Chapter 14: Do You Like Rom-coms?　４

“Sousuke-kun, aren’t we going home together today?”

“Sousuke, you’re not coming?”

“We’re going home together, Sousuke!”

Inside the school, Arai, Takanashi, and Hachiya were waiting for Sakurai.

“Sorry, everyone. I’ve got something to do at school today, so I can’t go home yet.”

“Eeeeh~ I don’t like this at all! I can’t go home with my Sousuke~”

“What are you even saying, Arai-san? Sousuke-kun is my husband.”

“Hey hey, you two, stop saying stupid stuff!”

As usual, Arai and Takanashi started arguing while Sakurai tried to calm them down.

“Well, it can’t be helped then… Takanashi-san, Arai-san, want to go home together?”

Understanding that Sakurai had things to do, Hachiya invited the other two.

“Sorry, Hachiya-san… I actually have somewhere to stop by today.”

“Sorryyy, Kyoko-cchi. I’ve got something I need to do too.”

“I see…… Well, it can’t be helped then!”

Just moments earlier they had been insisting on going home with Sakurai, but now both Takanashi and Arai suddenly claimed to have plans. Hachiya accepted it without suspicion. She never even imagined they were making up excuses because they didn’t want to go home with her.

“Well then, I’m heading home!”

“Bye-bye, Kyoko-cchi~”

“Goodbye.”

“See ya, Kyoko~”

As soon as Hachiya left, Arai and Takanashi also went their separate ways, leaving Sakurai alone.

“Now then…………”

Muttering to himself, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the library.

Sakurai entered the library and spotted Mizushiro, who had called him over.

“Mi… Mizushiro, I’m here.”

“Ah! Sakurai-kun, over here, over here!”

Hearing his voice, Mizushiro immediately stood up and ran over. Her approach made Sakurai feel embarrassed, and his face turned red.

He felt shy about being alone with Mizushiro, the girl he had feelings for.

“This way, this way.”

“O… Okay.”

Sakurai was pulled along by the hand deeper into the library.

The high school library was usually sparsely populated. Even after school, only a few scattered students were present.

“Thank you for today, Sakurai-kun!”

“Wha!”

Mizushiro thanked him and squeezed his hand tightly. Sakurai let out a loud surprised voice.

Although there weren’t many people in the library, one of the rules was “no loud voices.” The remaining students glared at them with half-lidded eyes.

“S… Sorry~”

Sakurai scratched his head and apologized lightly.

“What are you doing, Mizushiro! You surprised me!”

“Sorry… I didn’t think you’d be that surprised…”

Reflecting on his loud outburst, Sakurai and Mizushiro continued their conversation in hushed voices. Since most people in the library were alone and not talking, even their whispers echoed clearly through the quiet space.

Amid the sound of mechanical pencils scratching on paper, their quiet voices blended in. A few students who had been there gave the pair awkward looks and left the library.

“So… what part don’t you understand, Mizushiro?”

“Ah…… Yeah, um, this part right here.”

Since she had called him under the pretense of needing help with studies, Mizushiro had Sakurai tutor her. In reality, she didn’t have any particular questions — it was just an excuse to call him out.

“Ah, this part is tricky. It took me a while to get it too. You just have to group it like this and this.”

Seeing how kindly he was helping her, Mizushiro blushed and looked up at him.

Noticing Mizushiro staring at him with upturned eyes, Sakurai stopped talking.

“Wh… What’s wrong, Mizushiro?”

“Eh…… N-Nothing! It’s nothing! I’m fine, I’m fine! I was just… thinking about something!”

“What kind of ‘something’!?”

Both of them blushed as Sakurai awkwardly resumed his explanation.

He continued helping her with her studies for several hours.

“This part…… Yeah, exactly. You can use this theorem here.”

“Sakurai-kun, you’re really good at teaching.”

Mizushiro stared intently into his eyes and spoke with a passionate tone.

