Chapter 1: Senpai and Me (E-book Expanded Edition)

It was a feeling unlike anything I’d ever known – soft, almost melting, sweet, poignant, and something that warmed me right to my core.

“Fufu… Boy, your face is bright red.”

“Yours is red too, Senpai.”

I retorted, a little frustrated and embarrassed at her amused chuckle.

“Well, I am a maiden, after all. Even for me, a first kiss can bring a blush to the cheeks, you know.”

But even to my comeback, Senpai wore a composed expression. Though her cheeks were faintly flushed, she wore that usual mischievous grin, as if to say, ‘So what?’

That’s just how she always is. Cool, playful, a little childish, and yet composed, and rather teasing…

“So… how was it?”

“How was what… exactly?”

“The kiss, silly. The smooch. The lip-lock. Or as some might say, ‘making out.’ My lips. It’s the first time I’ve ever offered them to anyone, you see… so could you give me your impressions?”

“H-huh!?”

Caught off guard by her directness, I choked up. It felt like a sucker punch from an unexpected direction.

“You’d… ask something like that…?”

Right now, at this moment?

“Yes, because I find it very interesting. I would very much like to hear.”

“Even if you say that…”

My hand instinctively went to my lips. I traced them as if reliving the soft sensation that had just melted me.

As I did, the feeling vividly returned, and I felt my cheeks flush even hotter with embarrassment.

“You’re a really easy read, aren’t you, Boy?”

“Leave me alone. I know that myself, thank you.”

If only I possessed even half a poker face right now.

“Fufu… I’m complimenting you, Boy. It’s one of your virtues. You should be proud of that, go on and boast about it.”

“There’s nothing to boast about…”

Senpai chuckled, somewhere between genuine and playful. Really, she seemed to be having a lot of fun.

“But… well, if you thought it wasn't so bad, then I suppose I'm happy too.”

Then, softening her gaze, she gently twirled a strand of her silky hair around her finger.

“Okay then, let me give you my thoughts. It’s not fair if only I’m asking you for them, right?”

She gazed intently at my face.

“It was a very lovely kiss. Being a maiden myself, I had certain dreams and hopes for my first kiss, but it was even better than I imagined. They say your first kiss tastes like lemon, but that’s wrong. This was… hmm, yes. If I were to put it into words… it was the taste of happiness… maybe?”

“Sen…pai… a… ah…”

And then, Senpai’s lips were approaching again.

“Mmm…”

It was soft as before, almost melting, sweet, poignant, and… and…

“Fufu… a second kiss. I bet any kiss I share with you will always be special.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat, and I frantically rubbed at my eyes.

◇　◇　◇

“Yo, Library Committee member. Could I borrow your services for a sec?”

It was on a certain spring day, a few days after I’d started at this school. I was lost in a book at the library’s checkout counter, basking in the spring sunshine, when I suddenly heard someone call out to me.

“Huh…?”

Startled by the sudden voice, I looked up, and there standing was someone incredibly beautiful – slender and tall, with glossy, flowing semi-long hair just past her shoulders, cool, intelligent-looking eyes, and delicate, small lips that gave off a very collected vibe – probably a Senpai.

“Library… Committee member…? Are you talking to me…?”

“Yep, you. Because right now, it’s just you and me here. Unless you’re just some regular student who’s decided to sit behind the counter without permission, that is.”

“Oh…”

It was then that I finally grasped my situation. Right, I was on library duty, and right now, it was during my shift. The head of the library committee had said, “If you’re not busy, you can read a book,” but this moment was definitely a “you need to work” moment.

“Y-yes! I’m a genuine Library Committee member, really!!”

“Fufu… is that so? Well, that’s a relief.”

Were there even fake library committee members running around? Amused by my flustered state and the slightly absurd things I was saying, Senpai gave a soft chuckle.

“Sorry to interrupt your reading. Should I come back later?”

“N-no, not at all! I’ll do it! Library Committee work!! I’m on duty, after all!”

Her voice had a kind of ticklish quality that resonated in my ears, and along with the embarrassment, I felt a warm, comforting sensation blooming in my chest.

“Hmm, you seem to be a first-year. What made you join the Library Committee?”

Her slightly theatrical way of speaking felt natural, without any forced affectation.

It might sound a bit ‘chuuni’ – like something a pretentious, delusional person would say – but her words sank into my heart without any resistance.

She’s a rather intriguing person…

“Oh, um, because I like books…”

“Fufu, is that so, is that so? You made a good choice. Being on the Library Committee is great, you can read all the books you want, all year round. You can even ask the librarian to order books you like. It’s a bit of an abuse of power, you could say.”

“Are you… on the Library Committee, Senpai?”

“Huh? Me? Nah, I’m just a reading fanatic. If I joined the committee, I’d probably just end up spending all day in the library and skip class. I’m what you might call a ‘bookworm,’ you see. Reading is probably my fourth favorite thing after three square meals a day. But I can’t neglect my studies, so I sadly had to give up on being on the committee. Ah, what a pity, such a shame.”

Her exaggerated expressions and dramatic gestures. I couldn’t tell how much of it was serious and how much was a joke. But at the very least, she didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Ah, right, you wanted to check out a book?”

“Yep, that’s right. I’d like to return this one, and check out this one instead, if you could process that for me?”

“Understood, just a moment…”

I took the two books and the checkout card, lowering my gaze.

Just as I thought, Senpai was a second-year, one year older than me. Her name was… ‘Hamasaki Iroha.’

Hamasaki… Aya… ha…?

“It’s Iroha, you know.”

“Huh?”

“My name. It might be a bit tricky to read.”

“Ah, um, Hamasaki… Iroha-senpai?”

When I tentatively spoke her name, the name she had just taught me, Senpai… Iroha-senpai nodded gently, a soft smile playing on her lips.

“But I quite like it, you know. It’s kind of stylish, isn’t it? My mother apparently gave it to me, and she was quite the literary girl herself, so it makes sense.”

“Y-yes. I think it’s a wonderful name.”

‘Iroha’… I repeated it to myself in my mind. Yes, indeed. A beautiful name, like something straight out of a fairytale.

“Fufu, compliments won’t get you anywhere, you know. Let’s see…”

“Ah, I’m Isawa. Isawa Makoto.”

“I see, Isawa-kun. Makoto is a nice name too. Sounds very sincere, doesn't it?”

My name was pretty plain, a really common name, I thought. But being complimented like this didn’t feel bad at all. I could feel my cheeks relaxing into a slight smile.

“By the way, what book were you reading just now? I’m a little curious.”

“Um, it’s children’s literature, but… it’s called ‘The Tale of the Crimson Academy’…”

“Ah! The ‘Academy Series’! Yes, I like those too. ‘Crimson’ means… was that the third one, maybe?”

