A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 2.22

Sunday, July 17

Five dolphins jumped together at once.

They swam in circles inside the tank, splashing water as they moved.

At the end of the show, they lined up in the center of the stage.

When the trainer made a gesture, the five dolphins waved their flippers cutely.

“Wow, that was amazing!”

“I feel like they’re smarter than humans.”

“Haha! You might be right!”

Still excited from the dolphin show, Wakamatsu and Mizuhara walked back into the aquarium.

This aquarium was a one-hour train ride away, run by the city.

For this weekend’s date, Wakamatsu had suggested the classic aquarium date.

He had two reasons.

The first was that he wanted to go somewhere cool indoors.

And the second—
“So, we’re on the third floor now. Should we just follow the route?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Holding a pamphlet, Mizuhara walked along the set path.

Seeing her empty hand, Wakamatsu slid his right hand into hers.

“Hey.”

“It’s fine, no one will see.”

The lights were dim, only faintly illuminating the floor.

There were a lot of people, but everyone was lost in their own world,
too distracted to pay attention to others.

“Yeah, sure. But Wakamatsu stands out.”

“No way, you’re the one who stands out more, Mizuhara.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re super cute.”

“Idiot,” Mizuhara muttered, lightly cursing.

Of course, Wakamatsu wasn’t joking.

Today, Mizuhara wore a casual outfit—
a white sleeveless shirt paired with dark blue jeans.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing her slender neck.

With her looking like that, who knew how many guys would try to talk to her?

Wakamatsu couldn’t handle the thought.

“Hey, what do you think of my hairstyle today?”

“I love it. It’s super cute.”

“Right?!”

“That choker looks cute too.”

Wakamatsu had parted his bangs in the center and styled the ends outward.

He also wore his new favorite perfume and a simple black choker,
one without a charm—another recent favorite of his.

“You look like a pet cat,” Mizuhara grinned mischievously.

Her right hand, which wore the matching ring they had bought together,
gently traced Wakamatsu’s neck.

“Well, if you’re the one taking care of me, I guess that’s fine.”

“I don’t plan on having pets, so I’ll have to decline.”

“That’s so mean!”

As they joked around, they continued exploring the aquarium.

There was an unbelievably huge crab, a strangely shaped starfish clinging to the glass,
and jellyfish glowing under the lights.

But what really got Mizuhara excited was the penguins.

The moment they reached the penguin area, she stopped in her tracks.

She even let go of Wakamatsu’s hand without hesitation.

Her eyes sparkled as she raised her phone, completely glued to the penguin exhibit.

“Oh my god, they’re so cute! This is amazing!”

“Mizuhara, you like penguins?”

“Not just penguins. I love all birds.”

She didn’t even look at Wakamatsu as she answered.

Her eyes were locked on the tank.

“Huh, so even crows?”

“Crows are sleek and beautiful, and they’re really smart.”

“I heard they can recognize people’s faces.”

“Hey, look! That one came really close!”

Mizuhara was too focused to properly respond.

A penguin had waddled near the glass, and she was completely captivated.

“You’re so cute. Such a good little one.”

“Aren’t you a cutie?”

Wakamatsu had never heard her use such a sweet voice before.

She grinned, tapping the glass as if petting the penguin.

For Wakamatsu, Mizuhara herself was the cutest thing here.

His heart warmed at the thought that he was spending the day with this adorable girl.

“They’re seriously cute.”

“Yeah, really.”

(Wakamatsu, in his mind: Yeah, you are.)

As he squatted beside her, two more penguins waddled up to them.

“They’re so cute! Right?!”

Mizuhara turned to him with a dazzling smile he had never seen before.

Their shoulders touched.

She was so close—so close that their faces were just inches apart.

They locked eyes.

“Uh… ah… yeah.”

The moment was too powerful.

Wakamatsu fumbled for words, completely thrown off.

Seeing his reaction, Mizuhara blushed and quickly looked away.

“…Sorry, I was too close.”

“Oh, no… I was the one who leaned in too much.”

Wakamatsu took a small step back.

But Mizuhara immediately stepped forward, closing the gap again.

“No, I meant your face was too close. It made me nervous.”

“Oh… really?”

“If anyone had your face that close, they’d react the same way.”

Previously, she had complimented his hairstyle, saying it was “cute.”

Maybe this style really was her favorite.

They stayed like that for a while, shoulders touching, before Mizuhara finally stood up.

“Let’s move on?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

She opened the pamphlet again and led the way to the next area.

Finally, they arrived at the largest tank in the aquarium.

Inside, countless fish swam, including rays and even sharks.

Aquariums were always magical, but this space felt like they had stepped into the ocean itself.

“Hey.”

Standing in front of the tank, hand in hand, Mizuhara spoke.

“After we eat, want to go to the beach park?”

“Haha, why are you talking so formally?”

“Because I’m nervous.”

The second reason Wakamatsu had chosen the aquarium for their date—
was because of the beach park nearby.