Yaeno Muteki's eyes, which were usually filled with determination and confidence, were now shimmering with tears.
She stared directly at Myriad Dreams with a gaze that was a mixture of grievance, insecurity, and fear.
Myriad Dreams' heart softened at that look, all the panic caused by that sudden bite dissolved into a deeper sense of pity.
She sighed softly, her fingertips gently brushing away the moisture from the corners of Muteki's eyes, her tone carrying a hint of helpless indulgence.
"You really are a fool... They, just like you, are all very important friends to me. Don't you understand how I feel by now?"
However, this explanation intended to be soothing acted like the final straw that broke Yaeno Muteki's frayed nerves.
"Friends... just friends... I understand... but..."
She murmured incoherently, her eyes filled with an unprecedented panic and a desperate sort of resolve.
"But..."
Before she could finish, and while Myriad Dreams was completely off guard, Yaeno Muteki lunged forward again.
She cupped Myriad Dreams' face in both hands and, with a courage born of near-despair, pressed her lips against hers!
This kiss was clumsy, urgent, and possessed a force that refused to be denied, sealing away all of Myriad Dreams' unspoken words.
"Mmph...!"
Myriad Dreams was completely stunned.
Her mind went blank, and all she could feel was the warm, trembling sensation of Muteki against her lips.
She instinctively tried to push away, her hands pressing against Muteki's shoulders, but the arms wrapped around her were so tight they almost hurt.
The strength in them conveying a bottomless sense of fear and attachment.
Her struggle gradually faded when she felt a hint of dampness on her shoulder... it was Muteki's tears.
After an unknown amount of time, Yaeno Muteki finally seemed to exhaust all her courage and strength.
She let go, taking a small step back from her own impulsive act.
Her chest heaved slightly, her cheeks were so red they looked ready to bleed, and her eyes darted away, not daring to look at Myriad Dreams.
Myriad Dreams finally caught her breath.
Her mouth hung slightly open, her cheeks were flushed crimson, and her sapphire-like eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment.
She instinctively pressed the back of her hand against her still-numb lips, her voice carrying an unstable tremor.
"What... what exactly is going on...? Muteki... you..."
Seeing Myriad Dreams looking so utterly distraught, Yaeno Muteki lowered her head, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly.
Her voice was barely audible, yet it carried a sob and a sense of self-abandoning confession.
"I... I was too worried..."
"I was worried that Myriad Dreams is this good to everyone... this gentle..."
"I was worried... if things kept going like this... Myriad Dreams' 'first'... her first kiss... or even more important 'firsts'... what if... what if they aren't mine in the future..."
Her voice grew lower and lower, filled with immense anxiety and shame.
"I... I just had to... strike first..."
This confession, a mix of intense possessiveness and extreme insecurity, exploded in Myriad Dreams' mind like a thunderclap.
She looked at her roommate, who had become so "unreasonable" out of fear of loss and was now so ashamed of that "unreasonableness" that she wanted to curl into a ball, and her heart filled with a complex tangle of emotions.
There was shock, helplessness, and annoyance at her twisted logic, but most of all, there was an uncontrollable surge of heartache that washed over her like a tide.
It turned out the insecurity in Muteki's heart had already reached such depths.
Myriad Dreams remained silent for a moment. Finally, it culminated in a long, drawn-out sigh.
She didn't answer "yes" or "no," nor did she blame her for the impulsive behavior.
She simply stepped forward and, with a gentle yet undeniable resolve, pulled the still-shivering brown-haired girl back into her arms.
Feeling the body in her embrace transition from rigid to soft, Myriad Dreams rested her chin gently on top of Muteki's head.
In a voice so low only the two of them could hear, she whispered:
"Fool... you really are a... big fool I can't do anything about..."