377 I want to understand my feelings

　　In a panic, Rizu glanced at the staff, and then looked at Shinichi.

　　Suddenly, images of Jack and Cecil hugging and kissing came to mind.

　　—Kissing, how does it feel?

　　Rizu's mind was completely occupied by this question.

　　There was plastic wrap, so it couldn't be considered a kiss, after all they weren't actually touching, and there was no exchange of saliva.

　　However, from the definition of lips to lips, it cannot be denied that it is an action called kissing. Only a thin layer separates them. Whether it is temperature or the touch of the lips, they should be able to feel it clearly.

　　Wait, if that's the case...

　　Thinking of a certain key, the flustered and embarrassed mood gradually calmed down, Rizu looked at the props in her hand.

　　Shinichi didn't hesitate and spoke directly to the staff.

　　"Sorry, we're not in a relationship, should we be able to raffle again?"

　　"Yes…" the staff member was stunned for a moment, then apologized, "Sorry, I misunderstood. In this case, you can switch to single player mode. Most cooperative modes are safe kisses, POCKY Games, Levels like Princess Hug are not for you."

　　Shinichi asked with a strange expression, "Is this a game center? Why do such games exist? Don't you think that's very inappropriate?"

"A lot of people ask about this." The staff shrugged and said helplessly, "The machine that was originally going to be used as the final level was broken, so boss brought out the game played at the annual meeting to replace it. Convenient and economical."

　　"...Okay," Shinichi reached for another box the staff took out, "I hope there won't be any weird choices in this single player mode..."

　　"Shinichi-san, please wait a moment."

　　Rizu suddenly spoke, and Shinichi stopped and looked at her doubtfully.

　　"What is wrong?"

　　"I..."

　　Rizu lowered her head and said something in a low voice.

　　Shinichi took his hand, approached her and crouched down, asking.

　　"Are you feeling unwell? Then, sit outside and rest first. Give me your score card. After you finish this level, I will help you move on to that board game."

　　Rizu shook her head, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

　　"I don't think there is a need to vote again."

　　Shinichi was dumbfounded: "What?"

　　Rizu held the safe kissing tool, looked at him seriously, and repeated.

　　"Cooperation mode, safe kiss for five seconds, that's fine."

　　After understanding her words, Shinichi felt a little helpless.

　　"Rizu, this is a special game for couples..."

　　Rizu raised her head and said to the staff: "Excuse me, may I ask, are there any same-sex groups or heterosexual non-couple groups challenging this game?"

　　Not hearing the low-pitched conversation between the two, the staff member was taken aback at first, and then said: "Yes, although many people's first reaction is to draw again, but like two brothers, a pair looks more like a couple. It was more like a brother and sister duo who already loved the game and had fun playing it."

　　Rizu turned her gaze back, the side of her face tinged with a slight blush, but otherwise her eyes were firm.

　　"If the fraternity can do it, why can't we?"

　　Shinichi laughed: "Different. Even if they are only separated by plastic wrap, it is not good to do this between friends of the opposite sex. You don't want the atmosphere to get awkward when we hang out later, do you?"

　　"I..."

　　Seeing Shinichi's expression of reluctance, Rizu turned her gaze to the ground, and spoke softly.

　　"I know myself, I must feel weird saying that all of a sudden."

　　"It's just that after watching the movie, for some reason, a certain question popped up in my heart, and no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't get the answer."

　　"What exactly is a kiss? Why do those two people look so happy after kissing? Why is it that just the touch of their mouths can bring about that change…"

　　Shinichi interjected at this.

　　"Rizu, it was all an act—"

　　"I know! I know it's all about acting!"

　　Rizu's tone became stronger, and then her voice became even softer.

　　"But for some reason, after that, I became even more worried about kissing…"

　　"This happens all the time. If I don't understand something, I definitely want to understand it. A lot of people have told me not to be so arrogant and not to think a lot of strange things..."

　　"But, the more I don't think about it, the more I want to know the feeling of kissing, why people kiss, what the meaning of kissing is, what kind of mood people will feel when kissing…"

　　Even though Rizu said this, she knew that she didn't want to kiss anyone else.

　　Only when the word "kiss" was associated with it did her heartbeat speed up, her mouth went dry, the speed of saliva output also changed, and she started thinking wildly.

　　Why this happened?

　　What causes this change?

　　What's her mood? What is the main difference between Shinichi and other people for her?

　　Reactions like this... How to analyze it?

　　Rizu tightened her face and said every word.

　　"I want to know this, I want to understand more. I feel like if I play this game, even just a little, I will definitely understand what feelings are and gain a deeper understanding of human psychology..."

　　"Of course, I have also considered the embarrassment you mentioned. As the staff member said, even if they weren't a couple, there should be no problem playing this game between friends or educators. After all, this wasn't a real kiss."

　　"So, Shinichi-san, please..."

　　Shinichi shook his head.

　　"Sorry, even this won't work."

　　Rizu opened her eyes slightly.

　　"Why?"

　　Shinichi raised his hand and gently caressed her head.

　　"Simple, because I don't want to do it."

　　"Whether it's a safe kiss or a normal kiss, to me it's an action that should be taken seriously, not just a game or a joke… I hope you can think so too, Rizu."

　　"The touch between the lips exchanges not only feelings, but also trust and the heart of thinking about others."

　　"Also, as a fellow educator and friend, I am happy to answer your questions. But I really can't teach you these things."

　　"But one day you will understand. Don't rush to find the answer. Just wait."

　　Rizu slowly lowered her eyes, and her originally agitated mood finally calmed down.

　　(So, it's not because of Fumino...)

　　The words stuck in her throat, Rizu couldn't say them, and she had no intention of saying them.

　　It seemed that if she said that, she would no longer be able to hang out with Shinichi and Fumino like she used to.

　　Rizu didn't understand what these complicated feelings were, let alone whether she should be disappointed or relieved.

　　(What do I want to do, the mood I want to understand... What exactly is that...)

　　Seeing that Rizu seemed to be deep in thought with his words, Shinichi patted her head.

　　"Well, don't worry about this! We're here to play today. Then relax a bit, and think of nothing but having fun like before!"

　　Hence, he was about to stand up.

　　The staff behind him took a moment to rest, seeing the serious atmosphere of the two people's conversation had finally died down, he wanted to urge them to quickly decide what game they wanted to play.

　　Suddenly, he saw the man who had risen slowly from the squatting position being suddenly pressed down by the petite girl with one hand on his shoulder, and with the other she placed a plastic wrap support between the two of them.

　　Standing on tiptoe, raising her face, she approached.

　　The man just froze in place, and the two of them kissed like a couple about to separate in front of the station.

　　The staff member stared wide-eyed at Shinichi's back, and his professionalism made him count the seconds on reflex.

　　"One, two, three, four, five… OK, congratulations to both of you for completing the mission!"