After five minutes straight of talking, sometimes stopping to take a breath and wetting his throat for another round of chatting, Izumi finally ran out of topic.
However, it did not even take three seconds before she came up with another topic.
"Ah, right. Do you know my friends? I only have three of them. One I made in high school while the other two had always been with me since middle school."
When she finally mentioned her friends, Aoi quickly remembered Oka, who had been depressed when he realized his crush, Izumi's friend, had disappeared without even trying to find out about her.
Aoi could not just disappoint Oka when he assured him he would ask for the girl's contact on his behalf through Izumi, so he asked, "Ah, right. Oka is interested in one of your friends. Are they still single?"
"Which?" Izumi titled her sideways. "One has a boyfriend."
Aoi was startled.
Surely, the prettiest one that Oka had taken a liking to should be what Izumi was referring to as having a boyfriend, right?
He could only pray for his friend's luck that it was not the in-relationship friend of Izumi he had an interest in.
"Ah." Aoi smiled lightly. "Can you show me pictures of them? I can barely remember her. I'll Facetime him."
Izumi nodded.
Aoi took out his phone, but before he called Oka, he was suddenly interested in what Izumi thought about what he was doing.
What if Izumi was unwilling to sell her friend to Oka but was only participative since her boyfriend was asking her?
He asked, "Are you sure you are okay with it? What if you are only forced to help Oka court your friend? Surely, Oka's casanova action should detest you, right?"
Izumi was stunned and then giggled cutely.
"You do know that he is only that way? He used to chase a lot of girls, yet he is still single since birth. He is a hopeless romantic. I don't mind as long as my friend is willing, of course. If she is not, then I can't force her."
Aoi sighed in relief and nodded.
"Thank you."
"Don't be. I have always been wanting to tease my friends, too. Remember their reactions earlier? How I wish to pinch their cheeks until I rip it out."
Aoi felt a chill crawling down his spine.
He coughed.
"Aren't you too violent?"
Izumi just smiled ambiguously at him while Aoi called Izumi and tried to calm his quivering hand.
Thankfully, the call quickly connected, and Oka's face appeared on the screen.
When Oka saw the handsome appearance of Aoi, obviously on a date or something, he teased.
"Why are you calling your brother? You should be focused on your date right now. You can't be distracted."
Aoi shrugged and turned the phone to Izumi so Oka could greet the latter.
"Oh! Hi, Izumi!"
Oka's voice was ear-piercing as always. The speaker almost even broke.
"You're so pretty. Now, it makes sense why even the unromantic Aoi is smitten by your beauty. Anyway, are you enjoying his company? I would not be surprised if he did not utter a single word during your date."
Aoi turned the phone to look at Oka's annoying face.
He said, "You are loud and talkative as always."
Oka guffawed and winked.
"Really, bro. You should enjoy your date right now. Why are you even calling me?"
Aoi replied nonchalantly, "Aren't you complaining earlier you missed knowing about your crush? I forgot about her face, so I called you while Izumi will show the face of her friend you have a crush on."
Aoi suddenly squinted.
"Or, do you really want me to focus on my date?"
Izumi chuckled, causing Aoi's eyes to glance at her.
Oka's panicked voice echoed, grabbing Aoi's attention on him.
"N-No! Of course, I want you to focus on your date, but I also want you to not forget about your promise earlier, too."
Aoi smiled lightly.
He shook his head and said, "However, Izumi and I have decided we can only help you get in contact with her. As for forcing her to like you… Well, that's your problem. Don't mess it up."
Oka nodded ecstatically.
"Of course, of course. How could I? Anyway, where is the picture now? Show me, and I'll tell you which friend of hers I have an interest in. Quick, quick!"
"You are too impatient." Aoi could only shrug while glancing at Izumi.
Izumi pulled out her phone and instantly turned her phone to Aoi.
The pictures of her and friends appeared on her home screen.
Aoi was not surprised since Izumi obviously valued her friends deeply.
Aoi turned the phone, still hearing the impatient Oka, as the latter quickly turned silent when he saw the home screen of Izumi's phone.
Aoi said, "Don't complain about the apps hiding-"
"Damn! Her face is being obstructed by the apps. Can't you just show me the picture in the gallery and not on the home screen?" Oka complained.
Aoi snorted and was about to end the call, assuming that Oka's whining offended Izumi when he saw the latter's expression appearing to be playful.
He sighed and smiled slightly, knowing Izumi was only playing with Oka.
Izumi replied, "Oh, right. Sorry, sorry. Wait."
Izumi turned the phone over, seemingly searching for something on her phone, and turned it over to Aoi's phone once more.
This time, Aoi could not help but be startled.
It showed the face of a pretty girl, though not as pretty as Izumi, of course, having a perky expression, apparently deliberately making her face ugly on the camera.
Furthermore, her face was close, too, causing it to almost cover the phone screen.
At this moment, Aoi saw Izumi's face giggling as she was staring at his phone screen, and he also realized Oka suddenly went quiet.
He was about to turn it over to him when he heard the Oka's voice.
"S-So pretty…"
Izumi suddenly acted smugly, replying, "Of course. Out of us, she's the prettiest but also hard to get. Why? Her crush is always a celebrity. She has many admirers, but not once has she taken a liking to."
Izumi sneered.
"So, good luck. If you manage to obtain her heart. Well, I don't know… congratulations? If not, oh, well, then that's normal."
Izumi could not hold herself from laughing at her silly jokes.