Asahina Wakaba to Marumaru na Kareshi Volume 2 Extra

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To those peeps that don’t stay for the afterword, thanks for sticking around until the very end! I hope you enjoyed this short series as much as I did!

Iruma Haruto and his XX Girlfriend

“Another serving!”

Wash the white rice down your throat with miso soup. With this, he finished one rice bowl. That is Iruma Haruto’s philosophy.

“Coming right up!” With a grin, his mother accepted the bowl.

She used her skilled movement to fill the bowl once again, and delivered it back to Haruto’s hand, as white steam rose up from it.

“You really eat a lot each morning. Are you even biting down on it? I can’t appreciate a rushed breakfast like this, Nii-san.”

As if to counteract the hot and steaming rice, a cold voice with freezing words arrived at Haruto’s ears.

“What’s your problem, Mifuyu. Are you calling me a pig now?”

“Oh lord…” She shook her head in disbelief. “That’s rude towards every single pig out there, Nii-san. Apologize with your life right away.”

“So I have less worth than cattle in your eyes…”

The girl did not show any restraint, but her—Mifuyu’s face was calm evermore. She possessed decent facial features, with almond eyes. Her thin, snow white hair was illuminated by the sunlight shining inside the room. She was a beauty to behold, able to entrance anybody…as long as she kept her mouth shut, that is.

“I’m glad you’re such a glutton. A boy your age should eat as much as you can. Same goes for you, Mifuyu. You’re already so slim, so get some meat on your chest and butt. You’d hate it if Shun-kun got stolen by another girl, right?”

“Why would you bring up Shun-san like that? Not like he cares I bet. He’s the type who likes me no matter what I look like.” She tried to stay calm, but her cheeks were red.

It was more than apparent that Haruto’s little sister was interested in his childhood friend—Namikawa Shun.

Shit…all of these bastards enjoying their youth…!

Although Haruto was smiling in the face of his little sister’s reaction, he equally cursed it. As if to swallow these feelings, Haruto gulped down the white rice in his bowl.

“Dad, I’m leaving!”

Haruto clapped his hands together in front of his father’s shrine. He repeats this action every morning without fault. Without this, his day won’t even begin.

“Now then, Shun should be waiting right about now, so better get in a good mood!” Haruto headed to the entrance while humming, when Mifuyu greeted him in front of the door.

She had put on her shoes, picked up her bag, and was ready to leave.

“Ah, did I make you wait? Sorry about that.”

“I don’t mind. I’m used to your tardiness every morning after all.”

She really did not hold back with her tone. The only person who’d be happy to listen to that poisonous tongue should be Shun. Every single morning, he would come pick her up, like a knight serving a princess. After they left the entrance, Shun would walk her off to the train station. This allowed Haruto to breathe some fresh air without being insulted all the time.

However, for some reason, his little sister Mifuyu would always wait for her older brother at the entrance.

“Then, I’ll be going, Nii-san.” Mifuyu lowered her head, and—didn’t move an inch.

Haruto gave a wry smile, and put his hand on her head.

“Yup, be careful.”

He gently rubbed her head, to which Mifuyu’s mouth gently opened a bit. She was his sister born from a different father. Apparently, she had been raised under great restraint through the main family, deeply missing such simple skinship. Though, she would never say that out loud.

She seemingly was satisfied by this ‘farewell’ of her older brother, as Mifuyu turned on her heel, walking outside the door as her long hair waved about. Right after that, Haruto heard a familiar voice.

“Good morning, Mifuyu-chan! You’re as beautiful as ever. Ah, this scent, did you change your shampoo?”

“Disgusting…can you stop acting like a stalker?”

“No, that’s not it! I just wanted to show you that I know everything about you—”

“How about not bothering me with that? Let’s go, okay.”

“W-Wait, don’t run away! Don’t leave me behind!?”

This usual exchange was the signal of a new day for Haruto.

“Hm, hmm~ Hm, hm, hmm~”

“You seem to be in a good mood today, Haruto-kun. Did something good happen?”

Shun finished sending off Mifuyu, and rejoined with Haruto, as they walked to school together. This happened every morning.

“Ah, you can tell? Well, I’m getting my part-time job’s salary today! With this, I can finally buy that eroge ‘My Husband’ I always wanted! Uhaha, I’ve been looking forward to this for more than half a year now! There’s this violinist girl, who suddenly learns one day that she has a fiance, and starts living together with a hoodlum police officer.”

“Another 18+ game? I know that you like these sorts of games, but isn’t it getting a bit out of hand recently? Mifuyu-chan complained about it.”

Haruto just whistled to himself, ignoring his childhood friend’s bitter words. When he had been bullied in middle school, he used these games as a means of escaping reality, but now they had become a hobby of his. In a way or another, things could have been worse.

The girls appearing in these games are cute, and a lot of the stories he viewed were interesting as well. If Haruto couldn’t experience love in real life, he at least wanted to view it for other characters in games.

“Yo, you two! It’s gotten awfully cold recently, didn’t it!”

“Ryouichi-sama gets cold easily, doesn’t he. Good morning, Haruto-san, Shun-san.”

Haruto’s good, sometimes hated friend, Bizen Ryouichi approached the two, closely followed by his maid, Morikawa Yui. Every morning, Yui followed her master everywhere, even to school this early in the morning.

“Morning, you two! You’re as close as ever, it’s too dazzling to watch.”

“My, Haruto-san, you have your way with words. Please, do say more.” The maid Yui grinned, as she didn’t even try to hide her honest feelings.

Unfitting of her trim and proper outer appearance, she can be quite the assertive girl.

“As annoying as ever, Haruto. Yui is just escoring me to school like every morning, nothing more. Don’t you agree, Shun?”

“…I personally think Haruto should be a bit more annoying for you to finally understand it.”

“Eh, why?”

Being a maid was hard work for Yui. Although she tried to keep up a smile, Haruto didn’t miss the fact that she slightly teared up at Bizen’s words. However, he tried his best to ignore that.

“Hmpf, this is why normies are such a pain. They don’t even grasp the greatness of their surroundings. Makes me want to puke.”

“Hm?? I don’t really get it, but whatever.”

Please keep asking until you understand it, is what Haruto thought. Ryouichi’s dense levels were off the charts as always. Since he was fairly good-looking, with great athletic skills that made him the ace of the soccer club albeit being only a first year, Bizen was insanely popular. Yet, he completely ignored all the passionate gazes coming from the female students. Knowing this all too well, Haruto didn’t even bother trying to explain anything.

The four now made their way to school. It was the same scenery as always, and these days would probably continue until Haruto graduated. But, he was satisfied with this. Talking with friends was plenty enjoyable. That’s what he thought at that time.

“Ugghhhh…!”

Lunch break arrived. Haruto bit into the desk, grinding his teeth.

“What the heck are you doing? That face of yours is mighty disgusting.” A classmate of Haruto, Miki Kazuma, approached him with a torn expression.

“Listen to this, Kazama! I was forced to observe the difference in social standing yet again! Shit, being able to eat a cute girl’s handmade lunch box…! I’m so jealous!” Because Haruto raised a loud voice, several classmates of his gathered.

“Ah, do you mean Bizen’s lunch box, made with Yui-san’s love? This is the same as usual, right? Don’t you agree, Big Bro.”

