After sending the message, although it was immediately marked as read, there was no response. Sasaki didn't need to think hard to know the mix of emotions Chifuyu must be feeling.
She would be happy about his concern, disappointed that she couldn't help, and sad that he sought someone else for tutoring.
For him, these emotions were not difficult to predict.
But even if he knew this, he had no intention of offering comfort.
To transform the idiot Chifuyu into his idiot, he not only needed her to become thoroughly disillusioned with her current boyfriend but also recognize her feelings for him.
This gradual accumulation of goodwill, despite being attributed to their 'friendship,' would not simply vanish into the thin air.
Once she was completely disappointed with Takagi and their relationship ended, Sasaki could then break through the facade of friendship and ignite the hidden feelings, transforming them into affection and love.
But before that could happen...Sasaki still needed to find an opportunity to "self-destruct".
It just points out that he and Otome were in a romantic relationship.
Sasaki had said before that he would not lie to a girl who had a crush on him without any reason.
Although he was not some saint, he was not a scumbag either.
So, even though he couldn't contain his instincts and harem forming actions, he had always maintained that he wouldn't deceive girls who had feelings for him.
The deception included naturally included cheating on one's body.
Excluding voluntary donations and other unexpected situations.
Cheating on someone's body means deceiving the other person verbally and then having sex with him/her, which is a secondary deception.
In this situation, no matter how weak and vulnerable a girl is, she would definitely hate the person who deceived her the moment she knows the truth.
The longer the truth is hidden, the deeper the pain, and the more difficult it will be to coax the person back.
In extreme cases, girls are prone to do irrational things.
So, under normal circumstances, Sasaki would not lie to them.
As for the reason why he dared to let the stupid Chifuyu know that he had a lover,
Of course it was because the two of them were now just friends, and she also had a lover.
So even if she realized that there was something abnormal about her feelings for him, she wouldn't show it too obviously.
And would most likely push these thoughts aside, attributing them to friendship.
Of course, Sasaki planned to come clean about his relationship with Otome at an opportune moment.
After all, his relationship with that idiot had grown beyond mere friendship but hadn't yet reached a romantic level so revealing the truth now was ideal.
On the other hand, it was because the opportunities for Baka Chifuyu to interact with Otome and Rinka were increasing day by day, and the situations like this afternoon would only get more and more frequent.
Even if Sasaki didn't bring it up, over time, idiot Chifuyu would start to notice things.
He never thought that everyone else was a fool except himself.
Rather than letting her gradually become aware of the situation, leading her to think, "If he has a girlfriend, why is he so good to me," it would be better to take the opportunity to confess.
Although Sasaki's answer would always be "we are friends," it's still different.
Being proactive versus being passive leaves different impressions.
Proactively saying it means you're open and honest and do not any dark thoughts in your heart.
Although given idiot Chifuyu's nature, she wouldn't ask anything directly, but as a girl, lying in bed at night, she would start overthinking.
Letting these thoughts accumulate wouldn't be good for Sasaki.
As he was contemplating whether to seize this opportunity and confess directly, the girl sent another message.
[Alright then, make sure to work hard on your tutoring! (encourage.jpg)]17:44「Read」
Seeing this message, Sasaki hesitated, rubbing his temples.
Without actively seeking her help for tutoring, now didn't seem like the right time to confess.
Today was Friday, the start of the weekend break.
Saturday and Sunday were both school-free days.
Plus, he had plans for these two days.
So, he wouldn't be able to see idiot Chifuyu for two days.
Two days wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either.
Sasaki's only concern was that if he confessed right now, her boyfriend, Takagi Kenta, might take advantage of the situation.
Although this possibility was low given Takagi's oblivious nature, he didn't like leaving the choice to someone else.
But if he didn't confess, missing today's opportunity meant next week could bring unforeseen changes.
Confessions should be made sooner rather than later.
Putting things off day by day would only leave him uneasy.
'At worst, I can postpone Saturday's visit, or go after they finish tutoring.'
Disliking leaving hidden dangers in his heart, he finally decided to edit a message to idiot Chifuyu.
[So, how was your time with Otome today? Did you become friends? (smile.jpg)]17:45「Read」
"Otome..."
Lying on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly, Tsukimi Chifuyu looked at the message on her phone and unconsciously murmured.
