I Just Want A Single Ending!

Curious to confirm her suspicions, Nagasaki Soyo tapped into Kamigawa Saku's Instagram profile.

Scrolling through his posts, she found they were mostly reviews and recommendations for various shops and snacks.

The posts didn't have any set schedule—some were in the afternoon, some in the evening.

From this, she could deduce that he probably posted as soon as he finished writing, without any delay.

Moreover, his caption specifically mentioned trying the mousse that afternoon.

So, his recent post hadn't been staged or faked—it was freshly written after he got home.

But then again, it was just mousse. That couldn't really count as a full meal.

Just as she was thinking that, she suddenly recalled something he'd said to her earlier.

"Lately, I've been eating cakes, snacks, and those so-called 'trendy' dishes for dinner. I'm getting a little tired of them."

From this, it wasn't hard to deduce that he tended to treat café visits as actual dinners.

And just because his Instagram post only mentioned the mousse didn't necessarily mean that was all he ate there tonight.

To confirm her hunch, Soyo reopened her chat history with him.

She skimmed over the initial conversation, focusing on the timestamps between her message saying her mom was home and his message about seeing her mom downstairs.

An hour and ten minutes had passed.

That was more than enough time for a quick dinner at a café.

The timing matched.

So… why had he lied to her?

Re-reading their conversation a few times, Soyo considered a new possibility.

Maybe… he'd lied for her sake.

It all went back to the moment he messaged her about seeing her mom downstairs.

He must have recognized her mom; otherwise, he wouldn't have messaged her with, "I saw a lady who looked a lot like you—like an older version of you."

Then, when she'd told him it was her mom, he'd casually asked if she'd just gone to the convenience store.

Looking back, it was clear that he was subtly probing to see if her mom had left suddenly.

And after her response that her mom had gone back to work, Kamigawa had shown up at her door soon after, without a word about coming over.

"He came to comfort me."

Soyo felt certain of it.

She'd told him her mom had come home, and then he'd noticed her mom leave. Concerned she'd feel lonely, he'd confirmed the situation with her before coming by, without even announcing he was on his way.

She didn't know his exact thoughts.

But even though he'd already had dinner, he hadn't refused her invitation to join her for a second meal.

It was obvious he'd been worried she might feel lonely after her mom's sudden departure.

Even if he had lied, she couldn't bring herself to feel the slightest bit of resentment toward him.

Because he'd lied for her sake, even eating a second dinner just so she wouldn't be alone.

All of this was just her speculation—there wasn't any direct proof.

But her intuition told her that she was right.

No need for concrete evidence; circumstantial clues were enough.

"You really are so kind…"

Staring at their chat log, a soft smile crept across her face, and she couldn't hide it any longer.

With a light laugh, she navigated back to his Instagram profile and tapped "Follow."

If it weren't for her lucky timing in stumbling across his post…

She might never have known the truth about tonight.

Tonight, she'd sleep well.

---

"Man, I've really been putting myself through it lately."

Kamigawa Saku sighed, glancing up from a book about stars.

He'd just finished posting his café review from this afternoon, and now he still had to study up a bit more on constellations.

Tomorrow, he was going to see a movie with Ikuyo Kita.

Busy, busy, busy.

Well, he thought, that's what happens when you commit to the "single ending."

It's a path that requires a little more effort.

---

The Next Morning

"Good morning, Kita-san."

Standing in front of the movie theater, Kamigawa greeted Ikuyo Kita with a smile as she approached.

"Good morning, Kamigawa-senpai."

Kita responded softly once she reached him.

Kamigawa felt a wave of satisfaction.

Fun fact: being called "senpai" by a cute girl is an instant mood boost.

Suddenly, Kamigawa remembered something and asked with a hint of curiosity, "By the way, Kita-san, when's your birthday?"

"Huh? April 21st," Kita replied, surprised but honest.

"Is there a reason you ask?"

"No reason, just curious."

An even cooler fact: when a girl who's not much younger than you calls you "senpai," the mood boost is even better.

"Oh, okay."

Kita didn't press further and instead glanced toward the theater.

"So, what movie are we seeing today?"

"Let's decide once we're inside."

The ticket Kita had given him wasn't tied to a specific movie or showtime; it was an open ticket that could be exchanged for any movie.

Pretty convenient.

"Good idea."

With that, they headed inside and browsed the movie listings together.

"They've got a great lineup today, all sorts of genres," Kita observed, tilting her head towards him. "Kamigawa-senpai, is there a type of movie you particularly like?"

"I'm open to anything, really," Kamigawa replied, then asked, "What about you? Any of these catch your eye?"

"They all seem interesting based on the titles…"

Kita placed a thoughtful hand under her chin, looking pensive.

"Why don't you pick one, then?" he suggested, giving her the choice.

"Me?" Kita looked surprised and hesitated briefly. "I thought you should decide, Senpai. I'm just here to keep you company."

[Choose a movie yourself]

[Let her choose the movie]

"Well, if you're here to keep me company, then I'm ordering you to choose a movie for us to watch together. That's fair, isn't it?"

Kamigawa chose without a moment's hesitation, putting on his most gentlemanly air.

[Stamina +3]

"In that case, let's go with this one," Kita said, no longer resisting his suggestion. She quickly picked a movie that caught her eye.

"Cool Me is Totally Unpopular?" Kamigawa read the title aloud.

---

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

(IN THE STORY)

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