That said.

It’s not like we had decided on what kind of photos to take in detail.

"Since we’re at Aisaka-kun’s place, I’d like to take photos that we can’t take at school. Excuse me, is it okay if I lie down on your bed?"

"I don’t mind, but…"

"Then I won’t hold back."

As soon as she said that, Mamiya gently let her body fall onto the bed. The hem of her long skirt flipped up, and her bare legs—something I rarely ever got to see—came into view. Without fixing it, she instead smiled as if provoking me.

"The reason I’m not wearing tights today… is because I wanted you to see, Aisaka-kun."

She spoke in a suggestive tone.

As if to prove it, she lifted the hem of her knit top slightly on her own. Only up to around her knees was exposed—somewhat more modest than during the photoshoot in the classroom.

Even so, it was my first time seeing the natural lines of her legs directly. Healthy pale skin, slender yet softly curved like a piece of art.

Her jacket had come loose as well, revealing the smooth line of her shoulders, like polished porcelain. The boundary between her sleeveless knit and her bare skin carried a subtle softness that drew the eye.

I swallowed hard—she probably noticed that too.

"What do you think? Seeing a kind, serious female classmate lying on the bed you use every day."

"…………You really have a twisted sense of humor."

"That’s harsh. But… your heart’s racing, isn’t it? Mine too."

She said that with her cheeks faintly flushed.

That expression was the familiar side of Mamiya Yu—the girl I knew.

And yet, in a sense, it was also a mask—the other side of her.

A strange tension crept in, my pulse gradually quickening. At the same time, it felt like my body itself was heating up, and I hesitated to look straight at her.

"Don’t look away. You’re the one taking my photos, Aisaka-kun. You’re the only one I’d let do this…"

Her sweet voice slipped into the gaps of my drifting thoughts.

It was definitely the same Mamiya Yu—the honor student everyone knew—but something about her atmosphere was decisively different, throwing my mind into confusion. I even hesitated over whether it was okay to take pictures of her like this.

The honor student—Mamiya Yu—is kind to everyone, belonging to no one. And yet… here she was, lying on my bed with a completely relaxed expression.

And in my case, she was someone who said she liked me.

In other words, my heart was pounding.

It beat loudly, over and over, as if even my core was heating up.

Objectively speaking, Mamiya was an attractive girl. Even if I had trust issues with women, my preferences hadn’t changed. This situation felt like an endless contradiction.

But as if she saw right through those troublesome thoughts, Mamiya smiled gently.

"It’s okay. I like it when you take my photos, Aisaka-kun."

She whispered, as if brushing away my hesitation.

The affection in her voice was real. It made me realize that despite the difference in atmosphere, she was still Mamiya.

Almost as if I were being guided by her, I focused the camera on Mamiya.

"…I’m taking it."

"Yes. Take them however you like, Aisaka-kun. I’ll pose however you want. If you ask, I might even allow something a little naughty."

"…………I won’t. Absolutely not."

"You really are kind, Aisaka-kun. But if I asked, you would take them, wouldn’t you?"

"The 『small wish』 was just about taking photos of you in your honor-student mode. And that version of you wouldn’t ask me for something like that, right?"

It was less a question and more a hope that it would be true.

But Mamiya smiled faintly.

"There’s no rule that honor students can’t do bad things. I’m human too. Maybe I would ask."

She said it in a tone that clearly enjoyed my reaction, even winking at me. I tried not to think about that possibility.

On the screen of my phone was the full image of Mamiya lying on my bed.

I pressed the shutter, capturing it.

Her expression carried a hint of melancholy. Her eyes were directed toward the camera, but slightly lowered. Combined with the faint blush on her cheeks, the mood felt strangely alluring.

The one occupying my bed was undoubtedly Mamiya Yu—the pure, graceful girl who sat next to me. And yet, it felt like I was doing something wrong.

As if I were tarnishing something pure. A forbidden feeling, like I was staining a clean flower.

The charm that drew me in, captured me, and refused to let go felt like a sweet poison that eroded the heart. Once you tasted it, there was no going back.

Maybe I was already poisoned by Mamiya. Even though I knew this was wrong, I couldn’t stop.

"…Change your pose a bit."

"Understood."

She nodded and slowly shifted her position with a soft, almost sensual movement.

