CH3
A Definitive Trick

“Alright then, close your eyes.”

A girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fairy-like cuteness said so to me.

“H-hey… don’t get too close…”

I said so while backing away as she slowly approached me, the reason being that she was dressed in a scarily alluring manner.

White skin, shoulders, collarbones, and a boldly exposed cleavage…

Naturally, my gaze wandered towards the normally hidden places that went unnoticed. Then, feeling guilty for looking at my childhood friend in such a way, I hurriedly averted my eyes. Even so, due to my curiosity, it became a cycle of me eyeing her before averting my gaze repeatedly.

“Don’t even think about running away, got it?”

Before I knew it, I found myself cornered against the wall. The girl reached out to my face before she touched my chin lightly.

“Hurry up and close your eyes.”

“N-no…”

“No excuses.” The girl forcefully pulled my chin down as she said that.

“I’m going to play a trick on you, alright?”

Resigned to her words, I closed my eyes as her breath tickled my lips…

​

​

※

​

​

Around the end of October.

In the study room/lounge of a certain cram school.

​

“Sigh…”

A pretty, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl—that is, me, Kamishiro Airi—let out a deep sigh.

My notebook and reference books were spread out in front of me. I was studying, but I wasn’t making much progress. I couldn’t get into it… as usual.

“That’s quite a big sigh… Is there something worrying you?” Asked my friend, Hina Hazuki.

“Well…”

There were a lot of depressing matters and worries that I had to deal with. 

For example… Today was both Halloween and a Saturday. In other words, there should’ve been a festival, but despite that, there was still cram school.

It couldn’t be helped since Halloween wasn’t a public holiday… But still, I couldn’t help but think, “There should be a festival…”

Well, in my case, I promised to attend Ibuki-kun’s Halloween party after this, so I just needed to endure the remainder of this period.

Next, let’s talk about studying. Unlike Ibuki-kun, I am neither good at it nor am I good at trying. If possible, I don’t want to do it at all.

However, I can’t just not study. After all, I did promise my childhood friend that I’d put in some serious effort to get good results in the next exam. That’s why I’m studying like this now. 

Having said that, because I’ve been slacking off, I’ve felt a fair bit of it pay off since I started doing my revisions. 

What’s more problematic than that is...

“Is it about your relationship with Kazami-san?”

“Fwaah?!”

I made a strange sound and, naturally, felt my face heating up. I then panicked as I looked around.

Ibuki-kun, along with a friend of ours, Souta Kuzuhara, had gone to a convenience store to buy lunch, and it seemed like they hadn’t returned yet.

“H-how did you know…?”

I asked Hina-chan in a low voice, and she gave me a wry smile in return.

“I mean… I was just guessing. But it looks like it’s true, huh?’

“...W-well, yeah.”

I might’ve just dug my own grave…

I couldn’t help but scratch my cheek.

“I can give you some advice, if you want?”

“...Sure.”

I thought for a moment before nodding, judging that Hina-chan wouldn’t just carelessly spread rumours around.

“Recently, Ibuki-kun…”

“Yeah?”

“...seems to mistakenly think that I like him.”

That day, since I felt like it for some reason, I decided to kiss Ibuki-kun. I just got caught up in the mood, and it definitely wasn’t because I liked him.

And yet…

Ibuki-kun somehow seemed to have misunderstood that I did that because I liked him. Nope, he was definitely mistaken.

…What do you mean, '"you’re just as curious as I am'"

That was what he said to me when I caught a bad cold a while ago. He wouldn’t have said such a thing unless he misunderstood that I liked him. I really regretted it.

It’s one thing if Ibuki-kun had feelings for me, but there’s no way I could feel that way towards him. It’s just not possible.

“I see…”

Hina-chan gave a huge nod at my words before tilting her head.

“...Is that not the case?”

“...What is?”

“Huh? I mean, you like Kazami-san, don’t you, Airi-san?” Hina-chan asked me with an expression that seemed to say, ‘wasn’t that the case?’. I then felt my face suddenly flush with anger.

“You’re wrong! What are you talking about?! What’s your basis?”

“Well, you two are just like a couple, aren’t you?”

“I told you, we’re just childhood friends.

“Ah… so that’s how it is.”

Hina-chan nodded, seemingly astonished by this. I had so many things that I wanted to say, but I decided to hold back.

“Yes, exactly. We aren’t a couple… and I definitely don’t like Ibuki-kun. And yet... he seems to think that I do. It's embarrassing to have a childhood friend like that; he’s just like a deluded virgin."

