A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 4.1

Thursday, September 1st

Shizuku Mizuhara deliberately tensed her body.

She wasn’t sure how this morning would go, but somehow, she managed to drag her heavy feet all the way to the classroom.

She reached for the back door of the classroom.

“Good morning, Mizuhara!”

When she turned around, there stood Kaede Wakamatsu in her summer uniform.

A simple white short-sleeved blouse with only a blue ribbon—nothing fancy, yet when she wore it, it looked as elegant as a designer brand.

Her bangs were parted in the center, clearly revealing her well-defined facial features.

Shizuku liked Wakamatsu’s hairstyle like this. Her eyes, much larger than one would expect for a single eyelid, were beautifully shaped. The soft, prominent under-eye area made her eyes seem even more striking—far more refined than Shizuku’s own double eyelids.

“…Good morning.”

“Sorry about yesterday. You didn’t catch a cold, did you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Shizuku tried to suppress the unease she felt at Wakamatsu’s casual tone and responded calmly.

“…What about you?”

“A little sleep-deprived, but I’m good!”

Wakamatsu flashed a dazzling smile and made a peace sign with her fingers.

Her fair skin peeked out from the sleeves of her blouse, and Shizuku quickly looked away.

Was it really okay for someone as defenseless as Wakamatsu to wear this uniform?

“I thought you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”

Her words made Shizuku look back.

“We’re in the same class. It’s not like I’d blatantly avoid you.”

“Haha, true. But I’m glad.”

“I see…”

Shizuku kept her tone neutral, careful not to get swept up in Wakamatsu’s pace.

“…I’m glad we met at school.”

With that, Wakamatsu opened the classroom door.

They ended up walking in at the same time, but Shizuku ignored her and went straight to her seat.

Meanwhile, Chisato Wakumura immediately commented on Wakamatsu’s new look.

“Kaede, you look so cool with your hair like that!”

“Yeah, it makes you look even more dignified, Wakamatsu.”

“Haha, thanks, thanks.”

Ariyoshi, who was nearby, also joined in teasing Wakamatsu.

A member of the girls’ volleyball team, Ariyoshi was tall and slender, with long arms and legs. Her black hair was neatly cut short, making her sharp, narrow eyes stand out.

Standing next to Wakamatsu, the height difference was impossible to ignore.

Surrounded by attention, Wakamatsu smiled shyly as she responded to her friends.

“Trying to be more popular with the younger girls again, Wakamatsu?”

Ariyoshi playfully touched Wakamatsu’s cheek.

When Shizuku had touched her before, she had closed her eyes as if it tickled. But now, Wakamatsu didn’t react at all and simply brushed the hand away gently.

“…There’s only one person I want to notice me.”

Shizuku’s heart pounded at those words.

A sudden warmth spread across her cheeks. Worried it would show, she instinctively covered them with her hands.

The morning passed quickly with only the opening ceremony and homeroom. In the afternoon, preparations for the upcoming sports festival would begin in full swing.

While practice for individual events had already started during summer break, today marked the start of full-team training. The boys had tug-of-war and a group performance, while the girls had tug-of-war and a dance routine.

Dressed in her staff uniform, Shizuku carried her water bottle and a checklist of equipment as she stepped outside. Under the scorching sun, the real training was about to begin.

As she walked around monitoring the practice, she came across the red team’s girls’ tug-of-war session.

“Wakamatsu-senpai! Give us a wave!”

“Uh, um…”

“Wakamatsu! Come say hi over here too!”

She was already a celebrity among the red team—not just among the first-years, but even among the third-years. The overwhelming attention seemed to make Wakamatsu a bit uncomfortable.

Shizuku blew the whistle hanging around her neck.

“Sorry, no chatting during practice!”

She gave a quick warning and left before anyone could get a good look at her face.