A push of her fingertips sent the door swinging open.
Inside, only faint moonlight filtered through the window lattice, falling over the writing that densely covered the walls.
Neat lines of code and formulas filled the space.
Hearing the sound, Nanami Sai looked up from the paper he had been studying and turned around.
At the door, Li Xiang leaned against the frame, relaxed and casual. She raised an eyebrow and watched him quietly.
Silence hung in the air for two seconds.
"Do you have time to talk?" she asked softly.
Nanami Sai lowered his eyes, his long lashes hiding his emotions. After a moment of silence, he nodded lightly.
"Mm."
Li Xiang pulled over a wooden chair and sat opposite him.
The room was quiet, save for the faint sound of wind outside.
Nanami Sai was visibly nervous, his fingertips curling slightly, his posture stiff and tense.
It was his first time sitting this close to a girl, let alone being alone in a room with one.
Noticing his discomfort, Li Xiang chuckled and softened her voice to reassure him. "Don't be so nervous. I don't mean anything by it. I just want to talk."
"I wanted to ask you-how do you really feel about Ryusui?"
Fragments of childhood memories surged through his mind.
Ever since they were little, the carefree, headstrong Ryusui Nanami had been like a clingy little shadow, following him everywhere.
Did I hate him?
Nanami Sai silently asked himself.
Looking back carefully over their years together, none of their arguments, awkwardness, or deliberate distance had ever stemmed from hatred.
He remained silent for a long time, but he already had his answer.
It seemed... I never hated him at all.
Li Xiang quietly watched his eyes soften. She had already seen through him, and she