CH. 93 - In the Closet

 As they’re hanging out, riding the high of the emotions they just expressed to each other, Shiori smiles and watches her friends. As she does, she suddenly starts feeling strange again. Her face goes red as she starts feeling hot. She sweats as she places her hand on her chest. She takes a deep breath before grabbing the collar of her sweater and fanning herself.

 “I just got really hot… is it just me?..” she asks softly and openly as she tugs at her collar. Hearing her and feeling the same, Hikigaya looks her.

"Yeah… I feel it too…" he says but suddenly stops when he sees her pulling her collar open, revealing a bit of what’s under it. His eyes grow wide as he blushes intensely before looking away, not seeing too much. “Shiori..! Careful how openly you pull your sweater..” Hikigaya whispers to her. She looks at him confused before looking down at herself and realizing what he meant. She quickly presses her hand to her chest, covering herself with an embarrassed look, but then her eyes start to grow compelled. Hikigaya’s eyes do the same as he too starts feeling strange. They both slowly look at each other with longing eyes as they lean in.

 “I could show you if you want..” Shiori whispers as she nuzzles into his neck a little and runs her hand into his lap. Hikigaya then wraps his arm around her back before quickly lifting her up and putting her on his lap, facing him. Shiori smirks with desire as she holds his face. Haru notices them acting this way and tells on them.

 “Guys. Shiori and Hikigaya are giving too much love.” Haru says. Lucy and Chizuru look at them as Shiori speaks.

 “What? I thought this was what you wanted?..” she says, barely giving any attention to anything else except Hikigaya as he focuses on her too. They lean in close, about to kiss as Suiyoubi smiles.

 “This is what we’ve been waiting for!” She says. Just as their lips are about to connect, Shiori’s eyes widen. Hikigaya’s do too as they snap out of it. Shiori then pushes Hikigaya away as she falls on her back, crawling away from him with intense fluster on her face.

 “Stop, you perv!” she shouts at him.

 “I’m a perv?!? You’re the one who was trying to show me your boobs!” Hikigaya shouts back. The others all turn their heads to look at Shiori as she is stunned. She looks at them before looking back at Hikigaya.

 “W-well, that’s because you were seducing me!” She shouts back as some kind of excuse. As Shiori stutters, Lucy smirks. She gets up and grabs Shiori’s wrists, pulling her along as Lucy reaches for Hikigaya.

 “If you guys want privacy so bad, how about we play a different game?” She offers mischievously. Shiori is tugged closer to Hikigaya, who also looks flustered.

 “W-wait, keep him away from me! Or I’ll-” Shiori says as Lucy tugs them both along with the help of the others pushing them. They crawl out of the fort and make their way to a closet nearby. Shiori and Hikigaya look concerned as they’re both shoved into the closet with the door slammed shut behind them. The door hits Hikigaya on the back of the head hard as he rubs his head in pain.

 “Maybe 7 minutes in heaven will do the trick.” Lucy says as the others giggle. In the closet, Hikigaya and Shiori are pressed close together due to the small size. Hikigaya slowly stops rubbing his head as he looks at Shiori. He blushes as she notices his gaze and pouts at him.

 “Don’t look at me, perv!” She shouts with a blush. Hikigaya grits his teeth at the words but quickly breathes out and tries to relax a little. He blushes in embarrassment as they stand, or more of a high crouch, in an awkward position in silence, both too embarrassed to do or say anything.

 After a few moments, Hikigaya tries to move and adjust himself, but as he does, his leg rubs against Shiori. Due to their position, his leg is between her legs, and it touches her in a way that makes her wince and press against his chest.

 “Ah! Hikigaya, stop moving!” she says suddenly. He is concerned for a moment but, noticing where his leg is, he blushes and does as told.

 “I’m sorry..” he whispers as Shiori shakes her head.

 “It’s... not you.. My body is so sensitive... I don’t know what’s going on.. I feel so...” she says with a soft breath as Hikigaya looks down at themselves.

 “Yeah... me too.” he says softly. They stand for a minute more before Hikigaya makes an uncomfortable face and tries to adjust again, only for Shiori to react sharply and grab onto his shirt tightly.

 “Hikigaya! Please stop..” she says as he apologizes again.

 “I’m sorry, this just isn’t the most comfortable position.”