“Yes! That’s right, that’s right!”

What’s more, finding out that Senpai also liked a book that I loved made me even happier.

“In that series, I like Kobato the best. I really empathize with her kind and overly earnest personality.”

“I know what you mean. Kobato is kind of clumsy, isn’t she? Her kindness ends up hurting herself.”

“She should just be a little more selfish with her own feelings, but being a ‘good girl’ gets in the way. Just like me, really.”

“…Is that so?”

“Fufu, that’s how it is.”

I gave a hesitant response, finding it hard to take her words completely at face value, and she chuckled again, sounding truly amused.

“Um…”

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t believe you…”

“Well, you shouldn’t trust someone who says things like that about themselves. Fufu.”

She really laughed a lot, didn’t she? But her cool smile was genuinely cheerful, and just watching her made me feel happy too.

“Speaking of novels, have you read the Bookstore Award winner from last year?”

“Ah, yes, I have. ‘Midsummer Constellation,’ right? I was surprised that it turned out to be a mystery disguised as a fantasy.”

“That author’s always been good at tricking readers, you know.”

That day, the library was unusually quiet. That’s why I’d been so engrossed in reading, but without having to worry about bothering anyone, I was able to continue chatting with Iroha-senpai about our favorite books like this.

“That’s right, you should try reading the first one, ‘The Wandering Hound.’ As for the rest of their works, maybe after you’ve enjoyed the first one…?”

“I think we have that one in the library. I’ll definitely give it a read.”

Normally, it was my job to politely say, “Please keep your voices down in the library,” but today, it was me who was taking the lead in our loud conversation.

“Oh, um, sorry. You wanted to return and borrow books, right? Sorry, I got carried away talking.”

“It’s fine, I enjoyed it too. I didn’t realize there was a rookie like you on the Library Committee. You’re a promising new face.”

“What kind of ‘expectations’ are you talking about?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Senpai’s somewhat exaggerated way of speaking. Then, I picked up the checkout cards again and started processing the returned book. Cross-referencing it with the library’s borrowing ledger…

“Eh… you borrowed this just yesterday?”

“Yeah. I was planning to read it slowly, but I just ended up finishing it in one sitting.”

“Finished it in one sitting? But this is a really long novel, isn’t it?”

A classic foreign sci-fi work. A masterpiece, but also known to be difficult and time-consuming to read. I hadn’t read it myself yet, but I’d heard that even for someone who reads a lot, it usually takes two or three days to finish.

“You’re a fast reader, Senpai.”

“I’m a bookworm, you see. You could even say I’m addicted to print. If I don’t have any words in front of me, my chest starts to feel tight… ugh, suffocating… Books… give me books…! …Just kidding.”

She made a dramatic gesture as if clawing at her chest, delivering the theatrical line. Then she glanced at me, a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Did you just make fun of me?”

“N-no, I didn’t.”

“You should say things like that while looking me in the eye.”

“I didn’t… make fun…”

With a slight pout, looking like she was a little put out, Senpai peered intently into my eyes.

Deep… deep black. Black that seemed to pull you in. Wow, her eyelashes are long. Her hair… so beautiful… truly silky smooth… and… there’s a… really nice scent…

“Ah, you looked away. You were making fun of me after all.”

“N-no, I wasn’t!”

It’s just that I didn’t have the nerve to stay composed when someone stared straight into my eyes like that. Especially when it was someone as beautiful as her…

“Fufu, just kidding. Just a joke. Sorry, your reaction was just so cute, I couldn’t resist teasing you.”

At my reaction, Senpai chuckled again, sounding genuinely amused. That slightly nasal laugh of hers tickled my ears in a pleasant way.

“Well, even though I’m a bit of a troublesome Senpai, please continue to bear with me.”

“Ah, yes, of course. It’s my pleasure.”

Exchanging those words, I finished processing the checkout and handed Senpai her book…

“Ah…”

At that moment, of course it wasn’t intentional, but by chance. Purely by chance, my fingertip brushed against Senpai’s fingertip.

In that instant, what I felt was a soft, smooth, and slightly cool sensation.

“Well then, see you later, Library Committee member Isawa-kun.”

I don’t remember much of what happened after that. Unable to focus on the book I had been reading, I just sat there, in a daze. Replaying the sound of Senpai’s laughter in my ears and the faint, pleasant scent that had tickled my nose, over and over again, I opened and closed my book, closed and opened it, and kept thinking about Senpai’s cool fingertip.

That was our first meeting. Senpai and my first real contact. An encounter with the unknown, a fateful rendezvous.

Looking back now, it might have been love at first sight. I was completely and utterly charmed by Senpai’s gentle smile and cool aura, her playful words and that slightly nasal chuckle.

From that day on, I found myself unconsciously following Senpai’s figure with my eyes. And whenever Senpai noticed my gaze, she would nod, give a small smile, or a little wave, responding to my attention in her own way.

“Yo, good morning, Boy.”

“Good morning, Hamasaki-senpai.”

After a few days, Senpai started approaching me herself, greeting me in the mornings as a matter of course.

“You’re looking energetic today too, good, Boy.”

“Ah, yes. Um… by the way…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“That, ‘Boy’ thing you call me…”

“Isawa Boy. Or just Boy for short.”

“Is that… about me?”

“Is there any other ‘boy’ here besides you?”

There were plenty of students around us on their way to class, but I knew she wasn’t referring to the male students who made up roughly half of them. Because Senpai was standing right in front of me, grinning mischievously.

“So, you are Boy, then.”

I don’t know why, but Senpai seemed to have taken quite a liking to that way of addressing me. She called me ‘Boy’ with a cheerful smile, seemingly in high spirits.

“Or do you not like it?”

“It’s not that I dislike it or anything…”

“Then it’s settled, isn’t it? Boy.”

Looking back now, I probably should have spoken up clearly then and there. If I had, maybe Senpai would have considered a different nickname. But at the time, I was just happy that Senpai was even talking to me, so I gave a vague, noncommittal answer.

“Hey, Boy. Changing classrooms?”

“Yes, I have chemistry next.”

That was where I went wrong.

“Boy. You were really cool during PE class just now.”

“Were you watching, Senpai? I’m not good at sports, so it’s embarrassing.”

“No, no, that was quite a sharp shot. Impressive stuff.”

“It just happened to roll to my feet by chance.”

Senpai’s way of addressing me had completely and irreversibly become ‘Boy.’

“Speaking of which, Boy, why did you choose this school?”

“The reason I chose it…? Not that I had any grand reason, but… I heard that the library here is really impressive, and they’re quite proactive in getting new books if you request them.”

“Yeah, for book lovers, this school is definitely like paradise. You can even read during class and not get in too much trouble, you know.”

“No, you’re not supposed to read during class.”

