There's no way I like gals, right? chapter 3

How the hell… did this happen?

Akari was currently kneeling in front of my sister, on the verge of tears.

How the hell… did this happen.

It started off innocently enough. We had become… actual friends. I had realised Akari really did care for me… and was just alone as I was. She just genuinely wanted to become friends, no strings attached. She wasn’t some superficial popular girl trying to maintain her positive image by chatting with the losers. No. She did it purely out of her own feelings. And that made me Happy. Really happy. And I don’t know why…

My mind continued to race with thoughts as I stared intensely at Akari happily eating her lunch while humming. She noticed my gaze, and suddenly turned her head back, her cheeks seemingly turning pink.

“H-Hina… s-stop staring…”

“O-oh sorry…”

I was snapped out of my thoughts and brought back to reality. I quickly swivelled my head back as well, feeling a heat rise up to my own cheeks. I looked down at my feet, fidgety and flustered to have been caught.

“S-so… Hina?”

“Y-yeah?”

“U-um… I was wondering… i-if… I could… come to your house today.”

“U-uh…”

I looked over again at Akari and studied her expression. She seemed nervous and restless, like a little child. Her hands fidgeted with her skirt. Ever since our… fight… that day, she only seemed to be clingier and more anxious around me. She now always waved and smiled at me whenever she got the chance, always got to our usual lunch spot first, and even started walking with me to and from school.

“Sure…”

“R-really???”

Her expression suddenly lit up, her mouth stretching into a wide grin.

“Thanks!”

“W-why are you thanking me…”

The more time I spent with her… the more I didn’t understand about her…

As the final bell rang, I packed up my pencil case and textbooks and hoisted the strap of my bookbag over my shoulder. I waited a bit. I still had to leave school late, but this time it was for a different reason. It was to walk with Akari. Although Akari accepted me as her friend, most other students still haven’t, and still could not accept that she would hang out with a person like me. That’s why I had a feeling that they wouldn’t be very happy seeing the most popular girl in school walking home with a loser… so to compromise, me and Akari agreed to both leave school later, so no one would see us.

I sighed as I slowly strolled through the empty hallways of the school. The sound of my shoes squeaking against the freshly polished wooden floor echoed in deserted space. It was now right in the middle of winter, so the weather had only grown even more chilly and intense. I looked out of the window, and saw snowflakes fall gracefully down onto the school yard, covering the dead trees and grass in a thin sheet of white. Although it was only afternoon, the sun’s rays were much weaker than usual, covered by a thick grey layer of clouds.

“Hina~!”

I turned around and saw Akari running towards me, a cheerful expression on her face.

“You ready to go?”

“Yeah!”

We both stepped outside into the cold, our breaths forming soft, white fogs. We were both wrapped up in our scarves, coats, and decked out in our winter boots. We began walking, the snow seemingly amplifying the silence. The snow softly crunched beneath our feet as we made our way to the station.

“H-Hina…”

“Yeah?”

“C-can we… h-hold hands…”

Akari said shyly but with a glint of hopefulness in her eyes.

“Uh… sure.”

I reached my gloved hand out, which Akari took enthusiastically. I then turned my face around, in an attempt to hide the blush threatening to creep up my cheeks. We continued walking, hand in hand, through the snowy paths. I then quietly looked over at her face. her beautiful features seemed to only stand out more on such a barren and plain backdrop. Her long, majestic hair flowed in the wind, and her skin was as pale as the snow. And her lips… her luscious rosy lips… w-what if I just… N-no! why would I think that! Akari’s just a friend! A-and I don’t even like girls! I-I’m sure of it!

The snow made everything seem so quiet. Desolate. The once vibrant and energetic Shibuya had now seemingly been tamed by the snow. The buildings and street paths were blanketed in a soft fluffy white. The shielded sun rays cast a dim glow over the whole city, and the sounds and flashy lights of billboards and sign were also muffled by the snow. The pavement was wet, and reflected what remainder of lights the streetlights and signs could shine through. Even the honks of taxis and cars seemed to be quieter. The entirety of Shibuya, the city that never sleeps, had in a way, become docile. We continued walking down the wet pavement, until we reached the station. We scanned our JR cards and made our way down the slippery marble steps. we then stepped onto the train.

“Hey, so, what’s your family like?”

