A small private room, not exactly spacious, with warmth seeping in from the person beside me.
In this all-too-comfortable space, I let out a single yawn.
Sitting next to me is Himura-kun.
His slightly damp bangs frame his eyes, which reflect the monitor playing a romance movie.
He’s gazing at it with a somewhat dazed expression.
And I, unconsciously, find myself staring at his profile.
If someone called him plain, I suppose he could be seen that way; if they said he’s handsome, that’d fit too.
But his translucent, porcelain skin, so delicate it feels like it might melt away at a touch, strikes me as strangely ephemeral and beautiful.
That’s been my impression of him since the first time I saw him. Surely, others who look at him must think he seems fragile too.
I like him. The reasons are endless.
Like how his rare smiles are hopelessly adorable, or how he doesn’t try to act tough and lets himself be vulnerable around me.
Above all, I can’t shake the feeling that I need to be by his side, supporting him.
If someone asked me when or why, I might not have a clear answer.
After all, I’ve had a good impression of him from the very start.
Looking back, he used to be a lot more talkative and playful when we first met, and I think that’s probably his true self.
He once said he had more emotional leeway back in our first year, but this year, he seems mentally exhausted most days.
When the monitor screen darkens, our faces—mine and Himura-kun’s—briefly reflect on it.
“…Watch the movie, not me.”
When our eyes meet as he says this, I can’t help but feel a rush of joy, and the corners of my mouth turn up.
But then he quickly looks away again.
That gesture is, as expected, utterly endearing, and I can’t hold back. I lean in and plant a small kiss on his pale cheek with a soft chuu.
“Wha—!? W-What are you doing…!?”
“Did you not like it?”
“It’s not about liking it or not…!”
His face flushes red with embarrassment, yet there’s a hint of exasperation as his eyes dart around.
The moment his gaze returns to me, he lets out a sigh.
Seeing him like this makes me so happy I can’t help but smile.
I’d never been in love before, but being with Himura-kun has taught me exactly what it feels like.
That said, I’m starting to think it might’ve been a bad idea to come into this private room, just the two of us.
Given the setting, I don’t exactly want to do anything too risqué—I’m not that interested in that—but I definitely want to be way more affectionate with Himura-kun than he’d probably think is reasonable.
Well, I guess I’ve already done that, haven’t I…?
On the monitor beside us, a kiss scene is playing, which only makes those feelings swell even more.
I rest my legs on his knees as he sits, pressing my body close to his.
No longer watching the monitor, I gaze directly at Himura-kun.
I reach out and gently brush his bangs away from his eyes.
…He really does have a beautiful face.
And there’s something I can’t stop thinking about. Since the first day we met at school, I’ve had this feeling.
A strange premonition, a quickening in my chest, that we’ve met somewhere before.
“…Hey, don’t you think we’ve met somewhere before, Himura-kun?”
“Huh? No, I told you, I don’t know…”
“Really?”
“I don’t know, but maybe you just saw me somewhere and I didn’t notice?”
I don’t say it out loud, but while I’m used to being looked at by others, I don’t think I’m the type to stare at someone so intently.
Where could I have seen him? As I gaze at him absentmindedly, his face suddenly draws closer.
“N—!?”
A soft sensation brushes against my lips, catching me off guard.
For a moment, I don’t understand what just happened…
It only clicks when I see the small, triumphant smirk on Himura-kun’s face, as if he’s saying, Got you.
“S-Sorry…! I just—”
I can’t say anything more. I bolt out of the room in a panic.
Covering my burning face with both hands, I rush into a bathroom stall.
“Tch… this is that, right? I can take it as that, can’t I?”
I don’t even know who I’m asking.
Trying desperately to calm my racing thoughts, I take a slow, deep breath.
In that moment, I touch my lips with my fingers.
The soft sensation and warmth still linger faintly.
Realizing this, my face heats up again. But…
“Oh… my gosh… I’m so happy…”
That aside, it took me over thirty minutes to compose myself enough to sit next to him again.
☆Afterword──────────────────
I was originally going to write this from Aoi-kun’s perspective as usual.
At this point, it feels like he was just getting even with me.
