75: Too Close, Too Close!

What are you doing, Gotou-san?

No matter how excited you are, this is still school.

Just because you don't have it yourself, you can't use someone else's lovey-dovey scene as your own form of entertainment.

No matter how you look at it, that's just too sad!

Absolutely not!

Aren't you even thinking about what will happen to your pants afterward?

Even if you let them dry naturally, it'll take time, right?

Forty minutes isn't even enough!

Wait… maybe it is…

Chisato watched as Hitori Gotou slowly wedged her guitar between her legs, leaving him momentarily stunned.

His instincts told him that what she was doing wasn't good and that he should stop her.

But his rational mind warned him that if he interrupted her now, she might experience a lifetime of unforgettable shame, the kind that would make her pull her hair out and roll on the ground in embarrassment, no matter the place.

This girl also suffers from severe social anxiety. 

If she's caught doing something so embarrassing, it could make things even worse, maybe even causing her to kneel down on the spot and meet her end.

Maybe it's better to pretend I didn't see anything and quietly leave.

Just as he thought this and was about to act on it, Chisato noticed Hitori scratching her back with her free hand before pulling the guitar out from between her legs.

Why do I suddenly feel so disappointed?

Chisato gently poked Hitori on the back.

Hitori flinched in surprise, turning her head so quickly that her forehead collided with Chisato's chin with a "thump."

"Ow… that hurts…"

Tears welled up in Hitori's eyes as she clutched her forehead and crouched on the ground.

Chisato, being a guy with a higher pain tolerance, instinctively held his chin with one hand, while his other hand skillfully caught Hitori's guitar.

The noise drew the attention of the completely absorbed couple nearby, who quickly ran off hand in hand.

Chisato crouched down to make eye contact with Hitori, aligning their viewpoints.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah… I'm… I'm fine!"

'Too close, too close!'

'Suzumiya-kun, you're too close! I can't think straight like this!'

As Hitori inhaled deeply, she caught a familiar, faint lemon scent mixed with the refreshing aroma of mint.

While secretly taking in another breath, Hitori, though somewhat reluctant, quickly stood up, still holding her head.

"Were you just spying on someone kissing, Hitori-san?"

"Eh!"

"You seemed really absorbed. Are you that interested in those kinds of things?"

"N-no… it's not like that… just… sometimes…"

Hitori's voice grew quieter as she spoke, her words sounding less confident, and her face turned even redder.

She felt a bit light-headed, like she might faint at any moment.

This girl is so easy to tease.

Seeing her reaction, Chisato decided to stop messing with her and quickly tried to put her at ease.

"You saw it by accident, right?"

"Ah… yes!"

"Well, if it was by accident, there's nothing you could do. It's really annoying, though, how some couples just don't care about time or place."

"Y-yes."

Hitori forced a smile and lightly patted her chest, trying to calm her heart, which was racing as if she had just gotten off a roller coaster.

If the cool and kind Chisato, who was willing to be her friend, had found out that she had been spying out of curiosity, their newly formed friendship would have ended right then and there.

He might have even given her a look of disdain before leaving, saying in a disgusted tone, "I didn't think you were such a pervert. How disappointing!"

'I'm so glad that didn't happen.'

"Uh…"

Chisato's eyelid twitches.

For some reason, Hitori suddenly looked at him with a gaze full of gratitude and emotion.

"Is this your guitar, Hitori-san?"

Chisato handed the guitar back to her, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Yes!"

Hitori nodded vigorously as she took the guitar, eager to confirm.

Maybe because they were talking about something she was good at, she seemed a bit more confident and began to speak more.

"This… this is my dad's guitar. I've been using it ever since I first started learning to play."

"It's like a true companion, then."

"Yeah!"

"I'm really looking forward to hearing you play, Hitori-san."

Chisato sat cross-legged on the grass.

"Are you going to start now?"

Hitori still felt a bit shy.

Chisato took out his phone and checked the time.

"Waiting a bit longer is fine, but we only have about half an hour before class starts, so we don't have much time."

"Eh! Time went by that fast… Please wait a moment. I'll get ready right away!"

"No need to rush or be nervous. Just play the way you always practice, Hitori-san."

"Okay!"

Hitori took her guitar out of the case and slung it over her shoulder. 

She made a few quick adjustments before turning to face Chisato, who was gently clapping his hands in encouragement.

It's okay, there's no one else here. Just imagine Chisato-kun as a carrot, broccoli, or a camera.

'I'm the "Guitar Hero" with over 30,000 followers online!'

'He'll definitely be super, super, super impressed when he hears me play!'

'Maybe he'll even start to admire me…'

'If I really do my best, maybe the scene I just saw could be recreated… with me and Chisato-kun instead.'

Guh… guh hehehe…

"Um… Hitori-san?"

After watching Hitori stand there giggling to herself for over two minutes, Chisato felt the need to gently remind her.

"Ah! I-I'll start playing now… This is one of my favorite guitar solos… I hope you like it, Chisato-kun…"

"Okay."

Under Chisato's expectant gaze, Hitori took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again, her whole demeanor changing as her fingers began to strum the guitar strings.

After she finished the song, Hitori nervously looked over at Chisato.

"Um… how… how was it?"

Chisato scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then gave her a bright smile.

"How should I put it? The sound was… interesting. It kind of felt like fluffing cotton."

"Eh—"

'F-Fluffing cotton…'

Hitori's face, which was actually quite pretty if you looked closely, visibly lost all color.

There's no doubt about it, he was mocking me. Instead of admiring me, I've become a joke to him, haven't I?

A joke is just another word for a clown.

Who would want to date a clown?

The fantasy of being drawn into a romantic kiss with Chisato, which had been playing out in Hitori's mind, shattered at that moment.

She collapsed softly onto the grass like melted ice cream.

"Hitori-san? Hitori-san? Are you okay? Did you get heatstroke?"

Chisato's voice sounded muffled, as if it were coming from underwater.

She vaguely felt herself being held and saw Chisato's concerned face close to hers.

Hitori slowly raised her left hand.

"Hitori-san, how do you feel? Dizzy? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

"It… it smells so nice…"

"Huh?!"

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