I Just Wanted a Girlfriend, But Now I Have Three Fiancées! …Even Though I Don’t Remember Proposing to Any of Them - Chapter 17: The Truth Has a Way of Making People Bold

Chapter 17: The Truth Has a Way of Making People Bold

“Will you go out with me… with marriage in mind?”

For her, this was technically the second time she’d confessed.

She’d opened up about her past, her fears, her feelings.

Tears in her eyes, voice trembling…

And now, on top of all that—she said it again, right in front of a room full of strangers.

Seriously—

Who in their right mind could say no to that?

“Hey, Mitsuki. I…”

“No.”

“Huh? What—?”

Before I could even get a full sentence out, she cut me off.

“If you’re not going to say ‘yes’… then I don’t want to hear anything else.”

…Wait.

So confessions don’t come with a rejection option anymore?

If that’s how it works, does the first one to confess just automatically win?

Man… being super popular must be exhausting.

As I spiraled into that weird little mental escape—questioning the rules of romance—

I noticed Mitsuki’s expression slowly twisting into something painful.

“W-Wait, Mitsuki—”

“…yes?”

“…Can you just give me a little time to think about it?”

A sharp breath caught in her throat.

Then she started breathing again—short, shallow, like she was barely keeping it together.

And finally, in a whisper so quiet it almost disappeared, she asked:

“…w-why…?”

“I just… I don’t think I’m good enough for you.”

“Why would you think that?!”

She suddenly stood up, the sound of her chair scraping loud and sharp.

“If anything—I’m the one who’s not good enough for you—!”

“Mitsuki, hey—calm down.”

I gently motioned for her to sit back down.

She glanced around at all the eyes now fixed on us, took a shaky breath…

And slowly, quietly, settled back into her seat.

“You’re cute, Mitsuki. And smart too. I’m sure tons of people like you.”

“Getting attention from anyone other than Haru-senpai doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Her words hit harder than I expected.

“…Just give me a little time to think about it.”

That was all I could manage.

I needed to pause. Breathe. Let my brain catch up.

And to my surprise, after just a brief moment of hesitation—

“…Alright.”

She backed off way more easily than I’d expected.

“…Really? That’s okay?”

I mean, I was the one who asked for time, but the way she agreed so quickly totally threw me off.

Then Mitsuki gave me that familiar little grin—the kind that always meant she was up to something.

“It’s totally fine. At first, I was terrified—like, what if you said no? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something… You’re actually thinking about the idea of dating me. That means I’m already important enough for you to even consider it.”

…Okay, what kind of person am I in her head right now?

“That’s when I realized—if I want you to like me, I just have to make you fall for me.”

“Make me… like you?”

“Yep! Because if you—Haru-senpai—end up falling for me while thinking it over… then maybe you’ll be the one to confess to me!”

…I couldn’t tell if that was wildly optimistic or slightly manipulative.

And she wasn’t done yet.

“Oh, and Haru-senpai—did you know?”

“Know what?”

“You’ve pretty much never turned down one of my requests.”

“…Really?”

But I mean… isn’t that what being a senpai’s all about?

Letting your adorable junior get away with a little selfishness now and then?

“So I’m sure… this time too… it’ll work out…”

…Hmm?

Mitsuki mumbled something under her breath at the end,

But I couldn’t tell if I misheard her—or if she actually said what I thought she said.

Either way—I stayed quiet.

“Wanna get out of here now?”

“…Yeah. Feels kinda awkward staying here.”

We’d attracted way too much attention.

We both downed our barely touched drinks in one go—

Then practically bolted from the café like we were making a getaway.

After that, we finally got back to our original mission: buying rice bowls.

“…You sure you’re okay with this one?”

“Yup. I want ours to match too, Senpai.”

In the end, we didn’t go with the couple set.

Instead, Mitsuki picked the exact same bowl I did—just one size smaller.

“…Alright, let’s head home.”

“Actually… there’s one place I wanna stop by first. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

By the time we stepped out of the shopping mall, the sun was already starting to set.

The sky was painted with soft orange hues, the sun dipping halfway behind the horizon.

“This way.”

She tugged on my arm and led me to… the bus stop?

“Huh? We’re going somewhere?”

“It’s a secret spot.”

A secret, huh.

That actually got me a little excited.

We hopped on the bus, and after riding for a little over ten minutes,

We got off in a quiet residential area.

It was one of those newer neighborhoods built along the side of a mountain—

A bit of a distance from where we lived.

“I’ve never really come out this way before…”

“I actually come here a lot. Especially when I want to be alone.”

“You have times like that?”

As someone who lived alone, I couldn’t really relate to the whole need to escape thing.

“Of course I do. Like when I argue with my parents… Or when I try to get your attention and you completely ignore me.”

“…”

Oof.

That one hurt.

“Just kidding. You didn’t ignore me—I just didn’t have the guts to really put myself out there.”

The way she said it… like if she’d just been a little braver, I would’ve fallen for her on the spot.

Yeah—this girl was probably way more popular than I ever realized.

“We’re here.”

We weaved through the narrow residential streets,

And Mitsuki led the way with quiet confidence—like she knew every turn by heart.

What we found at the end of the path was a small park, tucked away in the middle of the mountain.

But the real surprise?

Just past the safety fence was a perfect panoramic view of the entire town.

A hidden little lookout spot, like a secret carved out just for her.

“…This is incredible.”

“Right?”

Just as she said that, the sun dipped behind the western hills—

And the lights of the city below began to twinkle like stars scattered across the earth.

“No one ever comes here, so it’s my own little secret place.”

“…Is it okay? Sharing it with me?”

“Of course! I’ve always wanted to come here with you someday.”

“Thanks. For showing me something this amazing.”

“You’re welcome.”

Mitsuki let out a soft giggle, then stepped closer—

So close, her face was right in front of mine.

She was a head shorter than me, but even in the dim light, I could see her clearly.

Her expression looked like a mix of a smile, a secret plan… and maybe just a touch of sadness.

And then—

“Give me a memory.”

With those quiet words, she reached up, wrapped her arms around the back of my head—

And pulled me in for a kiss.

It happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to react.

Her momentum took over completely—

—And our teeth bumped.

“～～～～!!”

The jolt made my head spin—

But judging by the little stumble she made, Mitsuki felt it too.

Even so, she didn’t let go.

She clung to the back of my head with surprising strength for someone her size,

And I just… let it happen.

Let her happen. 

For a while, Mitsuki kept her eyes shut—

But slowly, she opened them.

Our eyes met.

And she gave me this shy, squinty-eyed smile before gently pulling away, like she really didn’t want to let go.

“…I guess first kisses don’t turn out all smooth and dramatic like in the movies, huh?”

She laughed, cheeks burning bright red, lit softly by the moonlight above.

And I…

I couldn’t stop staring at her.

At how bold she was.

At the feeling of that very first kiss.

At how beautiful she looked right now.

I just stood there, completely caught in the moment—

Lost in her.