"Alright." Tsukikawa Shu smiled as well. "Actually, I might have liked you long before we officially met."
—Back when he watched anime before crossing over.
"Eh???"
Yui Hama was quite stunned. After freezing for a moment, her face reddened slightly. Faced with such a direct confession, she had no idea what to say. She could only shrink her neck, tuck her hands into her sleeves, turn her face aside, and stare at her toes.
What was she supposed to do now? How should she answer? Yui Hama was still lost.
She was facing the biggest choice of her life.
Tsukikawa Shu did not say anything else. Since it was nearly time to sleep, he gathered the surrounding firewood together to keep the flames from spreading.
The temperature gradually dropped at night. Tsukikawa Shu and the others were high enough level to withstand the cold, but Yui Hama was having a harder time.
"We're going to sleep first."
After glancing toward Tsukikawa Shu, Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately understood. With a smile, she put an arm around Fujiwara Chika and Goto Hitori's shoulders and led them to the other side.
"Darling, we won't be sleeping with you tonight~" Fujiwara Chika called to Tsukikawa Shu with her hand cupped beside her mouth, her smile full of meaning.
"Mm... we're going to sleep first." Goto Hitori, who had been dragged along the whole time, blinked at Tsukikawa Shu.
"You go ahead." Tsukikawa Shu smiled.
Yui Hama still sat where she was with her neck tucked in, wrapping her clothes tightly around herself and rubbing her chilly arms.
She had only worn a thin school uniform jacket, and she had started feeling cold after nightfall.
The temperature in the Inner World was highly unstable. Those without sufficient levels would have a much harder time surviving.
At