"And?"
"..."
"..."
"What is this situation again?"
"It seems that Miss Tsubaki wanted to hang out with—"
"Shut it, Yamada!!"
Tachima Kanade already felt like her day was ruined when Kirisaki Tsubaki showed up at her house.
On the other hand, Yamada Naoto, who thought Kanade and Tsubaki were on great terms, happily welcomed Tsubaki in.
Yamada, sitting cross-legged on the tatami with big smile, made Kanade feel annoyed. Unable to ignore him, she snapped...
"Hey, you dork! What's with that creepy smile, huh?"
Yamada didn't bother responding and instead got up, saying casually, "I'll go make some tea for you two. Just hang tight for a bit, okay?"
Kirisaki Tsubaki replied politely.
"Thank you, Mr. Yamada."
Kanade, not liking being brushed off, huffed and yelled after him.
"Hey, don't just ignore me, you dork! YAMADA!"Tsubaki, hearing the way Kanade spoke, thought it was strange for someone to talk to an older person like that. After thinking about it for a second, she decided to ask Kanade directly.
"Miss Tachima?"
"Huh?"
Kanade raised her eyebrow like an delinquent, looking annoyed. Tsubaki forced a polite smile and asked...
"Miss Tachima, can I ask how old Mr. Yamada is?"
"Is that seriously why you're here?"
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to meddle, but the way you talk to him doesn't seem right. You should show some respect to older people. That's all I wanted to say."
"Well, let me tell you something, that dork Yamada is only 18. Our ages aren't far apart. And one more thing..."
"..."
"He's the one who should be respecting ME. Not just respecting, though—he should protect me, help me out, take care of my needs, and stick by my side. That's his—"
Before Kanade could finish, Yamada came back with the tea.
"Alright, tea's ready! Wait, did something happen?"
"..."
"..."
Kanade stood up, clearly irritated, and stormed out of the house.
Tsubaki immediately followed her. "Wait, Miss Tachima!"
"Hey, you two, wait!" Yamada called out, looking flustered, but neither of them turned back. He stood there, still holding the tea, completely stunned.
TO BE CONTINUED...