“That’s not necessarily true. At first, teachers would glare at me and ask, ‘What are you reading?’ But when I just started reading aloud from where I was, they stopped saying anything after that, you know?”

“Isn’t that just because they gave up on you…?”

“When I recited from memory the masterpiece ‘Snake and Dream’ by Donroku Oni-sensei, the whole class was moved to murmurs of admiration, you know.”

“Isn’t that an erotic novel?!”

“You know your stuff.”

“Huh!? W-well, Donroku Oni-sensei is famous… after all…”

“Hmph. Is that so.”

“P-please stop making that face!”

“What face?”

“That’s it! That face right there!!”

“Huh? I don’t know, what kind of face are you talking about?”

Senpai would often wear that kind of sly, mischievous smile, so unlike her usual cool and collected demeanor.

“Boy is so mean, calling a pure maiden like me ‘bad-faced’.”

“Pure maidens don’t read erotic novels during class, let alone recite them. Besides, you shouldn’t call yourself that, you know?”

“If I don’t say it myself, no one else will, will they?”

“Isn’t that just proof that Senpai isn’t a ‘pure maiden’?”

“You’ve got quite the sharp tongue on you, don’t you?”

That was the comfortable distance between us, precisely because I was ‘Boy’ to Senpai. The easygoing space of being seen as a junior she felt at ease with.

Before I knew it, even though we had only known each other for about a month, we were talking and laughing together as if we had been friends for ages. Maybe this is what it would be like to have an older sister…

“Well, that’s beside the point… Boy, have you read this book?”

“Ah, a new release. I haven’t read it yet. I heard it won’t be in the library until next month or so.”

“Then, I’ll lend it to you.”

“Eh, really? Is it okay?”

“I’ve already reread it twice. Take your time, read it slowly.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Ah, but I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it, Boy.”

“…I’ll try to read it as quickly as I can.”

“Fufu, well, don’t push yourself too hard. I’d be happy if you just do your best.”

It’s not as if I had no further desires beyond this. Somewhere deep down, I think I did yearn for a relationship with her that was more than just Senpai and Kouhai.

But more than that, I really loved the relaxed, pleasant atmosphere that flowed between us in that moment───

“Fufu, I’m really looking forward to hearing what you think.”

I wished, more than anything, that these days could just go on forever.

◇　◇　◇

Then, one day, something like this happened.

“Hey, Isawa. You’re pretty tight with Hamasaki-senpai, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah, well, I guess so.”

“Are you two going out, or something?”

“Heh…?”

Suddenly hit with such a question by my classmate – Ichinose Satoshi – I couldn’t help but let out a dumb sound.

“Uh, what are you talking about?”

“No, I mean, are you dating her, like, in a romantic relationship?”

“Haaah!? N-n-no way, n-n-no, we’re not going out!!”

“Eh—no way?”

“W-what do you mean, ‘no way’?”

“Because, Isawa, you’re always with Senpai, right? You guys always look like you’re having a really good time talking.”

“N-not ‘always,’ surely? Besides, Senpai and I just have similar tastes in books, that’s all…”

Perhaps it was my reaction that stoked his curiosity, because Ichinose pressed even harder, closing in on me with intensity.

“No way, I think it’s pretty much ‘always,’ you know? Right?”

Then, he turned to the two others nearby – Ninomiya Shinji and Miwa Goro – seeking their agreement, and the three of them chimed in unison, “Yeah,” “That’s right,” “See, even they’re saying it,” closing in on me even further, both physically and metaphorically.

“Actually, it’d be weirder if you weren’t going out, right?”

“Senpai’s a bit quirky, but she’s seriously gorgeous, isn’t she? Lucky you, Isawa.”

“Introduce me to Senpai’s friends, will you? I want an older girlfriend too~.”

“I’d rather have a younger one.”

“Nah—it’s gotta be someone in the same grade, surely.”

It was half genuine curiosity, half playful teasing. Probably, they didn’t mean any harm at all with their lighthearted banter. But for me, the one being targeted, their words were nothing but confusing and unsettling.

“N-no, it’s not like that. Senpai’s just being friendly to me. We’re just friends… just Senpai and Kouhai who happen to like books, that’s all. It’s not like anything more than that. Saying stuff like that is rude and bothersome to Senpai.”

Because I really had only ever talked about books with Senpai.

Being swept away by the bittersweet ending of a school fantasy, marveling at the grand scale of a sci-fi novel, sighing over the intricate tricks of a mystery, laughing about being scared to be alone in my room at night after reading a psycho-horror. And then… and then… nothing else.

“Ah—sorry. Did we tease you too much?”

What kind of face was I making when I was thinking about all that, I wondered?

“It’s just because you’re always so friendly with Senpai, I got a little jealous, you know.”

“Sorry, Isawa.”

The three of them suddenly looked apologetic and offered their apologies.

“No, I’m sorry too. I might have gotten a bit defensive there.”

Being told that, I realized for the first time that I had been getting worked up and defensive without realizing it.

“Well, it’s true that Senpai’s been friendly to me, and if you’re saying we’re close, then I guess we are close…”

But, how should I put it, um, really, Senpai and I, we’re just not like that, you know…?

“But you do like her, right?”

“Of course I like her. But it’s not like dating or anything, it’s more like I respect her as a Senpai, or she’s kind of… hard to pin down and impressive, or… ah, Senpai is quite tall, you know? Taller than me. But Senpai doesn’t make fun of me for that, and even though she calls me Boy and treats me like a kid sometimes, she properly listens to what I have to say, and when I’m giving my book thoughts and my vocabulary is childish, she doesn’t laugh, she just nods, ‘uh-huh, uh-huh,’ looking happy, and her profile is certainly beautiful, but I think anyone standing next to Senpai would think that.”

“Isawa?”

“Right, right! Senpai’s fingers are slender and beautiful too. She has a habit of touching her hair when she’s thinking, and when her slender, beautiful fingers wrap around Senpai’s glossy hair, a soft, pleasant scent wafts out, it makes my heart skip a beat, I wonder if it’s shampoo? Or is it Senpai’s natural scent? I don’t know, but it’s a really nice smell, but if I sniffed it, I’d look like a creep, so I’m holding back, but sometimes I just can’t help myself, and then, and then, and then…”

“W-wait! Wait! Isawa, stop!!”

“Huh…? What?”

“What ‘what?’ Just take a breath, take a breath, man. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Huh…? Really…?”

Now that they mentioned it, I did feel a little breathless…

Thinking about that, I took a deep breath in, and then slowly exhaled. Ah, the air tastes so good.

“We get it, we get it. We understand that you admire Hamasaki-senpai. We really, really do.”

“But, that means…”

“Yeah. Definitely, right…”

“Huh? What?”

They were about to say something, but then the three of them exchanged glances, looking like they were having trouble saying it.

