The faint chirping of cicadas in the afternoon seeped through the window cracks, but room 403 remained cool.
Natsukawa Sosuke was leaning back in a chair by the window, holding a novel titled "The Astrology Murder Mystery," with a glass of iced oolong tea beside him.
Although summer vacation had begun, he didn't plan to fill this time with games as he had before. However, compared to the constant tension he felt at school, he was now completely relaxed, with a casual posture and a languid expression.
"Ding-dong—"
The doorbell rang softly, with a hint of caution.
"The door's unlocked."
With a soft click, Sakura Airi, carrying a shopping bag full of groceries, slipped in like a little squirrel returning to its nest.
"Ex-excuse me for disturbing..."
Today, she was wearing a loose, casual dress, her hair simply tied back, and without her usual heavy glasses, revealing a delicate but somewhat timid face.
"Sōsuke-kun, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Airi." Natsukawa pointed to the kitchen, "You can put the things over there."
Sakura nodded obediently, put the groceries in the refrigerator, then naturally took an apron from the cupboard and tied it on, beginning to skillfully tidy up the somewhat cluttered desk and bookshelf.
If an outsider were to see this scene, they would probably be dumbfounded. But for the two of them, this had become their daily routine for the past half month.
The cause of the matter could be traced back to the day after the cruise ship returned.
It was August 15th when Sakura gathered her courage to find Natsukawa, wanting to thank him for his care during the previous period. But upon entering Natsukawa's dorm, Sakura found that Natsukawa's dinner was just simple instant noodles, and the entire dorm was covered in a layer of dust from the half-month cruise ship life.
Natsukawa said he had only just arrived at the dorm, and having been accustomed to being served meals on the ship, he suddenly didn't feel like cooking upon returning to school, so he was just having instant noodles for now.
Seeing that scene, Sakura didn't show a disgusted expression; instead, her face reddened, and she stammered out the request, "Let me help you clean up."
Initially, Natsukawa refused, as he didn't have a hobby of treating girls as maids. But when he saw Sakura's eyes, which instantly dimmed upon being rejected, as if she had lost a hard-won opportunity to prove herself and felt "useless," he changed his mind.
For Sakura, being able to do something for him was perhaps the best way for her to confirm her self-worth and alleviate her anxiety.
Thus, this became an unspoken understanding between the two.
"Um... Sōsuke-kun."
Sakura spoke softly while wiping the table, her voice carrying a hint of barely concealed delight.
"What is it?" Natsukawa picked up his book again and asked casually.
"It's just... before, on the uninhabited island, Sōsuke-kun taught me a lot about identifying wild fruits and vegetables, didn't you?"
Sakura stopped what she was doing, turned to look at Natsukawa, her eyes sparkling.
"At that time... there was a girl who seemed to be struggling with it. So I... I tried talking to her and told her what was edible and what wasn't..."
Natsukawa looked up from his book at her: "Oh? And then?"
"Th-then..." Sakura's face flushed, and her fingers twisted the edge of her apron. "We had a great chat. The other day I ran into her at the convenience store, and she even greeted me first and added my contact info..."
"Her name is Hasebe Haruka... although she seems a bit cold, she's actually very nice..."
At this point, Sakura's voice was a little excited.
"Sōsuke-kun... I think I really made a friend."
Aside from her special relationship with Natsukawa and Ichinose, this was the first time she had made a friend through normal communication, using her own strength.
Natsukawa looked at her adorable "please praise me" expression, and his gaze softened.
He put down his book and waved at Sakura.
"Come here."
Sakura obediently walked to the window.
Natsukawa reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"Well done. I knew Airi could do it."
"Hehe..."
Feeling the warmth on her head, Sakura happily squinted her eyes, like a cat being stroked.
"It's all thanks to the knowledge Sōsuke-kun taught me... otherwise, I definitely wouldn't have dared to speak up."
"Knowledge is just the catalyst, the courage is your own." Natsukawa withdrew his hand, his tone languid but serious, "Be confident, you're amazing now."
Sakura felt her face redden.
She took a deep breath, as if to calm her rapidly beating heart, then turned and took out the pink digital camera from her bag.
"Um... Sōsuke-kun."
"Hm?"
"The light is good right now... can I, take a few pictures of you?"
She held up the camera, her eyes a bit evasive, yet filled with a strong hope.
"I want to capture... the current Sōsuke-kun."
Not the mastermind orchestrating things in the class, nor the cold and calculating strategist.
But this... real boy, wearing casual clothes, drinking oolong tea, with gentle eyes, who showed a relaxed expression to her.
Natsukawa was startled for a moment, then smiled helplessly.
"Suit yourself. But I won't pose."
"That's enough!"
Sakura excitedly raised the camera.
"Click—"
The scene was frozen.
Sunlight fell on the boy's profile; he looked down slightly at the book in his hand, his expression focused and serene, devoid of his usual sharpness, leaving only a gentle tranquility of time.
Sakura gazed at it all greedily through the viewfinder.
In reality, she always felt humble, unworthy of his brilliance.
But in this small lens, he belonged to her.
"One more... look over here..."
Sakura grew more enthusiastic with each shot, and without realizing it, she moved closer and closer, searching for a better angle.
Just as she was trying to get a close-up of Natsukawa's eyelashes—
"I say..."
Natsukawa suddenly put down his book, his dark eyes looking straight at her, with a hint of playfulness.
"Are you going to shove the lens up my nostril?"
"Ah! S-sorry!"
Sakura only then realized how close they were. In her panic, she tried to step back but tripped over the rug, losing her balance completely.
"Ah—"
The expected pain did not come.
A strong hand firmly clasped her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace.
Natsukawa didn't get up; he simply pulled her in, letting Sakura fall onto his lap.
"So clumsy."
Natsukawa sighed, but didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he rested his head gently on her shoulder.
"Don't move, let me lean for a bit."
His voice was a little low, with a hint of lingering sleepiness.
"My eyes hurt from reading too long."
Sakura's body instantly stiffened, and she even held her breath.
The weight on her shoulder, the warm breath on her neck, and the warmth of the hand around her waist... all of it made her brain instantly shut down.
"So-Sōsuke-kun..."
"Hm."
Natsukawa closed his eyes, the faint scent of the girl lingering at his nose, allowing his tense nerves to completely relax.
He didn't want to do anything; he simply felt that leaning like this was very comfortable and reassuring.
In this school full of schemes, only by Sakura Airi's side did he not need to think or be on guard.
Because this girl was one hundred and twenty percent sincere towards him.
After a long while, Sakura's stiff body slowly softened.
She slightly turned her head, looking at the boy resting on her shoulder.
The Sōsuke-kun who was usually omnipotent and seemed forever high above, was now relying on her like a child.
This realization filled Sakura's heart with an indescribable sense of happiness and protectiveness.
In her eyes, he was the hero who extended a helping hand to her in despair and led her out of the darkness.
'As long as I can be needed by you like this... even if it's just as a human pillow.'
Sakura carefully raised her hand, gently and tentatively stroking Natsukawa's hair.
Seeing that he didn't react negatively, she grew a little bolder, her fingers gently threading through his hair.
"Sōsuke-kun... you've worked hard."
"Mm..." Natsukawa mumbled in response, nuzzling into her neck.
Sakura Airi's face broke into an incredibly gentle smile.
The sun gradually set in the west, lengthening their shadows... and finally, overlapping them.