A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 1.11

Friday, February 25

Wakamatsu agreed to Mizuhara’s request: “I want to go to the beach after school and just chat.”

They came to a beach within their school district. There were no families around, but the beach was lively. Sports clubs were practicing, small student groups were gathered, and couples were spending time together.

Would a place like this, full of voices and activity, be uncomfortable for someone like Mizuhara, who had stopped going to school?

Wakamatsu glanced at her. As always, Mizuhara wasn’t looking at her. She was just staring out at the sea.

“Hahh, it’s so freaking cold.”

A winter beach was way too cold for someone in a school uniform. No matter how much she layered up or wore thick tights, the freezing air slipping under her skirt stole her body heat.

Mizuhara, bundled up and warm, seemed fine, but even with Wakamatsu’s scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, half her face buried in it, she still felt cold.

“Can I go buy something warm?”

“Go ahead.”

“Stay right here, okay?”

There was a convenience store nearby.

Wakamatsu ran inside, letting the warmth soak into her. She grabbed a hot drink to use as a hand warmer and lined up at the register. She also picked up two meat buns and a small plastic bag to use for trash before heading back to her classmate, who was waiting.

“You must be freezing.”

Mizuhara was still standing there, looking the same as before.

“Well, yeah, it’s cold.”

“Perfect, then.”

Wakamatsu handed her one of the meat buns.

“Eh?” Mizuhara let out a small sound of surprise. This was the first time Wakamatsu had seen her express positive emotion so openly.

“Let’s eat. I got one for you too.”

“Oh, uh… money—”

“Don’t worry about it. I just got my paycheck.”

Mizuhara quietly accepted the meat bun and said, “Thanks.”

The wind rustled the wrapper. If they stayed here, the meat bun would go cold in no time.

Wakamatsu suggested moving to another spot, and though Mizuhara had been stubbornly standing in place, she agreed right away.

They sat together on the steps leading down to the beach.

The meat bun wasn’t piping hot anymore, but it was still warm. They ate while watching the waves. Wakamatsu took a sip of the hot café au lait she had bought, letting the warmth spread through her body.

“Want some? It’s still warm.”

“You’re really kind, Wakamatsu.”

“Eh, you just noticed? I’ve always been nice!”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Mizuhara took the café au lait and sipped it.

“It’s sweet and delicious.”

She held onto the bottle, looking back at the ocean.

The air between them felt heavy. It was the kind of silence Wakamatsu didn’t know how to handle, so she spoke up.

“Mizuhara, why did you stop coming to school?”

Maybe that question was too direct.

Wakamatsu regretted it for a second, but there was no taking it back.

If Mizuhara didn’t want to answer, she wouldn’t.

All Wakamatsu could do was wait.

“There was this moment when everything just felt… meaningless,” Mizuhara said.

The sound of waves and distant voices from runners filled the air.

Wakamatsu listened.

The words were vague. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she kept quiet, waiting for Mizuhara to continue.

She had a feeling this was something important.

“Something happened. Something that turned my normal life upside down.”

“My family was lost, completely overwhelmed… but the rest of the world just kept going, unchanged.”

“I wanted to fight against that. I tried giving up on a lot of things… but reality doesn’t change, no matter what you do.”

“And then, I realized… what’s done is done. There’s no going back.”

Mizuhara sighed, her breath white in the cold air.

It was swallowed up by the wind, as if the ocean had absorbed her words.

Wakamatsu felt glad they had come to the beach.

Maybe Mizuhara was able to say all this because they were by the sea.

Actually, now that she thought about it, it was Mizuhara who had suggested coming here.

“The sea is nice.”

“The waves take all your worries away.”

—Who had told her that before?

Oh, right.

It was the older girl from her neighborhood.

The one who had comforted a young Wakamatsu when she was crying at this very beach.

“This place is bright.”

Lost in thought, Wakamatsu had been staring at the sea.

Mizuhara stood up, shielding her eyes from the setting sun.

She climbed up onto the seawall and started walking along it.

Wakamatsu followed, keeping a small distance between them.

“Thanks for today. The meat bun and the café au lait were really good.”

Mizuhara had never thanked her like this before.

Wakamatsu felt a little embarrassed.

“Wakamatsu, you’re a good person.”

Mizuhara walked skillfully along the seawall.

The wind blew her hair around wildly, but it still looked beautiful.

“You take care of me, even though it’s just a hassle for you.”

“Hassle?”

“Being assigned to look after a dropout. A teacher probably asked you to, right?”

Mizuhara stopped, looking out at the horizon.

The sunset blended with the sea, making it look like an endless lake of orange.

Wakamatsu found herself drawn to Mizuhara’s profile, illuminated by the fading light.

She looked beautiful.

More beautiful than anyone Wakamatsu had ever met.

“I never thought of it as a hassle, though.”

Wakamatsu spoke a little louder than usual and turned away from Mizuhara’s face.

Mizuhara glanced at her, then smiled.

The sunlight made her look even more radiant.

If someone saw them standing here—on the seawall, bathed in the evening glow—what would they think?

“If you keep saying things like that, people will take advantage of you.”

“Like who?”

“Me.”

Mizuhara took a step closer.

They were standing so close, their shoes almost touched.
Facing each other directly, Wakamatsu could see their height difference clearly.

Mizuhara was taller. Her arms and legs were long.

With her back straight like this, even just a few centimeters of difference felt bigger.

“By you? I wouldn’t mind, though.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I lie? I mean it.”

Mizuhara’s eyes wavered.

She looked like she was trying to say something.

Wakamatsu didn’t understand what.

She didn’t understand Mizuhara’s feelings.

She didn’t know what had happened to her.

They had only spent a few hours together, once a week, for the past couple of months.

Still, Wakamatsu’s chest felt tight.

She didn’t know why, but breathing suddenly felt difficult.

“Then…”

The orange light bathed Mizuhara’s face.

The red tint on her cheeks—was it from the setting sun?

Wakamatsu felt herself being drawn in.

She held herself back.

Mizuhara was looking directly into her eyes, something she rarely did.

And then, she spoke.

“Go out with me.”