As Shiroe smiled at Shiriku's recounting of their time in the grocery store, he couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and fondness for his younger brother. "Noice, just enjoy your high school life, little bro," Shiroe remarked, his tone filled with genuine affection as he patted Shiriku on the back.
However, Shiriku's expression shifted from amusement to irritation as he furrowed his brows in frustration. "Hey, Shiroe, stop calling me little bro. I'm not 7 anymore!" he retorted, his tone laced with annoyance at the familiar nickname.
Shiroe couldn't help but chuckle at Shiriku's protest, finding amusement in his younger brother's indignation. "Shiriku, even if we're in our 50s, that doesn't change the fact that you're my little brother," Shiroe teased, his laughter echoing through the parking lot as he playfully ruffled Shiriku's hair.
Shiriku let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes at Shiroe's teasing. Despite his annoyance, he couldn't help but feel a pang of embarrassment as he recalled his earlier words to Fuyumi in the grocery store. "Fuyumi, I know you're an independent girl, but sometimes you have to let someone save you for once," he muttered under his breath, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he cringed at the memory.
Feeling a sense of secondhand embarrassment for himself, Shiriku shook his head, trying to push the awkward moment out of his mind. He glanced over at Shiroe, who was still chuckling at his expense, and couldn't help but crack a small smile despite himself.
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FUYUMI'S POV:
As the clock struck 8:30 PM, Fuyumi found herself lying on her bed, her mind drifting back to the grocery store encounter with Shiriku. The memory of his words replayed in her mind like a broken record. "Fuyumi, I know you're an independent girl, but sometimes you have to let someone save you for once," he had said, his voice echoing in her thoughts.
Blushing furiously, Fuyumi hugged her pillow tightly to her chest, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. She rolled over on her bed, burying her face in the soft fabric as she let out a muffled groan of embarrassment. "Shiriku, you never learned your lesson," she muttered to herself, her voice tinged with irritation. "I keep telling you to watch what you say to a girl, and you're here saying that out to me bluntly when Sachi left."
Her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, Fuyumi squeezed her pillow tighter, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. She couldn't deny that Shiriku's words had struck a chord with her, stirring up feelings she wasn't quite ready to confront.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her sister Kujou's voice pierced through the silence, shouting from the other room. "Fuyumi, could you please keep it down? I'm trying to study!"
Startled, Fuyumi jolted upright on her bed, her face turning even redder with embarrassment. "Oh, sorry, Kujou!" she called back, her voice apologetic as she tried to compose herself.
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FUYUMI'S POV:
Fuyumi's heart skipped a beat as her phone chimed with a new notification. Her eyes widened with surprise and a hint of nervousness as she saw Shiriku's name displayed on the screen. It had been weeks since they followed each other on Instagram, and they had only chatted once before, but Fuyumi couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement mixed with anxiety at the thought of receiving a message from him.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she hesitantly tapped on the notification, opening Shiriku's message. A wave of relief washed over her as she read the message, realizing it was just a simple greeting.
"Hey Fuyumi! How have you been?" the message read, accompanied by a friendly emoji.
Fuyumi couldn't help but smile at Shiriku's message, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment as she felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. She quickly typed out a reply, trying to sound casual despite the nervous excitement coursing through her veins.
"Hi Shiriku! I've been good, thanks for asking! How about you?" she responded, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed out her message.
As she hit send, Fuyumi couldn't help but fidget nervously, her heart racing with anticipation as she awaited Shiriku's response. She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously, her mind racing with a million thoughts and questions.
Suddenly, she realized she had been sitting in the same position for too long and jumped up from her bed, pacing back and forth across her room. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm her racing thoughts as she anxiously awaited Shiriku's reply.
With each passing second, Fuyumi's heart pounded louder in her chest, the anticipation almost unbearable as she waited for Shiriku's response. She couldn't shake the nervous energy coursing through her body, her mind consumed with thoughts of what to say next.
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Opening the message, Fuyumi read Shiriku's words carefully, her expression shifting from happiness to confusion. His message started with an apology for his previous comment at the grocery store. As she read further, he expressed his regret if what he said came off as weird or uncomfortable.
Fuyumi's brows furrowed as she processed Shiriku's message. She felt a pang of sadness at the reminder of their awkward encounter, but also a hint of relief knowing that Shiriku was acknowledging his mistake.
Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard as she struggled to formulate a response. Part of her wanted to brush off Shiriku's apology and pretend like everything was fine, but another part of her wanted to address the underlying tension between them.
After a moment of contemplation, Fuyumi typed out a reply, her fingers tapping the screen hesitantly. "It's okay, Shiriku. I appreciate your apology," she wrote, her tone cautious yet sincere.
As she hit send, Fuyumi couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of her stomach. She knew that she needed to have a conversation with Shiriku about what had happened, but she wasn't sure how to approach it without making things more awkward between them.
With a heavy sigh, Fuyumi set her phone aside and lay back on her bed, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions. She knew that she couldn't ignore the situation forever, but for now, all she could do was wait for Shiriku's response and hope that they could find a way to move past the awkwardness that had come between them.