17 Chapter 17: Revelations on the Terrace

Before Nene stood Takeo Gouda, a young man whose stature and build resembled a wardrobe.

"Gouda-kun, has anyone ever told you that you look like a wardrobe because you're so big?" Nene asked, curious.

"Yes." Gouda replied, looking down at her, similar to the way an adult looks at a small child, given the significant height difference between them. "You've told me that before." He scratched his head, in a somewhat awkward gesture.

"I've said that before? That's funny~ How forgetful of me!" Nene laughed, changing the subject with melodious curiosity: "By the way, how is your relationship going with... Rin, no, Yamarin? ...Ah, what's her name again?

"Her name is Rinko Yamato." Gouda responded, with a goofy smile on his face. "We're doing very well. Look what she gave me yesterday." He showed his cell phone with a teddy bear pendant.

"Yes, yes, her name was Rinko Yamato. I'll remember next time." She smiled: "That's great for you, Gouda-kun." Nene said with a gentle smile, soon sighing as she leaned on Gouda's desk: "I'm actually quite jealous. Things are going well with the boy I like, but there's another girl who also likes him, and now I'm competing with her to be his girlfriend."

"I see. Another girl is also interested in him..." Gouda spoke in a lower tone than usual: "He must be popular, isn't he?"

"Yes, quite." Nene sighed again: "So much so that he could easily rival Sunakawa-kun, maybe even surpass him."

"That popular?" Gouda expressed surprise, raising his voice. Knowing the popularity of his best friend, he was impressed. Reflecting, he said: "Well, if he let you get this close, it must mean you have a chance, right?" Scratching his head, he added: "I'm not very good at these matters, but that's what I think after hearing your story."

"Really?" Nene seemed encouraged: "I hope you're right. I'm quite short, you know? I just hope he doesn't see me as a younger sister or something, otherwise I'll cry~" She said, joking, but with a tone of seriousness at the end.

Makoto Sunakawa, who had until then remained silent, resting his head on his hand while sitting next to Gouda, looked at Nene and said: "You know, Fujinoki-chan. I remember you gave him a love letter, right? So, he probably understands your feelings and shouldn't treat you as a little sister, unless he's a fool."

"He's certainly no fool!" Nene responded promptly, her voice filled with certainty.

"Then everything is alright, isn't it?" Makoto observed.

"Mm... Yes, you're right." Nene, after a brief reflection, perked up and thanked: "Thank you, Sunakawa-kun. Now I see things more clearly!"

"Very well." Makoto replied simply.

///

Inside the desk's drawer, Reiji found five letters of different colors.

From the expressions of some girls in the room, it became evident that at least one of those letters might be from them. They were likely anxious to witness Reiji's reaction upon discovering them, or simply curious about how he would react to the love letters, and who knows...

Preferring not to open the letters in a public setting like the classroom, Reiji chose to store them in his backpack, planning to read them later.

'He decided not to open them now...' thought a girl with light brown, almost caramel-colored hair that fell wavy to her waist, adorned with light curls at the ends, and hazel eyes. 'Perhaps it's better this way, that he doesn't read my "love letter" here in the classroom.'

During the break, Reiji opted for solitude, heading to the terrace after buying some bread, instead of going to the cafeteria.

Savoring a honey bread, he carefully pulled out a purple letter from inside his blazer.

After finishing his snack and making sure he was alone, he turned his attention to the letter in hand.

The missive revealed a girl's admiration for him, expressing her desire to establish a romantic relationship.

The second letter brought a similar confession, though in a more subtle manner.

The third letter was daring in its content, even suggesting a friends-with-benefits arrangement if a relationship wasn't possible.

As for the fourth letter, its enigmatic content left Reiji puzzled from beginning to end, questioning the true intention of the author.

'What on earth did she mean to convey with this letter, exactly?'

However, he barely had time to ponder this now.

Ding! Reiji's system emitted a sound, and a notification appeared before him—

[After receiving five love letters, the [gifts] feature has been unlocked. Each time a girl offers you a sign of her affection, such as a gift, you will be able to accumulate points or receive items as rewards. Moreover, you can use these points to discover the gift preferences of your admirers.]

'An unexpected feature...' Reiji stroked his chin, thoughtful.

It was surprising to him that a new feature became accessible after reading five love letters...

According to the alert that had just appeared, the [gifts] feature offered mutual benefits. By receiving any form of affectionate display, such as love letters, he would be graced with points or items by the system.

Additionally, he had the possibility to use these points to obtain information about the gifts his admirers valued.

The first part turned out to be an excellent extra, presenting another way to accumulate points and items, besides his usual [actions]. The second part was practically a gift from heaven, enabling him to choose the perfect gift for those whose preferences he did not know.

Reflecting on his new feature, Reiji thought deeply about his newly unlocked option while carefully folding the love letters.

'Besides, if the system identified the fourth letter I read as a love letter, then...' He began to consider the content of the letter.

[Dear Reiji Matsuoka,

As the twilight light gently caresses the dancing leaves, I find myself here, immersed in thoughts, weaving words that may, in their essence, capture the sweetness of the morning dew and the serenity of the moonlight. It's a mosaic of feelings that I find hard to paint, a tangle of golden threads of emotions that I struggle to unravel.

Isn't there a beauty, don't you think, in the way the stars remain faithful to the night, each shining with a light that is uniquely their own, distinct, yet part of a greater whole? Sometimes, I think of us in that way, isolated beings who, somehow, find a harmonious dance in the vastness of this universe. But, oh, how deep the darkness can become when shadows form, obscuring the light I once thought was eternal.

I have observed, with a heart that hesitates and withdraws, how the garden around you blooms with vibrant colors, each flower seeking your warmth and light. It is a charming sight, undoubtedly, but also one that sows seeds of an unknown melancholy in my chest. Like the vine that grows in secret, gently entwining, wondering if your presence is as warm and welcoming to others as it seems to be to me.

Reiji, have you ever pondered the nature of affection? About how it can be so generous and yet so selective? Like the sun, which does not choose whom it warms, but whose rays can, sometimes, seem brighter in one corner of the garden than another? It's not about wishing less light for others, but longing for a ray that feels as if it were meant just for one.

Forgive me if my words seem to dance around what my heart longs to express. It's a complicated waltz, moving to the sound of a music that perhaps only I can hear. What I offer here is a blurred mirror, reflections of feelings that glow with a faint light, hoping to be understood, perhaps not in their entirety, but in fragments that resonate with the melody of your soul.

With hope and hesitation,

One who watches closely, though from afar.]

'I can't identify who she is, but she must be one of the girls on my list of favorites, right?'

However, this letter is not the only one that arrived without an identifiable sender, which complicates things a bit for him when trying to determine the origin of this message that so fascinates him.

'Eventually, she will reveal herself, won't she?'

With that expectation, he dedicated himself to reading the last love letter received. Upon finishing, he found himself rewarded with 2 action points.

||- Note -||

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