“What is it? Just say what you’re thinking, it’s creeping me out.”

“Well, you might get mad at us, but…”

“That’s totally, completely, head-over-heels in love with Senpai, isn’t it?”

“Heh…?”

For a moment, I honestly didn’t understand what they were saying.

“Um… the thing that’s often in ponds…”

“That’s a carp.”

“The thing that flies in the sky on Children’s Day…”

“That’s also a carp.”

“The thing sumo wrestlers pose with in photos when they win a tournament…”

“That’s a sea bream.”

“Um, um…”

“No, seriously, stop with the fish puns already!”

“Koi… koi… koi… koi…” (Carp… intention… thick… come…)

Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!?

Loveeeeeeeeee!?  Love!?!?!?!?!

“N-no, w-wait, that’s not it!  I mean! I respect Senpai, so… th-that’s… love is… too much to even think about, or… well… um!  I don’t know, but…!  Anyway…!!”

“No, but seriously, listening to you talk, you’ve got the face of a boy in love, Isawa.”

“Yeah, definitely sounded like a boy in love.”

“Yup, the whole vibe was ‘boy in love’.”

“Wh-what kind of face is *that* supposed to be!?”

And what kind of voice and vibe, for that matter?

“Here, like this.”

“Eh…?”

Ninomiya suddenly thrust a hand mirror right in front of my face.

Ninomiya, for all his outward appearances, is actually pretty stylish, always checking his hair in the mirror, a bit of a narcissist, you know… but that’s not really important right now…

“Eh…?”

Reflected in the mirror, my cheeks were—

“Eeeeeh!??”

No, not just my cheeks, my forehead, my ears, my neck, everywhere—

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?!?”

They were bright red, like in a manga.

Why!? Why am I turning so red!?

And my eyes are all watery, like I’m about to cry…  It’s like I’m…

“Hey, you seriously didn’t realize it?”

“I just thought you were being shy and trying to hide it.”

“I thought it was just some kind of humble brag or something.”

“N-n-n-n-no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!”

I shook my head violently from side to side. Kind of like headbanging at a rock concert.

“Whoaaaa, seriously…?”

“And he reads all those books every day…”

“Guess you just can’t see yourself clearly sometimes, huh…”

The three of them stared at me, their gazes a mix of admiration and bewilderment.

Almost simultaneously, they let out deep sighs, and then turned strangely serious looks in my direction.

“Come to think of it, you *are* kind of airheaded sometimes.”

“You didn’t even realize your own feelings, so there’s no way you’re actually going out with Senpai, right?”

“Yeah, well, Senpai probably wouldn’t think of going out with someone this clueless either.”

Their words were surprisingly harsh.  Normally, I’d retort with a complaint or two, but right now, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

“But hey, Isawa. Think about it carefully.”

“Wh-what is it?”

“Senpai is super beautiful, and like you said, an amazing person, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Do you think people around her are just going to leave her alone?”

“Huh…?”

“Even if we leave out the first-years, there are probably tons of second and third-year Senpai who are after her, right?”

“Well…”

I’d never even considered that.

In my conversations with Senpai, there was never any sense of anyone else being involved, so I hadn’t really thought about the existence of rivals at all.

“Well, maybe high schoolers are too young for her, and she’s dating a college student or something.”

Now that they mentioned it, it hit me for the first time.

“Nah, I bet it’s someone even older, like a working adult.”

I started to imagine Senpai, walking and laughing happily with a college student or a working adult, someone much older and taller than me.

“Ah, actually, I think I saw Senpai walking with an older guy the other day. I thought maybe it was her brother or something, but they seemed a bit too far apart in age, he looked like he was in his late thirties…”

“Eh!?  Could it be her dad…?”

“Wait! Wait! Miwa! Ichinose! That’s going too far!”

“Huh…?”

“Whoaaaaaah!!”

Miwa and Ichinose, catching sight of my face, suddenly yelled out in unison as if they’d seen a ghost, and scrambled to put distance between us.

“Wh-what is it?”

“No, ‘what is it’…?”

“You’ve got the face of a demon…”

“Eh…? R-really?”

Ninomiya hesitantly held out the hand mirror to me again. Reflected in it was… a terrible face, one I’d never seen before, a mix of fury, emptiness, and sorrow.

“N-never mind! It might just be our imagination!”

“Yeah, yeah!  Maybe it was just a relative, like an uncle!”

“Y-yeah, that’s definitely it!  Sorry! Really sorry!  We’re really sorry for saying all those unnecessary things!”

It was probably the same for the three of them too. They were flustered, gesturing wildly, desperately trying to backtrack and make up for what they’d said.

“…It’s okay, really.  I don’t mind.”

My voice was terribly hoarse as I said that, and I definitely didn’t sound like I didn’t mind at all.

“Sorry, I have Library Committee duty to get back to…”

I was just too overwhelmed with all these thoughts, and honestly, I was starting to lose track of what was even going on.

Do I… like Senpai…?

Are there a lot of people after Senpai…?

Is Senpai dating a college student, or even a working adult, and walking around looking happy with someone much older than me…?

“H-hey, Isawa, are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine… ow!”

I bumped hard into something.

“Oh, sorry, sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s a pillar!  You don’t need to apologize to a pillar!”

“O-oh, right, good thing…”

“Wall! Wall!  Look ahead!”

Ouch…

My forehead and the bridge of my nose throbbed with pain…

But…

“Hey—are you really okay?”

Such minor aches were nothing compared to the chaos in my heart, I was truly, completely…

Lost and confused.

◇　◇　◇

“Boy, what’s wrong? You seem spaced out.”

During my Library Committee duty, as I was standing blankly at the checkout counter, Senpai suddenly called out to me.

“Ah, S-Senpai…!”

I’d just been thinking about Senpai, so I was startled and flustered by her sudden appearance.

“Ah, um, n-nothing’s wrong.  Nothing at all…”

I tried to brush it off, but I’d forgotten that I was terrible at hiding things in the first place.

“Hmm… for you to be so troubled that you can’t even read, it must be a pretty serious problem.”

“N-no, it’s nothing that big, really…”

“If you’re worried about something, would you like to talk to me about it?”

“I-it’s okay, really… I’m fine.”

I appreciated Senpai’s concern, but there was no way I could confide in the very source of my troubles.

So, I kept my head down so Senpai wouldn’t see my face, and tried to sound as calm as possible as I said that.

—At least, that’s how I thought I sounded.

“Hmm…”

Senpai let out a small sigh at my words.  Glancing up, I saw she had an unusually serious expression.

Senpai is beautiful, after all.  So incredibly… incredibly beautiful and cool.

Realistically, there’s no way someone like me could ever be her boyfriend.  She must be dating someone older and more mature…

“Boy.”

“Eh…? Whoa…!”

