A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 2.13

June 11 (Saturday)

“Let’s make matching rings!”

It was their first weekend date, something they had promised to do for a while.

Young thought hard about a “couple-like” date plan that would make Mizuhara happy while also being something he could manage. He considered options like a movie, an aquarium, or a zoo, but in the end, he chose something that felt even more like a date.

Nowadays, unless you care about high-end quality or brand names, you can make a good pair of rings at a reasonable price.

Young waited for Mizuhara Shizuku at the central ticket gate of their nearest train station.

It was 11 a.m. on a Saturday. The station was crowded with people coming and going. Among them, one girl stood out as exceptionally cute—it was Mizuhara.

Her semi-long hair was curled inward, and she wore an elegant spring-colored dress. The dress was fitted at the waist, highlighting her figure.

Realizing that he had spotted Mizuhara so quickly just because she was cute made Young feel a little embarrassed.

“Hey, Mizuhara!”

He tried to act normal as he called out to her.

“Sorry, did I make you wait?”

“No, no, I just got here early.”

It was still before 11 a.m.

A melody played over the speakers, announcing the arrival of the train. Since it was heading towards the city, the train had quite a few passengers. They quickly got on, and Young let Mizuhara take the only available seat.

Standing in front of her, holding onto the strap, Young checked the reservation details for the ring shop on his phone.

Just then, two high school girls next to him spoke up.

“Excuse me, you’re the guy who takes the train to Sakugaoka High School every morning, right?”

“Uh, yeah… huh?”

“I remember you! One time, I wasn’t feeling well, and you helped carry me to the station office.”

Oh, now that she mentioned it, Young vaguely remembered that happening. He had indeed helped a girl in uniform to the station office.

“You were really cool that day, so I never forgot it,” she said with a shy smile.

Well, maybe it had looked smooth since he had been standing near the entrance and was able to move quickly.

“Wow, you have a good memory. I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Um, could I get your contact information? I really want to thank you properly.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

But the girl’s sincere eyes made it hard to refuse, so Young took out his phone. They exchanged contacts, and she smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. Her friend, wearing the same school uniform, teased her, saying, “Lucky you!”

“Stop it!” she protested, pushing her friend away. Then, she turned back to Young.

“Sakugaoka High School is a really good school, isn’t it?”

Sakugaoka High was the top-ranked public high school in the district and one of the best in the prefecture. People often said similar things when they heard the school name.

“Haha, my grades are actually pretty bad compared to everyone else.”

“Even so, you’d probably be at the top of our school!”

“I’m really nothing special. The students in the honors and medical courses are the really impressive ones.”

The girl kept asking questions, and Young answered them—about studying, club activities, and his hobbies.

Then, her friend suddenly asked:

“Do you have a boyfriend right now?”

“Uh…”

“Hey, stop it!” the girl protested, embarrassed, but her friend just grinned mischievously.

Young was caught off guard. He glanced at Mizuhara for help, but she was staring at her phone, pretending not to notice.

Saying “I don’t have a boyfriend” didn’t feel right. But calling Mizuhara his “boyfriend” didn’t seem right either.

“I don’t have a boyfriend, but…”

As he spoke, he felt his face heat up.

“I do have someone I’m dating.”

The girl whispered a quiet “Oh…” just as the train’s announcement played over the speakers.

Mizuhara, who had been sitting, lightly nudged Young.

“This is our stop. Let’s go.”

Once they got off the train, Mizuhara turned to him.

“That was flirting.”

“Wait, was that really flirting?”

“If it was just a thank-you, she wouldn’t have asked for your contact info or kept asking personal questions.”

“Really? I thought it was just a casual conversation…”

Even though Mizuhara had acted indifferent, she had clearly been listening.

“You look extra cute today,” she muttered. She was the only classmate who ever called Young “cute.”

“Hey, Mizuhara, do people ever tell you that your sense of beauty is a little off?”

“What?”

“I mean, seriously, no one else calls me cute.”

Mizuhara glanced back with a slight smile.

“Then everyone else has bad taste.”

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at the custom ring shop.

Inside, most of the seats were filled with couples.

They sat side by side, discussing ring designs, width, and weight. The process was surprisingly fun. Since there was a campaign to engrave initials on the rings, they decided to add their own and waited for the rings to be finished.

About twenty minutes later, the rings were ready. Young slipped his onto his finger. It fit perfectly.

He was happy. But while Mizuhara watched him with a smile, she didn’t put hers on.

“Mizuhara, aren’t you going to wear yours?”

“I want you to put it on me later.”

Putting a ring on a lover’s finger—what kind of situation would be best for that? Young repeated Mizuhara’s words, “like a real couple,” in his mind.

After browsing the store’s other rings, they left together.