This guy was still pretending!
What was he so afraid to say? I'd already taken so much initiative. Couldn't he just take one tiny step forward?
At the thought that things would still be awkward between them if this wasn't settled, Chen Zhenzhen felt her anger well up again. Her cheeks puffed out round, and she thrust out her chest and lifted her head as she stepped closer.
"You're a grown man. Do you dare think it but not do it?"
Too close!
Zhang Zhaomu reflexively took a step back and gave an awkward smile. "Well... I really don't dare, I guess?"
Kneading and all that was fine to think about, but that was all.
Damn it, Chen Zhen was way too perceptive. I just took one extra look at noon! Did she have to come on so strong, even cornering me at my own door?
"You really don't dare?" Chen Zhenzhen took a deep breath. "Weren't you pretty bold before?"
She even felt a little aggrieved, her big eyes fixed on Zhang Zhaomu's face. "I'm already standing right in front of you. Haven't I made my feelings obvious enough?"
"Ahem... pretty obvious."
She was clearly here to call him to account.
Then again, they were both damn good bros. Looking at his bro's chest really wasn't right, and Chen Zhen wasn't one to keep things bottled up...
Zhang Zhaomu forced an earnest expression onto his face. "Chen Zhen, it's my fault. I promise I'll definitely be more careful next time!"
Chen Zhenzhen: "?"
What did he mean, it was his fault?
It was a surprise that his friendship had changed into something else without a word, but it wasn't exactly a mistake... it wasn't something he could control.
And what did he mean, he'd be careful next time? Careful about what? Not letting me notice that his friendship had changed?
It'd be nice if we could keep getting along like before, but the problem is, I already know how you feel! How could we possibly go back?
Best friends should know each other inside and out and be able to talk about anything. If everyone kept things hidden in their hearts, wouldn't that change the whole flavor of things?
We might as well stop being best friends and take the next step!
At that thought, Chen Zhenzhen took a deep breath. "There's no need for a next time. We have to settle this tonight!"
"Does it have to be like this?" Zhang Zhaomu gave a bitter laugh.
"It does!" Chen Zhenzhen's tone was firm.
"All right." Zhang Zhaomu let out a long sigh. "How do you want to settle it?"
"Shouldn't you be the one to say it first, and then I decide?"
"True." Zhang Zhaomu scratched his hair again, his face awkward. "But... I really can't bring myself to say something like that."
He couldn't very well say that his persona this week was [Cat], so he couldn't help being influenced and thinking about kneading. No matter how he explained it, wouldn't his life as a respectable person come to an abrupt end the moment he said it?
"Coward!"
Chen Zhenzhen was having trouble keeping her composure, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Forget it! I'll say it for you!"
She bit her lip, a blush quickly spreading across her fair cheeks. Her head dipped involuntarily, but she soon raised it again, mustering her courage and forcing herself to look Zhang Zhaomu in the eyes.
"Zhang Zhaomu!"
She clenched the hem of her skirt, her voice trembling. "You... you like me, don't you?"
Once the words were out, she finally ran out of courage. She quickly looked away, her whole body stiff as a statue.
He must be scared now that I've seen through his feelings, right?
Chen Zhenzhen immediately felt her heart start pounding, her face as hot as if it were pressed directly against a scalding hot-water bottle.
We've finally reached this point... now that things have come to this, surely he can't keep avoiding it?
Maybe he'll just throw his arms around me?
We're at his house, just the two of us, a man and a woman alone. He might even do something more excessive...
After all, this guy's head is full of dirty thoughts. Before, he could only talk big, but now that he has the chance, he'll definitely try them all out on me, won't he?
No, a hug is one thing, but I can't let him have his way with anything else so soon!
After letting her thoughts run wild for a long while, Chen Zhenzhen suddenly realized that he hadn't made a sound.
She finally turned her head back and stole a glance at Zhang Zhaomu.
There was none of the shyness she'd expected on his face, much less any excitement at the prospect of going further.
Instead, he wore an expression she knew very well.
It was the kind of expression she usually saw when she messed up while gaming, flashing backward or using Malphite's ultimate into a crowd during a team fight and hitting no one, leaving her to awkwardly slap the ground and silently turn back.
It was the look someone gave an idiot.
"Chen Zhen."
Zhang Zhaomu finally spoke, slowly. "What exactly did I do to give you such a ridiculous misconception?"
"...A misconception?" Chen Zhenzhen froze on the spot and stammered, "Y-you don't like me?"
"Chen Zhen, snap out of it!" Zhang Zhaomu grabbed her shoulders and shook her a few times. "We're good bros! How could that kind of thing possibly get mixed up in bro friendship?"
"Even if you've turned into a cute girl after my makeover, bro friendship is unbreakable! How could a baby face and giant boobs possibly overcome the bond between us?"
"Y-yeah." Chen Zhenzhen's voice was a little wooden, and she even overlooked the phrase he'd used that was enough to make her blush. "So I misunderstood?"
"And here I thought your friendship had turned into something else. You had me worrying all day." Her expression was somewhat vacant, and she spoke on instinct alone. "Ha... haha... I worried for nothing. What a relief."
Though she said that, Chen Zhenzhen didn't feel relieved at all.
Instead, more complicated emotions were tearing at her wildly, leaving a sour feeling in her heart, as if she'd eaten a whole pound of green plums in one go.
"I don't even know how your mind came up with that." Zhang Zhaomu rolled his eyes. "Don't you know me by now? Didn't I say ages ago that not even a dog would bother with romance?"
"Right... who'd want to bother with romance anyway?" Chen Zhenzhen hurriedly agreed, but then something occurred to her, and she abruptly shot back, "Wait, if I misunderstood, then what was with your weird reaction at noon?"
Zhang Zhaomu: "...Haven't we already cleared this up?"
"We've only cleared up the part where I misunderstood you." Chen Zhenzhen felt exceptionally clearheaded at that moment. She stared at Zhang Zhaomu suspiciously. "But you still haven't explained your behavior."
"Some things don't really need to be explained so clearly." Zhang Zhaomu spoke evasively. "There's a famous saying: not understanding something too thoroughly is also a kind of happiness..."
"There's no such saying!" Chen Zhenzhen folded her arms and sneered. "And don't try to change the subject. You almost fooled me with that question of yours just now."
"Last chance, Zhang Zaowan. Tell me the truth!"
"All right." Zhang Zhaomu gave a bitter laugh.
It looked like there was no getting out of it, but there was no way he could tell the truth. In that case...
He swallowed and said seriously:
"Chen Zhen, you didn't actually misunderstand."
"I like you!"