Sometimes, even when people knew exactly what was happening, they still could not help wanting to do it.
If Yuuka and Zhao Yu claimed they did not know their ambiguity had already crossed the boundaries of friendship, they would definitely be lying.
They both clearly knew things had gone too far, yet they could not help continuing.
Yuuka loved sweets. As the Ueno family's only daughter, she had been taught from childhood not to indulge her appetite.
Even so, whenever she left home, Yuuka would still reassure herself that eating something sweet once or twice would be fine.
Every time she ate a dessert she liked, the feeling of breaking the rules, along with the satisfaction it brought, made it impossible for Yuuka to stop.
She felt the same way now. She clearly knew this was a little too improper and detrimental to her image as a lady, yet those words still came out of her mouth.
She did not know what was wrong with her. She only felt as though she had become a cat incapable of controlling its instincts at the sight of a feather wand.
After hearing Zhao Yu say he liked her, she felt as if she had eaten her favorite dessert, as though happiness had lifted her into the clouds.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yu's heart was pounding nonstop. He felt as though he had fallen for a trap.
He had heard Yuuka say she wanted to give it a try and immediately charged in without hesitation. How was that any different from sounding the victory horn before the battle had even begun?
Yuuka was not saying anything now. Did she think she had been too frivolous? Or was there some other reason?
Come to think of it, Yuuka attended a girls' school. No boy had probably ever had the chance to say those words to her, right? He should be the first?
So nervous he could barely breathe, Zhao Yu's thoughts began spiraling out of control.
Forget it! Since he had already said it, he had to keep going, right? Yuuka had just said she wanted to try, so she probably did not dislike him. Even if she was uncomfortable with it, she should say so.
Being overly hesitant was not Zhao Yu's style. He decided to take the initiative again.
"Yuuka? Shouldn't it be your turn now?" Zhao Yu asked, forcibly suppressing the nervousness in his heart.
"Oh, oh!! O-okay..." Yuuka finally came back to her senses after Zhao Yu reminded her.
Um... Lord Yu did not seem to have any particular reaction? Yuuka felt slightly disappointed.
Could it be that he did not have any special feelings for her? Well, that made sense. They had only known each other for a few days.
"Then, I-I'll begin..." Yuuka took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Lord Yu, I, I, I li... like... Ugh! I really can't do it!"
Yuuka let out a mournful cry, as though she had bitten her tongue.
When she had merely seen the Bullet Screen's suggestion earlier, Yuuka had thought it seemed simple enough. But actually doing it was a completely different matter.
The moment she opened her mouth, all the little ambiguous moments from their time together surfaced in her mind, along with that inexplicable handwritten booklet. How could she possibly say those words calmly?
[Not pure enough—you can't even get the words out.]
[Shy Yuuka really is adorable.]
[Damn it! Why am I not the one on the other side?]
[I just wanted to see Yuuka looking this shy, hehehe.]
[Where did this elder from the Hall of Souls come from?]
It was not just the Bullet Screen. Even A Shui, who had been secretly listening nearby, wore an utterly satisfied expression.
At the end of the day, everyone had only one goal: to make the girl in the livestream room act bashful.
Although the camera was not on, just hearing her voice was enough for the viewers to imagine what Yuuka looked like right now.
Of course, Yuuka truly was incomparably adorable at the moment. A faint blush stained her cheeks, like dawn light reflecting off flawless jade.
Her eyes shimmered like flower buds beaded with morning dew, while her fingers unconsciously twisted together.
Her long lashes veiled her bright eyes. Her lips opened and closed again, while those simple words, "I like you," felt as heavy as a thousand tons.
[IG Awesome: That won't do, Yuuka. If you're already this shy now, how will you deal with it when that girl asks about your boyfriend?]
Li Qingwan continued coaxing Yuuka, wanting her to continue.
"All right, I think we should just forget it," Zhao Yu said, stopping Yuuka.
"Huh?" Yuuka was a little surprised.
"The meaning carried by the word 'like' itself makes it difficult to say. In truth, many people are too embarrassed to speak about the people they like, let alone pretend to be a couple," Zhao Yu said.
"Although the word has become somewhat overused these days, I think it's good to still treat it with importance. So, Yuuka, you don't have to force yourself to practice it like this."
This was no longer the reserved era of the past, but Zhao Yu thought that anyone who could still hold that word in great respect was admirable.
If he continued forcing her, then the problem would be his. Zhao Yu did not want to take advantage of Yuuka in this regard.
"Is that how Lord Yu sees it?" Yuuka murmured, warmth welling up in her heart.
She saw something in Zhao Yu that she had not seen in a long time: respect.
This was not a flattering filter born from Yuuka's feelings for Zhao Yu. It was something she had genuinely felt from the very beginning.
Judging from the livestream viewers' reactions, the interaction between them had definitely made for entertaining content.
If it had been someone else, they might not have thought so much about it. After all, it was only saying "I like you." There was nothing to lose.
But Zhao Yu was different. He had already sensed Yuuka's true feelings, and he respected her deeply.
Rather than making Yuuka continue, he had stopped the practice.
[Why did you stop?]
[Yuuka is just shy and not used to it, right? Wouldn't it be fine to keep practicing?]
Some people in the Bullet Screen did not understand.
"Of course we can continue practicing, but will that really make Yuuka get used to it? If possible, I would rather Yuuka choose to continue herself, instead of us making that decision for her," Zhao Yu said seriously as he looked at the Bullet Screen.
"When everyone was in school, teachers probably made you overcome your shyness and perform onstage, right? At the time, did you truly think you would be happy after overcoming that shyness?"
The Bullet Screen fell silent for a moment.
Clearly, merely going onstage could leave a small knot in some people's hearts. Even if they successfully overcame their shyness, it was not because of a teacher's persuasion, but because of their own courage.
But was that kind of courage really necessary sometimes? If it was not something one truly wanted to do, then even if one mustered the courage to overcome it, one would not be happy, right?
That was what Zhao Yu wanted to say. Forcing someone to overcome a difficulty they did not want to overcome was, in itself, a form of arrogance.
[IG Awesome sent Rocket x20]
[IG Awesome: Sorry, Yuuka. I really hadn't considered that.]
As Li Qingwan listened to Zhao Yu, a trace of shame appeared on her face. She really had been too hasty.
Yuuka and Zhao Yu were living people, not her toys. Pressuring Yuuka like this was itself a form of disrespect.
"It's okay. Actually, I'm only a little shy. If we continue, I don't mind," Yuuka said.
If Yuuka had failed to say those words just now because of a young girl's reserve and shyness, then her willingness to continue now was solely because... Zhao Yu was worth it.
"I think this is fine as it is. The two of us already understand each other, don't we? It should be enough to deal with your classmates," Zhao Yu said.
"I-is that so?" Yuuka's feelings were complicated.
On one hand, she was happy that Zhao Yu could respect her so consistently. On the other, she actually still wanted to see Zhao Yu's reaction after hearing her say those words.
Although she did not know whether she could say them as naturally as Zhao Yu had.
At that thought, Yuuka hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
"Lord Yu..."
"Hmm? What is it?" Zhao Yu asked.
"N-nothing..."
Yuuka still could not bring herself to ask, "Then why were you able to say you liked me so naturally?"
Before you continue