It wasn't like he was hyperaware of touch—or even Kengo's touch—or anything. But if he asked Kengo about that light pressure on his shoulder just a second ago, the answer would probably be What do you mean? and Ryusei would have revealed that he had read more into a simple touch than was warranted. It wasn't, after all, unreasonable to have a firm grip on someone while helping them up.

So why was Kengo fiddling with the bottle like that? Had Ryusei gotten the wrong brand? No, it was the same as the one earlier. And that was silly; if Kengo had wanted something other than water, he would have said so. Probably.

"Kengo...." He plucked the hovering Nuggeropa from the air and put it on Horuwanknov's head to hide how fidgety he was. The question he wanted to ask was only going to make it worse between them, he knew, but it was the lesser evil. He worded it carefully, so as not to seem presumptive. "What... did you call me, before?"