I Guess… I’ll Just Go With It

Imai Keita looked at her puffed-up, indignant expression — and instead of finding it troublesome, he couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

He didn’t answer her directly.

Instead, leaning casually against the desk, he countered at an unhurried pace:

“Whether I’m good at this kind of thing…
Isn’t Anna, of all people, the one who knows best?”

“Eh?”

The question stunned Yanaimi Anna.

She instinctively tried to retort.

“How would I know?! We’ve only known each other for—”

Halfway through her sentence, she froze.

Because suddenly her brain replayed moments she had conveniently ignored until now…

In the karaoke booth —
When he pulled her into his arms under the excuse of “practice,” making her heart pound out of rhythm.

On the bench in the courtyard —
When he used some ridiculous logic to convince her… and held her hand naturally, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Every time, Imai Keita had used some absurdly legitimate-sounding reason to coax her into cooperating with his overly intimate “practice sessions.”

Wasn’t that… also a kind of “borrowing flowers to offer Buddha”?!

The realization made her cheeks burn instantly, a red flush spreading from her ears down to her neck.

She had thought she was the one grilling him.
But within a few lines, she had once again been wrapped around his logic and turned into the teased one.

“T-t-that’s different! Completely different!”

She stiffened her neck, gaze drifting as she tried to defend herself.

“T-that’s because we were—”

She was about to raise her voice in explanation when she suddenly remembered—

Komari Chika was still watching them from the side.

Her voice shrank, and after mumbling circles around herself, all she managed to assert was:

“Anyway! It’s not the same!”

Seeing her pouty, flustered insistence, Keita couldn’t help but grin.

He slung his bag over his shoulder.

“Eh? …You’re leaving already?”

“What else?”

Keita nodded matter-of-factly.

“The Student Council already came. It’s unlikely they’ll show up again so soon.

Staying here longer doesn’t serve any purpose.”

He glanced toward Komari, who was still desperately trying to make her existence as small as possible.

“And judging by Komari-san, explaining club stuff really is too difficult for her today.

Let’s leave it at that.”

As soon as he said that, Komari peeked out from behind her book — looking like a guilty kitten.

Her mouth opened, trembling, as if she wanted to say something to keep the members from leaving.

“Um… I… I…”

But after just two syllables, her courage evaporated.

Komari’s shoulders slumped, and she collapsed onto the desk with utter defeat.

“…I’m sorry!!”

“It’s fine.”

Keita wasn’t the least bit surprised.

He waved dismissively without turning around.

Then he glanced sideways at Anna.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah… right!”

Anna scrambled to her feet, hastily pulling on her bag and chasing after him.

…

The sunset dyed the sky a warm orange.

Keita and Anna walked side by side, neither speaking.

Right before they reached the plaza where foot traffic grew heavier, Keita slowed down and turned to her.

“Which direction is your house?”

Anna stiffened instantly.

She eyed him warily, suspicious.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Just wondering.”

Keita’s tone didn’t change at all.

“Wanted to see if we’re going the same way.

After all — according to our agreement, I’m still your ‘boyfriend,’ right?”

Then he remembered something.

From his pocket, he took out a small object and held it out to her.

A fruit candy.

One of the four she had “donated” earlier.

“Eh?”

Anna stared.

“You… didn’t you give all of them to Shikiya-senpai?”

“I kept one.”

Keita placed the candy into her hand, casually.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to eat one on the way home?”

Anna stared down at the little candy in her palm.

Suddenly, words refused to come.

A soft, unfamiliar warmth slowly blossomed inside her chest.

It was strange.

Back when she spent years with her childhood friend, Hakomada Sousuke —
He also accepted her kindness.

Extra lunchboxes.
Drinks she bought for him.

But he never… remembered small things she said.
Never responded through action.

He would just accept and say,
“Thanks, Anna.”

But Imai Keita—

This feeling of being remembered made her heart skip without permission.

Anna quickly forced down the rising flutter in her chest.

She lifted her chin again, reattaching her tsundere mask.

“Hmph… you eat it.”

She pushed the candy back, turning her face away.

“I didn’t exercise much today, and my mood’s fine. I don’t need sugar.”

“Is that so?”

Keita retracted his hand, tore open the wrapper, and popped the candy into his mouth in one smooth motion.

“Mmm… pretty sweet.”

He commented casually, voice muffled by the candy.

Anna blinked, stunned again.

She had expected the normal rom-com script —
He’d insist once or twice.

But he just straight up ate it.

This man seriously didn’t follow ANY conventional patterns…

While she was silently complaining in her head, Keita — now done eating — extended his right hand toward her.

A warm, open palm.

“…Want to hold hands?”

“Eh?”

Anna’s heart thumped violently.

The surprised sound escaped before she could stop it — carrying a hint of anticipation she hadn’t noticed herself.

“W-what’s this for?”

Her tone tried to be accusatory, but the wobble ruined it.

“For practice, obviously.”

Keita’s answer was as blunt as ever.

“As expected of him.”

“Walking home together after school — that’s a common date scenario.

Can’t have you flinching away when the moment actually comes, right?”

There it was again — his absurd logic.

But somehow…

Anna couldn’t find a convincing reason to deny him.

Somewhere deep down…
She even agreed a little.

So…

I guess…
I’ll just go with it.

Anna looked at his open hand.

After a brief hesitation, she let out a tiny, nearly inaudible sigh.

“…Seriously, you’re impossible,” she muttered under her breath.

And she placed her hand in his.

Keita’s fingers closed naturally around her, enveloping her cool hand in warmth.

Familiar temperature.
Familiar sensation.

Thump, thump…

Anna could hear the pounding of her own heartbeat as if it were right next to her ears.

The two walked quietly, hand in hand, down the empty street.
Neither spoke.

The sunset stretched their intertwined shadows long behind them.

At the next intersection, they finally stopped.

Keita released her hand.

“I’m going this way.”

“…Okay… I go that way.”

Anna pointed toward the opposite direction, then quickly hid the hand that still carried his lingering warmth behind her back.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

After a simple farewell, the two walked their separate paths.

Anna stared at her shoes, head lowered and heart in disarray, taking one step at a time.