Sajuna never thought that she would feel calmer from her fear just by holding hands with a man. If she thought deeper, Kouta was the first man to hold her hand like that besides her father. Plus the man she just met today.
'It feels a little warm and also gives the impression of being reliable.' Sajuna thought as she followed Kouta who began to observe the abandoned hospital studio with a serious face.
Sajuna noticed Kouta's face who began to seriously observe this studio. She noticed Kouta's face that she initially thought was cute and pretty because he was wearing a girl's school uniform cosplay which somehow when she found out that Kouta was a boy the impression she felt became cute and handsome?
Perhaps this is why Sajuna doesn't feel as scared as she did in the manga.
After Sajuna saw Kouta who was observing the studio seriously. She also started to think about inspecting it seriously. Although she felt calm and thought that it was good to let go of the hand-hold between them. It was just that, she could still sometimes hear the sound of lightning which once again made her hold Kouta's hand tighter. Every time she felt her fear return.
So the two of them continued inspecting the studio thoroughly. Kouta was quite impressed to see Sajuna could do it while holding her fear.
“I like it when people try to do her best. You must really like cosplay that you are pushing really hard—” Kouta praised her because Sajuna's body was quite short and quite cute. Kouta could not resist patting Sajuna while doing so. “You’re such a good and strong girl—”
Sajuna was actually a little surprised when he got this treatment. Because basically she was the oldest among the people here and Kouta was also one year below her. And she had always acted like a kayak in her house because despite her large body, Shinju was actually a slightly clumsy girl. That's why she rarely got this kind of treatment, especially by boys her own age. He immediately felt a slightly complicated feeling, between embarrassment and also somehow there was a feeling of joy and also exciting too—
Sajuna wanted to scold Kouta while at the same time she felt she didn't have the inner strength to resist Kouta's treatment that felt fresh and comfortable to her.
“Heh— You two are really became close— I was worried because you guys were so long and we could both hear the thunder quite loudly." Marin spoke in a tone of voice that was clearly filled with jealousy.
“Onee–chan—” Meanwhile, Shinju was surprised to see her older sister holding hands with Kouta and her face was slightly reddened.
“Wait— this is—” Sajuna tried to say something and also released the grip between herself and Kouta. But unexpectedly, Kouta held her hand and replied to Marin's words with a slightly embarrassed tone of voice.
“Well, actually I’m not really good with hospitals and stuff— That’s why I ask Sajuna-san to hold my hand.”
“Eh really!?” Marin and Shinju looked surprised.
“Yeah, that’s actually true.”
“Well, but you can tell me— so you can hold my hand instead—” Marin said as the last sentence was a voice with such a small one barely heard by anyone.
“Ahaha, but it’s embarrassing to say.”
“So are you afraid of ghosts or something?” Shinju asked.
"Not really, I just find clinics or hospitals a little uncomfortable place because they make me think of when my family died."
“”Ah–”” When they heard Kouta's answer, their faces looked sad and then apologized to Kouta.
Kouta just shook his head and told them that he had gotten a little used to it and that it was a few years ago.
"Anyway, at this time, I'm starting to have fun getting to know people and also...being able to do the photography that my father taught me. So let's continue with the inspections." Kouta added, which was followed by nods from everyone in the studio.
After that they all inspected the studio seriously and joked at the same time. With the presence of all of them and also thanks to Kouta's words and treatment, Sajuna no longer felt afraid of being in the studio. You could say that she had also begun to get used to the place. Afterwards, they were satisfied with the studio and booked a date for their photo session. Before then, they decided to go to a nearby family restaurant to rest and have dinner.
At the family restaurant Kouta ordered a hamburger steak and curry and enjoyed all of this. He also remembered what happened in the manga so he finally decided to compare it to keeping it a secret like Gojou did. He said it right away while eating like this. Because it seemed that the mood in the group was already very good.
“Btw, there’s something that I want to ask? Do you not want to do cosplay, Shinju?” Kouta asked those questions that immediately made Marin and Sajuna look at Shinju.
“Eh— No, I don't want to. I love taking photos of my Onee-chan, so I won’t do it.” She answered, but it showed from the expression that she wanted to do it.
“Really—” Kouta looked at Sajuna for a moment before he continued. “I feel like you maybe feel it a bit hard to come out with it in front of your sister, but you know that your sister will not do that, right?”
“That—”
“Is that true, Shinju?”
“Well, it’s because I don't think I’m really suitable for a character that I like to cosplay. It’s not good. I’m not cute and slender like Onee-chan. And that character is an entirely different type from me.”
“Shinju—”
“You don’t have to worry about it. If you do want to do it, you have Sajuna and she will gladly help you. And don’t forget that Marin and I can help you too— I don’t know what character you want to cosplay, but I’m a man that cosplayed as a woman. So I can help you. I have a famous internet cosplayer that can help too after all.”
Shinju realized that her Onee-chan, Marin and Kouta would encourage her like this. So she felt she needed to be brave and told them the truth.
“Ah, that’s true— Well, if that's the case— I actually wanted to become Souma-Onii-chan.”
With that Kouta time with the two sisters is over for now.
