Ch. 46 - The Feeling of Liking Someone
When does a person start liking someone?
Is it born from a fleeting, unforgettable moment, that first glance upon meeting, a glimpse of their hidden side, a smile so gentle it lingers long after it fades, or perhaps from something as simple as an eraser, or a tissue offered in passing?
Or maybe it takes shape over time.
Through countless, unremarkable days spent together, talks that never grow dull no matter how long they last, steps that fall naturally into rhythm side by side, instinctively wanting to share joy or shoulder sorrow together.
Until one day, when that person is gone, you suddenly realize a vital piece of your life’s puzzle has vanished with them.
Yet no matter how it happens, whether in an instant or across years, Harutaki wouldn’t believe anyone could fall for someone just because they'd been bullied or been bullied by them.
That wasn’t love. That was sickness.
“Since you can’t fight back, you might as well enjoy it, huh?”
Her soft, rose-tinted eyes were hazy, like misted glass.
Harutaki’s hand, reaching toward the hem of her skirt, froze midair.
...Maybe this was going too far.
Nogami lay perfectly still, offering no resistance at all. That quiet submission, an unspoken do as you wish, stirred something dangerous inside him.
Abstinence during puberty... was truly hellish.
His mind scolded him to stop, but his blood had other ideas.
“I’m taking this off, alright?”
“......”
“Let’s guess the color first.”
“......”
“Your hair tie and phone case are pink. I bet your underwear’s something in that range, pink and white, maybe?”
“Trash...”
“Oh? I thought Nogami-san had already decided to just enjoy the experience quietly.”
“Stop joking about disgusting things like that!”
Slap!
A scalding pain exploded across his left cheek, so sharp it killed even the lecherous smirk trying to hold its ground.
The heat that had filled the room only seconds ago vanished into an icy silence, so thick it seemed to freeze the air itself.