"So, what now..."
After Shimizu Ken returned to his room, he locked the door and lay on his bed to organize his thoughts. It had taken him two and a half years to finish the game the first time, and he had already forgotten some of the early story parts.
"But what was with Amamiya today?" he whispered.
When they were alone, the way Amamiya Iori tried to get close to him was already strange enough. But what shocked Ken most was that she had called him "Master." Even in his first playthrough, she had never used that word.
He had dated her many times back then, yet she was the one girl he could never quite understand.
Thinking of it, he remembered he still had not thanked Amamiya for helping him buy groceries today.
He picked up his phone and tapped her name. It was already past ten. She might still be awake, but calling late at night could bother someone.
"If it rings twice and she doesn't pick up, I'll hang up..." he decided.
But she answered at once.
"Ken-kun, what is it?" Amamiya's voice came immediately, soft and sweet.
"Uh... sorry for calling so suddenly," he said. Her quick answer surprised Ken. With that speed, she must have been holding her phone.
He wondered, was she also thinking of calling me? No, that couldn't be, he told himself with a wry smile.
"It's okay. To be honest, I was thinking about calling you too. We didn't part on the best terms earlier."
It was true. Their goodbye had not been pleasant. He still didn't know why Kondo Aoi disliked him so much. He cared, but he didn't plan to ask.
"I was unsure if I should call, but I hoped you might call first. I guess my wish came true."
Ken fell quiet, unsure how to answer. Why could she say such embarrassing things so casually?
He knew she wasn't acting or playing games. She meant every word.
"So, Ken-kun, why did you call?" she asked.
"I wanted to thank you for helping me buy groceries today."
"Only that?" she asked. Her tone sounded like she could see right through him.
If that was the only reason, a simple text message would have been enough. He knew the truth: he had been thinking about her and wanted to hear her voice.
Still, he couldn't say nothing, so he spoke immediately.
"Because I wanted to hear your voice."
Amamiya went quiet. Ken was about to ask if something was wrong when he heard a fast thumping sound.
"Ken-kun, honestly! I'm very happy to hear that on the phone, but next time, please say it to my face!" she exclaimed.
"Then I'll say it tomorrow in person."
"Ken-kun! Why are you on the other side of the phone right now? If you were here, I would hug you tight!"
"That... really is a shame," he said.
"Yes! This distance is so hard!"
She was probably lying on her bed while they talked. The thumping must have been her feet hitting the mattress. The thought of her acting so cute made him smile.
"Next time we meet, can I hug you very tight?"
He had relaxed too much, and the words slipped out habitually, like they used to in the first playthrough. When he realized it, it was too late.
Everyone knew you couldn't take back words spoken on a call.
As he tried to think of a way to fix it...
"Of course you can! If it's you, Ken-kun, anytime is fine! Even if you don't want to, I will still do it!" she said.
Her answer surprised him.
"R-really...?"
"Yes!"
He heard loud thumping again. It seemed Amamiya kicked her feet when she was overcome with excitement or happiness.
They talked for a while longer. When it was close to eleven, Ken thought it was time to end the call.
"I don't want to. I want to talk more... can't we?" she asked.
Ken let out a small sigh. He didn't mind talking longer, but they had school tomorrow. They needed sleep.
"We will see each other at school tomorrow, right? So let's stop here for today."
"...Okay... I'll hold it in for today," she said.
Even then, she dragged the call out again and again before finally hanging up.
"Thanks for everything today. Good night, Amamiya."
"Hmm, call me anytime, okay? Good night, Ken... *chu*~"
The call ended, and the last small sound made his mind run wild.
Even in his second playthrough, he still couldn't read Amamiya Iori's heart.
Lying in bed, Ken stared at the dark ceiling. He tried to think about what to do next, but sleep soon took him.
Notes:
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.
• Kondo Aoi - Yuuichi’s younger sister; short black hair, loose uniform; fiercely protective of her brother; openly hostile toward Ken.