“O… Oh, th-thanks, Mizushiro!”

Sakurai’s face also grew hot as he replied, slightly flustered. His gaze was drawn to Mizushiro’s lips.

Her plump, healthy-looking lips had a faint peach color. Because of the warmth between them, Sakurai found himself staring even more. He then shifted his gaze to her deep, captivating eyes that seemed to pull him in.

Her skin had a healthy glow, with a faint blush on her cheeks that made its whiteness stand out even more as it reflected the light. Her soft, smooth skin looked like it would be impossible to let go of once touched. Her beautiful, fine skin, her deep eyes, her full lips — because they were sitting so close, everything about her stood out vividly.

Suddenly, that plump skin looked adorable to him.

He wanted to touch it.

Without realizing it, Sakurai’s hand reached out and touched Mizushiro’s skin.

“Eh…… Kyaa!”

Mizushiro let out a sharp scream. The few remaining students in the library glared at the pair.

The other students were utterly fed up with Sakurai and Mizushiro, who had been talking loudly and acting out their little romance without any regard for others. Everyone present felt that these two lovers who didn’t care about anyone else were being a huge nuisance.

“S… Sorry.”

Mizushiro apologized and looked down.

“Sa… Sakurai-kun, wh… what…?”

“Ah…… Um…”

Sakurai was in a daze, realizing he had unconsciously touched her skin.

“N-No! There was some dust on you so I brushed it off! You had dust on your skin!”

“R… Right! You wouldn’t touch me for no reason!”

Because they were so flustered, their voices grew loud again. The few remaining students slammed their books shut with a loud bang and left.

However, Sakurai and Mizushiro were so deeply shaken and embarrassed that they didn’t even register the sound. Their own little world had completely taken over.

“…………”

“…………”

Silence dominated the space. The already quiet library grew even quieter, and an awkward silence fell between the two.

Mizushiro was already far beyond rational thought. Being taught by Sakurai up close and having her bare skin touched had short-circuited her brain.

“U-Um… Sakurai-kun?”

“Wh… What is it?”

Before she knew it, the words had already left her mouth.

“Sa… Sakurai-kun, I like you! Please go out with me!”

“Eh…………………………?”

Ding-dong-ding-dong.

The cheerful school bell rang at the exact moment Mizushiro confessed.

“Alright, time to close the library. It’s past closing time, so everyone out, out.”

The librarian urged Sakurai and Mizushiro to leave. Mizushiro, still standing there with her mouth wide open, obediently exited.

She wondered whether he had properly heard her confession, her mind swirling with anxiety as she couldn’t close her mouth.

Sakurai and Mizushiro left the library and walked home together at a slow pace.

“Um… Mizushiro, I feel like you said something earlier… What was it?”

“Eh…… N-Nothing! Don’t worry about it! I didn’t say anything! Yeah! Really, it was nothing! It was really nothing at all! It was so unimportant! Ah, ahaha, really! It was as unimportant as what I had for breakfast this morning! So don’t worry about it! Yeah, I’m fine!”

“I… I see. Well, if it’s nothing, then okay.”

Having calmed down after some time, Mizushiro was deeply embarrassed by what she had done. She waved her hands rapidly while frantically insisting it was nothing.

“I… I was so surprised…… I thought you were confessing or something.”

“Ah…… Ahaha……”

Mizushiro broke out in a cold sweat and brushed off his words. Because he had guessed correctly, her tension reached its peak. Sweat poured down her body, and strands of hair stuck to the back of her neck.

Sakurai walked her home while occasionally glancing at the hair clinging to her nape and skin.

After that, the previous atmosphere never returned. Mizushiro and Sakurai simply went home.

“Sigh…… I tried so hard today…………”

Back at home, Mizushiro stared at a photo of Sakurai and muttered to herself. Feeling disappointed that her confession had failed again, she gazed at his photo so intensely it seemed like she might burn a hole through it.

Chapter 14_ Do You Like Rom-coms