 “Then tell me when you’re gonna move! Don’t just rub my..” she stops as she gently lets go of his shirt. They both are flush, far more than normal, as they sweat and breathe heavily. They stand in silence for a moment more before Hikigaya speaks.

 “So it isn’t just me?” he asks. Shiori shakes her head.

 “Randomly, since we got here, my body’s been getting hot and sensitive.. I don’t know if it’s just natural or if there’s something wrong with us, but when it happens, I can’t help but think of..”

 “You.” Hikigaya says. Shiori slowly looks at him as he blushes and tries to avoid eye contact. “Yeah.. I’ve been experiencing the same.. B-but I promise I never had those thoughts of you before this! I don’t want you to think I’m a pervert who just wants your body...” Hikigaya says softly. Shiori looks softly as she thinks for a moment.

 “Hey, Hiki..? Wanna sit down?” she offers. Hikigaya looks surprised before answering.

 “There isn’t much space.. If I sit down, you won’t have anywhere to sit.” he says. Shiori nods.

 “Yes, I will...” she whispers. Hikigaya’s eyes widen a little as he slides against the door and sits on the ground with his knees a little bent. Shiori stands over him for a moment, looking at him with longing eyes, before she slowly lowers herself onto him. She gets on her knees over his lap before gently sitting down. Hikigaya naturally puts his hands on her hips to guide her, but she shudders at his touch. “wait, Hiki, that’s too much.. I can’t-” she says as Hikigaya tightens his grip and presses her down.

 “Yes, you can.” he says softly as she sits comfortably on his lap. She holds her hands against his chest as he holds her small waist. He stares at her body, covered by a sweater, as he gently moves his hands up along her body, feeling her.

‘Shiori’s so tiny... I’ve never really noticed before. Mostly out of respect not to stare but also because.. she’s always been so strong... I’ve seen her fight people three times her size and come out on top, topple over foes who could destroy entire buildings. I never really gave much thought to how small she really is...’ he thinks as Shiori looks flustered by his gaze.

 “Hikigaya... you’re staring... it’s making me...” she says, closing her eyes. Hikigaya looks at her with wide eyes before looking away suddenly.

 “Sorry! I didn’t-’ he begins to say as Shiori is shocked and grabs his face.

 “N-no!” she says before gently turning him to look at her again. “I meant... it’s making me feel good...” Shiori admits softly. He looks at her as he pauses before Shiori starts lifting her sweater. Hikigaya’s eyes widen as she lifts it just enough to show her tummy, right up to her center chest. She does so timidly and looks away. “You can look more if you want...” she says. Hikigaya doesn’t respond. He simply raises his hands and places them on her waist. Shiori basically moans at his touch as he takes her in, scent, touch, sight. “Do you.. think I’m pretty..?” Shiori asks softly.

 “You’re so much more...” he says. Shiori blushes even more.

 “Even with my scars..? Even though I’m so skinny..? I’m not as soft or attractive as Chizuru or Lucy...” Shiori says with an insecure look.

 “You’re everything you need to be and more...” Hikigaya says before smiling at her. “I couldn’t ask you to be more pretty.” he says. Shiori’s eyes widen before she suddenly wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Hikigaya responds by wrapping his arms around her and holding her. After a moment, Hikigaya speaks.

 “Shiori... How are.. How do you feel?” he asks gently. Shiori rubs herself against him a little before whispering in his ear.

"You said… you didn't want my body..?" she asks quietly, holding Hikigaya close. He pauses for a moment before lifting his mouth to her ear.

"…I lied…" he whispers. Shiori's eyes convey pleasure as her heart flutters. She then rubs against him again and whispers more clearly.

 “You can put your hands wherever you want...” she says. Hikigaya responds by slowly sliding his hands along her back, under her sweater. She lets out a sigh as she practically melts in his grasp. His left arm goes up and holds onto her shoulder as his right slowly lowers. He gently pushes his hand under the waistband of her shorts and slowly keeps going. Shiori seems totally content, even excited about his touch when she suddenly feels something press against her between her legs. This simple moment causes her eyes to widen as she shoots up, slamming her head into the short shelf in the closet. Hikigaya looks at her shocked and concerned as she holds her head in pain.

 “Shiori! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to- I’ll- I’ll stop, I can-” he stutters before Shiori speaks.

