"...Something about what you said really pisses me off!"
Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "As long as you admit you like the Love Pillar, I'll take back what I said."
"Then take it back." Iguro Obanai had reached the point where he had nothing left to lose.
Tetsu no Sosuke gave him a knowing smile. "So you do like her?"
Iguro Obanai said nothing.
"If you don't deny it, it must be true. I'll go tell her." Brimming with excitement, Tetsu no Sosuke was about to leap to his feet.
With a metallic clang, a blade flashed out of its sheath. "Don't you dare!!!"
Tetsu no Sosuke nearly burst out laughing. "Are you going to be reasonable or not? If I tell her you don't like her, you draw your sword. If I tell her you do like her, you still draw your sword...What exactly do you want me to do?"
"I..." Iguro Obanai pondered for a moment, then came to his senses. "I only came here to ask you how I can be around her without getting nervous!"
"Oh."
Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "That's actually very simple for me, but a little difficult for you. First, we have to start with the assumption that you like her."
This time, Iguro Obanai didn't react too dramatically.
Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "Then there are only two ways to get rid of that nervousness! First, stop liking her. Given enough time, she'll just be another stranger, and naturally, you won't be nervous anymore. Do you get nervous talking to strangers?"
A vein throbbed on Iguro Obanai's forehead. "And the other way?"
"Tell her you like her," Tetsu no Sosuke said. "That nervousness is really just the anxiety of waiting for an answer. Once you know how you feel about each other, either she