Shiriku's eyes widened in confusion at Fuyumi's sudden accusation, his mind reeling as he tried to comprehend the situation. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He simply stared at Fuyumi, his expression a mixture of bewilderment and concern.
Fuyumi's chest heaved with frustration as she struggled to articulate her feelings. She took a step closer to Shiriku, her hands clenching into fists at her sides as she fought to control her rising anger.
"You're always flirting with other girls, pretending to be their boyfriend," Fuyumi accused, her voice quivering with emotion. "How can I trust you when you're like this?"
Shiriku's confusion deepened at Fuyumi's accusations, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but his voice caught in his throat.
"I-I don't understand," he finally managed to stammer out, his tone tinged with frustration. "What are you talking about, Fuyumi?"
Fuyumi shook her head, her frustration boiling over as she struggled to contain her emotions. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Shiriku," she insisted, her voice trembling with anger. "Don't play dumb with me."
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Fuyumi's frustration boiled over into anger as she continued to accuse Shiriku, her voice trembling with emotion. "There you go trying to cheat, and especially using me as a second girl when your first girl is Sachi, my best friend," she seethed, her eyes flashing with indignation. "How dare you, Shiriku!"
Shiriku's confusion only deepened at Fuyumi's words, his brows furrowing in disbelief. He took a step back, his hands raised in a gesture of bewilderment. "Hold up, wait a minute, something ain't right here," he protested, his tone incredulous. "Sachi? My girl? Huh? How did this conversation end up with that?"
Fuyumi fell silent, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she struggled to explain her reasoning to Shiriku. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she tried to articulate her thoughts.
"I-I'm saying this because..." Fuyumi stuttered, her words faltering as she searched for the right way to express herself. Finally, she mustered up the courage to continue. "Y-you called me cute, Shiriku."
Shiriku furrowed his brows in confusion at Fuyumi's statement, his expression reflecting his bewilderment. "Yes, I did," he replied slowly, his tone cautious. "So?"
Fuyumi's blush deepened as she met Shiriku's gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. "C-calling me cute means you like me, r-right?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Shiriku's confusion only grew at Fuyumi's assertion, his brow furrowing in disbelief. "Huh? Me calling you cute means I like you?" he echoed, his tone incredulous. "In what universe does that make sense?"
Fuyumi's frustration bubbled to the surface as she pointed at Shiriku, her voice trembling with emotion. "S-see, you're denying it again!" she accused, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Shiriku shook his head, his frustration mounting as he tried to make sense of Fuyumi's logic. "What? I'm not denying it," he protested, his tone tinged with frustration. "The word you're saying, that me calling you cute means I like you, just doesn't make sense."
He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fuyumi, where did you even get this idea?" he asked, his voice tinged with exasperation.
Fuyumi stuttered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she struggled to explain herself. "B-because if a boy says to a girl she's cute, that means he likes her," she finally managed to stammer out.
Shiriku's eyes widened in disbelief at Fuyumi's explanation, his frustration reaching its peak. "That's it?" he exclaimed, his tone incredulous. "So what you're trying to say is that Sachi, who's the sunshine in our room, is popular with the boys since she always receives compliments that she's cute?"
Fuyumi nodded hesitantly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Shiriku let out another sigh, shaking his head in disbelief. "And what about you, Fuyumi?" he pressed, his tone gentle yet probing. "Aren't the other boys call you cute sometimes?"
Fuyumi's blush deepened at Shiriku's question, her gaze flickering away as she struggled to respond. "Th-they're different," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "Them calling me and Sachi doesn't mean that they like us because we're not friends with those people."
Shiriku's frustration boiled over as he tried to make sense of Fuyumi's logic. "Huh? So just because we're friends means that my word 'cute' means I like you?" he repeated, his tone tinged with disbelief.
Fuyumi nodded hesitantly, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. Shiriku let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words.
"Well, that's just stupid, Fuyumi," he finally exclaimed, his frustration evident in his tone. "Me calling you cute is a compliment from a friend. It doesn't mean the same thing as liking someone."
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As Fuyumi stood there, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, she felt a wave of panic washing over her. She couldn't believe she had made such a fuss over Shiriku's innocent compliment. Her mind raced with thoughts of how she must have looked in front of him, flustered and unable to control her emotions.
Shiriku watched Fuyumi's reaction with amusement, a gentle smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You know, Fuyumi, seeing you panic like this and get embarrassed makes you look cute too," he remarked teasingly, his tone light and playful.
Fuyumi's eyes widened in surprise at Shiriku's unexpected comment. She blinked in astonishment, caught off guard by his words. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, she simply stared at Shiriku, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Finally, after a moment of silence, Fuyumi's expression shifted. Her features hardened, and she adopted her usual cold attitude. She straightened her posture, her demeanor regaining its composure.
"There you go," Shiriku remarked with a smile, his tone warm and affectionate. "You're back."
Fuyumi met Shiriku's gaze, her eyes softening slightly as she offered him a small smile. "I'm sorry, Shiriku," she said sincerely, her voice tinged with regret. "That act was not like me. But thank you for forgiving me. I'll take my leave now."
With that, Fuyumi turned on her heel and began to walk away. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves filled the air, adding to the serene atmosphere.
"Okay then, bye Fuyumi," Shiriku called out after her, his voice filled with warmth. He watched her retreating figure for a moment before turning to continue on his own way.