I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 34: Thus came a significant second step forward.

Thus came a significant second step forward.

After having lunch with Tsubame, she left again for another round of filming. She had to make up for yesterday’s shoot as well, so it sounded like it wouldn’t wrap up until close to eight.

Apparently, her schedule wasn’t always this hectic, but even so, it seemed incredibly demanding.

While Tsubame was back at work, her mother went to pick up the necklace she’d chosen as a gift. It had Tsubame’s initials engraved on it. Since the shop wasn’t busy, the engraving was done in just a few hours, and everything went smoothly.

After that… well, I figured there might come a day when I’d want to give Tsubame a gift myself, so I took the opportunity to look around at different kinds of accessories. Her mother had quite the eye—she often looked for things that might suit Tsubame whenever she had free time.

And so, while all of this was going on, the time came for Tsubame to finish her second shoot of the day.

As soon as I saw her, I could tell she had mentally switched modes again, so I instinctively went through our usual ritual of embracing her. And, once again, we were the center of attention—several staff members did double-takes… or more like five or six glances. Honestly, it felt like overkill, but maybe that’s just how surprising it looked.

That evening, we went out to eat. The restaurant had private rooms, which surprised me at first, but it made perfect sense—we’d cause a scene otherwise. Even outside, we had already been drawing quite a bit of attention.

“Um… Usui-san? I feel like we’re past the point where we can keep this a secret. Is this okay?”

“It’s not like we could hide it forever. Better to let it come out gradually. It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong. …Though, I suppose people would make a fuss if they found out we were sharing a hotel room.”

I winced a little at her words—but she was right. Naturally.

“But your parents gave their permission, right? Tsubame-san?”

“Yeah. They said yes without a moment’s hesitation.”

“They’re always so… casually enthusiastic, aren’t they?”

“Then there’s no issue. The only people who’d try to stir up drama now are those meddling in matters that don’t concern them—and I can handle that.”

Her words were almost too reassuring. Of course, we couldn’t eliminate the risk of public backlash entirely… but perhaps she was right—most of the time, it’s just people who enjoy stirring the pot.

“So don’t worry, Yukitsuki-san. That’s something the adults should take care of.”

“…Understood.”

She was right. This was no longer something I could—or should—interfere with. And I wasn’t about to leave Tsubame, so it was best to trust her.

We moved on and placed our orders. The restaurant had a refined, classic atmosphere, but the menu was surprisingly broad—Japanese, Western, kids’ meals, adult entrees—there was a bit of everything.

I ordered a hamburger steak that wasn’t too pricey—though even that came with domestic wagyu beef.

Usui-san insisted that since she was covering the bill, I should order whatever I wanted. Still, I couldn’t help but hold back out of courtesy.

As we waited for our food, Tsubame suddenly turned to me.

“By the way, Shigure-kun.”

“What’s up?”

“While I was working… what did you and Mom do?”

Her question caught me off guard. But now seemed like the right time.

I glanced at her mother, who gave me a small nod.

“Actually, we went shopping.”

“Shopping? You tagged along with Mom?”

“Not exactly—it was more like she tagged along with me. Well, the thing is…”

I hesitated, not quite sure how to put it into words, then reached into my bag and pulled out a small box.

“Now that your taste and expressions are returning, I thought it was the perfect time to celebrate… so I bought you a gift.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. I talked through it with your mom and picked it out together.”

I handed her the box.

“Congratulations again, Tsubame. From now on, I’m going to make sure you get to enjoy all kinds of delicious food.”

“Thank you, Shigure-kun. I’m going to eat lots of Mom’s food—and yours too.”

She took the box, then looked at it and at me, back and forth.

“Can I open it?”

“Of course.”

The moment I gave her the go-ahead, she gently began unwrapping the box with care, even in her excitement.

When she opened it, her eyes sparkled brighter than ever before.

“…These handkerchiefs are adorable.”

Inside were two handkerchiefs. One had a white base with an embroidered dog. The other had a black background, with a white flower stitched into it—

A white camellia.

“I figured since you like animals, at least one should have something animal-related. I was torn between a dog and a cat… but the first video I ever saw of you was with a Shiba Inu.”

“I love it.”

She clutched the handkerchiefs to her chest and whispered softly.

“I looked around to find a camellia too. In the end, I couldn’t choose between the two… so I just got both.”

