Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After finishing the cake and clearing the dishes, Rinka packed her things into her carry-on bag, getting ready to leave.

“Kazuya-kun, I never actually thought you’d make it into the top ten, you know? And second place… Honestly, I’m really surprised.”

As she spoke and turned around, a slightly proud expression appeared on her face. Seeing her gaze, I scratched my head and answered.

“No, it’s all thanks to you, Rinka. You taught me a lot, and I’m really grateful.”

For a moment, Rinka looked pleased, but then she tilted her head slightly and asked.

“But, Kazuya-kun, you never really cared about your test rankings before, right? So why did you suddenly decide to aim for the top?”

Her words left me momentarily speechless. Before I could answer, she let out a small chuckle and continued.

“Could it be… you worked hard for my sake?”

Her teasing tone made it clear she was joking, but the words echoed deep inside me, and I instinctively averted my gaze.

“…That’s right.”

My voice was so quiet even I was surprised.

“…Eh?”

The air froze for an instant.

Rinka’s eyes widened in shock. I could see her face rapidly turning red.

“W-Wait a second, seriously?”

“Yeah, it’s true. I worked hard for you, Rinka.”

As I answered with all the sincerity I could muster, her face grew even redder, as if steam might start rising from it.

“That’s not fair…”

She murmured in a small voice before suddenly gripping her bag tightly and hurrying toward the entrance.

“Wait!”

Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. The warmth and slenderness of her arm made my heart leap.

“…Kazuya-kun?”

When she turned back to look at me, her expression was a mixture of confusion and faint hope.

Seeing that look on her face, a single thought welled up inside me.

No, but… is this really okay? If I confess my feelings now… our current relationship might change.

But if I don’t say it now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. With that resolve, I made up my mind.

“Rinka, I…”

My throat tightened instinctively. But I couldn’t stop now.

“I love you, Rinka.”

In that moment, her expression wavered drastically. Shock, confusion, and even the faint glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes.

“…Back then, if you hadn’t been there for me, I think I would’ve fallen into despair. If it hadn’t been you comforting me in that online game, I probably wouldn’t be standing here, looking forward like this. That’s why… I was able to push myself this far. It’s all thanks to you, Rinka. Really, thank you.”

Those last words slipped out naturally—the gratitude I had always wanted to express. As she took it all in, large tears overflowed from Rinka’s eyes.

“That’s not fair… Saying something like that so suddenly… It’s not fair… I wanted to say it first…”

Her trembling voice filled the quiet room. She squeezed those words out softly, her cheeks flushed all the way to her ears. Her expression was a mix of embarrassment and frustration, yet somehow, it was endearing.

“Rinka…”

I meant to call her name, but my voice trembled. She glanced up at me for a brief second before hastily averting her gaze.

“I… I wanted to tell you sooner… B-But I was scared. W-What if you rejected me…? I didn’t want to ruin our relationship…”

I see. She had felt the same way as me. Wanting to confess but lacking the courage, held back by fear. The moment I realized that, something inside me broke free.

“I was scared too.”

As I admitted my true feelings, she lifted her head in surprise.

“Eh…?”

“I didn’t know how you felt, Rinka, and I was afraid of ruining what we already had.”

With each word I spoke, it felt like a weight was slowly being lifted from my chest.

“But even so, I wanted to tell you. That I love you, Rinka.”

As I gazed at her earnestly, tears finally spilled over from Rinka’s eyes.

“That’s not fair… It’s really not fair…”

She repeated those words in a small, tearful voice. Unable to hold back, I pulled her into an embrace. My arms wrapped around her trembling shoulders, and she naturally leaned against me.

“I love you, Rinka.”

“…Me too… I always have…”

Her voice was hoarse with tears, but her words reached me clearly.

We held each other like that for a while, until eventually, Rinka slowly lifted her face. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she wore a relieved, gentle smile.

“…This is a first for me.”

“What is?”

“Crying while saying ‘I love you’… and feeling this happy… Everything.”

As she spoke, Rinka’s face drew closer. Our distance naturally shrank, and the next moment, a soft sensation brushed against my lips.

It was a quiet yet undeniably warm kiss.

In that moment, as our feelings truly connected, I felt like we had finally become one in the truest sense.