Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

Japan may not be vast, but two people with separate travel plans coincidentally taking a trip to the same "suburban" area on a weekend? Isn't that a bit much?

At least, that's what Kanade Natsukawa thought, to the point where he began suspecting that Kasumigaoka might have planted some kind of tracking device on his phone.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai…"

"Good afternoon, junior," Kasumigaoka greeted him with a radiant smile.

Despite him texting her earlier, claiming he was busy, here he was, standing in the same spot as her, sporting a sunhat and holding a "travel guide" in hand. Was he taking her for a fool?

Not that it mattered. Now that she had caught him red-handed, he wouldn't escape so easily.

"Good afternoon, Senpai. Goodbye, Senpai," Kanade replied with a nod and immediately turned to walk away.

Encounter or not, he had greeted her politely, and now it was time to leave. A textbook example of how to handle an unexpected run-in!

Take that, Kasumigaoka. You're done!

"…" Kasumigaoka froze for a moment before quickly jogging after him.

"Why are you running, junior? Are there monsters chasing me or something?"

"…" Kanade didn't respond, but his thoughts were clear: You're the monster.

"I had so much faith in you, junior. When you said you were busy, I trusted you and went on this lonely outing all by myself. And yet, here you are, secretly…"

Kanade couldn't stay quiet after hearing that. He felt like his integrity was being unfairly questioned.

"I'm just passing through, not stalking you, Senpai. Rest assured, I'll be leaving now."

"Why are you in such a rush to explain? I wasn't accusing you of anything. I just meant, 'You secretly prepared a surprise for me,' is all."

"Well, for me, it was more like a jump scare."

"A jump scare? Does that mean your heart is racing because of my sudden appearance?"

"Not quite. Let's just say it'd be troublesome if it weren't beating at all."

"Oh, that's fine. If your heart ever stops, I'll just give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

"In that case, shouldn't you be talking about CPR?"

"Huh? I thought a kiss from a girl would instantly recharge you and bring you back to life."

"What am I, some kiss-crazed maniac? Besides, if such a girl existed, she should probably be handed over to the government."

"But if you handed her over, you'd never see her again. You'd end up crying every day, reminiscing about your fantasies while repeating those… uh, hand motions…"

"Senpai, there are people watching us."

"Oh? So junior is the type who enjoys being observed while doing such things?"

"... If you don't care, feel free to shout that out loud. It doesn't bother me."

"Shout what? That you cry while reminiscing about girls? You're quite the weirdo, junior."

"Ugh…" Kanade sighed deeply before coming to a stop. He turned to face Kasumigaoka, who was standing beside him, still brimming with mischievous energy.

"I didn't include you in my plans today, Senpai," he said. This outing was supposed to offer him relaxation, yet it was quickly turning into anything but.

"But you've always been in mine, junior." Kasumigaoka stretched lazily, her alluring figure on full display.

She paid no heed to Kanade's apparent annoyance. After all, she'd endured far worse in the past—moments that had felt far more hopeless than today. At least now, the junior she cared about was still willing to talk to her.

Kanade didn't respond further and simply stared at her for a moment before pulling out his travel guide once more.

If he couldn't drive her away, so be it. He'd just act as if she weren't there.

"Next stop is the shrine…"

"A shrine? What a lovely choice! Maybe we can pray for good fortune in our love lives—together!"

"Hmm, I've decided. Let's head to the shopping district first." Kanade nodded to himself, satisfied with his decision.

The two were currently in the northern part of Saitama Prefecture, while the shopping district was located in the southern area. The trek there would be a perfect way to stretch his legs.

"Uh…" Kasumigaoka's face stiffened, and she gave him a reproachful look. "I think you should really start with the nearby shrine…"

"No time to lose. Let's go!" Kanade ignored her suggestion and started navigating his way south.

True to his word, he paid her no mind, quickening his pace to leave her behind. If it made Kasumigaoka give up and retreat, all the better.

With that resolve, he walked even faster.

Kasumigaoka, gritting her teeth, had no choice but to speed up to keep up.

The journey wasn't particularly long. Even while admiring the countryside scenery along the way, the walk wouldn't take much time. However, she was regretting one major decision: Why had she worn high heels today?

After walking all day, she was already tired, and now, thanks to her stubborn junior, she couldn't even take a break.

If only there were a nearby shop, she might have swapped her heels for slippers. Anything would be better than trekking in high heels.

