Chapter 7: Teasing and Truth

Kanata stared at me in silence, as if trying to measure me up.

Was there something strange about me? The longer he didn’t say anything, the more it bothered me. I wanted him to just come out and say it already.

Since we were going out today, I decided to finally try the outfit I’d been planning for a while—a girlish, stylish look. I dressed and did my makeup entirely with the intention of being seen as a cute girl. It took a lot of courage. Even though I kept thinking "this is a thirty-year-old guy dressed like this…," I still picked something like I was going on a date. Something I knew Kanata would like. I understood his tastes well.

After putting in this much effort, I wanted—no, expected—to be praised at least a little. That’s the kind of words I was waiting for.

──The silence dragged on…… Hm? This feeling from Kanata… wait, could it be he’s actually staring at me because he’s entranced?

Yeah, that must be it. There’s no way Kanata would see me like this and not say anything otherwise.

If that’s the case, then this time, I get to tease him.

I reached out and clasped Kanata’s hands with both of mine.
He twitched in surprise.

"Kanata… what do you think… does it suit me?"

Snapping back to himself, Kanata stood up abruptly, staring at the hands I was holding. His face turned bright red. No doubt about it—he had been captivated.

"A-ah, no… um, well… yeah, you look so beautiful it startled me. It really… suits you…"

Such a straightforward, un-Kanata-like reaction made my heart leap. My mood soared.

I hesitated only briefly. This was where the real teasing began. I couldn’t let myself get swept away now.
I let go of his hands and smirked.

"Whoa, what’s this? Don’t tell me you were staring at me? No way, you’re totally smitten, aren’t you? How lame, falling for a thirty-year-old old man this easily? Weak! Weak!"

I leaned in slightly from below, provoking him while I still had the advantage. Opportunities like this were rare—I couldn’t waste it.

"!!!"

Kanata covered his mouth with his hand, cheeks still flushed, and averted his gaze.

Bullseye? No way, seriously?

"Ha! You flimsy old man, I hit the mark, didn’t I? Come on, let me hold your hand again, you should be grateful. Man, I’m too nice."

I grabbed his hand again. It was trembling.

So happy you’re shaking, huh? Well, well.

That’s what I thought—until Kanata suddenly shook my hand off.

──And then he threw his arms around me.

He squeezed me tight, almost too tight. Hey, this hurts!

"Hey! Let go! I can’t breathe!"

"Nobu, I love you! Marry me! Be mine!"

What the hell did he just say!? Sure, maybe he was entranced, but still—what kind of line was that!?

And anyway, I had no such feelings! No way could I handle a guy!

"Kanata! What the hell are you saying…! Let go! Snap out of it!"

"……"

He gave no answer. Just held me even tighter.

Wait—was this because I teased him earlier? Is this payback? Damn it, using brute force is cheating!

"Quit it, I said! I’m serious, snap out of it!"

"……"

Gyuu…

He squeezed harder. It was seriously suffocating!

"Fine! Fine, I give up! It’s my fault, okay!? I’m sorry!"

"……!"

At last, he eased up on his grip. But only eased—he was still holding me.

He stared right into my eyes, clearly waiting for me to say something.

What? Don’t tell me he won’t let go unless I respond to that confession?

No way… I couldn’t… not yet.

"Uh… look, Kanata, I appreciate your feelings, I really do, but… I’m just not ready to date a guy. Could you wait a little longer? Sorry."

"…………"

Finally, he let go of me, and I could breathe again.

He looked down… then suddenly raised his face and shouted:

"──You fell for it, Nobu! As if I’d ever confess to you! Don’t forget, I’ve got a distrust of women! I’ve never even thought about dating anyone!"

"What!!"

Unbelievable! I answered him seriously, and he tricked me!?

"What the hell!? You hugged me and confessed! Don’t lie, you do like me, don’t you!?"

"I hugged you because you provoked me, idiot! And you apologized—so that’s your loss! Don’t think you can ever beat me in strength!"

"You’re the worst! Of course a girl would lose in strength, but you were obviously captivated earlier!"

When I said that, Kanata straightened his posture and smirked down at me, reversing the provocation.

W-what now? What was he planning to do next? I tensed.

"──I was captivated, that much is true. So those words I said then were real. …Right now, you really are beautiful."

！！！？？

The sudden ambush turned my face bright red in an instant, like a boiled octopus. My heart pounded like a drum.

Th-this guy… he’s good!! I let my guard down…

Even knowing it was a joke, those words hit hard, filling my chest with warmth.

"Kanata! That kind of sneak attack isn’t fair!"

"No, this is the truth. I want you to listen honestly."

"!?"

Damn it, he’s got me completely on the defensive! He’s saying this is his true feelings!?

My breathing quickened, my heartbeat racing even faster.

Don’t fall for it. If I swallow this whole, he’ll just mock me again with a “stupid, stupid” right after.

"Like I’d fall for that! No w—"

"It’s true."

He overlapped my protest with a quiet insistence.

Damn… could it really be true? Am I supposed to take him seriously?

My heartbeat only sped up further. I felt lightheaded, my vision swimming, like I was slipping into hyperventilation. This was… actually pretty bad, wasn’t it?

My body swayed, and Kanata hurriedly caught me.

And then, before I knew it, he scooped me up in a princess carry.

Even through my dazed vision and foggy mind, I managed to register that much.

The last thing I heard was Kanata’s voice:

"Sorry… I went too far."

Yeah… no kidding… idiot…

And with that, my consciousness slipped away.

Gradually, my consciousness drifted back, and I opened my eyes.

I realized I was lying in bed. Kanata must’ve carried me here. …Though it was his fault to begin with!

A glance at the clock showed it was just before noon. So I hadn’t been out for too long.

I sat up, got out of bed, and made my way back to the living room.

"Oh, you’re up. How’re you feeling?"

"Ahh, thanks to someone, my whole body hurts."

"Man, some people can be pretty rough, huh?"

"That was you!"

"Right, my bad."

"Haah… fine, I’ll forgive you. But seriously, no more brute force."

"Fair enough. I’ll do my best."

"No, really."

"Got it. I’ll be more careful about when I use it."

"…Yeah, I guess that’s good enough."

My groggy brain kept replaying what happened. Was Kanata always that strong? If he really pinned me down with all his strength, I wouldn’t be able to resist.

…The thought sent a chill through me. Something instinctive—almost like a woman’s natural wariness—flared up inside. Wait… aren’t I actually in a dangerous situation here?

Living together is supposed to be something you do when you’re in a relationship, planning for marriage, when both heart and body are already committed.

What we just did… doesn’t really feel like something we should be doing.

No, no, hold on. That’s not us. We’re just best friends. That’s all.

But… if it’s like Ibuki-chan said—sleeping in the same place, and the fact that things could happen by force—if Kanata really decided to…

"So, how about it? Think you’re up for going out?"

He patted my shoulder, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I forced myself to look calm, even though my heart was racing.

"Y-yeah, I’m fine."

God, I’m an idiot. I wasn’t in the mood at all… but turning him down felt wrong, too.

"Then let’s grab something to eat on the way."

"Sure, I guess I am kinda hungry."

What a lie. I wasn’t hungry at all. Not even close. My stomach was fine—the problem was my heart, restless and unsettled. In this state, could I really keep going out with Kanata like normal?

We ate, and as we headed toward our destination, I found myself instinctively keeping a bit of distance.

Ten centimeters more space while walking side by side. Sitting across from him instead of next to him.

Kanata probably noticed I was pulling away, but didn’t close the gap. Maybe he also thought it’d be better to keep some space for now, until things settled.