From The Heart

I Like You Notes

Hiyori found herself in a moment of introspection, remembering Shinji's earlier threat about kicking her off the balcony simply for mentioning Saito. Her instincts warned her that this situation might not be a safe one, but curiosity had its grip on her.

"All my senses tell me I'm in trouble, but..." Hiyori thought, hesitating.

She eventually knelt beside Shinji, slowly reaching out to gently lift the book covering his sleeping face. As the book was removed, Hiyori was taken aback by Shinji's calm and peaceful sleeping expression. A warmth enveloped her, and all her previous fears seemed to vanish.

"He's..." she started, her surprise evident, but Shinji began to stir before she could finish her thought, opening his eyes slightly.

Hiyori was captivated by his presence. She couldn't help but think, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's actually... more beautiful than Saito..."

However, the moment quickly passed as Shinji opened his eyes and saw Hiyori kneeling close to him. In response, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice firm and slightly accusatory.

Startled, Hiyori dropped the book and began to panic. She stammered as she tried to devise an excuse, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "Uh, I was just... well..."

Desperate to free her wrist from his grasp, Hiyori struggled, her heart racing in her chest.

Hiyori, still flustered and trying to explain herself, managed to say, "I wanted to ask you something--"

Before she could finish her sentence, Shinji forcefully let go of Hiyori's wrist. His tone was stern as he said, "If it has something to do with him, then forget it."

Shinji turned away from Hiyori, clearly indicating his unwillingness to discuss his brother.

Hiyori, however, persisted, attempting to understand the unusual dynamic between the two brothers. "Ah, well... I guess I could understand, but... You two are brothers, right?"

Shinji shot her a sideways glare but remained silent.

"It's just perplexing that two brothers that go to the same school... don't even greet each other in the halls," Hiyori mused aloud, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Then, a realization struck her, and she brightened up. "Oh! Were you just joking?"

Shinji's annoyance grew more apparent, but Hiyori continued, convinced she had cracked the secret joke. "You two just look really similar, and you're just playing a joke on me about being his brother, right?"

She beamed, thinking she had finally figured it out. However, Shinji's patience was running thin, and he hastily removed his tie, wrapping it around Hiyori's head to cover her eyes.

Hiyori was taken aback by Shinji's sudden action as he blindfolded her with his tie, covering her eyes.

"Ah, what?!" Hiyori exclaimed, clearly bewildered.

Shinji, however, seemed determined to make his point. "You tell me if we are brothers... Greet me like you would greet him."

Hiyori was utterly confused and questioned, "I-I don't understand... what's with the blindfold?"

Shinji responded, a hint of impatience in his tone, "If you can't see me, then maybe you can imagine greeting your precious Saito."

Hiyori was unsure of what Shinji was trying to achieve with this strange game. "What is he trying to do?" she wondered.

Shinji urged her to hurry, demanding, "Hurry up!"

With a sigh, Hiyori reluctantly complied, trying to mimic a greeting to Saito while her eyes were covered. She hesitated at first but finally stammered, "Ah! Okay! Uhm... G-Good morning... S-Saito..."