 “No. No, it’s okay.. I just... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kill the mood.” Shiori says, disappointment on her face.

 “You didn’t, I promise. It’s okay. Want me to... make it go down?” Hikigaya asks as Shiori shakes her head.

 “No... leave it.” She says softly. Hikigaya nods as Shiori lowers herself onto his lap again. She shakes a little as she does, pressing herself down against him, shuddering at the feeling of his manhood rubbing against her and letting out a faint moan. She wraps her arms around him again, finding comfort in him before whispering again.

“Could you... grab me like you were.. where we left off?..” she whispers, her heart pounding in her chest. She feels his heart beating too as their chests press tightly together. Hikigaya reaches around her and gently puts his hands on her butt outside her shorts. She kind of huffs with a hint of frustration as she says. “Like you were before...” Hikigaya nods nervously as he puts both hands in her shorts and on her butt. Shiori sighs shakily as he grabs her a bit firmly. She moves herself gently, pushing back and forth against him, letting out soft sighs and gentle moans. She pulls back from the embrace a little, leaving her arms on his shoulders, as she presses her forehead against his.

 “Shiori... I can’t-... I don’t know if I can stop..” Hikigaya moans out. They breathe heavily as Hikigaya massages her butt a bit more openly, pulling her against him. Shiori starts rocking a bit more aggressively before she groans and throws her arms behind her head and her head back. She starts bouncing a little as Hikigaya moves his hands back to her waist, guiding her rhythm. She moans openly as Hikigaya starts moving his hand.

 “ohhh... Hikigaya~.. please... I need-.. I lov-..” Shiori moans out as Hikigaya struggles to hold himself back. He grabs her sweater and starts lifting it up, planning to take it off of her when suddenly the door swings open, causing them both to fall back, completely stopping their actions. Shiori lands on top of Hikigaya as they both look up, squinting at the bright light compared to the dark closet.

 “Finally out of the closet, huh?” Lucy asks smugly as she stands over them.

 “wha..? huh?..” Shiori groans as Chizuru giggles and helps her up.

 “Come on. You’ll live.” Chizuru says happily. Haru helps up Hikigaya as he groans.

 “What happened in there? You look totally frazzled, haha!” Haru laughs.

 “I don’t.. really know.” Hikigaya says softly. “It was a lot, I’ll tell you that. Like something came over us.” Hikigaya says as Haru blinks at him.

 “Wait, you guys did it in there??” he asks, shocked. Hikigaya glares at him.

 “No, dude. I’m saying something else happened.” Hikigaya says back as Haru sighs in relief.

 “Alright, good. Cause a dusty closet is no way to treat a lady.” Haru says. Suiyoubi watches Shiori and Hikigaya walk off with a thinking look, placing her finger on her chin as if debating something. Soon after that, the friends decided to call it a night, all worn out from the rather emotionally driven fun time they just had.

In their room, Shiori and Hikigaya stand on opposite sides of the bed with intensely flustered looks on their faces. Hikigaya rubs the back of his head as Shiori smiles nervously.

"Uh… want me to sleep on the ground again?.." Hikigaya asks. Shiori just stares at the bed as she shakes her head slightly. Hikigaya blushes as he nods and slowly climbs into the bed. Shiori does the same as they face away from each other and turn out the lights. They lay in bed with the room being so quiet, it almost seems their very thoughts could be heard.

'There's no way I could just go to sleep after that! My shorts are soaked, and I feel like I was sweating so much, my sweater is probably no better! I should have changed… But he was here already, and now we're in the same bed! Alone!' Shiori thinks with an intense blush on her face as she curls up tightly on her side of the bed. She lays there for a moment before another thought crosses her mind. 'he touched my butt. …in a sexy way! And I felt his… oh my cos, I felt him rubbing on my..!' She basically gasps but quickly covers her mouth to be quiet. She shuts her eyes tightly as she sweats, nervous and aroused. 'This is bad… There's no way I could control myself if he even touched me right now… I need to…' she thinks as she opens her eyes slightly and slowly slides her hand down between her legs. On the other side of the bed, Hikigaya is doing no better.

