Honami's reasoning was simple—since the mood had shifted to this point, it'd be better to brush things off with a joke.
I mean, who in their right mind would accept a love confession from a girl they barely knew?
That's exactly why Honami felt bold enough to ask Amane what she'd do if a girl confessed to her.
It was just her roundabout way of clearing the air—letting Amane know it was all a misunderstanding. After that, Honami could steer the conversation back on track and apologize for her rude behavior that afternoon.
But Amane's reaction stirred up a vague, uneasy feeling inside Honami.
Amane was actually taking the question seriously.
Something so obviously a joke… Amane shouldn't be treating it like it was real, right?
Honami tried to reassure herself. After a brief silence, Amane lifted her head.
"Honami, are you trying to confess to me?"
Huh?!
Honami froze in place.
How did things turn out like this?
Amane wasn't following the script at all. A love confession was such a serious matter—throwing it out so casually should've made it clear she was only joking.
This is bad!
If Amane took it seriously… what was she supposed to do now?
"U-um… Amane, listen, that's not what I meant, I was just—"
Honami's face flushed as she stumbled over her words, but Amane simply nodded with an understanding look.
"Oh, I see." She seemed to have grasped Honami's intention.
A smile returned to Honami's face.
Thank goodness!
Amane understood her after all. That awkward impasse was resolved—now she could just move on and apologize for what happened earlier…
"So Honami, you like girls… tsk tsk."
Honami stood dumbfounded.
Wha—since when did I say I like girls?!
Her head spun.
A second ago, hadn't Amane acted like she totally got it?
How could she interpret it that way?
No good—Amane hadn't understood her at all.
"N-no, that's not it! I mean, I… I like boys too!"
"So you're saying you're into both? Wow, Honami, I didn't know you were so open-minded. I always thought you were more of a straight-laced, model student type."
Amane patted Honami on the shoulder. Honami felt a headache coming on.
Why?
Why was this happening? All she wanted was to apologize for her rudeness that afternoon. How did it turn into… this? "Playing for both teams," or whatever it's called…
And hearing it put that way was just… embarrassing.
Honami pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.
If this kept up, there was no telling what other wild ideas Amane might dream up. The only way out was to cut to the chase and state her purpose clearly.
"Amane!!"
Honami shouted her name with sudden force.
The intensity of her tone made Amane pause.
She stared curiously as Honami's gaze grew steadily more determined.
"Amane, let's just get straight to the point!"
Honami clenched her small fists, her face glowing with a vibrant, energetic blush.
Gulp.
Amane couldn't help but swallow nervously.
The playful atmosphere was replaced by a sudden tension.
"I… I'm not ready yet. Can you give me a little more time?"
For the first time, Amane sounded genuinely uneasy.
She wasn't mentally prepared for what might come next—and honestly, it was also the first time she'd ever made such a flustered request to someone else.
"No, we can't put this off. If we do, something might go wrong. I have to clear things up with you today, Amane."
When it came to apologies, delay was the enemy. If she kept postponing it, there was a real chance Honami would get caught up in other things and forget entirely. That's why she was determined to settle things today.
Seeing how urgent Honami was being, Amane only grew more bashful.
"Honami, you're being a bit impatient, don't you think? I feel like… we should get to know each other a little more deeply before you make up your mind."
Get to know each other more deeply?
Honami blinked, puzzled.
Why would you need a deeper understanding just to accept an apology?
Just as she was mulling it over, a memory surfaced—something she'd observed among the girls in her class discussing birthday gifts.
Not long ago, a girl from Class B had celebrated her birthday. Honami and the rest of the class had all given presents and even thrown her a party that evening.
But the next day, Honami happened to overhear that same girl chatting with a couple of close friends about the gifts she'd received.
At first, the girl was all smiles, happily showing off a delicate bracelet from one classmate and an adorable plush pillow from another. But when the topic shifted to gifts from the boys, her expression turned slightly awkward.
"So, get this—among my birthday presents was a fountain pen."
"Isn't that nice? It feels like it suits your style."
"Well, maybe, but… I really don't like that kind of gift. And it's pretty obvious a few of them just pooled their points to buy a cheap one. Not that I'm doubting their sincerity or anything…"
"But if they knew me even a little, they wouldn't have given me something I'd never use. It's such a waste of points…"
Know me…
Get to know each other more deeply…
A realization began to dawn on Honami.
Her eyes widened suddenly.
Now she understood what Amane meant.
The reason Amane said those things was because she didn't like this kind of apology. That's why she kept deflecting or pretending not to understand—it was her way of showing displeasure.
But since they were friends, Amane probably felt too awkward to say it outright.
And Honami, completely oblivious, had almost forced Amane into reluctantly accepting an apology she didn't want.
That explained Amane's earlier hint.
She'd been visibly uncomfortable—practically broadcasting her dissatisfaction.
But Honami had mistaken it for confusion over a joke, misreading the mood entirely and pushing ahead with her own agenda.
No wonder Amane said they should understand each other better.
Reading between the lines: "As a close friend, you don't really get me. Maybe we should spend more time getting to know one another."
It had to be that!
The thought that she'd put Amane in such an uncomfortable position filled Honami with guilt. But now wasn't the time for self-blame.
Right now, she had to do everything in her power to make it up to Amane.
Only then could she ease her own conscience.
"I understand what you mean now, Amane! I promise I won't let you down!!"
Honami declared with fiery determination.
Amane could only stare in disbelief at the suddenly passionate Ichinose Honami.
Wait…
Wasn't she about to confess? What's with this sudden shift?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.