"Mm, so she's actually a girl? Your good friend is a girl?"
[Yeah, is there a problem with that?]
(She's not thinking that I only have male friends around me, right? Come on, I had a few female friends in junior high too, okay.)
Saiki thought about the so-called female friends from junior high and shivered. (Forget it, better not think about it.)
After calming down, Shiina Mahiru sat properly, looked at Saiki sitting next to her, hesitated as if she wanted to say something but also didn't, her expression showing conflict, but in the end she spoke: "What does your friend look like? Is she really cute?"
Saiki turned his head.
[What are you trying to do?]
Shiina Mahiru averted her gaze: "Nothing, I was just asking. Maybe we could even become good friends. But if you don't want to talk about it, Saiki-kun, then I won't ask. I don't have that much interest anyway ㅍ_ㅍ..."
Saiki: ...
(Why does that tone sound so familiar?)
Saiki picked up his phone and opened a photo from junior high with Gotou Hitori.
[This is my friend. It's a photo from our junior high days. We both didn't like taking pictures back then, so we don't have many photos left.]
"What? Where, where? Let me see..."
The Shiina Mahiru who had just said "I have no interest" a second ago suddenly appeared right in front of Saiki the next second and snatched his phone.
"Mm~ She's a cute girl. And Saiki, your hair is pink too. If you hadn't said anything, I would've thought you were siblings. Do you two hang out because you both have pink hair?"
In the photo, junior high Gotou Hitori was wearing her PK Middle School uniform, hands clasped tightly in front of her, standing a bit nervously and awkwardly next to Saiki.
Saiki took his phone back and put it away.
[It's not because we both have pink hair that we became friends.]
"Oh."
Shiina Mahiru replied absentmindedly and lowered her head to pick at her rice.
The rest of the dinner passed in silence between the two. They didn't talk about anything. Shiina Mahiru didn't say another word until she went to wash the dishes.
But even while sitting on the sofa, Saiki could clearly hear Shiina Mahiru's delicate inner voice.
While washing the dishes, Shiina Mahiru thought [Could it be that the type Saiki-kun likes is that kind of nervous, clingy girl?]
(No.)
Shiina Mahiru [Or is it because of pink hair? I remember Shikimori-san has pink hair too, and they're really close. Though Shikimori-san's personality seems a bit bolder.]
(So it's not because of pink hair either.)
"I get it!!"
Shiina Mahiru suddenly cried out as if she had a revelation, then quickly covered her mouth. Seeing that Saiki hadn't noticed, she sighed in relief and continued washing the dishes.
Shiina Mahiru's confirmed thought [Saiki-kun must like soft, clingy girls with soft pinkish hair.]
(I already said it's not! Stop arbitrarily analyzing someone's preferences and jumping to conclusions, hey!!)
Shiina Mahiru brewed two cups of tea, tiptoed over quietly, placed one in front of Saiki, poured one for herself too, sat down, and was just about to speak when Saiki spoke first.
[It's not.]
Shiina Mahiru: "Eh? ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ..."
Shiina Mahiru cautiously asked: "Um, Saiki-kun, what do you mean 'it's not'? I haven't even said anything yet?"
(Oh no, I spoke too soon. Mainly because Shiina-san's inner thoughts were crystal clear from the start, and she's been rehearsing the conversation in her head this whole time.)
Ahem ahem.
Saiki cleared his throat twice.
[Nothing. Do you have something you want to ask?]
Shiina Mahiru sat up straight and asked: "Um, Saiki-kun, what type of girl do you like? Do you like soft, clingy girls, the kind like the pink-haired one in your phone photo..."
[No.]
Before Shiina Mahiru could finish, Saiki already denied it.
Shiina Mahiru [He answered so quickly. He must be feeling guilty. It's okay if you don't want to admit it, Saiki-kun.]
Saiki: -.-
Saiki Kusuo rested his chin on his hand.
[Do you not believe me?]
"No, how could I not believe you? I believe you, Saiki-kun."
Shiina Mahiru put on an "I believe you" expression.
Saiki thought for a moment.
[Then let me ask you a question too.]
Shiina Mahiru: "Oh, what is it?"
[What type of boy do you like?]
Shiina Mahiru covered her slightly reddening cheeks with both hands: "Asking something like that out of nowhere isn't really fair."
Saiki: ...
[I'm just asking. It's not like I'm going to do anything. And you just asked me the exact same thing.]
"Oh∽ ^{ↀ▃ↀ}^"
Shiina Mahiru pressed her index finger to her cheek, tilted her head, and thought: "Well, I'm not really that concerned about looks or family background, but most people would like someone who's good at studies, good at sports, and good at cooking, right? Even if I don't like that type romantically, I'd probably still want to be friends with someone like that."
[Oh. Then what type do you like, or rather, what type of person do you think would be good to date?]
"The main thing is someone who's gentle toward others. Whether it's obvious gentleness or hidden gentleness, both are nice. And our views on love have to match."
Shiina Mahiru looked up: "For example, only a boy and girl who like each other mutually can date, and at the very least it has to be built on a foundation of trust between both sides... and in the end, someone who takes care of people, with pink hair..."
The more Shiina Mahiru spoke, the more off-track she got, her voice growing quieter. She gradually realized what she was saying, blushed, looked at Saiki, and stopped.
At first Saiki was just listening casually like he was watching drama, but the further she went, the more he felt something was wrong.
Author: "Good at studies" — Saiki Kusuo, top of the grade.
Author: "Good at sports" — Saiki Kusuo, first in running.
Author: "Good at cooking" — Saiki...
Author: "Takes care of people" — scene of Saiki taking care of a sick Shiina Mahiru.
Author: "Views on love" — scene of Saiki explaining romance to Shiina Mahiru for the first time...
Author: "Gentle" — scenes of Saiki subtly reminding her to take medicine, carrying Shiina Mahiru on his back...
Pink hair...
Saiki: Enough!!!
Author: …I wasn't finished yet (′へ`, )
[Shiina-san...]
Before Saiki could finish, Shiina Mahiru interrupted him.
Shiina Mahiru stood up abruptly. Her flushed face looked like it might explode any second. She grabbed Saiki's shoulders and explained: "Sa-Sa... Saiki-kun, calm down! What I said isn't about you. I mean, I..."
[You should calm down. I'm perfectly calm right now.]
Saiki spread his hands like a little bear to show he was calm, still sitting there.
[Shiina-san, don't worry. I believe you. I know.]
Saiki put on an "I believe you" expression, though his face remained blank as always.
In Saiki's eyes it was an "I believe you" look, but in Shiina Mahiru's eyes, it was exactly the same kind of expression she had just given him with her own "I believe you."