Thus ended my confrontation with Ryuzaki, but it seemed necessary to ⊠ask her properly why she was here.
âOh my⊠Hmmm, what should I do?â
After confirming that Ryuzaki had disappeared, Shiho put her hand on her chin as if contemplating something.
âIâve made up my mind. I want to pretend that I was just a passerby and didnât hear anything about it, is that OK with you, Kotaro-kun?â
I wondered what she was going to say, but she seemed to be trying to make this situation go away by forceful techniques.
âNo, no, itâs unreasonable.â
âMmmâŠ, wonât you be angry that I was eavesdropping on you? Kotaro-kun, donât you hate it? If there is even the slightest chance that you might not like me, then beating Kotaro-kun to erase his memory is an option.â
Saying so, Shiho is trying to snap the bones of her fist. But the joints were squishy, or perhaps the sound of popping was not heard at all.
âShiho doesnât want people to know she was eavesdropping?â
âYes. If they knew that, they would know that I was stalking Kotaro-kun. I donât want you to know that I followed you because I was lonely because you didnât give me much attention at school.â
âŠThat says it all.
Is it intentional or is she just being goofy?
Either way, it doesnât matter.
âI wonât get mad at you for that.â
Shiho shook her head with a wry smile and shrugged in relief.
âHo, really! Iâm so glad⊠I was wondering what I would do if you thought I was a heavy woman.â
âAh, Iâve already thought about that, so I guess itâs okay.â
âHuh!?!?!?!?â
You donât think I wouldnât think that?
Looking back at her behavior up to this point, Shiho is more than a little heavy-handed.
But I like her including that part, so I donât dislike it.
âAnyway, come here. Itâs hard to hear your voice from this distance.â
Maybe she has good hearing, but a few meters away is a bit far for conversation.
I beckoned her to come a little closer to me because of the sound of the rain and wind.
Then she walked up to me excessively slowly, like an alarmed cat.
âOh, itâs not heavy at all. Iâm just a little passionate in my expression of love. If you donât understand me, can I run away and cry?â
âWow, I understandâŠ, so for now, letâs talk calmly.â
I talked to her as gently as possible so as not to alarm her.
After I had done that much, she finally came within armâs reach.
âIâll talk to you, then. I havenât been able to get dressed up much latelyâŠ, and Iâm going to go crazy if I donât get my spoiling gauge up around here. But I also feel like I need to get away for a while, so you know what?â
Still, sheâs saying something.
Perhaps it is because she feels guilty, but her expression is more tense than usual.
Itâs a nervous look that doesnât suit Shiho.
ââŠI got you.â
Thatâs why I dared to grab Shihoâs hand.
I held her hand and smiled at her and told her it was all right.
âDonât run away from me. Thereâs no way Iâm going to ever hate you.â
When I said this to reassure her, Shihoâs big eyes widened.
Then, this time, she squinted her eyes happily.
âI-I got caught⊠Ehehe.â
A slight reddish color appears on her pure white cheeks.
Is she embarrassed? The expression on her face was so adorable that it made my cheeks relax as well.