Amane hugged Ichinose a little tighter, asking somewhat curiously.
Unlike Amane, if Ichinose wanted to, she could go to any Class B tent to shelter from the rain; no one would refuse her. But for Amane, it was troublesome, which was one of the reasons Amane was unwilling to listen to Ichinose's suggestion to hide in a tent first.
She didn't want to be with the people in Class B who were hostile towards her. If there were arguments or even conflicts in the tent, it would make Ichinose feel awkward.
But Ichinose didn't choose to go back; instead, she stayed. This was not part of Amane's calculations. She was enduring the cold here for a certain purpose.
What was Ichinose's purpose?
"Because... Amane, your hand..."
"Sorry, it's a habit. You continue."
Amane calmly withdrew her hand from behind Ichinose.
Everything was so natural.
"Because I thought Amane you would look very lonely by yourself, so I wanted to stay and accompany you. At most, it's just getting caught in the rain."
Ichinose smiled very freely, unlike any smile Amane had seen before.
"You're being a bit too willful. As the core of the class, you should first take care of your own body so you have the energy to care about other things. If you collapse, Class B, in my opinion, is just a lamb to the slaughter. As for loneliness... I've gotten used to it."
Ichinose had heard the former words countless times: collective interests, prioritizing the bigger picture... But she, Ichinose Honami, was a living, emotional person. She would get angry, she would be happy, she would cry, she would avoid things... Yet, her every move was now being watched by countless eyes.
Rumors outside said that Ichinose had transformed Class B into a class of tool-like people modeled after her, saying that she had turned everyone into the same personality as her, everyone laughing with her, everyone crying with her.
Such a statement was simply absurd.
She was the one who had been pushed to the very front, unable to retreat even a step, the 'most perfect Ichinose Honami'.
If she didn't want to disappoint everyone, she could only endlessly play house with everyone, continuously acting out her perfect image.
Originally, she thought this was quite good. Although she lost her freedom, everyone's support and trust motivated her greatly.
But after Amane appeared, Ichinose realized how painful her position was.
Amane could do anything she wanted with flair. If she was insulted, she could talk back. If someone wanted to argue, she could fight. She seemed a bit unreasonable, but in Ichinose's eyes, Amane was freedom.
She had secretly seen Amane and Horikita embracing, even more intimate gestures... Even in public, she didn't care about others' gazes at all, nor did she care if the surrounding atmosphere was suitable for doing strange things. That's why people in Class B liked to call Amane an idiot violent girl.
But her joy, laziness, freedom, and unconventional demeanor were what Ichinose had always yearned for.
Yet, Amane, whom Ichinose admired so much, could say that she had grown accustomed to loneliness.
From the time she met Amane until now, there were only two times Amane didn't smile when they met.
One was when she suggested taking the confession seriously, Amane's face was serious. The other was when she explained Class B's thoughts to her, Amane's coldness was comparable to winter.
Other than that, Amane seemed to be immersed in her own happiness every moment. Could such a person truly feel lonely?
Ichinose hugged Amane tightly, staring at Amane's profile for a long time. Suddenly, a drop of rain from Amane's white long hair fell on Ichinose's cheek.
The cold rainwater brought Ichinose back to her senses.
Amane didn't wait for Ichinose to speak, so she continued to gaze into the distance like a statue.
Ichinose hesitated for a long time, finally sitting up in Amane's arms, and then, taking advantage of Amane's unguarded state, quickly tapped her cheek.
Boom!
A sudden purple lightning bolt exploded in the sky, causing Amane to subconsciously hug Ichinose tighter. Due to her attention being entirely on the thunder just now, Amane didn't notice what Ichinose had just done to her.
"Amane, if... I mean, if today I were sitting here getting rained on, would you come over and hold an umbrella for me?"
Ichinose's bright, watery eyes looked at Amane expectantly.
Amane, who was always good at coaxing... I mean, chatting with girls, would surely know the answer to this question, right?
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