Kotori unlocked the door to her house, and Takumi followed her straight to her room.
As soon as they sat down across the low table, Kotori started the conversation with a quiet demeanor but a firm, steady voice.
"Today's day duty, achievement unlocked... failed."
"You think so? From my perspective, you somehow managed it pretty well."
"We got through it in the end. But if Akira-senpai hadn't shown up..."
Kotori shivered and hugged herself tightly.
It was true that Takumi had stayed a short distance away, keeping watch in case something went wrong.
However, what saved Kotori in the nick of time was Akira passing by, noticing the strange situation, and jumping in immediately.
Recalling the day's events, Takumi frowned in agreement.
"I can't believe Toba would make such a bold move out of nowhere."
"Yeah, really. It was shocking. Why would he do that...?"
Kotori complained with a look of utter exasperation.
Takumi shrugged as if to say it couldn't be helped, and replied.
"Well, it's because you were the one approaching Toba."
"Eh!?"
"Huh?"
Kotori let out a blank cry, looking like a pigeon hit with a beanbag. Takumi, taken aback by her unexpected reaction, also let out a bewildered sound.
They blinked at each other for a moment.
Finally, Kotori tentatively raised one hand and asked with a slight upward gaze.
"Um, what do you mean by that...?"
"I mean, it's rare for you to initiate a conversation, especially with a guy, right? So Toba probably thought you were interested in him, and that's why."
"Toba during lunch, he wasn't just being mean!? W-Why would he think that!?"
"That's because you're cute, of course. You can't blame him for misinterpreting your inability to move your body as a lack of resistance."
"C-Cute!? Cute, me!?"
"Who else would it be...?"
Kotori spun her eyes around, letting out a bewildered cry as if she couldn't believe it.
Takumi looked at her and smiled wryly, wondering if she was truly unaware.
Kotori continued to speak quickly through her confusion.
"B-But it's me! I still can't talk properly in class and I'm a loner, and until recently I was a gloomy, frumpy girl!"
"But your looks are different now, compared to before."
"A-Are you saying you think I'm cute too!?"
"Ah, ............I guess so."
Takumi answered Kotori's question honestly, which had burst out almost on a whim. The next moment, shame coursed through his entire body, and his cheeks felt like they were on fire. His heart hammered loudly in his chest.
Kotori seemed to be experiencing the same thing; after an awkward chuckle, she hunched her shoulders and lowered her red face.
"............"
"............"
An awkward silence filled the air.
The two of them fidgeted.
Takumi wanted to change the atmosphere, but his overheated brain wouldn't work, and he couldn't find the right words.
Finally, Kotori calmed down a little and opened her mouth with a deliberate cough.
"Anyway! We somehow managed the greeting. But having a simple chat with a guy is still too high a hurdle."
At Kotori's words, Takumi put his hands together, closed one eye, and nodded in agreement.
The cause of the recent accident was likely a critical lack of experience in judging the appropriate distance with others. If she tried to talk to a guy again now, she risked repeating the Toba incident. They needed to take an intermediate step.
Takumi agreed and urged Kotori to continue.
"So, what's the next step?"
"First, maybe chatting in a mixed-gender group."
"Hmm..."
Takumi groaned softly.
It wasn't a bad goal.
However, Kotori's current reputation in class was that of the "Ice Princess on a High Peak," who kept boys away.
She belonged to the "First Army Girls" group, into which she was drawn almost involuntarily since the start of the school year.
It would be difficult to integrate boys into that group. Even if they tried to approach one, they'd probably struggle to pick which group of boys to talk to.
Besides, the groups in the class were already fairly established. Kotori approaching an existing group... that seemed impossible. If she could do that, she wouldn't be having trouble now.
As Takumi furrowed his brow, Kotori asked him with a hint of anxiety.
"W-What do you think?"
"I don't think the idea is bad. But isn't it hard to form a mixed-gender group right now?"
"A-About that, I have a brilliant idea!"
"Oh?"
Takumi leaned forward in curiosity.
Kotori smiled, satisfied by Takumi's interested expression, and revealed her plan.
"Simply put: club activities."
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