As I was lost in thought, Senpai leaned on the counter, stretching her body forward, bringing her face closer to mine.

“Wh-what is it…?”

S-so close. She was so close.

I could feel her breath, the distance was so close I thought she might be able to hear my heart pounding.

Senpai’s long eyelashes, her flawless skin, the subtle, pleasant scent tickling my nose, her glossy hair, all of it, everything was so close, I could reach out and touch it with just a little movement.

“It’s not nice to keep secrets, you know.”

“I-I’m not keeping any secrets, really…”

“Really now?”

“Really, I am…”

Pierced by her slightly sad, yet intensely determined gaze, I couldn’t help but avert my eyes.

“You’re honest, aren’t you?”

She chuckled.

“That’s the kind of thing… fufu. I find endearing about you.”

I still felt like she was treating me like a kid.

“You know, Boy.  I might not be the most reliable person, but even so, I have lived a little longer than you.  I might not be able to solve your problems, but I think I can at least offer some comfort.”

“Senpai…”

But I could tell there was no falsehood in her words. Senpai was worried about me, that much was certain.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

So, I opened my mouth.

“I was talking with my friends…”

“Yes.”

It was scary to actually say it, but I decided to go ahead anyway.

“And they asked me if Senpai and I were going out… saying we were really close, and it would be weirder if we *weren’t* dating…”

“Yes.”

“And when I said that Senpai and I weren’t like that, they said Senpai is beautiful and mature, so she probably wouldn’t be interested in someone younger, and she’s probably dating someone older…”

“I see. Your friends seem to enjoy gossiping.”

At my words, Senpai chuckled lightly.

“But yes, well, everyone’s at that age, aren’t they?  I can understand why they’d be curious about that.”

And then, she nodded as if she understood.

“…Does Senpai think so too?”

“Yes, of course. Me too.”

Senpai didn’t say anything more than that. But even without words, she was definitely asking with her eyes, ‘And what about you?’

“I always thought Senpai was just being friendly to me. We have similar tastes in books, and Senpai is a fun person to talk to, so it’s interesting to talk to you, that’s all I thought.”

Guided by her gaze, I continued to speak.

“Yes.”

“So, I thought being thought of as going out with Senpai would be rude and annoying to you…”

“Yes.”

Gentle eyes. A gaze that seemed to envelop me.

“You’re a serious person, aren’t you?”

Senpai’s lips curved into a slight smile, and she chuckled softly.

“Your relationship with me… it’s certainly a little complicated.  We’re definitely friends. We’re definitely comrades who share the same hobbies. But to others, it looks like it’s more than just that…”

She let out a small sigh.  She closed her eyes, looking thoughtful, and then looked straight into my eyes again.

“Actually, you know, my classmates have been saying similar things to me. ‘Lately, you’ve been getting awfully close with that younger boy,’ they said.”

“Senpai too…?”

“So I confidently nodded, you know? ‘Yes, I’m close with a younger boy.’  ‘Jealous?’”

Saying that, Senpai chuckled again. That slightly nasal laugh of hers, still tickling my ears.

“Then they asked me, ‘What kind of kid is he?’  And I told them. ‘He’s a serious kid who loves reading, and he’s a wonderful person who puts his heart into everything he does. It’s fun to talk to him every day, and just seeing his face makes me happy.’”

I couldn’t avert my eyes anymore.  My cheeks were faintly flushed as I just gazed at Senpai’s eyes, which were smiling at me.

“Fufu… it’s the kind of story girls would love, isn’t it?  Even I think so myself.  Actually, everyone was squealing and carrying on about it.  Even though I didn’t ask, they were all telling me about how they like younger guys, or no, older guys are better, or maybe classmates are the best.”

Saying that, Senpai paused for a moment to breathe.

So… even Senpai and her friends talked about things like this, just like me and my friends.

“But then, when they asked me, ‘Where did you go on your first date?’ I was stumped. Wait a minute, I’m not actually dating Boy, we’re not in a romantic relationship.  He’s just a cute Kouhai. So the only times we see each other, apart from the library, are on the way to and from school, or when we’re at school… and then, do you know what they said?”

“…What did they say?”

“‘You villainess!’ they said.”

“Villainess…?”

Senpai’s friends, just like Senpai herself, seemed to say some pretty unexpected things.

“Listening to the story, that boy is clearly in love with Iroha, no matter how you look at it. And you’re just going to let it end at ‘cute Kouhai’? What kind of twisted mind is that?  Iroha, who’s playing with a young heart, is a villainess, a fiend, a Maleficent!’ …they said.”

“Hah…”

Senpai wore her usual cool smile. But I couldn’t understand the meaning of that smile, and all I could do was feel confused.

“So I thought about it a bit.  I calmly faced myself.”

Senpai’s expression suddenly tightened.  A serious face I’d never seen before, a face that seemed to be trying to tell me something. But even that face was still, so, so very beautiful…

“You know, yes, I, Hamasaki Iroha, am happy that I met you, …Isawa Makoto-boy.  I’d never had anyone to talk about my favorite books with before, so really, I thanked God for meeting you.”

And then, another smile.  A gentle, mature smile that made my heart pound.

“I hadn’t thought about anything beyond that.  I think I thought it wasn’t necessary. Because that kind of relationship is the most comfortable, the most peaceful, and the most risk-free.  I’m sneaky, aren’t I?”

And then, this time, a self-deprecating smile.

“While vaguely realizing your feelings, I was pretending not to notice them, you see.”

“Senpai…”

Senpai really is an adult. She understood something about me that even I hadn’t realized myself, and she’d accepted it. Pretending not to notice wasn’t being sneaky, it was more like kindness, I think.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Of course, anything at all.”

When I opened my mouth, Senpai looked slightly surprised, and then smiled gently. I wondered if it was okay for me to ask something like this, but that gentle smile gave me the courage to go on.

“My friends were saying this, but…”

“Yes.”

“They said they saw Senpai walking with an older person, looking close…”

Actually, this was the thing that had been bothering me the most.  Saying that being thought of as dating Senpai would be annoying to her was just an excuse, I understood that now.

“Ah… so I was seen.  This is a bit awkward…”

My heart skipped a beat. Even as she said that, Senpai had a strangely happy look on her face, and my chest tightened as if it were being squeezed.

“There’s no point in hiding it, I’ll just say it clearly.”

“Yes.”

“That person was…”

Gulp. The sound of me swallowing was so loud. Maybe Senpai could even hear it, but at least she was pretending not to notice.

“My father.”

“Huh…?”

“My real father.  Dad. Father. Papa. Daddy.  What else is there… Father-sama?  Maybe even Oyakata-sama (Lord)?”

“Ah, at my house we say ‘Father’ and ‘Mother.’  Mom wants me to call her ‘Mama’ though…”

“I see, you have a lovely mother.”