“Well, it is an event every other boy would be envious about. It’s a perfect flag, so what’s left is to pull through with the end.”

The Date Brothers nodded in consent to Haruto’s feelings.

“I can’t even raise any flags like that!” Haruto burst out in anger. “Normies should just explode! On top of that, the person himself isn’t even aware of Yui-san’s affection, all poured into this lunch box!” Haruto pointed at a single man, munching on the lunch box in question.

He wasn’t listening in the slightest, which only fuelled Haruto’s anger further.

“This is why unpopular folks are such a pain to deal with.”

“Date said it, it’s the same as always. Just ignore it already, Iruma.”

The class president Iizuka, and Kujou both shrugged their shoulders. But, logic wouldn’t work with Haruto, as he just grit his teeth in defeat. Finally, Shun joined in.

“Well, this is Haruto-kun’s special kind of communication, I think. And, it’s not like I don’t understand where he’s coming from, so just take it with a smile.” The childhood friend’s follow up made Haruto’s heart grow warm, as he was about to break out in tears.

“Shit, I’ll just pour all my libido into 2D girls then! I’ll go buy this new game, and play galge – eroge as a two-time combination! I’ll conquer all the girls!” Haruto formed a fist, announcing from his seat. “—You can’t fall for my manliness, okay?” He finished it off with a wink into the round, only to receive a round of laughter.

“Bahaha, that face ain’t fair! Don’t come here, kyahaha!”

“Well, don’t overwork yourself. Also, don’t let out too much or you’ll suffer from emaciation.”

The class rep and other students held their bellies as they laughed their hearts out, to which Haruto nodded.

—Alright, that was a success. A great success. That almost turned into a weird atmosphere. Making other people laugh sure is difficult.

Everyone was laughing now, and Haruto joined. It was the same scenery as always. But, in the back of his head, the scenery in front of the school gate this morning popped up.

Now, Ryouichi-sama, this is today’s lunch .I put lots of your favorite fried food into it.

Yui handed over her love-filled lunch box, and Ryouichi accepted that with his usual expression. At the same time, Shun tried to soothe Haruto, as he talked about how he was on the phone with Mifuyu until late night. As a result, he even called Haruto his step-brother. Haruto stomped on the ground in jealousy, but still looked over the others with a warm gaze.

It was the same, average scenery, the same conversations. That’s why he was never lacking anything. But, as of late, he felt oddly lonely at this.

—Both of them are liked by someone, or like other people.

Haruto felt jealous about that.

Haha, this kind of thinking is probably why I’m not popular, right. Haruto thought to himself. At this rate, he won’t be able to have his dream granted. In the realization of this, Haruto let out a sigh, while watching his classmates laugh their butts off.

After Haruto finished his Mom-made lunch box, he went up to the rooftop. It was a digestive walk. Normally, he’d go with Ryouichi and Shun, talk about this and that, but since the two had something else on their list today, Haruto had to go himself. He really enjoyed being surrounded by people, causing a ruckus and laughing all day, but being alone from time to time wasn’t half bad either. On top of that, in this awfully cold season, barely anybody made their way up to the rooftop.

Of course, Haruto wasn’t exactly immune against the cold, but he didn’t suffer as much as other people. His body stature greatly helped towards that as well. Haruto stretched his body, and sat down in front of the metal fence. With his stomach full, he thought of playing some mobile games to pass the time, and took out his smartphone, when—

Ah, that girl…she’s eating her lunch there again.

Right below his view was the backside of the school building. There, in one corner, sat a single girl, enjoying her lunch box. Haruto’s five senses are much more developed than the average person’s. His eyes, ears, and nose could pick up things much more sharply. Apparently, people born under the Bizen family tree have this sort of skill. Then again, it does not come into help often.

Either way, with these characteristics at his hand, Haruto could make out the appearance of the girl very clearly. She possessed a slender figure, with long hair. Because of her almost saddened expression, she left a great impression on him. When did Haruto catch on to her existence? It’s been too long.

She always ate there on her own, whilst being oddly cautious of her surroundings. Of course that would remain in Haruto’s memories. Whenever Haruto made his way there himself, or looked down from up the rooftop, the girl was always there. But, Haruto never managed to call out to her. After all, the girl gave off the atmosphere that she would reject anybody who tried talking to her.

In the end, the best Haruto could do was observe her carry bite after bite to her mouth. He doesn’t even know her name nor student year, but she was a beautiful girl. There’s no way anything would happen between the two. If anything, Haruto would be regarded as a stalker if the girl found out.

Haruto had been hated and rejected by countless girls so far in his life, but for her…he didn’t want to be hated, didn’t want to be pushed away. Either way, Haruto was satisfied just watching her like this. He wouldn’t dare try to go any further than this.

…Of course, he had no way of knowing that soon after this, a special connection would be born between the two.

“Um…is this class 4?”

The following day, during another lunch break, Haruto made his way to a certain class, accompanied by Ryouichi.

“Seriously, why do we have to come here even though they got business with you? And, having someone else than the person in question calling us over, I don’t like that.” Ryouichi turned his gaze towards his back, glaring directly at the girl called Shouji.

She had asked for Haruto to come to class 4, since a certain student had something to talk with him about. Although she had only requested Haruto, Ryouichi’s glare was too much for her to handle, and she could only accept him following them.

“Don’t be like that. Not like we have anything better to do. But, I wonder what they want from me?”

“Tch, you’re as naive as ever. I get it already.”

No matter who the other person might be, no matter the location he found himself in, Ryouichi would not change his tone at all. Haruto showed a wry smile in the face of this king-like attitude, and put his hand on the classroom’s door.

“You have called, and I arrived! First-year class 1, Iruma Haruto at your service! …Hm?”

Right as he entered the room, Haruto felt a sense of discomfort. Even though it was in the middle of lunch break, the inside of the room was oddly calm. Almost as if everyone was holding their breaths. On top of that, the second Haruto entered, every single student directed their attention towards them. But, his doubts were cleared up right away.

I guess it’s the same as always.

Haruto was known for always talking about eroge no matter the place or time, so of course a lot of people in this school talked badly about him. Especially the girls, who did not dare approach him. He was being treated as something lower than a cockroach. But, Haruto himself wasn’t all too bothered by this. It’s something he earned himself, and he didn’t want to fake himself this late into the game. That’s why he decided to live freely. Just by thinking like this, he can stand such a heavy atmosphere.

“Can I talk to this Asahina-san person? I heard she has some business with me?”

“I had planned to finally settle our divine battle, but this timing is just awful. Let’s get this business done, and leave.” Ryouichi complained from the side.

Well, I really don’t want to make him wait, so let’s just get this over with. I just hope I can be of help.

“T-Then, let’s move this story forward. Come on, Asahina-san! You have something to talk to with Iruma-kun, right?”

“Ah, y-yes…”

Having her back pushed by Shouji, a single girl stepped in front of Haruto.

…Ah.

—He remembered seeing this girl before. It’s the girl who always eats lunch on her own. She possessed long hair, with pink lips. With her eyes cast downwards, she gave off a trim and proper atmosphere, unbefitting of a high school student her age. Now that Haruto got a closer look, he yet again realized how cute of a girl she was.

“You are Asahina-san?”

