[Shiho Shimotsuki’s Perspective]
—Shiho loves Kotaro.
His calm demeanor, his attentive listening, the way he smiles only at her, the way he immediately blushes when teased, his constant effort… It might sound cliché, but she loves everything about him.
But just because she loves everything about Kotaro doesn’t mean she approves of everything he does.
There are a few things she cannot forgive.
For instance, she couldn’t tolerate Kotaro’s self-denial in the past.
His tendency to think he didn’t matter was something she truly couldn’t stand… But recently, she feels like even that aspect of him is gradually disappearing.
“…Hey, Kotaro-kun. Shall we hold hands?”
Spring break. The weather was nice today, so they were leisurely strolling.
They were just wandering aimlessly, but Shiho’s hand felt empty swinging by her side, so she decided to hold his hand.
“Yeah, sure. Why not?”
Without hesitation, he reached out his hand.
Seeing him like that, Shiho smiled.
“Is today one of those days?”
“Those days? What do you mean?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Hehe.”
“When you make that face, it makes me curious.”
With a hint of a smile, he scratched his cheek looking troubled.
She liked that gesture of his.
(Actually, I wanted you to be the one to hold my hand… Well, I guess I’ll let it slide.)
Today is a good day — Shiho’s heart bounced happily.
As their hands were connected, she absentmindedly thought about Kotaro.
(Today… there are no fluctuations in his tone.)
Lately, she’s noticed something odd about Kotaro.
With her keen sense of hearing and sensitivity… she could ‘hear’ his subtle changes.
(Previously, he would get flustered even when I asked him to hug me, but today, he’s fine.)
He naturally reached out his hand as if it were obvious.
Such trivial things truly made her happy.
(Have you learned to properly care for yourself?)
Before, he was someone who would hesitate even to hold Shiho’s hand, saying things like ‘I’m worthless’.
He was so self-deprecating, lacking confidence… It was really frustrating.
But recently, he started holding her hand like this.
The man who once thought even touching Shiho was presumptuous is no longer here.
That’s why… she occasionally worries about the ‘fluctuations in his tone’ that appear.
(Today, he’s Kotaro-kun as always… But back then, who was he becoming?)
Shiho knows.
She senses that sometimes Kotaro tries to become someone else.
Perhaps it’s unconscious for Kotaro… but to Shiho, who can even hear the subtleties of his heart, that change is incredibly puzzling.
(Even though my favorite is “Kotaro-kun”.)
Shiho loves everything about Kotaro.
So, she disliked it when Kotaro tried to become someone else.
“I wish we could always hold hands like this.”
As she swung their connected hands back and forth, she smiled at Kotaro.
“Yeah, that would be nice… I might want to hold hands with Shiho too.”
Even with that cryptic remark, he still didn’t notice anything…
