Kapitel 97: I Just Want a Single Ending [97]
Kita took her phone down from the stand, and everyone who was curious gathered around to see the result.
"It looks great!" Nijika Ijichi commented first.
No one had closed their eyes, and everyone was looking at the camera. Even if not many of them had posed, they all looked natural.
It was, without a doubt, a fantastic group shot.
"Totally," Kita agreed, pleased with the outcome.
Chihaya Anon only glanced briefly, focusing on herself and Kamigawa. Just as she'd hoped, the two of them, standing in the center, looked like they belonged there, capturing everyone's attention with ease. They made a perfect pair—handsome and beautiful, absolutely in sync.
Soyo, too, was more than happy with the picture. Standing beside Kamigawa, they looked so much like siblings, with their matching aura and expressions.
Meanwhile, Shiina Taki only checked to see if she and Tomori looked good together before quietly returning to her seat.
Raana didn't even bother to check the photo, having already gone back to munching on snacks.
Tomori gave the photo a long look, nodding in agreement. Everyone had turned out great.
Hitori, though, hovered at the edge, watching the others gather around to look, unable to summon the courage to check herself.
Despite summoning all her bravery during the photo, raising her head just as they'd practiced, she wasn't sure how she'd actually come out.
If it turned out she'd ruined the photo, and everyone had to retake it because of her, she felt like she'd have no choice but to die of embarrassment.
So until she saw the photo herself, she was stuck in a weird state between survival and social death.
"It's like a family photo," Yamada Ryo commented out of nowhere.
"Wait, you don't mean… like that kind of family photo, do you?" Kamigawa's eyebrows shot up, sensing trouble.
"Exactly that," Ryo confirmed with a smirk.
Everyone had their own interpretation of her comment. For some, it meant looking close to someone like family, making the picture feel like a group of close-knit relatives. For others, it just added an extra sense of warmth to the photo.
But to Kamigawa, it sounded like a curse.
Just him, a lone guy, surrounded by nine girls, and Ryo calling it a family photo?
What was she trying to imply here—some kind of…harem?
Too outrageous. But if he reacted strongly, wouldn't it just make him look self-absorbed?
With no better option, Kamigawa pretended not to hear, muttering a quick "Looks fine to me," and quietly moved aside.
Kita Ikuyo began asking each person for their approval of the picture.
"No—no issues, looks good," Hitori finally exhaled in relief.
She'd looked at the camera, and it had actually worked! She'd live to see another day.
Once everyone had confirmed the photo, Kita shared it with the group chat.
With that settled, they all returned to the couch.
"So… can we actually start the study session now?" Shiina Taki glanced at everyone, now scrolling through the just-shared photo.
"Right, we're here for a study session, not just to hang out," Nijika quickly put her phone away and grabbed a pencil.
"Oh, one question though—are we really okay taking up the whole living room? I mean, won't it bother your parents when they get back?" Chihaya Anon asked Kamigawa, voicing a concern that had been on her mind.
Hearing this, Soyo visibly panicked, scrambling to find an answer.
But Kamigawa just shook his head, chuckling. "Don't worry, I forgot to mention—I live alone."
When he'd suggested his place as the meeting spot, he'd only told Nijika about his living situation, so Anon's question was completely understandable.
It wasn't that he wanted to hide the details of his parents' passing. But he hated the sympathy that it always seemed to draw out from others. If he could avoid it, he would.
"…"
Soyo's expression softened, but she shot a brief glare at Anon.
"That's so nice—to have a place this big all to yourself," Anon sighed, a bit envious.
"Enough!" Soyo cut in sharply.
"What? What's the big deal?" Anon looked confused.
"Don't pry into other people's lives!" Soyo retorted, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Let's just get to studying."
How could she possibly bring up something as sensitive as Kamigawa's parents being gone?
"I wasn't prying! I was just worried about causing trouble for his parents," Anon replied defensively, hurt by Soyo's tone.
Sure, maybe it was a small thing to ask, but why get so angry about it? It wasn't like she was trying to pry or be rude.
"Stop fighting!" Not sure how things had taken such a turn, Nijika stepped in to try to calm them down.
"Yeah, let's all talk it out," Kita said, encouraging them to take a breath.
"What just happened?" Tomori asked, utterly bewildered by the sudden tension.
Hitori had fallen completely silent, feeling the pressure of the situation around her.
"What's going on with you two? Can't you just explain it properly?" Taki asked, frowning.
Soyo only shook her head. "I just think we should drop this topic."
She knew how much talking about his family hurt Kamigawa, and she couldn't bear the thought of putting him through that.
"Come on…" Anon started, but Kamigawa cut her off.
"I know what's happening here. It's a simple misunderstanding, and I can clear it up."
Everyone turned their attention to him.
"No, please don't," Soyo muttered, barely audible.
She didn't want him to have to open old wounds, not like this.
"My parents passed away a long time ago," Kamigawa said, calmly explaining. "Soyo already knew, which is why she didn't want the topic to come up."
"So that's it. Please, let's not fight over this. I'm fine with it."
Silence fell over the group, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
Time crawled by in heavy, stretched-out seconds until finally, Anon broke the quiet, lowering her head in regret.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
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T/N: yikes girl
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