Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After beating the game, we collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained.

“Finally… it’s over…”

“That was way too brutal… The gimmicks in that final stage…”

As we spoke, we glanced at the clock and realized just how late it had gotten.

“It’s already this late?! I need to get going…”

Panicking, Rinka quickly stood up from the sofa and began gathering her things.

“Ah, I’ll walk you to the station.”

I offered, and the two of us stepped out of the room, heading toward the station.

The night breeze was pleasantly cool as we walked at a relaxed pace, chatting about the game we had just finished. As we neared the station, I suddenly stopped and turned to face Rinka.

“Hey… Dinner tonight was really delicious. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll come cook for you again, so make sure to look forward to it.”

Rinka smiled warmly. Her smile seemed softer than usual, and a gentle warmth spread through my chest.

The thought of getting to eat her cooking again in the future… Is it really okay for me to be this happy?

“Until I come over again, absolutely no instant noodles or convenience store bentos, okay?”

“O-oh, I got it!”

“If I find out you’ve been eating them… You know what’ll happen, right?”

S-scary! So scary!

The way she said it, her eyes void of emotion, sent a shiver down my spine.

“O-okay! I swear I won’t eat them!”

“Ahaha, I’m just kidding! Kazuya-kun, you’re shaking too much~”

No, no, there’s no way that was a joke. That look in her eyes just now…

Thanks to that terrifying glare, I might never be able to eat instant noodles or convenience store bentos again. Rinka, you’re truly a fearsome princess…

After that, when we arrived at the station entrance, Rinka turned to me.

“See you at school.”

“Yeah, see you.”

She passed through the ticket gate, glanced back, and gave a small wave. As I watched her leave, I realized I was already looking forward to seeing her again.

Shirasaki Rinka’s Perspective

As soon as I closed the door behind me and took off my shoes, I felt all the tension drain from my body.

“Phew…”

Letting out a deep sigh, I placed a hand over my chest. Going to a boy’s house… This was a first for me. I had been nervous the entire time, and even now, my heart was still racing.

I sank onto the living room sofa and closed my eyes, trying to calm down. But as soon as I did, today’s events played vividly in my mind.

Kazuya-kun’s kind words. The way he happily ate my cooking, saying how delicious it was.

And then… that accident. When he lost his balance and ended up pinning me down, his face burning red as he desperately apologized.

“Seriously, Kazuya-kun at that moment… was so cute.”

I accidentally muttered that out loud and quickly patted my cheeks in a fluster. What am I even thinking?!

But as I recalled each moment, a gentle warmth spread through my heart.

“He’s just as kind in real life as he is in games…”

As I murmured those words, I reconfirmed what I had already felt. Kazuya-kun wasn’t just kind in the game. The real him was just as wonderful.

The time I spent with him today was truly enjoyable.

“I want to hang out with him again…”

As I lay down on my bed, I found myself saying it naturally.

But… is this feeling really just friendship?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my chest tightened slightly.

I can’t wait to see Kazuya-kun again. This feeling… I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.

But I still don’t have the courage to put it into words.

…For now, as long as the next time we meet is just as fun, that’s enough.

Reassuring myself with that thought, I closed my eyes.

Wrapped in the lingering warmth of happiness, I drifted off to sleep, pondering the true nature of this growing emotion.