“Ah, yes, no, ah, that’s not really relevant to me, is it.  Haha…”

No, Senpai wasn’t asking about me at all.  But the fact that she nodded along anyway, I think, was just Senpai being kind.

“Just between you and me…”

But seeing Senpai’s expression as she said that, lowering her voice as if it were a secret, I got to see yet another side of Senpai.

“Embarrassingly enough, I have a bit of a father complex, you see… I don’t say it anywhere else, but at home, well… I call him… Papa… fufu…”

Cute.  Incredibly cute.

Looking slightly away, as if embarrassed, but the word “Papa” itself was so gentle, and I could feel Senpai’s affection for her father…

“Is the misunderstanding cleared up now?”

And then, even while looking a little embarrassed, Senpai looked straight at me again.

“Y-yes.”

“Is that so? Well, that’s good.  It was worth revealing such an embarrassing secret then.”

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“Fufu, was it really something to thank me for?”

Senpai had trusted me.  And because she trusted me, she even told me a secret to dispel my pointless suspicions.

Ah, I really do like this person…

“Now then, to get back to the point… Boy. You have feelings for me, don’t you?  It’s not just wishful thinking on my part, it’s safe to say that’s the truth, right?”

“Y-yes. That’s the truth… But…”

You know?”

“But…?”

“But I still don’t really understand what kind of ‘like’ this ‘like’ is…”

I do like Senpai. I like her a lot. But I still don’t really understand what “like” is. Liking someone as a friend, loving someone romantically. And then there’s affection, friendship, respect, passion, charity, benevolence, love, and so on…

“You’re a sincere person, aren’t you?”

Senpai said to me, not with a laugh, but gently.

“To change the subject a little, in ancient Greece, for example, there were apparently four words to express love. Eros, for sexual love. Philia, for brotherly love. Agape, for unconditional love. Storge, for familial love. Now, how would we classify the ‘love’ or ‘romance’ we often talk about? Since we’re at that age, would it be Eros, I wonder?”

What should I have answered at that moment? What kind of answer was Senpai hoping to hear?

But I, well, I could only answer what I honestly thought…

“I don’t know. It’s too difficult for me.”

“Mm-hm.”

Senpai just responded with a smile.

“I think that’s fine.”

It was a smile that was gentle, beautiful, and very warm… a smile that seemed to envelop my entire being.

“You don’t have to think about it so hard. These things are best done just by following your heart’s dictates.”

“Following my… heart’s dictates…”

“And so, I have a proposal for you…”

And then Senpai leaned in closer again, even closer than before, bringing her face right up to mine…

“How about we try going out?”

She whispered softly, then grinned mischievously.

“Well, it’s like a trial period, you know? Like those late-night infomercials always say? ‘Free returns within thirty days.’”

“Ah, eh, um…”

Is it really okay to talk about it so casually? Isn’t love and romance supposed to be something you think about more seriously?

“Didn’t I tell you? You should just act on what your heart dictates,” Senpai murmured again, even more gently than before, as if reading my thoughts.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken about your character, it should probably be okay. You don’t seem like the type to get drunk and go on a rampage at night, either.”

“I’ve never even had alcohol before.”

“Oh? That might be dangerous in the opposite way, haha.”

What about me, though?

I’m sure I’ll be fine too.

Senpai is mysterious and elusive, and I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand her… but at least I’ll never be disillusioned with her.

“Senpai…”

And so, I opened my mouth…

“…Hm?”

“…If it’s okay with you, then…”

“You’re the one I want, Boy.”

Senpai smiled brightly. I tried to smile back, but I wasn’t sure if I managed a proper smile.

And just like that, I…

Senpai and I became what you’d call ‘boyfriend and girlfriend.’

◇　◇　◇

So, that’s how we started ‘dating,’ but if you asked me if anything had changed in particular, the answer would be that nothing really had.

Several days had passed since then, and the relationship between Senpai and me was pretty much business as usual. We talked about interesting books, shared our thoughts, and, well, we started eating lunch together and walking home together, but…

“No, it’s totally, ridiculously different, though.”

When I told Ichinose about it, he immediately shot back with a sharp retort.

“You’re the only one who thinks that.”

“To be blunt, everyone in class has noticed, you know, that you got a girlfriend.”

“Eh!? N-no way, really?”

Ninomiya and Miwa echoed his words, and I couldn’t help but raise my voice in surprise.

“No way nothing, you’re not even trying to hide it, are you?”

“You’re looking so blissfully happy, it’s obvious.”

“Yeah, it’s getting a little creepy how fidgety you are, to be honest.”

“Creepy… is that really necessary?”

Well, yeah, if people asked me about it, I happily told them, and I might have absentmindedly grinned to myself in class when I thought about Senpai, but still…

“So, what is it today? What were you daydreaming about?”

“You had the happiest look on your face, you know.”

“Did you finally get a kiss or something?”

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-kiss!? K-k-k-k-kiss!? N-n-no way, no way, no way, no way!”

How presumptuous! Me, kissing Senpai!?

Of course, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t interested…

Or rather, what about Senpai…? Is she interested, I wonder…?

‘Boy, I have a strong interest in this thing called kissing, you see. How about it? Would you like to take a step up the ladder of adulthood with me here?’

Ah, no, Senpai! If we did something like that here, people would see us!

‘Hmm, that’s a strange thing to say. Other people’s gazes are irrelevant. I just do what I want to do. If they want to watch, we can just let them watch to their heart’s content, can’t we? Or does Boy not want to kiss me?’

Huh? No, it’s not that I don’t want to… or rather, I do want to… but… wait! Ah! No, that’s…! No, it’s not that it’s wrong! But still, um, I…

“Hey—earth to Isawa.”

“Ouch!”

I was lightly flicked on the forehead, and I snapped back to reality with a start.

“Man, your imagination is really something, huh. As expected of a bookworm.”

“Does that even make sense?”

“So? What kind of妄想, daydream, were you lost in this time?”

“Eh…? Ah, no, it’s just…”

Daydream… or rather, it was more like a waking dream, but sadly, my imagination, lacking in experience as it was, wasn’t up to much, and towards the end, it was mostly shrouded in a hazy mist.

“Well, at least we know you haven’t kissed yet.”

“But then why were you grinning like that?”

“Did you get some racy selfies or something?”

“N-no way! I didn’t get anything like that! I don’t even know her Connect ID…”

“Heeeeh!? You still haven’t asked for it!?”

“What are you doing, man!”

“It’s already been a week since you started dating, you know!?”

“Well, even if you say that… isn’t it weird that I haven’t asked for it yet, I wonder?”

But when they put it like that, it did start to feel a bit strange. Or rather, maybe Senpai doesn’t actually like me that much…?

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s weird, exactly, but…”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t get all down on yourself, don’t get down!”