'It's bad enough trying to deal with her at home! The way she dresses in that stupidly cute outfit!.. Catching her half naked all the time!.. She always makes me so frustrated, and now this?!.' he thinks as he closes his eyes tightly. 'I'm so hot and hard, it honestly hurts… Even if I wanted to ask, I probably stink and look like such a mess… This is bad… if she even touched me right now… I need to…' he thinks as he looks down slightly and slowly slides his hand between his legs too.

The two, completely overwhelmed by this strange feeling that's overtaken them, proceed to try to deal with this in the exact same way at the exact same time without even realizing it. They do everything in their power to alleviate their symptoms subtly without alerting the other right next to them, but even if they weren't so subtle, they're so caught up in their own moments that they wouldn't even realize. As they do, Shiori looks frustrated as she bites onto her sweater collar.

'this isn't enough…' she thinks. Hikigaya expresses the same feeling.

'this isn't enough…' he thinks too. They try their best but can't help letting the faintest whispers leave their mouths.

"Hikigaya…" Shiori whispers.

"Shiori..." Hikigaya whispers at the same time. As if hearing their names being called without even realizing it, the two shut their eyes tightly and push back in frustration, leading to them touching each other, back to back. The moment their backs touch, they open their eyes wide as the sudden rush of relief overcomes them, allowing them to finally finish. They pant as they slowly roll over onto their backs, looking at the other. They breathe heavily for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, but as if a massive weight was lifted from their shoulders, and before either one can say a word, they slowly drift off to sleep.

 The next day, the friends laze around with bored looks as Chizuru lets out a loud sigh.

 “I don’t know what you’re sighing for. You’re the party planner.” Haru says, poking her forehead.

 “I knowwww, but I didn’t expect to run through everything so fast! We went shopping, we did a nature hike, spooky cave exploration, pillow fight, truth or dare, we even drank already! I’m out of ideas…” Chizuru mopes.

 “Maybe you all can finally have that orgy you’ve been planning.” Mormo says as he walks through the living room. Haru glares at him.

 “And where were you all last night?” Haru asks with attitude. Mormo shrugs as he turns to face him with a smirk.

 “Hey, you know me. Creature of the night.” Mormo screams as he runs around the house getting chased by a stray cat in the middle of the night. “Or something like that…” Mormo says with a sweat.

 “Well, it says the weather is supposed to be hot today. Maybe another beach day?” Sugawara offers. They all think for a moment, with some looks expressing boredom with the beach already as Kitaro plays his videogames on the couch.

 “We could always just tease Shiori and Hikigaya until they eventually actually admit their love for each other rather than just tongue kissing.” Haru says, obviously teasing them. Shiori and Hikigaya vein pop at his words as Shiori wags her finger at him as if telling him to come here.

 “Hey. Come here for a sec. Listen.” Shiori says. Haru looks surprised and leans in close when suddenly Shiori starts strangling him.

 “Why do you always fall for that?..” Alice asks with a sweatdrop.

 “Why don’t we just go to that super cool waterpark just up the way we came?” Kitaro openly asks, not turning his attention away from the game. They all turn to him in surprise at his suggestion. He notices and gets a slightly embarrassed look. “Not that I want to go or anything..” Kitaro mumbles.

“Oh Kitaro! You’re so cute!” Hisana giggles while tightly hugging him from behind. Alice rubs her chin, contemplating Kitaro’s suggestion.

 “Hmm. Surprisingly, not a bad call.” She says. Kitaro glares back at her as she moves on. “All those in favor?” Alice asks. She raises her hand as all the others do.

 “Those opposed?” Hikigaya asks. Haru struggles to raise his hand as Shiori growls at him, still choking him.

 “Put your hand down!” Shiori threatens. Mormo raises his hand in opposition.

 “This stuffed bear body doesn’t agree much with water.” Mormo says.

 “Don’t worry, we won’t let you drown… Much.” Lucy says menacingly as Mormo sweats. 

 “For some reason, I don’t believe you…” he mumbles.

 “Alright! Let’s go to the waterpark! I get to try on my new swimsuit I just bought!” Chizuru says excitedly as she rushes off to change. Touma blushes as his nose drips a little.

 “Thinking about her body in that suit, aren’t you?” Ryuji asks softly, teasing him. Touma stiffens up and marches away.

 “N-no!” he says. Ryuji smiles as he walks off too. Shiori blushes as she lets go of Haru and steps away. She looks at Hikigaya for a moment before Lucy steps next to her with a teasing look.

