After I Kept Telling the Angel Who Transferred to the Seat Next to Me "I Like You" and "You’re Cute" Every Day, I Realized Our Relationship Was Too Close. When I Tried to Be More Reserved and Put Some Distance Between Us, the Angel Started Closing the Gap Herself — Part 4

“Hina-chan!! Are you heading home alone today!? Then let’s go home together!!”

But not even a glimpse of him showed up.

For the first time in a while... I was alone.

In the empty classroom bathed in the colors of the sunset, I felt a strange mix of loneliness and fleeting beauty.

On a whim, I sat at Tomoki-kun’s desk near the window and rested my head on it. Pressing my face against the desk, I gazed at the sunset-stained sky.

It wasn’t like we’d had a fight or anything.

We still greeted each other when we saw one another in the mornings, and we talked normally when necessary.

Even the tone of his voice and the way he spoke to me remained gentle and kind, as they always were.

But now there was a sense of restraint in how he interacted with me—or rather, this was probably what a “normal” level of distance between classmates should feel like.

And yet…

What was this strange, invisible wall-like distance I felt?

Tomoki-kun seemed farther away somehow.

At this rate… we were just classmates.

But that’s not what I wanted.

Our relationship wasn’t supposed to be something so polished or distant. It was supposed to be messier, obnoxiously close, casual, and full of honest conversations. It was supposed to feel natural, like it was just meant to be.

“No, what am I even thinking…?”

I grumbled to myself. After all, this was my idea to begin with. Why was I feeling so unsettled about Tomoki-kun now?

Still… deep down, a small sting of pain lingered.

What if this wasn’t part of his “strategy”?

What if he was genuinely putting distance between us?

The thought made me shudder.

I didn’t want that.

I didn’t want to admit it, but… I felt lonely being distanced from Tomoki-kun.

Maybe he was a much bigger part of my life than I’d realized.

“...Alright.”

The Next Day

Tomoki Mitsuya’s Perspective

Today marked nine days since I started the “Zero-Sum Strategy,” and my mental state was nearing its limit.

Oh, how I wanted to talk to Hina-chan! I wanted to tell her she was cute! I wanted to confess my love!

By suppressing these feelings, they’d swelled to the point of near explosion.

It was like a balloon inflated to its breaking point.

“Alright, let’s distract myself by playing the supportive boyfriend in my head while I admire Hina-chan from afar today.”

With that thought, I was trudging to school when—

“Good morning, Tomoki-kun.”

“Ah, good morni—HINA-CHAN?!?!”

She spoke to me. Hina-chan spoke to me. From behind?! What was happening?!

“Why are you so surprised?” she asked, exasperated.

“Uh, sorry… um, did you need something? Is there a reason you’re talking to me?”

“Hmm? Not really. Am I not allowed to talk to you unless I have a reason?”

“No!! Not at all! In fact, it’s an honor!!”

“Is that so…?” she said, smiling softly—a smile so breathtakingly adorable I almost collapsed on the spot.

Wait… what was going on? Was this real? Was today my last day on Earth?

In my daze, our hands brushed.

“Ah, sorry!!” I exclaimed, pulling back.

Wait a minute… wasn’t this distance… really close?

“Oh, um… if it’s going to keep happening, maybe we should just hold hands instead?”

WHAT?!

“Ehhhh?! Wha—huh?! H-Hold hands?!”

I stuttered, completely floored by her sudden suggestion.

“What are you so shocked about? Obviously, I’m joking,” she said with a teasing grin.

“Ah, r-right! Of course! Haha!” I laughed nervously.

“Geez…”

Despite her sigh, she didn’t step back, and we continued walking to school together, still close enough for our hands to brush.

When we reached the classroom, someone immediately commented:

“Oh wow, it feels like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you two together!”

Well… I guess that was true. We’d been keeping our distance for over a week.

“Yup, Hina-chan and Mitsuya just look natural together! Wait… aren’t you two closer than usual today?”

Yes. Yes, they’re absolutely right. Even I think so.

“Is that so? I think this distance is just right. Being next to Tomoki-kun makes me feel at ease,” Hina-chan replied calmly.

“W-WHAT?!”

The entire room collectively froze in shock, myself included.

"H-H-Hina-chan!?"

Wait, wait, wait—could this be a prank? Is this some kind of hidden camera stunt!?

I glanced around at the rest of the class, but everyone looked just as shocked as I was. Even Hina-chan’s friends, Akane-chan and Mana-chan, were clearly flustered.

"Oh, right. There’s something I want to ask," Hina-chan said suddenly.

"Y-Yes!! What is it!?" I blurted, unconsciously slipping into formal speech.

"Recently… why have you stopped saying that I’m cute or that you like me?"

"E-Eh?!"

That’s because of the Zero-Sum Strategy, to change her impression of me…

"…Did you… stop liking me? Am I… not cute anymore?" Hina-chan asked hesitantly.

"Not at all!! At this very moment, I, Tomoki Mitsuya, am deeply in love with Hina Sonoda!! I think you’re incredibly cute!!"

I stood up straight, my voice ringing through the classroom with the force of my soul’s cry.

"…I see. That’s a relief," she said, her expression softening. "If this is part of that strategy you mentioned before… please stop it. I’ve been feeling lonely."

"What?! Wha—!"

Oh no… every drop of liquid in my body feels like it’s about to shoot out—sweat, tears, you name it. I’m going to explode.

I-I can’t handle this—I’m going to die of bliss.

"H-Hina-chan!? What’s going on!?" Akane-chan asked, clearly shaken.

Even Mana-chan, standing next to her, couldn’t hide her astonishment.

"Just like I said," Hina-chan replied calmly. "I felt lonely because Tomoki-kun started keeping his distance from me. And that’s when I realized something."

"Realized what?" Kishi blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity.

"I realized… that I actually liked having him close, even if it was annoyingly close."

"!! Hina-chan!! I love you!!" I shouted without thinking.

"Yeah, yeah…" she said, brushing off my words as usual.

But this time, her voice was gentler, and her expression was softer than ever before.

And in that moment, I realized it—no, I was certain of it.

I loved Hina-chan even more than I ever had before.    

[The End]

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