But...
"T-Talent?" Perhaps because Rumi Tsurumi had not finished what she was saying, Saika Totsuka developed a strange misunderstanding. "R-Really? Mr. Tsurumi, do you really think I have talent?"
Looking into those little eyes that seemed capable of shooting out stars, Rumi Tsurumi finally understood why people said that once boys became cute, girls had nothing left to do. With femininity like that, she could never catch up even on horseback. "Not Mr. Tsurumi. I'm Rumi Tsurumi!"
Sigh. In truth, whenever she thought about how everyone had already started calling her Mr. Tsurumi, Rumi Tsurumi began to question her own femininity. No, it would be more accurate to ask whether she still had such a thing as femininity at all. Still, it was not that strange—after all, Mr. Katsura had put her through manly training...
"S-Sorry..." Unlike the others, Saika Totsuka's response to Rumi Tsurumi's correction—or rather, emphasis—was far more "normal." Incidentally, the reason normal was in quotation marks was because Saika Totsuka actually blushed in embarrassment as he apologized—
His reaction was just like that of a little girl who had accidentally made a small mistake, with the femininity of a girl next door overflowing all around him.
"I heard everyone call you that, Tsurumi, so I thought you liked it..."
"Heh heh..." Hearing that, Rumi Tsurumi really wanted to roll her eyes. Damn it, if Mr. Katsura had not said that she should keep striving toward the goal of being respectfully addressed as "sir" by everyone, she never would have...
"Forget it..." Well, the moment she thought of that idiot Mr. Katsura, Rumi Tsurumi gave up struggling. "Call me whatever you want."
"Really?" But the instant her words fell, Saika Totsuka looked delighted. "Then can I call you Rumi-chan?"
"R-Rumi-chan?" Before she had met Katsura Kotaro, Rumi Tsurumi