Be careful with the laid-back beauty who took a liking to me. Otherwise, it will be too late! - Chapter 8 - Love Being Heavy Isn\\\'t a Bad Thing

Episode 8 – Love Being Heavy Isn’t a Bad Thing

“Hikaru-kun, I… like you.”

“…Huh?”

Surely, I didn’t mishear her. It was clear as day. The words “like you” had been said.

Given the context, dinner was already over. So, could it be that this “like” was actually… a confession?

Taken aback by the sudden declaration of affection, Hinata watched as Koharu’s face turned red, her hands touching her cheeks nervously.

“Uh… I… I mean, I just…”

It seemed like she blurted out “like” impulsively, and now Koharu, with her cheeks and ears flushed, struggled to find the right words.

“Koharu-san, calm do–“

“N-no! It’s not that! I meant… I meant I still love custard after all…”

She blushed furiously, clinging to Hinata, clearly flustered and trying to convey something.

“O-oh, Koharu-san, let’s calm dow–“

“No, I mean, it’s not you! I mean, I love… I mean… I don’t know if it’s you I love or just… I mean… I don’t know what this ‘like’ means exactly. Whether it’s as friends or something else. So, you don’t have to respond or anything…”

“Yeah, got it.”

“All I want you to remember is that I… I like you, Hikaru-kun… I really, really do.”

“Th-thanks. I like you too, as a friend.”

Perhaps like Koharu, Hinata was unsure of what this “like” meant exactly. But he didn’t dislike her.

“It’s nice to hear someone you like say they like you…”

“Yeah…”

Their eyes met, and both blushing, they turned away, unable to handle the intensity of the moment.

After a while of comfortable silence, Hinata remembered something he thought about last night.

“Koharu-san, do you like cream puffs?”

“Cream puffs! I love them!”

He had assumed she did. Her love for custard was evident.

“There’s a cream puff shop a short walk from here. Want to go there together next time?”

“Absolutely! Is that your recommendation?”

“Yeah, it is. It holds memories from when I was a kid, going there with my grandma.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Since tomorrow is… tomorrow is a holiday, right? We could go next week?”

This past week from the opening ceremony had gone by so quickly. Meeting Koharu, eating crepes together, and today, taiyaki. Looking back, it felt quite fulfilling.

“Yeah, tomorrow sounds good. In that case, a holiday date… just kidding. Dates are for couples in relationships, right?”

(That’s today’s cute comment.)

Though Koharu would inquire about what constitutes a date, Hinata, unsure himself, admitted he didn’t know.

“I’ll look it up… Hmm, I see.”

It seemed she’d looked up the definition of a date on her phone and understood, nodding along.

Then, she turned the screen towards him, as if to teach him something.

“It’s an expectation of romantic development, deciding on a time and place to meet…”

“I see.”

“What could romantic development mean… Maybe being confessed to later? Hmhm, it’s complicated…”

“Being confessed to… huh. I wonder if what just happened was a confession. If so, this situation right now could be considered a romantic development, I guess.”

“Would it be alright if I liked you romantically?”

“…Yeah, it’s okay.”

Admitting it was okay to like someone felt embarrassing.

Wondering if he might find her too much to handle if she liked him, Koharu asked him.

“…Yeah, it’s okay.”

Deciding what to like wasn’t up to him, so that’s what he said. Koharu then buried her head into Hinata’s chest.

“Hikaru-kun, I love you. I really, really do.”