"Then what do you expect me to do? I'm just a cowardly person, okay?!" Eriri puffed up like an angry pufferfish.
She couldn't believe it. She had mustered all her courage to make such a bold move, and not only did she not get the reaction she hoped for, but she also got a dismissive "Is that it?" in return.
What do you mean, 'Is that it?'!
Did he expect her to pin him to the ground and smother him with kisses to make his heart race? His threshold was way too high—she couldn't do that!
Though her mind was in chaos, deep down, she still clung to a faint hope that he would explain himself.
After spending so much time together, Eriri knew Kanade wasn't the type to trample on someone's feelings. He'd never intentionally say something so thoughtless. So she turned her gaze toward him, searching his face for answers.
"…"
"…"
But the silence dragged on.
Her hope crumbled, giving way to anger and hurt. He clearly didn't care about her feelings anymore—not even enough to offer an explanation. Fighting back tears, she snapped, "If that's how it is, why are you still here? Go find someone else who'll give you all the kisses and cuddles you want! Stop bothering with me!"
She couldn't be wrong—Kanade must've had more intimate moments with someone else, so much so that he was desensitized to these things. Otherwise, how could he dismiss her gesture so easily?
Now, instead of trying to comfort her, he couldn't even be bothered to come up with a plausible excuse.
Honestly, I wouldn't even mind if he lied to me… at least then it'd mean I still held a place in his heart, she thought bitterly.
But no, he had made it clear—they couldn't go back to the way things were before.
"Eriri, wait, calm down and listen to me—"
"…" Eriri didn't want to hear it. She even considered covering her ears.
She already knew what he was going to say—that he'd met someone else, someone he truly cared about, and now they were happily together.
That's why she couldn't listen. If she refused to hear it, maybe their relationship wouldn't end, maybe they wouldn't be stuck as just "friends" forever.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Kanade said seriously.
"…" Eriri pressed her lips together, staring silently at the boy still lying on her lap.
Was he really going to say that? Was he going to explain that she'd misinterpreted everything—that his politeness was never a sign of affection, and that she'd been wrong to think he saw her as anything more than a friend?
But if that were true, why had he agreed to all her selfish requests, over and over again? Did he pity her? Was he just offering her fleeting warmth, like bubbles that would inevitably burst?
She was already too far gone, utterly poisoned by his kindness.
And it wasn't his fault. She was the one who had rejected him in the past, using the excuse of "Let's just be friends." That was why they were in this mess now.
Yes, she couldn't blame him. It was her own lack of courage, both then and now, that had brought them to this point.
Let it end today, Eriri thought.
She braced herself for rejection.
"I'm listening… Go ahead and say it," she said, her face stoic and expressionless.
She kept still, afraid that any sudden movement might cause her to burst into tears.
"Okay… I'll keep it short," Kanade said after a pause. "What I meant earlier, when I said, 'Is that it?' was—'Is a stamp on my forehead all you've got? Shouldn't you add more pranks?'"
"...Pranks?"
"Yeah. I didn't want to make you feel awkward—or, uh, angry—so I phrased it lightly. But I guess it made you misunderstand," Kanade explained, recalling the events leading up to this.
Everything had been fine. He'd been enjoying the lap pillow, feeling relaxed. Then out of nowhere, Eriri had snapped, shouting about how she was "just a coward."
At first, Kanade had been confused. After piecing things together, he realized she thought he was mocking her. When she started ranting about him finding "someone else to cuddle with," he finally understood: she'd let her imagination run wild again, just like that time before.
Honestly, he was grateful she voiced her frustrations. Otherwise, he might've remained completely clueless.
"Anyway, that's the truth. I wasn't trying to tease you about being timid—I just thought you might have more pranks up your sleeve," Kanade said, studying her expression.
Even from his upside-down perspective, he could tell Eriri's face twitched slightly. Sensing the need to clarify, he quickly added, "I mean, punishment. Since I was late, you could punish me a bit more if you want. Don't worry about my feelings."
Kanade even tried to look as meek as possible.
"And for the record, I never opened my eyes. I was just guessing that you did something to my forehead," he added.
In truth, Kanade felt a little guilty. When Eriri had accused him earlier, he'd briefly panicked, thinking she'd discovered he'd been with Kaguya earlier. But now he realized she'd been lost in her own, ahem, creative thoughts.
Of course, Kanade had no intention of bringing up the Kaguya situation. That would only complicate things further.
Hearing Kanade's explanation, Eriri froze.
Who am I? What am I doing?
When the truth sank in, her mind quickly shifted from shock to full-on embarrassment.
Oh my god! Who has this much inner drama?!
She wanted to bury herself alive. No, she wanted to knock herself out cold so she wouldn't have to endure the overwhelming shame crashing down on her.
HELP!!!