"Mr. Tachibana?"
Sazanoko's gentle call restored Aoto's vision to normal, allowing him to see everything other than Sazanoko again.
Puzzlement, confusion... Sazanoko examined Aoto with such eyes, the smile on her face naturally retracted.
"Sorry, that was rude." Aoto laughed awkwardly, averting his gaze with a slightly stiff movement.
"Why did you look at me with that gaze as if you were seeing me for the first time just now?"
Sazanoko raised her hands to lightly touch her cheeks, possibly checking if something odd was sticking to her face, making Aoto stare at her face so strangely earlier.
Aoto clicked his tongue inwardly... Sazanoko's perception is really sharp.
In a sense, Aoto indeed "saw Sazanoko for the first time" just now.
Aoto didn't know how to respond to Sazanoko's earlier question.
After pondering for a moment, Aoto slowly put away the awkward smile on his face and aligned his gaze to meet the puzzled gaze Sazanoko was using to look up at him.
