Vol. 1 Chapter 15 – The Reason I Want to Leave

♠

On weekdays, when there are fewer people, he could just slip in and out quickly, but today was Saturday. Singing voices leaked out from various places, and there might be someone in the men’s restroom too.

If he went in now, looking like this and got spotted, it would definitely cause a commotion. Being called a pervert and pointed at was something he could reluctantly accept, but he absolutely wanted to avoid dragging Ayano into any trouble.

That said, he couldn’t exactly go into the women’s restroom either. He was confident he wouldn’t be found out but Kyousuke’s sense of ethics wouldn’t allow it. If it came to that, he’d rather wet himself.

There was no multi-purpose toilet and his bladder didn’t have the capacity to go looking for another place outside the store.

A foolish idea of using a plastic bottle floated to the surface of his mind, but he quickly shook his head, telling himself that was absolutely out of the question. If it came to that, sneaking into the men’s restroom would still be the lower hurdle.

“Huh? What are you doing?”

A guy with light brown hair, probably a college student, called out to him.

Next to him stood a guy with black hair.

“Are you with friends? If you’re free, come hang out with us.”

Judging by the way he spoke, it seemed that Kyousuke was someone they knew. There was always the chance that it was simply a case of mistaken identity, but asking『who might you be?』right off the bat would come off as rude.

‘Are they mistaking me for my sister?’

That thought suddenly crossed his mind.

With makeup on, Kyousuke’s face resembled his sister’s. Their body types were nearly identical too, so it wouldn’t be strange to mistake them.

‘Please don’t get involved with guys like this…’

The guy looked even more frivolous than Kotarou, and it made Kyousuke worry as an older brother. She could befriend whomever she liked, but the fact that they were clearly older just added to the unease.

“I-it’s a misunderstanding.”

He lowered the volume of his voice and said it in falsetto.

If they were his sister’s friends, they should be able to recognize his voice.

“Huh? What are you talking about? We’re about to get to know each other, aren’t we?”

Whump. The guy with black hair slung an arm around his shoulders.

A sharp citrusy cologne stung his nose.

‘………………Eh?’

His mind was painted over in white, as if a fog had descended upon it.

Faced with a situation he couldn’t comprehend, his thoughts came to a complete halt.

Several seconds passed before his brain finally restarted, and he looked at the two guys grinning foolishly.

Approaching someone you don’t know, talking to them, and inviting them to hang out.

Kyousuke knew the word for that.

‘Is this… am I getting hit on?’

The man’s large hand was gripping Kyousuke’s shoulder tightly.

♥

After singing a whole song with all her might, she let out a long breath, “Fuu—.”

She felt somewhat better than before. The squirming embarrassment and uneasy fuzziness had vanished somewhere along with her scream. Immersed in the pleasant fatigue, she quietly replayed Kyousuke’s earlier words in her mind.

『No, Sasagawa-san always looks beautiful, no matter when I see her.』

She understood her own appearance well. With this face, this height, and these limbs, she made her living. It would be shameless to the extreme to play humble and call herself ugly.

Cute, beautiful, lovely.

She had heard those words so many times they could bore holes into her ears, and no matter how often she heard them, they were always pleasant to the heart. Her mind wasn’t so twisted that she couldn’t honestly feel happy when being praised.

However, if she blushed every single time, she wouldn’t be able to do her job or even live her daily life normally.

She had learned how to accept compliments with grace while keeping her composure. She knew how to handle being admired… or at least she thought she did.

‘N-no, I should stop thinking about this already.’

The moment she recalled it again, that fuzzy feeling started creeping back.

Before the symptoms worsened, she forced herself to abandon the thought.

She and he were friends. They studied together, cooked for each other sometimes, and this routine would probably stay the same until graduation. What came after that, she didn’t know, but most likely they’d go to different universities and occasionally keep in touch.

That was fine. That was how it should be. She didn’t wish for anything more.

“……”

But was that really true? She looked up at the ceiling.

She didn’t know. She didn’t know, but somehow it felt different. She couldn’t say what was different, but there was a vague sense of unease inside her.

“…Ah, wait.”

Through her hazy thoughts, she realized another sense of wrongness.

She glanced toward the spot where Kyousuke had been sitting and recalled what he had said before leaving the room.

What did he say again?

Didn’t he say he was going to the bathroom?

