The case where I was gradually getting buried in the heavy love of my childhood friend who had miraculously recovered from their illness was perfect!

“……”

A painful silence hung between me and Saijo-san. The cause of this was my attempt to be somewhat serious, though not entirely, in scolding her.

Originally, I had been enjoying an outing with Rion when I spotted Saijo-san in a not-so-subtle disguise.

‘…Could it be?’

Due to her appearance, there were indeed some fans who reacted. However, they seemed to be the type to respect boundaries; even if they recognized her as Saijo-san, they didn’t approach her or cause a scene. But others, seemingly the type to hit on women, were a different story.

“Hey, wait a second.”

Picking up women has been around since ancient times, but to put it bluntly, the guy’s appearance was far from appealing. It wasn’t that he was ugly; rather, he exuded an air of one hundred percent delinquency — a dangerous type in the worst way.

‘Is she going to be okay?’

Of course, since I noticed, Rion noticed the scene as well. While Rion had a knack for decisively breaking people’s spirits when the situation was right, it would be a different story if the guy resorted to force. Both Rion and I were worried for Saijo-san, who was being approached.

“Excuse me. It would be nice if you didn’t bother me.”

“Come on, don’t say that. Let’s have some fun together.”

No matter how good-looking someone is, if they forcibly try to take a girl away, they will stand out in a bad way. Many people were ready to intervene. Saijo-san’s fame and the undeniable charm she exuded, even in disguise, meant that any man, even a stranger, would want to help her. Because of this, she was likely to be okay no matter what happened.

‘…Even knowing this, I was driven by something to help Saijo-san… What was that exactly—’

Putting aside the unclear feelings within me, I returned my focus to the ‘present’. Ultimately, why did I get a little angry? It was because Saijo-san laughed even though she could have been in danger. I understood she sought a charming prince and perhaps saw danger as a spice in that quest. But, having gotten closer to her than before, I knew that if something happened to her, not only would I be sad, but so would others who had become close to her.

“I understand you, Saijo-san, but if something were to happen, you wouldn’t be able to laugh it off, right? Both Rion and I would be saddened if something happened to you.”

“…..”

Saijo-san remained silent. With her head down, I wondered what she was thinking. Did she think I was being annoying or presumptuous? That was probably not the case.

“…This is new to me. No one has ever said something like this to me before. Actually, aside from you Rokudou-kun, no one talks to me about such things, so this is a first for me.”

“…..”

“It’s the first time… The first time I’ve been seriously scolded and told that someone would be sad if something happened to me.”

“…Saijo-san?”

What is this…?

Saijo-san was staring at me intently, her expression serious. Her gaze was so direct that I couldn’t help but look away.

“…I still don’t quite get it, but maybe that’s what it means?”

“Saijo… san?”

“Oh, sorry, Rokudou-kun. Today was significant for me… You’re right. It’s not just about me; someone else could get involved, and there are people who would be sad — let me think about that.”

“O-okay…”

With that, Saijo-san began to stare at me again. It felt like I was being observed, and she squinted her eyes as if looking at something bright… Then suddenly a voice cut our conversation.

“That guy won’t trouble you anymore.”

“…?!”

“Ah, Rion-chan.”

Rion pouted as if to say she was bored. Indeed, I had left her alone for quite a while, and we were supposed to be out together today. It couldn’t be helped if she felt this way.

“Ahaha, did I make you jealous? But… sorry for worrying you, Rion-chan. I got scolded by Rokudou-kun.”

“…Well, I can imagine how you were scolded. I find you interesting, but I do wonder what would happen if you actually caused harm.”

“That’s right… Yes, I’ve reflected a bit.”

Does this mean my warning worked?

Eventually, we parted ways with Saijo-san, but she seemed back to her usual self by then. It was good that she wasn’t too upset, as I wouldn’t want any awkwardness tomorrow when she invited Rion and Asumi-san to her event.

“She seems to have changed a bit.”

“…Maybe I went too far.”

“From what I heard, you said exactly what needed to be said. While I find her interesting, it’s better if nothing bad happens to our friends.”

“I see… That’s good to hear.”

“Yes. Now, shall we resume our date?”

“Oh! So it is a date.”

A date… The word had a nice ring to it, and I resumed my time with Rion.

‘…Even though I warned Saijo-san that way, why do I feel so nostalgic?’

Nostalgic… Maybe I said something similar in the past?

The idea that I had met a popular gravure idol before was laughable, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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