A Story About a Girl Who Took Life for Granted and Fell in Love With a Kind and Introverted Boy - Chapter 19

“…So in this question, since Orion is visible in the winter sky, the answer is B.”

As light rain drizzled outside, I was at the library with Kenji.

Sitting beside me, he patiently explained things. He’d opened the workbook to walk me through the problems I couldn’t solve.

“I see, so the answer is B…got it.”

Our shoulders were almost touching. At first, I felt a bit flustered, but thanks to Kenji’s serious manner, I managed to focus on studying without letting my mind wander.

“I’m not great at remembering constellations’ positions. Any tips on how I can remember them?”

“Hmm, let’s see. I think it helps to start with Orion and Scorpius.”

“Just those two?”

“Yes, Scorpius represents summer, and Orion represents winter. They appear in opposite seasons, which makes it easy to distinguish.”

“I see.”

“And if you know the myth behind them, it’s easier to remember. Long ago, Orion was this incredibly strong man, but he was pretty full of himself, bragging that no one could beat him. The gods, fed up with his attitude, sent a scorpion to teach him a lesson. The scorpion struck him with its venom and took him down. Since then, Orion has avoided Scorpius, so now they appear on opposite sides of the sky – with Scorpius in summer and Orion in winter.”

“Oh, that’s interesting! So Orion’s still running from Scorpius in the winter sky.”

“Exactly. I think it’ll help you remember the constellations’ positions better.”

“Thank you!”

I jotted down what he’d explained in my notebook.

“Would you like to take a break, Miyuki? It’s been three hours.”

“Sure, maybe just a quick one.”

I set my mechanical pencil on the notebook, stretched, and felt a nice release in my stiff shoulders.

“By the way, which school did you say you wanted to get into?”

“Manaka High. But I’ll also be applying to Nisshin High as a backup.”

“Manaka? That’s impressive! It’s a tough one.”

“Oh, no, not at all. I still have a long way to go.”

“No need to be modest; it’s one of the top schools in the prefecture!”

Kenji chuckled softly, his face gentle and relaxed.

“…Kenji?”

“Hmm?”

“This might be a strange time to bring it up, but you don’t have to use polite language with me. I’m younger than you, after all.”

“You mean, casual speech?”

“Yes.”

Honestly, I appreciated his politeness, but I thought a more casual tone might bring us closer.

“Wouldn’t that feel disrespectful to you?”

“Not at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“…Alright.”

Kenji looked a little wistful, but then he closed his eyes briefly, opened them again, and with a slightly tense voice, he said, “So…is this alright?”

“……………”

The casual speech caught me off guard, making my heart race. It really did make him feel closer, more like my friend than just my sister’s acquaintance.

Such a small change in speech made such a big difference.

“Miyuki?”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay? You look a little dazed.”

“Yes…I’m fine.”

“You look nervous. Should I switch back to polite speech?”

“No, please don’t!”

“Oh, alright.”

Kenji looked a bit unsure, but he didn’t go back to formal speech.

This closeness stirred something in me, and before I knew it, I blurted out, “U-um, Kenji…”

“Yes?”

“Would it be okay if I used casual speech with you too?”

“You too?”

“Yes.”

“……………”

He looked at me, surprised. Oh no, I’d let my eagerness take over and said something strange…

Of course it’s weird for me to ask that. Kenji’s my senior, so it would only make sense for him to be the one to drop formal language.

(Have I crossed the line? Will he think I’m being rude…?)

Kenji looked at me warmly.

“It’s alright, Miyuki.”

“Huh?”

“Really, no need to use polite language.”

“R-really?”

“It must be tiring to keep up that formality all the time. I should have been more considerate about that. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, not at all!”

“I’m perfectly fine with casual speech, so speak however you’re comfortable.”

He gave me a gentle smile.

“……………”

My face felt warm, almost like I was blushing. A slight sweat formed on my forehead.

I took a deep breath, swallowed, and told him slowly, “…Thank you, Kenji.”

***

Before I knew it, it was already past five in the evening. The library closes at 5:30, so other visitors were starting to pack up.

“Miyuki, should we head home?”

“Ah…yes.”

I was still a bit shy with the casual speech, so I fumbled my words a bit as I packed my things into my backpack, and we left the library together.

The light rain had turned into a steady downpour.

Standing under the library’s sheltered entrance, listening to the rain pounding against the ground, Kenji sighed.

“Uh-oh, I forgot to bring an umbrella.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking.”

“If you’d like, you can share mine.”

I took the foldable umbrella from my bag and showed it to him.

But Kenji laughed and said, “No, no, it’s fine.”

“But you’ll catch a cold!”

“Your umbrella’s smaller than a regular one. If we share it, we’ll both end up half-soaked. You go ahead and use it.”

“…Hmm, but…”

“You really don’t need to worry at all. Okay?”