Right now, no matter how you looked at him, he appeared completely like a girl. If he entered the men’s restroom and someone saw him, it could turn into a serious problem. But knowing him, he wouldn’t have the guts to go into the women’s restroom either.

‘Don’t tell me…’

The blood drained from her face in an instant.

Unless it was the big one, he should have been back by now. Unable to use either restroom, unable to ask anyone for help, she couldn’t help but imagine him crying after wetting himself.

She couldn’t sit still any longer and dashed out of the room.

At the end of the hallway, near the restrooms, she saw him — being harassed by a man.

♠

“Can you hear me? Heeey, hellooo?”

The light-brown-haired guy made noise right by Kyousuke’s ear. The black-haired guy’s hand still rested on his shoulder.

There was no escape, no matter which way he looked.

What should I do? he thought, panicking.

Even if he wanted to confess that he was actually a guy, faced with this first-ever bizarre situation in his life, he couldn’t get his voice out. He couldn’t shake them off and return to the room either, with the guy gripping his shoulder. And if they followed him back, it would only cause trouble for Ayano.

‘Get a grip, me. You’re a guy, aren’t you?’

He mentally whipped himself, telling himself that he should at least scream.

But no matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn’t obey.

Even though they were the same sex, having two people get this physically close to him was a first. The storm of emotions swirling in his chest could only be described as fear.

“I-I… I’m—”

He tried to steel himself. With all the strength he could muster, from the very bottom of his gut.

Even so, the words that spilled from his lips were so faint they could be blown away by a breath of wind, not even reaching the ears of the two men beside him.

“……Ah.”

And then, at that moment.

He looked up and let out a small gasp.

The door to the men’s restroom opened, and out stepped a blond-haired guy. There was no way to mistake him for anyone else. His face, which usually carried an intimidating aura, looked like that of a sparkling prince right now.

‘Toujou…!!’

Before the question of why is he here could even form, Kyousuke’s eyes pleaded for help.

Whether he picked up on that silent message or simply judged the situation at a glance, Kotarou let out a low, growling『Ahh…』as he scratched the back of his head. Despite being only a first-year in high school, his well-built physique gave the simple motion a threatening weight.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to my friend?”

The voice, heavy with displeasure, struck Kyousuke like a blow that knocked the soul out of his body.

The brown-haired and black-haired men turned their attention to Kotarou.

“…A-ah, so she’s got a boyfriend” muttered the brown-haired one with a trembling voice, while the black-haired one silently took a step back.

Despite them clearly being older, Kotarou glared at them sharply without the slightest hint of fear.

“Hurry up and get lost.”

With a deep, growling voice that sounded almost beast-like, his words were sharp as his brow furrowed. The two men turned their backs to them without a word and walked away.

So this is what masculine charm looks like, Kyousuke thought, looking up at him with envy. Noticing the gaze, Kotarou muttered a curt 『Sup』. It seemed he hadn’t realized Kyousuke’s true identity.

Maybe right now, he was thinking she looks like someone I know, but it was unlikely he would ever imagine that this was Fujimura Kyousuke in drag.

Honestly, Kyousuke wanted to thank him properly for helping after revealing his true identity, and maybe even ask him to come along to the restroom. But if the girl standing before him suddenly came out and said, 『Actually, I’m a guy』it would definitely cause confusion. And there was no guarantee he’d even believe him.

Better to just ride this out.

“Fujimura!”

Bang! The door swung open with force.

With her graceful body swaying, Ayano burst out and ran straight toward them without a glance to the sides. She rushed between Kyousuke and Kotarou, spreading her long arms out wide to shield Kyousuke like a human shield.

“Eh?”

Kotarou let out a bewildered squeak and opened his eyes wide.

Naturally. He thought he’d just saved someone from getting hit on, only for the girl he once hit on himself to suddenly appear.

“…Ah.”

Though she didn’t recognize the face, from the voice it seemed Ayano had realized who she was facing. Who this boy in front of her actually was.

An intensely awkward and heavy atmosphere hung in the air.

Even if they passed each other at school, they likely avoided any interaction because of that unpleasant memory neither wanted to bring back up. As far as Kyousuke knew, the two hadn’t exchanged a single word since that incident back in April.

“I-I truly, sincerely apologize… for what happened back then…”

The one to first break the silence was Kotarou.

He suddenly bowed his head deeply, and Ayano, surprised, took a step back with a startled『Eh』.

