A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 1.8

Friday, January 14

The school only had morning classes because of the preparations for the university entrance exams the next day.

I had planned to visit Mizuhara today, but Mr. Yamabe told me, “It’s fine for today.” Without the excuse of delivering handouts, I had no reason to go to Mizuhara’s house. That thought made me feel strangely lonely.

As I ate a hamburger at the McDonald’s near the station, I found myself thinking about Mizuhara Shizuku.

Friday, January 28

“Hey, Wakamatsu.”

“Mizuhara! It’s been three weeks!”

“It’s cold outside. Wait in the lobby.”

Finally, the door separating the entrance from the lobby opened. As I stepped inside, I felt a wave of warmth completely different from the cold air outside. I sat down on a sleek black sofa I had been eyeing. It was so comfortable that if this weren’t a public lobby, I might have fallen asleep.

“Ahh…”

Letting out a deep sigh, I took out the handouts from my backpack like always. Mizuhara wasn’t back yet, so I flipped through the papers and found several assignments included for different classes. Even if she wasn’t attending school, assignments still piled up.

I remembered how much work I had to catch up on after being out with the flu.

Maybe I should finish my assignments once I get home. As I thought about that, I closed my eyes. I really needed to start wearing long-sleeve thermal shirts next week. It was too cold for short sleeves.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I felt a light tap on my head and heard her voice.

It had been three weeks since I last saw Mizuhara Shizuku. Today, she had her hair down and was wearing a cream-colored knit sweater over a white shirt.

The light colors suited her pale skin, making her look like a snow fairy. She was simply adorable. Seeing her again after so long gave me a strange feeling.

She was holding a bottle of hot lemon tea.

“Mizuhara! It’s been a while.”

“…Maybe we should go up to my room after all.”

Even when I told her I was fine now, Mizuhara took my hand and pulled me along. I hesitated at first, but I might never get another chance like this.

So, I obediently followed her to the elevator.

“I have the heater on in my room.”

Passing through the living room, she led me to a corner room and opened the door.

Her room was neatly arranged in shades of white and pink, with a desk, bookshelf, bed, and wardrobe. She had everything she needed. She had probably been studying here before I rang the doorbell. On her desk, I saw a blue math textbook and a timer.

Following her lead, I set my backpack in the corner of the room and sat against the bed. Mizuhara grabbed a thick jacket from the wall and a lap blanket from her chair, then draped them over me.

“Wait here. I’ll make some tea.”

“You’re being really nice today, Mizuhara.”

“I’m always nice, aren’t I? I’ll be back soon.”

After placing a small foldable table in front of me, she left the room.

So, handing me the printouts and sending me off quickly was her way of being kind?

As I sat there, lost in thought, Mizuhara returned with two cups of warm green tea. The heat from the tea relaxed me, warming me from the inside out.

“Thanks for everything, Mizuhara.”

“Hey… are you really okay?”

Sitting across from me, Mizuhara looked troubled, deep in thought. Even though we were sitting so close, even though there was only a small table between us, our eyes never met.

“Sorry I couldn’t come last week. I was stuck in bed with the flu.”

“…Why are you apologizing?”

“I thought maybe you wanted to see me.”

I said it playfully, and Mizuhara lifted her head.

“You’re such an idiot,” she muttered.

Even though she was insulting me, the way she said it was oddly endearing, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Come on, did you miss me a little?”

“Why are you laughing? I’ll kick you out.”

“You’re so cruel to your sick friend.”

I chuckled, joking around.

It was just Mizuhara and me, drinking something warm in a cozy room, feeling at ease.

A gust of air from the heater flipped through the pages of her math book.

“Hey, Mizuhara, want to study together next time?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve got a pile of assignments to do.”

I glanced at her. She was still looking down, lost in thought. Then, after a pause, she said, “Okay.”

I was happy she agreed.

“Alright, I should get going.”

I finished my tea and handed back the jacket and blanket. Mizuhara told me I could wear them home since it was cold outside, but I didn’t want to keep taking advantage of her kindness. Besides, my house wasn’t that far away.

She insisted on walking me downstairs, putting on a coat herself.

At the entrance, she stopped and looked at me. Naturally, we ended up facing each other in front of the door.

“Um… I know you were trying to be considerate, but…”

Mizuhara hesitated before continuing.

“I don’t want you to just take the printouts and leave right away.”

I was caught off guard.

“Let’s talk more, Mizuhara.”

“You don’t have to do that. No matter what you ask, you won’t understand.”

“That’s not what I mean. Let’s just talk about silly stuff.”

Without waiting for her response, I turned in the direction of home.

“See you next week.”

With that, I stepped out of the lobby into the entrance hall.

The wind was cold, but my body, warmed from the inside, didn’t chill so easily. I walked toward the main exit.

“I’ll be waiting.”

I turned around, surprised.

Mizuhara Shizuku was standing at the entrance, smiling at me.