Got nervous by sitting close with 〜てしまう

Grammar Explanation: Doing completely or ending up doing with 〜てしまう and 〜ちゃう

Ayumu and Urushi head to the library so Urushi can help Ayumu study for an upcoming test. The library tables are filled with studying students, so Takeru offers to let the two join him and Sakurako at the library staff desk. Urushi sits beside Ayumu and explains the material as he works through it, but she stops to make sure he’s listening.

歩(あゆむ):: 「すみません」; “Sorry.”; 「いつもより距離(きょり)が近(ちか)くて緊張(きんちょう)してしまって…」; “You're a bit closer than usual, so I got nervous...”; Literal: “The distance is closer than usual, so I ended up getting nervous...”

Key Points

1〜てしまって = ending up in that state

緊張(きんちょう)してしまって means Ayumu ended up getting nervous, not that he intentionally made himself nervous.
The 〜てしまう pattern adds the sense that the reaction happened despite himself and is mildly awkward or unfortunate here.

2Casual trailing て leaves the apology unfinished

Ayumu trails off after 〜てしまって…, leaving the implied continuation unsaid, such as “that’s why I wasn’t responding well”.

Vocabulary

距離 (Distance)

距離(きょり) means distance, interval, or gap. It can be physical or figurative.

緊張 (Tension)

緊張(きんちょう) refers to a state in which the mind and body become tight and rigid. It describes the feeling of stress on the mind and physical stiffness that occurs when facing unfamiliar situations or moments where failure is not an option.