Just what kind of business would such a cute girl have with Haruto? He had no idea. Maybe she found out that he was sneaking glances, and is going to accuse him of that?

“Y-Yes. The thing is, um…”

However, the girl was acting oddly nervous, completely betraying Haruto’s expectations. She opened and closed her mouth in hesitation, seemingly unable to calm down. Possibly unable to watch any further, another girl appeared, speaking to Haruto.

“Hey, Iruma. You sure are a lucky fellow. This girl apparently likes you.”

—Huh?

Haruto was baffled. He heard bad jokes before, but this was taking it to a whole other level. Maybe it was just meant to relax the atmosphere a bit? Haruto wanted get back on the main topic, but Asahina Wakaba’s following words were—

“Iruma…kun…”

—Something he never would have imagined.

“…I…like you. Please…go out…with me…”

—Thus, Haruto’s life changed drastically.

“He he, youth is here for me~ Finally~” Haruto was doing joyful skips in the hallway.

After 16 years of living, Iruma Haruto’s youth finally arrived. Ryouichi was forced to watch this the entire way back, clicking his tongue every few seconds. However, Haruto couldn’t be bothered by this. He was still too baffled at what just happened.

To think I would score myself a girlfriend! And such a cute girl and kind girl on top of that! S-She said she likes me even!

“Ahh, I’m so glad I was born…!”

“Why’d you start crying now then…? How unstable can your emotions be.”

“Now now! I’m just letting out all the frustration I sucked up over the past years!”

Haruto always had to watch over the romantic comedies involving his friends from the side lines. Of course, now that his own time has come, he won’t be able to calm down.

“Well, if you say so. But, I’m surprised you just accepted that confession.”

“…Eh?”

“Why’re you looking at me like that? You were the one who kept screaming that 3D is useless, and that you would offer your life to 2D.”

Haruto nodded at Ryouichi’s words. Until just a few minutes ago, that would have been Haruto’s reaction. Then again, he was just acting tough there.

“Did you fall for that woman at first glance or something? I mean, she’s got good looks, but still.”

“Ahh…Well, that’s…”

Because she said she—

“Hm? What was that?”

“N-No, it’s nothing! W-Well, I guess I did? Anyway, let’s go, Shun must be waiting.”

Would Ryouichi believe that excuse? He thought about it for a second, but eventually stopped questioning Haruto.

“Well, it’s fine. Let’s go back to the classroom.”

“Yeah!”

Ryouichi walked ahead, and Haruto observed his back, while he muttered the words he couldn’t before inside his heart.

—It was the first time in his life. Of course, Haruto had been interested in Wakaba before this event, but more than anything.

—It was the first time a girl said she liked him.

Classes came to an end. Haruto introduced Wakaba to Shun and Ryouichi, and walked home together with her. The two must have been considerate, as they left fairly early so as to not bother Haruto and Wakaba. They probably wished for him to pull things off smoothly. Haruto glanced to his side, observing the girl, which led his entire body to tense up.

To think such a miraculous situation would bless me in this lifetime!

Haruto had never experienced something like this. He did go home with a girl before in middle school, but that was in Shun’s presence, and she had friends with her as well. Walking only with a girl was an immeasurably important event for an unpopular guy like Haruto. His heart was racing like never before, and he had to force his attention on his legs so that he wouldn’t stumble.

Now, what should I do? What should I do to break the ice!

Around five minutes must have passed since they started walking. Yet, neither of them said anything. Before they could try and keep up a conversation, someone had to say something first. Haruto tried to force out a snicker, but the best he could muster up was a groan.

Haruto kept glancing over at Wakaba, as his thoughts turned faster and faster. Haruto wanted to become a flirty couple he was forced to observe in all the games he played. But, rushing things could have the opposite effect—Even a beginner in love like Haruto could tell. His appearance even was below average.

For starters, I have to strike up a conversation, talk with her. I’m sure she must be nervous as well!

Wakaba keeping quiet must be proof for that. That’s why Haruto mustered up his courage, and decided to break the ice.

“Really, walking next to such a cute girl like Asahina-san like this, I can’t help but feel nervous!”

“Huh…is that so?”

“Of course! I mean, look at me. There’s so many people who wouldn’t want to walk home together with a ‘marshmallow’ like me because it would be too ‘embarrassing’, see.”

Haruto tried to bring up various topics, but the reaction was almost always the same…This is bad, maybe I’m just boring to talk to? This atmosphere is awful!

F-For now, I just have to keep trying! There’s lots of things we don’t know about each other, so if we can only lessen the distance between us a little bit, that should be fine for now!

“O-Oh, right! I just introduced you to Ryouichi, right, and this morning, he and his maid—”

“Ohh…?”

Haruto tried with a more comedic story this time. That apparently had some effect, as the girl started to respond with more than just an average ‘I see’ and such. Slowly but steadily, Wakaba was participating in the conversation.

“Movies or TV shows I often watch? I don’t really watch videos online, so I’d have to say quiz shows.”

“Wow! That does sound interesting. I actually watch them myself from time to time. You can’t help but get excited, right? I always try to guess along, but I’m constantly wrong! These trap questions are such a pain…”

Whenever Haruto watched TV shows like these, Mifuyu would always guess the right answer, making fun of him, so he kept that a secret.

“Ah, now that you say it. I am bad with these sorts of questions, because I always think too deeply into it.”

Wakaba agreed to Haruto’s words, which led him to be a bit relieved.

T-Thank god…! We’re finally having a normal conversation!

The girl gave off a rather docile atmosphere, so she might not be used to talking with a boy all alone. But, that made her look only more cute in Haruto’s eyes. Eventually, they made it to the place where they had to split up. According to Wakaba, her house was in the opposite direction of Haruto.

—M-Maybe I should escort her home after all?

Haruto didn’t want to be too pushy. He hesitated for a second, but eventually mustered up his courage.

“A-Asahina-san! If you’d like, I can escort you home!”

“Eh, n-no…! I’m happy, but I don’t want you to take a detour just for me…!”

…She tried to make it sound polite, but Haruto could hear clear rejection in her words.

W-Well, I guess it would be too fast after all!? Ahh, I don’t want her to think of me as a pushy man!

“T-Then, I’ll be taking my leave here! See you tomorrow, at school—” He tried to give a cheerful farewell.

Of course, he wanted to talk some more with her, stay with her. But, it’s only the first day, so he couldn’t rush things…Or so he told himself. However—

“Um…the day after tomorrow, Saturday, do you have time?”

“Saturday? Err, I think I should have time there, what about it?”

For some reason, Wakaba’s face stiffened up. Just like during the confession earlier, her face opened and closed like she was panicking. Maybe she wasn’t feeling too well? Haruto wanted to ask, but before that…

“Ah, well…if you’re okay with it…”

“Eh?”

“—Won’t you go out with me somewhere?”

For a second, Haruto was unable to grasp what the girl just said.

—Go out somewhere? Who? With who? The two of us? Me?

His reaction was a bit belated, as he tried to force out his words.

“D-Doesh that mean…You want to go on a date!?”

“Y-Yes…What do you think?”

Naturally, Haruto had no reason to refuse.

“O-Of course I’m down! A-A date…with a girl…!”

