Chapter 100: Sprouting Affection[2]
That she taught me this technique inttionally.
"Thank you, sior!"
I was so excited that I unconsciously grabbed her hand and expressed my gratitude, without knowing what consequces that thoughtless action would bring.
Holding a woman\'s hand.
I have lived a life where I refrain from holding the hand of a woman who is not my girlfrid.
However.
Is it because I feel too comfortable, or is it because I feel too grateful?
That momt.
"Eww!"
The strange moan of Hiresia that I heard for the first time.
Her pointed ears twitched. A reaction that comes out wh you\'re really embarrassed.
Her face turned red, as if she was embarrassed by the strange sound she had inadverttly made.
Perhaps because her hair and eyes were silver, her redded face stood out ev more.
I also felt very awkward at such an unexpected reaction.
It would have be much less awkward if she had just rolled her eyes and slapped my hand away.
"Ah… Thank you..."
I took my hand away from her, who had be watching me with a bashful expression.
There was still some warm body temperature left... It\'s not the time to be thinking like that!
"Yeah, yeah..."
She also seemed to find this atmosphere extremely awkward.
The answer left an empty soul.
\'Th why did you react like that?\' I muttered to myself.
It\'s definitely the first time we\'ve held hands.
But this was not the first contact.
While learning archery, there were many instances of physical contact, especially wh receiving vitality injections.
There was really no problem at that time, but suddly there\'s this reaction.
That is to say...
\'... That\'s why.\'
I\'m not stupid.
The message from earlier said that a little affection for me had sprouted in her heart.
So, it means that today was the first time she recognized me as a man.
So, a completely differt reaction came out.
In the d, it turned out that I was the one who fanned the flames of this strange atmosphere.
\'I made a mistake.\'
I, too, had just become aware of Hiresia as a person of the opposite sex, but I hadn\'t yet decided on what to do with my relationship with her.
I thought it would be good to become frids no matter what.
That doesn\'t mean it was a rational relationship.
To begin with, it is unknown how close one can become rationally.
Because as a protagonist, I\'ve only failed over and over again.
So, I was more careful.
At least try to progress in a rational relationship after you have made up your mind.
In this kind of ambiguous state of mind, it\'s neither here nor there.
It\'s not ev polite to the other person.
"Ah, I..."
Wh I oped my mouth to speak.
"That... that... that... this... forget it."
Hiresia also oped her mouth with an awkward look.
It seems to be saying that somewhat embarrassing groan called \'Eww!\'
Honestly, I thought she was a little cute... but here, it was right to just accept what she said.
"Yes... Of course. Actually, I already forgot."
"Well, that can\'t be right."
"It\'s true. I was a little flustered too..."
It\'s true that I was embarrassed.
"I\'m more sorry than that, Sior. I didn\'t realize that I was expressing my gratitude..."
"Oh, no. That could be true."
A classic apology and reply.
Only th did I feel the awkward atmosphere starting to ease up a bit.
I turned my head towards the window.
"The rain has lighted."
"I know."
"It will stop soon."
My gaze turned to the canvas on which the landscape was painted.
"I think it would be a good idea to bring the canvas to my dorm room first. It looks like it\'ll rain intermitttly, ev if it stops right now."
"Let\'s do that."
I thought that if the rain stopped like this, I could go back to the dorm and finish up today\'s happings... but that\'s not the case.
It was a holiday wh I had to run a special training course in archery since I had granted her request.
I couldn\'t just let the day pass by.
"Ev though I hav\'t finished the drawing, can I consider this as accepting your request?"
"I had no inttion of finishing it today anyway. You have done a wonderful job of fulfilling this request."
A great complimt from Hiresia.
This is the first time I\'ve heard such words other than wh I bought meat.
As expected, today\'s evts were not just a simple incidt for her.
Perhaps it was an evt that marked a turning point in my relationship with her.
Maybe something good will happ if I help?
That strange phrase in the description of the surprise quest.
I didn\'t know that the "good things" writt there might mean progress in my relationship with her.
\'It\'s difficult, it\'s hard.\'
This was especially true because it was a relationship with a heroine I didn\'t really know.
Anyway, I had to pack what I needed to pack.
"No. It was just a little help. But anyway..."
I continued.
"Th, can I ask you to give me special archery training starting today?"
"Let that happ. Of course, I too must keep my promises."
Hiresia nodded.
Th she blurted it out.
"Do your best."
"That\'s obvious..."
"If you, who are teaching me personally, receive poor grades, th this body will also fall apart. That is unacceptable."
"...."
No, you said you didn\'t care at all until yesterday...?
Why are you suddly like this? It\'s so burdsome.
Of course, these feelings couldn\'t have aris suddly.
It wasn\'t a relationship that could be expressed, but with the progress made in our relationship due to today\'s incidt, it must have crossed that line.
Anyway, thanks to that, I now have more reason to do well in the archery evaluation.
There\'s no need to explain what will happ to the little bit of goodwill that has developed if I disappoint her, my teacher.
"That will never happ."