A man's voice, tinged with just the right amount of surprise and a hint of lazy teasing, suddenly rang out from behind the two of them.
Toudou Shizuka had his hands in his coat pockets and wore the casual, slightly tipsy smile of someone who had just left a lively venue. He ambled out from the shadow of a large rock, as if he had simply been passing by.
His gaze swept over Kushida's hand, frozen in midair with ill intent, and Ayanokoji's calm face. The curve of his lips deepened, taking on a hint of disapproval. "Ayanokoji, putting your hands on a girl isn't a good habit, you know?
"Even if Kushida's pretty, you should still be a gentleman." He deftly twisted her attempt to frame Ayanokoji into an accusation that Ayanokoji had been making a move on her, instantly turning the tables!
The sudden appearance of a third party was like a bucket of cold water!
Kushida Kikyo shuddered, and the frenzied, vicious coldness in her eyes vanished in an instant, like water receding with the tide!
Her outstretched hand snapped back as fast as lightning, as if nothing had happened.
In a mere fraction of a second, she had put on her flawless smile again, sweet and tinged with a hint of hurt and alarm. Her astonishingly swift change of expression was enough to make anyone gasp.
"T-Toudou!" she cried, as if she had found her savior. Her voice held just the right amount of panic and embarrassment.
"You've got it wrong! It wasn't Ayanokoji! I... I almost fell just now, and Ayanokoji was trying to help me..."
She hurried to explain, her eyes innocent and still shaken. She even swayed slightly, as if she really was rattled.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Toudou Shizuka nodded in understanding,