“U-uh… normal? I guess…”

“I see… can’t wait to meet them!”

“Aha… yea…”

I thought to myself how much my sister was going to tease me for bringing home a friend for the first time…

We hopped off the train at Nakameguro and Akari followed me as I led the way to my house. The silence and peacefulness of the streets seemed to be only exacerbated by the snow.

“Wow… this place is really quiet…”

“Yeah… I like it better than Shibuya. There’s less people”

“Huh… you could never get peace like this in Shibuya…”

“Mhm.”

We continued to trek through the empty streets, until we finally arrived at our house.

“We’re here”

“W-wow… t-that’s big…”

“Really?”

I cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

“Y-yeah… I live in a much smaller apartment…”

“Huh.. probably because you live in such a popular and lively area…”

“Yeah… probably…”

I slowly opened the door, and a wave of heat washed over me. We both stepped in and changed into our slippers.

“P-pardon my intrusion.”

“It’s fine… there’s no one here but my sister.”

“O-oh… your sister huh…is she cute? Does she look like you?”

“U-uh… you’ll see.”

My sister poked her head down the hallway and her expression lit up when she saw me. she slowly walked over.

“Oh Hina! How was school?”

“Fine…”

She then noticed Akari standing next to me, and her expression soured. Her grin turned into a menacing glare.

“Hina, get behind me.”

“O-ok…”

I did as instructed and got behind Hana, watching intently at the scene before me.

Her tone suddenly turned cold and menacing as she turned back to look at Akari.

“Kneel.”

“W-what! Sis! You can’t just say that!”

“Be quiet Hina. Now, kneel.”

She nodded in Akari’s direction. Akari was visibly shaking her face contorting into one of fear and submission.

“Y-yes…”

She mumbled as she kneeled

“Sis, what the hell are you…”

“You’re one of those girls aren’t you.”

My sister said to Akari with disgust in her voice.

“S-sorry?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you’re one of those popular girls who bully people like my poor Hina”

“I-I don’t…”

“Don’t lie!”

“I-I’m sorry… I-I really don’t know…”

Akari blubbered, looking up to my sister and sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

“Seriously, that’s enough!”

“How the hell do you know Hina? You can never trust these types of girls…”

“I told you! She’s not like that!”

“Hina! I’m trying to help you here!”

“I TOLD YOU. SHE’S NOT LIKE THAT!”

Hana saw and heard the sincerity in my voice and eyes. She sighed.

“Fine… I believe you.”

She suddenly, her voice now sounding calmer and more reasonable. She then turned and glared at Akari again.

“But if you ever make my sister cry… I’ll kill you.”

“Y-yes…”

Akari sobbed. As Hana finally left us alone, Akari slowly gathered herself and shakily stood up, her knees willing to give out at any moment. she slowly went behind me and clung to my back, like I was a shield protecting her from my sister. I sighed as I led her up the stairs, her hands still clutching my back. We stepped inside my room, and Akari’s grip loosened a bit. She slowly took in the view of my room.

My room was pretty basic and plain, at least in my opinion. The floor was made of shiny, dark wooden panels, and the walls coated in a soft yellowish white. Leaning on one wall was a simple wooden bookshelf, filled with various textbooks, manga, and novels. Along the opposite wall was my bed, which was covered in a soft pastel pink blanket with a pillow the same colour on top. Scattered around the pillow were various plushies. On the wall above the bed hung a simple painting. The wall directly opposite us had a window, with its half-covered blinds fluttering in the wind. below it was my study desk, a simple wooden desk with drawers, and an accompanying chair. On the floor in front of us laid a table and two cushions on a mat.

“Wow~ so this is your room?”

“Yeah… it’s nothing much. It’s pretty plain…”

“Oh, nah. I think it’s cute.”

“Thanks.”

Akari sat down on one of the cushions and slumped on the table, looking exhausted.

“Oh my god… Your sister is so scary… I thought I was going to die…”

I chuckled.

“Really? She’s not as bad as it seems…”

“Yeah! I could sense it… if you hadn’t stepped in… she probably would’ve actually killed me.”

She said, her head now up and staring at me with a look of trauma and fear in her eyes.

“Sorry for today… she’s not usually this… intense…”

“You promise?”

“Yeah.”

“You really promise?”