“Sasagawa-san, actually—”

Kyousuke dropped his voice as low as possible, quiet enough so Kotarou couldn’t hear, and briefly explained the situation to Ayano.

That he and Sayo were childhood friends. That he just wanted her contact info for Sayo’s sake. After Kyousuke explained everything, Ayano nodded in understanding with a simple,『Ah, I see』.

“I-it’s fine. I’m not bothered or anything.”

“But, really—”

“It’s fine, seriously. More importantly, what happened?”

“Well, this girl was getting harassed by some guys. Wait, didn’t you just say Fujimura—”

As he spoke, Kotarou suddenly leaned in to get a good look at Kyousuke.

Ayano visibly flinched and quickly shifted sideways to block Kotarou’s line of sight.

“Th-this girl is, um, Fujimura’s little sister!”

He nearly burst out laughing.

What kind of setting is that? He figured she was just trying to keep Kotarou from finding out, but there had to be a better way to cover for him. The suspicious glint in Kotarou’s eyes said everything about how weak the lie was.

“Man, sorry for the trouble. C’mon, let’s go, Kyouko-chan!”

“Ah. Sayo’s here too, so I was thinking maybe we could swing by and—”

“Sorry! Just tell her I said hi!”

Practically being dragged by Ayano, Kyousuke returned to the room.

“You could’ve come up with a better lie.『Kyouko-chan』, seriously?”

“I had no choice! If he found out, it would’ve been a huge mess!”

Seeing Ayano’s serious expression, Kyousuke let out a small sigh and put away his frustration.

Kotarou might look like that, but he wasn’t that kind of guy. Even if he found out Kyousuke was crossdressing, he probably wouldn’t go around blabbing. But it wasn’t unreasonable for Ayano to be cautious. If their roles were reversed, he’d have done the same.

“For now, let’s just leave the place. It’d be super awkward if we bumped into him at the drink bar or something.”

“So we’re heading straight to the cat café now?”

“Yeah. I did want to hear Fujimura sing, but I’ll save it for next time.”

They quickly packed up, paid at the front counter, and left the store.

The urge to pee, which had subsided, returned once he was outside in the fresh air. He took care of it in a nearby convenience store’s unisex restroom. Afterward, Ayano took him by the hand and they headed toward the cat café.

Ayano opened her map app on her phone, tilting her head and muttering,『Huh?』and『Hmm?』as she walked. Twenty minutes passed since they started walking, and they still hadn’t arrived at the café.

“Are we lost?”

“N-no, of course not! I’m just taking a detour!”

She tossed out some vague excuse, but it was obvious she had gotten them lost.

“Let me see that for a second” he said, taking the phone and looking at the screen. Whether she didn’t know how to read maps or her phone was malfunctioning, they were quite far from their destination.

When he looked over at Ayano, she quickly averted her gaze.

There was no helping it. Kyousuke sighed and took the lead in her place. Since the GPS was functioning normally, it seemed her sheer lack of navigation skills was to blame.

“By the way, why a cat café?”

“I love cats. You like them too, right, Fujimura?”

“Me?”

“Wait, you don’t? You use those cat stickers, so I thought maybe you did.”

“Oh, those? They’re just… safe and inoffensive to use, that’s all…”

Whether it was a dog, a cat, or some weird mascot character, it didn’t matter. As long as it didn’t make others uncomfortable, that was enough.

Out of all the options, he had chosen the cat because a friend once told him he was like a cat.

“Eh. Th-then… should we not go…?”

Her voice visibly lost energy, dropping in tone. She must have been really looking forward to it.

Kyousuke tightened his grip on her hand and glanced slightly upward.

“I’ve never been, so I’m kind of interested.”

Ayano was the kind of person whose emotions showed right on her face. Seeing her playing with cats would no doubt be adorable… or so he thought, not that he’d ever say it out loud.

『I’m glad』she said, cheeks loosening with joy as she practically skipped ahead like she was about to take flight. Her stride was so big he nearly tripped trying to keep up, but Ayano caught him just in time to keep him from falling.

Just then, a high-pitched『Kyaa—!』rang in his ears. A group of three girls about their age were looking at them and whispering something.

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was probably about Ayano.

A lot of passersby would steal a glance at her, but it was the first time anyone had reacted so openly.

Ayano gave them a small wave. The girls squealed, blushing as they got excited.

The way she carried herself felt like something straight out of a movie or manga, and it reminded him once again that she lived in a different world from him.

