Myriad Dreams was caught completely off guard by Yaeno Muteki's sudden, tearful interrogation.
She looked at her roommate, who was usually as sharp as a blade, now trembling slightly like a fledgling bird drenched in rain.
Those heroic eyes were clouded with a rare layer of tears, churning with a sense of grievance and vulnerability she had never seen before.
"Mu... Muteki...?" Myriad Dreams sat up straighter instinctively, her lazy expression replaced by shock
"I... I didn't mean it like that..."
Her mind raced, trying to understand the logic behind Yaeno Muteki's words.
Why hadn't she invited her?
A memory instantly flashed back in her mind— after the Winter Cup, she had happily handed the trophy, a symbol of glory and her feelings, to Yaeno Muteki.
In return, the other girl's fighting spirit had ignited, and she had dragged Myriad Dreams to the dojo to teach her the "Kongōh Yaegaki style"...
For someone accustomed to a carefree and loose lifestyle, that was pure torture!
A small thought, one she hadn't even deeply explored herself, floated to the surface.
She scratched her cheek awkwardly, her gaze flickering away as her voice dropped a few notches:
"Well... actually, it's because... after I gave you the Winter Cup trophy last time, you... you just dragged me straight to martial arts practice."
She carefully observed Yaeno Muteki's reaction.
"And, Muteki, you're usually so serious and earnest, pouring your whole heart into training and martial arts... I-I thought you didn't like, or rather, didn't care about those relaxed and aimless daily activities..."
Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, hit by a realization that felt absurd even to her.
"I even thought... that you might feel like spending time with a lazy person like me was a waste of your precious time... So, I didn't know how to... how to naturally invite you..."
Myriad Dreams looked up, meeting Yaeno Muteki's eyes which were widened in astonishment.
Her tone became incredibly sincere, even carrying a hint of regret. "If... If my subconscious habit of keeping distance accidentally hurt you or made you feel neglected... Muteki, please allow me to apologize."
"I'm sorry!"
This apology was like a key, instantly unlocking the tightly sealed emotional floodgates in Yaeno Muteki's heart.
She froze.
'So... that was it? It was actually like that?'
It wasn't because of dislike, but because of a fear of her seriousness— a total misunderstanding of her heart?
Had the focus and earnestness she took pride in actually become an invisible barrier pushing away the person she most wanted to be near?
A mixture of absurdity, relief, and a deeper, sharper pain suddenly seized her.
She took a step forward, the shadow cast by her body completely enveloping Myriad Dreams, who was still sitting in the chair.
Those eyes, originally filled with tears, now seemed to burn with a dark fire, carrying a near-obsessive emotion that Myriad Dreams had never seen.
"A waste of time...?"
Yaeno Muteki's voice was low and raspy, carrying a hint of a dangerous smile.
"You think... me making pastries for you, remembering all your fatigue after training and your daily schedule, covering you with the blanket you kicked aside while you slept... you think all of that is a waste of time?"
She pressed another step closer, her knees almost touching Myriad Dreams' knees, gazing down into the other's startled eyes.
"Dreams-chan... do you have any idea? It's exactly because you're always like this— smiling carelessly at everyone, yet being cautious only with me... that I find it even more... more unbearable."
She reached out, but not with her usual restraint.
With an undeniable force, she gently gripped Myriad Dreams' chin, forcing her to look up and meet her eyes.
"I am serious, and I am earnest, because I want to become stronger— strong enough to stand by your side, strong enough to be worthy of the glory you gave me! I thought... you would understand!"
Her breathing was a bit shallow, her warm breath brushing against Myriad Dreams' face.
"And yet... you distanced yourself from me because of such a ridiculous reason?"
Yaeno Muteki's fingers trembled slightly.
Deep in her eyes was a churning, almost overflowing sense of possessiveness and long-suppressed emotion.
"Now that you know you were wrong... how do you plan to... compensate me, Dreams-chan?"
The air in the dorm seemed to become thick and scorching.
Trapped between the chair and Yaeno Muteki's body, Myriad Dreams watched the persistence in her roommate's eyes— a fierce gaze that had completely stripped away its calm shell— and her heart began to pound more violently than ever before.
She realized that her previous understanding of this roommate might have been laughably shallow.