“Yeah…”

She breathed a sigh of relief and then put her head down on the table again, almost as if she was melting into it.

“So… why did you even want to come to my house? Theres nothing to do here…”

“W-well… I-I just wanted to hang out with you more…”

She muttered with a cute pout, her cheeks slightly pink.

“A-anyway… what books you got here?”

“Oh… uh… nothing much.”

“Really?”

Akari stood up and walked over to my bookshelf. She ran her fingers over the books, until she found one she wanted. She suddenly flashed a smug smirk.

“Oho~ what could this be~?”

She was holding up my primary school yearbook. I panicked and quickly scrambled to my feet, and scurried over to her, trying to take it away from her.

“D-don’t you dare look in that!”

“Or what~ I wanna see little cute Hina…”

“S-shut up!”

I continued to jump and struggle for the book, but Akari was taller than me. She held it high in the air, out of my reach, and looked at me with amusement. It was obvious she was enjoying this.

“G-give it back!”

“No~”

I struggled even more, and Akari continued to watch on in amusement. However, as I continued to jump and struggle, I suddenly lost my footing and slipped. I was free falling through the air, and I could see Akari’s expression turn into one of instant shock. I instinctively grabbed Akari’s skirt, and we both fell to the floor with a loud thud.

It took a few seconds for the pain to subside a little and for me to open my eyes. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw that Akari’s face was only mere inches from mine, our lips almost touching. I could feel her hot breath on my face, and my own breathing grew heavier as a blush crept up to my face. Akari was looking down at me with needy, half-lidded eyes, and her own cheeks turned a rosy tinge. She was on top of me right now, her arms on either side of my face, holding up her body. Her legs were tangled with mine. She gulped nervously. I could hear my own heart racing, beating as fast as it could. Her hair smelled nice… really nice… like flowers…

We were both startled by the loud and sudden slam of a door. We both heard footsteps approaching us.

“What the hell is going on here???”

Hana demanded in an irritated tone. Akari squeaked and quickly got off me, and kneeled, her hands tucked between her thighs. She looked down, flustered.

“Oh… so you’re not bullying my sister… but you’re actually trying to take advantage of her???”
Akari let out a high-pitched sound again, and looked back up at my sister, her eyes riddled with fear.

“Laying hands on my poor innocent Hina… you’re just using her for her body huh??? How far did you plan on going???”

“N-no… I-I’m sorry… I-It’s not what it…”

Akari muttered quickly

“It’s nothing sis… Akari just tripped and fell on top of me…”

“Hina. Don’t you dare lie to me. Can’t you see she’s trying to use you for your body??? People like her target poor, vulnerable girls like you!”

“Sis. She wasn’t. She just fell on top of me accidentally.”

“Hina-”

“SHE WASN’T!”

My sister went silent and stared at me with scepticism. After a while, she sighed.

“Fine. I’ll believe you for now.”

She turned to Akari and glared at her.

“But I’ll keep an eye on you.”

With that, she turned around and left, leaving Akari clutching onto me for dear life, shaking like a little child again.

We were called down to dinner a while later, with Akari still hiding behind me as we made our way down the stairs. Hana turned to me, her expression cheerful.

“I cooked curry tonight Hina!”

“Got it!”

She grinned and set out two plates. Akari and I sat pulled out two chairs and sat down at the dinner table. Hana began loading the plates with white rice and the piping hot curry sauce. She walked over holding the two dishes and placed one in front of me, smiling cheerfully. She then turned to Akari, and her expression turned into one of annoyance. She dropped the plate at the last second before setting it down, making a loud clank sound. Akari sunk into her seat and stared down at the dish. Hana joined us at the table, and we started eating. Akari slowly and reluctantly put a spoonful of curry in her mouth. As she chewed and swallowed, her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Wow!”

She exclaimed, her mouth full of food.

“This is really good! Hina’s big sis, you must be really good at cooking!”

Hana was a bit taken aback, and froze for several seconds, trying to process what Akari just said. When she got back to her senses, she cleared her throat, and her cheeks seemed to be getting redder.

“I-it’s nothing much… it’s just simple curry.”

“Yeah! But it tastes so good!”

“O-oh really…”

My sister looked away in an effort to hide the blush spreading over her cheeks. After a while, she turned back and cleared her throat again.

