Chapter 12: The inner thoughts are all over the place

After Rina hurriedly entered the women’s restroom, Aya covered her laughing mouth with her hand and slowly followed Rina’s back.

From beyond the quiet restroom, where there seemed to be no one, Rina’s gasping breath could be heard in Aya’s ears.

‘Rina, really… she’s so cute.’

Aya quietly opened the door and entered the stall next to the one Rina had entered.

She closed the door, stood still, and recalled the situation from a moment ago.

Rina’s flustered face, frozen movements, and the way she flailed her hands in front of the men’s restroom.

Rina usually seemed calm and quiet, but at that moment, she was truly, truly cute.

‘She didn’t have to be so flustered.’

Aya smiled slightly.

Rina, sitting next to her… kept bothering her.

Aya, who was taller than not only girls but also some boys, always sat in the back seat, and Mizuki was always by her side.

Even if she tried to sit in the front, her seat gradually moved back because of her height, and by the end of the semester, Aya always occupied the very back seat of the classroom.

It was annoying, so Aya always had a habit of sitting in the back seat from the beginning of the semester.

This time, too, she was naturally heading to the back seat.

There was a presence that strangely caught her eye.

On the day of the high school entrance ceremony, Kurosawa Rina, who was looking at her with a somewhat anxious expression.

During the entrance ceremony, she looked like a small hamster who was incredibly nervous, looking around as if searching for something.

Aya sat next to her.

‘What will this child be like?’

And she was curious.

The people Aya had met so far always maintained an appropriate distance, looking at her with admiration or longing.

In the end, most of them were people who confessed awkwardly without distinguishing between kindness and interest.

But Rina was different.

At first, she thought she would approach her with an appropriate distance like other children, but as time passed, Rina tried to distance herself more and more.

It was as if she was carefully retreating, as if she shouldn’t be by her side.

‘Maybe… am I scary?’

Aya unknowingly fiddled with her fingertips.

To Aya, others were always people who saw her as an object of admiration and approached her.

But Rina was not a being who belonged to that ‘other’.

She definitely seemed to have an interest, but if she tried to get a little closer, she would put up a wall and try to avoid her.

‘Did I do something wrong…?’

It was the first time she felt this kind of emotion.

She was concerned about what Rina thought of her.

And Rina’s actions were similar to Aya’s actions towards others.

‘Ah… I see.’

Aya quietly shook her head.

‘No, I don’t need to think so deeply. I’m still a stranger to Rina……’

It was true that the time spent with Rina was gradually becoming enjoyable.

Rina’s clumsy reactions, the way she was suddenly surprised, and her unintentionally naive answers made Aya smile for some reason.

So, she hoped that Rina could be more comfortable and approach her more naturally.

It was then.

Rina’s voice, along with a small sigh, was heard from the next stall.

“Ah, really… I’m so embarrassed… Why am I like this?”

Huh… can she not hear me?

Hearing that sound, Aya closed her eyes and felt a warm feeling blooming deep inside her heart.

She thought that she hoped Rina could be a little more comfortable, more natural with her.

She had never thought deeply about what this feeling was exactly.

‘Is this what it feels like to have a friend?’

Aya suddenly remembered the time she had spent with Mizuki.

A friend she had been with for a long time since childhood.

But it was a different feeling from Rina.

When she was with Mizuki, she always felt people’s gazes.

Aya maintained a perfect appearance anytime, anywhere, in line with those expectations.

It was a posture she had naturally learned since she was young, and it was the way to live as ‘Yukikawa Aya’ of Takamari Academy.

Noblesse oblige, that was Aya’s way of life, ingrained in her body since childhood.

Mizuki knew that better than anyone else.

Aya knows very well that Mizuki is not just a light person.

Mizuki always smiled lightly and joked, but Aya knew the true feelings hidden behind that smile.

Aya knew better than anyone how sharp Mizuki could be when she was angry, even though she was usually playful.

But it was a little different when she was with Rina.

Rina made small mistakes naturally, and reacted honestly when she was flustered.

That appearance somehow made Aya recall forgotten emotions.

And recalling that memory, Aya smiled without realizing it.

‘What is this feeling?’