“I don’t think a virgin has the right to mock another virgin… Ah, no, nevermind.”

W-what, she’s looking at me as if I’m some sort of twisted virgin… She was inexperienced too… Right?

“Hmm, that sounds tough.”

“You know, Hina-chan. Stop acting like you should just be sympathising with me. Right now, I don’t want sympathy, I want a solution.”

Hina-chan furrowed her eyebrows at my words, clearly annoyed. But, I mean, she was the one who offered to give me advice, so she didn’t have to make that face…

“Why don’t you just honestly say that you don’t like him?”

“What? If I suddenly say that, I’d look like a stupid tsundere heroine.”

Saying something like that out of nowhere was like saying, “I actually like Ibuki-kun, but I don’t want you to think I do.”

Not only would it definitely backfire, but I’d also definitely come off as stupid.

“Huh… so you are aware of it… AAH! N-no violence, okay?! V-violence isn’t popular these days!!”

Hina-chan hurriedly clutched her head and panicked when I suddenly raised my fist. Of course, I wasn’t about to actually hit her, so I lowered it, before crossing my arms and turning my face away.

“I’m not a tsundere, and I don’t want to say anything like that.”

“I-is that so…?”

“...What?”

“N-no… I think what’s important is the time, place, and occasion, or rather… the situation.”

“...Situation?”

Hina-chan nodded greatly in response to my question.

“Of course, if you start off by saying ‘I don’t like you’ right away, you’d seem like a stupid tsundere. But if, for example, Kazami-san makes a ‘deluded virgin’ move, and you properly say you don’t like him, it wouldn’t be so weird, right?”

Mm… if I said it when Ibuki-kun started saying something cheeky, it wouldn’t be so weird, huh? Hmm, but still…

“Sure, if I don’t say it, he wouldn’t understand. But… directly saying I don’t like him feels so stupid…”

“If a stupid tsundere says it, no matter what she says, she’ll sound like a stupid tsundere. ”

As I was fretting over this, Hina-chan mumbled something under her breath.

…I don’t know why, but I feel as though she had just mocked me.

“Did you just make fun of me?”

“Ouch… that hurts!”

I lightly tapped Hina-chan’s head.

​

​

※

​

​

“I think Airi probably likes me.” I said to my friend, Souta Kuzuhara, on our way back from buying lunch at the convenience store. He gave me an exasperated look in response to my remark.

“You’ve said that before, haven’t you?”

…I do remember saying something similar around half a year ago.

“And then, after a while, you’ll be like ‘I guess I was wrong…’ and get all depressed, huh?”

“I won’t get depressed.” I said, frowning.

Sure, I often misinterpret Airi’s actions as her liking me, and then realise I was wrong, repeatedly…

But I had never once felt depressed because of it.

“If anything, I’d be relieved.”

I didn’t like Airi. If she fell in love with me, I wouldn’t know how to handle it.

“Hmm… that wasn’t the look on your face, though…”

“Besides, I’m more convinced than last time.”

Because this time round, Airi was the one who kissed me. It was different from our first kiss, which was just a stubborn clash between us. This time, for some reason, Airi had asked for it.

Plus, that time when I had a cold…

In hindsight, it seemed like Airi was trying to get my attention. I think she does like me, after all, she wouldn’t have acted that way if she didn’t.

“Hmm… Well, actually, I think Kamishiro likes you.”

“Right?”

“And you like Kamishiro too, don’t you?”

“That’s not true.” I answered immediately.

Kuzuhara then displayed a frustrated expression on his face.

“Oh… really? So, you’d turn her down if she confessed?”

“...No, if Airi insisted, I wouldn’t mind dating her.”

Airi is a cheeky childhood friend, but it’s true that she’s also a cute girl. If she said she liked me… I wouldn’t completely hate it.

Of course, I’m also concerned that our relationship as childhood friends would be ruined…

But once she confesses, that relationship would probably fall apart no matter what. In fact, it would definitely be awkward if I turned her down. In that case, I feel like dating her would maintain a better relationship.

…If anything goes wrong, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

“Sigh… seriously, just be honest already. If you like someone, just say so.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m talking about you.”

What’s this guy talking about?

​

​

​

※

​

​

​

Once our cram school classes had ended, Airi and I went home together as usual. She seemed to be in a good mood, and smiled when we arrived in front of her house.