“F-fine… maybe you’re so bad after all…”

She muttered, covering her face. For the first time in my life, I had heard my sister being complimented about something other than her boyish looks and personality. And for the first time in my life, I saw my sister flustered, blushing like a little schoolgirl.

We later waved goodbye to Akari, and we watched as she disappeared into the darkness and fogginess of the street. We stood there in the doorway for a while.

“M-maybe she isn’t that bad…”

My sister muttered shyly, looking away from me with a pout on her face.

“B-but still… I don’t trust her. Y-you have to be careful around her, Hina.”

“Yes, yes.”

I sighed. It was going to take a while until my sister fully trusted her.

I laid in my bed that night, my mind racing with thoughts. I could hear my soft breathing in the stillness and tranquillity of the darkness, as I once again was filled with questions. W-what the hell was that? W-why did I react like that when she was on top of me, so close to me? Why did my heart start beating so fast? W-why when I looked at her face, so close to mine, my mind went blank? There’s no way right? I-I just think of Akari as a friend! Y-yeah! I-it was just a normal reaction between two girls caught in an accident like that!

T-there’s no way I like her… w-we’re just friends…

We sat at our usual lunch spot. The grass and benches were still covered in a thick layer of white snow, and the vending machine softly glowed against the barren backdrop. I took my lunchbox out of my bag, opened it, and after a quick phrase of gratitude, I picked up my chopsticks. Akari did the same, and we both began to eat.

“Your sister’s really scary…”

“She’s not that bad… she just needs time to warm up to you”

“But it seemed like she genuinely was going to kill me!”

I thought back to my sister yesterday. True, she did give Akari a fair share of glares and threats, but she also… blushed for the first time.

“I don’t think she hates you that much…”

Akari sighed and put down her chopsticks.

“I hope so… I just want to taste her cooking again…”

She looked over at me with a longing stare, and then at my lunchbox.

“Did your sis make that?”

“Yeah.”

I continued munching on the food.

“C-can I… have some?”

“S-sure…”

I picked up a piece of karaage with my chopstick and brought it up close to Akari’s face, my other hand under it. Akari seemed to inspect the piece of chicken for a while. Then a blush crept up her cheeks.

“D-did you use these chopsticks already?”

“Y-yeah?”

“O-oh… never mind …”

She muttered, and slunk back to her own lunch, looking down at her feet. What the hell was that about? I thought to myself. I brushed it off and continued with my lunch.

“Hina.”

“Y-yes?”

“Can we… hang out this weekend…”

Akari said, avoiding eye contact with me. her cheeks were now a light pink, and she nervously twirled and fidgeted with her hair.

“O-only if you want to! I-I don’t want to force you or anything-”

“N-nah… it’s fine… I’ll go…”

“R-really???”

“Yeah…”

“A-alright! Then let’s meet at 10, Shibuya station!”

“S-Shibuya???”

“Yeah! Something wrong?”

“N-no… nothing…”

I looked away, my face contorted into one of worry and despair. True, I had been going out to both the outside world and Shibuya more… but I had never actually hung out with anyone else besides my sister… and how would people think when they see a goddess like Akari hanging out with me… but a whole day with Akari…

“F-fine. I’ll go.”

When we parted ways at the station, my mind instantly started racing as I made the way to my platform. Why the hell did I agree to hang out with her? I-I don’t even know what to do on hang outs with girls my age! W-what if she thinks I’m boring! O-or even worse, she thinks I’m weird??? These possibilities and questions continued to race through my mind as I waited for the train to arrive. When the signature silver and green train finally arrived, I stepped on and collapsed onto one of the seats, my mind still clouded with thoughts. I was snapped out of my trance by the announcement of the arrival to my station. I exhaled, and stepped out of the train, and made my way through the snow back home.

The weekend soon arrived. I had both been dreading and looking forward to it. as soon as I opened my eyes, my mind began to fill with worry again. I had to resort to desperate measures. I slowly stepped over to my sister’s room, where she was still fast asleep, and slowly creaked open the door.

“S-sis…”

“Mmm…”

She slowly rolled over and rubbed her eyes. She was wearing a pink matching set of pyjamas, and her hair was sticking out haphazardly.

“What is it…”

“It’s about… um…”

“What…”

“C-can you please do my make up today!”

“Why? It’s not like your going out or any-”

“I-I am!”