“…Thank you…very much…”

For some reason, the girl was lacking energy in her words. Haruto felt slightly worried about this, but he assumed she must have been nervous.

“Um, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine. I was just relieved that you gave the okay.”

It really was just like Haruto figured. And it made sense. Asking out a boy on a date must require a lot of courage. That made Haruto speculate on how much she actually liked him.

“T-To think I would be able to go on a date myself…! Where did I set up a flag!? Yahoo! I’m so happy!”

Out of joy and happiness, Haruto’s consciousness was focussed entirely on the upcoming date that he didn’t realize.

“…”

Next to Haruto, the girl bit her lip, with an expression like she was about to cry.

And then, the day of the date arrived, the sky filled with clouds here and there. Wearing the best possible clothes Haruto had to offer, he was shaking in his boots. They had decided to meet up at 8:30am. However, it was currently 6:30am.

I got here two hours earlier because I was so nervous…

This is the first time Haruto would ever go on a date with a girl. That’s why he felt more anxious than excited.

“—Clothes…check. My hair should be looking fine, and my face and fingers are all…check, okay.”

Haruto finished reconfirming his appearance one more time, and let out a sigh. He had repeated this process countless times ever since he had arrived at the location, and yet he felt the urge to redo it again and again. Today, the clothes he was wearing was a fresh new attire, something he hadn’t worn yet.

He used up all the money that would have gone into his eroge for new clothes, and went buying these with the help of Shun and Ryouichi’s maid Yui. They both gave a great stamp of approval, so he was relieved…only a slight bit though, because Haruto barely had any confidence in his appearance.

Because of said appearance, he had never been much popular to begin with, hence he was not experienced in the slightest in terms of being liked by girls. After this, two years went by, and he decided to live freely for his own sake. Although he didn’t experience any love himself, he managed to at least make the girls around him laugh. That’s why he had been satisfied.

To think a girl existed that would confess to such a piggy boy like me!

He couldn’t tell Ryouichi about his embarrassing feelings, but that was the reason why Haruto accepted the confession without a second’s doubt. Because she said she actually had feelings for a boy such as him.

That exactly is the reason why he did not want to betray her feelings. Honestly speaking, Haruto had been interested in Asahina Wakaba. But, if one asked about his feelings for Wakaba, he would not be able to find an immediate response. Maybe the girl had seen through Haruto’s impure feelings, and started to feel awkward about it.

I-If so, then I have to pay her back! As long as she’s having fun, I’m more than satisfied!

But, what if he failed. What if Haruto ended up hated by her. Just by imagining this, his chest tightened up.

“Ahh, I wish she’d come soon! But at the same time, I really don’t! I can’t take this! I’m about to go crazy here!” Haruto let out a scream towards the heavens above.

The salarymen around him gave a perplexed reaction, but Haruto did not bother much. The sky was riddled with clouds here and there, as if to reflect Haruto’s inner state.

He took out this smartphone, and confirmed today’s schedule. First on the list would be a movie. Once that’s done, they would discuss their opinions about the movie at a calm location. And, once they get a good conversation goin, they would have lunch. The shopping mall with the cinema also harbors a stylish Italian restaurant, and Haruto had already looked into that. It’s a place where even high school students like Haruto and Wakaba could eat just fine.

Since Wakaba might have another plan or idea, Haruto did not reserve a table yet, but if they make it there quickly enough, they should be fine. All that was left for Haruto was to wait for Wakaba to arrive. Since he knew of her tastes, everything should go fine today.

Listen well, Haruto-san. You should always have a general outline ready for your date, but you shouldn’t plan out everything to the smallest detail. Rather than following a strict plan, you should prioritize the enjoyment of the date. You don’t want to rush the other party, or they are likely to not enjoy it as much.

Yui’s advice played in Haruto’s head. Rather than deciding on specific times to go somewhere for X hours, and then leave at Y, it’s more ad-lib, apparently. Even though he had engraved that into his head, Haruto couldn’t help feeling anxious now that the moment of truth arrived. On top of that, this maid had no experience with love herself, so could she really be trusted? Haruto cursed his dense friend yet again—when the time arrived.

“…Ah!”

Haruto heard a surprised voice, which brought him back to reality. In front of him was a wide open plaza, directly adjoined to the train station. At the entrance of this plaza stood a single girl, Haruto’s girlfriend, Asahina Wakaba.

In a panic, Haruto glanced over at the clock, and time had advanced to the point where fifteen minutes were left until their time to meet up.

“A-Asahina-san! Over here!” Haruto waved his hand like a puppy wagging its tail.

He was flustered, which led his voice to break up a few times.

—Not good, I should have let her know a bit more smarter…! Haruto did regret his decision, but it was already too late. The girl approached him slowly, albeit looking like he was hesitating. A cold shiver ran down Haruto’s back. I have to follow up with something…! But, before he could do anything, the girl showed him a reassuring smile.

“Did I make you wait by chance?”

“O-Of course not! I just came here myself!”

Just when Haruto gave his response, he was forced to swallow his breath. Anxiety, tension, all of that was blown away immediately. And who could blame him, a beauty of unprecedented level stood in front of him.

So…S-So cute…!

She wore a cream-colored blouse, slightly opened around her neck. Below, she wore a long skirt that only barely revealed her feet. The colors of her clothes matched perfectly, as she gave off a trim and proper atmosphere. She had her long hair hanging down from a hair clasp, and the sight of her eyelashes moving as she smiled was…something you could not describe with words. It felt like Haruto’s heart was shot. To him, it felt like she had arrived from a fantasy world.

To keep it short, Wakaba’s clothes were almost too much. Haruto could barely look at her, that’s how dazzling everything seemed. Naturally, Haruto’s heart was beating at an alarming speed.

—Calm down, calm down, me!

He desperately told himself. He didn’t want to look any more lame in front of the girl. When he glanced over at her, she was indeed smiling, but the corners of her mouth looked close to falling down again, making it look like she was lacking some energy. Maybe she’s nervous? Haruto hid his cold sweat, and called out to her.

“Um…W-Well, we still have some time, but why don’t we head there already?”

That’s right, at times like these, the man has to take the lead. I’ll have to make sure that she can enjoy the best possible date ever! The otaku inside of me will be sealed away! With this determination in mind, Haruto started walking ahead.

The lights in the cinema went out, signaling the beginning of the movie. Quite the number of visitors had gathered inside, as you could hear silent murmuring here and there. On top of that, you could hear even the most silent breathing around.

I-I’m sitting next to a girl in the cinema…! Ahh, I’m so glad to be alive…!

Haruto was deeply appreciative of the situation, as advertisements and warnings finished playing, and the movie started. But, the contents of the movie did not stay with Haruto at all. His consciousness wasn’t focussed on the movie in front of him, but rather towards the Wakaba sitting next to him.

She must have enjoyed watching movies, as her gaze was glued on the screen, bewitching Haruto even further. Her profile, illuminated by the faint light inside the cinema, was so beautiful, and cute…

This beauty is my girlfriend? Seriously, I still can’t believe it!

A faint breath leaked from her enchanting, reddish lips. Haruto felt glad that it was this dark inside the cinema. If not for that, he wouldn’t have been able to closely observe her like this without being regarded as someone suspicious. From an outsider’s perspective, it must have looked pretty disgusting.

