Maria's Forwardness [Pt 1]

My eyes widened as I, for the first time, fully looked at Maria's face.

It looked sort of the same, but her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were full of determination.

For some reason, due to the darkened ambiance of the room, she was looking far more mature than I initially thought.

'I guess she wants to confess.'

Was this good or bad? I wasn't sure.

But, if she was to confess at this moment, wouldn't it be easier for me to reject her? I mean, she had only been sending signals before. It wasn't concrete enough to warrant a 'No'.

But now? If she expressed her feelings, I could just tell her the truth about mine.

'Alright. I'll let her go first.'

"Maria, you can—"

Before I could finish, her hands slightly landed on my cheeks, caressing them slowly.

"You're hot…"

'Eh?' I initially didn't understand what she meant by that—or why she was touching me so intimately.

'Her hands are cold… and she's shivering a bit. Is she alright?'