“He’s the one who paid, by the way,” her mother added with a smile. “I offered, but he said that since it was a gift for you, he wanted to get it himself.”

“…I see.”

Tsubame held the handkerchiefs close, her expression full of warmth. After staring at them for a while, she looked up at me.

And in that moment— It was like a bolt of lightning struck.

“Fufuu~… I’m really happy.”

She smiled.

Not the polite kind of smile I’d seen before.

She relaxed the corners of her mouth and let out a quiet laugh—a look I’d seen many times when we were little.

But now, that smile struck with an overwhelming force.

A shiver ran through me, raising goosebumps across my skin. I couldn’t take my eyes off her face.

Even breathing… it felt like my body had forgotten how to stay alive. That’s how stunningly beautiful and adorable her smile was.

“…Tsubame.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Without thinking, I reached out. She tilted her head, puzzled, then gently took my hand in hers.

“Wah—”

And just like that, I pulled her close and hugged her.

“Shigure-kun? What’s going on?”

“…I was just really happy. So I had to hug you.”

“Fuufuu~… same as what I do, then.”

I nodded and closed my eyes tightly. Otherwise, I was afraid everything I was feeling might spill over.

I held her close, and she returned the embrace just as tightly.

“From now on, I’ll keep making you smile.”

“…Was I really smiling just now?”

“You were. The brightest smile I’ve ever seen.”

“I see… So I can smile like that again. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

I didn’t know. Maybe it was just a fluke this time. Or maybe it would take something just as meaningful to bring out that kind of smile again.

Either way, it didn’t matter. What I needed to do wouldn’t change.

Feed her lots of delicious food. Share as many happy moments as possible. My ultimate goal was to see her smiling—not just like before, but even more than ever.

“Hey, Shigure-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“What did you think of my smile?”

“…It was adorable. The most beautiful I’ve seen.”

Tsubame let out a satisfied sigh at my response.

“I’m glad. Then I’ll work hard to smile more from now on.”

“You’ve worked so hard already. You don’t have to push yourself.”

“I want to try. Because it makes you and everyone else happy. And I want you to tell me I’m cute again.”

“Then I’ll help however I can.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

I almost blurted out, I’d call you cute as many times as you want—but that’s probably not what she meant.

“Your smile now is absolutely lovely too, Tsubame.”

“Thanks. I’m happy because you hugged me first.”

“Hehe… Then, Shigure-kun, you better keep hugging her lots, okay?”

“…I’ll do it when I just can’t resist anymore.”

Embarrassment started to bubble up. I didn’t regret anything I’d done—but it was finally catching up to me.

I started to loosen my embrace, but—

Tsubame clung tighter and wouldn’t let go.

“Tsubame? It’s probably time to—”

“Nope.”

She interrupted me, then nuzzled her cheek against mine.

“Just a little longer.”

“…The waiter might show up.”

“Hehe. Then let’s show off a little.”

“That’s a one-way ticket to a social media storm.”

This would go way beyond a typical scandal… As I braced myself for the inevitable fallout, I heard Tsubame’s mother chuckle softly.

“You two look like you’re having a great time… so cute. Oh—Usui-san, I hope this isn’t too much for you?”

“As someone who’s never had a partner, let alone a fiancé, this is dangerously sweet…”

And then Usui-san, too, let out a small laugh.

And then this time, it was Usui-san’s soft laughter that reached my ears.

“But thinking back on everything, I truly hope Tsubame-san gets to enjoy days like this… no, even happier ones from now on. …By the way, Yukitsuki-san, you’ll probably be able to tell when the waiter comes by their footsteps, so you don’t need to worry.”

“…Thank you for your consideration.”

“Fufu, as for the present from Mom—let’s save that for after the meal, okay?”

“Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.”

There was no one here who would try to stop her.

And so, I kept hugging Tsubame until I could hear the approaching footsteps drawing closer.

Her emotional state was stabilizing more than I had expected.

That alone made me indescribably happy.

…If possible, I wish she could smile like this at school too.

That thought crossed my mind—but I quickly reminded myself not to get ahead of things.

Rushing it would only backfire. Step by step, slowly but surely. Even if today went better than expected, there’s no guarantee tomorrow will be the same.

…Even as I repeated that to myself, I couldn’t stop the smile that had already softened my face.