Tsubasa's experience was just too rare. The way things lined up so perfectly, it almost felt like some kind of divine script was at play. If this were an anime, someone would definitely be pulling strings behind the scenes.
But whether it was pure coincidence or the result of some hidden scheme, the group had a mission—to decipher the enigma that was Tsubasa's romantic entanglements. It wasn't just about finding out who liked him, but also uncovering the deeper social dynamics at play.
"So, who invited you this time?" Natsukawa Kanade leaned forward slightly, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "Was it the same girl who asked if you had a girlfriend before?"
Tsubasa shook his head immediately but then hesitated. "No, it was someone else… but the girl from before was also there, standing right beside her."
"…Huh."
The group exchanged glances, already feeling the oncoming headache. This was starting to get complicated.
Even with all their theoretical knowledge of social dynamics and romance tropes, both Hachiman and Natsukawa Kanade were stumped. The logic just didn't add up. Girl A had previously asked if Tsubasa had a girlfriend, but now Girl B was the one to invite him to the test of courage? Were they just using each other as shields? Or was there something deeper going on?
No way… It couldn't be that both of them actually liked him, right?
It wasn't that Tsubasa was undeserving. But in a close-knit girl group, there were unspoken rules—if one of them openly expressed romantic interest in a guy, the others were expected to back off. Breaking that rule would mean risking social exile, or worse… school bullying.
So, the most logical conclusion was that they weren't covering for each other, and the possibility of mutual interest was out. But that alone wasn't enough information. They needed more details.
Kanade, now fully invested, pressed further. "Alright, so what happened next? Did you partner up with just one of them, or did you end up with both?"
Tsubasa's expression grew awkward. He opened his mouth, then closed it, as if unsure how to phrase what came next.
"…Actually, I kind of 'snuck' in."
"…Snuck in?"
"Yeah," Tsubasa nodded. "Well, maybe 'snuck in' isn't the right word. I participated openly, but… not in the usual way."
He glanced at them, as if expecting judgment. None came—only silent, expectant stares that told him to get to the point.
Tsubasa sighed. "Alright, so here's the thing. The student council's notice didn't explicitly say multiple people couldn't team up. One of the girls pointed it out and suggested that I join them. She said that if one invited me and the other invited her, we could technically form a three-person group. And… well, that's how I ended up with both of them."
The room went silent.
Hachiman slowly turned to Kanade, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were practically screaming: Oi, President, is this even allowed?
Kanade blinked before responding with a silent look of her own: How should I know? Who would've expected this kind of loophole abuse?
But ultimately, the issue wasn't whether it was allowed—it was what happened next.
Kanade gestured for Tsubasa to continue. "Alright, and then?"
"The rest is pretty straightforward," Tsubasa said, as if recalling a nostalgic memory. "At first, I was really just leading the way, you know? They were both walking behind me. But after a while, we ended up walking side by side… and then…"
He paused.
"…And then?" they urged.
"…Well, sometimes they got scared and grabbed my arm… or, uh, jumped into me."
"…."
The entire group sat in silence for a few seconds, digesting this critical piece of information.
So that's how it is, huh? This guy was having a full-blown rom-com experience while acting like it was nothing.
"But that's not enough," Kanade mused, rubbing her chin. "That alone doesn't tell us who actually likes you. Did anything else happen?"
"Yeah, a lot, actually." Tsubasa frowned slightly, recalling more details. "There were times we got separated, times we got lost… Oh, right, this one moment really stood out. We saw what looked like a ghost up ahead, and I freaked out, turned around, and instinctively grabbed them to run… but in my panic, I tripped, and we all fell over."
"…."
Everyone stared at him.
You little—
You sly dog!
Hachiman exhaled slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "And? What happened after that?"
"…Nothing?" Tsubasa looked genuinely confused. "I mean, I thought they'd yell at me or something, but neither of them said a word. They just… didn't react at all."
He leaned back, looking exasperated. "Honestly, I was hoping to get a hint about who liked me, but I got nothing. Instead, I just ended up making a mess of things."
Kanade narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "…You're telling me that after all that, neither of them acted differently?"
Tsubasa shook his head. "Nope. Nothing. No teasing, no scolding, no embarrassment—just silence."
The group exchanged knowing looks. This wasn't just a simple case of "no reaction." The fact that both girls had the same reaction was itself suspicious.
There was definitely more going on beneath the surface.
Alas, romance just wasn't his strong suit.
Tanuma Tsubasa let out a defeated sigh, his eyes drifting toward Natsukawa Kanade—the one person he considered a true "love saint." If anyone could unravel this mystery, it was him. And so, with a hopeful gaze, he silently pleaded for wisdom.
Fortunately, Natsukawa Kanade didn't disappoint. With a confident smirk, he delivered his verdict. "In my opinion… no reaction is the biggest reaction!"
"Eh? What kind of logic is that?" Tanuma Tsubasa blinked in confusion, while even Hachiman turned to stare at him blankly, as if trying to process the absurdity of the statement.
Kanade coughed lightly and straightened his posture, looking every bit like a seasoned strategist. "Based on my personal experience—well, let's not get into that—but listen, if they didn't care about you or had zero interest, they'd definitely react. And not in a good way. Trust me, if they had no feelings, the moment you tripped and fell onto them, you'd have been called a 'pervert' at least three times before you even hit the ground."
That last part was said with absolute conviction, almost as if Kanade himself had been in that exact situation before.
"But if they like you, or at least have some kind of feelings, then silence is their strongest weapon," he continued, crossing his arms. "They won't scold you. They won't make a big deal out of it. Why? Because deep down, they don't actually mind what happened. Maybe they're too flustered to respond, or maybe, just maybe, they secretly wanted it to happen."
Tsubasa gulped. "S-So what you're saying is…?"
"I'm saying girls are naturally reserved creatures! Even when they want something, they'll pretend like they don't care. They'll act indifferent, but secretly, they're just waiting for the situation to unfold in their favor. Your job—" Kanade jabbed a finger at him, "—is to figure out whether their indifference is real or just an act."
Hachiman squinted. "And you're sure about this?"
"Of course!" Kanade puffed out his chest proudly. "I stake my reputation as student council president on it!"
Tsubasa nodded along slowly, though his face still showed traces of doubt. "So… what do I do next?"
Kanade grinned. "Simple. There are only two possibilities: One—both of those girls like you. But because of social rules, they're keeping it low-key so things don't get awkward within their group. Two—only one of them likes you, and the other girl knows about it. In that case, the whole group might already be aware of her feelings, and they're just covering for her."
Hachiman sighed, rubbing his temples. "This sounds like some convoluted dating sim plot…"
Kanade ignored him and continued, "So, here's your game plan: You need to watch them carefully, but subtly—preferably in a way that doesn't make you look like a creep. Observe their daily interactions. If one of them starts acting differently—spacing out, getting easily flustered, or even avoiding you—then bingo. That's your culprit… I mean, the girl who actually likes you."
He folded his arms, nodding sagely. "Betting on my title as student council president, I'm telling you—this reasoning is foolproof!"
Tsubasa stared at him, eyes wide with awe, while Hachiman muttered under his breath, "This guy… he really does think he's a love saint."