“Well then, Ibuki-kun. See you later.”

“Ah… later?”

“Yeah, I’ll come over after I get changed.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at Airi’s words.

It’s fine if she comes over, but does she really need to change?

She usually just comes straight to my room without even changing her uniform.

“I’ve got something prepared, so look forward to it, okay?”

“O-okay…?”

What?

I responded half-heartedly, not understanding what she meant. Before long, Airi opened the door to her house and turned back towards me.

“At the very least, make sure you have some treats ready.” She said, as if to remind me. I do usually have some treats on hand, but…

Is she really that hungry?

“Treats? Yeah, I guess… I’ve got some…”

“If you don’t, it’s definitely going to be a trick, okay?”

Airi gave me a light wink before finally disappearing into her house, leaving me outside to think alone.

I feel like I’m forgetting something important here…

Treats, treats… treats?

“Ahh!”

Crap, today is Halloween!

​

​

※

​

​

Fifteen minutes later.

I was fidgeting alone when the doorbell rang, making my heart skip a beat.

“I-bu-ki-kun! Let’s play!” Hearing Airi’s voice from outside… I knew I had to brace myself.

“...Come on in.”

“Excuse me.”

I felt a bit relieved when Airi came into my room, seeing how she was dressed normally. She was wearing a very ordinary… winter coat.

She wasn’t in costume, so maybe she didn’t actually intend to have a Halloween party.

“Here, this one’s for your parents.”

My relief was short-lived as Airi handed me one of the two paper bags she was holding. The soft, sweet scent of baked goods wafted from inside it. You could also smell the pumpkin. No doubt, these were homemade pastries that were made with care.

…I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

“Then, let’s quickly go to your room.”

Airi said with a smile, seemingly in a good mood. We had been studying at cram school until a little while ago, so she genuinely looked happy to be able to relax.

“Ah, yeah…”

I nodded as I led her to my room. I had already prepared cushions, a table for us to relax on, drinks, and as many snacks and sweets as I could gather.

“Yep, yep, good, impressive.”

So far, it seemed that my preparations were just the bare minimum for Airi’s standards. She nodded enthusiastically.

“Well then... I'll go first?” Airi said, and with that, she dramatically threw off her winter coat.

“...Huh?” My eyes widened involuntarily.

The outfit Airi was wearing under her coat was unexpected. It was a costume with black tights and a high-cut leotard.

She then took out bunny ears from the paper bag and put them on...

The end result was what you would call a 'bunny girl' outfit.

“...Okay, here I go.” Airi cleared her throat theatrically.

“Trick or treat! If you don't give me some treats, I'm going to play a trick on you!”

Airi said cheerfully, as she stared at me intently. ‘Where are the sweets?’ She seemed to be asking.

...Of course, it’s impossible to prepare treats that could rival her homemade ones in just a few minutes.

And so, I braced myself.

“I'm sorry! I forgot!”

I said, bowing my head, before I peeked at Airi’s face to gauge her mood.

“...Hah?”

She was looking at me with cold eyes.

“...Why?”

“W-well, why, you ask…”

Airi asked me in a cold tone, and I stammered. There was no real reason for me to forget about it.

"So, it didn't matter to you, did it, Ibuki-kun? Spending Halloween with me, that is."

"That's not it..."

It's not that my promise to Airi didn't matter. 

I just got too preoccupied with the silly delusion that maybe you actually like me… 

Of course, there was no way I could say that to her.

"I was really looking forward to it..."

"M-my bad. I'll make it up to you."

"But there's only one Halloween in our second year of high school."

"......"

‘You don't have to be so angry about it,’ was what I thought, but I knew saying that out loud would only make things worse.

"It‘s my fault."

When I apologised again, Airi let out a small sigh. She looked down at her outfit and muttered, "...Now I look like an idiot."

"......"

"You think so too, don’t you?"

"N-no, not at all..."

As Airi pressed me, I hastily averted my eyes. However, she kept closing the distance between us.

"Hey... What did you think? Be honest."

"I-I didn't think you looked stupid, but..."

"But?"

"When I saw that outfit, I thought about you walking outside in it..."

Airi's cheeks turned a faint shade of red when I pointed that out. Even if she had hidden it under a coat, the outfit was still quite revealing.

... No, rather, hiding it with a coat was a bit perverted itself.

"G-got a problem with that?!"

"N-no, I don’t... I really don’t..."

Is she hiding her embarrassment, or is she genuinely angry? 