—Will there ever come the day when I get to kiss these lips?

Thinking that far, a rush of weird feelings assaulted Haruto. That must have been the sadness of a boy with absolutely no experience in love. The closest Haruto ever got to a kiss was inside his various eroge, but he doubted that these games would be a good reference. Reality is always more complicated than a game.

Haruto was thinking that to himself, when the movie reached its climax. Wakaba intensely watched the screen, with her eyes watery, her fingers biting into the armrest. The sight of that was enough to send Haruto’s consciousness flying. Holding hands should be fine, right? The movie was getting excited, and as lovers, there should be nothing weird about it. Right? Right!

I’ll do it…I’ll hold her hand…!

Haruto felt sweat built up in his hand. He hurriedly wiped that away, and reached out his hand towards Wakaba’s. Slowly, oh so slowly, and very carefully—he told himself, as he approached Wakaba’s hand. Just a few more centimeters.

—Squish, Haruto felt a warm and soft sensation of skin hitting his own.

I did it! Ahh, so warm, and soft…! So this is a girl’s—

“Kya!?”

Together with a shriek, Haruto’s hand was brushed away. It was a voice that sounded terrified.

“Eh…?”

He would have never expected such a reaction. In a hurry, he looked over at Wakaba—only to freeze up entirely. Her face, only barely illuminated by the lights inside the cinema, was distorted in panic and despair. It was pale, devoid of any color, and she had her eyes wide open, like she had seen a ghost.

—There, Haruto had realized the fatal mistake he committed.

That wasn’t supposed to happen, that was not the turn of events Haruto had hoped for. They stood at the entrance of the movie theater, with lots of families and couples around them. Everyone was gleefully talking about the movie. Normally, Haruto had planned for this to happen as well. But, the girl next to him was still quivering in fear.

He had wanted for her to fully enjoy this date, and yet this was starting to look like the worst possible date. It worked well mid-way. Haruto had bought the tickets, whereas Wakaba bought the drinks. Haruto even felt glad that she was such a considerate girl, and yet—Haruto had to rush things.

The expression of the girl was still burned in his eyes. Reflected in her pupils was clear fear, and she purposefully distanced herself from him.

Ahh, I’m such a moron! I’m trash! IEven though I wanted her to enjoy the date, I just moved along with my own desires!

A simple apology would not be enough. She always looked oddly pure, so of course she never had any contact with boys before. Haruto knew he had to follow up with something, but remembering the expression of the girl inside the cinema, his tongue wouldn’t move.

At this rate, this precious date, their first date together, would be ruined.

Haruto, are you still depressed about it?

—Ah.

Listen carefully. There are things that won’t work out on the first try. Everyone experiences this. What’s important is what you do after…and think about what you can improve upon. Those who stop acting all together are the ones that are good for nothing.

His father’s words popped up in the back of his head. When Haruto was younger, he failed at everything he tried, and started crying right away. When that happened, the one to calm him down was his father. He would kindly rub his son’s head, and give him supportive words. Whenever Haruto heard his father’s voice, he felt a rush of courage.

…His father isn’t in this world anymore. However, the words and memories that he had given Haruto on the way were engraved in his heart. That’s right, this isn’t the time to be depressed. I have to do something before I have any right to be sad. He had to apologize, and redo everything.

“Asahina-san! I’m very sorry about that just now! Let me apologize again!” Haruto lowered his head.

“Y-You don’t have to apologize like that…”

Haruto knew that the girl was acting considerate, but he couldn’t rely on that.

“If you’re okay with it, won’t you let me make up for it? It’s a bit early to eat lunch, so why don’t we walk around the stores for a while?”

There, Haruto could see Wakaba’s shoulders relax. He wanted to believe that she truly looked relieved.

“Y-Yes, I’m totally fine. If you’d like to do so, Iruma-kun, then we can.”

Alright! Haruto secretly formed a first. This was the most crucial time to recover. This time, he had to make sure that the girl would enjoy herself. Haruto thanked Wakaba for giving him another chance, and observed his surroundings.

Hm? Isn’t that…a game corner?

An idea popped up in Haruto’s head. The girl might dislike noisy places like a game center, but at the same time it could become a new fresh experience for her. It has enough of the genres Haruto is skilled at, so he could show off as well. Unlike before, where these places were crowded with small children and delinquents, now they had made sure that students were the main customer pace. When it came to spending some time in between things, that should be perfect.

“Why don’t we head over to that game corner?” Haruto pointed over at the location in question, and Wakaba nodded.

Her expression made it obvious that she didn’t expect him to choose that place. When Haruto started walking, she slowly followed after. In his eyes, she looked like an adorable little puppy, making Haruto enjoy himself some more. He didn’t know the great details of what to do on a date, but you have to have fun at least. If you don’t enjoy it yourself, the other person won’t either.

—Starting from the results, Haruto’s idea turned into a great success. The game corner he had chosen to make up for his mistake was the greatest possible choice. At first, Wakaba was a bit hesitant, but after her first success at the quiz game, she was all up for basically everything. With her eyes sparkling, she smiled all the time, she commented Wow! Amazing! Cool! at every game they played. Thanks to that, Haruto felt happy as well.

From the day they met, up to this date, it always looked like the girl was holding herself back. She just forced a smile, her face cast down, just listening to what Haruto said. Almost as if she told herself that this was the right choice. To Haruto, it felt like he was watching a past version of himself. Speaking for yourself, playing, and laughing at the end is what’s important.

—There, Haruto realized.

I see, I wanted to see her smile like this.

Wakaba indisputably is a beauty. Her calm and collected personality only added to that, stimulating a male’s heart. However, Haruto had the desire to let out the girl called ‘Asahina Wakaba’, which she had locked away deep inside of her. Just what kind of girl would he encounter then? In order to peel away her mask, this game corner was necessary. It was so simple, yet equally effective. Realizing this, Haruto had decided on what to do.

“This game here is the best! This fishing game’s quality is almost surreal!”

He wanted to see the girl’s smile more and more. He wanted to pull out all sorts of expressions from her. Haruto was surprised at himself, having such a desire for the first time. Even when he had experienced his failed first love, he never felt this eager. And, this first experience didn’t stop at just that.

“…Eh? I-Is this!?”

“Y-Yes. A lunch box.”

Because Haruto enjoyed himself so much, he had lost sight of the time. Since noon came around, Haruto had planned to head over to the delicious Italian restaurant. However, right when he wanted to propose that, the girl took out a rectangular box, wrapped with a cute fabric. Indeed, it was a lunch box. And yes, it was handmade by the girl herself!

It was lunch made just for Haruto. What an enticing phrase that was. For a second, Haruto was unsure if he was dreaming or seeing a hallucination. They sat down at a public space, facing each other, and started eating their lunch. Yet again, eating together with a girl like this was a first for Haruto. On top of that, the taste was almost otherworldly. Haruto felt like he was munching on happiness.

“Still, Asahina-san, your homemade lunch is really delicious!”

“T-Thank you very much.”

His conversation with Wakaba was going along more smoothly as well, allowing for a relaxing time. The game corner must have worked wonders.

“Ah, you have a little sister as well? So you live together as four people?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’re pretty close.”

