[...As expected of you. It's only been a few days and you've already managed to stir up so many incidents.]
The next day, Misumi Uika, who had received a call from Chihaya Tetsuya, gave her honest impression after hearing the whole story.
[But, I see. So Saki has finally made up her mind...]
"Finally?"
Hearing this word, Tetsuya's mouth fell open slightly.
"You mean, you already knew about Sakiko's feelings for me?"
[What did you expect?]
Hearing the surprise in his voice, Uika felt a little drained.
[You're so good at being considerate of others, so why don't you try to think about it for a second? If you were in Sakiko's shoes, and at your most desperate moment, a reliable and handsome boy suddenly extended a helping hand with no expectation of reward... it would be hard not to fall for him in that situation, wouldn't it?]
"So you're saying... I always thought Sakiko's feelings for me were just simple gratitude."
Tetsuya said.
"As for seeing her as a member of the opposite sex... because the impression of her being 'the same age and school as Anon' was so strong when we first met, I never even considered that possibility..."
[A three-year age difference is basically the same age, you know.]
Uika said the line she had been wanting to tell him for a long time.
[Although it might sound like a huge gap between a 'high schooler' and a 'university student' now, if you add a few years to those numbers, like twenty and twenty-three, or thirty and thirty-three, there's basically no difference from being the same age.]
"That's true."
He sighed.
Thinking about it now, a large part of the reason for this troublesome situation was his own carelessness.
If only he had realized sooner that the age gap between them was no obstacle at all, if only he had realized sooner the various misunderstandings his words and actions had caused...
...
Actually... the result probably wouldn't have changed at all, would it?
Anon and Ai had fallen for him through long-term interaction, and Sakiko had fallen for him at first sight. And thinking about it carefully, he had already been polite and restrained enough when interacting with everyone...
Unless he were to completely abandon his gentle and considerate side and face them with the cold, unfeeling attitude of a robot!
"...Uika."
[What is it?]
"Do you think... if I start acting colder from now on, I might be able to curb their feelings for me a little?"
[Smack!]
A very clear sound of a palm hitting a forehead came through the receiver.
[Let's not even talk about whether you, who can't even lie, have the acting skills for that... All the girls you've been in contact with so far should already have a full understanding of your personality and character. If you suddenly become cold now, everyone will just think you're either not feeling well or trying out some kind of special roleplay.]
"..."
Hearing this, he immediately gave up on this unrealistic fantasy.
It was true. These girls already understood his way of being, and they knew his personality and behavioral logic inside and out. Forcibly trying to change their impression of him now was, by any measure, unrealistic.
[Anyway, what's happened has happened and can't be undone. But at the very least, you can prepare for the future. Remember the request I made before? Don't just casually praise people anymore. Now I'm adding another rule: don't casually make any promises that could cause misunderstandings.]
Uika suggested with great seriousness.
[You're too earnest and too frank. Once there's a discrepancy in understanding, it turns into the most troublesome situation of half-truth, half-misunderstanding. Like this time... er, no, wait, Saki most likely didn't misunderstand... but you can't say the same for others, so you still have to be careful!]
"Mhm, mhm..."
Tetsuya noted it down very seriously.
"Is there anything else I need to change?"
[Also... how should I put it? I guess you should have a bit more self-awareness.]
Uika analyzed for a moment.
[I don't know how you see yourself, but from my perspective, your looks, intelligence, personality, voice, and all the bonuses that come with being a designer have already made you a pretty ideal guy. Of course, I'm not saying this to make you deliberately lower your own score, but you should at least recognize that you are a very... well... a very charming person.]
Uika, who had never praised a boy like this before, had a hint of unconcealable shyness in her tone.
[For example, Ai and I have met a lot of male models and idols in the entertainment industry since we became idols, but at least in our eyes... there's no one who can compare to you yet.]
"Eh, i-is that so..."
After hearing this, he also started to feel a little embarrassed.
Because he had never valued himself, he had basically never seriously examined his own charm. He defined his own worth more by his achievements as a designer than by "attributes" like appearance or personality.
However, since Uika had reminded him of this, he would try to incorporate these things into his self-evaluation from now on.
"Oh, right. Speaking of which, how are the rehearsals for your live show going?"
[The initial rehearsals and other preparations are all done. There's only one final rehearsal left before the live starts next week.]
Uika replied.
[We both came back from Yokohama yesterday. Oh, right, Ai might go directly to your new studio to find you.]
"Eh? But my studio isn't even finished with renovations yet..."
Tetsuya blinked.
"These past few days, aside from contacting various equipment suppliers, I've basically been at home..."
[Heeh? Well, that's a problem. She hasn't seen you for a few days, and she's about to go into withdrawal over here.]
Uika said something terrifying in an incredibly calm voice.
[If you don't give her an outlet, she might just go and block your front door.]
"...I don't think I've told her my current address yet, have I?"
[Ha, unfortunately, she already pinpointed your apartment building from the photos Anon posted on her social media a while ago.]
Uika said.
[By the way, she has no work scheduled for today, and I didn't see her at the agency, so... it's very likely that she's already on her way—]
Ding-dong!
Before Uika could finish her sentence, the doorbell suddenly rang.
And at this moment, although he was still sitting on the living room sofa, although he hadn't yet had time to peer through the peephole, Tetsuya could already feel something from behind the closed door.
...
"...Alright, looks like it's too late."
Uika's tone sounded somewhat schadenfreude-like.
"But the timing is perfect. you can take this opportunity to properly ask her what kind of person you are in her eyes."
With that, she hung up the phone directly, then muttered to herself:
"After all, before you can understand what love is, you first need to learn how to like yourself."
...
I should probably ask Saki for the details.
With an irrepressible curiosity, Uika picked up her phone again...