Heartbeats and Illusions

Shoutout to Axel Gerard and Lost_Writer for their support!

Keep the stones coming guys.

======

After stepping off the Ferris wheel, Natsukawa Kanade found himself heading to dinner with his mischievous junior, Isshiki. Despite her usual teasing, she remained relatively composed after her confession earlier.

Kanade, however, felt the weight of the moment linger. Her words replayed in his mind, adding an awkward undertone to their meal. He found himself unable to meet her gaze, and even though Isshiki didn't go out of her way to make things uncomfortable—no teasing, no playful jabs—her confession hung in the air between them.

Once dinner was over, they parted ways, and Kanade made his way home. By the time he stepped off the train, changed into his indoor shoes, and entered the apartment, his thoughts were still swirling.

As he pushed open the door to the living room, he was met with an unexpected sight—Shiina Mahiru, his angelic roommate, perched on the sofa.

"Oh, you're back," she said, her voice soft.

But something was... off.

"Welcome back," she added, hastily tucking her phone behind her back, as though she were caught red-handed doing something suspicious.

Kanade raised an eyebrow. Weird.

Normally, Mahiru would greet him with her usual radiant smile, peppering him with questions about his day or offering her own anecdotes. Today, however, she seemed oddly subdued, almost evasive.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"Thanks, I'm back," he replied evenly, masking his curiosity.

Without pressing her further, Kanade retreated to his room to change, wash up, and reset his mood. By the time he returned to the living room, he was ready to unravel the mystery of Mahiru's behavior.

"Did you have fun today, Shiina? Did you do anything exciting with Kato-san?" he asked casually, taking a seat beside her.

Mahiru nodded, but her expression didn't match her response. "Mm-hmm, nothing special… just wandered around. It was fun."

"..."

Kanade tilted his head, observing her closely. Her usual confidence was nowhere to be found. Her body language was stiff, and her eyes avoided his.

"Did you… do something to upset me?" Kanade ventured cautiously, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Ehh?!" Mahiru gasped, covering her mouth as if he'd just accused her of committing a crime. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, maybe it's because I know you too well?" Kanade replied, leaning back on the sofa. "You're not great at hiding your emotions, Shiina. Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

Mahiru flinched at his remark, her composure cracking under his perceptive gaze.

"Don't worry, you don't have to tell me if it's something personal," he added, his tone softening.

"It's not that…" Mahiru hesitated, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "It's just… I'm not sure if Kanade will be upset if I say it."

"Upset? With you?" Kanade chuckled lightly. "Come on, Shiina, you know I've never been angry with you before. Whatever it is, it's fine."

Mahiru cast him a doubtful glance, but his reassuring smile seemed to ease her nerves.

"Um… when I was hanging out with Kato-san, she showed me some photos of you…"

"Photos?" Kanade echoed, his brow furrowing.

Mahiru nodded hesitantly. "Swimsuits, theatrical costumes, things like that…"

"..."

Kanade blinked. Swimsuits? Costumes?

For a moment, he thought it couldn't possibly be true. But then, memories of his time in the club surfaced. He had taken various photos for projects back then, though he hadn't thought about them in years.

Still, why would Mahiru and Kato be looking at those photos during their outing?

"Can I see them?" Kanade asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

Mahiru hesitated, clutching her phone tightly before handing it over with a sheepish look.

Kanade swiped through the pictures one by one, his discomfort growing with each image. The photos weren't strange in themselves—just moments from his club days where Natsukawa Kanade had worn specific costumes and posed for various scenes as game material. Yet, in hindsight, they carried an unbearable weight of embarrassment.

"Can you delete them?" Kanade asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

"But Kanade said you weren't angry!" Shiina Mahiru retorted, her wide eyes blinking innocently.

"I'm not angry," he admitted, his tone resigned. "Just… mortified."

Everyone has moments in life they'd rather forget—maybe a video of their childhood antics shown to friends or an awkward middle school phase immortalized in a photo. At the time, it might seem harmless, but when revisited later? Instant regret.

For Kanade, this was that moment.

The shame wasn't physical, as though he'd been exposed, but psychological. Knowing that someone as pure as Shiina might see these and form the wrong idea about his hobbies? That was the real nightmare.

"These were just materials for making games," Kanade explained, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "They're not some weird hobby of mine. Can you understand that?" He sighed, feeling the weight of his words. "So, can you delete them?"

Mahiru's expression faltered. Her lips puckered slightly, her eyelashes drooped, and her cheeks puffed just enough to convey her reluctance. "Since Kanade doesn't like it…" she murmured, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Kanade's resolve wavered. He could understand her hesitation. After all, if their roles were reversed, and he had funny or embarrassing photos of his friends, he'd treasure them forever as memories.

But watching Shiina's pitiful expression—so delicate, so heartbreakingly innocent—felt like stabbing a puppy.

"…Fine," Kanade muttered, his hand returning her phone without another word. He stared at the TV, pretending to be engrossed in whatever show was playing. "Just don't show them to anyone else."

Mahiru blinked, momentarily surprised, but then her face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Of course not!" she chirped, her voice filled with unmistakable cheer.

Kanade sighed, slumping into the sofa and silently vowing to make himself as invisible as possible until her excitement faded.

But Mahiru had other plans.

She quietly shifted closer, her warmth brushing against him. Without warning, she leaned her head on his shoulder and raised her phone in front of them, scrolling through the very photos he'd just surrendered.

"..."

Kanade's jaw tightened. A fallen angel? No, this is worse. A devil in angel's clothing! How devious can you be, Shiina?!

The remainder of the night passed in resigned silence, Kanade's humiliation firmly etched in his mind.

By the time Monday rolled around, the weekend felt like a fever dream. With the new week came new challenges. Kanade rose early and made his way to the rendezvous point where he met the "former" student council members. Together, they walked toward the school auditorium.

As they traversed the campus, students whispered and pointed, only to hush the moment Kanade and his group glanced their way.

The scene was understandable. With the brooding Shirogane, the gloomy Ishigami, the icy Shinomiya Kaguya, and Kanade's own stern demeanor, their group looked more like a gathering of delinquents than leaders. Only Fujiwara Chika, the ever-smiling mascot of chaos, lightened the atmosphere.

Just as they reached the auditorium steps, they ran into Isshiki Iroha and her team. The sharp energy between the two groups was palpable.

Everyone from the service department was there, eyes glinting with determination.