A Popular Girl Confessed to Me, the Loner—Thinking It Was a Prank, I Tried to Scare Her Off... But She Was Actually Serious. - Chapter 14: My Heart Won’t Shut Up

At the station roundabout.

I checked the time—five minutes before we were supposed to meet.

I’d arrived, but the nerves wouldn’t go away.

(Did I show up way too early…?)

In reality, I’d been here for nearly twenty minutes already.

…Well, better than being late. That’s what I told myself as I pretended to scroll through my phone.

But really, I was just flipping between the home screen and the lock screen over and over again.

Yeah, I was that nervous.

“Masato-kun!”

I looked up at the bright voice—and there she was.

Hiyori stood in front of me, wearing a light blue dress and a white cardigan.

Her hair was softly curled, with a light touch of natural makeup.

It was a totally different look from her usual school uniform—fresh, casual, and…

(…Wow. She’s insanely cute…)

I was speechless for a moment.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“N-No… I just got here.”

I instantly cringed at myself for using the most cliché lie.

But Hiyori didn’t seem to mind and smiled brightly.

“You look really good today, Masato-kun! Nice choice!”

“…You too.”

And then immediately regretted how lame that sounded.

Still, Hiyori smiled again—so genuinely, like sunshine wrapped in human form.

***

There was a pair of empty seats on the train, just right for two.

We sat down side by side.

But… the distance felt close. Too close.

Hiyori was checking the showtime on her phone, looking completely relaxed.

Meanwhile, I was overthinking elbow angles and leg positioning like a lunatic.

(Our hands are almost touching. What if they do? Do I move mine? Freeze? WHAT DO I DO?)

While I was internally combusting, Hiyori smiled at her phone and said, “Looks like we’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

How was she so calm?

Was this the difference in experience levels?

“Hey, let’s grab drinks before the movie starts. I want a latte~”

“…O-okay.”

Could I even watch a movie like this?

I already felt as exhausted as if I’d sat through the end credits.

***

We reached the theater and picked up our pre-booked tickets at the counter.

Seats for two, right in the center-back area. Probably the best spot in the house.

Hiyori’s profile as she took her ticket looked somehow more mature than usual.

So calm. So confident.

And seeing that side of her made a strange emotion rise in me—something like insecurity.

“Want anything to drink?” she asked as we walked toward the concession stand.

“Uh… I guess iced tea sounds good.”

“Great! Oh, hey—let’s share, since we’re here together!”

“…Huh?”

“Like, you get yours and I’ll get mine, but we put two straws in and share! Cute, right?”

(That’s… way too couple-y. …Wait, aren’t we basically a couple?)

I started to say something but swallowed it.

Because Hiyori said it so naturally.

Not as a joke, not to flirt, not to mess with me—just because she wanted to.

“…S-Sure, let’s do that.”

That was all I could manage.

When I told the staff, “Uh, two straws, please,” I’m pretty sure my voice cracked.

Hiyori took the drink, turned to me with a smile, and said,

“Okay, this is our ‘matching’ item for the day!”

She said it so casually, but it hit like a truck.

(Matching… seriously, come on…)

My face was burning.

I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t hyper-aware of her now.

Meanwhile, Hiyori casually twirled in place, sipping from her cup and checking out the movie posters.

(…She really is something else.)

She’s on a different level—

Not just because she’s cute or popular, but because of how naturally she smiles and cares for others.

Being beside her almost didn’t feel real.

(And yet… she chooses to be next to me.)

Hiyori looked back at me with a big, sunny grin.

“Let’s go—it’s starting!”

“Y-Yeah.”

As we walked into the theater side by side, I realized something.

My heartbeat was loud.

The movie hadn’t even started, but I already felt like I was living in a drama of my own.