Kanade felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Even though he had done his best to explain everything clearly, Eriri still didn't seem to have let it go. It wasn't that she remained silent or expressionless—in fact, it was the complete opposite. The emotions on her face were changing at a dizzying speed—
First, wide-eyed disbelief. Then, a tangled mess of frustration. A flash of madness. Annoyance. Just when he thought she had finally calmed down, she pulled off an expert-level micro-expression performance—
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and then she muttered in a low, robotic tone: "Yeah... that's right... ah ha ha..."
"..."
Broken. Eriri was broken.
Natsukawa Kanade immediately sensed danger.
The highlights in her eyes were dimming, and although it was dark around them, his finely honed observational skills told him that she was teetering on the edge of an emotional explosion.
So, without missing a beat, Kanade stood up—silently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world—and changed the subject with a casual smile: "Ahh, that break really helped. Thanks for the massage, Eriri."
Not a single word about the knee pillow incident. He wasn't touching that topic with a ten-foot pole.
After all, he had a strong hunch about what had just happened: Eriri, an artist whose mind was undoubtedly packed with every kind of ridiculous scenario imaginable, had let her imagination run wild when he made that offhanded comment. Then, when he revealed the actual meaning behind it, the overwhelming shame had fried her circuits.
If he dared to mention the "knee pillow" now, she might very well self-destruct.
So, let's break it down:
Eriri felt dismissed because he said, "Is that all?"
Kashiwagi Eri—the ever-dramatic artist—spun a wild fantasy in her head.
The little golden retriever cried over an imaginary rejection.
There were probably a few other chaotic thoughts tangled in there, but whatever. They weren't important. The real issue was moving things along before she exploded.
"Can you stand up? Here, let me help you," Kanade offered, as if nothing was wrong.
After all, lending a hand was nowhere near as intimate as letting someone use your lap as a pillow.
Besides, after dealing with girls like Mahiru and Kaguya for so long, small gestures like this barely registered for him anymore. In his mind, physical contact that lacked romantic intent wasn't anything to stress about.
Sure, he was a teenage boy, so his brain occasionally entertained "other thoughts," but he had enough self-control to keep his rationality intact.
Anyway, that was the situation. He was no longer the innocent middle schooler who would get flustered over an accidental brush of the hands. He had evolved.
Without waiting for Eriri's response, he simply grabbed her arm and pulled her up.
"Ah, thanks..." Eriri murmured automatically as she steadied herself.
She was still stuck in a whirlwind of emotions, but the second she realized Kanade was still holding her hand—firmly, without any intention of letting go—her face began to heat up.
Mmmm...
The little golden retriever instinctively turned her head away, her heart pounding unnaturally fast.
Of course, she could tell herself it was just the emotional rollercoaster making her heart race. Maybe it had slowed down earlier because she thought she was about to get rejected, and now it was just returning to normal...
Wait, no! That wasn't the point! She wasn't the kind of girl who would be won over just by holding hands! At the very least... at the very least, they had to hold hands properly, right?
Secretly, Eriri sneaked a glance at their interlocked fingers, then stole another peek at Kanade's face. He was looking ahead, completely oblivious to her turmoil.
So, just as he wasn't paying attention—
She ever so slightly tightened her grip.
Ahem... interlocking fingers was definitely impossible. After all, Kanade was holding her hand so tightly... What if she moved and he misunderstood, thinking she wanted to let go? Ah! Of course, this didn't mean she wanted to hold hands! Don't get the wrong idea! She just felt that since Kanade was being so proactive, she should at least respond, right? Holding hands was a two-person activity—if only one side held tightly, it would loosen sooner or later...
Hehehe...
The little golden retriever, once again in a strange mood, had completely forgotten that back when they first met, Natsukawa Kanade had already taken the initiative to hold her hand. Of course, it wasn't an affectionate gesture back then, nor was he taking advantage of her—it was just part of the test of courage. The rule was simple: the two participants had to hold hands the whole time. No exceptions.
=====================
There was no time to worry about whatever Eriri was thinking. Once Kanade confirmed she had calmed down, he shifted his focus to planning their next moves, hoping to fully immerse her in the game and help her relax completely.
They were pressed for time. The test of courage event wasn't going to last much longer, and thanks to Kaguya's insistence on completing the entire route, Kanade had practically carried her injured self through the course. That alone had eaten up nearly half of the allocated time. Now, not only did he have to go through the event again with Eriri, but he also had to check in with her. The angel.
Time was running out.
And while Kanade genuinely saw Mahiru as an angel—one who always seemed to tolerate his antics with endless patience—he wasn't particularly thrilled at the thought of keeping her waiting until the event was practically over. The faster he wrapped this up, the sooner he could get to her. But efficiency wasn't his only goal—he still wanted Eriri to enjoy the experience. So, the challenge was clear: maximize fun while minimizing wasted time.
Luckily, Kanade had already gone through the course once. He had made mental notes of all the game checkpoints, the locations of key props, and the fastest routes. Now, all he had to do was speedrun the event like a gamer trying to clear a level as quickly as possible for a refund.
Was it the most immersive way to play? Maybe not.
But hey—if it worked, it worked!
"We'll need to walk for about ten minutes to reach the first checkpoint. If you start feeling tired, let me know. Don't push yourself too hard," Kanade reminded her as they started moving.
If he remembered correctly, the first official game was the Emotion Test, starring none other than the silly octopus-headed mascot. It wasn't a complicated challenge—they just had to act out different emotions. The real problem was the stretch of empty road leading up to it. The eerie silence, the dim lighting, and the sheer emptiness of the corridor all worked together to create a heavy, unsettling atmosphere. Given Eriri's usual reaction to horror elements, Kanade figured it was best to give her a heads-up so she could brace herself.
"Okay, I got it..." Eriri nodded slightly.
But inwardly, she felt a little annoyed. What? Just because she didn't exercise much or go outside often, did he really think she couldn't handle a measly ten-minute walk? Kanade was totally underestimating her!
The little golden retriever decided right then and there—this time, she was going to prove herself.
She had grown up too, after all!