Mukiwa lowered her gaze, looking at her ten fingers tightly twisted together on her lap, her beautiful eyes gradually shimmering with a light called "determination."
In that moment, Mukiwa made a bold decision, especially considering her shy nature.
Mukiwa closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves and muster courage.
Then...
"Mr. Tachibana..."
"Hmm?" Aoto turned his head, sending a questioning look to Mukiwa, whose tone and speech suddenly became strange.
"We've known each other for quite a while now..."
Mukiwa clasped her fingers together on her lap so tightly it seemed like she wanted to break them.
"I think... it's a bit inappropriate for you to keep calling me 'Miss Kinoshita' in such a formal way."
Without waiting for Aoto to react or show any expression, Mukiwa bit her lip and quickly blurted out the remaining words:
"You should just call me Awu from now on..."
When she first said this, her tone was strong and high-pitched.