Airi, whose face had turned red, yelled at me, and I shook my head vigorously.

"Do you really mean that? Are you truly sorry?"

"I-I am, but..."

"Then why won't you speak while you look me in the eye?"

As Airi said that, she began moving even closer towards me. I instinctively took a step back.

"Th-that’s..."

"Why not?"

Airi glared at me with her eyes narrowed. Resigned, I cautiously turned my gaze towards her.

Her angry face, along with her smooth, porcelain-like skin, exposed small shoulders, and beautiful chest and collarbone, caught my eye. 

The bunny suit, clinging tightly to her body and accentuating her curves, highlighted her slender waist and, usually unnoticed, large breasts. Her chest in particular was boldly exposed, revealing a clearly visible cleavage... 

From above, it was almost possible to see her important parts.

"I-I can’t look at you… with you dressed like that."

"...Eh?"

Airi seemed caught off guard by my response, letting out a surprised voice and her eyes widening in astonishment.

"Ohh..." Then she gave a sly smile. 

I had a bad feeling, but it was already too late.

"I didn't think I was wearing anything particularly strange, though..."

Airi said as she slowly raised her hands, before slightly turning her body to the side.

"Maybe it's just a bit too stimulating for a virgin like you, Ibuki-kun?"

She deliberately showed me her armpit and the side of her chest that was peeking out ever so slightly, causing me to quickly avert my eyes again.

"D-don’t… show me anything."

"Oh? I turned to the side so you wouldn't see my chest... I wonder what part of my body you saw that made you so embarrassed?"

Airi giggled, clearly enjoying herself. Her mood had completely improved, although that wasn't necessarily a good thing for me.

"Now that you mention it, Ibuki-kun, I haven’t asked for your opinion yet, have I? How do you like my costume?"

"I-it looks good on you..."

"Which part? How does it look good?"

"D-don’t make me spell it out..."

Cute. Beautiful skin. Great figure. 

I had plenty of compliments, but saying them out loud would be too embarrassing.

"You said you were sorry earlier, right?"

"I-I did..."

"Then tell me."

"T-that doesn’t make sense. That has nothing to do with this..."

"I won’t forgive you until you tell me. Or were you just lying earlier?"

Airi tilted her head as she said that. It was a bit embarrassing, but I had no choice.

"...The cute parts."

"Which parts?"

"...The bunny ears."

"That's not part of me, though. What about my body is cute? Why do they suit me?"

"..."

Feeling my face turn red at Airi's question, I answered. "Your figure is good."

After having said that, I turned my face away, while keeping only my gaze on her. 

"D-does that work?"

"...I guess so."

Airi blushed slightly, placing her hand on her chin.

Even though she seemed embarrassed, her joy at being praised seemed to outweigh it. Moreover, she probably has an even stronger desire to tease me. After showing signs of hesitation, Airi lightly clapped her hands.

"I know. Wanna see my back?" Airi said, before turning around.

As she did, she stuck her butt out towards me, and I averted my eyes again.

"How do I look from behind?"

"....You look good."

"You're looking away again. Look over here and say it properly."

With that reminder, I redirected my attention towards Airi. I could see her bold, white bottom exposed up to her lower back, and the bunny tail sticking out. Her legs, clad in tights, looked even more beautiful than usual.

Airi turned to look at me, wearing a mischievous grin.

"C’mon."

"...Your skin is beautiful."

"Hmm."

Looks like Airi’s satisfied with my answer, as she nodded vigorously and turned back to face me.

"Ibuki-kun, you're unusually timid today. What's wrong?"

"...I’m not all that different from usual."

Despite denying it, it was true that I was more timid today. I felt guilty for forgetting about Halloween, for one…

What’s more, Airi was so attractive that it was hard for me to look straight at her. But, to dress like this in front of me, wouldn’t that mean that she does like me, after all?

Those were the kinds of thoughts running through my head.

“Can you stop making fun of me already?”

“You want me to forgive you?”

“...I want you to forgive me.”

Hearing my words, Airi gave a satisfied nod.

“I guess it can’t be helped~”

“I-in that case…”

“I’ll trick you instead, alright?” She giggled, once again leaving me with a bad feeling.

“Trick…?”

“I told you, ‘trick or treat’, didn’t I?”

“There’s some treats over there…” I said, glancing over at the treats piled up on the table— some ready-made snacks and chocolates.

Then, Airi smiled. Only that her eyes weren’t.

