Shout out to Omar and Random Debuff, you guys have my gratitude.
It seems I gotta up my game with how the community is growing...hehe... Seriously guys, thank you for your support.
15 chapters incoming!!!!!!!!!!!1
**************
After venting his frustration with a fierce round of complaints, Natsukawa Kanade finally felt the weight on his chest lighten.
Honestly, he had expected Eriri to say something—maybe a snarky retort, maybe an over-the-top complaint of her own—but surprisingly, she remained silent. It wasn't until he had fully calmed down that he noticed her stillness.
"Eriri, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
"Ah… Me? I… I'm fine…" She sounded startled, as if she had been so lost in thought that she didn't even realize he was talking to her.
Kanade frowned. That vacant expression, the delayed response—it all pointed to one thing.
"You don't look fine at all…" he muttered, before sighing and shaking his head. "Listen, maybe we should go to the infirmary? Just to rest for a bit. You've been through a lot, and I don't want you collapsing on me."
They had already made their way out of the isolated area, but the atmosphere was still eerie, with the same overgrown grass and looming trees casting shadows everywhere. If anything, the setting still carried a lingering tension, and Kanade worried that Eriri, who was naturally more sensitive, might still be shaken up by their encounter.
Truthfully, even he hadn't fully recovered. His heart was still hammering a little too fast, and flashes of the wild cat's final pounce kept playing in his mind like a scene from an intense anime battle sequence. If he was feeling like this, then what about Eriri, who had been clinging to him the whole time?
The last thing he wanted was for her to develop some lingering trauma over this.
"Hey, really. You don't need to be so tense. That wild cat isn't going to come back," he said, trying to reassure her. "People are always passing through here, and there are animal repellents around. We'll be fine."
"I told you, you don't have to… and I… I'm not worried about that kind of thing at all…" Eriri huffed, her voice growing softer toward the end.
She had finally managed to arrange a one-on-one outing with him—why would she waste it by going to the infirmary? There was no way she'd let an opportunity like this slip away! If they ended up in the infirmary, what was the best-case scenario? A boring, uneventful rest? That wouldn't do at all!
No, she had to think of something better. Something more… romantic.
After all, despite everything that had happened between them lately, she still felt like she wasn't making any progress in Kanade's heart. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up being nothing more than a "cute but hopeless" side character—the kind that people cheered for but ultimately never won.
A loser heroine.
The thought made her stomach twist uncomfortably. No, she refused to let that happen!
She had to do something—anything—to push forward. To make sure Kanade saw her as more than just a friend.
And if she ran out of options… well, then she'd just have to take the nuclear option. A full-blown, no-holds-barred confession. But that was a last resort. If he rejected her, she wasn't sure she could handle it. She wouldn't just lose the chance to date him—she might lose the comfortable relationship they had now.
"So I have to work harder…" she muttered under her breath.
"Hm? What was that?" Kanade glanced at her curiously.
"Nothing!" Eriri quickly shook her head, brushing away her own thoughts before they could spiral further. Then, putting on her usual confident front, she grabbed Kanade's arm and pulled him forward. "Let's just head back the way we came. The entrance isn't too far."
"H-Hey, slow down a bit…" Kanade began, but then paused as something odd caught his attention.
Eriri was walking completely fine.
For someone who had supposedly hurt her foot just moments ago, she sure seemed to be moving effortlessly.
"…Your foot… is it okay now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
"...!" Eriri visibly stiffened for a split second before forcing a casual smile.
Oh no.
Busted.
Think, Eriri! Think!
"Uh…"
Silence.
"..."
"Actually…"
Another long pause. The gears in her head were turning at full speed, but nothing remotely convincing was coming to mind.
"…Actually, I don't know what happened, but suddenly it just… stopped hurting! Ah haha…"
She let out the most awkward laugh imaginable, scratching her cheek in a way that was just a little too forced.
Kanade stared at her, deadpan.
Yep. That confirmed it.
She had been faking it all along.
Honestly, he wasn't even surprised. If anything, he would've been more shocked if she had managed to keep up the act for much longer. Eriri was many things—talented, competitive, stubborn—but subtle? Absolutely not.
He had half a mind to call her out on it, but in the end, he just sighed and let it slide. Teasing her would only make her double down on her stubbornness, and he was too tired for that right now.
"…I see," he said instead, shaking his head. "Well, if your foot's fine, then let's keep moving."
With that, the two of them continued forward, side by side, disappearing into the dimly lit pathway. And despite the recent chaos, despite the wild cat attack, despite the messy excuse Eriri had just given—
Somehow, the night still felt kind of… nice.
As for why she had lied, well, the answer was obvious—fear. She was terrified of the haunted house but too stubborn to admit it. Rather than openly backing down, she'd come up with a convenient excuse—an "injured foot"—to save face and gracefully bow out.
The evidence was everywhere. Eriri had been on edge the entire time, her reactions a little too exaggerated, her laughter slightly forced. However, what truly confused Kanade was how she had thrown herself forward so bravely when faced with that wild cat. Back then, she had looked so determined, like a true warrior standing side by side with him against a formidable foe.
Did she not realize how ferocious that creature was? Maybe she had been too far away to see clearly. Or was it possible that her nearsightedness had made it look less threatening than it actually was?
Regardless of the reason, her courage at that moment had left an impression on him. It was reckless, sure, but it was also admirable. The thought made a small smile tug at the corner of Kanade's lips.
"Since your foot is miraculously healed…" Kanade glanced at Eriri, watching her avoid his gaze, her expression shifting between guilt and nervousness. He chuckled. "Where do you want to go next? I mean, once we leave here, is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"
"U-uh…" Eriri stammered, suddenly flustered.
She had been fully prepared to defend her fake injury again, but Kanade wasn't pressing the issue at all. No accusations, no teasing… Just a casual acceptance of the truth. Could it be that he had already figured it out?
Curious, she turned to look at him—only to find him staring at her gently, that annoyingly dazzling smile on his face.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"W-what… What are you smiling so stupidly for…" she blurted out, her voice shaky.
It was a smile she had seen countless times before, but right now, for some reason, it sent her heart into a frenzy. Her hands tightened unconsciously, and warmth rushed to her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" Kanade asked, tilting his head slightly.
"I-idiot! Don't come so close all of a sudden!" Eriri took a hurried step back, nearly tripping over herself in the process.
"Uh, but… you're still holding my hand," Kanade pointed out, his voice amused.
"Th-that's…" Eriri's brain scrambled for an excuse. "One thing is one thing! I-in short, just don't come any closer!"
Her voice wavered, her emotions completely betraying her. She really, really didn't trust herself right now…