Assisi reacted after a long time as I tried to put up with some tickly feeling. He was acting just like a shy girl who hesitated and stretched her hand. However, Assisi was a man, right?

  “Hey, Assisi.”


  What was happening? I seriously looked down at my hand and sighed.

  “Assisi, this isn’t holding hands. You’re hardly even touching mine.”


  Was my hand too dirty? He was barely grazing it, and he’s grazing it so softly, I couldn’t even say anything. What kind of a new way of holding hands was this? Was this a popular style of holding hands these days? Was I out of style?

  Assisi answered while I thought about how he held hands.

  “That’s alright.”


  I was saying that he was doing it wrong! What’s alright about this?

  “Assisi, you’re not holding my hand right now. You’re just sort of touching it.”


  “I’m fine like this.”


  No, I was not okay with it.

  What in the world was making him so anxious about simply holding hands?! I gazed up at Assisi. He was already frowning as if he was worried about something when he was just simply grabbing my hand. Oh, well.

  I sighed, turned my hand, and held Assisi’s hand. Assisi flinched when my hand grabbed his hand first. I was embarrassed when Assisi released his strength when I grabbed his hand.

  What’s wrong with him?

  I wished he would hold it tighter since if we kept our hands like this, it would fall out if I shook my hand a little bit. As I hastened myself, Assisi started looking like he was going to cry. Why, though? I was just asking him to hold my hand! Was he really that disgusted by this? People might think I’m trying to rob you or something.

  I was seriously worrying if he’s actually disgusted by this, and Assisi bites his lips.

  “I don’t know… with how much strength I should hold your hand.”


  … Huh? What?

  I was so disconcerted at the moment that I made a strange noise without even realizing it.

  No, wait a minute. What did he just say?

  “… are you telling me… you couldn’t hold my hand because you weren’t sure how to adjust your strength while holding it? ”


  There’s no way that’s it.

  However, even today, that ‘no way’ betrayed me mercilessly as well. Assisi nodded. I became speechless.

  “Your hand seems so small and delicate I’m afraid it might burst if I held it too strongly.”


  Asisi spoke with all seriousness. He seemed so, so serious; I got confused for a second. Was my hand made out of balloons or something?

  Of course, that wouldn’t happen!