"Skipping the drinks?Going straight to… that?"
For a moment, Rin Amane froze, completely caught off guard.
Only when Sayaka Amane finished speaking did she gently cup his hand and slowly lean closer.
That's when Rin finally realized—
Something isn't right.
The sofa wasn't very big to begin with, and when the girl shifted her skirt-bound waist slightly, she ended up leaning into him, closing the distance with ease.
From the neckline of her dress, the faint line of her cleavage came into view, snow-pale and deep.
So close—so close that Rin could once again catch that faint fragrance. Earlier, when she had been in her school uniform, he had noticed the exact same scent.
So it wasn't from the clothes.
Was this… the legendary "natural body fragrance"?
Right in front of him—
Her delicate, beautiful face tilted downward. Her bangs veiled her eyes, hiding her expression from him.
"I actually saw it just now," Sayaka whispered softly. "The way you sniffed my clothes.
"Tell me… do you like me?"
Her words snapped Rin wide awake.
What?! All I did was sniff, and she's making it sound like I was savoring it with my brother or something!
His head spun. Damn this cursed system—what a trap!
He had only sniffed her clothes, and now she thought he was lusting after her.
If it had been something even more… private, she'd probably already have called the police!
When Rin didn't respond, Sayaka continued in a calm voice.
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I have to leave.
"So… whatever it is you want, do it now."
Her tone was soft, but each word was deliberate.
That was when Rin began to understand.
She thought she owed him. She felt guilty for accepting his kindness, and now she couldn't just walk away.
Because he had sniffed her clothes, she assumed he wanted her body.
So she decided to "repay" him—quickly, decisively, and leave.
Is this really how people who've already given up on life think?
Nothing left to hold onto, so giving yourself away doesn't matter anymore?
Rin was stunned.
But if he really went through with this, he would lose any reason to keep Sayaka around.
Wait—so "skipping the drinks" meant this all along?!
What kind of twisted misunderstanding is this?!
Did she take him for some kind of beast?
He had only wanted to get her tipsy so she'd stay here and he could draw out her vital fluids—nothing more!
And now she thought he was trying to…
Just as Rin was about to snap, he felt it—
His shoulder was trembling.
He glanced down.
Sayaka's slender frame pressed lightly against him, her small hand clutching his arm.
She was trembling uncontrollably.
Like a frightened little bird.
Rin couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
And here she was, acting like she was so composed? Please. The girls working at massage parlors were far more convincing than this.
Still, this pure, trembling innocence… if only the "high school cosplay" masseuse earlier had managed even a fraction of it, she wouldn't have been stuck charging only 699 yen.
"Can you lift your head for me?" Rin asked.
Truth be told, Rin never saw himself as a good person.
But in this kind of situation… if he actually took advantage of her, he'd be less than human.
"…What is it?"
Sayaka raised her face slowly.
Her chestnut-brown eyes were dim, lifeless.
Rin sighed inwardly.
This silly girl—did she even realize what she was doing?
She could have just left. If she had insisted, Rin had no grounds to stop her.
Yet here she was, forcing herself to repay some imagined debt.
Doing something she clearly didn't want to do, just to leave with a clean conscience—so she wouldn't burden anyone in her final days.
Even when choosing death, she was still thinking of others.
So kind… so heartbreakingly kind.
But also so easily deceived.
"I think… you've misunderstood something."
After a pause, Rin gently removed her hand from his arm.
"Eh?"
Sayaka froze. Her already muddled mind seemed to churn in confusion.
What… was her body not attractive enough?
Was she really less appealing than a piece of clothing?
Or… could it be that he had a fetish for school uniforms?
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled inside her head.
Her neck shrank back, and her expression shifted into one of hurt mixed with embarrassment.
"I admit it," Rin continued, "earlier when you washed my clothes and put detergent on, I might've done something unconsciously—but it wasn't what you think."
"…Unconsciously?"
"Exactly."
Rin put on a serious look.
"For example, when your eye feels irritated, you rub it without thinking. When you're deep in thought or relaxed, you might play with your hair without noticing. Those are unconscious actions—things your body just does."
"Is that… so?"
It was the first time Sayaka had heard such an explanation. She tilted her head, twirling her hair around a finger absentmindedly.
"See? You're doing it right now," Rin pointed out suddenly. "Playing with your hair."
"Ah! You're right!"
Sayaka quickly withdrew her fingers, her eyes widening in surprise.
Seeing that his words were working, Rin pressed on:
"When I put detergent on my own clothes, I also have this habit of sniffing them. It's just reflex. That's why I reacted that way earlier."
Sayaka stared at him, a little uncertain.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then… I…"
If that were true, then her earlier actions were completely—
"You see? You haven't even drunk anything yet and you're already acting tipsy. No need to joke around just because you're in a hurry to leave."
Rin cracked open a beer with a sharp pop! and let out a bright laugh.
One line, one smile.
Whether genuine or not, it scattered most of the awkwardness that lingered in the air.
Neither of them said it outright, but they both silently agreed to drop the subject.
"…Thank you."
Sayaka accepted the beer, though her cheeks still glowed pink.
Even if it had been a misunderstanding, she had just been rejected, hadn't she?
And yet—she didn't feel overly ashamed.
The boy in front of her, smiling so warmly… for some reason, being with him gave her a strange sense of safety, a comfort she couldn't explain.
Even though this was their very first meeting.
She took a sip of beer.
Bitter.
Awful.
She wanted to spit it out, but instead she tilted the can back and forced herself to swallow.
And then—
As the icy liquid slid down her throat, a strange exhilaration bloomed within her. Something new, something she had never experienced before.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Well?" Rin asked.
"…Not as bad as I imagined."
Sayaka took another gulp, then another, even though the bitterness still clung to her tongue.
No wonder so many people liked drinking.
Maybe now, she could understand it a little.
Seeing her finally calm down, Rin rose from the sofa and pulled over a stool, seating himself across from her.
Crack!
Another can of beer hissed open. Rin tilted his head back and downed it in one go.
The chill exploded in his throat—
Nothing compared to the first sip of a freshly iced beer. Like nectar from heaven.
After a few gulps each, the two of them sat facing each other in the small living room.
The tension from before had finally lifted.
In fact, Rin realized that Sayaka wasn't nearly as difficult to talk to as he'd first imagined.
Once the beer flowed, so did the words.
"You said you took a break from school… and went abroad?"
"…Mm."
"To do what?"
Rin asked casually, taking another sip. Acting laid-back made the question feel less intrusive.
"To compete, and then…"
Her words trailed off. She stopped abruptly, leaving the rest unsaid.
Rin understood. He filled in the gap for her.
"A cello competition?"
"…Yeah."
"What kind of competition lasts a whole year?"
"There were many, really. But mostly, I went abroad to study."
"So… you're a professional cellist?" Rin asked, recalling what the system had said about her background.
At that, Sayaka seemed to perk up.
Leaning her chin into her hand, she gave a faint smile.
"Professional? Hardly. I'm just an amateur. I only played in some small, unimportant contests."
"Then why did you come back?"
"Of course—to take the university entrance exams." Sayaka's eyes lit up slightly. "I want to get into the Sakura Conservatory. Every student of music dreams of that school. If I can make it there, I'll finally meet the seniors I've admired for so long…"
Her voice trailed as her eyes shimmered with longing.
Rin stared at her, momentarily dazed.
A girl who had studied abroad, who had worked hard, who carried a clear dream, who longed for a future—
Someone like this…
How could she possibly be the type to take her own life?