Although she had learned about the relationship between the president and Fuyumi during the cake shop outing with Rinka and her, seeing Fuyumi so intimately refer to someone else still made her a little jealous.
Acting as if she didn't know, despite the bad premonition in her heart, Tsukimi Chifuyu edited and sent a message.
[Otome? What's your relationship with the president, Fuyumi? (confused.jpg)]17:45 「Read」
The reason she asked this, besides her jealousy, was that she wanted to hear Fuyumi personally clarify their relationship.
Because only his words were what she could believe 100%.
However, the boy's reply exceeded her expectations.
[She's my childhood friend and also my girlfriend. Did you two get along well? (smile.jpg)]17:45 「Unread」
"Ugh~~~"
Seeing this message, Tsukimi Chifuyu's eyes widened in disbelief, and she froze for a moment.
Then, the sadness and grievance in her heart burst out like a punctured water balloon, flooding out of her eyes.
Feeling the unstoppable wave of grief and bitterness, the girl flung her phone aside and buried her tear-streaked face into the pillow, trying to use it to block the emotions gushing from her eyes and the sobs escaping from her mouth.
But before she could fully vent her feelings, the sound of a message notification made her stop sobbing instantly.
"Sniff~"
Sniffling hard, Tsukimi Chifuyu clumsily wiped the tears from her eyes with her delicate, jade-like hands, and then reached for her phone lying at the edge of the bed.
[If she bullies you, make sure to tell me. I'll make sure to teach her a lesson. You're my best friend, Chifuyu. Always. (hug.jpg)]17:47 「Read」
"Ugh~~~"
Blinking her tear-filled eyes, the tears that had welled up slid down her flushed cheeks.
Seeing this message, her grievance lessened slightly, but her bitterness deepened as she buried her head back into the pillow with a woeful whimper.
But realizing that her reaction was inappropriate and knowing that Fuyumi was waiting for her response, Tsukimi Chifuyu, like an abandoned little animal, whimpered a bit more before raising her tear-streaked, messy face to reply to Sasaki's message.
[Otome didn't bully me. She's very kind to me. Don't hit her... Fuyumi, you're my best friend too! Always! (hug.jpg)]17:49 「Read」
[Mm-hmm! (hug.jpg)]17:49 「Read」
Not responding to Sasaki's message anymore, realizing she shouldn't be crying this much, Tsukimi Chifuyu quickly wiped her tear-stained face.
Then she sent a message to Takagi Kenta.
[Takagi, are you busy right now?]17:51 「Unread」
After sending the message, Tsukimi Chifuyu, who was holding her phone, waited almost until she fell asleep without receiving any reply.
Just as she was thinking that Takagi might be doing homework and didn't see the message, the sound of a message notification suddenly revitalized her.
[Just finished club activities and about to start extra practice. What's up, Tsukimi?]18:29 「Read」
Seeing this, the hopeful look in her bright, watery eyes dimmed like a sky covered in clouds.
Heartbroken, Tsukimi Chifuyu casually replied and then tossed her phone aside, burying her head back into the pillow.
"Ugh~~"
Ding-dong~
Having heard this sound many times today but without receiving any good news, Tsukimi Chifuyu was already too scared to look at her phone again.
She feared receiving another message that would make her sad.
But on second thought... there wasn't much left to be disappointed about.
Thinking this, the girl reached for her phone.
[Chifuyu, make sure to rest well tonight. Don't make more questions for Takagi, there are still some left from before.]18:30「Read」
[When you meet Takagi, don't go too early. Make sure to rest well, okay? If I see dark circles under your eyes on Monday... you can forget about getting any help from me in the future! (angry.jpg)]18:30「Read」
[Alright, it's time for me to get off work. Talk to you later. (smile.jpg)]18:30「Read」
Having attributed her previous tears and sadness to the fear that he wouldn't care about her if he had a girlfriend, Tsukimi Chifuyu felt both bitter and happy as she sensed his care through the screen, muttering softly.
"Fuyumi~"
[I will take good care of myself, Fuyumi. Be safe on your way home! (happy.jpg)]18:32「Read」
[Okay! (ok.jpg)]18:32「Read」
Seeing the instant reply, Tsukimi Chifuyu tightly grasped her phone with her slender, fair hands and held it close to her chest, near her heart.
"Fuyumi~"
...