“...Are you really sorry?”

I felt like I could hear Airi’s inner voice saying, ‘You think those can match my homemade treats? Are they only worth that much to you, Ibuki-kun?’.

“I-I am! A-ah, a trick, you say?! Okay, hit me with it!” I gave an exaggerated nod.

Airi nodded as well, as if to say that that was alright too.

“Alright then, close your eyes.” She said, as she started to slowly approach me.

“H-hey… don’t get too close…”

Each time Airi approached, her beautiful skin and well-proportioned body closed the distance.

I moved backwards, trying to escape. On the other hand, she was moving forward one step at a time, and before I knew it, my back was against the wall. I couldn’t retreat any further.

However, Airi didn’t stop. My gaze, naturally, shifted to look downward at Airi from above. I could almost see the gap between her chest and the bunny suit, and so I hurriedly looked away.

My heart was pounding violently, throbbing with excitement.

“Don’t even think about running away, got it?” Saying that, Airi reached out her hands towards my face. 

She then lightly touched my chin, turning my face to look forward. 

“Hurry up and close your eyes.” Airi rushed me.

Now that it had come to that, I realised what she was trying to do. 

Putting her hand on my chin, and telling me to close my eyes.

There could only be one outcome from all that. A kiss.

“N-no…”

“No excuses.” Airi said, forcibly pulling my chin down.

Then, she straightened up while peering into my face. 

“I’m going to play a trick on you, alright?” She moved her plump lips.

Amidst the darkness, we could only hear each other's breath, heartbeat, and body temperature. I felt Airi’s lips slowly approach my own. And so, I took a deep breath.

“Fuuu…”

A small breeze lightly brushed my lips, causing my body to involuntarily stiffen.

“Hey Ibuki-kun. Did you think…” 

Her breath tickled my ears.

“...I was going to kiss you?”

“...Huh?”

…You’re not?

I opened my eyes, surprised by the sound of Airi’s laughter. She was even holding her stomach. 

“What’s wrong? You were making such a disgusting face. Did you really think I was going to kiss you?” Airi grinned as she provoked me.

That was when I finally understood Airi’s reaction. 

I was deceived. Tricked. I was really taken aback.

“Y-you little…!” I felt my face heating up out of nowhere.

“Don’t do that…”

I raised my voice in anger and embarrassment. However, Airi replied in a calm and arrogant manner. 

“I did say that it was a trick, a punishment even.”

I had no choice but to remain silent while hearing her words. To begin with, I’d done something similar to her in the past, so I wasn’t really in a position to get angry.

“So, Ibuki-kun… You did misunderstand after all, huh?”

“Ugh…”

Airi grinned at me, who was at a loss for words. It was difficult to deny it at that point, but even so, I didn’t want to admit that I really misunderstood things. She was obviously making fun of me.

“Heey, what’s wrong, Ibuki-kun? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“H-hey, don’t get too close…”

Airi looked at my face, wearing a cheeky smile on her face. I then panicked, almost pushing her body, but I managed to stop before I could. I didn’t want to touch her bare, white shoulders.

Despite that, Airi herself continued to close the gap between us.

“I told you in advance that I would be playing a trick, so it should’ve been obvious that it was just a joke. And yet… you somehow still misunderstood it. Why don’t you tell me the reason?”

“T-that’s because… you told me to close my eyes… y-you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Airi was clearly trying to mislead me. She actually tricked me. I fell into her trap due to my own foolishness, but it was still aggravating to be mocked by the person who deceived me.

“That wasn’t for a kiss, though? I told you to close your eyes so I could blow on your lips.”

“So that’s why…”

“You’d be surprised if someone breathed on you in the dark, right? That was my intention. But I understand now, that’s where you misunderstood things.”

She’s not wrong.

​

Airi nodded knowingly, putting her hand over her mouth.

“I’m sorry for misleading you. I guess I led you on too much.”

‘It can’t be helped that Ibuki-kun, a virgin, would misunderstand my intentions. My bad.’

She apologised with a wry smile, but in reality, it was a provocation disguised as an apology. It was definitely intentional, and she was definitely mocking me.

“Well… I’ll say this just in case, but I don’t have any feelings for you, Ibuki-kun, okay?”

“...I didn’t make that kind of misunderstanding.” I retorted, my face contorting with shame. The voice that came out of my mouth was quieter than expected.