Her body suddenly straightened up, and her groggy expression turned into one of surprise and intrigue.

“W-wait… really?”

“Y-yeah…”

Her eyes lightened up, and a smile spread across her face.

“W-wow… I never expected you to even go out on the weekend by yourself! O-of course!”

I felt a heat rush up to my cheeks, as it was a bit embarrassing being spoken of in that way. Hana stood up from her bed, and took a long, deep stretch accompanied with a yawn. Her pyjamas were draped over her body, and one side which had slid off her shoulder, revealing her white tank top underneath. She smacked her mouth and came over to me.

“Just give me a bit, yea?”

“Sure…”

My sister came out in a while with her hair up in a ponytail, carrying a box of makeup supplies. She had a glint of enthusiasm in her eyes and expression.

“I knew this day would eventually come.”

She proclaimed triumphantly. I then sat down in front of a mirror, and she stood behind me, readying her tools. She started applying the makeup, her movements gentle yet professional. I sat there as the layers of foundation, powder, blush etc. were applied to my face.

“Are you still going to wear your glasses today?”

“U-um… yeah… probably…”

“Don’t worry! Many guys think girls with glasses are cute!”

“H-huh… thanks sis…”

“So… who’s this lucky boy you’re going out with today.”

“I-it’s not a boy!”

“Oh? Then who? Who’s this friend?”

“A-Akari…”

I muttered. My sister’s expression suddenly turned from carefree to serious. She quickly spun me around and grabbed my shoulders, looking into my eyes with concern and conviction.

“Hina. If she tries to grope you. Just know you can scream for help.”

I slipped on a cute pink skirt, a light pastel sweater, and a thick, dark coat. I then readied my nerves by looking into the mirror one last time. I did a nervous twirl, looking at my hair and skirt swish in the air. I then looked down to my feet and fidgeted nervously.

“It looks good.”

Hana said, watching me while leaning on the wall.

“R-really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

I looked down and fidgeted again. I could feel a smile and a heat creep up to my face. I-I looked good? R-really?

“T-thanks sis…”

“No problem.”

I did one more final scan over my outfit, before changing out of my slippers into my shoes. I slowly opened the door and stepped out the house. I took a deep breath in an attempt to steady my nerves and began making my way to the station. The streets were livelier than usual as it was a weekend. It had just snowed last night, so the concrete path was still glistening and wet. Porches, sidewalks, and carparks were covered in a thin layer of snow and frost. But since I had gotten up extra early to prepare, the morning air outside was still cold and chilly. The occasional wind stung my cheeks. I decided to text Akari to let her know I was already outside. No reply. I texted her again. Still no reply. I began to worry. Had she forgotten about our hang out? Was I really that irrelevant to her? I stopped in my tracks, and my head dropped down. Maybe I was… I took this hang out too seriously… maybe she forgot already. Maybe she didn’t even actually want to hang out with me. M-maybe… I wasn’t as close as I thought I was…

As my mind began to cloud with thoughts, I started feeling like my throat was closing in again. My breathing grew more rapid and heavier, as I clutched at my chest. I felt my whole body grow weaker, and my knees threatened to give in. What if she did forget? What if she didn’t want to hang out with me? as breathing grew more ragged, I looked at my stream of unread messages. W-what if… I call her… b-but that’ll just annoy her, no? S-she would’ve already texted me back if she wanted… B-but… I can’t just leave things like this… After a while of debating, I finally got the courage to call her. I pressed the call button and braced myself. An older woman picked up the phone.

“Hello, this is Akari’s mom.”

Akari’s mom? I had never met or even talked to her before…

“H-hi… um… w-what is Akari doing right now?”

“She’s sleeping in bed.”

My heart dropped. So, she really did forget about our hangout. I’m so fucking stupid. I really thought she would want to hang out with me. A lonely loser like me.

“Who is this by the way?”

“T-this is Hina.”

“Oh! Hina!”

“Y-yeah?”

“Akari would not stop talking about you all week! She even stayed up extra late last night to search up places to hang out with you today! Poor girl, she’s still fast asleep right now.”

“W-wha?”

I was suddenly taken aback, and my body froze. It took a few seconds for her words to sink in. I stood there, still, while I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I replied in a panicked tone.

“R-really???”

“Yeah… but she’s out cold right now, and I have to leave now. Can you pick her up?”

