You're not fooling me, are you...
You're not fooling me, are you...
You're not fooling me, are you...
The words, carrying a hint of murmuring and a timid questioning tone, echoed through Yukina's stunned ears.
Ch... Chiba...
Looking at Chiba, who had suddenly blurted that out, she found herself unable to react.
I...
Did I... did I say something wrong? Why...
Why does he doubt me?
A string of such thoughts ran through his mind, leaving him rather at a loss.
"N-No, I'm not fooling you."
Then, the next second, she answered instinctively.
"N-No?"
Chiba still seemed dazed as he echoed her words unconsciously.
"Am... am I?"
Hearing Chiba say that, Yukina's heart inexplicably tightened, and she too spoke without thinking.
Did... did I say something wrong?
I didn't lie to Chiba.
I've never lied to him!
Why would he doubt me? She simply could not make sense of it.
"No! No, you didn't! I was just... just surprised!"
At that moment, seeing the hint of panic on Yukina's face, Chiba suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Sorry."
"So you were just surprised."
Hearing that, Yukina felt as though a weight had been lifted. The panic on her face immediately turned into relief.
So what I said was too unexpected for Chiba, and he reacted instinctively before he could process it.
That's right.
If someone was too surprised, they really could react like that.
Chiba doesn't distrust me. He was just caught off guard.
That's wonderful...
At the same time, that thought flashed through her mind.
Wonderful! Yukina agreed to leave. That's wonderful.
This way, I won't have to waste my breath persuading her.
Come to think of it, I really underestimated Yukina. With her insight, how could she possibly fail to see the current situation?
*My idea