Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

Interactions with others are merely the spices of life; the true essence lies in the daily necessities.

He could go an entire day without speaking to anyone, but not without eating. His basic needs had to be met.

Tonkatsu, potato croquettes, tempura—all paired with a steaming bowl of miso soup. With all the essentials prepared, even an angel couldn't fault his meal. At most, they might nitpick about his lack of vegetables. But what could he do? He was a proud carnivore.

"Should I stock up on snacks too? But if Shiina finds out…"

"…"

"Maybe I'll buy some cake as a bribe instead…"

"…"

"No, I should definitely get some chips and soda."

If he was going to enjoy life, he'd need to reclaim the little pleasures he'd cast aside in the past. That included gaming—what was the point of buying games if they just sat there unplayed?

"…"

"What a wonderful smell…" Kanade Natsukawa murmured, wrinkling his nose.

When he turned his head, he found a girl standing beside him, as delicate as cherry blossoms. Her face was so close it felt like her nose might touch his at any moment.

Kanade instinctively stepped back slightly before greeting her.

"Good afternoon, Kato."

"Good afternoon, Natsukawa-kun."

"Uh… Kato, how long have you been here?"

"Hm, I think since you started debating whether to buy snacks?" Her slender finger touched her cheek as she tilted her head in thought.

Kanade: "…"

So she'd been there from the very beginning!

"I didn't want to disturb you since you looked so deep in thought." With her hands clasped behind her back, she leaned forward slightly, her posture brimming with curiosity.

"Did I scare you?"

"Not really…" Kanade shook his head.

Though he hadn't noticed her approach, her youthful presence was palpable. He'd only stepped back because she'd been standing too close.

"Are you shopping too, Kato? Running errands for your mom?"

It was a little embarrassing to have his inner musings overheard, but if he acted like it didn't bother him, the considerate Kato wouldn't bring it up either.

"I was just out for a walk and happened to pass by." She gestured toward the window. From where they stood, the interior of the store was clearly visible.

Following her gaze, Kanade nodded slightly.

After chatting for a bit, they paid for their purchases and left the store together.

"How was your weekend?"

As the conversation lulled, Kanade took the initiative to keep it going. As a guy, he couldn't keep making the girl carry the conversation.

"I went back to my hometown with my family. How about you, Natsukawa-kun?"

"Uh… I worked on some art and took a trip to Saitama," he replied, suddenly remembering something he'd forgotten.

He set his bags down and pulled out a small package of chocolate-filled cookies from his backpack.

"Here, a little souvenir."

Although it wasn't a specialty of Saitama, it was still a token of his thoughts.

He'd bought similar things for others, but the hectic day had caused him to forget. Talking to Kato now had jogged his memory. He'd hand out the rest when he saw the others.

"Thank you, Natsukawa-kun." Megumi Kato accepted the gift, twirling a lock of her hair with her slender fingers as a slight smile graced her lips.

"But I don't have anything to give you in return…"

"I didn't give it to you expecting anything back." Kanade shook his head, laughing softly.

Conversations with Kato always left him feeling relaxed. Her image as the girl next door was etched indelibly in his heart.

"You seem to be in a great mood today, Natsukawa-kun. Did something good happen?"

"Why do you say that? Is it that obvious?"

Kato nodded.

"Well… If I had to say, it's probably because I'm back with the student council," Kanade said after a moment of thought.

"You know I'm the student council president, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Last week, on Monday, I resigned for personal reasons." Kanade tried to keep his tone even, as if recounting someone else's story.

"I won't bore you with the details, but today, I officially resumed my duties. Why? Because I couldn't bear to leave the student council behind."

The joys and sorrows between individuals were never the same. Though Kato was incredibly empathetic, her very understanding nature meant there were things he couldn't share with her.

If it had been someone like Hachiman, he might have poured his heart out.

"…" Kato nodded quietly, not pressing further.

Though Kanade made it sound casual, she could see the hidden complexity in his emotions. More importantly, it reminded her of the day they had crossed paths again.

As she'd said before, he'd looked like a pitiful stray dog, licking his wounds alone in the rain.

If she had left him alone back then, who knew what might have happened? The thought pained her.

"Natsukawa-kun, do you remember what I said that day?"

"...About how I should be more selfish?"

"Do you not want to?"

"Kato, you really do enjoy spoiling people." Kanade shook his head, then smirked teasingly.

"But maybe, just maybe, I am being selfish right now?"

Kato blinked, momentarily stunned, before puffing out her cheeks. This wasn't the kind of "selfishness" she'd meant.

"By the way, there's something I've been curious about… Would you mind if I asked, Kato?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Eh? Really?"

"…I'll decide whether to listen after you've said it."

"That means you'll already have listened!" Kanade retorted before continuing, "Have you ever done anything as a child that upset your parents?"

"…" Kato gave him a puzzled look but answered earnestly.

"Yes, once. When we went out together, I got so absorbed in a nearby TV program that I lost track of them." A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

No matter who you were, recounting childhood embarrassments was instinctively mortifying—even for someone as composed as Megumi Kato.

If not for Kanade's curiosity, she wouldn't have mentioned it.

"My dad was really angry."

"Uh… Did you apologize properly?"

"I did. Not only that, I also helped out with housework for several days afterward."

"Housework? That's it?"

"Well, I was just a grade-schooler at the time, Natsukawa-kun. There wasn't much else I could do."

"I see…" Kanade nodded thoughtfully.

What you did wasn't as important as the act itself, he mused.

"Is that enough? Apologizing and making amends?"

If anyone's life experience was most applicable, it had to be Kato's—she had grown up in a normal, wholesome environment that aligned with most people's views.

"It's not about making amends," Kato corrected gently. "It's about doing something to bring yourself peace of mind.

"It's not entirely about the other person; it's also about resolving your own guilt. If you don't understand that, you might end up creating misunderstandings."

The former could feel like condescending charity, while the latter stemmed from genuine self-reflection. Though the effect was the same, misunderstanding the intention came across as arrogant.

"I see. Thank you, Kato."

Kato watched him and shook her head lightly. Though Kanade didn't share everything with her, his willingness to seek her advice showed a degree of trust.

She'd need to try even harder.

The cool evening breeze gently ruffled her hair, but it couldn't sway her resolve.

As the vibrant sunset painted the sky, her gaze remained fixed on the boy beside her.

No sunset, however breathtaking, could compare to the small figure reflected in her eyes.