Turning onto her side, she hugged the pillow to her chest, curling her legs inward. The pillow pushed against her chest, emphasizing its presence. It wasn’t like any skin was exposed—but as a guy, it was impossible not to notice.

My gaze was drawn for a moment, but I quickly looked away, thinking it would be rude to stare. Mamiya, noticing, narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"I really like that side of you, Aisaka-kun."

“...It’s not what you think."

"Then do I lack charm?"

"You already know the answer."

"I want to hear it from you."

Her eyes looked almost melted. Filled with emotions she never showed in her honor-student persona.

That’s why I had to answer properly.

"…You’re cute, Mamiya. But I still can’t return those feelings."

"That’s fine, isn’t it? I like you, Aisaka-kun. I want you to see all of me—everything. You don’t need to feel guilty about that."

"…………You sound like you’d end up with a bad guy someday."

"Then I’d be happy if you stayed closest to me so that doesn’t happen."

It almost sounded like a proposal. At the same time, she reached out toward me and lightly pinched the sleeve of my shirt.

A gesture like she was clinging to me.

I could’ve shaken her hand off easily, but since there was no real harm, I let it be. And maybe, because I couldn’t return her feelings yet, I wanted to at least stay close like she wished.

I was aware that my own feelings were slowly tilting toward liking her too. Accepting even my half-hearted feelings, there wasn’t much I could do for her beyond this.

That was all.

I zoomed in the camera, focusing on her face.

I captured her completely relaxed, defenseless expression.

"At least… be a little cautious."

"What would I need to be cautious of with you, Aisaka-kun?"

She tilted her head, genuinely not understanding, and I could only bury my face in my hands.

Just the two of us, in my house, on a day off. A cute girl who says she likes me lying defenseless on my bed.

If she thought I wouldn't feel anything in a situation like this, she was sorely mistaken. But I could say with absolute certainty that no matter what happened, I would never cross that line.

I wasn’t her boyfriend. Just a friend.

Even though she has feelings for me and I want to return them, we were still just friends.

I couldn’t act irresponsibly. And I didn’t want to.

"…I know. All I have to do is make sure I don’t do anything. Change your pose. Sit up and pose however you like."

"Alright." She slowly sat up, still hugging the pillow, folding her legs beneath her on the bed. I captured the moment with the camera.

"How is it?"

"Let’s check."

I handed her the phone, and she flipped through the photos one after another.

"It’s lacking stimulation. Too wholesome."

"…You’re really going for the usual kind?"

"Of course. Otherwise, it would be a waste. You don’t need to hold back. The only one allowed to take photos of the indecent side of a pure and graceful honor student… is you, Aisaka-kun."

She whispered as if tempting me and handed the phone back.

Our hands brushed in the process.

The warmth of her hand spread slowly, as if melting the barrier of my reason.

Her right hand moved to the hem of her skirt. Without hesitation, she pinched it and lifted it, and suddenly the bare skin of her thigh caught my eye.

"It’s your first time seeing them directly, right? What do you think?"

"…………They’re beautiful."

"You can touch them if you want."

……No. I can’t do that.

Even though I knew she was the same person, I still felt a strong sense of resistance toward her like this.

And if I touched her, there’d be nothing between my hand and her skin.

“If you can’t bring yourself to do it, can I do it for you?”

"………………Do whatever you want."

I couldn’t refuse her when she asked like that. Her left hand overlapped mine, guiding my right hand forward.

The first thing I felt was her skin beneath my fingertips. Soft and smooth, with a gentle firmness that pushed back against my fingers. And beneath it was a warmth that seemed to seep into me. Before long, my entire palm was pressed against her.

It felt completely different from touching through tights.

"The way you’re touching me… it’s a bit naughty."

"…That’s not what I’m trying to do."

"I know. And I don’t mind either. So──"

She spread her legs slightly.

From the shadows between her legs, I caught a brief glimpse of white, frilled underwear.

It was clearly intentional, drawing my gaze like a moth to a flame.

“Don’t you want to do something even more naughty?”

With a smile so intoxicating that I couldn’t tell whether she looked like an angel or a devil, she whispered,

"Actually, I feel like I’ve been building up a lot of stress lately. So… would you give me a massage?"

As she gently rubbed my hand against her thigh, Mamiya asked in a relaxed tone. Meanwhile, my thoughts were completely thrown into chaos by the image of the white underwear she had shown me earlier.

