What If I Told Tomori-san, The Girl Who's Cold Only Towards Me, That I Knew Her Secret Account? - V2 Chapter 3.4

I Want to Hold You 4

Well, I must admit that expressing such emotions was a bit embarrassing…

“Tomori, you should also rely on others a little. It’s okay to be a bit selfish. Don’t prioritize helping others all the time; it’s better to be honest with your own feelings.”

“My own feelings…”

“I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you show your weaknesses to others too little.”

“Huh, don’t act all high and mighty! You don’t show your weaknesses either!”

“It’s not that I never showed my weakness to anyone. I used to rely heavily on my family.”

“Huh? But you have a bad relationship with your family…”

At that point, Tomori seemed taken aback.

My partner’s expression clouded, seemingly a bit sad.

“As expected, is it Seira-san?”

“No, it’s not. Though it’s true she’s more like family than a friend. However, she’s more likely to be taken care of than she’s taken care of by me. Like I said before, we’re not dating or anything like that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I swear.”

I wanted to ease my partner’s worries even a little, so I asserted confidently.

“Seira is just a childhood friend.”

“But if that’s the case, who do you rely on?”

“Sakura.”

“A dog!?”

“Even a pet dog can be an important family member. When I felt down, I used to cuddle with Sakura a lot. Hugging her felt so comforting and soothing.”

Sakura was a pure white Great Pyrenees, a big, fluffy dog that was incredibly warm and comforting.

“So, you see, I’ve relied on others too.”

“…Wow, you’ve only relied on a pet dog for comfort. A true, purebred loner…”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, the honor student who has many friends but can’t rely on others.”

“Ugh.”

“I can lean on Sakura, but you can’t rely on anyone, Tomori. Isn’t that more like being a loner?”

“What!? Loner…!”

“So, if you’re having a hard time, you can rely on me, Loner-san.”

“…!?”

Tomori glared at me with her usual sharp look.

However, her expression soon softened.

She couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “Fufu…”

“Calling me a loner, huh? You’re the first one to throw such an insult at me.”

“It’s all thanks to our daily battle.”

“I’m not happy about it. You’re the only one who speaks so openly to me like this, Kagisaka-kun.”

That’s a significant issue that Azusa Tomori carries, but for now, let’s put it aside.

“…Well, you know…”

Restless, like a lost Shiba Inu, Tomori squeezes out her words with a faint voice.

“Can I, just for a little, rely on you?”

“Sure, anything——”

I was about to say, ‘Anything you want,’ but then I remembered the secret Twitter account tweet I saw this morning.

…You’re not going to ask me to do that, are you?

“Is something wrong?”

” …no. At this point, you can ask me anything. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll make it happen.”

Alone together in my classmate’s room, the unusual situation accelerates the beating of my heart.

“Got it.”

While nodding, Tomori shyly averts her gaze.

Her smooth and translucent skin blushes a shade of crimson… Wait a minute.

Could it be that she really wants to engage in such an act——

“——I want you to hold me.”

Her tiny mouth earnestly squeezes out a rather modest request.

“Huh? Is that all you want?”

“Yeah. I read in a book once that being held by someone increases feelings of happiness and security.”

“Oh, I know similar information.”

It was written in a medical book I had at home.

When you hug, various substances are secreted in the brain.

Dopamine, which humans feel when they experience happiness.

Oxytocin, believed to have stress-relieving and relaxing effects. Obtaining these hormones can soothe one’s feelings.

(She must be shocked by the hurtful comments from her friends on that secret website.)

I see. She wants to heal those wounds with a hug.

Or maybe, after seeing Seira interacting with me in the Student Council room, she feels jealous.

Thinking about it that way, she looks kind of cute.

“You also hugged Sakura-chan to find solace, didn’t you? So, please, just for now, can you be my dog?”

“Don’t say such crazy things!”

I take back what I said earlier.

Not cute at all.

Even if her hidden feelings are revealed on her secret account, the real Tomori is not the least bit honest.

“…well, it can’t be helped. There’s no one else I can rely on for something like this except you. So…take responsibility, okay?”

” ….. “

“If you ever feel down, you can rely on me too. So, just this once, will you grant my wish? ‘If you’re having a hard time, you can rely on me.’ Those words came from you, Kagisaka-kun, and it’s because of you that I feel this way…that’s why…”

Looking up at me with shy eyes, Tomori earnestly confessed.

(Ah, seriously…)

That’s unfair.

She just treated me like a dog a moment ago.

If she comes at me with such an adorable plea… I can’t possibly refuse.

“Alright.”

Slowly, I walked up to Tomori, who was standing in front of me.

Suppressing my nervousness, I wrapped my arms around her back.

I quietly embraced her delicate, slender body that was more than 10 cm shorter than mine.

“…!”

In my chest, I felt Tomori take a small gasp.

Seemingly embarrassed, she pressed her forehead against me, as if trying to hide her face.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t read her expression, but…

“Hey, Honor Student-san.”

“What? Troublemaker-kun.”

“You’re way too nervous.”

“What? I’m not—”

“Your body is so tense.”

“Ugh…”

“I feel like hugging a mannequin.”

Is this supposed to be comforting? Isn’t it making her more nervous and exhausted?