When Kaoru mentioned the Shinomiya Financial Group, Tachibana Akane remained silent for a long time.
"Even if material needs are guaranteed, so what? Who cares about that? What about family? What about friends?"
"Senpai has already thought this far ahead?"
"Hmph, there's no way you could handle it anyway. My mom would never allow an unreliable man like you to take me away!"
"What are your mother's requirements for a son-in-law?"
"W-well... probably someone handsome, cultured, polite, gentle and considerate... Wait, why should I tell you any of this?!"
"Because senpai told me the only person who would oppose is your mother."
"N-no, that's not it!"
Perhaps being with him made her unable to hide her true self, as Akane had completely forgotten about maintaining her senior's dignity, her face flushed red with anger.
Even at the age of nearing graduation, Akane still radiated the youthful vitality of a girl.
Faced with Kaoru's advances, most so-called mature women probably wouldn't show this kind of distress.
In today's society, Akane's words certainly presented an obstacle, but this obstacle only existed if Kaoru acknowledged it.
Kaoru had countless ways to deal with society's pressures—he simply chose to preserve this small distress of the young girl.
"Senpai, if I didn't have a girlfriend, would you have accepted my confession back then?"
He looked at his senior, who wasn't wearing her warm coat indoors.
The sweater and vest slightly outlined the curves of her youthful body.
Though her slightly protruding chest couldn't compare to Ichinose's beside her, it presented a different kind of charm.
She looked incredibly petite and adorable, especially when staring dumbfounded at Kaoru, her lips slightly parted as if everything about her expressed disbelief.
She wanted to hide her fluster and surprise, but her reddened cheeks betrayed her emotions as her gaze darted between Kaoru and Ichinose.
Soon, Akane realized she needed to respond to Kaoru's confession.
As his senior, she couldn't run away like last time—she had to face it properly.
"No."
The first to react to these words was Karuizawa, who seemed to let out a sigh of relief, her eyes flashing with triumph and delight.
Ichinose took a casual sip of barley tea with a faint smile, while Kushida studied Kaoru's expression, finding not a trace of embarrassment.
Akane noticed this too and couldn't help asking, "Aren't you angry?"
Kaoru sighed softly and said calmly, "I was the one forcing senpai to accept me in the first place. Whether senpai hates me or likes me is her own freedom. What good would my anger do? I probably scared you back then, didn't I?"
Akane felt inexplicably embarrassed, fidgeting uncomfortably as she instinctively tried to avoid these emotions.
But with people on either side of her, she felt too self-conscious and didn't know what to do.
"W-who told you to confess to me so suddenly? I wasn't prepared at all," the girl muttered. "Besides, I'm about to graduate soon. Being with me... you'd be better off staying with Ichinose and the others."
As she spoke, Akane felt a faint melancholy.
The annual graduation season was approaching—last year she bid farewell to her own seniors, and now it was her turn.
"You... you completely don't understand how others feel. When the student council changed over, you didn't show any sadness at all." Akane rambled on, "Actually, this semester will be our last meeting. What's more, Horikita and I also have to deal with upcoming exams. We need to give our absolute best for the final graduation exams, or all our efforts in Class A will go to waste."
The winter snow was nearly gone, and the early spring breeze was gradually approaching.
In another two months, it would be cherry blossom season, and Advanced Nurturing High School would bid farewell to this year's graduating class beneath a flurry of scattered petals.
Thus, the girl had always viewed Kaoru with the mindset of an impending separation.
For her, the youthful days of high school were coming to an end.
She had wanted to confess her feelings to Horikita Manabu but withdrew her steps at the last moment—her courage and hesitation reaching their conclusion simultaneously.
Akane believed she had already moved past her feelings for Horikita.
Even if she never took that final step, it didn't matter. Like the fleeting cherry blossoms, it was enough that they had bloomed for a time in spring.
But then, Kaoru plucked one of those blossoms, saying it smelled lovely and that he would take it home to preserve it.
How could a cherry blossom meant to wither in the soil be kept by him?
Moreover, his home already had plenty of other lovely flowers, which made Akane both irritated and secretly pleased.
Hmph, so this guy had finally noticed her charm!
Yet even though she should have felt triumphant, Akane now felt a pang of sorrow—not just because of their impending separation, but also because he hadn't just noticed her charm.
When she ran into Ichinose on the way, she instinctively tried to avoid her, only to be caught by the underclassman.
To her embarrassment, Ichinose already knew about Kaoru's confession.
At first, Akane thought Ichinose was joking, but it turned out there really were so many girls who liked him.
Compared to them, where did she stand?
Maybe it was better to just let it end here. He could continue living out his youth at school, while she would move forward with her education and her life.
"Senpai."
Kaoru interrupted Akane's thoughts. "Actually, I can leave the school and go with you."
Akane didn't react at first, staring blankly for a long moment before her eyes widened in shock.
"N-no no no, you can't drop out! What about Ichinose and the others?!"
Not just Akane—even Karuizawa looked frantic, shaking Kaoru's arm.
"Don't you dare drop out!" Karuizawa snapped, her voice both fierce and pitiful. "If you drop out, I'll drop out too!"
Their reaction wasn't surprising. Anyone would assume he meant expulsion.
But Kaoru was different—so different that even if Sakayanagi Narumori forbade him from leaving, he had ways to get out.
"Ahaha, not dropping out," Ichinose chimed in, a faint smile playing on her lips as she recalled something from winter break. "The school seems to allow Kaoru to leave. But you'd have to apply for permission, right?"
At the end, she glanced at Kaoru, her eyes seeking confirmation.
Kaoru nodded and then explained the situation, easing the tension on Karuizawa and Akane's faces.
"That's basically it. So if you ever want to see me, senpai, I can meet you anytime."
Akane swallowed hard.
So there was such an option? Had she been overthinking things earlier?
"Senpai, did you reject me because you were worried we wouldn't see each other again?"
Although it was unclear how Ichinose had convinced Akane to bring her here, Kaoru would seize the opportunity in time.
In truth, Tachibana Akane's willingness to come already spoke volumes about her stance.
If she truly intended to reject Kaoru, there was no way she would have shown up.