After finishing his complaint, Sato paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that what he had just said was a bit off.
"..."
He let out a soft sigh, his right hand curling into a fist as he instinctively rested it against his chin and began to think.
Better think about what to do next.
Click!
Before he could even begin, his thoughts were cut short.
The bathroom door in front of him suddenly opened. In that instant, it felt as though a freezer had been thrown open, cold air spilling out.
Yukinoshita Yukino stepped out. The blush on her face had not yet faded, yet she forced a stern expression, her entire body radiating a chilling aura. Her dark, deep eyes stared straight at him.
Her eyes were clear, like a deep, quiet pool, carrying a breathtaking beauty.
If ten points were the highest score for appearance, Yukinoshita Yukino could easily earn at least nine, and those eyes alone would account for at least three of them.
The eyes were the window to the soul, the truest reflection of a person.
They were the only place where human emotions could be expressed without any external change. Without the emotions conveyed through the eyes, a living being would lose most of its expressiveness.
Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, worry, distress...
Though they were the same pair of eyes, they could convey countless shifting emotions.
At this moment, what Sato saw in Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes was embarrassment mixed with anger.
This was also the first time he truly felt how terrifying the "snow woman" could be. Beneath that embarrassed anger, he sensed a bone-chilling coldness.
Yikes, that is scary.
Sato could not help but think. She was just an ordinary person, yet she could give off such an aura.
Things like this were really hard to grasp.
"Oh? I didn't expect Nohara-kun to still be standing here. Are you planning to peek? I didn't think Nohara-kun was such a pervert."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at him coldly, her tone sharp and full of irritation.
Sato muttered to himself, this is my house though...
But he also understood that the girl in front of him was still caught up in her embarrassment and irritation. If he put himself in her place, if he were a girl using the bathroom and suddenly heard a boy he could only call a friend calling out to him...
Should he respond or not?
After thinking about it, Sato realized he probably would not respond either. It really was an awkward situation.
So although the girl in front of him was being a bit temperamental, he could understand her feelings.
"Sorry."
He bowed slightly as he apologized.
When in doubt, apologizing first usually helped resolve things.
After all, he had mastered the art of the preemptive apology. Bow first, ask questions later.
There was a certain hypocrisy to it, though perhaps no more than in any other corner of the globe. In the theater of 'civilization,' politeness is simply the costume everyone is required to wear
As for what people truly thought deep down, everyone knew.
Something like 'you are strong now, so I will keep a low profile. When I become stronger, I will step all over you.'
In this regard, Japan had turned the apology into a national art form. From the highest level of government down to the individual, the strategy was the same by offering a bow so perfect it left the other person with nothing to criticize.
I have already apologized like this, and the matter has already happened. What more can you expect me to do?
After all, I have used the highest form of etiquette to apologize.
Seppuku?
Sorry, this is the twenty-first century. Who still does that?
Though if it really came to it, they could still stage a performance. Just find a scapegoat.
Japan was a place that still carried feudal remnants beneath the shell of modern society. Finding someone to take the fall was not difficult at all. Many politicians came from old aristocratic families.
The coldness on Yukinoshita Yukino's face quickly shifted into surprise. She stared at Sato blankly as the embarrassment and anger that had filled her mind suddenly vanished.
Her expression changed rapidly. The icy look on her delicate face melted like spring snow, replaced by a soft blush, like a red plum blooming against winter white.
"Sorry."
Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath and bowed deeply in apology.
Now that she had calmed down, she understood what had happened and knew this could not possibly be Sato's fault.
She never admitted defeat, but that did not mean she never admitted mistakes.
As expected.
Apologizing really was an art in Japan.
Seeing this, Sato felt a bit impressed. He had not expected her to calm down so quickly.
"I was also at fault just now."
Sato spoke again.
This time, his apology was much more sincere. He knew his earlier behavior had indeed been inappropriate.
Putting a girl in such an awkward situation, it was something that made one want to say, what the hell.
The two fell silent and walked into the living room one after the other.
However, the atmosphere between them felt somewhat strange.
Yukinoshita Yukino silently stroked the two cats, showing no intention of leaving.
If she left just like that, it would feel like fleeing in embarrassment.
So even though she still felt a bit embarrassed, she appeared calm as she petted the cats.
Sato, on the other hand, opened Gokou Ruri's work.
Although he had previously received a sample from her, the officially published version might still differ.
As her senior in name and her mentor in reality, he naturally needed to take another look.
In the quiet living room, the two went about their own tasks. Strangely enough, the scene felt unexpectedly harmonious.