Clinging to what little reason I had left, I forced myself to think clearly and asked back,

"…Wasn’t your 『small wish』 supposed to be taking photos?"

"It is. That’s why this is simply a personal request. Since we’re alone at your house, Aisaka-kun, I want to do something we can only do here."

"Even so, a massage is… come on. I don’t even know how to do it, and more than that, this is awkward for me."

"What I want is emotional fulfillment. You don’t need to think about properly loosening stiff muscles or anything difficult like that. If you touch me and I can feel that connection between us, that’s enough."

Her eyes looked up at me as if asking, Is that not okay? And, just like always, there was nothing in them but affection.

"Besides, it’s just a massage, right? There’s nothing inappropriate about that."

"That may be true, but…"

"Then it’s settled. Ah, don’t worry. When you’re done, I’ll do one for you too."

No, that’s not the issue here.

But Mamiya had apparently already reached her conclusion. She turned over and lay face down on the bed. From the slightly lifted hem of her skirt, the outline of her hips was visible.

She was already waiting.

"…Fine. But don’t complain if I’m bad at it."

"I don’t mind. Just be gentle, okay?"

Now that I had permission, I started with her shoulders. Being careful not to hurt her, I kneaded them using the palms of my hands. Even through the fabric of her knit top, I could clearly feel how slender her body was, once again making me painfully aware that she was a girl.

Come to think of it, despite taking all those provocative photos, I’d rarely ever touched Mamiya. Partly because of my distrust toward women and my tendency to avoid physical contact, but even aside from that, casually touching a girl’s body would obviously be frowned upon.

"…Now that I think about it, is this really okay?"

"What do you mean, okay? I’m the one asking for it. It feels really good."

Mamiya answered in a strangely seductive voice. I tried not to think too deeply about that and continued the massage. Shoulders. Shoulder blades. Back. As I worked my way across her body, I heard her let out soft, breathy sounds. "Haah… ah… right there feels really good…" Every time she let out a voice like that, my hands froze.

At first, I thought she might be intentionally trying to distract me, but seeing how genuinely relaxed she looked—her eyes narrowed in pleasure and her cheeks softened—I quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

Well, that didn’t solve the real problem, though.

"Can you keep your voice down a little?"

"Sorry… it just feels so good that it slips out."

Even though we weren’t doing anything like that, the way she said it made it sound completely different, and I shook my head hard to get rid of the indecent thoughts forming in my mind.

All I was doing was giving her a massage. Easing the tension in her muscles, while simply sharing some harmless physical contact. That was all. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

…If only I could truly believe that.

As I continued, Mamiya shifted around, causing her skirt to ride up even more. As a result, glimpses of white occasionally caught the corner of my eye… making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

I knew that even if I told her, she probably wouldn’t fix it, so I left it alone. I knew the real problem was simply that I was paying attention to it—but knowing that and actually ignoring it were two very different things..

The fact that I was even managing to massage a girl despite my issues with women should’ve earned me praise.

Though admittedly, the only reason I could pull this off at all was because it was Mamiya.

"…Then at least try to endure it."

"I’ll do my best."

Relieved by her positive response, I took a deep breath and resumed.

I placed both hands against her narrow waist and applied pressure evenly.

I wasn’t skilled at massages. What Mamiya wanted was emotional fulfillment through physical contact.

So this should’ve been enough.

But… could she do something about those sounds?

I could tell from her expression that she was genuinely trying to hold back. Even so, the soft sounds escaping her throat were far too alluring, making me feel like I was doing something I really shouldn’t be.

And whenever Mamiya’s body shifted, even her hips, covered by white underwear, moved with it.

I deliberately tried to ignore it, but once I became aware of it, it lingered in my mind and made everything much harder.

"Aisaka-kun… you’re really good at this. Could you go a little lower too…?"

"…Don’t be ridiculous. You know exactly what you’re saying."

“Do I…?”

She let out a warm breath and smiled lazily.

For a moment, I found myself wondering if this really was how an honor student was supposed to act, but I stopped that train of thought before it led somewhere dangerous.

Trying to finish quickly, I moved from her waist toward her legs… and suddenly my hands stopped.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, along with nausea rising from deep in my chest.

Even while taking pictures, I had never touched Mamiya this much.

This… was probably my limit.

"…Mamiya, sorry. I don’t think I can keep going."

I was about to stop.

But then—

"Are you really sure? Or are you unconsciously deciding you can’t because of your past experiences?"

