She… she said it yesterday, right? Ahh, geez… I can't focus on walking right now!

After her thanks yesterday… I couldn't stop thinking about her… but still… her voice was entirely genuine… wasn't it…? Ahh!! She's just making me fall for her even more!

“Good morning, Akiryou.”

“'morning.” I replied boorishly.

But… that sort of reply won't work on someone like Leo. He's so good at observing people. Heck, at one glance, he'll immediately know what that person is going through currently. It's like, he's got some psychic superpowers or something.

And of course, that is immediately proved true.

“You know… she'll find out if you're that obvious….”

Hmm? Did I hear that correctly? What did he mean? Who will find out? What's obvious? My head is just filled with questions.

“What do you mean?”

“Subconsciously, huh…. Then I'll say it straight to your face. You're staring at Furushira-san right now with a warm smile on your face. In short, you are obviously showing that you have an interest in her.”

Eh? Was I that obvious? I touched my cheek and he was right… I was smiling…

“Eh, am I really that obvious?”

“Yeah. Completely obvious.” instead of Leo, another boy answered my question. I immediately recognized him, of course. After saying those kinds of things to me at the cultural festival, how could I forget him?

How could I forget the ever so few people who accept who I truly am.

That said, he doesn't particularly know anything else about me. To be honest, the only thing he accepted was my weird idea about the crossdressing cafe. 

“Right, Kazu-kun?”

“Kazu? Who?”

“Ehhh… you should at least remember your classmate's name, especially after saying all sorts of things.”

“I'm just kidding. And please don't say it like that, it's quite misleading…” I said with a light laugh.

This is Mark Kazu. I don't really know much about him, but I know that he doesn't stand out as much as I do. 

But, joking aside… have I really been smiling more…? Rather, was I or was my emotions coming out? Either way, I'd have to put my serious face back, it's bad if someone finds out. I don't wanna go through my high school going around rumours and enemies even.

But then again, it's not like I can use this to my advantage, right? As I was thinking that, I didn't know I was already subconsciously smiling mischievously, and the two immediately noticed that.

“Hey, Akiryou, what in the world are you thinking about right now? I'm kinda getting a bad feeling about that….” he said so as he smiled wryly.

“But it's Furushira-san, there's no way I can outsmart her. Even if only a few people know that I've been smiling more, she'd somehow find it out herself, and use it against me.”

“Well, she certainly is smart and you've only outdone her once, I doubt she'll let her guard down around you anymore.” Kazu said.

As I said so, the two sighed along with me, and I glanced at her for a bit and saw her… smiling… genuinely. Not the one she usually uses in public, but the only ever so few ones I saw. Someone may see that as well, specifically someone close to her, but I'm sure that is a genuine smile she has. After all, no smile can top the beauty of her genuine one.