“…As expected, you’re used to this.”

“I’ve always been pretty popular with girls. Just got confessed to the other day too.”

That was news to him, but he did know that girls from other classes often peeked into theirs just to catch a glimpse of Ayano. She didn’t seem to have much luck with the girls in her own class, but that would probably change once class assignments shuffled next year.

As for the boys, apparently a few had risked it all to confess back in April, but lately things had gone quiet. No one wanted to fight a losing battle.

“So, did you turn her down?”

“Yeah. I was happy she liked me though.”

“Hmph.”

“Huh? What’s wrong, Fujimura? Are you bothered that someone confessed to me?”

“No, not really.”

He had asked without thinking too much about it, but Ayano gave him a smirking, teasing smile.

“So you don’t care?”

“What do you mean, don’t care…”

“So you wouldn’t mind if I started dating someone?”

He had no idea what she was trying to get at.

Who she dated and how she lived her youth was her business. Kyousuke had no right to interfere, and if she wanted to date someone, she should just go ahead… but there was something that bugged him.

“Well, I guess it’s fine. It might mean I’ll have less time to help you study, though.”

As soon as he said that, his face flushed hot.

It was way too gross. What the hell am I saying? He wanted to grab his own head and shake it.

While he struggled to figure out what to do with the heat pooling in his cheeks, Ayano let out a satisfied hmph and sidled closer to him.『That’d be a problem』, she said, voice melting sweetly, and his heart skipped a beat.

“W-we’re almost there!”

He shoved her phone back at her as soon as he spotted the café’s sign in the distance.

He took a shallow deep breath to steady the pounding in his chest.

“I’m starting to get nervous. I heard they’re all really friendly, but I’d be really bummed if they didn’t like me.”

“They’re animals, so it’s not like they’ll act exactly how you want… Wait, have you been to one before?”

“Nope. Why?”

“You said they’re all friendly.”

“Oh, right. Sayo-chan is a regular here, apparently. She recommended it and said it’s a nice place.”

With that, she placed her hand on the doorknob.

“Wait,” Kyousuke said, grabbing Ayano’s arm.

She blinked in surprise and glanced back at him.

“Isn’t he in there? One of them?”

“Who?”

“Toujou and the others. When we talked at karaoke, you said Shijima-san was with them too.”

“No way. You’re overthinking it.”

“Even if they’re not here now, they might show up while we’re still inside—”

“Fujimura, you worry too much.”

She took his hand and led him in. After checking in and sanitizing their hands, they stepped into the café.

The bright, wood-toned interior was spacious, with cats strolling around, curled up in corners, or playing with guests.

The clientele seemed to be mostly women and couples. And among them, one particular pair instantly caught their eyes—so much so that the cats no longer mattered.

“……”

See? I told you, Kyousuke thought, shooting a glance at Ayano.

Her face was plastered with a fake smile that looked like it had been sculpted from clay. Her eyelids twitched slightly.

There sat Sayo and Kotarou.

“Oh—what a coincidence, both of you.”

Kotarou waved casually with his free hand while playing with a cat toy shaped like a tiny fishing rod.

Sitting beside him, Sayo wore a stiff, awkward smile just like Ayano’s.

‘Told you…’

Kyousuke decided to go along with Kotarou’s beckoning and walked over, practically dragging a frozen Ayano behind him. If they were going to keep up the act, it would be best not to let themselves get visibly shaken.

“Ah, Ayano-chan!? Wh-why are you… I mean, who’s this girl…?”

“Um, uh, this is Kyouko-chan, Fujimura’s little sister.”

“Fujimura-san’s little sister?”

Sayo narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and stared intently at Kyousuke’s face.

It wasn’t unreasonable to be suspicious. Hanging out with a classmate’s little sister on a weekend wasn’t exactly typical.

“Oh, I see. It’s nice to meet you, Kyouko-chan.”

But apparently, she wasn’t suspicious at all.

As expected of one of Ayano’s fans—Sayo’s smile didn’t contain a single trace of doubt.

For now, they sat down on the sofa seat beside the pair.

The café interior was far cleaner than he had imagined.

Soft-colored lighting. The pillars had been converted into cat towers, and one cat was peeking down at them from the highest perch. Its narrow, curious eyes blinking down at them were incredibly cute.

“Please look—aren’t they all adorable?”

Sayo said that as she handed over a profile sheet that was sitting on the table.

