Keita.
This form of address made Imaizumi Keita slightly startle.
He turned his head in surprise, meeting a pair of eyes burning with unwillingness and defiant fire.
The Yanami Anna before him clearly resembled a cat that had been provoked and forcibly entered'spine-dragon mode', her body still trembling slightly, but her gaze surprisingly firm.
That spicy, searing 'jealousy' energy reached a new peak again with her possessive declaration.
Seeing her like this, the curve at the corner of Imaizumi Keita's mouth involuntarily widened a bit more.
His action was a great success. He not only harvested high-quality energy but also gained a 'cooperative partner' who was starting to learn to actively 'produce'.
Imaizumi Keita only felt that he liked this loser girl putting on a tough front even more now, and he liked this process of personally adjusting and educating her even more.
Therefore, he not only didn't pull away but leaned his head even closer, their noses almost touching.
At this intimate distance, almost whispering into each other's ears, Imaizumi Keita responded in an equally low and ambiguous tone:
"Anna, of course I know you're my girlfriend."
His voice carried a hint of amused pleasure, "Otherwise, why do you think I've been holding your hand so tightly since a while ago?"
As he spoke, Imaizumi Keita shook their still interlocked hands, displaying their intimacy.
This straightforward response deflated most of the courage Yanami Anna had mustered with such difficulty.
She had thought her possessive 'counterattack' would make him rein it in a bit, but instead, it elicited an even more direct and teasing intimacy.
Her cheeks began to heat up uncontrollably again.
But this time, Yanami Anna did not retreat.
After these few hours of intensive 'practice', she seemed to have slowly started getting used to this dangerous mode of interaction.
More importantly, the scales in her heart had undergone a subtle shift.
She was the loser who had been heartlessly abandoned by her childhood sweetheart and had lost all face in front of him.
And Imaizumi Keita was the 'marginal person' in class who had approached her intentionally because she was pretty.
In a sense, they were equals; she might even hold a slight advantage as the 'resource provider'.
So, why is it always me blushing and heart racing, while you always maintain that calm, amused composure?
This thought gave rise to an impulse to seize the initiative in this relationship.
Thus, Yanami Anna subconsciously made a move that even surprised herself—the hand being held by Imaizumi Keita gently, with a hint of teasing force, squeezed his palm back.
"Is just holding hands enough?"
Yanami's voice was very soft, carrying a hint of mischievous provocation.
This unexpected counterattack sent an energy flow with a brand new 'texture' into Imaizumi Keita's body. The energy quality was very high.
He shook Yanami's hand, watching her Feigning composure (pretending to be calm) demeanor, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
Interesting. Too interesting.
Yanami Anna was starting to learn to use the methods he liked to 'actively feed' him in reverse.
"Since you said so, Anna..."
Imaizumi Keita drew out his tone, then leaned his body towards her again, pressing close with almost no gap between them.
Of course, even at such a moment, Imaizumi Keita still didn't forget to prevent his actions from being too extreme, secretly manipulating his Succubus Aura to subtly regulate Yanami's desires.
Yanami Anna's cheeks predictably turned even redder.
Yanami Anna could clearly feel the heat from his body, the sensation transmitted from his solid arm, and the masculine scent mixed with clean soap that enveloped her completely, making her mouth dry and her body feel hot and damp.
This level of intimacy far exceeded what she had anticipated.
Yanami Anna's body stiffened instantly, her toes curling and tightening involuntarily, her breath seeming to halt.
She instinctively looked up, trying to read something from his face, only to meet his playful, smiling eyes directly.
And at that very moment, she suddenly remembered his earlier words—'Himiya-san... sweet to the point of being irresistible to men'.
A nameless fire instantly surged from the depths of her heart.
She glared at him resentfully, like a food-guarding cat, questioning Imaizumi in a jealous tone.
"What? Didn't you just say Karen's feminine charm was almost irresistible? Why are you obediently leaning towards me now?"
Imaizumi Keita looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to connect these two things.
And... this kind of jealous question really came from Yanami...
Looking at Yanami's clearly sulking, adorable appearance, Imaizumi Keita couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"I only said I was almost unable to resist Himiya-san's charm,"
he patiently explained to her, gently shaking their joined hands, "I never said I could resist your charm, Anna."
"If I really could resist it, why would I have actively proposed this cooperative arrangement to you? Hmm?"
This statement, which could be called sophistry, nevertheless carried an impeccable logic.
Yanami Anna was left speechless by him, the indignant look on her face gradually replaced by shyness and secret delight.
She wanted to hit him a couple of times, but was afraid he would show that 'enjoying it' expression like before—wouldn't that mean she'd lose even more?
And...
She could clearly feel that deep down, she didn't seem to reject this almost-embrace level of intimate contact.
In fact, a strange sense of pleasure was slowly seeping into her heart from the point where their skin pressed together.
This feeling was unfamiliar and dangerous, but she was enjoying it...
Just earlier, her heart only had room for Sousuke...
Why was she having such a strange reaction to another man's touch now?
Yanami Anna remembered the sense of familiarity that had emanated from Imaizumi Keita since their first meeting.
Well, it's because Imaizumi is different from others...
Just as her thoughts were running wild, Imaizumi Keita's amused voice sounded by her ear once more.
"If I had to use a metaphor,"
Imaizumi Keita, still relishing it, continued to prod Yanami Anna's emotions, seeing if he could elicit more surprises.
"Himiya Karen's charm is like 8K ultra-high definition resolution—exquisite, detailed, with an extremely strong impact."
"And you, Anna, are probably about 4K."
"Huh?"
Yanami Anna was stunned, not immediately grasping Imaizumi Keita's metaphor.
"Although there's a gap in the specs," he continued explaining with his twisted logic, "for the vast majority of ordinary people, there's no obvious difference between 4K and 8K picture quality. Because they are both already clear enough, beautiful enough."
What is this?
Praising me?
Or insulting me?
First affirming my beauty, then mercilessly pointing out that I'm 'inferior' to Himiya Karen.
This tactic of slapping someone and then offering a candy successfully ignited the last of Yanami Anna's patience.
"If you think she's 8K and can see more clearly, then go find her!"
Unable to bear Imaizumi Keita's teasing, Yanami Anna swung her other free hand and pounded on Imaizumi Keita's body without a care.
"Ouch... Anna! You're serious..."
Imaizumi Keita grabbed the arm she was hitting with, about to say something more, but the music in the private room ended at that moment.
In front of the screen, Hakamada Sousuke and Himiya Karen's duet had already finished.
The two put down their microphones, turned around to look at Yanami Anna and Imaizumi Keita sitting on the sofa, and then clearly saw the scene before them.
Yanami Anna, her face flushed red, was "attacking" Imaizumi Keita, while Imaizumi Keita, with a helpless expression, was gripping her arm. The two were tangled together in an extremely intimate posture, looking just like a bickering young couple.
"Wow!"
Himiya Karen's eyes instantly lit up, as if she had seen a classic scene from a shoujo manga, and she clapped her hands excitedly, cheering:
"I get this kind of playful fighting scene! Sousuke and I were like that before! Next, the next step should be a kiss, right?"