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 36: Seeing Love, Learning Love

The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the path that ran beside the school’s track field, leading toward the front gate.

As usual, Hiyori and I walked side by side.

I had waited until her track club practice ended so we could head home together.

She carried her sports bag over one shoulder, her ponytail swaying with each step. A light sheen of sweat still clung to her skin, and her cheeks were faintly tinged by the evening sun. Somehow, she looked… stunning.

…It surprised me that I was even thinking things like that.

—I’ve changed a lot, haven’t I?

The thought came naturally.

The old me never would have fixated on a girl like this—never would’ve let myself watch someone so closely, so attentively.

“…You’ve been quiet for a while, Manato-kun.”

Hiyori tilted her head, peeking up at my face curiously.

“Ah, no… It’s nothing.”

“Fufu, there it is again—‘It’s nothing.’”

Her smile was dazzling.

I looked away slightly, then murmured:

“…Souma’s been giving it his all, hasn’t he?”

“…Yeah.”

She softened at once, instantly understanding what I meant.

“He’s really serious about it. It’s amazing, isn’t it? To keep holding on to your feelings like that and not give up.”

“Watching him… it’s honestly impressive. Even when he’s crashing and burning, he just keeps going.”
Hiyori giggled.

“You were like that too, remember?”

“…Huh?”

“At first, you thought my confession was some punishment game, right? You kept pushing me away, pulling all those weird loner moves, and running around like a scared cat.”

“…That’s one way to put it.”

So she had noticed all that, huh?

But even then, she didn’t give up on me. She kept watching, kept trying. I really owe her everything.

“…But even back then, I could still see the real you,” she said.

“The real me?”

Her words pierced through me in a strange, gentle way.

“I’ll be honest—I was kind of scared of you at first. But I could tell you were really looking at me. And that’s why I didn’t run away.”

“…So that’s how you saw it back then.”

“Mm-hmm.”

So that’s what she felt. Thinking back on it now… it wasn’t such a bad idea, asking each other how we felt in those moments.

Silence settled between us.

…But it wasn’t uncomfortable.

The air around us felt warm, like it was gently holding us together.

“…You know, Yohito’s doing everything he can. He doesn’t know if it’ll work out, but he’s still going for it. And that kind of courage… it’s a little dazzling. A little… enviable, even.”

Hiyori’s voice was soft.

“Huh? But you’re dating me, right? Why would you feel envious?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Her puffed cheeks were so cute I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I just meant… that kind of straightforwardness, it shines sometimes.”

“…Yeah, I get that. I used to always think ‘someone like me doesn’t stand a chance’ and freeze up.”

“But now… you’re walking forward.”

“…Yeah.”

Without realizing it, our steps had fallen perfectly in sync.

And for some reason, that made me really happy.

“Hey, Manato-kun…”

Hiyori spoke quietly.

“…What do you think ‘love’ is?”

“Wow, that’s deep. Going philosophical on me now?”

“Hehe. You can give a serious answer if you want.”

“Hmm… I’m not really sure, but… maybe it was when I realized I was seriously thinking about someone else. That might’ve been the moment I fell in love.”

“…Yeah. I think I get that.”

She nodded.

“I’ll admit… I was probably just curious about you at first. But over time, little by little, I wanted to know more. And that feeling didn’t stop. That’s how we got here.”

“…Don’t just drop something serious like that. You’re gonna make me blush.”

“Ehehe, sorry, sorry. But I wanted to say it properly.”

Even more than her words, it was the space between us—the closeness, the mood—that said it all.

“…You know,” I began, pausing in my steps and gazing up at the sky painted in sunset hues, “I honestly believed a loner like me had no business falling in love. But… there’s one thing I can say for sure.”

“What is it?”

I glanced sideways.

And there she was, smiling softly beside me.

“…I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

At that, Hiyori’s smile deepened, and she replied in a quiet but firm voice:

“…Me too.”

Her voice rang gently through the dusk, settling warmly in my chest.

We began walking again.

Some things had changed. Others hadn’t.

And now, I could finally treasure both.