Mametarou the Munchkin, Meimei the Scottish Fold, Tigg the Bengal… and so on. The cats’ names, breeds, genders, and birthdays were all listed. Ayano’s eyes sparkled as she immediately began looking for the name of the black-and-white cat quietly observing guests nearby.

“That one is Koko-chan, a Minuet. She’s the most senior cat in this café,” Sayo answered, faster than Ayano could find it herself.

Perhaps noticing her name being called, Koko pushed herself up on her short legs and, with a slow and regal gait, climbed onto Sayo’s lap. After softly testing the texture of her lap, she folded her legs and settled in.

“Waaah…!”

Ayano let out a genuinely envious sound.

The cat must have been used to humans, but approaching someone that naturally probably had a lot to do with Sayo being a regular. When she gently stroked the cat’s back and scratched under her chin, Koko purred loudly, clearly enjoying it.

“Try holding out your hand.”

“Ah, okay.”

When Ayano offered her index finger, Koko slowly brought her nose close to sniff it. Then, twisting her neck, she rubbed her forehead against it. As if to complete the greeting, she let out a soft “Nyaa.”

Ayano lifted her head, eyes wide and sparkling. Mimicking Sayo, she stroked the cat’s back, petted her head, and scratched under her chin. The sensation must have delighted her, as she suddenly looked over with a beaming expression full of joy.

“She’s amazing… she’s alive!”

Of course she is, he thought, but he couldn’t entirely dismiss the feeling.

It reminded him of the time he touched a starfish in an aquarium’s touch pool and felt genuinely moved by the realization that it was alive.

“Can I take a photo?”

“Please don’t use flash.”

“Got it!”

Ayano pulled out her phone and tapped the screen a few times, snapping several shots.

She checked the photos and looked utterly satisfied. Then, as if to say my work here is done, Koko stood up, let out a low『Nyaa—』and gracefully walked off toward the next guest.

‘She’s a professional…’

As expected of a cat café feline. Not just a pet, but a proper staff member fulfilling her duties.

Ayano watched her retreating back with longing in her eyes. She must have wanted to pet her a bit longer.

“There’s this other one called Miu-chan—she’s super pretty! She always stands in the same spot, never climbs into anyone’s lap like the others, but if you point a camera at her… she totally poses!”

“R-really? I want to see!”

Encouraged by Sayo, Ayano stood up, but gave Kyousuke a brief glance and furrowed her brows slightly.

He could’ve gone with them, but the unfamiliar shoes had already worn him out from walking. Besides, they’d probably be more comfortable chatting girl-to-girl. He gave her a little wave, urging her to go on ahead.

Once the two walked away, a black cat suddenly leapt onto the table. It didn’t try to snuggle or sprawl out—it just sat there, gazing at him with moon-colored eyes.

Looking at the profile sheet, he saw it was Azuki, a British Shorthair and apparently the café’s number-one cool beauty. As he read through it, Azuki quietly hopped onto his lap, curled up, and settled in.

“Pet her, Fuji. You might as well enjoy it while you’re here.”

Kotarou, who had been sipping coffee and watching Sayo, turned his gaze smoothly to Kyousuke as he spoke.

“Ah, yeah…”

Her limbs were short, and her body was plump and round. Covered in soft, fluffy fur, it felt like his fingers could sink into her forever.

As he scratched Azuki’s face beside his own, memories of the cat he used to have came to mind. Azuki narrowed her eyes in delight and rubbed her head against him. The gesture was so adorable it made him exhale in awe—it felt like all the exhaustion from the day had melted away.

…But after about ten seconds of enjoying Azuki’s company,

Kyousuke noticed something off and turned to look at Kotarou. Kotarou, who had just been watching Sayo, turned his eyes back to Kyousuke and tilted his head slightly. “Hm?”

“You just called me Fuji…”

He hadn’t registered it at first because it sounded so natural, but the more he thought about it, the weirder it was. Both Ayano and Kyousuke had gone out of their way to invent a fictional identity—Kyouko—and keep up the act. They hadn’t slipped up enough for someone to confidently call him that.

“You noticed? Since when?”

“From the start. I mean, I wasn’t totally sure though.”

“You’re kidding. I got my makeup done perfectly.”

“Well, it’s like… the vibe, I guess? The aura or something was the same. I seriously thought you might be his little sister, but then Ayano-chan was acting weirdly stiff.”

