To Put It Simply!

Accompanying Kotori as she unlocked the front door of the Nabata residence, he headed straight for her room.

And no sooner had they sat across from each other at the low table than Kotori initiated the conversation with a reserved expression, yet in a firm, resolute tone.

“Today’s day duty: achievement unlock… failed.”

“Is that so? From my perspective, it looked like you managed to pull it off pretty well, all things considered.”

“Result-wise, we somehow made it through. But if Aki-senpai hadn’t come…”

Saying so, Kotori shivered slightly and hugged herself tightly.

Indeed, at that time, Takumi had been standing by a short distance away just in case something happened.

Even so, what saved Kotori from her near-miss was the fact that Aki, who happened to be passing by, noticed the anomaly and immediately stepped in.

Recalling the events of earlier that day, Takumi agreed with a furrowed brow.

“I never expected Toba to make such a bold move all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, seriously. I was so shocked. Why would he do something like that…?”

Kotori grumbled, looking thoroughly exasperated.

Takumi shrugged his shoulders as if it couldn’t be helped and responded.

“Well, that’s probably because you were the one approaching Toba, you know.”

“Eh?!”

“Huh?”

Kotori then made a face like a surprised pigeon and let out a silly voice. At her unexpected reaction, Takumi also blurted out a dumbfounded sound.

The two blinked at each other for a few moments.

Eventually, Kotori raised one hand slightly and timidly asked while looking up at him.

“Umm, what do you mean by that…?”

“I mean, it’s rare for you to speak to someone on your own initiative, let alone a boy, right? So Toba probably thought you had feelings for him, and that’s why.”

“So Toba wasn’t being mean earlier today?! W-Why?!”

“Because you’re cute, of course. It couldn’t be helped if he mistook your body freezing up for not resisting.”

“C-Cute?! You mean… me?!”

“Who else is there…?”

Kotori let out a wild, high-pitched voice as if she couldn’t believe it, her eyes spinning.

Looking at her, Takumi gave a dry smile, wondering if she really had zero self-awareness.

Still confused, Kotori continued speaking rapidly.

“B-But it’s me, you know?! As usual, I can’t speak well in class and I’m an outcast, and until recently I was just a drab, unrefined plain girl!”

“But your appearance now is completely different from before, isn’t it?”

“D-Do you think I’m cute too, Takumi?!”

“gh… Well… yeah.”

“I-I see… ehehe…”

Takumi answered with complete honesty to Kotori’s question, which had burst out swept along by momentum. Then, the next instant, embarrassment surged through his entire body, making his cheeks burn even hotter. His heart pounded noisily.

It seemed the same was true for Kotori; after a cover-up chuckle, she slouched her back and lowered her reddened face.

“…”

“…”

A ticklish atmosphere filled the room.

The two fidgeted awkwardly with each other.

Though he wanted to change the atmosphere in the room somehow, his boiled brain couldn’t function properly, and appropriate words failed to come out.

Eventually settling down a bit, Kotori deliberately cleared her throat with a loud “Ahem” and opened her mouth.

“Anyway! We somehow managed the greetings. But chatting one-on-one with a boy is still a high hurdle.”

At Kotori’s words, Takumi crossed his arms, closed one eye, and nodded in agreement.

A severe lack of experience in gauging the proper distance from others was likely the cause of this recent accident. If she tried speaking to boys like this, she might repeat Toba’s mistake. They ought to take it step by step.

Nodding in agreement, Takumi prompted Kotori to continue.

“So, what are we doing next?”

“First off… chatting in a mixed-gender group, I guess.”

“Hmm…”

Takumi let out a low groan.

It wasn’t a bad goal.

However, Kotori’s current reputation within the class was that of an aloof ice princess who kept boys at arm’s length.

The group she belonged to was the top-tier popular girls clique, which she had been swept into right after entering school.

Bringing boys into that group would likely be difficult. Even if she tried to reach out, deciding which group of boys to approach would cause friction.

To begin with, groups within the class were already fairly set in stone. Expecting Kotori to reach out to an existing group… would also be impossible. If she could do that, she wouldn’t be struggling right now.

As Takumi’s brow furrowed even deeper, Kotori asked him with a slightly anxious look.

“H-How is it?”

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea. But wouldn’t it be difficult to form a mixed-gender group from scratch right now?”

“R-Regarding that, I have a brilliant plan!”

“Oh?”

Takumi involuntarily leaned forward.

Seeing Takumi’s intrigued expression, Kotori wore a satisfied smile and unveiled her plan.

“To put it simply: school clubs!”