Finally, the topic moved towards their families. They talked about their parents, little sister, and Wakaba seemed like she was really enjoying herself. Haruto thought that she really must have treasured her family. When she talked about her father, gathering plastic models, she seemed like an entirely different person from her at school.

This might actually be her genuine personality?

Seeing her like this, Haruto found confirmation. He felt genuine kindness from her. This realization led to Haruto growing to like her more and more.

—At first, he had his doubts about the confession, and if that could have possibly been a punishment game. Haruto had experienced this sort of prank enough in his middle school days after all. Deceived by the girl’s kindness and confession, Haruto didn’t even stop at Shun’s words, offering his everything to her, only to be laughed at. On top of that, he would be laughed at in the group chat.

Even now, he had a trauma of that. There was a time when he didn’t come to school for a week.

If Shun and Arimori-san hadn’t forcefully taken me to school, I might have stayed a shut-in even now.

However, this and that are different. Haruto regretted doubting Wakaba. She wasn’t just cute on the outside, she had a beautiful self inside as well. Even though nothing happened, he would always doubt other people’s affection towards him.

Rather than being afraid of being betrayed, you should be more afraid of betraying others.

That’s right, his father always said so. You should always believe in others. Haruto barely knew anything about the girl in front of him. It didn’t have to be right now, but he wanted to understand her more. Because she was the girl who had the courage to confess to the most hated person in school.

“Are you really okay without me seeing you home?”

The sun still stood high, and a lot of people still passed by the front of the train station. Haruto and Wakaba had finished their date a bit earlier than planned, and continued talking next to the ticket gate.

“Y-Yes. I’m feeling better now, so I will take my leave here.”

Even as she said so, Haruto couldn’t help worrying. In his eyes, the girl still looked awfully pale. But, at the same time, he didn’t want to meddle too much. Hence, he was forced to watch her off with complicated feelings. Although he was a bit embarrassed, he continued to wave at the train she sat in, until it drove away.

“Will Asahina-san be okay, I wonder…?”

She might have been tired from all the walking around. With her gone, Haruto reminisced about the day, quickly realizing his flaws across the day. Counting it like during an exam, he’d definitely be failing this. If possible, he wanted to dig a hole and hide in there for the rest of his life. Everything worked out during lunch time. But, it went downhill from there.

I guess asking what she likes about me was too fast…

Thanks to the appearance of a boy called Taichi, the situation improved after Haruto’s misstep. Wakaba even wanted to take a picture with him. But, for some reason, she was oddly adamant on not showing him, which led Haruto to not be able to see it after all that.

That in itself was fine, but it got worse later on. They went to take a break because Wakaba wasn’t feeling well, and yet Haruto indirectly forced her to join him on his plastic model shopping trip at the plastic model shop they took a break at. And, as if that wasn’t enough…

“Giving my girlfriend a plastid model as her first present, how lame can I be…!”

Wakaba seemed like she was acting considerate again, as she showed no complaint towards this. But, that only worsened Haruto’s feelings of guilt.

And yet, she didn’t hate it, but rather bought a model of her own…She really is cute, that Asahina-san.

Haruto remembered her every action. In the beginning, she was a bit nervous, and awkward, but that was cute all the same. On top of that, she prepared her own lunch, so that they didn’t have to worry about expensive lunch.

She’s totally wasted on me, isn’t she.

Yet again, Haruto made up his determination to treasure Wakaba.

“Anyway, I have to make up for today. Shit, to think it would end up exactly as Mifuyu said…”

Haruto remembered the arrogant grin of his little sister, hoping for exactly this to happen. He felt his pride as an older brother being pulled through the dirt.

“I’ll have to talk with Shun and Ryouichi, and come up with ways to improve in the future.”

Just as he announced these words, a train arrived at the platform he stood at. With heavy feet, he entered, and sat down in exhaustion.

I wonder if I can do things better in the future…I have no confidence at all…

Even so, he wanted to respond to the feelings of the girl who said she liked him. And, on top of that—

Ahaha, we did it, we did it!

He remembered the smile of hers at the game corner. He still could not forget that expression she showed when they cleared the quiz game. Will there ever be a day when she will direct that face at Haruto? As the train shook left and right, he just gazed out the window mindlessly, observing the changing scenery outside.

A few days passed. Haruto invited Wakaba to a newly-opened cake shop. It was conveniently close to their usual way home from school, with an affordable price. On top of that, it was highly evaluated.

Today, you got to eat Asahina-san’s lunch box, right? Then, why not invite her out somewhere? It can be a sweets store or anything that’s not too expensive.

After reflecting on the first date, this is the advice Shun gave Haruto. Following that, the maid Yui recommended this cafe. Arriving at the location, they ordered some cake, and immediately realized that this high evaluation wasn’t for nothing. It was really delicious. The goal of today was to pay Wakaba back for the lunch box she had made. And, as a result of that—

“This cake really is delicious.” Wakaba narrowed her eyes, as she stuffed the cake into her mouth.

Apparently, coming here was the correct choice. In the sight of this, Haruto relaxed.

“Right, right! A friend of mine told me about this place!”

“Is…that so. Thank you very much.” She did give her thanks, but her tone didn’t make it sound like she was truly happy.

If anything, she looked bothered by something.

Is she still tired from the previous date? Maybe I was too pushy…

Knowing how kind his girlfriend was, Haruto assumed that she might have accepted his invitation out of courtesy. He probably should have been more wary of her constitution.

“Um…I’m sorry that we had to cancel the previous date mid-way…”

“N-No no no, don’t be! I’m sorry that it had come that far!” Haruto felt like he was the source of the failure. “Everyone can feel a bit under the weather at times! That’s why, you don’t need to apologize!”

“Uhm…Need to apologize, well…”

“Hm?”

“N-No, it’s nothing! Rather than that, um…” Wakaba fumbled over her words. “A-Actually, I was wondering…if you could…um, go on another date with me?”

“Ehhh!? A-Are you sure!? I-I mean, I would be more than happy! But, I don’t want you to force yourself…”

She really was kind, almost too kind for her own good. But, rather than Haruto’s almost non-existent pride, he valued her health more than anything.

“No, I’m fine…so…please…”

Something was off after all. Haruto could only see her forcing herself too much. But, if Wakaba was this adamant on it, then it couldn’t be helped.

Alright, I’ll just use this date to make up for the previous one!

“Understood! Then, let’s have even more fun than before!”

“…Thank you…very much…”

At that time, Haruto had no way of realizing that Wakaba’s face couldn’t have been more pale, her expression overflowing with despair, as his head was full of plans for the next date.

And, the days passed by in a wink. Today, it was time for Haruto’s second date.

“Perfect weather! This one’s a blessing!” Haruto pumped himself up.

He had already figured out a solid plan, so everything should be fine—is what he told himself.

“I won’t fail like next time! I’ll make sure that Asahina-san enjoys herself to the fullest!”

And then, he’ll get to see her smile more and more. Joyfully, happily, next to him, that was his wish. Because he arrived early last time, tension made him act off. That’s why he decided to only arrive one hour earlier. It wasn’t much, but it was honest learning on Haruto’s side.

Yeah, I feel more calm compared to last time. After that first date, I got more relaxed when I talked to Asahina-san as well.

However, letting down his guard could prove fatal. That’s why he had to think of her well-being first and foremost.

