197: Want to Know

The practice room is located on the underground floor, with light strips illuminating both sides of the stairs leading downward.

The light wasn't very bright, only enough to illuminate the path underfoot, but even so, Chisato, who was following behind, could clearly see the girl's red earlobes.

The words she had spoken earlier had some effect after all; Kazusa were not as calm as they seemed on the surface.

This discovery made Chisato feel a bit uneasy. She realized that Kazusa was not the only one who was nervous.

After being interrupted by the sudden appearance of Youko, most of his original indomitable momentum had already been exhausted.

When he walked into the kitchen again to prepare lunch, he calmed down a little and contemplated various practical problems.

Kazusa knew very little about the situation around him. 

Despite understanding her true thoughts and the circumstances involving Utaha, Eriri, and Hitori, she still spoke to him in a pleasant manner, displaying a gentle and cute side that was entirely different from others.

Ultimately, the main reason the three girls around him held such a high opinion of him and were so tolerant of him, to the point of relying on him, stemmed from his experiences in The Sims.

Winning their hearts required very little effort. The Sims truly felt like a cheat code.

However, his relationship with Kazusa was different from that with the simulated girls. 

The contact and interaction between him and Kazusa was plain and natural; it was a simple process of moving from acquaintances to familiarity through the convenience of sitting next to each other.

Their time together hadn't even lasted more than a month, making it completely incomparable to the three who had lived full lives to a certain extent.

The depth of their bond and emotion was very different, and the same naturally applied to their tolerance.

Whether it was Hitori, Utaha, or Eriri, the extent to which they could tolerate and retreat was vastly different for Kazusa.

Kazusa, coming from a good family and possessing a figure and appearance comparable to that of a model, had too many options.

At least so far, Chisato couldn't think of any way or words that could make her accept the situation around him.

His original plan was to delay discussing it for a while. 

After their relationship had further warmed, he would gradually and indirectly make her aware of his true nature and thoughts, then develop countermeasures based on her reaction.

However, after hearing Kazusa's question today and seeing her uneasy and flinching expression, Chisato couldn't help but let her heart soften. 

He ended up expressing all his inner thoughts directly.

It is said that girls in love lack rationality, and this statement applies to men as well.

The experiences learned from The Sims had no effect at all in front of Kazusa; revealing true feelings was the biggest weakness.

Chisato couldn't hold back anymore and surrendered early.

Now, his fate was completely in the other party's hands.

"I'm sorry. My mother has such a personality. She often speaks carelessly to everyone, mostly jokingly, but she doesn't have any bad intentions."

Kazusa turned on the lights in the practice room. When she turned around, she crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to look in other directions, avoiding Chisato's gaze.

Chisato shrugged, pretending to be relaxed.

"It's okay; I don't mind at all. In fact, I quite enjoy chatting with your mother. I've read reports about her in newspapers and magazines." 

"In the photos taken by reporters, she appears noble and cold. But I didn't expect her to be so easy-going and kind in person, which completely exceeded my expectations."

"That's just a public display of her personality. Anyway, what you saw was likely a photo of her in an evening gown."

"You know all this? Can you guess?"

"I'm not guessing. She usually only gives interviews after concerts unless there are special circumstances." 

"She feels most charming when wearing an evening dress, and she believes it makes her more attractive to the opposite sex."

At the end of her sentence, Kazusa shook her head slightly, pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, and closed her eyes. 

Clearly, her mother's character embarrassed her once again.

"That kind of figure-flattering and gorgeous dress is indeed eye-catching. I'd love to see Touma in an evening dress. She'd definitely look stunning—perhaps even more so than your mother."

As she said this, Chisato stepped forward, passed by Kazusa, and sat down in front of the piano.

It didn't matter anymore; she already knew all his thoughts anyway.

There was no need for ambiguity, roundabout tricks, or euphemistic rhetoric.

There was no need to hide it anymore.

After hearing these words, Kazusa finally understood the shocking fact that had just occurred to her after a moment of confusion.

Was she... seduced?

It was a compliment... It should be considered a compliment.

This was the first time since childhood that a boy had praised her in this way.

Kazusa's fingers, which had been pinching the center of her eyebrows, slowly closed into a fist, covering her mouth.

Why was it that one moment we were talking about our mothers, and the next moment he could say such embarrassing things so naturally?

Her whole body stiffened, and she turned around, glaring in anger.

"You said... what stupid things did you just say?"

The clenched fists of Kazusa showed that she was trying hard to maintain an imposing and intimidating demeanor.

But unfortunately, her trembling lips and incoherent words betrayed her true emotions. She was not as indestructible as she appeared.

Chisato shook his head firmly.

"It's not stupid. What I said is the truth. Since Touma usually doesn't communicate with others at school, it's natural you wouldn't know these things." 

"But I interact with all kinds of people daily, so I know how others view you."

"Review... evaluate?"

"Kindness."

With no way out, Chisato completely let go. He found words that were sincere and could make girls happy.

"Most of the boys at school share a consensus about your characteristics: your charming cold eyes, just the right sexy thin lips, your skin as white and translucent as snow, and your lustrous hair flowing in the wind." 

"All these qualities make you stand out among the girls."

"The only downside is your indifference, which is why everyone hesitates to get close to you." 

"But that's just right. This personality not only highlights your cuteness but also makes you feel less cute. Competitors can be an out-and-out good thing."