Tanaka Masao let out a low chuckle, unique to a chubby otaku.
"Hehehe, what kind of request should I make, Fujiwara-senpai!"
Hearing Tanaka Masao's words, Fujiwara Chika snapped back to reality. Meeting his uniquely cheerful, sunny smile, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
However, she had no intention of stopping her resistance. With teary, pitiful eyes, she said, "Junior Tanaka, you must be gentle, okay?"
As she spoke, she pinched her own chin with her hand, looking down at Tanaka Masao from above.
"Honestly."
Seeing Fujiwara Chika like this, Tanaka Masao shook his head helplessly. As he shook his head, he smiled and took off his black-rimmed glasses.
"I think Fujiwara-senpai, you completely don't understand."
"Understand what?"
"The more you act so pitiful, the more one can't help but want to bully you."
"How can Junior Tanaka be like this? He's too mean! Doesn't he have any gentlemanly manners?"
"Mean? How am I mean? I've always been like this, okay? Fujiwara-senpai, don't just make things up with your eyes wide open.
It's hard for me too. Sometimes, you should look at your own reasons. After spending so much time with me, has your favorability increased? Have you seriously tried to understand me?"
Listening to Tanaka Masao's righteous accusations, the imposing aura around Fujiwara Chika instantly weakened.
"I'm sorry, Junior Tanaka, it's my fault. Just tell me how you want to punish me."
Looking at Fujiwara Chika, who seemed resigned to her fate, Tanaka Masao suddenly felt like a villain.
"Fujiwara-senpai, don't be so dejected. We're talking about making a request, not a punishment."
"Oh, right."
Fujiwara Chika realized her mistake. She had subconsciously taken Tanaka Masao's request as a punishment, which made her a little embarrassed.
"Hehehe, I was too narrow-minded. I knew Junior Tanaka was a good person, a great gentleman. How could he possibly make an excessive request?"
…
Some time later.
"Junior Tanaka, please let me go! I'm going to die!"
"Fujiwara-senpai, one must be bold in trying new things. How will you know you can't do it if you don't try? I believe in you."
"I can't, I can't! This is truly terrifying! I don't have the courage."
"Fujiwara-senpai."
Tanaka Masao placed his hand on Fujiwara Chika's shoulder and encouraged her, "Don't worry, I don't have the courage either."
"Then let's just leave here quickly!"
Fujiwara Chika wanted to leave this terrible place quickly, but Tanaka Masao held her back.
"Fujiwara-senpai, even though I'm scared, I don't have to play.
This is a game just for you."
"What do you mean, a game just for me? Junior Tanaka clearly said he wouldn't punish me, but he's still punishing me. He's not keeping his word."
"But how can bungee jumping be considered a punishment? Look, so many people willingly do it. There must be a reason for its existence."
That's right, the request Tanaka Masao made to Fujiwara Chika was for her to try bungee jumping once.
Although this was a rare opportunity, he could have made all sorts of more interesting requests to Fujiwara Chika.
But those requests, not to mention whether he would even dare to voice them, even if he did, Fujiwara Chika would never agree.
And if he only made an insignificant request, Fujiwara Chika would certainly not feel satisfied; she might even think, "What? So it was just a request like that? How boring."
But bungee jumping, a very reasonable and not at all strange request, even a little too simple.
Yet it could leave a deep impression on Fujiwara Chika and allow him to fully listen to her pleas and wails. Was there any better choice than this?
Seeing that Tanaka Masao was determined to make her bungee jump, Fujiwara Chika also stopped pleading.
"Hmph, Junior Tanaka has a heart of stone."
"Why, Fujiwara-senpai, aren't you going to beg a little more? Maybe I'll soften up."
Fujiwara Chika strode forward, looked back at Tanaka Masao, like a steadfast warrior.
"I have my dignity.
Rather than waste my breath begging Junior Tanaka, it's better to bravely move forward. Come on, Fujiwara Chika, advance!"
Fujiwara Chika spoke with impassioned words, her steps never faltering, proudly and spiritedly walking to the very edge of the bungee platform.
She looked down and instantly broke down. How could it be so high? Someone would really die jumping from there.
Fujiwara Chika turned her head and asked with some anticipation, "Junior Tanaka, if I beg, will you really let me go?"
…
In the end, Tanaka Masao couldn't bring himself to be cruel and chose to let Fujiwara Chika go.
Fujiwara Chika, walking down from the bungee platform, was still in shock. She patted her chest and exclaimed, "Bungee jumping is truly terrifying! Thank you, Junior Tanaka."
Even though it was Tanaka Masao who made Fujiwara Chika go bungee jumping, in the end, she still had to thank him.
"Fujiwara-senpai wasn't too scared when she played the other rides earlier, so why didn't she dare to bungee jump?"
"Junior Tanaka, you don't understand."
Fujiwara Chika held up a finger and began to explain, "When playing other rides, you're fixed in a seat. At first, you don't feel anything, and by the time you feel scared, you can't resist and can only endure it silently.
Bungee jumping is different. Bungee jumping requires you to actively take that step and jump down. This requires a lot of courage.
Without making up your mind, you simply can't do it."
"I see."
Tanaka Masao nodded.
"Fujiwara-senpai is the type of person who likes to passively endure and doesn't dare to be proactive."
?
"Junior Tanaka, why do I feel like what you're saying is very strange?"
Fujiwara Chika scratched her head with her index finger, feeling like she was about to grasp Tanaka Masao's hidden meaning.
However, just as a flicker of inspiration caught in her mind, Tanaka Masao interrupted her.
"Fujiwara-senpai, what are you thinking? Let's go play bumper cars quickly, or there won't be any spots left."
"Bumper cars!"
Fujiwara Chika instantly cast other matters aside.
"Bumper cars are my favorite! Junior Tanaka, I'll show you what I'm capable of later."