She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 18

When I arrived home, I placed my bag on the sofa and let out a long sigh.

The time I spent at the aquarium had been unexpectedly enjoyable.

Being enveloped in that quiet, gentle blue world made me feel so comfortable that I forgot about time. I could still feel the lingering warmth of that sensation deep in my heart.

When I glanced at the living room clock, the hands were already pointing to nighttime.

I suddenly realized I was thirsty and took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator.

The sensation of the cold water passing through my throat somehow calmed my mind.

After spacing out for a while, I finally sat down on the sofa and took my smartphone out of my bag.

(…That’s right)

I remembered that I had turned off my phone.

I hated how I kept checking the screen because I was worried about messages from Honoka, so I had turned it off partway through the aquarium visit.

I pressed the power button, and after a moment the screen lit up. Notification sounds rang out one after another.

—The screen showed multiple unread messages and missed call records.

All of them were from Honoka.

My chest grew restless.

Unconsciously, my fingertips trembled.

I opened the message list.

‘Yuna, are you okay?’

‘Can we talk for a bit?’

‘Can’t you answer your phone?’

Next to Honoka’s name were lined up several missed call notifications.

The moment I saw them, my heart jumped.

(…This many)

I hadn’t expected to receive so many messages.

Did that mean Honoka wanted to talk to me that badly?

My fingers hesitated.

Should I reply, or should I leave things as they were for a little longer?

At the aquarium, I had been able to avoid thinking about Honoka.

But once I returned home and was alone, I ended up thinking about her like this anyway.

In the end, I opened the messages and typed a short reply.

‘Sorry, I didn’t notice. What’s up?’

After pressing send, I stared at the screen for a while.

Within just a few seconds, the “Read” marker appeared.

(…That quickly)

The moment I thought about what that meant, my phone vibrated.

Honoka’s name appeared on the screen.

—A phone call.

I caught my breath.

Should I answer, or not?

After hesitating for just a few seconds, I swiped my finger.

“…Hello?”

‘Yuna…’

The moment Honoka’s voice reached my ears, my chest tightened sharply.

Her voice sounded slightly more anxious than usual.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

‘No… more importantly, can you talk for a bit now?’

At Honoka’s question, I found myself at a loss for words for a moment.

What did she want to talk about?

What expression was Honoka making on the other end of this call?

“…Yeah, it’s fine”

The moment I answered, I heard a small intake of breath on the other end of the line.

‘Hey, Yuna… where were you all day today?’

Though her voice was quiet, there was an inescapable pressure in it.

I hesitated for a moment about how to answer.

Even though I had just drunk cold water, I could feel my throat gradually drying up.

I shouldn’t have anything to feel guilty about, yet somehow I even felt suffocated.

But Honoka’s voice sounded somewhat anxious, as if she was trying to confirm something.

I let out a small breath.