Individuals with social anxiety are acutely, painfully sensitive to the gazes of others.
Eyes brimming with a mixture of shock, admiration, curiosity, and other unidentifiable emotions now swept over Gotou Hitori. For a moment, she felt as if she were facing a pack of hungry, predatory beasts. She couldn't suppress a small "Ah!" and immediately ducked behind Kani Nayuta, attempting to use her friend's more prominent figure as a shield against those discomfiting stares.
It was, however, a futile effort. The weight of the collective gaze did not lessen in the slightest.
"I, I really don't suit this kind of outfit…!"
"Please… make an excuse for me, Honda-san!"
Gotou Hitori pleaded with Kani Nayuta, who had turned her head to look at her, and then prepared to beat a hasty retreat.
However, Kani Nayuta swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"What do you mean you don't suit it? It suits you perfectly!"
"Exactly! It looks wonderful on you!" Kumin Tsuyuri chimed in softly from beside them.
Both of them understood perfectly well that Gotou Hitori was trying to flee yet again. Though exasperating, it was also quintessentially her.
"Gotou-san, I had no idea your figure was this amazing! It's truly enviable!"
"Kumin-san's too… Actually, all three of you are so enviable. Do you have some kind of secret?"
Several cheerful, outgoing girls gathered around them.
Naturally, a few boys also shamelessly drifted closer, attempting to strike up conversations.
"Gotou-san, so kawaii!"
"Kumin-san is super cute too!"
"…"
"It seems no one is complimenting you, so let me do the honors."
"Kani-sensei, you are incredibly cute!"
Kasumigaoka Touji walked over to Kani Nayuta's side and offered his praise with a smile.
"Winter-sensei!"
Kani Nayuta looked at him, her bright eyes reflecting his image as she responded with a charming lilt, "And what about Gotou-san and Kumin-san? Are they cute too?"
Upon hearing this,
the two individuals in question instinctively looked toward Kasumigaoka Touji, and everyone else's gazes naturally followed.
Kasumigaoka Touji glanced at Gotou Hitori—whose expression was on the verge of crumbling under the pressure of the surrounding attention—and at Kumin Tsuyuri with her naturally innocent, delicate face. He then replied gracefully, "To be perfectly honest, they are both quite adorable."
'No problem there!'
The girls who had come over to chat nodded to themselves in silent approval. As fellow girls, they also thought Kumin Tsuyuri and the newly revealed Gotou Hitori were very cute. They felt Kasumigaoka Touji was simply being honest.
Among the boys who had approached, one with dyed brown hair and a high, exposed forehead suddenly interjected, "Speaking of which, Kasumigaoka-san really does have excellent taste!"
He said this while looking pointedly at Gotou Hitori, his implication self-evident.
'Idiot!'
Ishizaki Takao turned to glance at Shimizu Takuya, once again feeling that this person's emotional intelligence was staggeringly low. He truly had no idea how to converse appropriately! Ishizaki Takao felt a wave of disdain.
Kasumigaoka Touji also looked at Shimizu Takuya. He wasn't so much angered as he was momentarily left speechless by the remark. He wouldn't grant the boy a friendly smile, responding instead with a calm, measured tone. "You might be overestimating me; I'm not quite as discerning as you think."
"Also—"
"It's fine to strike up a conversation, but it's best not to make others feel uncomfortable."
"That makes sense!"
"I agree!"
Several of the girls nodded in quick succession. They had all, to varying degrees, experienced being pestered by unwanted attention. Even if they hadn't, they could easily empathize and were willing to speak up on someone else's behalf! In short, his words resonated with them.
Conversely, the two boys felt rather displeased—Shimizu Takuya in particular, who had been the one to approach Gotou Hitori. He felt Kasumigaoka Touji was openly mocking him. While it was true he had made Gotou Hitori uncomfortable—a fact he himself found somewhat frustrating—he had tried his best to be friendly. He hadn't said much, just offered a simple compliment. He hadn't expected her to react so strongly!
Ultimately, it was her own severe social anxiety…
Shimizu Takuya looked at Kasumigaoka Touji and retorted with some irritation, "Don't make me sound like some kind of persistent creep!"
"What exactly did I do? I just gave a simple compliment."
"Knowing someone has social anxiety and still choosing to approach them and strike up a conversation at a time like this—what else could it be if not being driven by less-than-noble intentions?" Kasumigaoka Touji countered coolly, ripping away the polite veneer.
Shimizu Takuya was momentarily left speechless.
"It was probably just surprise and admiration. He was unconsciously drawn over to chat; it can't really be called having ulterior motives," Ishizaki Takao interjected tactfully from the side, attempting to extract Shimizu Takuya from the awkward situation while also providing cover for himself.
After all, if the person who had come over to chat was labeled a creep, wouldn't he be lumped in as well? Even though he had been talking to someone else, onlookers wouldn't make that distinction. They'd assume they were together, and if one was a creep, the other probably was too.
Kasumigaoka Touji looked at Ishizaki Takao with a hint of surprise, feeling this person was significantly more socially aware than Shimizu Takuya. He gave a light shrug and adopted a tone of 'whatever you say.' "Fine, let's go with your interpretation."
"In any case, it's still best not to make others feel unhappy."
"And are you unhappy?" Ishizaki Takao nodded, turning the question back on him.
Kasumigaoka Touji immediately narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharpening. "If your friend were being made uncomfortable and was clearly distressed, would you feel happy about it?"
'He really is a true friend!'
Upon hearing this, Gotou Hitori looked at Kasumigaoka Touji with a surge of genuine emotion.
Kani Nayuta gazed at Kasumigaoka Touji with eyes full of sparkling admiration, while a soft, approving smile touched Kumin Tsuyuri's tender lips.
"…I see."
Ishizaki Takao responded with a note of surprise, then turned and walked away without another word.
Seeing this,
Shimizu Takuya also left the scene.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a more relaxed one.
"Winter-sensei, teach me how to swim later!"
Kani Nayuta looked at Kasumigaoka Touji with a charming, expectant expression, deftly changing the subject.
Normally, learning to swim proficiently takes five to ten days. She had acquired some basic skills but certainly not enough to master it in a single session. Currently, she could barely manage to float; she still needed considerable practice.
"No problem."
Kasumigaoka Touji gave Kani Nayuta an 'OK' gesture. Just at that moment, the bell signaling the start of class rang out clearly…