Eiri wanted to refuse Akifumi's request to talk, but thinking about what he had just done made her furious all over again.
"Do you even realize the consequences of what you just did?!" she snapped.
The memory of him suddenly picking her up in a princess carry in front of so many people flooded back, making her both embarrassed and inexplicably giddy.
"The consequences?" Akifumi smirked mischievously.
"Probably that people will think the mysterious girlfriend I mentioned during the livestream was you."
Eiri froze for a second before glaring at him. "Your girlfriend is Mahiru, isn't she?! What does this have to do with me?!"
"Oh? So you knew about that?" His teasing tone made her fume even more.
Her golden twin tails trembled slightly, as if they had a life of their own, itching to strike.
'Of course, I knew! I'm not blind!' she grumbled internally.
Right before Christmas, his and Mahiru's interactions were already unusual.
Mahiru would steal glances at him and smile sweetly.
Even someone with zero dating experience could tell what was going on!
Eiri had refused to acknowledge it back then, clinging to the small hope that she was wrong, lying to herself over and over.
But that night, her carefully crafted delusions shattered completely.
Thinking back on it, all the suppressed emotions, frustration, sadness, and resentment began bubbling up again.
Before she knew it, tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
"You... You never had any intention of being with me, so why do you keep messing with my feelings?!"
Her tears, like broken pearls, slid down her soft cheeks.
Akifumi felt a twinge of guilt watching her cry.
But then—
"Mmmph!"
Her eyes widened in shock as her lips were suddenly sealed by his.
Reflexively, she tried to push him away, but their strength was completely mismatched.
In desperation, she bit down slightly.
Even then, Akifumi didn't flinch.
Slowly, Eiri's tense body began to relax.
A moment later—
"Are you calm now?" he asked with a smirk.
Eiri, her face flushed and body weak, slumped into the chair.
She shot him a furious glare. "I was calm to begin with!"
"Right. That's why you were crying non-stop," he countered with a raised eyebrow.
"I WAS CALM!" she insisted, voice firm but cheeks still red.
"Alright, alright. My bad for misjudging the situation." He chuckled, deciding not to provoke her further.
He knew better than to ruffle an already agitated cat.
Seeing him admit defeat, Eiri temporarily forgot about what had just happened.
She puffed out her chest, feeling victorious, and huffed, "You always do this!"
"Do what?"
"Act without thinking about the consequences! Like just now!" she accused.
"How do you expect Mahiru to feel about this misunderstanding?"
'Even after everything, she's still worried about someone else...' Akifumi sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
"Mahiru won't mind."
"Of course she'll—Wait. What?!" Eiri blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean she won't mind?"
"You really think Mahiru hasn't noticed that you like me?"
Eiri's face turned crimson. Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, she jumped up in outrage.
"Ha?! W-Who likes you?!"
'Click.'
"Huh?" Her flustered expression froze. "Did you just take a picture?!"
Akifumi grinned, tucking his phone away.
"That classic tsundere reaction? Definitely worth saving."
"Who's a tsundere?!" she shouted.
'I'm not a tsundere! No way!'
Ignoring her denial, Akifumi smoothly transitioned back to their previous conversation.
"If you don't like me, then why are you so upset?"
"I-I'm not upset!" Eiri averted her gaze, looking suspiciously guilty.
"Then what were the tears for?"
"...Got dust in my eye."
'Even in 5000 years, this girl's stubbornness won't change...' Akifumi shook his head, choosing not to argue.
Instead, he asked, "Do you know why you lost so badly?"
"What do you mean 'lost so badly'?!" she shot back.
Ignoring her outburst, he continued, "Right before Christmas, Mahiru confessed to me."
"What?!" Eiri's eyes widened in shock.
Then, a complicated expression crossed her face.
Until now, she had assumed Akifumi had confessed first, which made the whole situation more painful.
Knowing the truth relieved her slightly, but at the same time, a new wave of betrayal hit her—betrayal from a close friend.
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Akifumi continued, "Honestly, who could say no to a confession from someone like Mahiru?"
Eiri had to admit, he had a point.
If she were a guy and a perfect girl like Mahiru confessed to her, she wouldn't just accept—she'd celebrate for days!