Aya lowered her head slightly.

For some reason, Aya realized that she was more honest in front of Rina.

It felt strangely comfortable that she didn’t have to pretend to be something like she did in front of other people.

After slowly organizing herself and flushing, Aya opened the door.

The face she faced in front of the mirror was wearing the usual smile, but for some reason, her cheeks seemed to be slightly flushed.

‘A little more, I just want to be by her side a little more.’

Aya quietly washed her hands and decided to wait for Rina to come out of the restroom.

I came out of the restroom stall cautiously, my face bright red.

My face reflected in the mirror was flushed to the top of my head with embarrassment.

‘Phew… Calm down, calm down…’

The moment I hurriedly tried to wash my hands, I met eyes with Aya, who was already standing in front of the mirror.

66 “…!”

I was startled and quickly turned on the water, and my hands trembled so much that soapy water splashed everywhere.

Aya looked at me quietly, then, in her usual tone that made the other person so comfortable, she said.

“Rina… are you… scared of me…?”

“Ah, no… I was a little flustered. D, did you get wet? I’m sorry…”

I hurriedly turned off the water and bowed my head deeply.

Honestly, Aya is too pretty.

Fair skin that is almost transparent, flowing silver hair, and deep blue eyes.

The reason I watched this web novel was because the heroine was silver-haired and blue-eyed.

So, a being that seemed to be exactly my taste appeared in reality… it’s natural to be surprised every time I see her like this.

No, it’s really like a figure has come to life!

Besides, the feeling of my heart dropping every time our eyes meet…

I made up my mind to accept that I wasn’t a mob, but I was ashamed of myself for being so easily shaken by this level of gaze.

“Rina…”

The gaze that Aya was looking at me seemed to contain something more than simple interest.

“…Yes?”

I answered inadvertently.

Aya hesitated for a moment, then smiled softly.

I felt like that smile looked a little sad.

“If there’s anything uncomfortable, you can tell me… If I’m uncomfortable…”

I hurriedly waved my hands and quickly continued.

“Ah, ah, no! Aya is… not uncomfortable! Rather, too…”

The words that came out of my mouth stopped as if buffering had occurred.

And the next words came out like a video that had finished buffering, like a machine gun.

“Whaddya mean uncomfortable? You are perfect. Silver hair and blue eyes! Hair that doesn’t seem to exist in reality, eyes as beautiful as jewels! Dazzlingly glowing skin, delicate features, and even a calm personality! How much I like you…”

‘Th, that’s… it’s just that you’re so pretty… So, should I say I’m concerned… Haha.’

“…Ah?”

‘What did I… just say?!’

Only then did I realize that I had said something wrong.

Because the expression of Aya standing in front of me was strangely stiffening.

Suddenly, my mind went blank.

As if time had stopped, my image in the mirror froze.

Is this, is this, that, the inner voice and the outer voice are reversed, that, right?

Munch’s Scream was twisting in my heart.

Aya quietly looked at me and raised one eyebrow slightly.

I looked around slightly, and fortunately, there was no one else?

‘Ah, social death… Fortunately, did I avoid it? Ahaha.’

I felt a cold sweat running down again.

I quickly shook my head and waved my hands in a hurry.

“Ah, no! That’s not it! I just thought you were so pretty, th, just in an aesthetic sense!”

I desperately added an excuse, but my face was already flushed red.

Aya stared at me with a calm smile on her lips.

And…

“Ah, Rina, really… You’re really funny.”

Aya closed her eyes slightly and smiled.

Then she covered her mouth and laughed innocently.

“Cute.”

“……!!”

I froze in place.

I want to run away right now. No, I want to disappear from this place right now!

‘Ugh!!! This is a dream! This is a dream!’

I screamed internally, quickly lowered my head, and hurriedly started washing my hands.

Water and soap formed bubbles and splashed wildly, but that wasn’t important now.

‘Please, just pass by naturally…!’

But Aya looked at me and smiled again.

Aya’s gaze seemed to say, ‘You’re really funny.’

My uniform was already soaked with the splashing water.

I desperately searched for a mouse hole, but there was no way such a thing would exist in a school with high-class facilities like Takamari.

…