"Thinking about that 71 centimeter waist, aren't you?" she teases. Shiori blushes intensely before pushing her away.

"A-am not!" she says. Hikigaya then approaches her from behind, causing her to look more flustered.

"Wanna go change into our swimsuits now?" he asks as Shiori turns and looks at him. He smiles at her before she composes herself to answer.

"Sure… but I get to change in the room. You could change out here or something." Shiori says as Hikigaya looks shocked.

"huh??" he voices as Alice perks up excitedly.

"Oh yeah! I could help you change, Hikigaya~!" she says, jumping his way. Shiori walks off as Hikigaya struggles to get Alice off of him. Shiori smiles as she fans herself a bit, thinking about him.

"This is already getting to be too much… How am I gonna handle it today?.." she asks herself before going into her room.

Soon, the group is gathered and prepared for the day as they make their way through the front gates of the waterpark. It is fairly busy but still pleasant. The group walks through check in together as Shiori asks Sugawara a question.

 “Hey Sugawara, I’ve been meaning to ask, but whatever happened to Riley?” Sugawara is surprised for a moment by her question but answers quickly.

 “I’m not sure. After the party, I tried calling her, but she wouldn’t answer. Her family is very busy, so I’m not super concerned for her health, but… just like my brother tried, maybe they took her away…” Sugawara says softly with a sad look. Shiori gets an understanding look as Haru speaks.

 “Good riddance, I say.” He says with his arms behind his head.

 “I know she can be… difficult to communicate with, but she’s still my friend. I’d hate not getting the chance to show her how much I appreciate her.” Sugawara says softly. Haru looks at Sugawara’s worried face before softening his own look.

 “Look, it’s like you said. She’s probably just busy, I’m sure you’ll see her back at school. She is a year below us after all.” Haru says supportively as he places his hand on Sugawara’s shoulder. Sugawara smiles.

 “You’re right. For now, let’s just enjoy the rest of our last summer vacation!” Sugawara says with an excited look before rushing ahead with the others. As the group gathers, Mormo looks around with a pleased look.

 “Hey, maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all.” He says as he stares at the many women in bikinis walking around. Lucy gets angry and grabs him by the head.

 “You stupid pervy bear! Die!” she shouts while shoving his head into a fountain by the entrance. He squirms for a moment before she eventually lets go. Mormo stands there dripping wet with an upset look on his face.

 “Great, look at me! I’m soaking wet now! This takes forever to dry out!” Mormo shouts.

 “Hey, don’t worry about it. We’ll help speed up the drying process. Touma?” Hikigaya says, looking back at Touma. He nods before grabbing Mormo and pulling him back as if he were a baseball. Hikigaya points his finger to the sky with a big smile on his face. “Launch!" Hikigaya shouts as Touma throws Mormo with tremendous might, causing him to go flying through the air at high speeds, leaving behind only a fading scream. Touma sweats as Hikigaya and Suiyoubi look shocked by the throw.

 “Maybeee we should’ve had Sugawara throw him.. Whoops!” Hikigaya says with an awkward smile.

“You dummy.” Shiori says, crossing her arms.

 “Guess that’s the start of our day..” Lucy says with an upset look as the group starts a walk in Mormo’s direction.

 “Good luck, you guys. I’m gonna check out the swirly tube.” Kitaro says while stepping away before Hisana and Alice grab his arms and force him to follow them.

 “Come on.” Alice says as Kitaro reluctantly follows.

 “YOU STUPID BRUTE! I’M NEVER OFFERING YOU A BITE OF MY SANDWICH AGAIN!” Mormo shouts as he hangs from a tree with many leaves sticking out of him.

 “Chill out, you’re alright.” Hikigaya says as he reaches up and grabs him from the tree. 

 “Great, he’s saved. Can we go play now?” Kitaro asks, a bit impatient.

“For someone who just learned how to swim, you’re pretty excited, aren’t you?” Lucy asks with a smug smile. Kitaro blushes in response and looks away. Behind Lucy, Chizuru stares at her for a moment before jumping on her and grabbing her hand.

 “Come on, Lucy! Let’s go on that slide first!” Chizuru says before rushing off with her, laughing. The group quickly follows. They go down in groups of four on inflatable tubes. They scream and laugh, splashing and sliding from side to side. Sugawara and Hisana having looks of fear from the fast slide until they all splash down and collect at the end of the slide.

