Facing Anna's unexpected retort, Keita wasn't surprised at all; instead, he felt somewhat satisfied.
The expected panic, shame, anger, or hysterical refusal did not appear.
Instead, there was a rational confusion.
This proved that after a complete defeat and humiliation, Anna's brain was finally beginning to process problems with a more realistic logic.
Very good.
Only communication based on rationality could possibly achieve a mutually satisfactory transaction.
Keita looked at her and frankly admitted her question.
"From your perspective, it indeed doesn't seem like something I would do."
He paused, patiently waiting for her to digest the meaning of his words.
"Because that day at the Family Restaurant, my good mood, which I had carefully cultivated, was ruined by your self-absorbed outpouring."
"In that kind of situation, few people would be pleasant to you... I was just a bit overly intense."
Anna's lips were tightly pursed, and she didn't refute him.
Looking back, she also felt it was a bit much, but she couldn't tell Imaizumi the reason she had approached him.
The moment she saw Imaizumi, she felt a sense of familiarity she had never experienced before, so she subconsciously sat next to him.
"But, now..."
Keita changed the subject, his gaze falling on Anna's puzzled face, and he complimented her, "I think your current state is quite good."
"Eh?! Quite good?"
Anna blinked, clearly not expecting Imaizumi to say such a thing, and subconsciously touched her tear-stained cheek.
"Mm."
Keita nodded, expressing his feelings.
"Compared to the self-righteous, unreasonable you from before, the current you knows how to actively seek solutions instead of just complaining. You even remember my logic and tried to engage in an equal transaction with me."
After speaking, Keita smiled and offered his opinion, "Although you still look disheveled, combined with your beautiful appearance, it makes you feel much better."
"In the end, Imaizumi, you still prefer pretty girls who don't cause trouble, don't you!"
Anna subconsciously grumbled, as if this would allow her to despise Keita's superficiality and preference for looks.
"So, Yanami, you don't like such girls?"
Keita retorted.
Anna instinctively wanted to refute with a different understanding, but then she remembered Keita's recent evaluation of her, and eventually calmed down, letting out a sigh.
"Of course, everyone likes girls like that..."
After saying this, Anna, not wanting to bring up the trouble she had caused Imaizumi earlier, steered the conversation back to the topic of pretending to be a boyfriend.
"Imaizumi, your suggestion can indeed solve my problem. As long as I have a 'boyfriend' by my side, Sousuke and Karen probably won't take me for granted anymore."
Anna analyzed methodically, her thoughts clear.
"But, Imaizumi-kun, what's in it for you? I don't believe you'd be willing to help me for no reason."
She had already learned to think using his logic.
Keita didn't keep her in suspense, offering an answer so direct it was almost blunt.
"Because Classmate Yanami, you're pretty."
The answer was so straightforward that Anna was completely stunned.
Keita completely ignored her reaction, shrugging his shoulders frankly.
"It's a physiologically normal thing to feel happy when you're with an attractive person of the opposite sex."
"Otherwise, Classmate Yanami, why do you think I'd be willing to help you?"
Keita blinked, teasingly saying, "It can't be that I saw through your superficial appearance and thought your heart was sincere, kind, pure, gentle, and resilient, right?"
"How... how could that be impossible..."
Listening to Keita's teasing, the pride that had gradually resurfaced in Anna's heart poked its head out again, and she started to talk tough.
"Don't make me laugh, Yanami... haha..."
Keita almost slapped the chair laughing at Yanami's overconfidence.
"Ah! Don't laugh!"
Anna helplessly patted Keita's arm, feeling a bit frantic inside.
Although Imaizumi wasn't as malicious as before, this directness...
Combined with his cool and handsome demeanor, it didn't make her dislike him that much...
Anna instantly understood Keita's intentions.
So, to save a little face, Anna turned her head and said with a conflicted tone.
"Since Imaizumi-kun thinks I'm still good-looking, I'll reluctantly agree to your suggestion..."
Keita's answer, however, was unexpected.
"Don't misunderstand."
Keita shook his head, "The suggestion I proposed isn't some casual, flawed pretend game like in a light novel."
"If we're going to pretend, we have to treat it like a real relationship. You need to get used to my presence, and I need to understand your reactions. We can't just be easily seen through; we should at least have a certain degree of unspoken understanding."
Anna's face was again filled with confusion: "Treat it like... a real lover?"
"Yes," Keita affirmed, "like this."
After speaking, before Yanami could react, Keita moved his body and sat directly beside her.
The physical distance between them instantly shortened to less than ten centimeters.
An unfamiliar male scent, mixed with the faint, clean smell of soap on him, invaded Anna's personal space without question.
She froze completely, her mind blank, unable to move her body.
Anna could feel the heat radiating from his body, and hear Keita's breathing so close.
At the same time, a sense of familiarity, similar to that at the Family Restaurant, once again enveloped Anna, making her consciousness somewhat hazy.
Keita paid no attention to her daze, slowly raising his hand and reaching for her wrist, which rested on her knee.
The moment his fingers touched her skin, Anna's body instinctively followed its primal urges.
"What are you doing!"
A short, indignant question burst from her lips.
Then, her other hand unhesitatingly pushed towards Keita's chest.
This push did not succeed in pushing Keita away as Anna had hoped.
Keita's reaction was even faster than her movement.
His left hand firmly grasped her right wrist, which had been on her knee, and his right hand more securely seized her left wrist.
Anna was completely restrained.
She watched helplessly as both of her wrists were firmly controlled by this man with an easy and absolute posture.
Anna struggled instinctively, but found her strength was insignificant before him.
She was physically subdued.
At the moment of contact, Keita clearly felt a surge of energy, mixed with "anger" and "fear," flowing through his wrists.
This energy did alleviate a slight throbbing in his temples, but its rough texture didn't bring the previous comfort, nor did it seem to promote the awakening of his ability.
As Anna's resistance weakened, replaced by the "shame" and "powerlessness" of being completely suppressed, the "texture" of the energy instantly changed.
A faint but pure and warm current soothed his restless ability, even making Keita feel his ability had stabilized somewhat.
Keita understood.
Antagonistic negative emotions were somewhat useful, but far less effective than the ambiguous shame-filled emotions.
"Look,"
Keita looked down at Anna, who was restrained by him, and sighed regretfully, "Like this."
"If even this level of contact causes such a strong stress response, the suggestion of pretending to be a boyfriend is simply unrealistic, alright?"
He released her wrists and leaned back, moving away from Anna.
"So, Classmate Yanami,"
Keita looked at Anna, watching her expectantly.
"Have you thought it through now?"