Since Aoto was sitting back-to-back with Toshisuke, he hadn't noticed that behind him, Toshisuke was drooping his head even lower, as if he wished he could bury his entire face in the water.
He sneaked a glance backward, and the moment he caught sight of Aoto, his gaze snapped back as if electrocuted, refocusing on the water surface before him.
At that moment when Toshisuke withdrew his gaze, a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.
Anyone seeing Toshisuke's flushed face might think he'd soaked in the bathhouse for too long, making his face steam red from the heat.
But only Toshisuke knew that the redness on his face... wasn't from the heat of the bathhouse.
"The reason I've been avoiding you today... isn't because of the negotiation results with my sister, which are hard to tell you..."
"Hmm? Then why?"
"Uh... this..."
The blush on Toshisuke's face spread wider.
"This... is something I can't tell you for now..."
"Again with something you can't tell me..."