“Asahina-san unexpectedly likes games after all. We might visit the theme park today, so I’m sure she’ll have fun—Hm, what?”

There, Haruto’s feet came to a halt. Somewhere, he heard a childish crying voice. Focussing on his ears, he let the voice guide him. Apparently, the voice came from across the street. Subconsciously, Haruto made his way over there. He still had time until Wakaba should arrive, so he might as well check out what’s going on there.

“Ah, found it. Is that child crying? Maybe he’s lost.”

“Daaaad! Where are youuuuu!!”

Haruto remembered the kid. He ran into this boy during the previous date with Wakaba. His name was…

“…Taichi-kun? Why are you crying here?”

“Ah, that pig face is…Haruto-niichan?”

“Yes! Humanity’s greatest loser, the walking tragedy Iruma Haruto has arrived!”

“Nii-chan…Dad…Dad is gone!”

“Now, calm down. Here, a handkerchief. Wipe away that snot.”

Haruto pulled away the sobbing Taichi from his clothes. According to Taichi, he and his father had planned to visit this new theme park around here, and got separated in the process.

“I see, I see, I get it. You must have been scared all alone. It’s fine now, let’s go ask a police officer for help.”

“A police officer?”

“That’s right. He might help us find your Dad.”

“Really!? Then let’s go!” The boy smiled again.

His eyes overflowing with tears were sparkling, as he raised both his hands. He really was an honest child. Seeing the boy like this, Haruto was reminded of the past. He had ended up lost once himself, and worried his father in the process. But, in the end, his father would tightly embrace him, crying in relief. So that the boy would remain calm, Haruto gently rubbed his head—just like his father had done.

“…Really, they’re never there when you need them.”

Currently on patrol, is what the sign on the door said. Haruto knew that it couldn’t be helped, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. Because of a special event at the theme park, a lot of people had gathered in the area. The police officer must be patrolling because of this. That being said, realizing this didn’t help their situation.

“Is the police officer not there?”

“Hm…it seems like it.”

“Then, I can never meet Dad again?”

“Ah, no, of course you can!”

Haruto was lost on what to do. He couldn’t leave this kid alone, but he had to worry about his date with Wakaba as well. He did have some time still, but…

“…Dad…”

Haruto heard a voice, and looked at his side. Taichi glanced up, directly into Haruto’s eyes. He must have realized that Haruto had a complicated expression, because tears build up in his eyes.

“Where…are you…?”

“Ah…”

“Don’t…leave me alone…”

—Haruto felt like a gust of wind grew turbulent inside his chest.

Dad, where are you…Dad!

Calm down, Haruto-kun. Your father is…no more…

No! That’s a lie! Why would you say that! Don’t leave me alone, Dad!

He heard a weeping voice pierce his eardrums. Now, whose voice was it? The sight of a young boy surrounded in darkness, hugging his shoulders as he bawled his eyes out, appeared in the back of Haruto’s head.

—Everybody would be sad when they are separated from their parents. Haruto took a deep breath, and looked at Taichi.

“He won’t leave you alone. I told you, right? Nii-chan is going to help you look for him, so no more crying, okay?”

“Really? You’re going to find Dad?”

“Of course! Just leave it to me!” Haruto tapped himself on the belly, trying to reassure Taichi.

—I still have time until Asahina-san arrives, so I’ll find his Dad right away, and then meet up with her!

“Come on, let’s go. The first one to find your Dad is the winner!”

“…Okay!”

Haruto tried to stay positive, but Taichi’s father was nowhere to be found. They went here, checked there, and repeated their route several times, but no efforts bore fruit. Slowly, Taichi’s feet started to grow heavy as well, showing that he was nearing his limit. If they couldn’t find his father soon, Taichi would only be a burden as well.

“…Hm? Over there, isn’t that…”

“Eh, where!?”

“Look, over there! Across the street! Isn’t that your Dad?”

Haruto spotted a familiar man standing in front of a store. He was frantically looking around, like he was searching for something…or someone.

“You’re right! It’s Dad!”

—Ahh, thank god. We found him…

Met with a wave of relief and exhaustion, Haruto’s legs almost gave out. That was a fatal mistake. He should have known how the boy would react now that he found his father.

“—Ah!?”

“Yay, Dad!”

The boy let go of Haruto’s hand he had held this entire time, and started running. Haruto frantically looked over at the traffic light—and his face grew pale as he saw an alarming red blink up.

“Taichi-kun, wait! The traffic light is still red—”

“Taichi! Wait over there! Don’t move!”

The father himself finally spotted Taichi, and frantically begged him to stop. However, the boy’s feet didn’t listen.

—Haruto heard someone’s scream.

A giant truck honked several times, as he approached the boy at fast speed. Taichi gazed over at the truck in a daze, when his feet slipped because of a water puddle on the ground. He fell over with a loud sound. And then, his entire body entered the shadow of the truck.

Because of the rain, the tires lost course. A truck drove directly towards him, and your father was—

—Haruto’s feet instinctively moved. His body floated through the air, as he stretched out both of his arms. All the fear and sense of danger was blown away from Haruto. Only the desire to save the boy was left in his mind, and his determination to not let him die. Praying that he would make it in time, he—felt something soft in his hands. He immediately buried the boy in his chest, tightly embracing him.

At the same time, he kicked off the ground, and rolled up his body as much as possible. His body crashed into the shoulder of the road, and stopped moving.

“Haa…Huff…Haaahh…!” Panicked breaths leaked out of his mouth.

Haruto ignored all the pain assaulting his body, and pushed up his body.

“Taichi-kun, you okay!? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you!?”

“N-No, I’m fine…”

“Thank god…! You seem to be unhurt…”

Haruto quickly went to check the boy’s body, but he didn’t find anything alarming.

“Taichi!”

“Ah, don’t worry. Taichi-kun seems to be fine.” Haruto handed over the boy to the father who came running. “But, you should probably take him to a hospital just to make sure. He might have hit his head somewhere.”

“But, what about you!? You fell over like crazy there! Did you get hit by the car!?”

“Ah, I’m totally fine. I’m quite sturdy, even if I might not look like it. See, just like…this…?”

Haruto felt the blood drain from his face. Behind Taichi and his father, he saw a giant clock hanging up on a store’s roof. Thanks to Haruto’s eyes, he could perfectly make out the time—and that he was awfully late for the date.

“Ahhhhh! Not good, noot good! I’m late! Asahina-saaaaan!”

He ran, ran, and ran some more.

This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!

Haruto had vastly missed the time he was supposed to meet Wakaba. He blamed himself, cursed himself, but that wouldn’t give him the time back he lost.

Soon, I’ll make it there. I just have to apologize—Ah, over there it is.

Haruto did not receive any contact over LINE, meaning that Wakaba must be furious. And who could blame her. Even a girl as kind as an angel would eventually reach her limit.

—Heh, look at that fatty over there.

—Ugh, he’s so dirty. What is this, some photoshoot?

Haruto heard ridiculing voices from around him. But, he wasn’t bothered by this in the slightest. The first thing he had to do was make a phone call. While running, he took out his smartphone, but it slipped out of his hand. He went to pick it up from the ground, when water started dropping down around it. There, Haruto finally realized how his body was drenched.