Her quiet voice made me pause.

My distrust toward women was largely rooted in my own perspective. Back in middle school, when I stopped being able to attend school for a while, I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Technically, it had been classified as depression. The label of distrust toward women was something I gave myself.

"If you truly couldn’t trust women, then even with blackmail material hanging over your head, I don’t think you would’ve been able to trust me."

"…………"

"Of course, I’m not trying to deny your feelings or hurt you. I just think it’s worth confirming."

"…And how exactly am I supposed to confirm that?"

"Well… there just so happens to be a cute girl right here who wouldn’t mind no matter how much you touched her."

Mamiya sat up, tapped her own chest, and smiled.

“No. The problem is, I don’t even want to.”

"…Then I’ll make you do it by force."

That muttered line sounded both sulky and dangerous. Mamiya’s hand slid toward mine, grabbed my right wrist, and before I knew it, my hand was on her chest

The sudden sensation brought back memories of that day, and my mind went completely blank.

"See? Soft, right?"

Her amused laugh pulled me back to reality. And when I finally processed what was happening—my hand was covering her chest.

Embarrassment surged through me, but at the same time, I was equally confused by the fact that I wasn’t reacting with the same rejection I had before.

I felt slightly dizzy, and my heart was racing. But compared to before, the difference was like night and day.

"Looks like you really are okay after all."

"…What exactly are you trying to do? Why would you intentionally recreate how all of this started?"

"Isn’t going back to your starting point important sometimes?"

"Personally, I would've preferred to keep avoiding it."

"You were going to face it eventually anyway."

"I wanted you to wait until I gave up."

"So it’s not determination—it’s resignation?"

I couldn’t exactly deny that.

I was the one being blackmailed, and given the balance of power between us, I already knew that things would probably move along much faster if I were the one to give in. All I could do was put off resolving the issue and maintain a reasonable distance between us.

"Anyway, getting back to the real topic… I think your distrust toward women might actually come from being afraid of getting hurt again."

Her guess made some sense. That distrust was born from emotional scars. Whether it was healed or not, maybe I’d been unconsciously avoiding situations where I could be hurt again.

"You don’t need to fear me because I’m someone who can’t betray you while that blackmail material exists. That’s why even while saying you can’t do it, you still somehow manage to touch me. Doesn’t that mean you trust me?"

"…That trust only exists because of those photos."

"We were both clinging to the past, so neither of us could trust anyone. But that foundation is already starting to crumble for me. Maybe that’s what it means to be weak when you’re in love."

"I don’t know, but let go of my hand already. This is starting to look really bad."

Even while we were talking, my hand was still on her chest, and she showed no signs of letting me pull it away.

"I thought this was exactly what you wanted. Was I wrong?"

"When have I ever said I wanted to touch your chest?"

"Not just now, obviously. Hmm… now that I think about it, maybe you never have. That’s strange. I thought boys your age would be really interested."

"You’re phrasing that in a way that sounds incredibly misleading."

That made it sound like I only cared about her body.

Sure, I was a normal high school guy, and I wouldn’t say I was an exception when it came to that sort of thing. But if I could think that way so easily, I probably would’ve already gotten over my issues with women.

"I know. You’re just the type who can’t make the first move yourself, Akito-kun. Even now, if you really hated touching me, you could’ve forcefully pulled your hand away."

"I didn’t want to hurt you."

"And there it is. You just admitted you’re okay with it as long as you can justify it."

Did that really count as admitting it? I was still regretting my words when Mamiya smiled with a dangerous look in her eyes and moved closer.

I instinctively backed away, but a single bed wasn’t large enough for endless retreat. I tried to escape by getting up—

"Got you."

Mamiya suddenly jumped into me. I instinctively caught her—and ended up getting pinned onto the bed.

A light impact hit my back. Then a faintly sweet fragrance brushed past my nose. My heart pounded wildly like it had lost all restraint. The warmth and weight of Mamiya on top of me—and the two soft sensations pressing against me even more strongly than that—made my vision nearly go white.

"…That’s dangerous. Don’t suddenly jump on people. Move. You’re heavy."

"…………Absolutely not. And I’m not that heavy. I’m not."

"You didn’t have to say it twice… wait, did you gain weight recently?"

"Do you know there are things you should never say to a girl?"

