Living Room.
Sawamura Eriri sat on the sofa.
Takumi Yuuya placed a can of drink in front of her.
"Maybe Tomoya Aki is thinking about how to save you… or maybe he's looking for help," he said gently.
"Before nightfall, if he still hasn't shown up, I'll face reality," Eriri replied, grabbing the drink, opening it, and downing it in one go.
"Should I send a few more 'intimate' photos to make him think you're in danger?" Takumi suggested.
"No need," she said after a moment of thought.
"Then maybe I should say a few words deliberately?"
"What would you say?"
Takumi didn't answer directly. Instead, he composed a message and sent it.
"Tomoya Aki, thank you for not stopping me. I'm watching a movie with Eriri."
After sending it, he handed the phone to her to see.
Eriri looked at the screen, her heart tightening.
Takumi put the phone down on the coffee table.
Less than a minute later, a reply came through.
Takumi picked it up, his expression unreadable.
He looked at Eriri.
Her small hand clenched slightly, a bad premonition creeping in.
"What… what did he reply?"
"It's an answer you won't want to see."
"I want to see it myself. Show me."
"Alright."
Takumi held out the phone.
Eriri read Aki's reply, her face draining of color.
"I wish you both happiness."
Just a few simple words, yet they shattered the hope Eriri had been holding onto.
Takumi put the phone down without a word.
Eriri lowered her head.
A few minutes passed.
Tears fell.
Being blessed by the one you liked was the last thing she had wanted to see.
Tomoya hadn't come to save her. Her expectations were completely dashed.
Takumi rose and sat beside her.
Eriri lifted her head to look at him.
"Do… do you have any idea what to do now?"
"After all this, do you really think there's anything left to do?"
"…."
"Actually, if you were to take the initiative now and confront him, maybe you could still win his affection. But that kind of relationship would demand constant effort from you to maintain your happiness."
"We've known each other since kindergarten. I've liked him all this time. Why doesn't he like me back?"
"Childhood friends often fail as a couple," Takumi explained. "Because you're too familiar with each other, the feeling of romance never develops."
The truth was simple: Eriri and Tomoya couldn't end up together because of misunderstanding.
Eriri was a classic tsundere—how could an ordinary boy understand her?
Tomoya had always assumed she disliked him and could never guess what she truly felt.
And on top of that, with Takumi's message…
Tomoya assumed he and Eriri were already at a couple-level relationship, so he naturally didn't intervene.
Eriri's shoulders sagged in disappointment.
Seeing this, Takumi decided it was the right moment.
"Eriri."
"Hm?"
"The reason Tomoya didn't come to save you… was because of me."
"You… what did you say?"
Eriri froze.
Takumi took out his phone, found a video, and pressed play.
"Not bad. You've got courage."
"I just did what I had to do."
"One million yen."
"You… you said what?"
"I'll give you one million yen if you don't interfere with anything between Eriri and me."
"Eriri is my friend. I wouldn't—"
"Ten million yen."
"…."
"I'm not just giving you ten million yen…"
"Let me think about it."
Eriri's eyes widened.
By the time she heard the last part, she was completely silent.
Takumi set the phone down.
"That's right. With ten million yen and an opportunity, I made Tomoya choose not to get involved."
"Y-you… why would you do that?"
"For you."
"Me?"
"Yes. I think you're cute."
"You… you…"
Eriri was momentarily speechless.
Takumi held her small hand gently.
"You're a tsundere. Tomoya assumed you disliked him all along, so he never developed feelings for you."
"He ignored you during summer break because he was working."
"And he didn't reach out at the start of school because he didn't want to be misunderstood."
"But this also proves he has no real feelings for you. If he liked you, he would have come to you on his own."
Eriri's expression softened as understanding dawned.
"It's… my fault?"
"Yes."
"Why… why are you telling me this?"
"If I hid this from you now, how could I possibly claim to like you?"
Takumi looked directly at her.
Eriri lowered her head.
"I… I don't know what to…"
"I like you. That's my problem, not yours. You don't have to figure out how to respond. Now you understand Tomoya's feelings, and my plan has succeeded."
"So your plan… was to make me face reality?"
"Yes. If you can accept this outcome, that means I succeeded. If you still like Tomoya, then I failed."
Eriri looked up.
"You… you succeeded."
Eriri had faced reality.
Her feelings for Tomoya were completely gone.
At the same time, she realized that her tsundere personality could easily be misunderstood.
But…
"I like tsundere Eriri."
That was what Takumi had said to her as he left.
And now…
Takumi was riding his bicycle, bringing her home.
Eriri clutched his sleeve tightly, watching his back as he pedaled.
Long ago, she had imagined Tomoya riding a bike and giving her a lift home.
Now, that wish had been fulfilled—by Takumi.
She felt no disappointment.
Instead, she felt… affection for him.
[Affection +30 from Sawamura Eriri]
Takumi heard the system notification and silently praised it for its timing.
A virtual screen popping up while riding could have been dangerous.
Half an hour later, they stopped at Eriri's house.
She got off the bike.
"Thanks for bringing me home."
"You must've been thinking a lot on the way here, huh?"
"Yes."
"Let's start as friends, okay? I'm not perfect—I like you, but I also like other girls at the same time."
"Friends first, then," Eriri said, thinking he was joking.
"I'll head back now," Takumi said with a small smile.
Eriri stood in place, watching him ride off into the distance.
When Takumi returned home, Kawasaki Saki was already preparing dinner.
He stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her.
"I went shopping with Yukinoshita Yukino this afternoon and just dropped Eriri home."
"You didn't have to tell me that," Saki said, slightly taken aback.
Takumi held her small hand in his.
"My flaws are mine, but my honesty is a virtue. Can you accept that?"
"I…"