"I'll keep your secret."
As she said this, Hiyori Shiina carefully folded the letter, slid it into the envelope, and handed it to the girl, asking with some confusion, "Chihiro, are you seeking emotional counseling?"
"That's part of it, but..." Chihiro Shiranami was clearly aware of this. She looked up and asked tentatively, "Hiyori, can you tell me about that Vice President Nagumo?"
Hiyori Shiina smiled and nodded, "As I thought. Are you worried about Ichinose?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? She's putting on a brave face..." Chihiro Shiranami hugged her legs, rested her chin on her knees, and said with her head down:
"She's been like this for a long time. She forces herself to listen to everyone, forces herself to meet everyone's expectations—she keeps herself busy as if trying to prove something."
"When she faces a setback, she constantly apologizes, constantly reflects on her mistakes, and constantly repeats, 'I'll try harder.'"
"No matter how many comforting words we say, no matter how many times we hug her, no matter how many times we say we like her, we can't hear a single bit of what's truly in her heart, let alone wait for her to confide in us."
"It's as if..."
At this point, Chihiro Shiranami's expression grew complicated: "It's as if she doesn't consider us friends at all."
Symon chimed in, "Alright, I get it. I have a great idea for this situation."
Seeing him pop up at this moment, Hiyori Shiina asked curiously in her mind: "Mr. Ghost, what's your great idea?"
"Simple. Have Chihiro Shiranami knock on her door right now, pin Ichinose down on the bed, confess her feelings, and after some R-rated action, you can talk about other things."
Hiyori Shiina couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Noticing her small reaction, Symon organized his thoughts and said with a laugh, "Don't be so quick to dismiss it. I can explain."
"According to Chihiro Shiranami, Ichinose is giving of herself in a way that's almost self-sacrificial. This giving could be for self-satisfaction, or it could be a form of emotional exchange."
"I have no intention of judging this social method, nor do I think there's a major problem with self-satisfaction or emotional exchange."
"The problem is—when Ichinose encounters difficulties and setbacks, she first draws a circle, sets it as her boundary, and then just spins around inside it, wearing herself out for no reason. When someone tries to reach out to her, she rejects them without hesitation."
"Honestly, I find this kind of behavior a bit hard to understand, and I don't really want to. But regardless of what Ichinose is thinking, she's essentially closing herself off."
"In this situation, if you want to reach her heart, the first thing to do is step inside that circle. The method could be a firm approach or a forceful breakthrough. In short, don't give her a chance to refuse, and don't leave her any room to maneuver."
At this point, Symon suddenly changed his tone and teased, "So, like I said, having Shiranami go up there, pin Ichinose to the bed, and kiss her forcefully a few times would have an explosive effect. At any rate, it's definitely better than just staring blankly from the outside."
"It's certainly a viable method, but it doesn't have to be so extreme."
After listening to his long speech, Hiyori Shiina made this assessment in her mind, then said in a gentle tone, "If you're worried about Ichinose, I suggest you go knock on her door now."
Chihiro Shiranami lowered her head, looking dejected, "I don't know what to say to her."
"If that's the problem, let's see..." Hiyori Shiina thought for a moment and gave a not-so-perfect example: "It's like how you always like to hug her, Chihiro."
Hearing this, Chihiro Shiranami's body stiffened, and she explained awkwardly, "That's because... because we're all girls."
"Please don't worry, I'm just giving an example."
As she said this, Hiyori Shiina thought for a moment and mused, "Just like how you hug her, don't ask for her opinion, don't follow her thoughts, don't consider her feelings—just go in for the hug."
Chihiro Shiranami tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding the meaning behind her words.
Seeing her like this, Hiyori Shiina couldn't help but chuckle, and patiently explained:
"'Don't ask for her opinion' means—if you want to see Ichinose now, don't ask if she's asleep via your terminal; just go straight up and knock on her door."
"'Don't follow her thoughts' means—if you go and knock now, and she says it's late and asks if you can talk tomorrow, please just say no."
"'Don't consider her feelings' means—once you're inside, if you want to stay with her longer, you can just ask if you can sleep over."
Chihiro Shiranami was clearly perplexed, "But, isn't that the complete opposite of what people always say about being considerate of others' feelings?"
It's no wonder she questioned it. Given Japan's overly complex social etiquette, the behaviors Hiyori had just exemplified were utterly lacking in boundaries, and could even be considered outrageous.
Hiyori Shiina clasped her hands together and said gently, "Please rest assured, it won't be like that. These methods only work on Ichinose, because she's a great angel. Or perhaps... more than being cared for by you all, that child yearns to be relied upon."
At this point, Hiyori Shiina winked and said playfully, "Besides... once you've closed the distance in your relationship enough, whether it's the things she's unwilling to say or the confession you're hoping for, it all becomes possible."
Chihiro Shiranami's pupils dilated, "!!!"
...
A while later, Hiyori Shiina saw a somewhat light-footed Shiranami out the door, casually locked it behind her, slipped off the school uniform she was wearing, and, filled with drowsiness, crawled into bed.
"Good night, Mr. Ghost." Hiyori's voice was soft and sweet. Covering her chest with one hand, she said gently, "If you want to play around tonight, please don't be too rough."
Symon retorted stubbornly, "I don't!"
Hiyori chuckled lightly, "Ara~ I don't know what to do with you."
...
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