“……………………”

Zaaaah…

…I stared intently at the ripples forming in the puddle of water that had collected on the ground.

(…Kenji-san)

I gripped my folding umbrella tightly.

I thought today, I was able to shorten the distance with Kenji-san quite a bit. It was already more than enough. So to be honest, I think going any further might be too much.

I feel that if I push too hard to shorten the distance in a single day, I might end up annoying him instead.

…But there’s also the thought that I need to seize this opportunity properly.

Since I am completely inexperienced when it comes to romance, it’s clear that I won’t succeed unless I’m a bit proactive.

(This is the point where I need to hold firm…)

It’s okay; from Kenji-san’s reactions today, I know he doesn’t have any negative feelings toward me. If he did, he would be using honorifics to maintain a distance, and he wouldn’t be teaching me in the first place.

…If I hesitate here, I will lose to my sister. So just a little more, just a little more pushing…

“Ke-Kenji…san.”

I stumbled over my words but managed to tell him.

“Is that…bad?”

“Eh?”

“Do you dislike sharing an umbrella with me?”

“……………………”

Kenji-san’s eyes widened in surprise. Unable to hold his gaze, I ended up looking at his feet.

(I-I can’t…My heart is racing so much. Was it really okay to say that…?)

I was already regretting what I had just said, but I decided to stop thinking about it for now.

If I keep thinking about that, it will only become unbearable.

“……………………”

I took a breath to fill my dry mouth with air to disguise my nervousness.

“…Miyuki-san.”

About a minute after I said those words, Kenji-san finally responded.

I was so scared of what he would say that I braced myself and shrugged my shoulders.

“…I think I’ll pass. Sharing an umbrella.”

“……………………”

“Thanks for thinking of me. But that folding umbrella clearly won’t fit two people. We’ll both end up getting wet.”

“……………………”

“Um, of course, it’s not that I dislike you, Miyuki-san. It’s just that I don’t want to get you wet because I’m getting in.”

“……………………”

Ah…I messed up.

I realized that the warmth that had been building up inside me was now fading away.

I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to run away. I wanted to hide somewhere immediately.

(I really got carried away…)

I got too carried away because I stopped using honorifics today. Kenji-san is kind, so he just accepted my unreasonable request.

Ah…What should I do? Even though I haven’t confessed yet, it already feels as painful as being rejected.

“…Um, I’m sorry, Miyuki-san. It was a nice gesture on your part, but…”

“N-No, I’m the one who should apologize…for saying something strange…”

“……………………”

“……………………”

The awkward silence between us made both Kenji-san and me stop talking.

Ah, I really am an idiot. I should have been more cautious since I am completely inexperienced with love.

(I wish I could just disappear…)

I was too embarrassed to even lift my face.

“Ah.”

At that moment, Kenji-san raised his voice as if he thought of something.

“Miyuki-san, can you wait for a moment?”

“…Eh?”

“I’ll be right back.”

With that, Kenji-san went back into the library. I stood there, confused about what was happening.

…Kenji-san returned to me about two minutes later, holding an umbrella.

“Huh? Kenji-san, is that…?”

“Yeah, I borrowed it from the library.”

“Oh…I see.”

“I should have done this from the start. I’m sorry, Miyuki-san.”

“N-No, it’s okay.”

“If the situation is similar next time and your umbrella is big, I might ask you for help then.”

“…! Yes!”

Kenji-san smiled brightly at me as he supported me, opened the umbrella, and said, “Shall we go?”

I nodded and opened my folding umbrella, stepping outside with Kenji-san.

Hearing the sound of the rain pouring on the umbrella, I spoke to Kenji-san.

“Thank you for today, Kenji-san. For teaching me.”

“It’s nothing. If I could be of help, I’m honored.”

“Can I ask you to teach me again next time?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Having fulfilled our promise to meet again, I felt like dancing right there on the spot.

Even though I had been so down a moment ago, the thought of meeting again lifted my spirits. I might actually be a pretty simple person.

Zaaaah…

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. Even the sound of nearby cars was gradually becoming harder to hear.

“……………………”

I looked at Kenji-san’s face as we walked side by side.

Now that I think about it, today might have been the longest time we’ve spent together. Until now, we’ve only walked home together after school or talked a little about my sister. So it was the first time we were together for hours today.

(I want to be with him…longer…)

We had gathered at one o’clock today, but I want to meet in the morning next time. I want to eat lunch together and be together much longer…

“……………………”

Unable to contain my rising feelings, I lowered my voice and said.

“Kenji-san, I like you.”

Zaaaah…

“…Huh?”

“……………………”

“Sorry, Miyuki-san. Did you say something just now?”

Kenji-san reacted to my voice, which was drowned out by the sound of the rain.

My face felt hot, but I smiled and said.

“No, it’s nothing.”