Himiya Karen's words instantly ignited the subtle (subtle) atmosphere in the private room...
Yanami Anna, who was still pounding on Imaizumi Keita, momentarily didn't know whether she should continue or not.
Her wrist, which was being held by Imaizumi, felt as if it had been injected with an electric current, a tingling numbness rushing straight to her brain.
The anger that had been burning just moments ago because of that "4K vs. 8K" analogy was suddenly replaced by shame and panic.
The color on Yanami Anna's cheeks visibly changed from an angry red to a shy crimson.
The expression on Hakamada Sousuke's face, standing to the side, became extremely complicated.
He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something to stop them, but couldn't find any suitable position to do so, ultimately only able to stand there as an outsider.
Imaizumi Keita sensed a surge of top-tier energy, a mix of "ultimate shame" and "panic-stricken," flooding into his body from the girl beside him who seemed on the verge of a system crash.
The quality of this energy was so high it even gave him a feeling of near-intoxication and comfort.
So, what he was doing now was right, wasn't it? This energy didn't contain any negative emotions like disgust...
Looking at Yanami Anna, who seemed about to emit steam, the smile at the corner of Imaizumi Keita's mouth became increasingly evident.
Himiya Karen truly deserved to be called the best Assists (assist) player...
Thus, he decided to follow this perfect scene to gain even more benefits for himself.
Feeling the pleasure from the Succubus Aura, Imaizumi Keita not only didn't let go of Yanami's hand he was holding, but instead pulled her towards him.
He slowly lowered his head and, with a posture that looked incredibly precious and gentle to outsiders, gently pressed his forehead against Yanami's equally feverish forehead.
Their breaths intertwined at that moment, the air from their mouths exchanging in the narrow space.
"Want it?"
His voice was pressed extremely low, carrying a hint of playful laughter, as he asked in a whisper only the two of them could hear.
"A kiss."
Boom!
Yanami Anna felt her brain completely stop functioning.
The warmth transmitted through her forehead belonged to another person, solid and firm.
The clean scent unique to Imaizumi Keita, which made her feel both reassured and flustered, lingered between her breaths.
And those two words acted like a curse, causing all her ability to think to completely collapse (collapse).
Her mind was in a daze, a blank, white expanse.
Her body's instincts screamed to push him away, to run, but deep in her heart, a faint voice said: Maybe... maybe it's okay...
Amidst this chaotic internal struggle, the corner of her eye caught sight of Hakamada Sousuke standing not far away, his expression looking somewhat unpleasant.
Yanami Anna subconsciously bit her lower lip and pleaded in a stubborn, small voice:
"This kind of thing... is better in a place with no people..."
This sentence was the boldest response she could muster at this moment.
Something like kissing a boy she had just confirmed as a pretend boyfriend not long ago... she couldn't accept it yet...
After Yanami Anna finished speaking, Imaizumi Keita felt a massive surge of energy pour into his body. The energy pool inside him seemed about to be filled, and the progress of his awakening was almost complete.
Imaizumi Keita's heart was full of excitement and thrill.
He had just been trying to obtain more energy by leveraging this atmosphere and scene, but he never expected to get such an answer.
What's the difference between this and "come to my place for a drink of water before you go"?!
Yanami Anna!
I like her! I want to love her!
Surprise and appreciation flashed in Imaizumi Keita's eyes, but he also knew the importance of moderation.
He decisively straightened up, creating distance between them, but deliberately put on a look of helplessness, pursing his lips as if rejected.
Imaizumi Keita turned to look at Himiya Karen, who was still watching them with an expectant face, and shrugged with an expression mixing doting and helplessness.
"No helping it. Anna is a bit shy."
"Ah—I get it! I get it!"
Himiya Karen immediately showed an understanding expression, nodding vigorously.
"Of course a girl would feel embarrassed in front of friends! It's fine, it's fine!"
Seeing this "good show" temporarily come to an end, Himiya Karen enthusiastically steered the conversation back: "Seeing how you two still look like you want to stick together, want to sing a song?"
"Hmm..."
Imaizumi Keita nodded somewhat sheepishly, an apologetic look on his face.
"It doesn't really feel like everyone hanging out together if we always let Hakamada-kun and Karen-san sing while we just sit here watching."
