The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 21: I Want To Know You.

I Want To Know You.

After a somewhat exhausting lunch break, it’s time to tackle the second half of the day.

Instead of large, stationary items like furniture or appliances, I start by picking out items that we can carry by hand.

Mikami-san, in high spirits, is humming to herself and repeatedly murmuring “apron, apron.” Now that I think about it, she did mention something about matching aprons, didn’t she?

So far, the things I know she wants are an apron and a mug. Essential items for her as she enthusiastically transforms my kitchen into her own, dedicated to baking. And, of course, a cup specifically for Mikami-san, who seems more than ready to practically live at my place. Maybe I should grab a few glasses for cold drinks while I’m at it.

But I know that won’t be the end of it.

Mikami-san is the kind of girl who could easily spend two hours just browsing furniture and appliances. I’d be naïve to think she’d stop at just a few accessories.

“Kirishima-san! Let’s hurry up. If we don’t move fast, our matching mugs will escape!”

“Mugs don’t run away.”

“They might sell out!”

It’s unlikely the mugs will disappear anytime soon, but seeing how excited Mikami-san looks, I’ll play along for her sake.

“Alright, let’s go. Where’s the aisle?”

“I think it’s over there.”

With that, she subtly takes my hand and starts leading the way.

Normally, I might pull away, but… maybe letting her do something as innocent as this isn’t so bad after all. I guess I’m getting a little affected myself.

***

I’m being led around to various sections by Mikami-san, following wherever her interests take us, fully immersed in the shopping experience.

To be honest, I thought I’d just end up carrying her shopping bags, but as we wander through aisles filled with so many things, I find myself unexpectedly drawn to some items as well.

When I first started living alone, I bought only the bare essentials. Because of that, Mikami-san has called my place “a bit lonely” and is now eagerly revamping it. I’ve even started picking up a few convenient but non-essential items, inspired by her enthusiasm.

Mikami-san is piling our shopping cart with cooking utensils and anything else she might need to make herself comfortable at my place. I even noticed some tableware, like chopsticks—maybe she’s planning to start having meals here soon. Well, I don’t really mind if she makes herself at home, but it’s starting to look like her personal belongings are going to take over.

“How’s it going? Think you’ll need more time?”

“I’ve secured the things I planned on getting, but now that I’m here, I keep finding more things I want,” she says with a chuckle.

“I get it. Being in a place like this makes you want to pick up everything.”

“Yet your place is still practically empty, Kirishima-san. Do you have no desire for nice things?”

“I have the usual amount, I’d say.”

Since I just started this new life, though, I haven’t done much shopping yet. Living alone, it’s honestly a bit of a hassle. There are a few things I thought would be nice to have, but never got around to buying, so being dragged out here turned out to be a good opportunity.

“By the way, are you sure you’re okay money-wise? You were already spending quite a bit on appliances… Should I chip in too?”

“No need! These are all necessary investments,” she says confidently.

“…I see.”

“Yes, exactly.”

Despite spending a fair amount on appliances and furniture, Mikami-san’s shopping spree shows no signs of slowing down. Without even a glance at her wallet, she’s filling up the cart without hesitation, so I guess she really doesn’t have an issue.

Who exactly is Mikami-san?

It suddenly hits me that I don’t actually know much about her at all.

What do I know about Mikami-san? She lives in the same apartment complex, goes to the same high school, is popular enough to be called “out of reach,” is a good cook, rarely listens to others, and…is pretty self-centered.

That’s about it, really.

Then again, it makes sense. Her unconventional sense of boundaries makes it easy to forget, but we haven’t spent much time together. We’re not lifelong friends or anything like that—just classmates who connected by chance. And yet, before I realized it, she’s become a part of my daily life.

“What’s on your mind?”

“It’s just… I realized I really don’t know anything about you, Mikami-san.”

“Well, I still have so much to learn about you too, Kirishima-san. So… I plan to take the time to get to know you better.”

“…I see. So, from now on, huh.”

“Yes, we have plenty of time. There’s no need to rush.”

She’s right. Either way, Mikami-san is bound to disrupt my solitary life.

She’s making the choice to be involved. As we spend more time together, things I don’t know about her will naturally turn into things I do.

It’s not hard, really. All I have to do is accept the intrusion, and she’ll gradually close the distance between us on her own.

***

When we got off the train, the sky was painted with the colors of sunset.

I had been enjoying myself so much that I lost track of time… but it’s clear now that shopping with a girl does take a lot of time.

“Are you alright? Is it too heavy?” she asked.

“I’m fine. I’m a guy, after all.”

Mikami-san’s shopping ended up being quite a load. I imagine it would have been difficult to carry everything on her own.

I split the items into fragile and non-fragile, taking the heavier bag for myself, but it doesn’t really bother me. Although Mikami-san called this a necessary “investment” for her comfort, in reality, it makes my place more comfortable too. Sure, her personal items will start taking up space, but the benefits I get out of it far outweigh that. I feel like I’d deserve a little bad luck if I didn’t help out this much.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Kirishima-san?” she asked, her tone carrying a hint of worry.

I was surprised. Given her personality, I thought she’d just flash a smile as bright as the sunset and tell me how much fun she had.

“I did enjoy myself. But, why do you ask?”

“Well, now that I think about it, maybe I got a little carried away and dragged you all over the place…”

“Now you’re realizing that?”

“Uwaa~…”

“But… that’s part of what made it fun.”

It’s true that I was being dragged along by Mikami-san, but I never disliked it. If anything, I willingly let myself go along with it. I was choosing to be “dragged along.”

So there’s nothing for Mikami-san to worry about. Well, maybe she should think a little about how she blurs boundaries, but that’s all.

“Thank you. I had a great time too. But… there’s one thing I regret.”

“Something you regret?”

“When we met up, I wanted to be there first and have you ask, ‘Did I keep you waiting?’ so I could say, ‘No, I just got here.’”

I see. Now I understand why she insisted on meeting up in front of the station and why she arrived so early.

It’s a classic scene in a date.

But since we live in the same apartment complex, it would have been more of a mundane encounter than anything romantic.

That little wish of hers was crushed by an unexpected turn of events, leaving her far from the ideal rendezvous she had imagined. Instead, it turned into a rather frightening experience for her.

“Shall we… meet up again? It’s unfortunate that today didn’t go as planned, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it again, right?”

“…Is that alright? Will you go on another date with me?”

“…If I feel like it.”

It’s still a little embarrassing to be so openly called a date, but if that’s what Mikami-san wants, I’d like to go along with it.

“I’m looking forward to our next date!”

“Yeah.”

“For the next one, I want you to escort me. So please come up with the best date plan, alright?”

…That was an unexpected turn.

But with those sparkling eyes looking at me, it’s hard to say no.

Actually… even if I did refuse, I’d probably end up being persuaded anyway.

I can’t help it. I’ll need to come up with a plan that Mikami-san will enjoy.

To do that… I really need to get to know her better.