Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

"You're so dull, kid."

"Well, Kanade, we're heading out."

"Honestly, I'm very disappointed in you."

"…"

The words echoed in Kanade's mind, heavy and empty. A crushing weight settled on his chest, and he could no longer hold it in.

"So heavy…"

Kanade stared at the unfamiliar ceiling in a daze.

A casual outing, an unexpected encounter with Kasumigaoka, some banter, sharing a room for the night—and now this.

He lay on the floor like a proper gentleman, while Kasumigaoka had somehow made her way into his bedding. She even "thoughtfully" took most of his blanket, presumably so he wouldn't overheat.

How considerate of her.

"Kasumigaoka-senpai, care to explain yourself?" Kanade tried to stay calm, resisting the urge to disrupt the "crime scene."

"Junior, let me sleep a bit longer…"

"Go ahead, Senpai. Sleep all you want. I'll just head to school alone since your foot seems perfectly fine now, doesn't it?"

If she had the energy to pull off a "night raid," her injury clearly wasn't serious.

"…Fine." Kasumigaoka reluctantly opened her eyes, feigning surprise. "Oh my, Junior, have you turned into a carnivorous man overnight? Couldn't resist making a move on your adoring Senpai?"

"…You wish," Kanade muttered, rubbing his temples.

Sure, her warmth was comforting, but the consequences of this situation were inevitable. Thanks to her "hospitality," one side of his body was numb, his chest felt like it was being crushed under a boulder, and a certain other part of him was… wide awake.

In short, it was a bittersweet experience.

"I won't even complain about you hogging the blanket, but could you get off me already? You're seriously heavy."

"Junior! Commenting on a girl's weight is a taboo!"

"If you had any self-awareness as a girl, you wouldn't sneak into a guy's bed in the first place," Kanade sighed.

He truly didn't understand Kasumigaoka. She'd rejected his confession, interfered in his relationships, and now pulled stunts like this.

Did she just enjoy the push-and-pull of ambiguous relationships? Was her character design falling apart?

Whatever. It wasn't like any of the girls he knew behaved according to logic. Each one had their own quirks and constantly defied his expectations.

It was almost as if they had souls, as if they were real.

Kanade froze for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.

Why was he only realizing this now? He'd been close to them for so long.

"That's a dangerous smile, Junior. Are you feeling lucky to be the protagonist of some idealized male fantasy?" Kasumigaoka's face flushed slightly.

She'd gotten up during the night, only to find Kanade's sleeping face irresistibly cute. She couldn't help but stare at him, eventually falling asleep beside him.

Now that she thought about it, the memory was mortifying.

Hopefully, Kanade hadn't noticed her embarrassment…

"Senpai, get up already. If we don't hurry, we'll miss the first train."

Kanade stretched his limbs, shaking off the lingering numbness, and got to his feet.

"I'll go brush my teeth. You'd better hurry too."

Unlike Kasumigaoka, who had changed into pajamas, Kanade had slept in his clothes.

Though he usually preferred sleeping in the nude, he kept his clothes on when spending the night outside—maybe out of habit or principle. He didn't even bother with the provided hotel pajamas.

After both of them finished freshening up, they managed to catch the first train just in time.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted…"

"Your stamina's terrible, Senpai. That little jog wore you out?" Kanade teased.

"It's because I spent all day with you yesterday, and you were so forceful this morning. You didn't let me rest properly…" Kasumigaoka's tone was tinged with resentment, her lazy drawl catching the attention of several salarymen.

"Don't make sleeping in sound so righteous, Senpai," Kanade sighed.

The surrounding salarymen shot him envious glares, their eyes practically boring holes into him. The public display of youthful affection was clearly too much for their early morning spirits.

Suddenly, a shrill voice cut through the hum of the train:

"Pervert!"

Kanade's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively moved to shield Kasumigaoka.

The shout came from nearby, and there was a chance the so-called pervert was targeting her. Better safe than sorry.

But then, he felt someone grab his wrist.

"?" Kanade frowned, ready to act, but the situation quickly became clear.

"It's you, isn't it? Don't try to play innocent!"

A flashy girl with a gyaru-like appearance was clutching his wrist, pointing at him accusingly.

"…"

A misunderstanding? Kanade thought.

He knew he couldn't have done anything inappropriate. With Kasumigaoka right next to him, he hadn't so much as glanced at anyone else.

"You've got the wrong person. I didn't…"

"It's you! Don't try to deny it!"

The girl's voice was firm, but her eyes darted nervously. Her face flushed, and she couldn't meet his gaze.

Suspicious.

Her body language didn't match her words. She claimed to be standing up for justice, but her timid demeanor screamed otherwise.

Kanade quickly pieced it together.

This was no random mistake. He'd been targeted.

He'd heard stories about malicious women who falsely accused men of being perverts on trains to extort money.

In Japan's legal system, women in such cases were often seen as the weaker party. Unless the accused could prove their innocence, they were presumed guilty.

A pervert accusation could ruin a man's life, leading to social ostracism, job loss, or even divorce. Most victims of such schemes opted to settle privately, paying compensation to make the problem go away.

Kanade briefly considered challenging her to a "samurai's duel" of honor when Kasumigaoka suddenly spoke up.

"A pervert? Him? Do you even know what you're saying?"

Her tone was icy, her words cutting.

"Why would he ignore his cute, charming companion to harass a yapping little fox like you? Anyone with common sense can see how absurd that is."

"What's going through your head? Did you leave your brain at home in your rush to get here, or do you just not have one to begin with?"

"Maybe evolution skipped over you entirely?"

"…"

Kanade was stunned. He'd seen Kasumigaoka and Eriri argue plenty of times before, but those exchanges were more like playful banter, with both sides scoring points.

This time, Kasumigaoka had gone full throttle, her words laced with venom. The gyaru couldn't lift her head, her face burning with humiliation.

"S-Sorry, I might've made a mistake…"

Embarrassed and defeated, the girl muttered an apology before scurrying off at the next stop.

"She won't sleep well for a while…"

"What's wrong, Junior? Feeling sorry for her? You could always go console her. Maybe it really was just a misunderstanding." Kasumigaoka's tone was laced with jealousy.

Kanade sighed. "She got what she deserved. If she wanted to scam someone, she should've been prepared to face the consequences."

"…Fair enough," Kasumigaoka muttered, her voice softening.

While she trusted Kanade's character, the girl's brazen attempt to claim him as a target left her feeling inexplicably annoyed.

Something about the girl's timid but suggestive demeanor had set off her instincts.

She wasn't trying to extort money. She was lusting after her Junior.

And Kasumigaoka wasn't about to let anyone else play that kind of "shame play" with him—not before she did.