The two of them took the train and arrived at Wakana's cousin's house.
When Akira and Wakana walked in, Wakana's grandfather, Gotō Kaoru, was sitting at the dining table, and a short-haired woman was coming out of the kitchen, carrying dishes.
The short-haired woman exuded an aura of capability and domesticity and was a little surprised to see Akira.
"Wakana, who is this?" she inquired.
"This is my friend, Akira. He heard that Grandpa was ill and wanted to come visit," Wakana quickly introduced.
"This is my cousin, Gotō Minaori. And this is my grandfather."
"Hello, Minaori-san!" Akira quickly greeted, also bowing to Gotō Kaoru, who was nearby. "Hello, Grandpa. I am Wakana's friend. I heard you were ill, so I came to visit."
Gotō Kaoru smiled. "It's truly a lot of trouble for Akira-kun."
"Akira-kun and Wakana haven't eaten yet, have you? Join Minaori and me for dinner."
Akira nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality."
The two of them had dinner together at Gotō Minaori's house, and then Gotō Kaoru pulled them into a conversation about Wakana's performance at university, sharing a few happy campus anecdotes.
It wasn't until Wakana, with a flushed face, urged his grandfather not to tell any more embarrassing stories about him that the two of them concluded their visit.
Even though he was already an adult, Grandpa still loved to talk about his childhood.
After leaving Gotō Minaori's house, the two parted ways, and Akira walked home with his backpack.
He thought to himself: Had he been interacting less with Sajuna recently?
He could have spent the last two days of the weekend with Sajuna.
Why had he chosen to spend time making and cutting clothes with Wakana, a male?
But inviting Sajuna out would probably not succeed; it just felt like he was aimlessly wandering.
Akira took out his phone and sent a message.
His daily concern for Sajuna certainly couldn't be forgotten.
[Akira: Sajuna-chan, good evening.]
[Sajuna: Good evening.]
[Akira: Sajuna, you're so cold.]
[Sajuna: Mm.]
She really didn't want to say an extra word.
Akira sighed. If he were an impatient boy, he would definitely give up here.
But this was the only girl who had made his heart flutter since he transmigrated.
He had to be extra patient with her.
[Akira: Will you come to the restaurant for dinner tomorrow afternoon?]
[Akira: I'll prepare a unique dish for you.]
After waiting five seconds, Sajuna's message finally came through.
[Sajuna: Don't want to go.]
It wasn't "I won't go," but "I don't want to go."
Akira rubbed his eyes. Was Sajuna being tsundere?
She must be, right?
If Akira had been unsure of Sajuna's reaction before, he now had a good idea.
He, Akira, must have already made Sajuna's heart flutter.
The long march had already taken a crucial step.
This analogy wasn't quite right—mutually reciprocated feelings didn't require a long journey.
Akira touched his chest, feeling his heart slowly warm up.
If he were an anime heroine, this scene would probably have him blushing, collapsing into the arms of the person he liked with a satisfied look.
This emotional feedback was really too fast!
This couldn't be the system's influence, could it?
It's all your fault, system. You're turning me into a love-struck fool!
Akira cursed silently in his heart. He wasn't like this before; it must all be due to the system.
After all, he was already an adult.
Thinking this, the awkwardness in Akira's heart slowly dissipated, and he straightened his body, exuding the confident aura that a handsome face should possess.
Akira scrutinized himself, feeling that this aura suited his transmigration status.
But why did he feel like his thoughts were getting more and more inappropriate?
He thought this, then quickly pushed it to the back of his mind. Now was a crucial moment for pursuing Sajuna; why bother with such useless things!
After such random thoughts, he arrived home by train, washed up, and then Akira fell into a dream with such complex feelings.
Outside the window, it was as dark as ever, with a few crows occasionally flying by, accompanied by the rustling of leaves.
---
"Sajuna-chan, this is the dessert I prepared for you."
Akira handed a gift box to Sajuna with a smile.
"Thank you." Sajuna, her face flushed, lowered her head and took the box Akira handed her, then thanked him in an extremely soft voice.
Although the voice was very soft, Akira still successfully captured Sajuna's unique vocal tone, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.
"Then I'll be busy, Sajuna-chan," Akira said goodbye, not paying attention to Fujiwara Kyoko, who was next to Sajuna.
As soon as Akira left, Fujiwara Kyoko, who was sitting nearby, crossed her arms and said angrily, "He didn't even say hello to me!"
"At least I'm also Sajuna-chan's friend!"
"He's very busy, after all," Sajuna replied.
"You're actually defending him!" Fujiwara Kyoko angrily pulled Sajuna into her embrace, wanting to "torment" her with this.
"Kyoko, stop messing around!" Sajuna's blush hadn't faded, and she couldn't use a cold voice to stop Kyoko's actions.
Her mood was still a bit volatile right now.
"But that boy is quite handsome!" Fujiwara Kyoko commented. "I saw his name tag said Akira. Do you usually call him Akira-kun?"
"No."
"Do you not call him Akira-kun, or do you have another name for him?" Kyoko pressed.
"I… I call him Akira-kun," Sajuna said, covering her face, then turned her face away to avoid looking at Fujiwara Kyoko.
"Sajuna-chan, do you know his family situation?" Fujiwara Kyoko suddenly asked.
"Eh? Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"I feel like he's quite busy, even choosing to give gifts during his part-time work hours. Could his financial situation not be very good?" Fujiwara Kyoko analyzed carefully. "Then, at that time, Sajuna-chan, you'll need to help him."
"Besides, these adult boys always have bad intentions."
"I don't know." Sajuna shook her head, then puffed out her cheeks and said, "I'm not interested anyway."
The two didn't eat much and left the family restaurant with the gift Akira had brought.
When Akira looked at where the two had been sitting again, he saw two strangers in their place, so he let go of his worries and fully immersed himself in his work.
Upon returning home, Akira slowly changed into his indoor shoes at the entrance and slowly said to the empty apartment, "I'm home."
Even if it was just to train a habit, Akira was growing to like these things that symbolized polite exchanges more and more.
He believed that soon, after he returned home, someone would truly come out of his apartment and respond to his "I'm home."
Then slowly approach him, gently hug him, caress his face with her soft hands, bend down to help him take off his outdoor shoes, and take the backpack he had been carrying all the way.
Finally, she would say to him in the gentlest tone, "Welcome home, you've worked hard!"
He still needed to work even harder!
Akira encouraged himself.