Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

Back home, Kanade Natsukawa set down the groceries. Just as he tied on his apron and prepared to start cooking, the doorbell rang.

"No way…"

Opening the door, he saw a softly elegant girl in simple casual clothes, her golden hair cascading down her back.

"You're kidding—have you already made dinner?"

Shiina Mahiru's gaze fell on the apron Kanade was wearing, her hand covering her mouth in mild disappointment.

As a devoted member of the Go-Home Club, she had rushed to prepare dinner as quickly as possible and come over immediately afterward. Yet, somehow, she still hadn't beaten him to it?

"On the contrary, I haven't even started," Kanade said, shrugging. The utensils in his hand gleamed under the evening light.

"Have you eaten yet?" Glancing at the lunchbox in Mahiru's hands, Kanade knew his DIY cooking plans were doomed once again.

"N-no, I haven't…" Mahiru shook her head, avoiding his eyes as if afraid he might judge her behavior.

Would he dislike her? Criticize her?

At least tell me, "You should eat before bringing food over." She thought even scolding would be better than outright rejection.

"Sigh, it feels like my hard-earned cooking skills are going to waste again." Kanade squatted down, pulling out the bear slippers designated for her and placing them in front of her.

"Your meal is freshly made, right? Mind if I join you?"

"Of course!" Mahiru nodded quickly, as though she had been waiting for him to say that.

"Then I'll grab some plates—"

"Wait! I-I'll do it!" Mahiru interrupted, hastily blocking his path.

She thrust the lunchbox into his hands before disappearing through the door.

"Don't come over, okay?"

"…" Kanade shrugged. Typical of the "Angel" to have such a strong sense of territorial boundaries.

He truly had no interest in a girl's private space; he only wanted to help, lest he seemed like a freeloader.

Sitting back at the dining table, he quietly awaited her culinary offerings.

Before long, Mahiru returned, carrying an array of dishes. A large pot of soup swayed precariously in her arms, making Kanade jump up in alarm to help steady it.

"This is way too much. Even with me joining, we won't finish it," Kanade said, baffled.

Tempura, hamburger steak, cucumber and lettuce salad, cherry tomatoes, and a massive pot of soup—was this really just for the two of them? It felt like there was enough for another person to join in.

"T-the ingredients were from last week. If I didn't use them up quickly, they would've gone bad in the summer heat…" Mahiru's voice grew smaller, a pink tinge rising to her cheeks.

She was clearly terrible at lying, and making up such excuses was hard on her.

"…" Kanade stared at the fresh, appetizing dishes on the table, unsure what to say.

If these ingredients were really from last week, the food wouldn't look this fresh. Besides, Mahiru brought him dinner nearly every day—he knew exactly what she ate daily.

After a long silence, he turned to Mahiru.

"Mahiru, can I ask you a favor?"

"W-what is it?" His serious tone made her nervous.

"If possible, would you cook for me every day?"

The answer was obvious—she already did it every day. By saying it outright, he hoped to make things clear and take the initiative.

"Just dinner. And I'll cover all the ingredient costs."

Kanade felt he had taken too much from her, both before and now. Treating her efforts as a given had made him feel like he was taking advantage of her kindness. It was time to make amends.

"No, at least let me pay half…"

"If you insist, I won't accept your cooking anymore." Kanade's tone was unusually firm.

"Your money doesn't come out of thin air, Mahiru. I can't keep letting you shoulder the cost."

"…"

"And on top of that, you're the one cooking everything. I'm practically a useless freeloader."

"You're not—!"

"If anything, I'd rather you refused me altogether. Instead of wasting your energy on someone like me, you could spend it on yourself."

"That's not true…"

Her response was barely audible.

"What?"

"I said—you're not a useless freeloader, Kanade!" Mahiru suddenly stood, her usually soft gaze now sharp as she stared him down.

"Why do you keep saying such things? Do you think it's some kind of badge of honor? Always putting yourself down, never considering how others feel…"

"You act so full of yourself in some ways, yet you hide behind this self-deprecation and denial. You've worked hard to become the student council president—why do you still doubt your own abilities?"

"The Kanade I know may have been clumsy at first, but he's serious and works hard to improve himself. He's nothing like what you're saying now. I hate this version of you!"

"…"

"I'm leaving." Mahiru's expression was unreadable as she turned to go.

"Didn't you think I was a useless freeloader back then too?" Kanade sighed, unsure why she had suddenly gotten so upset.

After all, he was only talking about himself.

"That's… not the same…" Mahiru countered. "Back then, I just… I just…"

She had only said that to warn him not to get any strange ideas about getting close to her.

It was true—when they first met, she had used those words to protect herself. Back then, he hadn't seemed to care and had continued approaching her on his own terms.

But could he really still remember that?

Could it really… be because of her?

...

...

...…

Mahiru's face turned pale, her body trembling as her lips moved soundlessly.

"Huh?" Kanade frowned, sensing something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Mahiru?"

His concern went unanswered as her condition worsened. Kanade quickly moved closer, steadying her by the shoulders.

"Are you okay? What's going on?"

"I…"

"Stay here; I'll call 119—" Kanade turned to leave, but her slender hand grabbed his arm tightly.

"No…"

"What?"

"I'm sorry…"

"Why…?" Kanade froze.

He stared at her teary eyes and watched as the proud "Angel" lowered her head, repeatedly apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Kanade. I'm so sorry…"

"…"

Kanade couldn't understand why she was apologizing. He couldn't bring himself to ask, either.

Seeing Mahiru so fragile, the only thing he could do was silently offer her the warmth of his presence.

He wanted to reach out, to hold her and comfort her as she cried. But he couldn't summon the courage to act.

In the end, all he could do was stand there helplessly, listening to the sound of her unrestrained sobs…