"Um... Hoshino-san..."
"What is it?"
"Are... are you sure you want to... be interviewed in this position?"
"We're in a private room anyway. As long as no one else sees, it doesn't matter, right?"
"That may be true, but..."
Tomori bit her lip, her expression conflicted.
"Doesn't this position make it difficult for Chihaya-san to speak?"
"Eh? Does it?"
Ai looked up at Tetsuya and asked in a pitiable tone:
"Tetsu, does this position affect you?"
"...Sigh."
Tetsuya didn't answer, but simply sighed with a look of resignation.
The moment Ai had walked into the KTV room, she had immediately pounced on him. Then, before he could react, she had sat right on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and was now clinging to him like a koala.
"Tetsu, you have such a nice smell. Is it perfume?"
"No... I don't have a habit of using perfume."
Tetsuya answered truthfully.
"So it's probably just your imagination..."
"Eh... but there really is a scent."
Ai said, pressing her face closer to Tetsuya's collarbone—
"It's that very sweet, rich scent, the kind that makes you want to take a bite..."
"Alright, alright, stop fooling around."
Seeing this, Tetsuya couldn't help but remind her in a helpless tone.
"Please, Ai. We're about to discuss something serious."
"..."
However, Ai seemed not to have heard him, continuing to bury her face in his chest, unwilling to lift her head for anything.
It wasn't until Tetsuya's tone grew heavier—
"Ai, sit up properly."
"Mhm... that's more like it."
Hearing Tetsuya's slightly stern tone, a sweet, hard-to-understand smile bloomed on Ai's face.
"If there's anything you want me to do, Tetsu, you just have to command me..."
"It's not a command... just a reminder."
That word, laden with a strong sense of immorality, made Tetsuya feel a little uneasy.
"We are equals. I would never act so high and mighty."
"...We're not equals."
However, upon hearing his response, Ai gently shook her head.
"Although right now I do want to possess all of you, once the dust has settled... whatever you want me to do, Tetsu, I'll obediently listen. Whatever you want, I'll give it all to you."
At this, an incredibly moving smile bloomed on her face once more.
"Even my life—mmph!"
"Don't you ever say that again, Ai."
Tetsuya forcefully covered her mouth. At the same time, a rare look of displeasure finally appeared on his face.
"Otherwise, I'll get genuinely angry... Hey!"
A moist sensation from his palm made him quickly pull his hand away. After he retracted his hand, Ai lightly licked her lips.
"So mean. I was just speaking my true feelings..."
Being scolded, Ai's tone sounded somewhat wronged.
"These are my heartfelt thoughts. From seven years ago until now, this is how I've always felt."
"I know, but my thoughts are different from seven years ago."
Tetsuya said.
"I've told you, Ai, your existence is also one of the important reasons for my happiness. Even if it's just for my sake, I hope you'll value yourself more."
"...Just one of them, huh."
Ai repeated the description faintly.
And Tetsuya repeated once more:
"That's right, just one of them. And... I hope you can be the same as me, Ai."
"What do you mean?"
"I hope you can also treat my existence... as just 'a part' of all your happiness."
"..."
After hearing these words, Ai was silent for a moment before saying:
"In that case, it would mean that from now on, there would be other things in my heart besides you, Tetsu, right? I would never betray you like that."
"It's not a betrayal, it's growth."
Tetsuya refuted her claim.
"I'm not asking you to reduce my importance in your heart, but for you to greedily seek more. I know you love me, but I hope you can also come to love other things besides me just as much."
"..."
Tetsuya's conviction suddenly overlapped with what her manager had said before.
Both he and her manager seemed to want her to obtain more things, things other than Chihaya Tetsuya.
But... was something like that really allowed?
Being able to be this close to Tetsu was already an irreplaceable satisfaction for her.
If, on top of this, she still had more desires in her heart, what would she become?
Wouldn't such insatiable greed... really cause her to lose Tetsu?
"Ai, look closely."
As if seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Tetsuya's tone softened again.
"Although I am in a bit of a difficult position, since you sat on me, I never intended to make you get down, nor did I intend to stop you, did I?"
"..."
Ai was silent for a long moment before asking in a small voice:
"Isn't that just because you can't break free?"
"Ahem! But I could at least put up some resistance, right?!"
Although his expression and tone were full of sheepish uncertainty, Tetsuya still insisted:
"In any case, as I've repeatedly emphasized before, no matter what, I will absolutely never hate Ai. So... you don't have to worry that changing yourself will cause a change in our relationship. Go ahead and change, experiment, try to seek more. Only then can we truly be happy together."
"Why do you and the manager keep saying the same thing..."
Ai's hands unconsciously loosened from around Tetsuya's neck.
"Becoming greedy and having expectations for other things will only lead to more disappointment... I really don't get you people."
"For the us of the past, that might have been true. But now, we're no longer the children who had nothing. We now have enough strength to protect the things we hold dear."
Tetsuya said, holding her by the shoulders and gently lifting her off his lap.
"It's okay if you don't understand now. One day, you definitely will."
"..."
Ai didn't answer, just quietly lowered her head. But her slightly wavering eyes were enough to prove the indecision and contemplation in her heart.
On the other side, Tetsuya, who had finally been freed as he wished, let out a long sigh of relief.
"Alright, Takamatsu-san, we can start... eh? What are you writing?"
"This is it... Yes, this is what I want to write!"
On the other side, Tomori, who had been writing furiously this whole time, had an incredibly serious expression.
"Chihaya-san, please continue your casual chat with Hoshino-san!"
Under Tetsuya's astonished gaze, Tomori said:
"My inspiration is hidden in your conversation!"