Outside the kotatsu, Yamada Ryo stiffened slightly, not responding to the vague confusion in Nijika's voice.
That was, until Nijika let out a light exclamation.
"Oh! Found it! Jeez, it was shoved way in the back…"
She stopped rummaging and pulled out her still-sealed spare drumsticks from the cabinet.
Glancing over them, she then turned back toward Yamada Ryo.
She still felt something was a little off about Ryo's behavior today.
But after blinking a few times, Nijika chose not to dwell on it.
"Well, I got what I came for, so I'll head home now. Oh, right—Ryo, are you going to practice at Starry this afternoon?"
Seated by the kotatsu, Ryo replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "This afterno... yeah, I can go."
"Okay, then I'll see you there," Nijika nodded, pausing a moment before continuing, "I should get going. My sister hasn't eaten lunch yet."
After tidying the cabinet, she left the room.
———————————————————————
Inside the kotatsu.
Before Nijika had asked about practice, Aoki had already completed the third option from the [Love Obstacle Simulation Game]:
Feel the texture of Ryo-san's tights, starting from her feet and up to her thighs.
———————————————————————
[Option completed.]
[Reward granted]: 200 points, and a choice of a Master-level music skill.
———————————————————————
After fulfilling the task, Aoki fell silent, staying completely still as he waited for Nijika to leave.
He didn't rush to choose his reward—he focused solely on keeping calm.
Then, a soft "click" of the door closing.
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes for a moment before crawling out the other side of the kotatsu.
Bracing himself with one hand on the table, he stepped back a few paces, then looked straight at Yamada Ryo with renewed seriousness.
Their eyes met.
The atmosphere was thick. Despite facing each other directly, neither said a word.
"..."
The silence hung in the air.
Across from him, Yamada Ryo also wasn't sure what to say.
This was a first.
A first for being mistaken by a friend for looking at… inappropriate magazines.
A first for hiding a friend in a kotatsu to avoid another friend.
And a first for… having that hidden friend touch her leg.
She didn't exactly dislike it—but her feelings were definitely complicated.
Thoughts she hadn't had time to sort out earlier now rushed to the forefront of her mind.
Ryo's imagination started spinning.
Then she snapped back to the present, realizing she was still making eye contact with Suki-san.
She blinked a few times and abruptly halted her own wandering thoughts.
Long silences only made things worse.
Wanting to break the tension, she took a breath, ready to speak.
"Suki-san—"
But she stopped halfway.
No words felt appropriate.
Asking, "Why did you touch my leg?" felt pointless.
Trying to change the topic might feel too forced…
She paused.
Then, as if something suddenly struck her, her eyes lit up just a bit.
'Ah—if I ask that question… It'll definitely be embarrassing.'
Suki-san will definitely be embarrassed.
But…
In this already awkward situation— Wouldn't it be kind of fun to see his reaction?
She looked down and blinked once more, then met Aoki's gaze again.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to make her voice sound as calm and detached as usual.
Cool, slightly lazy—though if you listened closely, there was just a hint of a tremble.
"Suki-san," Ryo asked seriously, "What did it feel like?"
"..."
"...?"
Aoki had been fully prepared for Ryo to scold him—maybe even yell.
He was also ready to apologize with everything he had.
But of all things… That question?
"What did it feel like?"
If he wasn't misunderstanding her… Was she really asking what it felt like… to touch her leg?
...
He already knew Ryo had a very unique personality, but this?
Even he couldn't keep up with her thought process.
He hesitated—opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.
Eventually, Aoki's expression shifted from surprise… to contemplation… to uncertainty… and finally… to resignation.
Should he answer?
Would it be rude if he didn't?
In the end, he decided—if Ryo asked, he'd give her a sincere answer.
What did it feel like, huh…
After a moment of awkward silence, thought, and mild panic, Aoki replied—his tone slightly halting, almost like he was questioning his own words.
"…It felt nice. Your skin was a little cool. Your calf was really soft. And… your tights were really smooth. T-That kind of feeling?"
"..."
'Ah…'
Just as she thought—it was very awkward.
And somehow… even more awkward than she'd anticipated.
She hadn't actually expected Suki-san to answer her question seriously.
But here he was—calmly, analytically describing the sensation of touching her leg.
Even though they were close friends, still—
Her expression didn't change, but her face—already a bit red—grew visibly warmer.
Yamada Ryo was starting to feel like she couldn't handle it…
She was the one who asked the question to begin with.
But now, hearing the answer, a flicker of regret started creeping in.
The room fell silent again.
After a few seconds, Ryo looked away.
Then, in what was clearly a forced attempt to change the topic, she spoke—
"Ah… r-right. Let's eat, Suki-san."
Aoki nodded silently.
He sat down at the kotatsu, hesitating a little.
Then, turning toward Ryo, he opened his mouth, trying to explain—
"Ryo-san, about earlier, actually…"
"It's okay, Suki-san," she interrupted before he could finish.
"I understand."
"..."
The boomerang he threw half an hour ago…
Had finally come flying back—And hit Aoki square in the face.
———————————————————————
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