Shiriku, ever the playful tease, pretended to feign ignorance. "Say what word? I can't seem to remember," he replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, his tone casual and light-hearted.
"Fuyu-chan... I'm giving you permission to call me that!" Fuyumi declared, her face now displaying a captivating blend of embarrassment and frustration, her voice tinged with a hint of exasperation.
Unfazed by her declaration, Shiriku continued to playfully toy with her emotions. "Hmm, nah... I don't think I will," he quipped, his grin widening as he stood up from his seat, gently placing his hands on Fuyumi's shoulders. "I've decided that calling you Fuyu-chan will be something special, so I won't use it often," he teased, his playful demeanor evident as he enjoyed getting a rise out of her.
"Whatever!" Fuyumi huffed in response, flipping her hair in a display of annoyance. In her frustration, her hair swished and accidentally brushed against Shiriku's face. While he tried to maintain his composure on the outside, inwardly, Shiriku couldn't help but acknowledge, "Her hair smells nice, I wonder what conditioner she uses."
As Fuyumi took her seat, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she couldn't shake the lingering warmth of Shiriku's touch. "Shiriku will only call me that as his special nickname, right?" she mused, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty. To conceal her embarrassment, she lightly slapped both her cheeks, the action only serving to deepen the crimson hue of her cheeks. "It's not like I'm looking forward to it," she muttered to herself, though her blush betrayed her true feelings.
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Shiriku settled into his chair, scratching his head absentmindedly, oblivious to the inner turmoil brewing within Fuyumi. "Huh, I didn't really notice that Fuyumi is a tsundere," he mumbled to himself, his tone contemplative as he pondered the complexities of her personality.
Before Shiriku could delve further into his thoughts, a voice cut through the classroom chatter, pulling him back to reality. "Tsundere?" Sachi's voice rang out, her tone tinged with curiosity.
Startled by the interruption, Shiriku turned his gaze towards Sachi, who appeared genuinely intrigued. "A tsundere? You mean Fuyumi?" Sachi inquired, her brows furrowing in confusion.
"Yeah," Shiriku confirmed with a nod, his interest piqued by Sachi's sudden curiosity.
Sachi leaned in closer, her curiosity getting the better of her. "She's always been a tsundere," she explained with a knowing smile, her tone filled with understanding.
Shiriku's surprise was evident as he absorbed Sachi's revelation. "She is, huh? I always thought that everyone saw her as an ice princess," he admitted, his tone reflecting his genuine astonishment at the realization.
Sachi shook her head in disbelief. "What did you say to her to bring out her tsundere side?" she inquired, her tone filled with curiosity.
Shiriku chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, I just called her 'Fuyu-chan,' and she confronted me about it. Then I mentioned that sometimes I hear you, 'Sachi,' say that to her," he explained, his smile widening as he recalled the interaction.
Sachi found the situation perplexing. "That's weird," she commented, her tone reflecting her confusion.
Raising an eyebrow, Shiriku regarded her questioningly. "Why is it weird?" he prompted, genuinely curious about her perspective.
Sachi paused, contemplating her response. "Usually, when I call her Fuyu-chan, she doesn't act all tsundere with me. Now, watch," she said, determination coloring her tone.
With a mischievous glint in her eye, Sachi decided to put her theory to the test. She called out to Fuyumi in a casual tone, "Fuyu-chan," and waved at her friend. Fuyumi's reaction was immediate and dramatic. She slammed both hands onto her desk and stood up abruptly, her expression a mixture of surprise and anticipation.
"Shiriku! Oh, Sachi, you said it," Fuyumi exclaimed excitedly, her voice carrying across the classroom as she turned to face them, her cheeks flushed with excitement before settling back into her seat with a satisfied smile.
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Shiriku couldn't resist making a teasing remark. "Well, she must really hate me, huh?" he quipped, a playful tone evident in his voice.
Sachi shrugged, her expression thoughtful. "I'm not entirely sure. I mean, all four of us are friends now. Look at Junichi; he's at the door, greeting our classmates as they enter the room," she observed, a pleased smile gracing her lips.
Leaning back in his chair, Shiriku let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, after this class, it's gym class, right? I'm already exhausted from everything that happened at the school campus earlier. I think I'll try to catch a quick nap and recharge my energy," he murmured, his eyelids growing heavy with fatigue.
Sachi nodded understandingly, her warmth evident in her smile. "Yeah, sleep well, Shiriku. I'll wake you up when the teacher arrives. I'm going to go sit with Fuyumi now. Bye-bye," she said, waving at him before making her way towards Fuyumi's desk.
With a feeble attempt at a wave, Shiriku raised his hand before resting his face on his arms, ready to steal a moment of rest before the next class began.
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Amidst the peaceful embrace of sleep, Shiriku found himself drifting into a vivid flashback, transported back to a time filled with echoes of his own sorrow-filled voice. "Everybody thinks I'm weird just because I don't talk much," he heard himself lament, the words heavy with the weight of past experiences.
Voice 1, a friendly and inviting tone, chimed in, breaking through the somber atmosphere. "Hey, Shiriku, come join us!" it beckoned, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.
But then, like a sharp dagger piercing through the air, Voice 2 intruded, its tone dripping with mockery and disdain. "Hey, what are you doing? Stop talking to that weirdo," it jeered, its words laced with cruelty and rejection.
As the memory played out before him, Shiriku couldn't help but feel the familiar pang of isolation and alienation wash over him once again. The haunting echoes of past encounters reverberated through his mind, leaving him grappling with the lingering wounds of his past.
Just when he thought the dream couldn't delve any deeper into his subconscious, a voice, oddly familiar yet shrouded in mystery, whispered his name with a haunting urgency. "Shiriku... Shirikuuuuu!!!" it called out, sending a chill down his spine and jolting him awake.