“Y-yes!”

I replied hastily. My mind was now racing again, but this time with completely different thoughts and questions.

“Alright. I’ll send you the address”

“Y-yes!”

After a long train ride and walk, I finally arrived at Akari’s house. I stopped and took in the view of the building. It was a modest apartment in Shinjuku. It was a tall building with a sleek and modern design, and its walls painted a dull white. In front was a small porch filled with trees and trimmed bushes and flowers covered in a thin layer of snow. The glass guards of the various balconies shined in the weak morning sun. I exhaled and stepped in cautiously. The lobby was just as unassuming. The walls were painted a dull grey, with rows of mailboxes protruding from them, and the floor consisted of simple stone tiles. I stepped in the elevator and took it to the sixth floor.

“603, 603.”

I mumbled to myself while searching for Akari’s apartment. When I finally reached it, I stood outside and took a deep breath to try and steady my nerves. I then shakily reached for the doorbell. I ringed it. no answer. I ringed it again. No answer. I ringed it again. Finally, this time there seemed to be some sort of answer. I heard rustling, and Akari’s voice calling, sounding annoyed.

“Alright, alright. I’m coming.”

I heard her unlock the door, and she slowly creaked it open all the way. She looked at me, her expression still groggy. This was the first time I had ever seen Akari without makeup. The contours of her face and bags were now more visible, and her face looked more delicate and barer. Her eyes, which she normally accentuated with a ton of eyeliner, now looked less pronounced and softer. Her hair was a mess, a complete contrast from how she normally looked, with random strands and bits haphazardly poking out, and her lips were now a lighter and more natural shade. She also had bags under her eyes. Real horrible bags.

She stared at me sleepily for a few seconds, and then suddenly seemed to snap out of her trance. She straightened up and froze, her expression now one of confusion. Her mouth was still hanging open, and her cheeks slowly started to turn a rosy pink. She then suddenly slammed the door, causing a loud bang which reverberated through the empty corridor. I stood there, taken aback.

“A-Akari?”

“W-why are you even here!!!”

“Y-your mum gave me your address because you weren’t waking up…”

I heard Akari mutter something about her mom, and me seeing her without makeup.

“J-just wait outside for a moment, ok?”

“Uh… sure…”

I heard the clattering of boxes and frantic footsteps, and after a long wait, Akari opened the door again suddenly, now all dressed and dolled up. Her cheeks however still glowed a faint red.

“I-I’m ready!”

“Y-yeah…”

“L-let’s go now!”

She quickly shut her apartment door and stepped in front of me. We both made our way out of the apartment building and onto the streets. When we stepped out on the streets, Akari suddenly looked down nervously and fidgeted with her hands and hair.

“H-Hina?”

“Y-yeah?”

“C-can we… hold hands like last time…”

“S-sure…”

I shyly extended my hand out, and Akari enthusiastically accepted. We walked down the street, hand in hand.

“You should’ve told me you were coming!”

She pouted, sounding irritated.

“Well… your mom didn’t want to wake you up because you were asleep… so she told me to do it… she said you slept so late because you were ‘apparently’ up all night searching for spots for us to go to.”

Akari suddenly looked away flustered and muttered something about her mom again. We continued walking down the streets of Shinjuku. The concrete roads and sidewalks were still wet from last night’s snow, and the tall, modern buildings had a thin layer of fluffy white covering them. There was also no shortage of neon signs, billboards, and advertisements here, their sounds and lights being muffled by the snow. It reminded me of Shibuya, but with slightly less people.

Akari finally turned to look at me again, and her expression turned into one of curiosity. She began gazing intently at my face, and I began to feel a heat rush up to my cheeks. I turned my face away slightly.

“Are you wearing makeup?”

“Y-yeah…”

I stammered. Akari’s perplexed expression turned into a mischievous smirk.

“It looks pretty nice on you you know~”

She said in a teasing and sing song voice.

“T-thanks…”

I turned my face away completely as I felt the heat threaten to rise even higher. We eventually made it to the station and got on the train to Shibuya. My brain was whizzing with thoughts once again. W-what the hell was that? W-why did I get so flustered when she said I looked nice? N-no way… I-I was just reacting to a compliment from a friend and it caught me off guard, right? Y-yeah… no other reason…