“P-probably it’s just that! Senpai’s not really the type to use her phone much!”

“Yeah, that’s it, definitely!”

“Besides, these things are like, you know? You gotta be proactive as the guy, right? Even if she’s older, you gotta take the lead, man.”

I see…

“O-okay. Thanks. I’ll try to do that.”

I don’t know how I’m going to bring it up, but I’ll try my best anyway.

“His mood swings are way too intense…”

“Well, he’s always been the type to get fixated on things.”

“He’s a pure literary boy, let’s cut him some slack.”

But seriously, my friends are so kind and helpful…

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“No, no, didn’t say a thing, nope?”

“More importantly, let’s have a strategy meeting, a strategy meeting!”

“You haven’t gone on a date yet, right?”

“Ah, no, but we were talking about going somewhere this Sunday…”

“Yes!”

“Way to go, Isawa!”

“So, where are you going?”

“Well… that’s the thing…”

I’d been thinking of various ideas, but I just couldn’t seem to narrow it down on my own. I even got scolded by the teacher for spacing out in class…

Thinking about that, I pulled out a ‘Town Outing Guide’ magazine from my bag.

“Whoa, look at all those sticky notes!”

“Are you planning to go to all of these places?”

“No way, that’s impossible, so I’m trying to narrow it down, but…”

It’s proving to be quite difficult, to say the least…

“Lemme see that.”

Suddenly, Ninomiya snatched the magazine and started flipping through the pages I’d marked with sticky notes.

“I see… movies, concerts, amusement parks, aquariums, zoos… not bad choices for a beginner. But you should probably skip the movie. You don’t really know Senpai’s tastes yet, do you?”

“Ah, yeah, you’re right, I see…”

Come to think of it, I know her taste in books pretty well, but movies are a different story. Now that he mentioned it, it made sense, but I probably wouldn’t have come to that conclusion on my own.

“Concerts are out for the same reason, for now.”

“Then maybe an amusement park… or something?”

“Yeah, an amusement park isn’t bad.”

“Hold on, hold on, I think the weather forecast said it’s gonna be bad this weekend, right?”

Then, Miwa chimed in, adding his ideas and information, and everyone put their heads together to brainstorm.

Friends really are a blessing…

“Then how about an aquarium?

“Girls like whale sharks, right?”

“My sister says she loses track of time watching jellyfish.”

Ah, I know what she means about losing track of time watching jellyfish. They’re kind of mesmerizing, jellyfish.

I hope Senpai feels the same way…

“Alright, now that we’ve decided on a destination, let’s work out the detailed strategy.”

“O-okay. Thanks.”

Ninomiya was getting a little too hyped up, which was a bit overwhelming, but…

“Hey, why is Ninomiya so knowledgeable about this stuff?”

“Well, you know, he had a girlfriend until recently…”

I decided to pretend not to hear Ichinose and Miwa’s hushed conversation. Yeah.

Anyway, with that, my first date production, courtesy of my friends, was proceeding steadily, albeit with occasional detours.

◇　◇　◇

Still, though…

“What am I supposed to do, as a beginner…”

The strategy my best friends presented to me was so complicated, it was practically an impossible mission.

“So, this whale shark tank is the ultimate heart-thumping spot, see? That’s where you… seal the deal.”

“Eh? What do you mean, ‘seal the deal’?”

“Ugh, you idiot, it’s obvious, isn’t it, uh… that thing, you know.”

“That thing…?”

“Ugh! Seriously! You’re so clueless! A kiss, you moron, a kiss!! If you’re a man, you gotta go for it, smack-smack!”

“N-no way, I can’t do that! A kiss on the first date is way too soon!”

“Too soon my butt! Girls actually like it when guys are a little pushy! According to surveys, 60% of girls say they’d be happy!”

“And what about the other 40%…?”

“W-well, that’s just… margin of error, you know.”

“That’s a pretty big ‘margin of error’…”

Besides, who even conducted this survey anyway?

“Ninomiya, isn’t that why you broke up with your last girlfriend?”

“See, told you it’s a bad idea.”

It really is a bad idea.

Still, though, Ninomiya and the other two were definitely worried about me, and trying to help, right…?

…Right? They’re not just messing with me, are they?

“Fufu, Boy’s expressions are so amusingly varied.”

“Whoa! Senpai!?”

As I was thinking about that, Senpai suddenly appeared right in front of me, and I couldn’t help but yelp in surprise.

“Boy… really, ‘whoa’ is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“S-sorry, it’s just, Senpai suddenly appeared out of nowhere…”

“Fufufu, it’s alright. I feel good that you were surprised.”

If I keep getting surprised like this, my heart might just stop beating one of these days.

“When I came into the library, I saw you at the counter, so I came up to you like this, sneaking up while hiding myself.”

Looking pleased with herself, Senpai crouched down and reenacted her ninja-like approach with gestures and movements.

Hmm, cute. I think it’s really cute how Senpai’s whole body gets involved when she’s explaining something.

“Hah, cute…”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, no, nothing! It’s nothing at all!!”

I reflexively blurted out my inner thoughts, and then hastily tried to cover it up.

“You really are an interesting kid, aren’t you?”

Well, yeah, tell me something I don’t know.

“Anyway, putting that aside… hey, Boy. Long time no see.”

“Long time no see? We met at the school gate this morning, you know.”

“That was five hours ago already. I’ve been missing you terribly, but I guess Boy hasn’t been missing me that much?”

When she looked up at me with slightly sad eyes like that, I felt that familiar sensation of my heart being squeezed again.

“N-no, that’s, um… I’ve been missing you too… but…”

“Fufu, is that so, is that so? I’m so happy to hear that.”

I’m definitely being manipulated here, but simple-minded me is just following Senpai’s lead.

“I was actually planning to invite you to have lunch together, but my classmates caught me during break time.”

“Your classmates, the friends you mentioned yesterday…?”

“Ah, yes, Yotsuya-kun and Gotou-kun. They’re my great seniors in the art of maidenly love. What they say is often too advanced, and there are many things that a beginner like me can’t imitate, though.”

As she told me yesterday, she apparently has two close friends in her class. They’re probably like Ichinose and the others are to me, I guess.

“They told me, ‘What are you doing, Iroha, when it’s already been a week since you started dating?’”

“My classmates said something similar to me too.”

“From their point of view, our laid-back relationship is apparently frustratingly slow.”

Honestly, everyone has their own pace, you know.

Or something like that, I muttered to myself, but Senpai didn’t seem to mind at all.

“But well, they did give me some advice that might be helpful.”

“Ah, um, about that…”

“Yes?”

“Could we exchange Connect IDs, please?”

“Fufu… I see…”

When I tentatively asked Senpai that, for some reason, she chuckled, sounding amused.

“Eh? Ah? Why… why are you laughing?”

