Chapter 64

While Satoru was aware of Ruri’s unusually strong mental fortitude, she continued talking.

“I went ahead and did whatever work I could manage while you were out, so it wouldn’t pile up too much~!”

“Ah, thank you…”

“No worries! We’re both in charge of running the sports festival, so it’s only natural to help each other!”

Whether or not she had ulterior motives, it was true that missing time would cause work to accumulate.

Since the responsibilities were divided among individuals, progress would naturally stall unless someone else stepped in to help.

It was definitely a hassle, so if she really had taken on some of his workload, then he had no choice but to be grateful.

“If you ever need help with anything else, just let me know. I’ll help however I can.”

“Really? That’s great to hear! Everything seems okay for now, but I’ll probably be asking for help again, so I’ll be counting on you when that time comes!”

At that moment, Satoru realized he had spoken carelessly.

In the heat of the moment, he’d thrown out a typical polite phrase—but if she actually took him up on “anything,” it’d be trouble.

With most people, they’d understand it was just a figure of speech and not actually ask for “anything.”

But this time, the person in question was highly unusual.

She hadn’t been fazed by the awkward atmosphere earlier, and even knowing about his relationship with Reika, she was acting like this.

If she used that goodwill as leverage to summon him later after carefully setting the stage in her favor, he wouldn’t be able to easily turn her down and that would be a serious problem.

Even a polite comment could end up exposing a vulnerability and he was only now realizing that.

It felt like he was already bumping into what his little sister had warned him about: “The difference in experience is something you won’t be able to avoid.”

Still, even if it was done for her own reasons, he couldn’t just dismiss her help.

Even now, thinking back calmly, he couldn’t figure out what the “right” thing to say would’ve been.

This was one of the clear weaknesses caused by Satoru’s lack of interpersonal experience.

(“When I ask for help again” is basically a warning that she’s planning to pull something next time…)

Even if he had only just picked up on it now, there wasn’t much he could do. But at the very least, he needed to prepare carefully to avoid getting dragged into anything worse.

“Well, if we keep talking about this, I’ll just sound like I’m trying to guilt-trip you, so let’s stop here! Let’s change the topic!”

“Change the topic to what? We talk all the time so there’s nothing new to talk about.”

“What are you talking about! There’s a hot topic right now, isn’t there? About you and Hatsune-san!”

Despite the awkward tension, she dove into the topic without hesitation.

While Satoru could understand if the conversation was about him, he knew Ruri absolutely couldn’t stand Reika—yet she had no qualms about bringing her up if it suited her.

“What do you mean by that? We are dating, yes…”

“So, Takashima-kun, is it fun being with Hatsune-san?”

“!?”

That one question sent a chill down Satoru’s spine.

At a glance, the words seemed like a simple, casual inquiry—but he couldn’t think of a statement more loaded with implication.

He could feel her probing their relationship in every way imaginable with that one line.

“Y-Yeah, it is. I mean, we’ve been dating for about a year and a half now. If we weren’t enjoying ourselves and getting along, there’s no way it would’ve lasted this long.”

“Hmmm. A year and a half is pretty long. And you’re still doing everything together, walking in step and all… You must really get along.”

“Y-Yeah…”

He could tell she was trying to dig into something.

But he had no idea at what level she was trying to dig.

In that moment, Satoru finally understood the terror of being obsessively fixated on.

Her feelings of attraction toward him.

And her intense hostility toward Reika.

The combination of those two emotions had created Ruri’s unhealthy obsession with Satoru.

“If you two are so lovey-dovey, then why did you keep it hidden in public?”

“Well, um… I just didn’t see the need to show it off, that’s all.”

“Even though you’ve got such a gorgeous girlfriend?”

“I’m not dating her to show her off or anything.”