The sun sank below the horizon, and the last traces of its afterglow vanished.
Dusk settled over the two people beneath the Old Teaching Building, weighing down the awkward, somber atmosphere.
"Ugh..." Ichinose Honami finally couldn't hold back. She covered her face and let out a stifled sob, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Guilt and worry for Shiranami Chihiro overwhelmed her. "I... Did I do something wrong? Toudou-kun... She looked... so miserable..."
Toudou Shizuka watched Ichinose blame herself, but felt little stir within. This was a necessary experience.
She handed over a tissue. "Class Leader, now isn't the time to blame yourself.
The priority is to keep Shiranami from doing anything rash and to find a chance to talk with her privately as soon as possible, so you can clear up the misunderstanding.
The 'pretend boyfriend' act just now was a stopgap, meant to make her give up for the time being and prevent her from doing something even more embarrassing on impulse.
But a lie is still a lie. You have to be the one to set things straight."
Ichinose took the tissue and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, trying to steady herself. Her voice was still a little choked. "I know... Thank you, Toudou-kun.
I'll talk to her as soon as I can... It's just..." She looked up at Toudou Shizuka, her eyes filled with a hint of complicated curiosity. "Toudou-kun, you... reacted so quickly just now, and you seemed so... practiced. Could it be that you really have a lot of experience?"
She couldn't help thinking of Sakura Airi from Class D.
Toudou Shizuka pushed her glasses up, their lenses reflecting the dusk. "You're overthinking it, Class Leader. I simply responded appropriately to the situation."
She avoided the subject of "experience" and changed the topic. "Still,