Curse you, junior. Did you really think you could wear me down with this tactic? Think again!

Kasumigaoka was a determined woman. She wasn't afraid of challenges, and no matter how many obstacles tried to trip her up, she'd face them head-on.

Even if today's obstacle was particularly aggravating…

A body unaccustomed to exercise will inevitably pay the price—Kasumigaoka had twisted her ankle.

"Hiss—"

Kasumigaoka wasn't particularly afraid of pain, but the sudden, sharp sting made her involuntarily let out a sound of discomfort.

"Junior…"

In her mind, the gallant knight would surely come to her rescue. Instead, Kanade merely paused for a moment, glanced back at her, and then disappeared into the crowd without hesitation.

"…"

So, this was it. She had been abandoned again. Of course, a greedy, selfish woman like her didn't deserve happiness. Maybe… she should learn to accept her fate, like that "blonde loser"?

Kasumigaoka crouched down on the ground, hugging her knees as her head buried itself in her arms.

The noise of the surrounding crowd swirled around her, as though everyone was pointing fingers and laughing. Yet none of it hurt as much as that indifferent glance from her junior.

If only she had pretended to be more oblivious back then… If only she had said "yes" first…

No. She was Kasumigaoka, the proud Kasumigaoka Utaha! She couldn't accept an uncertain future!

If it wasn't the real Junior, it wouldn't do. If it wasn't the authentic Junior, she wouldn't want it. At the same time, a false version of herself would only bring her misery.

If Junior wouldn't open his heart to her, then she would keep breaking in—until she was inside and couldn't leave.

So what if her ankle was twisted? With enough determination…

"I say, what exactly are you doing? Forcing yourself only to follow it up with self-pity? Have you written novels to the point of losing your mind, Kasumigaoka-senpai?"

The familiar voice returned to her side, harsher and more critical than when he had coldly ignored her earlier.

And yet, for Kasumigaoka, these were the most comforting words she'd heard since the day she had rejected her junior's confession.

"So this is… your true face, Junior?"

Had he rejected her because she wasn't worth talking to? Was she really so lacking in charm?

"I think the pain's making you hallucinate. True face or fake face, does it matter when your ankle looks like that? Stop overthinking and focus on the obvious," Kanade said, shaking his head in exasperation.

He hadn't planned on returning, but the sight of her crouched on the ground had nagged at his conscience.

He truly hadn't expected Kasumigaoka to follow him for such a distance, and in high heels no less. Was this woman made of iron? Did she not feel pain at all?

Causing trouble for his romantic life was one thing—annoying, but forgivable. But this? Kasumigaoka was now willingly sabotaging herself.

Was she secretly a masochist? While she usually came across as… well, something else.

Kanade couldn't make sense of her at all. It felt like he had unwittingly entangled himself with a very dangerous woman, one who was evolving in increasingly bizarre ways.

"Tell me, Senpai, what exactly do you see in me? I can change if that's what it takes."

"Hmm… I see you staying close to me?"

"If you hadn't rejected my confession back then, I might believe you."

"Why not believe me now? You could trust me even now, Junior."

"Not unless I lose my memory and forget about the day I confessed."

"So, you're saying as long as you forget that day?"

"Hey, hey, what's with that look? Don't tell me you're plotting something."

"Oh my, Junior, don't be so scared. I can't do anything that drastic, can I? I was just asking."

"You'd better just be asking…" Kanade said, massaging his temples.

Maybe he really shouldn't have come back. Then again, leaving her there entirely… Well, he couldn't quite bring himself to do that either. Today had been a mistake. He should have stayed home playing games.

"Are you done pretending, Junior? Are you planning to face me with your true self now?" Kasumigaoka's ankle throbbed with pain, but her heart felt unexpectedly light.

It was as refreshing as putting on brand-new underwear on the morning of New Year's Day.

"I've always been like this. I've never pretended to be anything," Kanade said with a dismissive wave. He really couldn't muster one of his usual polite smiles anymore.

"You used to be such a gentle and amiable junior, but now you're a grumpy recluse who finds me annoying. Are you seriously claiming this isn't an act?"

"If I treat you gently again, will you leave me alone?"

"Not a chance."

"See what I mean?" Kanade sighed.

He was starting to think confessing to Kasumigaoka back then had been the biggest mistake of his life.

The Kasumigaoka from anime had seemed so cute. Why did the real one have to be so exasperating?