Vol 1 Chapter 12 – Already Pretty Much Done For【Volume 1: The Road to Romance】

The moment Sandai realized his hand was resting on Shino’s head, he yanked it back in a panic.

(What on earth am I doing… N-No, more importantly — did I just make Yuizaki uncomfortable?)

He stole a glance at her.

Shino had her eyes cast downward, the corners softened into a gentle droop, both index fingers pressed together as she fidgeted — moji moji — in front of her chest.

“…!”

The sight of her hit Sandai like a jolt to the chest.

Even he could tell what that reaction meant. What he saw on Shino’s face was a mix of shyness and delight.

He took a step back — and without warning, a conversation he had turned over in his mind again and again since the day it happened rose to the surface.

★

“Don’t you have the guts to make her notice you? If it comes down to it, set the mood and make your move.”

“That would be a serious problem.”

“Only if it’s someone she dislikes. When it’s someone she has feelings for, being pursued boldly can be just the final push a woman needs. Sometimes it makes her happy. That’s just how it is.”

★

At the time, it had left him brooding — but he hadn’t been able to take it seriously. He’d basically just thought, yeah, right.

He couldn’t assume Shino shared that way of thinking. And more than anything, he wasn’t even sure she saw him as someone she had feelings for.

And yet, the reality unfolding in front of him seemed to be confirming Nakaoaka’s words outright.

He had touched Shino’s head without asking. She hadn’t resisted. She hadn’t even looked displeased. If anything, she had accepted it with what looked very much like happiness.

A faint premonition stirred in him — that even if he were to do something beyond a head pat, Shino might still accept it.

But Sandai shook his head hard, scattering the thought.

I’m probably just reading into it, seeing what I want to see. He forced himself to believe that, and somehow managed to settle the rush building in his chest.

One slow breath in. Then his eyes began moving restlessly around the room, searching for anything — some topic, some detail — that could break the atmosphere.

That was when he noticed: the rattan basket had contained only baking tools. No ingredients.

“S-Speaking of which… it doesn’t look like you brought any of the ingredients for the sweets…?”

“…I was thinking we could go buy them together after getting here, while asking what flavors you like and don’t like. Was that… not okay?”

Shino’s voice came out slightly high — soft and almost coaxing — and just like that, the mood he’d been trying so hard to redirect came snapping right back.

Whether it was intentional on her part or simply a coincidence, he had no way of knowing.

But that voice pulled at something in him. Something undeniable.

His self-control began to crumble, bit by bit.

The desire to reach out and touch Shino again swelled with every passing second — and then he noticed Miki. Staring straight at him from the sofa, eyes fixed and unwavering.

Sandai blinked. The spell broke.

Shino startled too, spinning around to face away with a flustered little step.

“…We should go buy the ingredients.”

“R-Right. Let’s go. Quickly.”

It had been dangerous. The kind of air that could have led somewhere there was no coming back from.

But somehow, they had pulled back from the edge — and Sandai exhaled, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders.

“…They were so close,” Miki murmured from the sofa, too quiet for either of them to hear, giving a small shrug to no one in particular.