I Just Want A Single Ending!

December Double Drop!
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"Do you want to sing first, or should I?"

After closing the door to the karaoke room, Kamigawa Saku sat down on the couch, picking up the tablet to browse songs as he spoke.

"Hmm, how about I go first? Just in case you're really good, I might get too embarrassed to sing after!"

"..."

Hearing the music already filling the room, Chihaya Anon finally seemed to come to her senses, the trembling in her body slowly calming down.

She took a few deep breaths, and watching Saku still focused on choosing a song, she walked over.

"Thank you."

Sitting down across from him, she murmured her gratitude.

If he hadn't brought her into the room when he did, her old classmates would've definitely noticed her.

That's right, the girls who had stepped out from the room next door were her former middle school classmates.

"Thank you? Why are you saying that all of a sudden?" Saku pretended to be clueless.

It was easy for Anon to see what he was doing. He was clearly playing dumb to make it seem like he hadn't noticed her strange behavior at the door, as if he'd brought her inside casually, without much thought. His unspoken message was clear—if she didn't want to discuss what happened, they could pretend it was nothing.

In other words, he was giving her a way out.

Someone less perceptive might genuinely believe he hadn't noticed anything.

Or, if she was the type to deny reality, she could choose to interpret it that way too.

"...Thank you for what you did at the door," she said finally, unable to let the issue lie.

"No need to thank me. But judging by your reaction back there… you know those girls from next door?"

Realizing he was addressing it directly now, Saku decided to drop the act.

Anon pressed her lips together, replying honestly, "They're my classmates from middle school."

Saku followed up, "This might be a bit forward, but there's something I'd like to ask, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

It was the first time she'd seen such a serious expression on him, and it made her feel unexpectedly tense.

"Were you… bullied?"

As he asked, Saku's gaze moved subtly over her, paying close attention to her every reaction and body language, trying to discern whether she'd lie.

"Eh? Bullied? Like, you mean the kind where people get picked on?"

"Yes." Saku nodded slightly.

"Of course not! I was the student council president back in middle school, super popular. There's no way anyone would bully me."

Seeing that he'd completely misunderstood, Anon quickly clarified.

"That's good."

Saku let out a quiet sigh of relief.

From her surprised reaction, he felt reasonably sure she wasn't lying.

If she'd actually been bullied, her response would've likely been very different.

Besides, Anon didn't give off the vibe of someone who'd be an easy target for bullying.

Still, he'd asked the question just in case.

Her reaction to those girls was strikingly similar to someone confronting their bullies.

Thankfully, it wasn't that.

Seeing his expression relax, Anon chuckled, "Were you worried about me?"

[No]

[Yes]

What's the difference between those two choices?

Seeing the options pop up from the system, Saku couldn't help but grumble internally.

Sure, one was "yes" and the other "no."

But let's be real, this world still had the concept of tsunderes.

In situations where both people clearly understood what was going on, denying it would only make him look like a stubborn tsundere.

"Yes."

Saku decided to admit it outright.

He wasn't a tsundere, and he didn't want to be mistaken for one.

Honestly, it wasn't even a thing anymore—tsunderes were out of style.

[+20 Strength]

"Don't worry, I'm not someone who'd let others push me around."

Seeing him admit it without hesitation, Anon felt a small surge of happiness.

If he didn't care, he wouldn't have done what he did or asked her that question so sincerely.

"Alright, let's start singing!" Saku handed her the tablet. "What are you planning to sing?"

"W-wait, aren't you even going to ask me why I was so scared if it wasn't because of bullying?"

Anon, who had been bracing herself to share everything if he probed further, was thrown off by his sudden shift in focus.

"Didn't I already say I'd ask you just one question?" Saku looked at her directly, enunciating clearly, "And about why you were afraid… are you sure you want to talk about it?"

"If you want to tell me, I'd be more than willing to listen."

"But if you don't, I won't push you to say a word."

As long as it wasn't a case of bullying, he felt there was nothing to worry about.

There was no need to pry into someone else's personal matters—that was her private business.

"...I'd better tell you. I don't want you worrying over me."

Recalling the concerned way he'd looked at her, Anon finally steeled herself and decided to tell him.

Saku paused the music, giving her his full attention.

"My transfer was at a weird time, right? Actually, I'd gone abroad to study before that." Anon began slowly, "But I couldn't keep up and ended up coming back."

The story was simple. She'd been popular in middle school, and when her classmates and friends were discussing their high school plans, she'd said she was going to study abroad in England.

Her friends were thrilled and genuinely happy for her.

But once she got to her school in England, she realized her spoken English wasn't nearly good enough for everyday communication.

So, she'd ended up returning in quiet defeat.

"The reason I was so scared of running into old friends is because I don't want them to find out that I failed at studying abroad." Anon gave a small, self-mocking smile.

"You must have had a tough time."

After hearing her story, Saku spoke up.

"Tough?"

Anon looked surprised by his response.

Saku offered gently, "Saying something so hard to admit out loud—it must be tough, right?"

"It was, a little. But now that I've said it, I actually feel a lot better." Anon smiled gratefully at him, "Sorry for making you worry over something like this."

"There's absolutely no need to apologize. I'm just glad you felt you could share it."

Saku could feel that their relationship had just taken a big step forward.

And to him, that was something worth celebrating.

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T/N: Social Link Up!

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