“Jeez…”

“Uh…”
“Jeez… Souta, don’t move.”
“No, it’s fine, but…”
“Jeez… might not work.”
“What!? It hurts me when people stare at my face and sigh.”

Today is another day, and I’m in Yuika’s room.
As usual, I was doing my school work when I suddenly realized that Yuika was right beside me, looking into my face. And then she sighed mysteriously.

“Souta doesn’t really have a distinctive appearance, doesn’t he?”
“Whoa, whoa, are you trying to pick a fight? You’ll have to pay a higher price. I’ll tickle your feet until you die from laughter, okay? Unlike mail orders, there’s no cooling off.”
“Don’t wring your hands. I’m serious.”
“I’ve been told I’m seriously uncharacteristic, my feelings…”

I don’t know what that means, but I’m shocked to hear that.
Yuika was still holding her phone and staring at my face. When I looked closer, I saw that she seemed to be opening the notepad tool on her phone.

“That’s just an example. I was thinking what Souta would look like if I were to describe you objectively.”
“Describe me objectively?”

I was about to say, “why are you doing that?” but then it occurred to me and I held my tongue.
For the past few days, I’ve been getting the feeling that Yuika has been doing something secretly. I don’t know what it is, but it’s good to have something to immerse yourself in.

If the objective description has anything to do with it, I’m more than willing to help.

“You should have observed me closer. If you take a closer look, you’ll find that I’m full of features that are appealing.”
“I doubt that.”
“Well, I’m right. There is no such thing as a person without any characteristics.”
“You know, like a protagonist with no personality? In old games, it’s not uncommon to see a picture with no face.”
“It’s too pathetic, isn’t it the game’s protagonist…?”
“In other words, as long as the heroine is cute, the hero is just a decoration. Sadly, that’s the way of the world!”
“Hey, don’t. Please don’t do that. You need to take a better look!”

Feeling a mysterious sense of danger, I stood up.
I spread out my hands and pleaded.

“See, Yuika, what do I have? You know what’s great about me?”
“Yeah, so I’ve been looking at you for a while now, and I don’t see any of those.”
“Favorably! If you look at me favorably, something will come out! Rather, squeeze it out! Give it your all, my childhood friend! Praise me!”
“Uh-uh…”

Sitting beside the glass table, Yuika looked up at me and snorted.
Don’t you get that much? What have you seen for seventeen years? You haven’t undergone enough training!

“Oh, I got something.”

“Ohh, what is it, what is it?”
“You’re a little taller.”
“Yeah, a couple of inches taller than the average boy… is a minor feature!”
“And a bit of a slanted eye.”
“Yeah, the kind of eyes that make new acquaintances shy away. …That’s normal too!”
“Then there’s… oh, yeah, you have a pretty face. You’d look good dressed as a woman!”
“Is there any need for the last comment!?”

I sat down with my head in my hands. This is no good.

“… Yuika, give up. You don’t have the ability to describe me. I’ll tell you what, it’s not that I have no personality, okay? It’s that you’re not good enough, definitely.”

I said this for her to take in and think about it.
Meanwhile, my childhood friend leans forward on the glass table and makes a pouty face.

“What? When you think about it, it’s quite difficult, isn’t it?”
“I know it’s not easy, but…”
“Even Souta can’t do it.”
“No, I can do it. I see it every day, I think about it every day.”
“What, you think about yourself every day at…? That’s disgusting.”
“It’s different! … It’s you I’m thinking about”

“Huh?”

I lean back on the glass table and rest my cheek on it, just like Yuika.
All I can see is my childhood friend who has been by my side for 17 years.

“First, there was her long, lustrous black hair. Her hair, which reaches down to her chest, has not a single lump, and every time she moves her body, the tips of her hair sways and flutters like a ripple.”
“Ah… um, indeed.”

“Her skin is white, like a field of snow in the early morning. When you touch it, it moistens and presses back. … Its softness is irresistible.”
“Eh, hey… you can’t touch my cheeks just because you’re in the middle of…”

“Her eyes are like shining crystals. If there is the slightest light, it will reflect pure light back. Whenever I see my reflection in them, my heart skips a beat.”
“Ah, ano, stop looking at me.. too close, you’re too close!”

“Her lips are a faint cherry blossom color. The contrast with her snowy skin is dazzling. Once you become aware of them, you are naturally drawn to them.”
“Ah, your fingers are on my lips… eh, are you going to kiss me? Wait, Souta, are you serious…?”

“When I look at you, I want to take it all away.”
“T-take it all away… that’s—”

Then, I almost kissed her.

“Don’t get carried away!”

King Arthur again!
I don’t know how long she had this stuffed cushion, but it was shoved in my face, and I collapsed in a heap.
Yuika turned bright red and retreated to her bed.

“You scared me! What are you trying to do, pretend it’s the natural flow of things!?”
“… Sorry. I was describing Yuika, and I got too emotional and couldn’t stop.”
“I know, but! I understand what you’re feeling. But I’m not going to accept it without thinking! That was dangerous!”
“This is how I expect you to describe me.”
“No way! I can’t do it anywhere close to how you did it!”

She pouted and wrapped herself in the futon. It’s like when you’re stuck in a game, you take a nap. When this happens, she doesn’t come out for a while. It’s a multifaceted situation where a recluse becomes even more recluse, and there’s nothing you can do about it. However.

“… Hey, Souta”

The only thing I could see was her eyes. The ears that were slightly visible were still red.

“I can’t do it as well as Souta, but thanks to you… I’ve decided to try my best.”
“That’s good to hear.”

She didn’t seem to be in a bad mood compared to when she was stuck in the game. If anything, she seemed happy. But that’s not the point.

… Try not to make me impersonal, Yuika. Work super hard. Really work hard. Seriously, please, really try, okay?

I started to understand somewhat what Yuika was doing, and I thought to myself.