The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 18: "My" "Yours"

“My” “Yours”

After going through a series of uneventful, albeit chaotic, weekdays, the promised day finally arrived.

Mikami-san seemed determined to invade, as she was now visiting almost every day, treating my home like her own. She measured various spots around the room, pointed out the lack of kitchen supplies, and boldly laid out plans in front of me to bring in furniture and other items.

And so, here I was, preparing for a date with her. Strangely enough, we had agreed to meet in front of the station.

Even though we lived in the same apartment complex on different floors, I figured that if we timed it right, we could just meet up in the elevator. Given Mikami-san’s tendencies, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she showed up at my door early, ringing the bell repeatedly.

The meeting time was set for ten in the morning.

I woke up around the time I usually would for school and took my time getting ready.

Just the fact that I was going out with a girl was already nerve-wracking, but with Mikami-san insisting for days that it was a date, I felt even more anxious.

Still, since it was a date, it felt only proper to put in some effort.

There was no way I could afford to oversleep.

With that in mind, I found myself getting ready ahead of schedule, and by the time I looked at the clock, it was still only eight-thirty.

In fact, if I headed to the station now, I would arrive an hour early.

But honestly, that was far better than being late.

Anticipating that I might have to wait around, I packed a book into my bag to pass the time and made my way to the meeting spot.

***

At the station square.

I arrived at the designated meeting spot.

It was a Saturday, so there were quite a few people around.

I still had some time before our agreed-upon meeting time.

I looked around for a place that wouldn’t be in anyone’s way and then froze.

There she was.

Mikami-san was already there.

That in itself wasn’t too surprising… but the current situation made it so.

Mikami-san was being approached by two men.

“Hey, lady, you’re cute. Are you alone?”
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Forget him and come hang out with us.”
“No, thanks.”
“Don’t say that. It’ll be way more fun with us. We can show you some good times.”
“… Please take that elsewhere. You’re being a nuisance.”

I could hear their conversation.

It was a classic pickup attempt. The guys looked older, probably college students just looking to have fun.

Mikami-san shot back with the cold demeanor she had when rejecting confessions, but the men pressed on, seemingly enjoying her defiance.

Mikami-san was glaring at them, trying to intimidate them, but they showed no signs of backing down.

(I can’t just watch this)

The two of them crowded around Mikami-san. Though she held herself upright, I could tell it was a facade of bravery.

“Come on, isn’t it time to wrap this up?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“Hey, don’t touch my Mikami-san with those filthy hands.”

Mikami-san’s body tensed, and she shut her eyes in fear. I stepped in between her and the outstretched hands, pulling her close to me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“You can see, right? I’m her meeting partner.”
“Tch, so she’s taken.”
“Let’s find someone else.”

For a moment, they glared at me, but since we were in a crowded area, they seemed unwilling to escalate the situation. They clicked their tongues in annoyance and backed off.

Inside, my heart was pounding.

I couldn’t use the same tactics I had when I first met Mikami-san.

But as soon as I realized I had to intervene, my body acted on its own.

My voice came out lower than I expected, and I directed my irritation at them, but since they retreated, it ended up being a win.

Once I was out of that crisis, I began to calm down. But I was burning with embarrassment, wondering if I had just said something incredibly cringeworthy.

It was completely unconscious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to say something so embarrassing.

Trying to pull away from Mikami-san, I found that she was gripping my clothes tightly, preventing me from separating.

“Um… Mikami-san?”

“I’m sorry. Just let me stay like this for a little longer…”

Her voice was muffled and trembled slightly, and I could feel her head pressing against my chest.

That’s right. She must have been scared.

Two guys had cornered her like that. There was no way she wouldn’t be terrified.

Honestly, I was embarrassed, but right now, taking care of Mikami-san was my top priority.

I shifted us to a quieter spot, holding her close until she calmed down.

***

“I’m sorry. I’ve calmed down now.”

“Glad to hear it.”

After a while, Mikami-san stopped crying and pulled away from me. I bought two drinks from a vending machine and handed one to her.

“First of all… I’d like to thank you again. You saved me once more. I really appreciate it.”

“Ah, but you don’t need to think of any tangible reward like last time. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“… Yes.”

“Actually, I’m sorry for being late to step in.”

“Not at all… You came an hour early for our meeting time, didn’t you? That’s more than early enough.”

Come to think of it, she had a point. I was surprised that she was already here, but I thought I had arrived early enough myself.

It turned out that arriving early had worked out in my favor; my decision to get here ahead of time saved her from a bad situation.

“Though I’m tempted to ask why… it seems it goes both ways.”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

“Was it… another coincidence?”

“It was a coincidence, but I guess I was probably just excited and came early.”

Thanks to Mikami-san constantly reminding me that this was a date, I had prepared thoroughly right from the start, and even though she got here before me, I had consciously decided to leave home early.

Despite my efforts to not think about it too much, I realized I was looking forward to the date with her after all.

“I was too excited and ended up leaving early. That might’ve led to my misfortune, but… I was saved because you felt the same way, Kirishima-san.”

“Really, I’m glad it turned out this way.”

All of this must have been the result of various coincidences coming together. Plus, since she had asked me to help her if something happened, it really was a relief.

“Just to check… should we take a break today and reschedule?”

“No… I’m fine. Even if something happens, I believe you’ll protect me like a hero, Kirishima-san.”

“… Right.”

“Exactly. You were really cool back there. My… hero, right?”

“Um… I was just reacting in the moment, you could say, or rather, I wasn’t thinking at all… So please, just forget about it.”

“I refuse. Impossible. Not happening. Now, let’s go. Our date is just getting started. Come on, escort your Mikami Hina properly.”

“… I get it, but please stop teasing me.”

Mikami-san had recovered, and the date continued.

However… I felt like I was about to die of embarrassment as she brought up the words I had carelessly blurted out.

Still, seeing Mikami-san smile like the sun suited her so much better.

As I writhed in shame, I couldn’t help but think that.