Without anyone else's interference, after Tokai and Representative Chiaki had a simple meal of several freshly heated cans, the two lay down in the tent.
Although... "It's so cramped..."
"If we share a sleeping bag, it won't be like this."
"No way!"
Because it was a single-person tent, although a second person could squeeze in, the internal space of the tent would be compressed to a very small extent.
Fortunately, Tokai wasn't very large, so there was still enough room to move.
But both of them would feel very cramped.
However, after a brief conversation, Representative Chiaki simply changed her posture to lie flat.
Looking at the inner wall of the tent, Representative Chiaki wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say.
And when everything around them became completely quiet,
a voice appeared.
"Chiaki?"
"Mm."
Tokai's voice made Representative Chiaki feel a little confused.
But she quickly responded: "What is it?"
"I was thinking..."
"Mm."
"You and Maruzensky are both so good to me."
Saying this, Tokai turned her head slightly.
Then,
their gazes met.
After a short while of looking at each other, both silently turned their heads away.
Then, there was another silence.
This time, it was Representative Chiaki who broke the silence.
She looked at the inner tent, pondering Tokai's previous behavior, and finally spoke the following words:
"Shizen?"
"Hm?"
"What you said during the day, that the things you found here weren't important, that was false, wasn't it?"
Her words were exposed.
This made Tokai unsure what to say.
But, after thinking, Tokai responded: "Mm, false."
"So, for you, the things you found are still very important, right?"
"...Mm."
"Then why did you say they weren't important?"
"Because I couldn't remember what they were, so I classified them as unimportant."
Their question-and-answer exchange continued for a few minutes, and then, both stopped.
Then, the rhythm of question and answer was broken.
"Do you think those things are very important?"
"Maybe very important, but..."
Speaking here, Tokai, still in her sleeping bag, turned her body to face the other person directly.
The two looked at each other.
And then... "Maybe there's no need to get them back."
Saying this, Tokai returned to lying flat.
But Representative Chiaki didn't know what to say; she just looked at Tokai lying flat beside her, thought for a long time, and then responded: "Shizen?"
"Hm?"
"I think there might be a way to solve your problem."
Saying this, Representative Chiaki looked at Tokai: "Shizen, do you know Air Groove?"
"...I know her."
"She might be able to help."
Saying this, Representative Chiaki looked elsewhere, and then continued: "Although the things she makes are relatively dangerous, if her abilities are real, she can indeed provide you with a lot of help."
"I see..."
Tokai's response was not enthusiastic; she just remained silent, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes, seemingly thinking about what she should do, what kind of response she should give.
Because Tokai felt that those things might be very important, but perhaps not that important.
They were important because of the things that once happened there, the trace of that pattern.
But unimportant because of what happened afterward and everything she experienced since, so perhaps those things weren't that important anymore.
Thinking of this, Tokai just shifted her gaze to Representative Chiaki: "Why are you doing so much?"
"You should be very clear about this reason."
A question without a direct answer, but in the heart of the person who asked it, the answer had already appeared.
So, the two looked at each other, and after a slight silence from both of them, they continued: "Shizen?"
"Hm?"
"I like you."
"I know, or rather, I probably guessed."
Seeing Tokai say this, Representative Chiaki said nothing; she just thought about what to say next, and then... "You can't respond right now, can you?"
After saying the words Tokai should have said, Representative Chiaki continued: "It's okay, I'll wait for you."
Representative Chiaki's words made Tokai look at her.
Their gazes met, and after a moment of silence, Tokai was the first to look away.
Watching Tokai's gaze shift, Representative Chiaki unzipped her sleeping bag.
Then she crawled over to Tokai's side.
Subsequently, she directly hugged Tokai through the sleeping bag.
Tokai's ears suddenly tensed when Representative Chiaki hugged her, and then relaxed again.
She knew why Representative Chiaki was hugging her.
And thinking of this, Tokai casually said: "If you sleep hugging me like this, you'll catch a cold."
"A cold isn't a big deal."
She buried her head in Tokai's hair.
A slight, warm breath transferred to Tokai's neck.
"Chiaki?"
"Don't talk..."
Saying this, Representative Chiaki freed one hand and pulled open a corner of Tokai's sleeping bag.
Then, she pulled it open.
The next second, Representative Chiaki's head shifted slightly, eventually resting on Tokai's shoulder.
"Ugh!"
A slight cry of pain escaped Tokai's lips.
Representative Chiaki had bitten Tokai.
She bit Tokai on the shoulder.
Representative Chiaki only released her mouth after feeling a trace of sweet, metallic taste.
"This is a mark, you know."
"There's no need to break the skin, though, and why did you have to bite me?"
Hearing Tokai's words, Representative Chiaki didn't say much. She just fumbled around in the tent for a few moments, then dangled a pen in front of Tokai's eyes: "I can write tally marks on you if you'd like."
"Then you can just bite me."
Seeing that Tokai had accepted reality.
Representative Chiaki merely restrained Tokai with her hand: "Shizen..."
"Hmm?"
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"No. And are you a cat? Stop licking!"
Saying this, Representative Chiaki gently licked the spot on Tokai's shoulder where she had bitten her.
"Don't..."
"Then suit yourself."
After reluctantly responding, Tokai continued, "It's Christmas again..."
"Mm."
-------------------------------
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