"..."
"..."
Silence.
A long, drawn-out silence.
Ever since they walked out of the arcade, Natsukawa Kanade hadn't said a single word.
Yet, he wasn't particularly embarrassed at first. In fact, his mind was already racing.
For him, being beaten by an elementary school kid wasn't something to dwell on. After all, plenty of people lose to kids in games—why should he be any different? However, this time was a little unusual... He got utterly destroyed by that little mushroom-haired kid in front of a girl his own age.
But precisely because of that, his mental gears had to start turning!
He had already devised a complete strategy. From the moment he realized he couldn't beat that little mushroom head, he had been plotting—when he lost, he would immediately adopt an expression that screamed, "The waves of the Yangtze River drive forward relentlessly, leaving this old wave dead upon the shore!" He'd then pass on the "spirit of battle" to that "prodigy" as though he were handing over a legacy.
Yes! If he played it like that, he wouldn't be some loser high schooler who got trashed by a kid. Instead, he'd be a senior passing on the torch of "hope" to a worthy successor!
This way, even if his senpai brought it up later, he'd have a solid narrative to fall back on—that kid's a genius, someone who might just achieve the dream of becoming a world champion.
He had thought it all through and had even prepared the perfect explanation, keeping a look of contented satisfaction plastered across his face the entire time.
Yet, he was met with nothing but silence from Kasumigaoka Utaha, who hadn't uttered a single word since they left the arcade.
"..."
How could she stay this calm?!
This silence wasn't simply silence; it was practically saying, "Kanade-kun must already feel terrible after losing to a kid. I shouldn't rub salt in the wound."
But that wasn't it! He wasn't feeling bad! He hadn't lost; he had just passed on his will, that's all! So why wouldn't she say something, anything, instead of pitying him?!
"That kid... was a genius," Kanade said, his tone heavy and serious. He couldn't hold back any longer. If he didn't say something, he felt like he was about to break down.
"Huh? What..." Utaha turned to look at him, puzzled by the sudden declaration.
"..."
That pure, genuinely confused expression was clearly not an act, and Kanade immediately realized something.
Utaha hadn't been dwelling on what had just happened at all. The reason she hadn't said anything was likely because she was thinking about something else entirely—or maybe she was just waiting for him to start a conversation.
Which meant this whole matter could've been left behind long ago, but he had brought it up again himself!
Damn it! Didn't that just make it look like he was the one dwelling on it?!
"I mean that kid back there—he was incredibly talented, destined to be a future world champion," Kanade forced himself to continue explaining, figuring that denying it now would only make him look even guiltier. Better to just treat it as a casual topic of conversation.
"Oh, I see..." Utaha nodded, her tone indifferent.
She had no interest in such things whatsoever. What intrigued her more was the fact that her dear underclassman actually liked coming to places like this. She wondered how many other girls he'd taken on dates to all sorts of locations like this besides her...
She understood, and she assumed Kanade understood as well—that most girls wouldn't enjoy small, cramped, and noisy environments like arcades. Sure, the claw machines might catch some attention, but places as chaotic as this, full of random people and entirely centered on games, were not appealing to most girls.
In fact, if a boy suggested such a place as a date spot without an already strong relationship, it would definitely earn disdain—and could even lead to a breakup. Something like, "You're so self-centered, you know that?"
For someone like her, a literary girl, such a place was even less likely to be her cup of tea. And yet, Kanade had still brought her here.
Was it just a lapse in judgment? No, she didn't believe that.
Likewise, she didn't think Kanade misunderstood her personality. After all, he'd always picked date spots that matched her preferences in the past, perfectly hitting the mark each time. There was no reason he'd suddenly lose that ability—or, worse yet, deliberately regress.
Could it be that he was trying to make her dislike him?
No, that was impossible. Based on her understanding of Kanade, there was no way he would do something like that. She trusted her judgment, and her judgment had never been wrong—except for that one time he confessed to her.
She had thought she'd made her feelings clear back then: I hope Kanade-kun will face me as his true self. If he does, I'll accept him wholeheartedly. She thought she'd conveyed that, but he misunderstood it as, I can't accept your confession right now.
And so, he'd pulled away from her. Eventually, he even ended up in the arms of that blonde idiot.
She couldn't accept it. She went out of her way to meddle, disrupt, and finally, in a fit of desperation, confronted him directly.
"I care about you! If only you could—" She hadn't even finished her sentence before he cut her off with, "Please, senpai, stop teasing me. And don't keep seeking me out; I'm worried Eriri will get the wrong idea about us."
After that, he didn't even spare her another glance as he walked away.
That was the moment she realized how deeply she'd hurt him, in ways she hadn't even been aware of. So much so that he wasn't willing to listen to her anymore.
From then on, she lowered her stance, no longer assuming the role of the "favored one." She took the initiative, carefully rebuilding their relationship, step by step. And finally, things had improved enough that he was now willing to take her to places like this.
Didn't that mean Kanade-kun also believed their relationship had returned to, or even surpassed, what it once was?
She might have misjudged certain things, but she wouldn't miss a signal of progress like this. It aligned perfectly with her long-held wish—for Kanade to face her as his true self.
His personal interests, his thoughts, his actions—not tailored to please her, but genuine reflections of his character. What did he enjoy doing alone? What were his real preferences? She wanted to understand everything about him.
Only then could she respond to him in the same way—wholeheartedly and without reservation.
Because the love she longed for was one untainted by pretense, a love where both hearts were fully open to each other.
"..."