Pushing open the haunted house doors, a rush of cold air instantly drove away the summer heat clinging to Takashi.
The temperature inside was frigid.
So cold that the moment he stepped in, Takashi shivered uncontrollably, every hair on his body standing on end.
He felt like a slab of pork tossed into a freezer.
Apparently, it wasn't just Takashi who felt the chill—Maki gave a visible shudder too.
Hearing that, Takashi instinctively wanted to take off his jacket and drape it over her.
Eriri had always been weak physically, often catching colds or running fevers. She would take sick leave almost every month.
Back in Shimamura Middle School, she even earned the embarrassing nickname "Shimamura's Fragile Belle."
Although she'd gotten a bit healthier as she grew up, she still had poor circulation and hated the cold.
She was one of those people who rarely turned on the AC in the middle of summer.
The jacket Takashi wore during summer was always for her.
Every time she said she was cold, if he didn't immediately put the jacket over her, she'd probably throw a little tantrum again.
So when Maki said "So cold!"—it was like a reflex trigger for Takashi.
Thankfully, he realized in time and stopped himself mid-motion.
Maki was Maki, and Eriri was Eriri. Their situations were different.
Besides, Tanuma Tsubasa—Maki's crush—was right there. If he actually did that, what would Tsubasa think?
What if he misunderstood and thought Takashi and Maki were an item?
Wouldn't that just make things worse?
With that in mind, Takashi quickly put his jacket back on.
"Welcome to the House of Horrors."
The four of them arrived at the reception desk, only to be greeted by none other than— Aoyama Nanami.
This was already the second time.
Tokyo wasn't that small, and yet, this was the second time he'd run into her on a date.
How many jobs are you secretly working behind my back?
Takashi was genuinely curious. How was she able to hold down two more jobs while already working six hours a day at his place?
Wasn't a day only 24 hours?
Why did it feel like Nanami had 30-plus hours in a day?
Compared to her, Takashi felt like an absolute amateur when it came to time management.
Weird… why does he keep staring at me? Have we met before?
Nanami, who was wearing makeup, noticed Takashi staring but didn't recognize him.
She thought he was a bit odd, but considering how many strange customers she dealt with across her various jobs, she didn't give it much thought.
"Four tickets, please."
Tanuma Tsubasa stepped up and bought the four tickets.
"Four, right? Here you go."
Nanami quickly handed them over.
Once Tsubasa returned, the other three handed him money.
Takashi and Maki were one thing, but Tsubasa didn't even want to accept money from Nagisa—after all, he considered her his girlfriend.
But Nagisa insisted on paying, and with no room to argue, Tsubasa had no choice but to take it.
"Before you start, I suggest using the restroom first," Nanami kindly reminded them. "This haunted house is really scary."
"A lot of guests end up wetting their pants—or worse."
Takashi and Maki exchanged glances and headed to the restroom together.
Takashi was the first to finish and didn't leave right away. He stood at the sink, waiting for Maki.
About five or six minutes later, she finally came out.
"Takashi, what's wrong with you? Why didn't you say no?"
"Maki, why is his girlfriend even here on your date with Tanuma Tsubasa?"
With no one else around, the moment they met eyes, the two started complaining to each other.
After blurting that out, they both froze.
Then, in unison: "I only came because…"
They stared at each other in disbelief. Clearly, neither of them had expected to be on the exact same wavelength.
Eyes wide, they locked gazes, each waiting for the other to speak—yet neither opened their mouth.
Takashi, seeing Maki about to speak, raised his hand like a school kid in class, cutting her off before she could say anything.
"I just thought—if it's a haunted house, the atmosphere would be way better if a guy and a girl go in together!"
He'd expected this question from her.
So Takashi had already prepared an excuse.
Maki raised an eyebrow, silently urging him to elaborate.
"Well, haunted houses are super dark, right?"
"In the pitch black, when you're scared out of your mind, it's only natural to reach for someone's hand… or even end up hugging each other."
"Even if Miss Kashiwagi saw it, she couldn't really blame you."
"I'll make sure to distract Miss Kashiwagi. The rest... Maki, you know what to do, right?"
The scene Takashi painted was so alluring that Maki was already mentally swooning.
The smile creeping onto her lips was harder to suppress than a runaway AK on a battlefield.
But she quickly caught herself. Crossing her arms, she turned away in a huff.
"Hmph! Don't make it sound like I'm scared of ghosts or something. I, the great—"
Before she could finish, Takashi pulled a classic Itachi Uchiha move—lightly poking her forehead.
"What was that for?!"
Maki rubbed her forehead, glaring at him in protest.
"You... it's because you always hesitate that the people you like get snatched away."
"Love is something you fight for—not something you just wait around for."
Maki mumbled, "Girls aren't supposed to make the first move…"
Honestly, who came up with this rule that girls making the first move is somehow disgraceful?
That girls should just be reserved and demure, waiting for guys to do everything?
"When it comes to love, someone has to take that first step eventually."
"There's nothing shameful about expressing your feelings bravely."
"If you're going to see someone you like, or buy something you want, you run to it."
"When you meet someone you really like, and you just stand there doing nothing, you'll end up with nothing."
"You like Tanuma Tsubasa so much—how can you bear to let someone else take him away?"
Takashi had always believed that not being together after trying was less painful than never trying at all.
Because the cruelest kind of regret isn't about never having had something.
It's about almost having it—but losing it anyway.
Same advice my bro gave me,
Just confess. It's 50-50 anyway, either she accepts or rejects. Being rejected is less painful than regretting that you never took your chances back then.
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