Her cold whisper near my ear sent a shiver down my spine. Her warm breath brushed against my ear, making my body tremble reflexively. That sweet numbing sensation sharpened my awareness of her even more.

Along with the softness of Mamiya’s body—so soft it hardly felt human at all—and her uneven breaths that sounded as if they were inviting me in, her round eyes right in front of me reflected nothing but my face. Her moist, plump red lips looked strangely alluring.

"Bad boys need to be punished, right…?"

Mamiya slowly curled the corners of her lips upward as she said that in an oddly excited tone.

"W-Wait, hold on. We can talk this out. There’s still time to──"

“No. It’s already too late. I can’t wait anymore."

Mamiya cut off my plea and brought her face closer. The moment I realized what she was about to do to me, my entire body burned with embarrassment. Sweat formed on my skin, and my throat dried up as if all the moisture had been absorbed.

There was an unavoidable tension in the air. I knew we shouldn’t let things escalate just because of the mood, but my protests died in my throat.

As my final resistance, I tightly shut my eyes──and all I heard was a light chu sound.

I didn’t feel anything on my face. When I cautiously opened my eyes, Mamiya had buried her face near my neck. That same sound kept repeating.

Because her actions were completely different from what I expected, I somehow regained my composure.

"…May I ask what exactly you think you’re doing?"

"Whispering in your ear and making kissing sounds."

"Don’t suddenly do ＡＳＭＲ directly into someone’s ear. That seriously gave me chills."

"That’s a rude way to put it when such a cute girl is letting you hear kissing sounds. Ah… or did you actually want a real kiss instead?"

"Absolutely not."

I denied it instantly. She teasingly whispered into my ear, "You’re not very honest." That strange sensation made my shoulders twitch again.

I didn’t know much about ＡＳＭＲ, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t meant to be done directly into someone’s ear. It was so startling that there was no way it could be relaxing.

And this position was also a problem. Mamiya was completely on top of me, and she had even slipped her knee between my legs, making it impossible for me to move. Softness pressed against me in various places. The sensual sensation made my head spin.

This was bad.

Mamiya had to know that too, yet instead of moving away, she pressed herself against me even more. She rubbed against my waist, and every time she shifted, her large chest changed shape against mine like something soft and fluid.

The warm breath brushing against my ear was bad too. It forcibly dyed my thoughts pink. The sensations and her voice stirred instincts that reason couldn’t suppress, and that terrified me.

"…Holding someone like this feels so nice. It’s warm, calming… but my heart is racing so much. What about you, Akito-kun? Does it still feel unpleasant?"

She whispered the question into my ear.

I hesitated to answer. As if urging me to respond, Mamiya pressed her chest against me again. Even through our clothes, I could clearly see it change shape. There was no way I could ignore it.

"…I feel a little dizzy, and my breathing gets rough because I’m nervous… but it’s not as bad as I thought."

"That’s just your symptoms. What I want to know is whether you’re happy that I’m hugging you or not. Though honestly, I already know the answer since you’re letting me do this."

Right? She smiled softly──then something slender traced along my side.

It was Mamiya’s finger. The moment I flinched, her gentle breath brushed against my ear again.

When my shoulders trembled, she laughed like a child whose prank had succeeded.

"Doesn’t this feel really couple-like?"

"…I wouldn’t know."

"Do you think doing something like this when we’re not dating is wrong?"

"…………Maybe."

"But──doing wrong things makes my heart race… and it’s fun. You don’t need to worry about hurting me either, Akito-kun. I trust you wouldn’t do that. And even if you somehow did hurt me, I’d probably just think… ah, so this is your way of leaving your mark on me… and somehow, that thought is kind of exciting.”

"Please choose your words more carefully… I have no intention of doing anything you’d hate, but do you realize what you’re saying? I’m still a guy, you know."

"You mean you might lose control someday?"

I couldn’t exactly nod at how accurately she put it. I kept silent and looked away.

There was no one else in the house. I was lying on my bed with a girl I could honestly call cute—a girl who had told me she liked me—in my arms. There was no way I wouldn’t be nervous.

This situation only existed because of the unspoken trust between us. And considering the possibility of ruining our relationship later, making a move on her wasn’t even an option.

I had no intention of doing that. But if I crossed that line here… facing her afterward would be unbearable. She’d probably tease me endlessly.

And besides, Mamiya probably wasn’t being completely serious. She was just getting carried away by the mood. At least… I wanted to believe that.

