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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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*bzzz*
Miyuki stared at the star stickers on the ceiling with blurry eyes. The buzzing of a mosquito near her ear brought her back to reality, and she slowly sat up.
She felt her senses slowly coming back to her as she slumped her head forward like a zombie.
“…”
Matsuda… wasn’t there.
Did he go downstairs?
Come to think of it, he did say something as he flicked her forehead lightly while she was lying down…
As Miyuki touched the center of her forehead, she suddenly brought her hand to her lips.
“Ah…!”
The kiss with Matsuda flashed vividly in her mind.
*thump! thump!*
Her heart, which felt like it had stopped, suddenly began to race, and her face flushed.
A faint scent of mint lingered in her mouth.
Mouthwash… right, this was the taste of mouthwash.
She remembered smelling the unique scent of mouthwash from him when they were talking and when their lips met.
And then Matsuda’s tongue came in and…
“Waah…”
The soft, moist feeling of it gently licking her teeth.
As the memories rushed through her mind, Miyuki buried her face in the pillow, not knowing what to do with her embarrassment.
Anyway, it seemed like the aftertaste of the mouthwash Matsuda used remained in her mouth.
But mouthwash…
Could it be that he had gone to the bathroom before coming into the room specifically to do this?
Had he asked to see her room with the intention of kissing her in the first place?
‘No…’
Matsuda was pretty good about brushing his teeth.
He always did it after lunch at school, unless he was pressed for time…
She had also seen him brush his teeth after talking with her father in the living room.
Brushing after meals was something most people who cared about hygiene did anyway.
So, she shouldn’t jump to conclusions like this.
And she had also sensed that something unusual would happen today.
It wasn’t right to blame Matsuda.
Actually, there was nothing to blame him for.
Why? Because she didn’t refuse when there were plenty of opportunities to do so.
Of course, she was scared.
She was scared because she had never kissed anyone before, and seeing Matsuda’s being so serious about it had only intensified that feeling.
That’s why she had planned to tell him to stop if he came any closer.
But as soon as Matsuda sincerely apologized, she felt more relaxed, and her heart started to pound with anticipation rather than fear.
[I’m sorry, Miyuki.]
Replaying Matsuda’s apology in her head, Miyuki pulled the pillow over her face, almost suffocating herself.
His already deep voice was even lower, making it incredibly nice to listen to and her emotionally stable.
It was a strange thing.
How his voice alone was able to change her emotions like that.
But suddenly, she became curious.
What did Matsuda feel when he kissed her?
Surely, he didn’t find the taste of the food she ate for lunch unpleasant, did he?
“Aaaagh…!”
Miyuki let out a muffled scream into the pillow and kicked the bed sheets with her legs crossed.
The thought of Matsuda feeling genuinely disgusted was not leaving her mind.
Even though she had brushed her teeth… it hadn’t been that long, so wouldn’t the aftertaste of food still be in her mouth?
No, wait.
She couldn’t taste anything but mouthwash from Matsuda.
Then, he must have only tasted toothpaste from her.
This seemed to calm Miyuki down, but then she remembered that she had eaten melon right before the kiss.
‘Ah, right…! Melon…!’
Miyuki’s expression crumpled as she pulled her face away from the pillow.
If she ate melon right after brushing her teeth, the taste of melon mixed with the remaining toothpaste could have created a strange flavor.
And that would’ve been a complete disaster.
‘This is driving me crazy…’
She felt pathetic for having such negative thoughts.
Frustrated, Miyuki unconsciously licked her lips with her tongue. She was startled when she tasted the mint flavor once again.
“Ah, seriously…!”
She blurted out her frustration and sat cross-legged on the bed, closing her eyes tightly.
Think positive.
Yes, think about how it felt to have her first kiss.
“…”
Miyuki’s mind raced.
Her cheeks flushed, and her body temperature shot up.
The corners of her lips curled up naturally, and she couldn’t stay still because she felt restless.
Sweet.
Her pulse, which was currently racing in a good way, confirmed this feeling.
But it felt like it wasn’t a proper kiss.
Maybe it was because they were both so flustered when it happened.
She felt like she needed to do it one more time with a clear head to know for sure…?
As Miyuki was lost in various imaginations with a flushed face, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
“What exactly is our relationship…?”
Thinking back on her time with Matsuda, it was clear that theirs wasn’t a typical relationship.
Considering they even kissed, he seemed to have feelings for her…
However, it didn’t feel like they were officially dating either.
That made sense, because Matsuda had never once said he liked her.
Usually, couples start dating after one person confesses their feelings.
Of course, there were cases where people naturally became a couple without any words, but those were extremely rare, and confessions were essential in most cases.
Matsuda, who was never afraid to speak his mind, couldn’t possibly be afraid to confess his feelings…
Was he perhaps confused about how she felt?
She hadn’t told Matsuda that she liked him either…
The problem didn’t seem to end there.
The first problem that came to mind was how they addressed each other.
She called Tetsuya by his first name, but Matsuda by his last name.
Seeing that, Matsuda might have judged that they weren’t close enough yet.
“Or is he just playing with me…?”
Matsuda was tall and handsome, so he must have been popular with many girls.
Even though he had gotten a lot better now, there was a chance that he, who had lived a rather irresponsible life, might see her as nothing but a temporary amusement.
“…”
The fact that it was a plausible scenario made her feel miserable.
But she also knew that she shouldn’t overthink things.
Just like how a fish wouldn’t bite without a clear bait, the problem seemed to be her own ambiguous attitude.
