[... She definitely cannot tell him. Even if it occurred before she had agreed to attempt to accept his affections, before she had been forced to admit that, even if she did not know if her feelings matched his, there was something there she could not deny...
Men had their pride, did they not? And her own reputation...
Hayame struggles to answer him. Should she warn him now, that she will not be able to meet with him some times? Should she try to prevent him from teasing her about certain things? She does not know. What she does know... is she feels she has made so many errors since she arrived at his home last night. That despite her intent to be... normal, to be... amiable... that she has failed, and he has had to stop and comfort her, or find himself at the mercy of her ire...
Her fingers tighten on his where he had taken hers, before, and instead of providing words... she pulls his hand to her mouth and kisses his knuckles instead. Ring finger, middle, pointer... It buys her time until finally,]
no subject
Men had their pride, did they not? And her own reputation...
Hayame struggles to answer him. Should she warn him now, that she will not be able to meet with him some times? Should she try to prevent him from teasing her about certain things? She does not know. What she does know... is she feels she has made so many errors since she arrived at his home last night. That despite her intent to be... normal, to be... amiable... that she has failed, and he has had to stop and comfort her, or find himself at the mercy of her ire...
Her fingers tighten on his where he had taken hers, before, and instead of providing words... she pulls his hand to her mouth and kisses his knuckles instead. Ring finger, middle, pointer... It buys her time until finally,]
It is nothing.