When Tetsuya suddenly leaned closer, Uika instead fell into unprecedented confusion.
Although she indeed wanted to take this opportunity to confirm his attitude towards her and tease him a little, this didn't mean she was mentally prepared to "become an adult" today.
For instance, right now, because she had just taken a shower and specifically wanted to create an ambiguous atmosphere, she was only wearing string lingerie under the skirt. Judging by the visual effect and fabric coverage, she was practically indistinguishable from being completely bare at this moment!
"...Ah."
When Tetsuya closed in until there was only a half-step of distance between them, Uika suddenly felt the time in the entire world slow down.
What would he do next? Embrace her? Caress her? Or directly push her onto the bed beside them?
How should she react? Refuse? Consent? Or just let nature take its course and continue with him?
Tetsuya's body drew closer and closer to her. It wasn't until the two were at a distance where they were almost pressed together that Uika finally realized that this man, who had seemed slightly frail when they first met, actually had broader shoulders than hers, and a height that required her to stand on her tiptoes to kiss him. At the same time, she suddenly remembered that although his behavior was always as innocent as before, he actually possessed a wealth of experience that far exceeded hers...
...
Subtly, she felt a bit of resistance.
However, this feeling of resistance wasn't directed at Tetsuya... but at herself.
Although haphazardly developing a further relationship with him like this wouldn't be impossible, for her, was this really what she wanted most right now... an ambiguous, accidental relationship caused by her momentary carelessness?
It felt like something wasn't quite right.
Come to think of it, why did she make such a bold attempt on him in the first place...?
Oh, right. It was because she was dissatisfied with Ai and Sakiko's "disregard" that she wanted to get a little "serious" to make them properly aware of her existence. As for his shaken state, although it did satisfy her pride and desire to win, what kind of impact would it have on their future development?
Given his serious and responsible personality, he would definitely feel regret and guilt over tonight's events, and afterwards, he would certainly try everything he could to compensate both sides...
She might get her wish and become his lover, but what about for him? Why was she the first person he thought of turning to for help when he was being overly squeezed by his lovers? And why did he unconditionally trust everything she said?
What exactly was he seeking from her?
"..."
There were simply too many questions accumulating in her mind. Right before she was about to fall into his embrace, Uika's mind instantly went blank.
And the next second—
"I don't think this is okay, Uika!"
Before she could even feel the touch of his body, his voice reached her ears first.
"I may be a dense and clumsy man, but regarding today's events... even I can figure out one thing. That is, you actually like me, Uika. Otherwise, you absolutely wouldn't be alone with me looking like this!"
He first crouched down, picked the skirt back up from the floor, and then, while averting his gaze, tried very hard to use the skirt to cover her body.
"But... I still feel something is strange! If it were the usual Uika, she wouldn't do something so thoughtless! Whether it was inviting me to your home, or this whole series of events just now, it always gave me a feeling like you were being very 'deliberate'..."
Deliberate.
Hearing this word, Uika instantly felt that the resistance and discomfort in her heart had received an incredibly clear explanation.
That's right. Whether it was the excuse she came up with under stimulation to trick him into coming here, or her current shameless behavior, everything was too deliberate... It was the exact opposite of how the two of them usually interacted.
The feeling of being with him that she longed for wasn't supposed to be like this.
Natural, comfortable, mutually trusting, progressing step-by-step... This was the dynamic she envisioned with him, and also the reason why she felt so at ease when she was with him!
"...You're right."
Uika reached out and properly hooked the shoulder straps over her shoulders herself.
If he hadn't stopped just now and had naturally taken things a step further with her, she naturally wouldn't have refused... But what about after that? What would their way of interacting become? Would this man, who remained completely oblivious even when tricked, still trust her like he used to? Was this kind of intimacy built on calculation really what she pursued?
"Actually, up until asking you to take my measurements, it was all just me testing your attitude towards me. From there, even if you hadn't said anything, Tetsuya-san, I would have stopped properly... As for accidentally taking off the dress completely, that was entirely due to my momentary carelessness."
Having regained some of her composure, Uika showed an expression of deep shame, feeling as if she wanted the ground to swallow her up.
"I'm sorry. My one-sided selfishness put you in a difficult position, Tetsuya-san..."
"Eh? Ah, it's nothing on my end. Rather, I should say thanks for the treat... No, wait, what am I saying?!"
Tetsuya shook his head vigorously, temporarily tossing the image imprinted in his mind just a few seconds ago to the back of his head.
"What I want to say is... you definitely had your own worries and reasons for doing this, right, Uika? If possible, could you tell me what's troubling you?"
Only after she had draped the dress back over herself did he finally look into her eyes again.
"Just like how you always unconditionally help me solve my problems, I want to be able to help you too, Uika."
"..."
Hearing his words filled with concern, the resistance and sense of incongruity in Uika's heart finally vanished into thin air.
This familiar warmth and his ever-present sincerity instantly allowed her chaotic thoughts to sort themselves out.
"Rather than calling it a worry... it's more like I was getting anxious. After all, I've fallen far, far behind them."
Under his gaze, Uika said, "To make sure my feelings could still be answered, and also to ensure I can continue staying by your side in the future, I had to hurry and confirm your feelings for me... That's the reason why I did something like this."
With that, she sat on the bed and patted the space next to her.
"Please, sit here, Tetsuya-san."
"I want to talk to you for a bit... about my past, something I've never told anyone before."