(groans) Hey, Shinomiya. Let me show you something special. I was planning to save this for a bit later, but oh well. You know, I wasn't trying to frighten you. I told you there was something I wanted to show you, remember? We've never been able to meet in the middle, or find the right words. So I figured I'd just give the most amazing present I could think of.
(in his thoughts) I don't have Shinomiya's natural resourcefulness, nor her ingenuity.
And our families don't even merit comparison.
I still clearly remember... when we first met. You hadn't the slightest interest in me.
So I worked hard. Harder than I ever had before.
You'll probably never know how happy I was when I finally beat you at your best.
I felt a glimmer of hope in my chest, that just maybe we could one day stand on equal footing.
That's why I can never ask you out.
If I begged you to date me, and you pulled away, I would never be able to close that gap between us.
I need you to take the initiative, so that we can finally stand as equals.
(worried) Sorry, did I upset you? I'm also kinda freaking out myself…! I didn't mean to… I wasn't trying to mess with you or anything. Hey… say something…