Hime has been acting strange since this morning.
Until yesterday, he hadn't cared about what other people thought and would sit on my lap even during class... but today he was staying quietly in his seat.
I don't think that they dislike me.
As proof of this, I happened to look at her and our eyes met.
It seems he was watching us.
"..."
But it only lasted for a moment.
Hime looked away as if she was embarrassed to even make eye contact with me. If that had been all, I might have felt a little sad, but she gave me a small wave, so I felt relieved.
I'm concerned about Hime's feelings, but it seems that she does have a positive attitude towards me.
If that's the case, then that comment must be the reason why Hime is acting strange.
"Not just anyone would do. Hime was special."
Since Kiyoshi had suspected him of being a lolicon, he confessed his true feelings in order to explain himself.
Hime also senses this, which confuses her.
(I shouldn't have said that to an eight-year-old girl.)
Again, I have no other intentions.
I don't have any ulterior motives. I don't have any evil intentions when I think of Hime as cute.
Not a romantic feeling, but a loving feeling.
Could an eight-year-old girl recognize these two loves that seem similar yet are completely different?
If I've confused you by making you think I like you romantically...I'm so sorry.
Naturally, there is no intention to cause trouble for Hime.
In fact, my biggest concern is making her feel uneasy.
Well, what should I do?
While I was thinking about this, lunchtime came.
Today, as usual, I was wondering whether it was okay to go to the principal's office with Hime.
"Um, Yohei-kun... aren't you going?"
Hime called out to me.
We didn't talk much during class or breaks, and it felt like he was avoiding me, but it seems like he eats lunch with me. How kind of him.
Of course, I know that Hime is avoiding me because she hasn't sorted out her emotions yet. Although there's nothing I can do but wait for her to calm down, I think there are some things I can do to help.
Distance isn't the best solution.
So I decided to take advantage of her kindness.
"Sorry. Let's go."
"Yes. If I keep my sister waiting, she'll get hungry and in a bad mood."
...That's right. It's Kiyoshi.
Because that person told Hime what I said, things have become a little awkward between us.
So I would like them to at least give me some advice.
Perhaps Kiyoshi, who knows Hime well, could suggest some kind of solution.
With that expectation in mind, I headed to the principal's office.
""""
The whole journey was silent as well.
Hime walks a little ahead of me, and I follow her.
Hime's stride is small, so she takes more steps than me. Normally, if I don't slow down a bit, I'll easily overtake her, but today she's so fast that I'm walking a little faster than her.
That shows her feelings.
This is clearly not business as usual, and I once again feel sorry for upsetting you.
Should I have been a little more considerate in what I said?
But if I hadn't told her how I really felt then, she might have continued to think of me as a promiscuous lolicon...it's a difficult balance to strike.
No matter what, I want to choose an option that won't hurt Hime.
I've been thinking about what I need to do to achieve that.