Imaizumi Keita looked at her face so close at hand, at her narrowed eyes, and at that unhidden brilliant smile at the corner of her mouth.
Somewhere soft deep in his heart felt as if it had been gently touched by something.
He subconsciously blurted out, "Yakishio, you're really beautiful."
Being praised by Imaizumi Keita at such a close distance.
Although the machine's countdown was still continuing, Shioyaki Lemon could no longer hear it at all.
The smile on her face froze at the corners of her mouth, and those eyes that were always full of spirit widened slightly due to astonishment.
She stared blankly at Imaizumi Keita, her brain completely falling into a void at this moment.
"Click."
The last photo froze.
Shioyaki Lemon was startled awake by the sound of the shutter and hurriedly scrambled out of that narrow space that made her heart race.
"Ki-Kin-chan, you... what kind of nonsense were you just saying!"
Her back was toward Imaizumi Keita, her voice trembling slightly from nervousness, her hands vigorously fanning her burning cheeks, trying to make the heat subside quickly.
"W-what beautiful or not... I-I'm just...!"
She stuttered for a long time, not knowing how to describe herself, so she ran to the photo printer without looking back to hide her embarrassment.
Soon, two identical sheets of photo booth stickers, filled with their intimate photos, were spat out by the machine.
Shioyaki Lemon picked up the photos, quickly pulled out one sheet, and then stuffed the remaining sheet into the hand of Imaizumi Keita, who had followed her out.
"Here! This is for you!"
She didn't dare look at him again, and after dropping those words, she turned and ran quickly toward the Arcade's exit.
Imaizumi Keita watched her fleeing back and then looked down at the photo booth stickers in his hand, finally unable to help but laugh out loud.
Yakishio's shy appearance actually has some similarities to Yanami...
...
After leaving the Arcade, Imaizumi Keita accompanied Shioyaki Lemon as they walked unhurriedly toward the school.
Shioyaki Lemon held the Shiba Inu plushie, walking with her head down the whole time, the blush on her cheeks never completely fading.
When they were almost at the school gate, she stopped and turned around.
"Um, Kin-chan." Shioyaki Lemon's voice was much softer than usual. "Thanks for coming out to play with me today, I... I'm very happy."
She then asked with some concern: "Do you... have anything else to do this afternoon? If you do, just seeing me here is fine, you don't have to walk me back."
"No."
Imaizumi Keita's answer was crisp and straightforward.
He looked at Shioyaki Lemon's eyes, which held a hint of unease, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Since I've already come out with you, of course I have to see you back safely. That's only complete, isn't it?"
These words made Shioyaki Lemon's heart skip a beat without warning.
Even though there was no connection, Shioyaki Lemon inexplicably thought of Ayano Mitsuki.
Mitsuki... he would never say something like that.
He would walk home with her and say "see you tomorrow" when they parted.
But he would never, like Kin-chan, use such a matter-of-fact tone to say something that made her feel... like she was being treated specially.
Kin-chan...
He is a completely different person from Mitsuki.
A feeling mixed with panic and a bit of sweetness surged into her heart once again.
Shioyaki Lemon's cheeks uncontrollably turned red once more.
"...Oh."
She gave a response and then jogged through the school gate.
After parting with Imaizumi Keita, she went straight toward the Track and Field Club's clubroom.
Imaizumi Keita wandered around the school aimlessly, eventually finding himself walking toward the Sports Field where the Track and Field Club trained.
From a distance, he saw that familiar figure.
Shioyaki Lemon had already changed into her sportswear and was warming up on the red synthetic track with her teammates.
Seeing her sweating freely on the track, Imaizumi Keita felt as if his heart was beating along with Yakishio's figure.
During a break in training, Shioyaki Lemon wiped her sweat with a towel while chatting and laughing with a teammate.
As if sensing something, she suddenly turned her head and looked toward the edge of the Sports Field.
When she saw Imaizumi Keita, the smile on her face instantly became even more brilliant, and she raised her arm high, waving at him vigorously.
Imaizumi Keita also raised his hand, smiling and waving back as a response.
A tall girl beside Shioyaki Lemon followed her gaze, and a gossipy smirk immediately appeared on her face.
She nudged Yakishio with her elbow and asked in a low, teasing tone:
"Hey, Lemon. That handsome guy... seems to be waiting for you to finish training."
"Is he... the boyfriend you've started dating?"
This is a four-thousand-word chapter, meow.
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