A Story About a Handsome Girl Having Her First Kiss Stolen by an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 34

July 17th (Sunday)

Five dolphins are jumping simultaneously.

The dolphins swam around the tank, splashing water as they went, and finally lined up in a row in the center of the stage.

When the trainer made a gesture, the five dogs gave cute paw gestures.

“Wow, that was amazing!”

“I’m starting to get the feeling those kids are smarter than humans.”

“Hahaha! Maybe so.”

Wakamatsu and Mizuhara returned to the hall, still basking in the afterglow of the dolphin show.

This is the city aquarium, about an hour away by train. For this holiday date, I suggested a classic aquarium date. There are two reasons. The first is that I wanted to have a date inside the aquarium, where it’s cool. And the second is-

“Well, we’re on the third floor now, so should we just keep going along the route?”

“Oh, let’s do that.”

With a pamphlet in hand, Mizuhara walks along the designated route.

Wakamatsu slid his right hand into Mizuhara Shizuku’s empty hand.

“a little bit”

“It’s fine, I can’t see.”

The lighting is dim, providing just a little light at your feet.

There were certainly a lot of people there, but everyone was engrossed in their world and didn’t seem to care about us.

“I don’t know. Young pine trees stand out.”

“That’s not true. Mizuhara stands out more.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s super cute.”

“Idiot!” Mizuhara swore softly.

Of course I’m not kidding.

Today, Mizuhara is wearing a casual style, combining a white sleeveless shirt with navy blue jeans. Her hair is in a ponytail, exposing her slender neck.

If things continue like this, who will be able to talk to me? Wakamatsu can’t stand it.

“Hey, how’s my hair today? What do you think?”

“I love that so much, it’s super cute.”

“Right!”

“That choker is cut, too.”

Wakamatsu parted her bangs in the center and styled the ends to curl outward.

I put on my favorite perfume that I recently bought, and a choker. It was a simple black one without any charms, but it’s also one of my recent favorites.

“Like a pet cat.”

Mizuhara smiled. As she stroked Wakamatsu’s neck, the matching rings they had bought together lit up on her right hand.

“Well, it might be nice if Mizuhara could keep it.”

“I don’t plan on having a pet, so I’ll pass.”

“That’s terrible.”

We walk around the building chatting about silly things.

There are terrifyingly large crabs, strangely clingy starfish, and illuminated jellyfish.

It was the penguins that raised Mizuhara Shizuku’s spirits.

The moment she reached the penguin area, her steps stopped. Her hand was cruelly shaken off. Mizuhara’s eyes lit up, and she held her smartphone and stayed in the area.

“Oh my goodness, so cute! So cute!”

“Do you like penguins, Mizuhara?”

“I like penguins, or any bird.”

Without looking at Wakamatsu’s eyes, Mizuhara’s eyes are fixed only on the aquarium.

“Oh, so what about crows?”

“Crows are black and beautiful, and very intelligent.”

“I think I’ve heard that crows can remember people’s faces.”

“Hey, look! It’s close!”

Mizuhara seems unable to respond to Wakamatsu and is fascinated by a penguin that happens to approach him.

“She’s cute, she’s a good girl.”

“What a cutie.”

A soothing voice I’d never heard before.

Shizuku Mizuhara, who is stroking the head of a penguin from across the tank with a grin on her face, is so cute to Wakamatsu. His heart warms at the thought of going on a date with this cute creature.

“Seriously cute.”

“Really?”

Mizuhara, I added in my mind.

As I crouched down next to Mizuhara in front of the aquarium, two more birds came close to me.

“It’s cute, right? Right?”

As I was watching her profile as she gazed upon the penguins, Mizuhara Shizuku suddenly turned to face me with a smile I had never seen before. Our shoulders were almost touching. Our faces were just a stone’s throw away as we stared into each other’s eyes.

“Uh, ah…yeah.”

The destructive power is so great that I can’t speak properly.

When he stammered a reply, Mizuhara blushed and turned away in embarrassment.

“…Sorry, I was close.”

“Oh, sorry… I got too close.”

As he apologised, he took a step to the side, and Mizuhara took another step to fill the gap.

“No, I just felt embarrassed because Wakamatsu’s face was so close to mine.”

“Oh, right, that’s right.”

“That’s how everyone would react if that were anywhere near their face.”

It was the same hairstyle she had previously praised as “cute.” I guess she liked this style. After a while of them huddling together, Mizuhara stood up.

“Shall we go now?”

“Oh, let’s go!”

I opened the pamphlet again and started walking towards the next area.

Finally, we visited an area with a particularly large aquarium.

There were various fish in the tank, including not only small fish but also rays and sharks. Aquariums are mysterious spaces, but this space made me feel as if I were lost in the sea.

“You see.”

Wakamatsu and Mizuhara stand in front of the aquarium, holding hands.

“Do you want to go to the seaside park after dinner?”

“Hehe, why the honorifics?”

“Because I’m nervous.”

The second reason we chose the aquarium for a date was because of the nearby seaside park.