“Ah? Eh, why…”

And, that’s not where the irregularity ended. The pants in his sight had holes in them. When he raised his head, he met a car that had recently stopped. In its side mirror, he saw himself. From head to toe, he was drenched in mud and dirty water.

Reality set in, and his current situation. His appearance was something disgusting to look at. He now was forcefully reminded that going on the date with the girl was impossible.

I don’t have the time to buy new clothes nor wash my body. And, doing any of that meant that she would have to wait even longer—

—With quivering fingers, Haruto picked up his smartphone.

I wonder what clothes Asahina-san is wearing today? She must be as beautiful as always. And cute…Ahh, I really am a moron.

As if to shake off his fear and anxiety, Haruto put in the number, and started the call. Not even a second passed, as a panicked voice answered.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m terribly sorry for making you wait like this! Some urgent business came up, so I don’t think I can make it!”

—I’m really, really sorry.

Haruto tried his best to hold back the tears from coming out, and continued to apologize over and over.

—The following morning, the sky was clear blue, not a single cloud in sight…And yet, Haruto’s heart was clouded like a grey sky. His feet felt heavy. He suppressed his desire to return home. The way to school felt like he was walking towards his own execution.

He must have had a horrible face to look at. Even Mifuyu couldn’t bully him this morning, and Shun hadn’t even shown himself yet. His childhood friend of many years must have known that Haruto would rather be alone at times like these.

After all they did for me…Aren’t I too much of a bother as of late? How pathetic…

Worst of all, what should Haruto say when he apologizes to his girlfriend. Rather than making up for the previous date, he didn’t even make it from the starting line. At this rate, Wakaba might really start hating Haruto. Worse, he might never be able to have her cute smile directed at him.

Just by thinking about that, Haruto felt like breaking out in tears. His feet moved even slower, as he dragged them along the ground. When he made it to the school gate, he waited for Wakaba to arrive.

She probably won’t forgive me anymore, but even so…I have to properly apologize again…

Haruto was more old-fashioned than most boys his age. Rather than contacting her via phone or the like, he would rather talk over everything in person. Then there’s also the part where Haruto wouldn’t even know what kind of message to send her.

…Ah, there she is!

Haruto’s heart started beating faster. He spotted Wakaba making his way towards him, as he rubbed his tired eyes.

“A-Asahina-san!”

“Y-Yesh!?” Wakaba jumped up at Haruto’s voice.

Ah, did I scare her!?

Haruto immediately regretted his action.

“A-Ah, Iruma-kun. Good morning…” Her usually snow white cheeks were colored in a strong red.

It almost looked like she was lacking sleep, which probably made her feel embarrassed. Haruto yet again writhed in agony because he troubled her.

“Um, about yesterday…”

Wakaba was about to cut into the subject herself, so Haruto quickly rushed ahead of her.

“A-About that, I wanted to talk with you for a second, Asahina-san!”

W-What if she won’t listen to me?—Haruto thought.

“Yes, of course. What is it?”

E-Eh, she’s willing to hear me out!? A-Alright, I cannot miss out on this chance!

“I-It’s a bit hard to talk about here, so could we move to a different location?”

“…Sure?” Wakaba seemed a bit confused, and followed Haruto to the back of the school building.

As expected, no people were there. Haruto sighed in relief at that. Nobody should come here during this time, so there’s nothing she should feel embarrassed about. Now was his chance to apologize. So, Haruto swallowed his breath.

“A-Asahina-san! I am terribly sorry about yesterday!”

“F-Fueh!?”

Haruto immediately groveled on the ground, apologizing.

“I made you wait out in the cold for more than an hour without contacting you…I have no excuses!”

“N-No, don’t mind it! Raise your head, please!”

Haruto ignored the panicking girl, and continued apologizing. He was ready to be cut off without hesitation.

“Um, about yesterday…Did you really have some urgent business?”

“Eh!? W-Well, that’s…”

As Haruto expected, Wakaba was angry. On top of that, she approached him at an insane speed. Even Haruto was scared of that. He even pondered if he should tell her the truth about what happened with Taichi. But, that wasn’t good enough. Haruto thought that he should not use that as an excuse for being late. Not to mention that he never contacted her to begin with. He had to cancel the date as well.

He didn’t want to use him saving a child as an excuse. That’s why, the choice Haruto took…

“U-Uwaaah! I-I’m sorry, that was actually a lie!”

He tried his best to lie.

“I-I actually overslept! I thought it sounded way too lame, so I lied about it! Even though I was comfortably rolling around in my bed, you were waiting out in the cold…I felt so awful, I just made that up in the heat of the moment…”

Ahh, this is the end. But, maybe this wasn’t so bad. A cute and kind girl like Wakaba should be able to find a better boyfriend. Haruto felt a sharp pain inside his chest, but he swallowed that. Yet, Asahina Wakaba just…

“It’s not because you were feeling unwell, right?”

She spoke with a kind expression for some reason.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you!? If you dare to lie again, I will never forgive you!”

“Yessss! I-I swear to god! I am perfectly healthy!”

“—Then.”

She fully—

“The cake shop you took me to a while back, it was really delicious.”

“—Eh?”

“As a thanks for the first date, you treated me to some cake, right? Let’s go there after school. And then, we’re even.”

—Broke free of anything that Haruto had expected.

“Eh!? You’re fine with just that!?”

No trace of anger remained in her eyes. If anything, those past few exchanges made it seem like it helped improve her mood. Haruto was at a loss. And, as if that wasn’t enough…

“—You’re going to make up for it, right?” She said, and smiled.

“Ah, eh, ah…”

Wakaba smiled. She smiled at Haruto, intentionally. Haruto felt unbearably happy. But, why was it that…

—The heck is this. My face feels hot. My tongue…numb…it’s like I can’t speak, it won’t move…

He had to give a response. He knew that, but his mouth couldn’t form any words. It was like his mouth worked against Haruto. Since he kept quiet for so long, Wakaba seemed confused, tilting her head. That gesture yet again was immeasurably cute.

“Ah…Y-Yes! With pleasure!”

“Fufu…” Wakaba let out a snicker.

This snicker generated a lovable smile like a flower blooming. Haruto couldn’t think about anything. His head ended up blank, and his feet were shaking because he could not muster up any strength. Only his heart was beating at an alarming speed.

“Ah, the chime! Not good, we have to go back, the home room will start! Sorry, Iruma-kun, I’ll contact you later.”

“Ah, y-yeah,”

“Then, see you later after school…! I’m looking forward to the cakes!” With these words, Wakaba turned her back towards Haruto.

As her skirt fluttered left and right, she distanced herself from the place. Haruto remembered the time when they talked about fairies on their first date. They are often used in fairytales, but Haruto believed that they existed in reality. Right now, the girl walking away, with the morning sun at her back, looked like what Haruto imagined a fairy to be.

What…is this feeling…

Around Haruto’s chest, he felt something warm, and his heart raced. This was the first time he felt like this. The smile of the girl was burned into his eyes, and wouldn’t disappear. He felt the urge to make this smile his own, his prized possession. He wanted her to continue smiling forever. He wanted to be with her, more and more.

—Ahh, I see how it is.

Right now, in that instant.

Iruma Haruto had fallen in love with Asahina Wakaba.