"What's wrong?"
Setting down a glass of mango juice in front of Mutsumi Wakaba, Kamigawa Saku took a seat on the sofa, maintaining a polite distance. Earlier, while helping Soyo Nagasaki in the kitchen, he'd noticed Wakaba casting glances their way more than once.
If it had only happened once, he wouldn't have thought much of it. But after several glances, he felt compelled to ask.
He wanted to understand what kept drawing her attention.
Wakaba shook her head, remaining silent and refraining from asking any questions. Even if she knew there was something a little unusual about the two of them, so what?
It had nothing to do with her.
Or perhaps, it did a little—after all, Soyo Nagasaki was a good friend.
Wakaba sipped the mango juice Saku handed her, keeping her usual silence.
"…"
Seeing her reaction, Saku found himself at a loss for words. The truth was, he still didn't entirely understand her.
It was difficult to gauge her thoughts when she rarely showed expression or reactions, and she barely spoke at all. Although Nagasaki had once shared some tips on how to get along with Wakaba, those pointers mostly related to her preferences, not her current mood.
He couldn't tell if she was bored and open to conversation or simply appeared disinterested while actually being annoyed by any social interaction.
For someone like him—an experienced galgame player—this was a unique challenge.
After a brief pause, Saku decided on a straightforward approach and casually mentioned, "By the way, Soyo just started cooking, so it'll take a bit of time."
"Oh."
Wakaba replied softly.
"So, should we chat a little to pass the time? But if you're not up for it, that's okay, too."
Saku pretended to be casually disinterested, figuring that directly asking would be better than guessing whether she wanted to talk.
Would Wakaba go along with a conversation just to be polite?
He doubted it. Evidence of her honesty lay in how, at the café, she'd unhesitatingly mentioned she didn't mind going on the hot springs trip with all four of them.
A girl like her, who could be so direct, wouldn't force herself to chat if she didn't feel like it.
"Sure."
Wakaba didn't mind. All she had to do was listen and respond occasionally. Not difficult at all.
"Great."
Seeing her agree, Saku's lips curved into a small smile. Then, almost awkwardly, he added, "Though, I must admit, even though I suggested it, I'm not sure where to start. Maybe it's because we're not very familiar?"
"Say whatever you'd like."
Wakaba assumed the role of a listener.
"And what about you? Don't you plan on speaking?"
Saku noticed her choice of words.
"…"
Wakaba lowered her head, saying nothing.
"If we're going to chat, shouldn't both of us be talking?"
Saku's expression lit up as if he'd just had an idea. "How about this—why don't we take turns asking each other questions? You ask me one, I answer, then I ask you one, and so on."
"Questions?"
The direction the conversation was taking wasn't quite what Wakaba had expected.
Saku nodded. "Right. So, who should go first—you or me?"
This was a subtle trick. By offering two options, he was nudging her toward choosing without considering any other alternatives.
For example, if someone asks if you plan on drinking soy milk or porridge for breakfast, you might start weighing those options without realizing you could choose neither or drink something else entirely.
A straightforward example of this is in system options.
Though he knew he wasn't limited to the choices given, he often chose one for the system's random rewards.
In this case, Saku was nudging Wakaba to overlook the option of outright refusing his suggestion. Whether she chose for him to go first or herself, she would essentially be agreeing to his proposal.
Would she fall for it?
"You go first."
Wakaba made her choice. If he'd made her go first, she wouldn't have known what to ask.
"Alright."
Saku agreed, secretly delighted. His plan had worked!
Had Wakaba failed to notice this trick because she rarely engaged in conversation with others?
Regardless, this gave him a rare chance to truly chat with her. If he were the only one talking while she merely listened, it wouldn't count as a real conversation.
The back-and-forth was essential. That was the true purpose of his turn-based question idea.
"I'll start with an easy question. What's your favorite food?"
Saku began simply, avoiding any strange or difficult questions.
"Cucumber."
Wakaba answered without hesitation.
"Got it. Your turn."
Saku tried to recall their earlier trip to the market where she'd bought several cucumbers. It seemed she wasn't lying.
"Did you give the sunflowers to Soyo?"
After a moment's thought, Wakaba asked her question. Although she already had an answer in mind, she wanted confirmation.
"I did."
Saku glanced toward the sunflowers on the balcony, well-tended by Soyo.
Wakaba responded, "Hmm."
Just as she thought—Saku was the reason Soyo was acting like this.
"Now it's my turn." Saku continued with a casual question. "What kind of music do you like?"
"Metal."
Wakaba answered truthfully.
"???"
Saku's first reaction was disbelief.
Wakaba, a metalhead?
He looked at her again, sitting quietly nearby.
No way.
She seemed nothing like a metal fan!
"Is this bass yours?"
Ignoring his surprise, Wakaba pointed at the six-string bass by the sofa and asked her next question.
"Yes, it's mine."
Saku admitted without hesitation.
Wakaba had no particular reaction—she'd already figured it out.
"My turn…"
And so, the two continued their questions.
Saku shared with Wakaba why he left his bass at Soyo's place. He also learned from her that she often grew vegetables, especially cucumbers, which she'd been doing at school as well.
---
What's going on?
Soyo Nagasaki placed the finished dishes on the table. Just as she was about to call them over for dinner, she noticed Saku and Wakaba seemed to be talking.
Was this real?
Given Wakaba's personality, she rarely engaged in conversation, especially not with someone like Saku.
According to them, this was only their second meeting.
This made no sense.
Unable to piece it together, Soyo decided not to call them just yet and approached them instead.
Just as she got close, she overheard Saku asking in a low voice, "The last time we met, were you buying Soyo's birthday gift?"
"Yes."
Wakaba responded slowly.
"What are you two talking about?"
Seeing how different things were from her expectations, Soyo couldn't help but ask.
Looking at them, it didn't seem like a chat—it looked more like an interrogation. Mutual interrogation, no less, with none of the usual friendly atmosphere.
"Oh, nothing much, we're just…"
Saku briefly explained the "game" they were playing.
Though it looked like they'd kept it up for a while, they hadn't asked each other that many questions. Some responses required a long explanation, like when Wakaba asked how Saku met Soyo.
Explaining that encounter had taken him quite a while, consuming most of their time.
"I see."
Finally, Soyo understood.
No wonder it had seemed so odd.
So they weren't really chatting; they were just answering each other's questions.
That was a relief.
For a moment there, she'd thought Wakaba might be betraying her trust.
Now it seemed she'd just overthought things.
Still, Saku's idea to connect with Wakaba this way was clever. Any other approach might not have elicited this much conversation from her.
And the turn-based question game itself seemed like fun.
Maybe, if she ever got the chance, she'd try it with Saku, too.
After all, it would be the perfect way to learn more about him.
And, of course, she would be happy to let Saku know her better as well.
---
T/N: wowww green hair, likes green vegetables