“This is… well… how should I put it. Thank you.”
Looking a little bewildered, Arisa accepted the paper bag.
It was rare to see her this shaken—she who normally maintained perfect composure.
In fact, the last time she’d been this flustered might have been… when Yuzuru first praised her cooking.
“Even if it’s just for the sake of keeping up appearances… I’m happy.”
Arisa narrowed her eyes slightly.
It wasn’t the carefully crafted, art-like smile she wore at school.
It was a natural smile.
Just a little.
Just for a moment—
Yuzuru’s heart skipped a beat.
(…Good for the eyes, bad for the heart.)
He didn’t like Arisa’s lifeless eyes or those artificial, museum-piece smiles she showed everyone.
But her natural smile was truly beautiful.
Elegant.
Lovely.
“It’s not really an act though. Even if we weren’t engaged, we’re still close. So I prepared a gift.”
“…Is that how it works?”
“We’re friends, aren’t we? …Or was I the only one who thought that?”
Yuzuru scratched his cheek awkwardly.
If that was just his one-sided feeling—of friendship, not romance—it would be pretty embarrassing.
Arisa hurriedly shook her head.
“N-no. I’m sorry. I just… don’t really understand these things. If you ask whether we’re friends…”
“…You’re not saying you don’t have any friends, are you?”
“Well… if eating lunch together and nodding along during conversation counts as friendship, then I have plenty.”
Her tone was strangely detached.
Her green eyes looked dark and murky.
“I won’t say I’ve never visited a classmate’s house before. But… you’re the first person who’s treated me this warmly, Takasegawa-san.”
Arisa treated all her classmates equally.
She had no particular enemies.
But at the same time, no particularly close friends either.
She treated everyone the same—
Yet built an invisible, sturdy wall between herself and others.
That was how Yukishiro Arisa interacted with people.
Which explained why she wasn’t interested in birthdays.
There was no one who would celebrate them with her.
“So I’m the first, huh… Should I feel honored?”
Thinking it would be too heavy to take that seriously, Yuzuru said it jokingly.
Arisa seemed more comfortable with that tone and replied brightly.
“Yes. It’s a great honor. You should feel proud.”
Then Arisa gently stroked the paper bag Yuzuru had given her, almost affectionately.
After that, she looked up at him.
Her eyes—normally like a frozen lake, cold and lifeless—seemed a little warmer.
At least, that was how it felt.
“In October, I’ll prepare something for you as well.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Yuzuru answered.
Arisa nodded, then set the paper bag on the floor.
But she quickly started fidgeting again… picked it up… and placed it on her lap.
Then she asked:
“May I look inside?”
“Of course. Actually, I’d like to hear your thoughts. For future reference.”
Since they would supposedly maintain this “engagement” until graduation, understanding Arisa’s tastes was important.
“Then I’ll be honest with my thoughts. …Is this soap?”
What Yuzuru had given her was a gift set.
Scented bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a hand towel.
He had considered lotion, hand cream, and lip balm as well…
But since summer was approaching, he decided soap products would be more suitable.
“This is from a famous brand, isn’t it? It must have been fairly expensive.”
Her voice carried both happiness and confusion.
Like she was pleased to receive something nice… but also felt guilty about its cost.
“So? What do you think? Feel free to be harsh.”
“I can’t evaluate a gift someone gave me. That would be rude. …But if I had to say…”
Her voice grew a little brighter.
“It’s much nicer than I expected. I never imagined I’d receive something this wonderful.”
Her expression remained calm, but her cheeks were faintly flushed.
“I’ve never received anything like this before. Never bought it. Never even been allowed to use it. So truly… I’m very happy.”
After saying that, Arisa let out a small sigh.
The light gradually faded from her emerald eyes.
“They all have things like this. My step-sister, my classmates… everyone.”
Her eyes slowly began to moisten.
Her voice wavered.
Her body trembled slightly.
Suddenly she lowered her head.
Her amber hair hid her expression.
