Yanami tried to make her voice sound calm, and asked back with a hint of confusion: "He's... a friend. Lemon, why would you suddenly ask something like that?"
"Just a little curious."
Shioyaki Lemon scratched her short hair, a slightly embarrassed smile appearing on her face. "Because I see the way you two interact, and it feels especially... especially natural. I even thought you might have a crush on Kin-chan, Anna."
Like.
Of course, I like him.
More than just liking him, she liked him immensely.
This answer was almost out of her mouth.
However, just as the words reached her lips, Yanami Anna suddenly remembered what Imaizumi Keita had said to her before.
"Always getting jealous over small things like this can be quite annoying, you know."
That guy, although he said he liked her, his words always revealed a sense of detachment, as if he "didn't want to be bound by troublesome relationships."
If she were to openly admit it now, would he think she was a woman who would bring him endless trouble?
What if... what if he started to deliberately distance himself from her because of it?
This thought made Yanami's heart tighten, and she quickly suppressed the impulse that had surfaced in her mind.
She took a deep breath and answered Shioyaki's question half-jokingly, half-seriously.
"No, Lemon, you're overthinking it."
She avoided Shioyaki Lemon's curious gaze, her eyes drifting elsewhere.
"I just... I'm very grateful to Imaizumi because of what happened before. After all, he helped me a lot back then."
Hearing this answer, the nascent guess in Shioyaki Lemon's heart seemed to be further confirmed.
Sure enough.
Anna, she probably only feels "gratitude" towards Kin-chan, at most a faint liking, but it's far from "love."
And Kin-chan, on the other hand, has already clearly expressed his "love" for Anna.
Isn't this... Kin-chan's unrequited love?!
Understanding this, Shioyaki Lemon's mood became even more complex.
A mixed feeling of sympathy and a "I understand" sense of mission instantly surged into her heart.
No.
She couldn't let Kin-chan end up like her.
As a friend, she had to help him!
"Is that so... so it's just gratitude."
Shioyaki Lemon nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject, a "kind" smile appearing on her face.
"But speaking of which, Anna, don't you think Kin-chan is actually a very good guy?"
"Eh?"
Yanami Anna was stunned, not understanding why she would suddenly lead the conversation in this direction.
However, before she could react, Shioyaki Lemon had already begun her "assist."
"Look," Shioyaki Lemon counted on her fingers, listing one by one, "Although Kin-chan usually looks cold, he's actually super thoughtful."
"He even prepared a first-aid kit for this training camp, isn't that incredibly considerate? He feels super reliable!"
The more she spoke, the more she felt her arguments were unassailable, and her voice became increasingly excited.
Yanami Anna listened quietly, but the expression on her face gradually became subtle.
Shioyaki... why is she suddenly praising Keita so much?
And praising him so... so specifically and earnestly?
A sour feeling, once again, uncontrollably emerged from the bottom of her heart.
She had already known all of Keita's good qualities.
But why, when it came out of Shioyaki Lemon's mouth, did it make her feel so unpleasant?
An alarm bell instantly went off in Yanami Anna's heart.
She subconsciously re-examined the energetic sports girl beside her who was speaking so animatedly.
Could it be...
Lemon, she also fell for Keita?!
Just how charming is this man?!
Why do all the girls around him seem to be attracted to him one by one!
Yanami Anna felt her jar of vinegar had been knocked over again.
But then, a strong sense of discouragement surged up.
She had just personally denied the fact that she liked him.
What right did she have now to stop other girls from praising him?
This complex and contradictory feeling left her at a loss for a moment, and she subconsciously mumbled a rebuttal.
"He's not... that good... I think he can be quite mean sometimes."
"Eh? Really?"
Shioyaki Lemon clearly didn't detect the sourness in her words; instead, she defended Imaizumi Keita with even more enthusiasm.
"Kin-chan is mean sometimes? I just think Kin-chan is sometimes more direct! I think Kin-chan's demeanor is quite cool!"
The two continued their discussion, one praising him vigorously, the other awkwardly refuting.
It wasn't until they reached the other end of the beach that this conversation, filled with their respective hidden thoughts, finally came to a temporary halt.
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