A Story About a Handsome Girl Having Her First Kiss Stolen by an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 11

February 25 (Friday)

Hearing Mizuhara’s request to “go to the beach and hang out after school,” the two of them came to the beach within the school district. Although there were no families there, the beach was bustling with club practice groups, several groups of students, and couples.

Must a place like this, where voices can be heard constantly, be painful for a girl who doesn’t go to school? I looked over at her, but Mizuhara still didn’t meet my gaze and was staring out at the sea.

“Wow, it’s so cold.”

To be honest, the winter sea is too cold for me in my uniform. No matter how much I put on a jacket or thick tights, the freezing air that seeps into my skirt steals my body heat.

Mizuhara seems fine, having dressed warmly, but I’m cold even with half my face buried in the scarf wrapped around my neck.

“Can I get you something warm?”

“Please”

“Just stay there.”

There was a convenience store nearby, so Wakamatsu ran inside and got warm.

I picked up a hot drink to use as a hand warmer and lined up at the register. I bought two steamed buns that caught my eye and the smallest plastic bag I could find to use as a garbage bag, then returned to my classmates, who were waiting for me.

“It’s cold, isn’t it?”

I called out to my classmate, who was standing there dressed just as he was before we left.

“Well, it’s cold, though.”

“That would be perfect.”

He handed Mizuhara the steamed meat bun he had just procured.

“Huh?” Mizuhara exclaimed. It was the first time she had seen her classmate’s mood change for the better up close.

“Eat it, I bought some on the way.”

“Ah, money…”

“No, I got paid for my part-time job.”

Mizuhara accepted the steamed bun, saying, “Thank you.”

The wind blew, and the wrapping paper rustled. In a place like this, where the sea breeze hits directly, the steamed meat buns I had bought would get cold in an instant. When I suggested we move to another location, Mizuhara, who had been stubbornly staying in the same place, readily agreed.

We sat side by side on the edge of the stairs leading down to the beach. Unfortunately, it wasn’t piping hot, but it was still warm as we munched on the steamed meat buns while looking out at the ocean. We took a sip of the hot café au lait we’d brought and let it run through our whole bodies.

“Want a drink? It’s still warm.”

“You’re so kind, Wakamatsu.”

“Eh, now? I’ve always been kind to you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” came a token response.

Mizuhara took a sip of the café au lait she received and replied, “It’s sweet and delicious.” Holding the still-warm plastic bottle tightly, Mizuhara turned her gaze back to the beach.

Unable to bear the indescribable melancholy atmosphere, Wakamatsu spoke up.

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

He felt a little regretful that his question had gotten too close to the heart of the matter, but he couldn’t take back what he’d said. He reminded himself that she wouldn’t answer if she didn’t want to, and waited for her to speak.

“There was a moment when I just thought, ‘I don’t care.'”

Amidst the sounds of the waves and the shouts of the running enthusiasts, I listen to Mizuhara’s voice.

It was abstract and hard to understand, and there were so many things I wanted to ask. But I didn’t open my mouth and just waited for Mizuhara to say something next. I knew it was important that I shouldn’t interrupt him.

“Something suddenly happened that turned my everyday life into something extraordinary.”

“Our family is at a loss, while the rest of the world continues to go on as usual…”

“I wanted to resist that, so I gave up a lot of things, but reality never changes, surprisingly.”

“Oh no, what has happened can’t be undone now…”

“Haa,” Mizuhara exhaled out a white sigh as he spoke.

It was blown away by the sea breeze, and it felt as if the words he had spoken had been absorbed by the sea. He was glad he had come to the sea today. Perhaps it was the sea that had helped Mizuhara to get some of what was on his mind. Come to think of it, it was Mizuhara who had suggested the sea.

“The sea is nice.”

“The waves will take all your worries away.”

–Whose words were these?

Ah, a girl next door taught me this a long time ago.

An older sister called out to me when I was a little girl, crying on this beach.

“It’s dazzling in here.”

As I was gazing blankly at the sea, feeling a sense of nostalgia, someone called out to me.

Mizuhara, squinting in the setting sun, stands up, buttocks in the air. She climbs the stairs and then onto the embankment. Wakamatsu follows her back as she continues to walk up the embankment and stands in the same place. She continues to walk a few meters, keeping a certain distance from her classmate, who continues to walk.

“Thanks for today. The steamed meat buns and café au lait were delicious.”

It felt like the first time he’d heard such words from Mizuhara Shizuku, and he felt a little embarrassed.

“Wakamatsu is a good guy.”

Mizuhara Shizuku is walking skillfully on the embankment. Her hair is blown about by the sea breeze more violently than usual. The salty sea breeze should be damaging to hair, but her hair remains beautiful.

“Even though I’m asking you to do troublesome things, at least you don’t make a face like that in front of me.”

“What, trouble?”

“It’s for those who don’t go to school. I’m sure the teacher asked you to do it.”

Mizuhara stops and looks out at the horizon. The sunset and the parallel lines blend, creating an orange lake that seems to spread across the horizon. Her profile, illuminated by the sun, draws your attention.

I honestly think it’s beautiful.

A beautiful person. Mizuhara Shizuku is the most beautiful person I have ever met.

“I’ve never thought it was a hassle, though?”

He raised his voice higher than normal and averted his gaze from her profile as she stared out at the sea.

Mizuhara Shizuku glanced his way and bashfully smiled. Wakamatsu’s eyes were glued to her face, bathed in sunlight. He wondered how they appeared to passersby, facing each other on the embankment, with the sea and the road in between, illuminated by the sun.

“If you say things like that, you’ll be taken advantage of.”

“Oh, to whom?”

“To me.”

Mizuhara Shizuku comes closer, step by step.

The tips of her sandals and her loafers are almost touching. Facing her directly, I can feel the difference in our physiques. She is taller than I, with long arms and legs. Her shoulders are surprisingly broad, and when she stands in front of me with her back straight, the difference in our heights, even though it’s only a few centimeters, is emphasized.

“To Mizuhara? I don’t mind.”

“…TRUE?”

“Why would you lie? It’s true.”

Mizuhara Shizuku’s eyes waver, pleading for something.

I don’t know what she wants to say. I don’t know how this classmate feels. I can’t even fathom what happened to her. For the past few months, we’ve only been together for a few hours, once a week. It makes my chest ache. I don’t know why, but I feel like I can’t breathe.

“Well then.”

The orange light illuminates Mizuhara’s face.

The flush on her cheeks was probably a vestige of the setting sun’s glow.

Holding back the natural attraction, I find myself captivated by her natural face for a moment.

Mizuhara, for once, made clear eye contact with Wakamatsu and spoke.

“Go out with me.”