"Eh?"
Hearing her words, Hachiman was slightly stunned.
Although he didn't feel much when he said it before.
But now.
He suddenly felt a bit ashamed.
"No."
"I was just saying that casually last time."
Hachiman hurriedly waved his hand and said with some embarrassment: "You don't need to take it to heart."
"Is that so? ~But..."
A brilliant smile bloomed on Ichinose's pretty face: "I already know what 'something genuine' is."
"Eh?"
Hachiman was instantly stunned.
Although he said it didn't matter, in reality, Hachiman cared particularly much.
After all.
What exactly is something genuine.
Even he himself couldn't explain it clearly.
He could only go by feeling.
The Class B that Ichinose established was what he felt was closest to something genuine; she possessed the ability to create something genuine!
Therefore.
Hachiman still somewhat believed that Ichinose knew what something genuine was.
At this time.
Ichinose moved next to Hachiman and took his right hand. The smooth sensation immediately made Hachiman's palm tremble.
Before he could react.
Ichinose squeezed Hachiman's palm with both hands and pressed it against her grand area.
The soft sensation immediately made Hachiman even more flustered.
His face turned bright red:
"You, you, you... what are you doing?"
"Don't move, this is actually quite embarrassing."
Pressing Hachiman's right hand to her chest, feeling that strange warmth, Ichinose lowered her head, her face even more flushed.
As soon as these words came out.
Hachiman's face became a deep shade of red.
He tried his best to spread his five fingers, not daring to feel the touch, but his palm still sensed that heart-pounding softness.
He couldn't decide whether to pull it back or not.
If you feel embarrassed.
Then just don't do this.
"Although I don't know if it's the correct answer."
Ichinose lowered her small head, her voice as pleasant as a yellow oriole and trembling slightly.
"But I feel that something genuine can only be proven by time."
"Only something that has gone through setbacks, hardships, and arguments, through tests and failures, and can still be preserved or even become more dazzling—that is truly something genuine."
"No..."
Hachiman couldn't maintain contact; he felt his palms were sweating.
"Having experienced failure and arguments, how could people still be together sincerely? Even if they stay together, that's just deception."
"That's not it."
Ichinose pressed Hachiman's hand even deeper and shook her head with a crimson face:
"Failure and fighting are indeed reasons for relationships to deteriorate, but as long as our hearts are together, as long as we work hard together."
"Every time we experience a failure and a test, we work together to mend and polish it. As long as we don't give up, it will only become purer and more dazzling!"
"This is something genuine."
Saying this.
Ichinose felt her delicate body was starting to heat up.
So this is a boy's palm.
Perhaps because it was Hachiman, the temperature of the palm was truly reassuring, yet it also made her heart thump wildly.
It was so embarrassing she wished she could find a place to crawl into.
"No."
"That's just because the difficulties are too small."
"When truly facing insurmountable difficulties, anyone would give up, right?"
Hachiman's eyes had nowhere to settle. He felt his spread fingers were trembling, and he almost wanted to grab on immediately.
By the way.
Is Ichinose's strength too great?
Or does he simply not want to move his hand away?
But.
This seemed like something that couldn't be helped; after all, he was a boy.
"I won't give up."
Saying this.
Ichinose suddenly pressed Hachiman's palm down, her white skin turning red from her neck to the base of her ears.
She said with a trembling voice:
"Can you feel it? It's beating so fast. In that case, Hikki, can you still say it's fake?"
"..."
Hachiman only felt his heart beating rapidly, not knowing whether it was Ichinose's heartbeat or his own.
Speaking of which, is Ichinose this brave?
"No."
Ichinose shook her head quickly:
"Even if Hikki says it's fake, I won't give up. No matter what difficulties I encounter, I will work hard to overcome them. No matter how much the relationship deteriorates, I will work hard to mend it."
"Even if Hikki stands still, it doesn't matter. I will work hard until you like me and believe it's real!"
"Even if Hikki can't believe it's real right now."
"I will also work hard until the day it becomes something genuine!"
"Only time can prove true or false!"
"This is my something genuine!"
Saying this.
Ichinose looked up slightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture as she gazed at the somewhat distressed Hachiman.
"I like you—no, Hikki, I love you!"
"No..."
"I know!"
Before Hachiman could finish, Ichinose shook her head forcefully.
"Impurities are not factors that affect something genuine."
"I don't deny that I like you because of gratitude. Perhaps it's more than that; it likely includes care and sympathy for you, even pity because you're often alone."
"And, Hiki always likes to find excuses in small places, and likes to escape at the slightest provocation, but at critical moments, he never makes excuses."
"Character is a bit awkward and particularly overbearing, academic results aren't considered top-tier, and even less skilled at sports, and always likes to be lazy."
"And also a bit self-deprecating, with too low a self-assessment."
"Even if we take a step back and Hiki-paya's judgment is correct, and maybe Hiki won't have much of a future and can only be an ordinary employee."
"Or, simply be lazy and hide at home to be a househusband."
"Taking all these shortcomings together, the final answer is also."
"Hikki I love you!"
Even the sensation on his palm could not compare to Ichinose's confession at this moment.
Hachiman was instantly dazed.
Can this kind of thing full of impurities also be called something genuine?
However.
Ichinose seemed determined not to give up no matter what.
She firmly believed that only time could prove all of this.
No matter what kind of difficulties were encountered, no matter what kind of arguments occurred, no matter how much of a loser he was, no matter how bad his attitude was.
Ichinose would perseveringly repair this relationship.
She would approach him without ever giving up.
This is impossible!
Impossible to do.
No one is willing to keep pressing their warm face against a cold butt.
Hachiman knew this very well.
However.
Ichinose wanted to prove exactly this.
Hearing her words, Hachiman couldn't help but be moved. Although he didn't know if Ichinose could persist, and he wasn't sure if this counted as something genuine.
But this was surely too heavy, wasn't it?
To actually be liked to such an extent by Ichinose, to actually have such a beautiful girl confess to him to this degree.
What on earth had he done to deserve this?
Hachiman said with some embarrassment:
"Ichinose, you're unexpectedly forceful."
"Yes."
A smile bloomed at the corners of Ichinose's mouth. She didn't expect an answer, but this feeling of liking Hachiman couldn't be faked.
Even if she had to give everything.
She was willing.
Thinking of this.
Ichinose let go of her small hands, cupped Hachiman's face, and kissed him, her delicate body taking the opportunity to press against him.
"Hikki"
Gazing at the somewhat dazed Hachiman, Ichinose sat astride him, her pretty face flushed with a crimson hue as she said:
"Sorry, it's my first time, so there might be things I don't do well."
Saying this.
Ichinose kissed him again, and her over-the-knee skirt slipped down as well.