"Which do you like more, Akito-kun? What we did in the classroom before, or this right now? I think I like this more. I can feel you much closer this way."

"Doesn’t the way you phrase things sound kind of perverted?"

"That’s your imagination. So? Which is it?"

"…You’re asking because you know I can’t answer that."

"You figured me out? I thought your answer might help me next time."

"Next time…?"

There was going to be a next time for something this mentally exhausting?

I silently begged her not to joke around, but Mamiya ignored me. Even knowing it was hopeless, I still clung to that tiny bit of hope.

“If you gave me the answer I want, we could do things like this anytime. Of course, we could even do more than this.”

"…You say that now, but you’d probably chicken out the moment you actually tried to do something yourself."

When we took those provocative photos in the classroom, Mamiya was the one who gave in first. That’s how I remembered it.

But apparently she didn’t like that comment. Her cheeks puffed up as she glared at me. After a silent exchange, determination appeared in her eyes.

Still straddling me, she lowered her upper body again and leaned over me. The sound of rustling clothes echoed. The softness pressing against me stole my focus, and a small groan escaped my lips.

Mamiya slowly brought her face closer to mine, teasing me. Then she pressed her cheek against mine. I couldn’t even tell where her soft skin ended and mine began. Her long black hair brushed against my neck, sending a shiver down my back.

“If you really think that… want to try it?”

Her whisper slipped straight into my mind. For a moment, I froze, unable to understand what she meant. Then my face felt like it had burst into flames. I wanted to question her, but her face was too close.

Still, I could clearly see that her cheeks were bright red too.

"…Don’t act tough. You’re embarrassed too, aren’t you? Your face is completely red."

"…Shut up! …I’ll really do it, you know."

Even as she said that, her voice trembled so softly it was almost drowned out by her breathing. She was obviously nervous too. If that was the case, she should’ve just stopped. But she had gone too far to back down now. It was her own fault. Unfortunately, I was suffering because of it too.

"…I’ve been wondering for a while now—why are you so determined to prove yourself? I wouldn’t care if you stopped."

"That was before. It’s different now! I know I’ve gone too far to stop myself now… but when you want the person you like to like you back, things just happen naturally, okay?"

That unexpectedly cute reason left me feeling conflicted. I couldn’t reject her outright. But I couldn’t honestly accept it either.

She really needed to tone things down a little… I was starting to lose track of my own feelings.

I thought something like this would be impossible for me. And yet when she forcefully pushed forward, I was somehow able to accept it. Was it because it was Mamiya—the one person I knew wouldn’t betray me? I couldn’t find the answer.

One thing was certain. I still hadn’t completely overcome my distrust of women. But realizing I could endure this much was at least some kind of progress.

"…Fine, fine. I lose. So hurry up and get off me. You’re heavy, you’re hot, and my mental state can’t handle this anymore."

"…Well, if you’re going to say it like that, I guess I have no choice. I’ll take today as my victory."

Internally thanking Mamiya for finally backing off, I felt the heat and weight leave my body. At last… I let out a relieved sigh as I quickly sat up and fanned my burning face.

…That had seriously been dangerous in so many ways. Mamiya had controlled the pace the entire time, and there had been way too much physical contact. For someone like me, who wasn’t used to girls at all, it was basically a lethal dose of stimulation. My head still felt dizzy.

Mamiya fixed her posture and sat beside me while quietly drinking what was probably now lukewarm barley tea. She acted as if she wasn’t flustered at all, but I noticed her sneaking glances at me.

After everything that had happened, she was probably feeling a lot of things too.

It was kinder not to bring it up. And I didn’t want to poke the bush and bring out a snake either. For both our sakes, we silently agreed not to dig any deeper.

After finishing about a quarter of her drink, Mamiya placed the cup down and bowed her head apologetically.

"Aisaka-kun, thank you for listening to even such unreasonable request. And… I’m sorry for forcing things earlier."

"It’s fine. I’m partly responsible too for not stopping it."

"…Then let’s end this here and just talk normally now."

"Please do. I can’t keep up when you’re like this. More importantly, why did you suddenly go back to your honor student way of speaking? You were acting like your real self earlier."

"That’s… can’t you figure it out?"

Mamiya muttered awkwardly while meeting my eyes. Her face was still slightly red. And seeing that only made me remember everything all over again… which made me feel embarrassed too.