At a Reasonable Distance ch3: Tactics

p1
>Hah~ That movie was awesome~

>Thanks for coming with me today~
>You're welcome~ I had wanted to go to the café here anyway~
>You sure do love movies, Chika-chan.

>Now that the movie's done, what should we do next?
>Lemme think...

p2
>Ah. Idol ○ showed up at the festival~
>Morimoto-kun just LINE'd me about it~
>...!

>...
>Hrm...

>...
>...Chika-chan?

>Ah, erm, the other day, I forcibly turned down Morimoto's invitation for you, right?
>It was only later that I thought that might've been the wrong thing to do...

>I'm sorry if you really wanted to go to that thing...
>Eh? Ah. No, it's perfectly fine!

p3
>...Truth be told, I was kinda happy.
>Heh? Why?

>...
>You told me
>that it's "for my sake" that I should turn down those kinds of invitations,

>but maybe it was because "you" didn't like that, Chika-chan?
>Me going on an outing with someone besides you, that is.
>At least,
>that's what I think.

p4
>N-
>No, no.
>Why? It's not like we're going out or anything, Saki.

>You saying I'm jealous? That makes no sense...

>...That so?
>Aw, too bad.

>...
>You say some pretty weird jokes sometimes...
>You might give someone strange ideas again, so be careful, okay?
>Yeah, yeah.

p5
>...I'd be fine with you getting strange ideas, though.
>Just kidding.

>Ah, I forgot to reply to Morimoto-kun's LINE.
>...

p6
>Does Saki perhaps like me...??

>If she wasn't, then she wouldn't try to test me like that, would she??
>>turmoil
>Eh??
>No, hold on a sec.

>...
>Ah, but I don't look at you in that way, Chika, so don't worry about it.
>lol
>Wait, she doesn't?

p7
>Come to think of it, she didn't kinda reject me...
>I'm still not convinced, though...

>Actually...

>isn't thinking of myself as a "target" just because Saki said she likes girls
>kinda really cringey!?
>I'm being way too self-conscious... How embarrassing~

>...Eh? But then was that statement just spontaneous?
>?
>Chika-chan?
>Isn't that kinda bad in its own way...?
>She's bound to give lots of other people the wrong idea...

p8
>...Saki.
>What is it?

>Let me be the one closest to you from now on.
>I'll protect Saki from guys who get the wrong idea...!
>>Sense of duty

>?!
>Heh? Ah, sure...??

>I
>have a chance...?