Anyway, she was supposed to go out with Matsuda today, so she decided to observe his reactions while spending time with him.
And if his reactions were good…
If they were good, then…
“I don’t know…! Let’s just go…!”
*click*
As Miyuki shook her head clear of her confused thoughts and was about to get off the bed, she heard the sound of the door hinges creaking open. She was so startled that she screamed.
“Eeeek!!”
Kana, who had been trying to sneak in like a thief, nearly jumped off her own skin.
“Aaagh!! What the!? What was that!?”
Miyuki, confirming that the person in front of her was her older sister, yelled angrily.
“Aaah, Sis! Why are you coming in without knocking!!”
“Well… I thought you were asleep…”
“Asleep…? At this hour…?”
“Yeah. That’s what Matsuda-kun said? That you looked tired, so he came down alone?”
“Ah…”
He must have gone downstairs because she was staring blankly at the ceiling after the kiss.
That’s why he flicked her forehead. Because she wasn’t responding even when he spoke.
Miyuki, having calmed her surprised heart, asked.
“Where’s Matsuda-kun? Is he talking to Dad?”
“No, he left.”
“What…? Why…?”
Miyuki was dumbfounded.
Looking at her as if she was strange, Kana replied.
“Why else? He was here for another hour after coming down, it’s only natural he’d go home.”
An hour…?
Had that much time already passed?
Had she been so out of it that she didn’t even know how much time had passed, that she didn’t even hear his car starting?
This was crazy.
‘How can he just leave like that…!’
They were supposed to go out…! Wasn’t this too much?
Of course, he must have checked on her and left, but… she had to confront him.
She wasn’t sure if she could, but still.
Miyuki, letting out a deep sigh, asked.
“Why are you here anyway, Sis…?”
“To borrow a book. You know that novel I was reading last time?”
“Yeah, it’s on the left corner of the bookshelf.”
“Can I take it?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll let Matsuda-kun know that you’re awake. He was worried.”
“Okay…”
Miyuki, replying weakly, was about to lie back down on the bed when a thought flashed through her mind, making her lift her head abruptly.
“What do you mean by letting him know…? How are you going to contact Matsuda-kun?”
“Well~ …I got his number.”
Kana waved her phone in her hand as if boasting.
Miyuki’s facial muscles contorted awkwardly.
“Why would you want to have Matsuda-kun’s number?”
She had absolutely no idea what was going on.
Seeing Miyuki’s eyes widen twice their size, Kana said.
“Well, he was pretty cool at the beach. He’s proactive, and polite… so I figured I’d get his number so we could get in touch, you know?”
Did she find him interesting?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Miyuki, who had her mouth agape, suddenly came to her senses.
“W-what, B-but you hate guys like Matsuda-kun, don’t you, Sis…? Rude… selfish…”
“He seemed pretty polite though? He listens well… Didn’t you see how he acted in front of Mom and Dad today?”
“That’s… that’s because he was in front of adults…! When he’s with me, he’s just… rude… always teasing me…”
Why were these criticisms of Matsuda coming out of her mouth?
Why was she trying to paint a negative image of Matsuda to her sister?
What was she so afraid of?
This made her look petty and jealous.
She was so pathetic it was killing her.
“He’s just joking, you know? Well, you’re always so serious, you might have taken it all too literally.”
Even though she was filled with guilt, her words didn’t seem to have any effect.
This was pointless… and she felt sorry for Matsuda.
Her heart felt heavy.
She felt hurt and angry at the same time.
‘Why did he agree to give her his number…?’
“Anyway, thanks for the book. I’ll make sure to enjoy it.”
Miyuki, muttering inwardly at Matsuda, heard Kana’s words and quickly reached out her hand.
“…Come to think of it, I was going to read that. Give it back.”
Unable to contain her frustration made her assume a bitter behavior.
Kana’s expression turned into one of disbelief.
“What…? You can’t give something and then take it back.”
“I didn’t give it to you yet? I was going to lend it to you.”
“Why are you being so childish…? Are you a kid?”
“Just give it.”
“You’re not going to read it now.”
“I am going to read it right now. I’m bored.”
Kana, letting out a forced laugh that hinted at her frustration with the matter, tossed the book in front of Miyuki.
“Happy?”
Miyuki, taking the book and flipping to the first page, replied without looking at Kana.
“Yeah. Now get out. I need to focus.”
“Honestly… What the hell is wrong with you today…?”
As Kana grumbled and left the room, Miyuki tossed the book next to her pillow and plopped down on the bed.
She was furious.
He went ahead and set the mood for a kiss…
And the next moment he just happily gives Kana his number?
Was he just happy with any girl?
You stupid Matsuda!
From Matsuda’s point of view, was kissing such a light act that he could do it with anyone?
Was he incapable of changing his ways after all?
Was he really just playing with her?
She was fuming inside.
To be honest, the only reason Kana showed interest in Matsuda was because of his behavior.
If Matsuda was still his old, reckless self, Kana wouldn’t have asked for his number.
No, he wouldn’t have even met her family in the first place.
And he didn’t even realize whose nagging made him change so much in the first place…!
“This is so frustrating…!”
Her head was telling her to listen to his side of the story first,
But her heart was telling her not to forgive Matsuda.
And right now, Miyuki was siding with her heart.
Miyuki, frowning deeply, immediately grabbed her phone.
As she was about to storm out of the house, she stopped at the sight of the book lying next to her pillow.
“…”
She felt bad about throwing a tantrum at her about a book she wasn’t even going to read.
She ended up placing the book in front of Kana’s room, knocking twice before leaving the house.
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