom, intending to head to the self-research lab.
Around the corner in the hallway, he saw Nagine’s slender figure bathed in sunlight.
Whether it was her waist-length black hair or her long legs clad in black stockings protruding from her short skirt, they made Kanade’s heart race.
Especially since Ling’s earlier words still lingered in his mind, he was now very concerned about Nagine.
Alice, who followed the girls out of the classroom, planned to approach Nagine to chat when a figure quickly stepped between her and Nagine.
“Alice-san, sorry to keep you waiting~ Now let me give you a tour of the campus~”
Ling appeared before Alice with a dazzling smile that anyone—regardless of gender—would find adorable, and invited her with an unassailable attitude.
In front of everyone, Alice found it hard to refuse and had to agree.
The other classmates also noticed that Nagine was waiting for Kanade.
So they all left discreetly.
Before leaving, Ling turned to give Kanade a knowing look.
This made Kanade pay more attention to Ling’s previous words.
His face involuntarily turned hot, and even his steps toward Nagine felt a bit unnatural.
Meanwhile, Nagine lowered her head, playing with her hair with her fingers.
She purposely showed an expression of still being jealous, waiting for Kanade to come closer.
At the same time, she had already made her plans in her mind.
At this moment, what do boys generally hope to see from the girls they are interested in?
That would be—
“W-What are you doing, Nagi?”
Kanade nervously swallowed his saliva.
“… Didn’t we agree to go to the self-research lab together?”
Nagine puffed her cheeks and spoke softly, as if upset over Kanade forgetting their appointment.
“Y-Yeah…”
Kanade responded while his brain raced, trying to figure out how to apologize for today’s events.
He hadn’t quite figured out what he had done wrong, but since Nagine was upset, it must mean there was something he had done wrong.
But in the next moment.
He heard Nagine speak first.
“And, I’m sorry… for treating you like this today, Kanade-kun…”
Nagine lowered her eyes.
“Ah no, I was wrong too…”
Kanade quickly retorted.
“So where do you think you went wrong, Kanade-kun?”
“T-That is—”
Kanade was momentarily at a loss for words.
Seeing this, Nagine lifted her head, revealing a gentle smile.
“You’re truly kind, Kanade-kun~”
“Why are you saying that all of a sudden…”
“Even though it’s not your fault, you still want to take the blame for everything…”
“Na-Nagi…”
Thump, thump.
Kanade looked at Nagine’s shy expression in front of him as if his heart were about to explode.
“So… are you willing to forgive me, Kanade-kun?”
“Ah no, I mean it’s not like that—”
“… Do you hate me now, Kanade-kun…?”
Nagine’s voice carried hints of anxiety, showing a troubled and worried expression.
“Absolutely not! I have never thought of hating you, Nagi!”
By the time Kanade snapped back to reality, his hands had already grabbed Nagine’s shoulders.
Their eyes met.
“I actually—”
Kanade felt he was about to overflow with the feelings inside him.
Ling’s earlier words flashed through his mind.
—What if Nagine were to be taken away from me by someone else…
“Like—”
“—Kanade-kun, about that vote earlier… I actually still have one left to cast…”
Just when Kanade determined to speak out.
He was awkwardly interrupted by Nagine, who had just opened her mouth.
Causing Kanade’s rising courage to retreat instantly.
As Nagine spoke, she took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket.
From the color of the paper, Kanade recognized it must be the ballot for “the cutest or most handsome student.”
“I know everyone won’t vote for you, so I don’t want to see you end up last—”
Nagine softly said, her slender fingers slowly unfolding the paper before shyly handing it to Kanade.
Written on it in beautiful handwriting was “Kanade-kun”.
“Because—my kind Kanade-kun is the world’s number one handsome.”
