...How long had I been lost in thought?
Senpai had averted her gaze, her mind clearly elsewhere. I could tell she was weighing various things by the subtle shifts in her expression.
Then, she suddenly turned back to me.
Judging by the steady, unwavering look in her eyes, she had reached some kind of conclusion.
"I never really stopped to analyze why I saw you differently from everyone else. It happened before I even realized it. By the time I noticed, I already trusted you, and as for my current feelings... well, I’ve grown quite fond of you."
Fond of me!?
Wait, I’m happy to hear that, but why so suddenly!?
"I knew of you even before we officially met, Takanashi-san. Of course, there was the way you looked after the flowerbeds, but what truly left a lasting impression was when you helped that lost girl on the shopping street."
The lost girl... she must mean Mio-chan.
She was watching me back then?
But I didn't think I'd done anything out of the ordinary.
If I recalled correctly, I’d just been desperate to get Mio-chan to stop crying, so I used the way Yuzuha acted as a kid for reference...
"In your effort to soothe the crying girl, you used a cat mascot and went 'meow-meow'..."
"Senpai! You really don't need to remember that part!!"
That was it.
I definitely remembered doing that now, spurred on by the memory of Yuzuha.
I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but a grown guy going "meow-meow" was definitely a bit much in hindsight...
"...? Why? I don't think there was anything strange about it at all. I honestly thought it was wonderful. You were able to calm her down and make her feel safe so naturally."
It seemed Senpai prioritized the results over the actual "meow-meow" performance.
"...From my perspective, it was just... I don't know, drawing on past experience? I didn't think I was doing anything particularly great..."
"Applying past experiences is an important skill. It simply means you have possessed that kind of kindness for a long time, Takanashi-san."
To be honest, it had been so long since I was isolated back in middle school. I hadn't been told something so straightforward and positive by anyone in ages, so my confusion outweighed everything else.
"You held her hand and went to find her mother, didn't you? I can still clearly see the image of your back as you walked away. It was a very lovely sight."
This was getting embarrassing...
But Senpai hadn't let her expression waver once since she started talking. She was praising me in total earnest.
"I’ve seen you carrying her during your commute, too. I happened to spot you a few times, and both of you always had such wonderful smiles."
She saw all that...?
That meant Senpai had been watching me quite a bit before we ever spoke for the first time.
...Senpai, the girl everyone called the Aloof Goddess...
"To be honest, the overwhelming majority of people around me are... not particularly pleasant. Amidst all that, the sight of you stayed with me. Then we met, we spoke, and while today was entirely unexpected, it gave me a lot to think about. I finally realized it."
Having said that, Senpai gazed straight into my eyes.
I felt like I was going to be swallowed up by the intensity in her stare.
"I... toward you..."
Wait... is this really happening?
No, there was no way she felt that way about me—
"I feel as though you are a best friend, much like Natsumi."
Right. I knew that was impossible, and I didn't think we’d become that close yet anyway.
But honestly, I was happy.
It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me.
"That is how I’ve felt until now..."
Senpai looked at me with a truly beautiful smile.
"...And those are my feelings now. If it's alright with you, Takanashi-san, would you be willing to stay close with me from now on?"
That was something I should have been the one to ask.
"Thank you. Hearing you say that... it makes me really happy."
"I'm so glad... I was a little worried, since I've caused you so much trouble lately."
I really was happy.
But since Senpai had been this honest with me, I had to be honest with her in return.
I didn't know what she would think when she heard the truth, and the fear that she might be disappointed was terrifying, but...