Ryota Kudo froze.
He had never imagined that Eri would quietly wait here alone, clinging to such a tiny, even remote hope.
An indescribable warmth, mingling with gratitude, surprise, and a little uncertainty, caught him off guard and rushed into his heart.
It made his ears grow slightly warm, and a fluttering he had never felt before quietly spread through him.
He stammered a little, his words no longer coming smoothly. "S-since you were already downstairs, why didn't you call me?
What if... what if I hadn't come out, or I'd kept sleeping? Wouldn't you have ended up waiting here for ages for nothing?
Then... then I'd feel terrible."
Eri Fujisawa quickly shook her head, her gaze gentle but firm. "It's all right.
It wouldn't matter if you never came out.
I wanted to wait here myself. I thought it would be nice just to be a little closer to you...
That has nothing to do with you, Ryota. You don't need to feel bad."
Her frankness, tinged with a young girl's shyness, made Ryota Kudo's heart beat even faster.
To change the subject, or perhaps out of concern, Eri asked softly:
"Ryota, what were you heading out to do? Is there anything I can help with?"
"Oh, nothing in particular." Ryota Kudo scratched his head.
"I just felt a little cooped up after waking up, so I thought I'd wander around, get some air, and... find something good to eat."
His eyes lit up at the mention of food. After all, the intense games had taken a huge toll on his energy, and he had long since become ravenous.
At his words, Eri's eyes curved into lovely crescents. "Oh, I see!
I know this area fairly well. I've come out shopping with Shizuka a few times before.
If... if