Still, logic was one thing. Emotion was another.
"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked, her voice subdued.
"Just listen." Akifumi gently patted her head.
"Mahiru's family situation is complicated."
"Her parents didn't marry out of love but for business interests. After marriage, they accidentally had her."
Eiri frowned, already sensing where this was going.
"Both of them have lovers outside their marriage."
"Mahiru wasn't raised by them but by a nanny."
"She spent her whole life trying to be the perfect daughter, hoping to earn their affection. But no matter how hard she tried, they never cared."
"They never even gave her a smile."
"That's awful!" Eiri clenched her fists, momentarily forgetting her own heartbreak.
"Yeah," Akifumi agreed, his expression softening.
"The first time I met Mahiru, it was pouring rain."
"She had just left her father's house after cooking a meal for him, hoping it would make him acknowledge her."
"Instead, he dismissed her without a second thought."
Eiri stayed silent, listening intently.
"I found her sitting on a swing in the park, staring blankly ahead as the rain drenched her."
"I took her home that night. Maybe that's when she started to feel attached to me."
"The night she confessed to me was the same night her family called her—only to say more hurtful things."
"That's when she finally broke down."
Hearing this, Eiri bit her lip, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
She still felt betrayed by Mahiru, but now... she also felt a deep sorrow for her.
Eriri fell silent.
Logically, she felt she should be angry at Mahiru for doing something like this.
Emotionally, however, she couldn't help but sympathize with her.
A tangled web of emotions swirled in her chest, leaving her unsure of what kind of expression she should wear.
"Actually, when Mahiru confessed back then, she wasn't expecting a response."
"Huh?!" Eriri froze, her mind momentarily going blank.
If she didn't expect anything in return, then why confess at all?!
"According to Mahiru, she simply wanted to express her feelings," Akifumi explained with a gentle smile.
"Ever since she started helping me cook, and after getting to know you—such a precious friend…"
"All of this made her feel a warmth she had never experienced before."
"She cherishes this bond dearly, yet at the same time, she couldn't suppress her feelings for me."
"And Mahiru knew that you had feelings for me too."
"..." Eriri remained silent.
"She likes me, but she also deeply values her relationship with you," Akifumi continued.
"Her confession wasn't about expecting an answer—it was simply about letting me know how she felt and expressing her gratitude."
"Then why..."
"You want to ask why we ended up together after that, right?" Akifumi saw through her doubts instantly.
"Well, she had the courage to confess to me, so as a man, I had to give her an answer, didn't I?"
"Even if Mahiru hadn't agreed or had outright rejected me, I wouldn't have accepted that outcome!"
He was being so blunt that there was no way Eriri wouldn't understand.
She shot him an angry glare.
"If she rejected you, then how could you still push forward like that?!"
"Going against a girl's will, you scumbag!"
Akifumi, however, wasn't fazed by her accusations.
Instead, without another word, he leaned in and silenced her in the most direct way possible.
A moment later—
Pulling away, Akifumi grinned.
"Like that."
"Even if you say no, I won't accept it."
"...That's too much!" Hearing her protest, Akifumi rolled his eyes.
Come on, she wasn't even resisting as hard as she had at the beginning.
And now she had the audacity to call him the bad guy?
Of course, Akifumi knew better than to say that out loud.
"Mahiru reacted the same way at first," he added casually.
Eriri was silent for a moment before finally asking, "Then… what do you plan to do now?"
"I told Mahiru this back then, whether it's her or you, I don't intend to let go of either of you."
"And now, I'm telling you the same thing."
Eriri didn't seem particularly shocked by his words.
It seemed she had already anticipated them before he even spoke.
With her silence, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
A few minutes passed.
"You scumbag!"
With righteous indignation, Eriri shot him one final glare before declaring:
"I will never agree to this!"
Then, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the multipurpose classroom, her footsteps echoing loudly in the hallway.
Akifumi watched her go, sighing in amusement.
"Is this the final act of a true tsundere's pride?"
From what he knew of Eriri, if she truly wasn't moved, she wouldn't have said anything and just run away in silence.
"Give it a few days, she'll come running back on her own."
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