The moment the question slipped out, Ringo froze.
She actually asked it!
Dazai clearly hadn’t expected it either. After a brief silence, he let out a puzzled, “Huh?”
“Ah, um, well…” Ringo could feel her cheeks heating up, and her words became a flustered mess. “B-Because you’ve never actually said you like me, Chuu-kun, so I just wanted to know…”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until Dazai could barely hear the end of her sentence.
“I see,” Dazai chuckled softly before asking in an amused tone, “Then do you like me, Little Ringo?”
“I do!” Ringo answered without a second’s hesitation. “I like you, Chuu-kun!”
“How much do you like me?”
“A whole lot!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Dazai laugh. It sounded genuinely cheerful. Unable to tell what he meant by it, Ringo waited until he finished laughing before cautiously asking, “What are you laughing at?”
“You, of course,” Dazai replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re usually so shy, yet here you are telling me you like me. Hmm… Little Ringo’s confession~”
His voice rose playfully at the end, making his delight obvious. But Ringo answered with complete seriousness.
“Because I think that even if it’s embarrassing, you should still properly tell the other person how you feel. I’m being completely sincere!”
“I know, I know. Little Ringo is even braver than I imagined~ Then say it one more time.”
“Say what?”
“Say you like me~”
“N-No way!”
“Oh? Getting embarrassed now?”
If Dazai hadn’t said anything, she might have been fine. But after he did, her cheeks felt even hotter than before, and even her head started to feel light.
“But…” Dazai suddenly changed the subject. The laughter and teasing vanished from his voice, leaving behind something difficult to read. “Do you really like me, Little Ringo? Weren’t you only forced to date me because you lost that game?”
“Huh? W-Well, at first, yes, but… we really did start dating, didn’t we?” Ringo hurriedly explained. “After we started going out, I fell for you. So I really do like you now!”
“Why do you like me?” Dazai asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Even he didn’t like himself. He couldn’t think of a single thing about himself that deserved to be liked.
May had asked her that exact same question earlier.
“I don’t think you need a special reason to like someone,” Ringo said, smiling unconsciously. “But if I had to give one…”
“I think your smile is really beautiful, Chuu-kun.”
Silence lingered for a few seconds before Dazai returned to his usual carefree tone.
“So you only like my face.”
“Huh? That’s not what I meant!”
“Forget it.” Dazai yawned. “There’s no point talking about this anyway. I’m going to bed.”
Ringo couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
“So early?”
It was such a rare occasion for Dazai to contact her first.
“Did you forget what I told you?” Dazai declared self-righteously. “While you were out on a movie date with another man, I was working.”
He deliberately stressed the words, making Ringo feel even guiltier.
“Then you should go get some rest,” Ringo said obediently, even lowering her voice as though she might disturb him. “You worked hard today.”
“I’m going to sleep. Good night.”
“Good night.”
The moment Ringo finished speaking, Dazai had already hung up.
Listening to the busy tone coming from her phone, an indescribable melancholy welled up inside her.
Her boyfriend still hadn’t told her whether he liked her.
She lay face-down on her bed feeling dejected for a while, then rolled over and stared at the ceiling for several seconds. In the end, she comforted herself.
Even though Dazai hadn’t told her he liked her, she had told him.
Being able to honestly express her feelings to someone was already a huge step forward for her.
After lying there for a few more minutes, Ringo sat up and started putting away everything her mother had sent her.
She hung the clothes in her closet and stored the snacks in her cabinet. Once everything was neatly organized, she sat down on the floor and opened the box containing the stuffed toy.
Inside was a fluffy little white sheep. It was soft, adorable, and only about twenty centimeters tall. Ringo squeezed it in her hands for a while before placing it on her bedside table.
Next time she went home, she’d have to tell her mom to stop buying her toys like she was still a little kid.
…But the little sheep was so cute!
The weather was getting colder and colder.
After class one day, Ringo had just left campus when she received a message from May.
May: Ringo, want to have hot pot together tonight?
Ringo: Yes, yes, yes! Are you done with class yet, May?
May: Not yet. I still have one more class. After I’m done, let’s go buy some ingredients together~
Ringo: I’m already finished (≧▽≦) I’ll go buy them! What do you want to eat?
Originally planning to head back to her apartment, Ringo immediately turned around and walked toward the train station instead.
May sent over a list of the ingredients she wanted, and Ringo also thought about what she’d like to eat on the way, so shopping didn’t take long.
The supermarket happened to be having a huge sale that day. By the time Ringo went to check out, every register had an incredibly long line.
While waiting, she noticed that the young man in front of her was carrying an enormous pile of snacks in his arms—so many that they were practically overflowing.
Wasn’t something going to fall?
Why wasn’t he using a shopping cart or at least a basket?
Ahhh! That bag of Umaibo was about to slip out!
As someone with severe social anxiety, Ringo hesitated to speak. Her violet eyes remained fixed on the pack of Umaibo.
I really want to push it back in…
Just as she was debating whether she should warn him, the young man suddenly turned around.
After looking her in the eye for a few seconds, he said, “It won’t fall.”
“Huh?” Ringo’s eyes flew open. “R-Really?”
Ranpo Edogawa looked utterly pleased with himself.
“I do this all the time. They’ve never fallen before.”
“That’s amazing…” Ringo blurted out before asking curiously, “How did you know what I was thinking?”
Ranpo answered as though it were obvious.
“You were staring at my Umaibo with such concern. They’re really good. After I pay, I can eat one in front of you.”
“N-No, thank you.”
Deeply touched by his offer, Ringo politely declined.
Ranpo said nothing more and simply turned back around, still hugging his mountain of snacks while continuing to wait in line.
About fifteen minutes later, it was finally his turn.
The cashier swiftly scanned everything, but after patting every pocket on his body, Ranpo turned to Ringo and announced,
“I changed clothes today and forgot my wallet.”
…Why are you telling me that?!
“U-Um…” Ringo had no idea how to respond. All she could manage was an awkward, reassuring smile.
Ranpo simply looked at her with an innocent expression.
As more time passed, the line refused to move, and the customers behind them were already growing impatient.
At that moment, the cashier asked Ringo, “Are you two together?”
“N-No, no, we’re not!” Ringo hurriedly shook her head.
But the situation had become so awkward and overwhelming that she had no room left to think about anything else. Bracing herself, she told the cashier,
“…Never mind. I’ll pay for him.”
Ranpo beamed at her.
“Thanks~”
Ringo felt like she was about to lose all her hair from stress. She had no idea how things had somehow ended up like this.
After paying for Ranpo’s snacks, she paid for her own groceries as well.
When she walked out of the supermarket carrying her bags, she discovered that Ranpo was waiting outside, happily eating a stick of Umaibo.
Seeing her come out, he held one out toward her.
“Here. This one’s for you.”
…I paid for those in the first place!
Unable to stop herself from complaining internally, Ringo simply shook her head.
“No thanks.”
“Suit yourself.”
Without insisting, Ranpo put it back, then said to her,
“Walk me home. I’ll pay you back there. I’m not some freeloader—I won’t refuse to repay you.”
Ringo stood there in stunned silence.
What did he mean, walk him home?!