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 46: A Warm Light

“I want to take you to one more place—just one more.”

When I said that, Hiyori quickly lifted her head and smiled brightly.

“Yeah, let’s go!”

It was the kind of refreshing smile that cut right through the string of failed plans from earlier.

We headed to a small secondhand bookstore, a little ways from the station.

It had a modest, slightly worn-down storefront, and even the lettering on the sign was faded.

But inside, the air felt strangely peaceful.

Hiyori looked surprised for a moment and softly said, “Oh, this place…”

Then she smiled.

“You come to places like this, Manato-kun?”

“…Yeah, sometimes.”

“That’s unexpected. But it really suits you.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, no! I didn’t mean it in a bad way! It really suits you, okay?”

“You think I look like a used bookstore?”

“You know what I mean! Don’t tease me!”

That kind of lighthearted exchange—it made me happy for some reason.

The scent of old paper. The rough texture of the pages. The spines of books packed tightly on the shelves.

We walked through the store side by side, checking out each section at our own pace.

***

“I loved this one when I was in elementary school,” Hiyori said. “My friends and I used to pass it around.”

“Wow. So you’ve always liked reading?”

“Not exactly… I just liked getting lost in stories. Like escaping into another world and becoming someone else entirely.”

“…I think I get that. Back in middle school, I was obsessed with isekai stories.”

“What? You were? That’s kinda unexpected!”

“No, really. I even came up with this whole thing where my right hand had a hidden power sealed away.”

“Wait, that kind of story!? That’s amazing! I wanna read it!”

“Please don’t… That’s a dark part of my past…”

Our laughter echoed softly between the shelves, blending into the calm atmosphere of the store.

For a moment, I forgot all about the string of failures earlier.

We weren’t doing anything particularly special.

And yet, right now, everything just felt so peaceful.

***

After that, we stopped by a nearby café.

Unlike the crowded places from earlier, this one had plenty of open seats.

We sat across from each other at a small wooden table.

The faint scent of wood lingered in the air, and the soft jazz music in the background was calming.

***

“This place is nice,” Hiyori said.

“First time I’ve been here too, but yeah… I like it.”

“Figures. Places you choose always feel so relaxing, Manato-kun.”

She said that with a smile and picked cocoa from the menu.

I ordered a hot coffee.

When the drinks arrived, Hiyori gently pushed her cup toward the center of the table and said in a quiet voice—

“Here, let’s share.”

She slid the paper cup of cocoa to me, and I hesitantly reached out to take it.

One sip—sweet, warm.

“…It’s really warm.”

“Right?”

Hiyori giggled.

“Cocoa kind of reminds me of you, Manato-kun.”

“Wait, me? Cocoa?”

“Yeah. You look cool on the outside, but you’re warm on the inside.”

“…Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Of course!”
A little embarrassed, I looked away.

But… it made me happy.

Even though today’s date was full of screw-ups, we were smiling now.

And it was at a place I had chosen.

***

“You know,” I said suddenly, “I used to think you were from a completely different world.”

“Huh?”

“You’re always at the center of everything at school. You’ve got so many friends, you’re fast, bright, sparkling…”

“That’s not true, though.”

“But now, sitting here next to you like this feels totally natural… and fun.”

It was something I genuinely felt after spending the day with her.

Even after I messed up, she smiled through it all.

And that made me feel like even the trying part was something worth loving.

***

And then—

***

I realized something.

I wasn’t trying to have fun anymore.

I just… was having fun. Naturally.

***

(Ah… I’m not thinking “I should enjoy this.”

I just honestly feel happy right now.)

That feeling lit a gentle flame inside me.

The bitterness of my coffee and the sweetness of her cocoa blended together—

and warmed my heart.