“So you played along knowing the truth…”

“What would be the point of outing you? Ayano-chan clearly wanted to keep it under wraps. Would’ve been lame to blow that up.”

Kotarou brought his cup to his lips and gave a wicked little smirk.

“You said something about giving me away or whatever… so this is what you meant, huh. Gotta say, it suits you, Kyouko-chan.”

“Sasagawa-san was the one who wanted to do this. It’s not like it’s my hobby.”

When he said that, Kotarou nodded in apparent admiration.

Responding to Sasagawa-san’s request—that part must’ve hit a chord with him. This kind of straightforward quality of his was both a flaw and something strangely respectable.

“Still, sorry for getting in the way. You two were on a date, right?”

“It’s not a date. We just went out to hang out.”

“Eh? But you’re dating Ayano-chan, aren’t you?”

“…Why would you think that?”

Kyousuke glared at him with half-lidded eyes. Kotarou shrugged, not entirely satisfied with the response.

Thinking back on things calmly, Kyousuke realized there had been enough moments to justify that misunderstanding. Considering Sasagawa Ayano’s noticeable presence, it wouldn’t be surprising if others were thinking the same thing.

As he mentally groaned, Sayo returned with Ayano, who wore a radiant expression.

It looked like she’d taken some great photos.

“What were you two talking about?”

“We were just talking about how cute Sayo is. Right, Kyouko-chan?”

To Sayo’s question, Kotarou responded brightly without missing a beat.

“…Please, just look at the cats” Sayo said, exasperated.

Kotarou only grinned like a fool.

Ayano noticed the cat curled up on Kyousuke’s lap and let out a soft, melting『Fuaaah』before sitting down. Her expression, full of longing as she muttered I’m so jealous, was delightful to look at—but this wasn’t the time to be enjoying it.

Azuki, still on his lap, let out a bored『Nyaa—』 indifferent to anyone’s thoughts or emotions.

Since the café operated on a time-based system, Kotarou and Sayo left a little earlier.

Less than ten minutes later, Kyousuke and Ayano also headed home. They rode the train, then walked straight to Ayano’s apartment. He couldn’t return home looking like this.

“Is something wrong?”

A few minutes after exiting the station.

Ayano, who had been glancing at him curiously for a while, finally leaned in to peek at his face.

“What do you mean, something wrong?”

“You’ve been wearing this really serious expression, so I thought maybe something happened.”

“You thought that at karaoke too. Am I really that easy to read?”

“I think you’re actually pretty easy to read, Fujimura. When you’re thinking about something, your eyebrows kinda go nyuu, like this.”

She pushed her eyebrows together with both hands and grinned proudly, going eheheh. She clearly wanted to say, I can see right through you.

“…Toujou said something. About me and Sasagawa-san… that we’re, like, dating or something.”

“Eh?”

“Of course I denied it. But… I mean, it’s not surprising he got the wrong idea, given everything. There are probably others who think the same…”

He didn’t say someone like me.

Still, it was plain as day that he and Ayano weren’t a balanced match, and a misunderstanding like this would probably only hurt her image.

And for Kyousuke, while he did think of Ayano positively, that feeling was not romantic in nature. Even so, having people get the wrong impression about that made him feel awkward. But Ayano simply said:

“I don’t really care.”

She said it bluntly, without hesitation.

“It’s stupid to avoid someone just because of what other people are saying.”

“Stupid? Well, yeah, but…”

“Fujimura, you overthink things. If someone wants to misunderstand, just let them.”

“Then… you don’t feel uncomfortable when people tease you about it? I mean, it’s me we’re talking about.”

The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and he froze, realizing what he had just said.

He had meant to avoid saying anything negative in front of Ayano. Now he had probably made her angry again.

But she didn’t say anything.

Instead, what he heard was a heavy, sorrowful sigh.

“…If you’re looking for a reason to distance yourself from me, go ahead and make one up.”

“T-that’s not—!”

He immediately denied it and looked up at her.

What greeted him was a smug, grinning face.『Heh heh heh』she laughed like a cartoon villain, poking him on the cheek with her index finger.

“Getting all desperate, huh? You really want to be with me that badly?”

He had walked right into her trap. Embarrassed, he bit his lip… but didn’t deny it.

He just held her hand a little tighter than before. Whether he wanted to be with her or not—if that was the question, he couldn’t quite put it into words yet.