"Kuroba-kun's expression is so exaggerated, are you that happy?"
"Of course! This is the first successful transaction in my life!"
To be precise, it is the first transaction in 'this life'.
"Pfft… the first transaction in your life is a semester's worth of lunch… Hahahaha! Kuroba-kun, you really are an interesting person."
Looking at Akira waving his uppercut and cheering, Anri Hitomi also held her stomach and laughed out loud, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Sigh… how long has it been since she laughed from the bottom of her heart?
Smiling has always been Anri Hitomi's mask, a weapon for negotiation, because a smiling face is hard to hit, and a smile can withstand a lot of malice.
You should always maintain a smile, this is for etiquette, and also for profit, that's how her mother taught her.
In order not to let people see that she is actually faking a smile, Anri Hitomi has put a lot of effort into her demeanor and posture.
It can be said that every expression, every action, and every word she says has the effect of influencing the other person's emotions.
Therefore, communication is actually a very mentally draining and exhausting thing for Anri Hitomi.
And she now knows for the first time that laughing because of interest and happiness, without considering anything, can make a person feel so comfortable.
It's as if the depression that had been stuck in her chest has been cleared away all at once.
This is… too bad.
It's all Kuroba-kun's fault, knowing that she can also laugh heartily, what if she can't show a natural (fake) smile in the future because of this?
You have to compensate me!
Since you have expressed that 'you don't need to say such pleasing words to me anymore', then I don't need to take care of your emotions anymore, right?
In front of you, perhaps I can completely unmount camouflage… then it can become very easy.
Just thinking about Akira coming to the Literary Club's clubroom later, Anri Hitomi couldn't help but look forward to it.
If the days ahead can be as pleasant as today, going to school may no longer be just her mother's task.
Anri Hitomi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her thumb, using the same finger she had just used to wipe away Akira's tears. Then, she pressed her thumb against her moist lips and stuck out her rosy little tongue to lick the pad of her thumb.
Akira watched, inexplicably feeling a bit parched. She had a face of pure innocence, yet she possessed a mature charm that surpassed her true age.
However, after licking her thumb, the class president made a comment that made his jaw drop.
"Tears are salty."
"Isn't that common sense? Class President, you study so well, there's no way you wouldn't even know something like that, right?"
"I just wanted to taste them, is that not allowed?"
She was actually acting a little childish.
"Alright, alright, Class President, you can do whatever you want."
"I wonder if my tears and Kuroba-kun's tears, whose are saltier."
"There's no way you could taste the difference. Besides, even if you could, what's the point of comparing something like that...?"
"To test the compatibility between Kuroba-kun and me. From a scientific standpoint, water flows from low concentration to high concentration, meaning the less salty tears will gravitate towards the saltier ones. This is the semipermeable membrane of the heart."
"What a great new theory. It seems all of humanity can become one."
Oh, brave maiden, go and turn all of humanity into orange juice. You are the Neon Genesis Evangelion!
"Hmm... if I can't taste the tears, then let's compare our sweat."
As she said that, the class president moved closer to Akira, her face getting closer and closer, almost close enough to kiss.
The sudden surge of embarrassment made Akira lean back, a fifteen-year-old girl kissing his face was something he couldn't psychologically accept, even though he was fifteen himself now.
However, behind him was a vending machine, and there was no escape.
"Uh, wait, Class President, this is a little..."