Heartbeats and Illusions

"Is she from the student council?" Shiina Mahiru's tone was calm, but the hand gripping her soup spoon betrayed her inner unrest.

It wasn't her intention to eavesdrop, but in such a small room, no matter how far away she sat, it was impossible not to hear the conversation between the two.

What's more, Kanade made no effort to avoid her.

"Yes, Shinomiya Kaguya, the vice president of the student council," Natsukawa Kanade confirmed. "She must have come to me because of some important student council matter that's difficult to resolve."

Shiina Mahiru sighed softly in relief but quickly recalled that Kanade had mentioned resigning.

"You really resigned?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But why...?" she started, then quickly added, "No, don't get me wrong. I'm just curious."

Although Shiina wasn't deeply involved in school gossip, she had heard about Natsukawa Kanade's accomplishments. Naturally, she wondered if there was more to the story.

"There's no special reason. Maybe... I'm just a little tired," Kanade replied, shaking his head lightly.

After several days, he had mostly moved on from the gloom of his failed relationship. Still, he couldn't help feeling exasperated at how everyone who learned about his resignation wanted to pry into his reasons.

It was just a resignation—nothing extraordinary. Why all the fuss?

"Hmm..." Shiina Mahiru nodded. To her, whether it was the dazzling president who shone in public or the melancholic, vulnerable Kanade in private, they were both precious—irreplaceable parts of him.

"Would you like some more?" Mahiru offered, lifting her bowl and gesturing towards him.

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled her impulsive action earlier. While he was on the phone, she had suddenly fed him, as though trying to pour all her tangled emotions into that single gesture.

Now, with some composure regained, she felt utterly embarrassed. Why had she done something so easily misinterpreted? It made her look like she was wildly jealous of whoever was on the other end of that call.

Although being misunderstood wasn't her main concern, what if Kanade thought she was overly emotional or insincere?

"You—you've been hungry all day; you should eat more..."

"Gurgle…"

The audible rumble from her stomach betrayed her resolve. The warm, fragrant porridge had stirred a reaction she couldn't suppress. Her stomach protested indignantly—how could her heart hunger for him while her belly went ignored?

"No, it's just... just... wuwu..."

Caught red-handed, Mahiru squatted on the ground and covered her face with both hands, her entire face flushed.

"Uh..." Kanade turned his head away, awkward and unsure how to console her. The angelic Mahiru's embarrassed display stirred his emotions, though he quickly reined them in.

"If you don't mind, we can share it together?"

"...!"

Mahiru looked up with watery eyes and nodded softly, her small nose giving a delicate sniff. "Hmm..."

Kanade's physical recovery was going smoothly. After a full day and night of rest, he was back to normal.

"Good morning, President."

"Morning, President."

"Morning."

As he walked to class, students greeted him warmly, and he nodded in return. Entering the classroom, he caught sight of Mahiru's radiant smile. Was it just his imagination, or did her smile brighten further when she saw him?

Falling ill had been a blessing in disguise. The incident had brought him and Mahiru closer, though they hadn't yet reached the point of going to school together.

"Kanade, are you feeling better?"

The question came from Shirogane Miyuki, his classmate, who looked utterly exhausted, dark circles visible under his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Kanade tilted his head slightly, puzzled. Why did Shirogane look even more haggard than him? The boy seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

"Good to hear. I'll catch up on some sleep now," Miyuki mumbled, heading straight to his seat.

Despite his tired state, Shirogane had shown concern. But his priority was clearly sleep. Over the past few days, Miyuki had taken on almost all the responsibilities of the student council president in Kanade's absence, as well as his own duties.

Handling trivial but numerous tasks, consulting Kaguya only for major decisions, and maintaining his academic performance had left him sleep-deprived. Though his tone had been mild, his stumbling steps spoke volumes.

Kanade couldn't help feeling conflicted. Was something going on in the student council? Or was Miyuki simply overworked?

This was the first time Kanade had seen Shirogane in such a state. He recalled his own early days as president—frazzled and sleepless—until he eventually got the hang of it. With experience, efficiency had come naturally.

Morning classes passed quickly, and lunchtime arrived. As promised, Kanade headed to meet Shinomiya Kaguya with a lunchbox in hand.

The bento was self-prepared. Since being turned down by Mahiru, Kanade had taken up cooking. It wasn't by choice—his increasingly refined palate made him intolerant of bland meal replacements. Left with no alternative, he had learned to cook to avoid starving.

When he mentioned this to Mahiru the night before, her reaction had been peculiar. She had stared at him with a reproachful look for what felt like an eternity, leaving him feeling inexplicably guilty. Did she think he was shirking responsibility? Surely not... right?

Kanade had always disliked owing others favors. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred handling matters himself.

"Good afternoon, President," Kaguya greeted as he entered.

"Good afternoon, Shinomiya," Kanade replied, his tone casual.

He didn't fuss over Kaguya's continued use of "President." She, like most of the girls in the student council, seemed to enjoy sprinkling her speech with subtle hints and personal quirks. It wasn't worth overthinking.

The meeting spot was the student council room, which only reinforced Kaguya's claim that this was about "official business."