While they chatted idly in line, the queue moved faster than expected. Before long, it was their turn at the counter.
Despite her small frame, Miko Iino apparently had a rather impressive appetite. Without hesitation, she ordered five large meat buns in one go—and before Natsukawa Kanade could even blink, she was already tearing into one on the spot with a tiny, satisfied "mm!"
Kanade watched in mild surprise. He vaguely remembered hearing that Miko's parents were always busy with work, leaving her to fend for herself most of the time. Today was no different—she seemed to be acting solo. Which meant those meat buns… were all hers.
"Ah… I totally forgot the president was here too…" Miko said suddenly, a bit flustered. She noticed Kanade's gaze drifting toward her and tried to explain, cheeks tinged with a faint pink. "I-I usually don't eat this much, really!"
Kanade nodded casually, not seeing anything wrong with it. "I see. You just got a good appetite today, huh?"
After finishing his own order and exchanging a few familiar words with the shopkeeper, Kanade was ready to head home. He politely declined the usual "Why don't you sit down and eat?" invitation and turned to leave—only to notice that Miko Iino was still lingering by the entrance, clearly not in a rush to go anywhere.
"Eh? Iino, are you waiting for someone?" he asked, tilting his head out of curiosity.
Miko shook her head, eyes glancing away. "N-No, I'm alone…"
Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. She hesitated a bit, then suddenly took a deep breath and turned toward him, face determined.
"Um, although it might be selfish of me… could I ask the president not to tell anyone about what happened today?"
Kanade blinked. "...Huh?"
His mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. Wait—did I just accidentally witness another hidden side of someone?! What did I even do??
"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.
"It's just… the thing about me buying five big meat buns…" she muttered, clutching the bag like it held state secrets. "A-Ah, really! I don't normally eat that much! I just happened to be in a good mood today and… had an appetite, that's all!"
Kanade stared for a moment, processing the unexpected seriousness in her voice.
"…That's it?" he asked, scratching the back of his head. "Honestly, I don't think it's that weird. I mean… five meat buns isn't that shocking, is it? To be honest, I could probably eat more than that myself."
"No, no, no! It's completely different! Boys can eat as much as they want and no one bats an eye! But for girls… it's embarrassing!" Miko flailed her arms slightly, clearly distressed, her cheeks puffing up again like a pouting squirrel.
Kanade raised an eyebrow, but then replied with a more serious tone. "Listen, Iino. First of all, I'm not the kind of guy who gossips about what other people are doing. I don't talk behind people's backs, especially about something like this. Second, making sure you eat properly is important. Like me—between exercise, classes, and all the council stuff—I eat a lot too."
He paused, then added, "And finally… I think most people are too caught up in their own lives to worry about what others are eating. Life's exhausting enough as it is, don't you think?"
He meant it. Between school responsibilities, balancing social expectations, and just trying to maintain his sanity, Kanade barely had time to think about his own life—let alone poke into someone else's.
At first, Miko listened with wide eyes, nodding slowly. But then… her expression shifted. A shadow passed over her features, and she looked down, mumbling almost inaudibly.
"…So, in other words, the president doesn't really care about my feelings at all…"
"Eh—?"
"That's right…" she sighed dramatically, "Of course no one would care about a troublesome busybody that people find annoying…"
Kanade froze.
Eh? Wait, what just happened??
He frowned slightly, realizing something was off. Normally, Iino Miko was serious, headstrong, and a bit of a stickler for rules—a student council enforcer who gave zero tolerance to nonsense. But today… she was weirdly fragile. Where was the usual girl who argued passionately about school regulations?
"Although it might not be my place to say this…" Kanade started carefully, "…if it's not too much trouble, would you like to talk about what's bothering you?"
He wasn't sure why, but something inside told him she could really use someone to listen. And in that moment, he figured—why not him?
"Eh?! Really? You'll actually listen??" Miko's eyes sparkled like a shoujo heroine who'd just gotten asked out by her crush. She suddenly stepped closer, tiptoeing ever so slightly to meet his gaze, her expression completely changing.
"Th-Then! Since we're talking outside school, can I call you by your name? Um… Natsukawa-san? Or maybe… senpai? Yeah! Senior Natsukawa! That sounds nice, right?"
Kanade leaned back, overwhelmed by the sudden burst of energy. "Uhh… I don't really mind what you call me, but… you're kind of really close, Iino."
What the heck happened to the shy girl from the student council elections?!
In his memory, Miko had been a nervous wreck during her first speech—practically shaking behind the podium. Sure, she'd toughened up since then, going full hall monitor mode around the academy, but at the core she was still that same girl, right?
Still, seeing her now—with this sudden openness—it made him pause.
Today, Miko was wearing a soft white dress that billowed slightly in the spring breeze. The skirt was adorned with small, petal-like folds, swaying gently as she moved. Her chestnut-colored hair, which she normally tied up, was down today, cascading smoothly to her waist with soft, natural curls.
Her eyes—also chestnut—were bright and clear, glimmering with something earnest and innocent. Her bangs brushed against her brows, partially hiding her forehead, and her cheeks were puffed ever so slightly as she munched on another bun. The overall effect…
Dang, Kanade thought, she's actually really cute when she's not interrogating someone about uniform violations.
But more than that, there was a quiet loneliness in her eyes—a subtle "I'm really happy someone's talking to me" kind of look that tugged at his chest just a little.
He sighed inwardly. So even someone like you gets lonely, huh…
Still, could she at least finish chewing before speaking again?
"By the way," Kanade said, shifting the topic, "where's your friend today? Kobachi, right? Offotoko Kobachi?"
Miko blinked, pausing mid-bite.
"You guys are always together, right? If you've got stuff on your mind, maybe you could talk to her about it?"
He meant well—he really did. Even though he'd just offered to listen, part of him felt like some things were better handled between girls. After all, there might be emotional nuances or sensitive stuff he wouldn't fully understand. Some problems… just weren't meant for guys to weigh in on.
But Miko gently shook her head. "Mm… Kobachi-chan has her own plans on weekends. We usually only hang out when it's school-related…"
As she spoke, a fleeting shadow passed across her face—a hint of loneliness, quiet but real.
Kanade fell silent, brows furrowing slightly. So even her close friends aren't around today? That explained a lot. Was this something even she couldn't bring up with Kobachi?
Then… why me? Just because I'm her senpai and the student council president? He wasn't sure. But somehow, she'd chosen him.
Which meant he had to be ready to listen seriously—no matter what it was.
Let's see… she's around that age where worries are usually about school, love, or friendships, right? Anything beyond that is probably a bit heavy. Kanade nodded subtly to himself. Yeah, if it's just basic life advice, I can handle that.
He waited patiently for her to continue, mentally preparing for a simple high school drama story.
But then, in a soft and slightly wavering voice, Miko finally spoke.
"Actually… today's my birthday."
"…"
Kanade's mind went completely blank.
Eh? Wait, wha—?
…Okay, this might be a bit beyond the "simple high school drama" category.