Touma Kazusa: "Do, do whatever you want."
Touma Kazusa: "Talking about 'a lifetime'... You're taking this far too lightly."
Touma Kazusa: "I'm not easy to get along with. You'd better... not regret it."
Touma Kazusa's tone had softened considerably, and her final words were merely a clumsy warning, as though she were trying to preserve the last bit of distance between them.
At the same time, as Setsuna Ogiso looked at those few short lines, the gentle, tolerant smile on her face instantly blossomed, like spring snow melting away, into a brighter and more heartfelt radiant smile.
She saw the expectation hidden behind Touma Kazusa's words.
"She didn't refuse."
That realization filled Setsuna Ogiso's heart with warmth and faint joy.
She immediately replied in a lighthearted yet sincere tone:
Setsuna Ogiso: "I won't regret it, Kazusa."
Setsuna Ogiso: "I trust my feelings. Besides, wouldn't becoming friends with someone who seems 'hard to get along with' be more challenging—and more meaningful?"
Setsuna Ogiso: "Please take care of me, Kazusa. (smile.jpg)"
Touma Kazusa: "...Hmph."
Touma Kazusa replied with only a brief, ambiguous sound before her avatar quickly dimmed again, as though she feared that staying for even one more second would expose more of the turmoil in her heart.
But this time, everyone could sense that her "hmph" contained much less resistance than before, and a little more embarrassment at having her feelings seen through, along with an indescribable sense of relief.
Setsuna Ogiso watched Touma Kazusa "flee" again, but the smile on her face did not fade.
She knew that for someone like Touma Kazusa, being able to give such a response was already remarkable progress.
"This is a very good start."
She murmured to herself inwardly. The other members of the Chat Group, seeing the conversation come to a close,