“Ah, I see. That’s good.” On the other hand, Airi was able to say such a thing with a smile. It must’ve felt good to beat me, while I was completely outdone and left feeling terrible.

“I did misunderstand… about the kiss, though…”

“Oh, so you admit it.”

Airi’s eyes widened at my words, and she gave me an embarrassed look. It seemed like this girl still had some guilt left in her.

“...But, that’s on you.”

“...I just blew a little, right? Isn’t it your fault for misunderstanding?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then? …You mean, this?” Airi, blushing a little, pointed to the base of her chest.

I resisted the urge to look at her cleavage right before I almost did. It was true that her erotic appearance was partly why I misunderstood things, but it wasn’t the main reason.

“That’s not it.”

“Then, what?”

“...If it can happen twice, it can happen a third time, can’t it?”
 

Airi tilted her head at my words, seemingly not understanding what I was talking about. I spoke clearly and suppressed my embarrassment.

“Because… you’ve kissed me in that way before…”

The first time, she directly asked, ‘Do you want to kiss me?’. And the time after that, she asked me if she could kiss me, even doing it before I could answer. I thought that would be the case this time round, as well.

“I might not know your intentions, but still… you’re doing something that can easily be misunderstood, so… you should be careful not to do that, too.”

​

I’m still a guy, you know?

After whispering that, I waited for Airi’s next words.

“W-what…” She froze, her face turning bright red.

After a while, she began to open her mouth as she shook her head.

“T-that’s completely different from this! I-it’s got nothing to do with—”

“What’s the difference? You kissed me last time, so isn’t it normal to think you would do it again?”

“I-it’s not… We’re childhood friends, you know?!”

It’s not normal? She was the one who suggested kissing me. She was the one who asked if it was alright, before kissing me.

You’re the one who actually kissed me.

“Then, why did you do it back then?”

I got it for the first time. It was a result of our quarrelling, along with a way to see if either one of us liked the other. But, I didn’t know the reason behind the second time. 

Why did Airi kiss me at that time?
 

I had no idea what she was feeling, or why. I couldn’t think of anything other than, that was because she likes me.

“...What is it, Airi? What’s the difference between just now and the last time?” I questioned her, who only remained silent.

I stared into her eyes, causing Airi to shyly look away and start backing off.

“Kyah!”

“Don’t run away. Answer me.” I asked her as I looked into her face and grabbed her by the shoulders. Even so, Airi simply turned her head away.

“W-wait… s-stop it.”

“Then, answer me.”

“F-fine, just let go. We’re so close, it’s hard to talk…”
 

“You’ll run away if I let go.” Saying that, I strengthened my grip.

I had restrained Airi, and I wasn’t about to let her escape.

“You mocked me a ton. I won’t let you go until I get the truth.” I said, feeling irritated. I wanted to clearly understand Airi’s thoughts, unable to leave things as vague as they were.

“T-that time…” Airi stammered, and she only looked at me as if trying to see my expression.

Then, seemingly finally having an idea, she turned her gaze towards me.

“I just felt like it….”

“...Felt like it?”

“...What do you think of this?” Airi asked with an upturned eye as she looked at me.

I could feel my heart pounding as I saw her expression.

“I-I’d get… into the mood…”

“R-right? That’s just how I felt. It’s not that I like you or anything, so don’t get me wrong.” Airi said with a hurried pace and nervous tone, after which she seemed to regret it as she shut her mouth.

“...Can’t I feel that way?”
 

“N-no, you can, but… why?”

If she really didn’t like me, I’d be even more curious as to why she kissed me. Back then, what did Airi feel about me that led her to do such a thing?

“I-it’s just my mood! T-there doesn’t need to be a reason…”
 

Feelings and emotions don’t need to be logical. That’s what she was saying. But, in that case….

“...Well then,”

“What?”

“If I got into the mood…”

Can I kiss you?

Airi stiffened up at my question.

“D-do you want to…?” She asked in a trembling voice. Her teary eyes and blushing cheeks made her look way more lustrous and girlish than usual.

“A-ah, no…” Such was Airi’s mood that I came back to my senses.

​

What the hell am I doing?

I was holding her shoulder as I looked down at her face. When someone says that in this situation, its meaning can only be interpreted in that way.

“S-sorry… that’s not what I meant!”

I hurriedly took my hands off Airi’s shoulders, taking a step back.

“..........”

“..........”

A moment of silence. 

Our faces flushed with a bright crimson, we hung our heads and remained silent.

​

​