Chapter 7

• We had our lunch at a nice restaurant in the mall. The conversation was somewhat interesting, and I was looking for the right moment to ask a question that had been on my mind.
• I had hoped that now that we were in a relationship, Xia would tone down her chit-chat, but she remained the same talkative girl I used to find annoying. "And then there was this one time when I caught my friend stalking this girl, hahaha!"
• "There was a weird rumor about the girl she was looking up though."
• "They said the girl had a twin brother who died, but others said that the girl used to be a guy and transitioned."
• "…" It seemed impossible to get her to stop!
• The conversation continued endlessly. I had resigned myself to being a silent listener, but Xia eventually gave me an opening. "So, what about you? You've been awfully quiet," she teased.
• 'Well, how can I possibly talk with your constant chatter?' Nonetheless, I smiled and took my turn.
• "I've been wondering about this since we started dating."
• "How did you end up liking me, Xia?" With that, her face turned intensely red as she nervously chuckled.
• "I was such a jerk, right? So how did you end up wanting to date me? It doesn't make sense."
• "I, I liked you because…"
• "I liked you because I think you're really pretty!"
• I was taken aback by her response. Me? Pretty? It took a moment for my mind to process what she meant. She continued to speak. "Please don't misunderstand."
• "Ugh, Yuji, please! Let me explain first!" She held onto me as if afraid I would leave.
• "I'm not going anywhere, so please go ahead and explain."
• "A-Alright. So, I really liked you because you're pretty-"
• "Are you saying that I look like a pretty girl?" My gaze sharpened as I questioned her.
• "No! It's just that… uhm… guys like you are rare these days."
• "Most guys are so tall, muscular, and hairy. Unlike you, you look pretty with that smooth skin of yours, and I really like the way you have your hair styled…" She continued to confess what she liked about me. "…and I prefer a guy who's not too much taller than me, and the way you look is kind of cool to me. You have a sharp and serious appearance, and I admire that..."
• "So you were attracted to my looks?" It made me feel insecure, especially since I lacked some traditional masculine traits. It's not that I disliked my appearance, but I started feeling a bit self-conscious when Hino pointed out that I looked somewhat feminine.
• "Of course not! I'm not that shallow!"
• "Alright, tell me more then."
• She cleared her throat and went on. "Okay. But what I liked the most about you is your honesty. You're straightforward with everything, unlike guys who often lie just to impress the girl they like."
• "Hmm, I suppose that's a valid reason," I replied, smirking.
• She avoided my gaze, looking shy. "Whatever, but can you at least tell me why?"
• "Why did I want to date you?" Her eyes peeked out, filled with a glimmer of hope for a satisfying answer.
• I felt a bit guilty for having such a superficial reason, even though I knew it wasn't a big deal. "Honestly, I just wanted to give it a try."
• I had considered possible outcomes before confessing my reason for dating Xia, and I had expected her to reject me for being such a huge jerk. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Xia's response.
• "I thought so…" She replied with a smile, though sadness still lingered in her eyes.
• "So, do you still want to date me?" I grinned, anticipating her response.
• "Yes." My expression turned blank as soon as she said that. "I've already got the chance I wanted, so I won't let it slip away easily."
• "Why so eager?" I asked softly, almost a whisper.
• "Because I really like you," she pointed at me, her expression determined. "And I'll make sure to make you fall in love with me too."
• What a strong-willed woman.
• I chuckled. "We'll see about that."
• The rest of my day was spent well with my girlfriend, Xia. However, returning to my dorm made me feel uneasy. I had treated Toma poorly earlier, so I wondered how he would treat me when I got back.
• As I opened the door to the room, I was quite shocked to see Toma there—completely naked! It was the first time in years that I had seen him like this. He looked at me, showing his full naked body.
• "B-Big…" I whispered to myself. Then a sudden thought of comparison crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. "Can't you cover yourself!" I complained.
• He looked at me with narrowed eyes and a downturned mouth. "Hmmm… I don't feel like it." And he went over to his bed just like that.
• This guy is really trying to annoy me.
• "Tsk, your mom would be so disappointed if she knew you behaved like this."
• "Well, she's not here anyway."
• "Aren't you even uncomfortable with other people seeing you naked like this?"
• He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. "You've seen me like this many times already, and we're both guys. Don't make it into such a big deal."
• "At least cover your lower part with something because it's disturbing to look at! Really, you're so bothersome."
• He even had the nerve to pout. "…fine."
• "Finally," I said, crossing my arms.
• "Since you're the one who badly wants me dressed, you can give me the underwear I have to wear."
• 'Tsk, this spoiled brat!'
• "Ugh, I hate you," I told him and grabbed some boxers from his cabinet. When I handed him his underwear, he looked at me with a very sad expression. He took the underwear from me and asked, "Yuji, do you really want to get rid of me?"
• "What the heck are you talking about now?"
• "…when you said that we need to avoid each other for three months, it made me really sad. Can't we just stop doing that and hang out again?"
• "Look, you've been pampered by me too much. I'm doing this for you, Toma. You've got to stop clinging to me. You already have a girlfriend of your own now."
• He frowned at my words. "No… it's not that… I… I can change that, Yuji. I'll stop being annoying. You're like a brother to me, and I don't want to be apart from you like this."
• I sighed. Even though he was acting like a baby, hearing him talk like that made me grin. I sat down on the side of his bed and ruffled his hair. "No matter what we do, we're still friends, you idiot. Just consider this a chance to change yourself for the better."
• "…hmm." It seemed like he wasn't entirely pleased with my answer. He grabbed my hand, which was resting on his hair, and placed it on his cheek. He closed his eyes and smiled. "Fine. I'll change. I promise, and once this chance is over, you have to reward me."
• "Sure, that is if you really do change."
• We both laughed it off, and with that, I felt at ease being with Toma again.