“I pretended not to care. But I really did want them. I envied everyone… but I could never ask to buy them. …Sorry. I got a little emotional.”
After saying that, she turned her back to Yuzuru.
Her shoulders trembled faintly.
A moment later, he heard her take a deep breath.
When she finally turned back around—
her face had returned to its usual calm composure.
Though her eyes were slightly red.
“Please forget you heard that.”
“I see. Then I will.”
Yuzuru had almost said that he would always listen if she needed to vent.
But instead, he respected her wishes and said nothing.
He had already told her before—
that if she ever asked for help, he would give it.
And that he would respect her choices.
Now she asked him to forget.
So he would.
“Well then… I guess something like this will be fine for next year too?”
“Yes. …Please.”
Still—
If he could grant her small wishes under some convenient pretext…
If he could at least give her a place to escape—
surely that would be acceptable.
That was what Yuzuru thought.
Later that night.
As usual, Yuzuru was walking Arisa home.
“Takasegawa-san, I’ve been wondering about something for a while.”
“What is it?”
“When we’re in your room, you wear a T-shirt. But whenever we go outside, you put on a jacket. …Isn’t it hotter outside than inside this time of year?”
There was a slight edge in her voice.
Yuzuru believed that if he was walking outside beside Arisa, he should dress properly.
So he put on a jacket.
However, it seemed that this behavior annoyed her slightly.
After all, no one would want the person walking beside them to look sloppy.
“So what you’re saying is… you want me to dress nicely even when it’s just the two of us?”
“Yes. You care about other people’s eyes, but not mine. It makes me feel like I’m not being taken seriously.”
Yuzuru understood what she meant.
In short—
she was annoyed that he didn’t treat her like a woman.
“But I don’t quite get it. You don’t like me that way, right? …So why do you care?”
“Let me ask you something, Takasegawa-san. What would you think if I showed up with messy bed hair and a tracksuit?”
“I mean… yeah, I wouldn’t like that. But isn’t that a bit extreme? I’m wearing normal clothes… and just putting on a jacket makes it look presentable. …Wait. Is this outfit bad? Is it as bad as a full tracksuit?”
Yuzuru didn’t think he had great fashion sense.
But he didn’t think it was terrible either.
Still, hearing her say that made him uneasy.
“You can relax. I think your fashion sense is good.”
“Then…”
“If you wore a full tracksuit with confidence, I might actually accept it. What bothers me isn’t your fashion sense—it’s your attitude. You fix your hair and wear a jacket only when going outside. Around me you’re at sixty percent, but outside you’re at eighty. That’s what annoys me.”
Now that she mentioned it…
maybe she was right.
Yuzuru had been the one who told her at the beginning:
If something bothers you, say it.
He preferred that to her bottling things up.
So honestly, he appreciated her saying it.
As he thought about how he should reflect on it, Arisa suddenly changed tone.
Her voice softened.
“I’m sorry. I went too far. I do understand that it’s your room, and you have the right to relax there. I’m the one intruding. It’s just… well… I do think about you a little, Takasegawa-san.”
“…You think about me?”
He had always assumed that to Arisa, Yuzuru was merely a convenient partner in their arrangement.
Certainly not someone she saw as a man.
So her words surprised him.
“Don’t misunderstand. You’re not a romantic interest. But… I do recognize you as a man. …Or am I mistaken?”
“No, I’m definitely a man. …You make jokes like that too?”
“Please don’t tease me. I’m serious. If I treat you as a man, but you don’t treat me as a woman, isn’t that a little unfair?”
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
Under the evening sunset, her face was faintly red.
Yuzuru nodded firmly.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I got careless because of your kindness. I’ll be more mindful from now on.”
“That would help.”
That day—
Yuzuru felt like the distance between them had grown much smaller.
Dere Level: 50%
Since affection has reached 50%, the relationship has shifted from “friend of the opposite sex” to “a close, comfortable friend of the opposite sex”.
Though even if Yuzuru confessed at this point, there’s about a 90% chance he’d still get rejected.