Akiko's eyes went wide, staring at him like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Her hand was trembling slightly in his, and there was something in her expression that made his chest tighten – a mix of shock, hope, and something deeper that he couldn't quite identify.
"Haruto-kun..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You... you really mean that?"
The way she was looking at him was intense, almost overwhelming. Like he'd just handed her everything she'd ever wanted. It made him feel guilty as hell, because this wasn't exactly how he'd planned for things to go, but seeing that happiness in her eyes made it hard to regret the decision.
Azame watched this exchange with mild interest, like she was observing an interesting scientific experiment. "How sweet," she said, and her tone was perfectly neutral. "Young love and all that."
"Look, Azame," Haruto started, trying to figure out how to navigate this conversation without making everything worse. "About what you wanted—"
