GA Bunko 16th Anniversary Toranoana SS: The Feeling of Wanting to Pick on the One You Love

"I heard boys like to pick on the girls they have a crush on, but is that really true?"

Mahiru was relaxing on the living room sofa when all of a sudden, she asked a peculiar question, a curious expression showing on her face. They were currently watching television together, and a romantic drama depicting a quarrel between two childhood friends, a man and a woman, was playing. As the conversation flowed, the characters touched upon the idea that boys have a tendency to tease girls that they like, and it seemed that this tidbit left Mahiru intrigued.

"Hm…? It depends on the person, I'd say. Everyone's different."

"I thought that was the case," she replied. "…And what about you, Amane- kun?"

"Me? Well, I don't fully understand the want to pick on them, to be honest."

Amane only had one point of reference since the only girl he'd fallen for was Mahiru, but not once had he wanted to be mean to her, or treat her in a way that she would dislike. One could say that he lacked the assertiveness to actively approach someone in such a way, but Amane believed that even if he was the assertive type, he would still treat her kindly, like he usually did.

"If I'm to take a guess, they're probably embarrassed to show their interest in the girl, so they choose to make fun out of her or play the fool to gauge how she reacts, or perhaps just to get her attention. It's not like I don't understand their mindset or anything, but I can't imagine it'd be a good move to pull off in reality."

As a fellow man, Amane believed that they probably struggled when it came to effective communication, but he still couldn't fathom it. Rationally speaking, the more one thought about it, the clearer it became that they hadn't thought things through.

"No matter how you cut it, they're just going to end up on the girl's bad side," Amane continued. "Any girl who would like the boy for being mean to them must be in the minority, I reckon. I don't think anyone enjoys being made fun of or even bullied."

"Well, that's true. If you like somebody, it's better to express it with your words and actions. They should not use being mean as a mask or an excuse for showing their affection."

"…I agree," he replied after a pause. Hearing her comment about expressing one's love with words and actions left Amane with a slight sting in his heart, but it was his just deserts; there was nothing he could say in response.

"What was that just now?" Mahiru asked, looking suspicious. "Nah, it was nothing."

For the time being, Amane couldn't see himself confessing his feelings for her, so he tried to fool her instead. Mahiru gave him a puzzled look, but he couldn't say anything in return. She turned herself away for a while, seemingly having given up on an answer. Before long, however, Mahiru sighed and began to speak.

"What would you think if the roles were reversed, Amane-kun? If I were to start teasing you or treating you harshly, how would you feel?"

"Honestly, I don't think I'd mind if it's you, Mahiru." "Why do you say that?"

"I know you'd never do anything that'd go against your morals, and even I would be able to recognize and accept that since we trust one another. I'd only see the way you'd treat me as nothing more than normal banter."

Hypothetically, if—no, Mahiru did tease him from time to time, but she never touched on any topics that would make Amane feel uncomfortable. She had both common sense and common decency, so she never crossed the line of offending him.

"You're awfully level-headed about it," Mahiru remarked.

"Of course. At the end of the day, it just boils down to how much you trust each other, and whether you can respect boundaries. If the relationship lacks trust, even making fun of the other person a few times can become a nuisance. And if there is trust in the relationship, cross the line once and you've dropped the ball."

"I could not agree more," she nodded quietly.

His curiosity now piqued, Amane asked, "…And, uh, I'm really just asking, but… what would you do if I started being mean to you, Mahiru?"

Seemingly surprised, Mahiru let out a blink before responding. "Let's see…," she said, gently turning her head in the opposite direction.

Amane felt a small hand grasp at the end of his sleeve, and found himself captivated by the sudden sensation. At that very moment, Mahiru looked down toward the floor with a sorrowful expression. Her caramel-colored eyes, so clear and full of clarity, seemed to shimmer with a mixture of emotions.

"…Please don't be mean to me."

Amane's body tensed up instinctively, now faced with her hesitant, yet still soft-spoken voice, and her eyes that brimmed with emotion as she glanced up at him ever so slightly. However, Mahiru returned to her usual demeanor in no time at all, nonchalantly saying, "See? If I do that, I can make you freeze up with an immense feeling of guilt and wrongdoing, and you may even start to behave suspiciously, too. For those reasons, I would let it slide."

Frozen stiff, Amane was stunned by the sudden change in her mannerisms, but upon realizing that she had said that to poke fun at him, his cheeks naturally began to heat up.

She's right. If she looked at me like that, all I'd be able to do is apologize profusely while not being able to move a muscle… And what about it!?

That said, I don't intend to ever make her sad like that, Amane promised in his mind as he reached his hand out toward Mahiru's cheek, dissatisfied at being teased. She made an adorable expression as he gently played with her soft cheeks, but Mahiru, still with warped cheeks, scolded him playfully with a silly face.

"You're so mean!"

So she said, but the tinge of happiness that showed in her face as it lit up revealed that she enjoyed the banter.

A dynamic like this must come from a place of mutual trust, I bet…

Taking Mahiru up on her lenience, Amane savored the moment by continuing to caress her cheek, which was smooth to the touch.