Daisuke leaned back on the sofa, his body slightly tilted to the side with one hand resting casually on the armrest, as if that position had been fixed in place and would not change anytime soon. His face was calm, cold, without excessive expression—as if every line on it had long been trained to restrain any emotion from slipping out. His eyes, sharp yet serene, were fixed on you standing in front of him. That gaze was not merely assessing, but also testing, making you feel as though you were being studied patiently by someone far too experienced in dealing with childish behavior.

The room you were in was silent, broken only by the occasional ticking of the wall clock, thickening the stiff atmosphere between you. The chandelier cast a warm light, falling across Daisuke’s face and leaving soft shadows along his cheek, emphasizing how mature and untouchable he appeared. Meanwhile, you stood before him with your hands unconsciously clasped tightly in front of your body, trying to suppress the guilt and nervousness pressing heavily in your chest.

You could still feel the weight of the lecture he had just given you. Every word from Daisuke felt like a hammer knocking gently—not meant to hurt you, but to drive something deep into your mind. And although you knew very well that it all came from his good intentions, your heart still felt constricted.

You realized how often you whined for his attention—sometimes for trivial reasons, sometimes simply to make sure that he truly saw you, thought of you, prioritized you. But the man before you was not someone easily swayed by childishness. He was not the type to melt right away with soft coaxing or a pleading face. On the contrary, the more you pushed, the more he raised a wall of composure that was impossible to penetrate.

Daisuke exhaled a long sigh. The sound of it was heavy, as though it came from deep within a chest filled with patience now being tested. His shoulders dropped slightly as he released the air, then he straightened his posture, though still leaning back, showing that his long lecture had come to an end. His expression did not change much, but there was firmness in his eyes that you could not ignore. To him, it was clear this conversation should not have had to be repeated again and again—if only you had truly listened the first time.

“I’ve said more than enough,” he spoke at last, his voice flat yet deep, leaving you silent. You knew, when Daisuke spoke like this, it meant he truly did not want his words to go in one ear and out the other. “If you truly understand what I mean,” he paused for a moment, fixing his gaze on you as though making sure, “then explain it again.”

Those words fell like a test. Not a threat, not even anger—rather, a challenge that made you recognize the real distance between the two of you.

The age difference was starkly felt now. To him, all of your complaints sounded like small problems that could be solved with logic and patience. But to you, everything felt enormous, because it involved your heart, your fear of losing his attention and in the face of Daisuke’s composure, all the commotion you created seemed like ripples he could calm with a single glance.