“No, it’s just, I figured Boy would have been told something similar to me.”

“Eh… so, Senpai too?”

“Yes, they said exchanging Connect IDs is something even acquaintances would do, let alone people dating.”

And with that, she took out her smartphone from her bag.

Attached to the strap was a cute, girly mascot…

No, scratch that. Not cute at all.

Or rather, what is this…?

“Hmm? Ah, this? This is, well, it’s not very well-known, but it’s a mascot from a kids’ show, called ‘The Mysterious Gonzaburo-san.’ Cute, isn’t it?”

Noticing my gaze, she smiled very happily, and brought the mascot closer to me so I could get a better look.

Hmm, but…

“C-cu…?”

A listless, round face, a listless torso, and somehow listless, strangely long arms and legs. The floppy ears attached to its head also looked kind of listless, and its eyes, wide and staring, were looking in slightly different directions, and the corners of its mouth, raised in what was supposed to be a smile, looked a little sinister…

Huh? Mysterious… what? It’s calling itself mysterious?

And, cute? Is this… cute? What even is ‘cute’ anymore…? Creepy-cute…? No, it’s just plain not cute, or rather…

Questions kept popping into my head, one after another, too many to even keep track of.

“I’ve loved Mysterious Gonzaburo-san since I was little, you know, I couldn’t sleep without hugging it.”

“R-really?”

“Oh, and I don’t mean this mascot, you know? I have a much bigger plushie in my room. They just released a life-size plushie recently, and I kind of want it, but I’m a little hesitant because it’d probably take up too much space, you know?”

“Ah, hah…”

They just… released it recently. So it’s actually popular? Eh? Ehhh? C-cuCute, huh…?”

“Y-yes, cute… isn’t it?”

My head was spinning with questions, mysteries, and doubts.

Even so, I somehow managed to squeeze out a few polite words, and Senpai gave me a smile that was truly from the bottom of her heart, the biggest smile I’d seen from her yet.

“Anyway, about exchanging IDs. Let’s see, I think I just need to display the barcode… yes, here, you should be able to scan this with your phone.”

“Ah, yes. Excuse me…”

Okay, let’s forget about Gonzaburo-san. Forget it all. More importantly, let’s be happy that I got Senpai’s Connect ID.

“Ah, got it, got it. Well then, as a greeting…”

Just as I was thinking that, the first message I received from Senpai was a ‘Mysterious Gonzaburo-san’ sticker. Complete with animation and sound effects, no less…

Wait… seriously? Is it actually super popular in the world…?

“Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“N-no, it’s nothing… Well then, let me reply…”

“Fufu, what’s with ‘Nice to meet you’? You sound like a company salesman.”

“S-sorry. I didn’t know what to write…”

“You don’t have to apologize. Apologizing right away is a bad habit, you know?”

“Ah, yes. S-sor… ah…”

“Fufu… well, we’ll work on that bit by bit. More importantly, this is the first Connect message you’ve ever sent me. I’m going to treasure it.”

“It’s not that big of a deal…”

“No, it is a big deal. Each and every one of these little things will surely become our future treasures.”

I tried to laugh it off to hide my embarrassment, but I couldn’t. Faced with Senpai’s incredibly gentle and happy smile, I could only hold my breath.

Ah, Senpai… she really is so beautiful…

To think that someone this wonderful is my girlfriend, it feels like a dream.

“Hmm? Is something the matter?”

“N-no, nothing…”

“Were you thinking something like, ‘I’m so happy to be dating someone this wonderful, it feels like a dream’?”

“Ugh… please stop hitting the nail on the head.”

“Fufufu, is that so, is that so? That’s an honor to hear.”

I tried to look away, feeling embarrassed, but Senpai’s face followed mine.

“Why are you looking away?”

“Because it’s embarrassing…”

“But I’m happy, you know. To be able to see all your different expressions.”

“Please, give me a break…”

Being told that just made me even more embarrassed, but there was nowhere to escape, and I didn’t know what to do.

“Boy. Actually, you know, Yotsuya-kun and Gotou-kun gave me one more piece of advice.”

“Eh…?”

“It was about ‘dating etiquette’ or something… they said, ‘If you go out on a date with Boy, make sure you get a kiss from him before you come home.’”

“…!”

Being told that point-blank made my face flush even hotter. Ichinose and the others had also told me to ‘seal the deal with a kiss!’, but being told by Senpai first just made me even more confused about what I should do.

“They’re being unreasonable, aren’t they? Telling a dating beginner to suddenly do something so high-level is just asking for trouble. Don’t you think so too?”

“Y-yes. I think so too. Um, we have our own pace, you know…”

“Yes, exactly. You agree with me.”

Is it just me, or are people around those in love prone to making unreasonable demands like this? Of course, I don’t think my friends or Senpai’s friends are just doing it for their own amusement, but…

“And so, I thought about it.”

“Eh…?”

She thought about it…? Thought about what…?

“We have our own pace. And while I don’t think they’re just trying to make fun of us, I don’t really like being swayed by other people’s opinions either. So…”

Senpai leaned in closer to me, who was sitting behind the counter, lowering her posture slightly.

“Let’s just do it now.”

“Huh…?”

“Kissing is supposed to be a truly wonderful experience, isn’t it? If that’s the case… then wouldn’t you want to experience it sooner rather than later?”

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wha—!?”

I reflexively scooted back in my chair. I almost fell off the chair in my haste, but I somehow managed to avoid it.

“Or… is it no good? Does Boy… does Isawa-kun not want to kiss me?”

“Th-that’s…”

That’s unfair. Senpai’s being unfair.

She always calls me ‘Boy’, but only at times like this does she call me by my name.

“……”

Looking closely, Senpai’s eyes were a little moist. She had her usual cool expression, but still, it was slightly different. I couldn’t quite explain it, but it was a gaze that felt warm, somehow.

And then, Senpai gently closed her eyes.

“They say you’re not supposed to keep a lady waiting at times like these, you know?”

“Ah… um… well… um…”

What should I do? What should I do? I don’t know… I don’t know, but…

Hot. My face is hot. Burning hot, like it’s about to burst into flames.

But. But Senpai’s face, with her eyes gently closed, was so beautiful, so incredibly cute…

Slowly, I stood up from my seat.

I placed my hands on the counter.

Even though there’s a ten-centimeter height difference between Senpai and me, Senpai subtly bent her waist, adjusting to just the right height for me.

And so… and so, I…

“Sen…pai.”

My throat was hoarse, and it barely came out as words.

“I-it’s not that I don’t want to… it’s just that, I want to kiss… Senpai.”

But, I made sure to put my feelings into words, clearly and firmly…

It was a feeling unlike anything I’d ever known – soft, almost melting, sweet, poignant, and something that warmed me right to my core…

Yes, it was something like that.