Chapter 263: Who Wins and Who Loses

However, Nanami was worrying too much.

Because Himekoji couldn’t see anything.

…

The hospital room weirdly became quiet again in an instant.

None of the three spoke.

Tobe didn’t dare to speak.

Nanami didn’t know what to say.

Himekoji simply didn’t know who to talk to or where to face.

So, he held a magazine and pretended to read it seriously.

He wondered in his heart—

How strange, who on earth was the person who knocked and came in?

Why didn’t they follow the usual way?

Not saying a word for a long time…

…

The continuation of the cold war?

Reading the atmosphere is human instinct.

And the answer Nanami interpreted in her mind was this.

Suddenly, she felt so wronged that she wanted to cry…

Seriously!

She skipped her part-time job and rushed over worried about that pervert, not daring to delay a bit, all to see him first, and what about him?

Lying safely and comfortably in his hospital bed, leisurely flipping through a magazine, and even giving her a cold look!

Why?

He could go out late at night to eat supper and drink with Sensei, be there even when she got drunk and wild, and be gentle and careful helping her take off makeup.

He would give up an almost won prize and honor for Mashiro, letting all his feeling and hard work on manga go to waste without regret.

Even more, he got on a death car filled with a bomb for another girl, to play the hero alone, risking his life.

Even as a pervert, he clearly had his own kindness.

Then why couldn’t he share that kindness with her too?

Since their last argument until now, how long had their cold war been going on?

Actually, compared to the question of “how long,” what Nanami wanted to know more was—

How much longer.

…

Since Himekoji wasn’t talking, she wouldn’t either!

The one who speaks first is the loser, she absolutely must not lose!

She had lost too many times already.

Lost to Mashiro, lost to Akiko, lost to Yukinoshita, even…

Even lost to Hiratsuka-sensei!

Okay, no more thinking about these maddening things; this time, she had to grab victory first!

Not talking!

Aoyama Nanami wasn’t talking.

Of course, just not talking wasn’t enough; at times like this, she also had to show her little feelings a bit.

So, Nanami puffed up her eyes and glared at Himekoji—

Quickly! Say something! You pervert! The first step to break the ice should be yours!

Nanami’s look showed this meaning.

But after glaring for a long time, her eyes were sore, and Himekoji stayed completely unmoved.

During that time, he just kept his eyes fixed on that magazine and didn’t look at her once.

Was the magazine that interesting?

Compared to this dumb magazine, was she not even worth a single look from him?!

Nanami was angry, and even angrier!

The glare she was giving Himekoji shifted to focus on the magazine.

Then, she found something even more maddening—

The magazine in Himekoji’s hand was upside down! He was holding it wrong!

So, this pervert wasn’t reading it at all!

He was only holding a magazine to pretend he was into it and ignore her.

“You… you really are!”

The one who spoke first, in the end, was still Nanami.

But.

Nanami did not lose.

Deciding win or loss like before wasn’t right.

Because it didn’t make any sense.

…

Is the one who can’t hold back and speaks first the loser?

Does the one who stubbornly keeps quiet win?

No.

That can’t be.

Clearly, the one who talks first…

Cares more about the other.

…

“Nanami?”

Hearing the voice, Himekoji finally realized who had come.

“You!”

Seeing Himekoji’s “fake and showy” reaction, Nanami choked with anger and got really mad.

You’ve been giving a cold look for so long, and now you act like you just saw her? Was it needed?

Who are you acting for?

“Me?”

He couldn’t see her expression, so Himekoji didn’t notice the dissatisfaction in Nanami’s words.

“What was wrong with me? By the way, why did you come?”

At that time, wasn’t Nanami supposed to be at work?

Moreover, she didn’t even spare the time for the School Trip, using all of it for her part-time job; that made one feel like complaining…

But Nanami was quick to respond.

“Well… I had a little problem.”

“A little problem? In your eyes, getting injured and hospitalized is just a little problem?”

“I wasn’t injured.”

Himekoji corrected instinctively.

“No? If not, why would you be lying on the hospital bed?”

“Isn’t Tobe over there also lying down?”

As he said that, as if to prove he was really fine, Himekoji turned over and tried to get down from the bed.

But because he wasn’t used to the darkness, when he got up, he unexpectedly missed his footing.

Luckily, he didn’t fall.

It was just a stumble when getting off the bed, a bit awkward and strange.

“This time you were lucky! But what about next time, or the time after? So, stop always doing things that make people worry!”

“Make people worry? Aoyama, are you worried about me?”

“No!”

The girl flatly denied, not in a good tone.

It really was Nanami’s style, that awkward way of speaking.

Himekoji then said to comfort her:

“Aoyama, you really don’t need to worry, I won’t get injured.”

Besides, even if he got injured, there would be the System to take care of things for him.

“Huh? Won’t get injured? Who do you think you are?”

When she heard this, Nanami, who was already irritated, couldn’t hold back her anger.

“Pervert? Haha…”

Somehow, the atmosphere of their conversation felt off, and Himekoji wanted to crack a joke.

No, perhaps it wasn’t a joke.

“You!”

Nanami suddenly clenched her fist and glared at Himekoji.

“And you’re proud of it?”

“Terrible! You’re absolutely terrible!”

…

He didn’t have to be a Pervert.

Wasn’t there moments of shine sometimes?

When he adopted and cared for stray cats, he was very gentle.

When he gave her a Bento, he made up a lame excuse, which was stupid but cute.

When playing soccer, the way he tried hard and gave his all, he looked really cool.

And——

For Akiko, he earned money to support the family; for Mashiro, he gave up a big prize; for Yukinoshita, he threw caution to the wind—all of this really made her both envious and jealous.

Clearly, as long as he wasn’t a Pervert, that was fine.

Just not a Pervert.

…

“Terrible! You’re absolutely terrible!”

Nanami couldn’t control herself and shouted at Himekoji.

But just then——

“You’re Aoyama, right? Please keep quiet in the Hospital Room.”

Suddenly, a third voice cut in between them, cold and sharp.

“Besides.”

“Whether he’s bad or not, it’s not for you to judge.”

…