Imaizumi Keita said with a smile, his tone so natural it was as if he were the organizer of this gathering.
As he spoke, he pulled Yanami Anna up from the sofa by the hand he was still tightly holding.
Yanami Anna, in a daze, was led by him to stand in front of the large screen.
Imaizumi Keita picked up the controller and skillfully tapped a few times. A familiar melody soon began to play.
It was a classic duet love song with extremely high popularity among couples—"Because I Like You."
He placed one of the microphones into Yanami's hand and turned his head to look at her gently.
"Do you know this one?"
"O-of course I know it!"
Yanami Anna, her face red, answered almost defensively.
She had listened to this song countless times and had fantasized countless nights about singing it with Sousuke.
Every single word in the lyrics seemed tailor-made for her twelve-year-long unrequited love.
As the musical intro played, Imaizumi Keita was the first to pick up his microphone.
Imaizumi Keita rarely sang in front of others, but his voice was unexpectedly steady and pleasant.
He didn't use many fancy techniques, just a clean and sincere vocal tone, perfectly conveying the somewhat clumsy yet incredibly steadfast feelings of a boy's unrequited love described in the lyrics.
It was Yanami's turn.
She gripped the cold microphone, took a deep breath, and began to sing along with the melody.
For the first few lines, the image that uncontrollably surfaced in her mind was still that of Hakamada Sousuke.
That long, hopeless unrequited love, the bitterness of longing without attainment, all flowed from her throat along with the lyrics.
"In my heart swaying romantically, overflowing thoughts, yes, they're all about you..."
"If this feeling called 'like' could reach you, would tomorrow's me change just a little..."
She sang, her voice carrying a sadness she herself hadn't even noticed.
If only...
Yanami Anna subconsciously turned her head, wanting to glance at the man who had occupied almost her entire youth.
And then, she saw a scene she didn't want to see.
She saw Sousuke sitting together with Karen, Karen's head intimately resting on his shoulder, and Sousuke looking down at Karen with a doting expression, talking to her.
At that moment, Yanami Anna's heart felt as if something had stabbed it hard.
Not pain, but a kind of... clarity after sudden realization.
That's right, just like herself and Imaizumi.
They too were Immersive (immersed) in their "couple-style" intimate contact, with no time to pay attention to anyone else.
Yanami Anna turned her head back, not daring to look anymore.
And right at that moment, she felt the hand that had been interlocked with hers give a gentle shake.
Imaizumi Keita was quietly looking at her with those deep eyes, not saying a word.
Yanami Anna's heart suddenly calmed down just like that.
She gripped the microphone tightly again. When the next line of lyrics sounded, the Picture (scene) in her mind had quietly changed.
She remembered noon in the courtyard, Imaizumi's helplessness and seriousness when he used that twisted logic to get her out of a tight spot.
She remembered the temperature that made her heart race when Imaizumi pressed his forehead against hers just moments ago.
She remembered the scene when Imaizumi, in that domineering yet doting tone, declared to Sousuke, "She is my girlfriend."
As she sang, she suddenly realized that the "unspoken liking" and "desire to get a little closer" depicted in the lyrics no longer seemed to belong to the sadness of the past. Instead, they had transformed into... a brand-new, utterly bewildering emotion point to (pointing towards) the present, point to (pointing towards) the man beside her.
It felt as if the feelings of the past were dissipating bit by bit with her singing.
A new kind of emotion had Unconsciously (unconsciously) occupied her heart.
This huge cognitive Impact (impact), mixed with bidding farewell to her Passed away (departed) youth and confused (uncertainty) about the unknown future, turned into an uncontrollable ache that rushed up to her sinuses.
The screen before her eyes began to blur.
A warm tear uncontrollably slid from the corner of her eye, tracing down her cheek silently.
She hadn't had time to lift her hand to wipe it, nor did she want to let go of the hand that was being tightly held.
However, a warm palm appeared beside her cheek first.
Imaizumi Keita had I don't know when (at some point) put down his own microphone. With his other hand, in an incredibly gentle motion, he used his fingertip to wipe away that tear for her.
The music continued, and everyone's gaze in the private room was focused on them.
Imaizumi Keita just looked at her quietly, then leaned close to Yanami Anna's ear and whispered in an extremely gentle voice only she could hear:
"Don't worry, I'm here."