back to bed and lied down with the pillow under her chin as usual. But she didn’t open a book. “What happened?”, Kousaka asked. Sanagi started to turn, then gave up part-way and sunk her chin back into the pillow. “There’s some reason you can’t go back home alone, right?” After a long pause, Sanagi acknowledged it. “Yeah.” “…Um,” she spoke. “I’m scared of making eye contact with people.” “What do you mean?” Then Sanagi explained, in a halting manner. “I’m totally aware it’s overly self-conscious. But it’s just no good. Every person I meet, it feels like they’re staring right at me. But I mean, it’s not their gaze itself that’s the problem… See, when you think "I’m being looked at,” you look their way too, right? And when you do, even if they were actually looking someplace else, they feel your eyes on them and look at you. When I make eye contact like that… it feels so bad, I can’t describe it in words. Like someone stomping around your house in dirty shoes, rummaging through your closets and drawers - that kind of unpleasant feeling hits me.“