 “Let’s go do that one next!” Kitaro points excitedly at the large swirling tube. Sugawara and Hisana look nervous but follow as they do the same groups. The tubes drop swiftly as water splashes around them. It slides high up one side of the tube before dropping back down and repeating until they eventually make it out. Sugawara stumbles out of the water following the group as Hisana pants, holding herself on her knees.

 “Hey, you guys okay?” Kitaro asks. Hisana looks up at him and smiles weakly.

 “Yeah, yeah, totally. Just hits different on water is all..” She says as Kitaro smirks a bit. 

 “Come on.” He says while taking her hand and leading her away. “Let’s go sit for a second.” Hisana blushes as she nods softly, following his lead.

 “I’m fine too, ya know?” Sugawara says, staring at them as they go. Touma then walks by, picks him up and walks off with him.

 The group then floats down a softly flowing river made throughout the park. Shiori, Chizuru and Lucy float calmly on their backs as Suiyoubi sits in a tube with sunglasses and a large brim hat on and Mormo, also wearing glasses, sitting on her tummy in her same pose.

 Sugawara and Touma walk gently through the water as Haru floats on by in a calm state. They stare at him for a moment before Ryuji and Hikigaya catch their gaze. They watch as the two of them walk swiftly partly under the water before jumping up and grabbing onto Haru. He freaks out and splashes about for a moment before being dragged under by Ryuji and Hikigaya, not to be seen again. 

 “Welp, he’s dead.” Alice says while walking past Sugawara and Touma. At a surf and slide attraction in the park, Haru happily rides the board as the water rushes underneath him on the slide.

 “Check me out, guys! I’m surfing like a pro!” he shouts with a big smile before wobbling a bit. He then slips and completely falls off the board, getting tossed and rolled by the rushing water in the process.

 “You dunce. This is how a real pro handles a board.” Alice says with a confident tone and determined look before jumping on the board. “Yeah!” She cheers as she rides the water for a moment before wobbling a bit. She then slips and completely falls off the board, getting tossed and rolled by the rushing water in the process in the exact same way Haru did a moment ago.

 They both lay on the ground with swirling eyes and groans. Hikigaya shakes his head in disappointment as Shiori runs past him with a big excited smile on her face. He turns with a surprised look as she jumps onto the board, splashing water around her. His eyes widen as a blush spreads across his cheeks. He watches Shiori as she smiles so happily, filled with excitement and joy as she casually and skillfully rides the board across the waves. She laughs with pleasure and happiness so honestly, the entire group watches her with smiles on their faces. 

"Yeah~!" Sugawara shouts at her."

"Go, Shiori!" Lucy cheers too. Hikigaya stares as Chizuru steps next to him.

 “she’s so… beautiful…” Hikigaya says softly as he watches her enjoy herself. Chizuru looks at him with a smug look on her face.

 “Oh? Keep talking like that and people might think you have a crush on her or something.” She says with a giggle as Hikigaya blushes and looks down a bit with a slightly embarrassed look.

 “I think… I might…” he says softly again. Chizuru stops with a shocked look on her face. 

 “Wha?..” Chizuru says, stunned. Hikigaya looks down slightly embarrassed as he rubs the back of his head.

“I’ve.. kinda been thinking about it for a while now. From the moment I met her, I’ve always felt something towards her. She’s cute, strong, we’ve fought crime together, we live together... The more I think about her, the more I’m starting to realize I... love her.” He says gently with a soft smile on his face. Chizuru blushes a bit as she watches her childhood bestfriend admit to having a crush on another one of her bestfriends. He turns and looks at her. “But don’t tell her that. I don’t want to ruin the trip for her if she doesn’t feel the same... I’ll tell her… eventually.” He says shyly with an awkward smile. Chizuru smiles at him with a kind look.

 “Of course, Hiki. But you better tell her soon or someone might beat you to it.” She says smugly while looking away, causing Hikigaya to panic a bit.

 “Wait, what does that mean??”

 “Oh, nothing.” Chizuru says tauntingly before walking away, leaving him with racing thoughts. He stares at her before following.

 “Wait, tell me! Is this about her crush?” he asks, trying to pry answers from Chizuru, who simply smiles.