It was the next morning, while they were travelling by bus—
“Arisa-san was quite something last night.”
“…Last night?”
At Chiharu’s teasing grin, Arisa tilted her head.
After thinking for a moment, she replied—
“What do you mean?”
“Oh? You don’t remember?”
Amaka sounded surprised.
Arisa nodded firmly.
“…Yes. I remember we were playing werewolf, but after that, my memory is a bit hazy…”
“Arisa-chan, you got tipsy from the chocolates.”
Ayaka grinned.
Arisa’s eyes widened.
“I see… so that’s what happened. Then… I must have fallen asleep halfway through? When I woke up, I was already in bed…”
“Well, you did fall asleep eventually…”
“But before that was the real highlight.”
“Right?” Ayaka and Chiharu exchanged knowing smiles.
Seeing that, Yuzuru frowned slightly.
“She doesn’t remember, so let’s just drop it…”
“Come on, that’s a waste.”
“Yeah, not remembering that heartfelt confession is a shame.”
Soichiro and Sei smirked.
Yuzuru flushed and looked away.
Last night—
After hearing his answer, Arisa had either felt relieved, or the alcohol had caught up with her, or maybe she was just tired—
But she fell asleep.
Yuzuru had carried her to the girls’ room and laid her on the bed.
…That part was fine.
The problem was what came after.
Once he returned to the boys’ room, Ayaka and the others had relentlessly teased him.
Apparently, they’d even been eavesdropping.
“Um… Yuzuru-san, did you… say something to me?”
Arisa asked, tilting her head innocently.
Yuzuru shook his head quickly.
“No, nothing important. Don’t worry about it.”
It had been his honest feelings—
But also incredibly embarrassing.
If she’d forgotten, he’d rather it stayed that way.
“It sounded pretty important to me… you said something quite meaningful, didn’t you? Maybe you should tell her again?”
Amaka smirked.
She was clearly teasing—
But she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Arisa had been worried about the difference in their perspectives.
If she’d forgotten his answer, then he should tell her again.
“That’s not wrong… but there’s a way to say these things. If she’s forgotten, I’ll tell her again properly. Of course—when you lot aren’t around.”
He made it clear he wasn’t doing it here.
Amaka looked mildly disappointed.
Then she turned back to Arisa.
“Are you really sure you don’t remember?”
“Even if you ask me that, I don’t know what you mean…”
“For example, what you said to Takasegawa-kun.”
“…I don’t really remember. Did I say something strange?”
“You just smiled for a second there. Thought you got away with it, didn’t you?”
At that, Arisa instinctively covered her mouth—
Then froze.
“I-I have no idea what you mean…”
“Gotcha.”
“Stop it! I don’t remember asking for a kiss or anything like that!”
She denied it firmly—
But everyone else looked at her with exasperation.
“…What?”
“…Arisa. No one said anything about you asking for a kiss.”
Yuzuru pointed out with a wry smile.
Her face flushed bright red.
“Ahh, so you do remember?”
“Pretending to forget to brush it off… how sly.”
Ayaka and Chiharu immediately pounced.
Arisa shrank, flustered.
“P-please stop… I wasn’t myself back then…”
She tried to defend herself, voice trembling with embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Soichiro and Sei chuckled.
“Well, that’s good news for you, Yuzuru. Seems she remembers after all.”
“Yeah, forgetting something like that would’ve been tragic.”
“You two…”
Yuzuru sighed—
Then smiled slightly.
It was embarrassing, yes—
But he was also relieved she remembered.
…After all, having mustered the courage to say something like that, it would’ve been sad if it had been forgotten.
“I’m glad you remember. I was starting to think it didn’t mean much to you.”
Having regained his composure, Yuzuru decided to shift the teasing onto her instead.
Arisa glared at him with her emerald eyes.
“Y-Yuzuru-san too… honestly, I hate you.”
Turning away with puffed cheeks, she said that—
And Yuzuru asked,
“Then… would a kiss make you forgive me?”
“S-stop it!”
Arisa shouted, her face burning red.
