The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 37: The Best Part.

The Best Part.

Afterward, I pulled along a disappointed Mikami-san, who was grumbling about her pitching and batting, and we headed toward the food court.

Since we’d still be exercising more, I figured I’d keep my meal light to avoid any issues from overeating.

As for Mikami-san… well, I’m not sure. She had her cheeks puffed out, looking like a cute little pufferfish. I had the urge to poke her cheeks with my finger.

“Hey, how long are you going to stay sulky?”

“But… I was so close…”

“Well, yeah, you did great. Toward the end, you were almost consistently hitting it back to center field.”

She wasn’t lying when she said she was close. But it’s also true that she didn’t quite make it. I forced us to wrap it up before she got too worked up, thinking it’d be hard to find a good stopping point otherwise. Still… did she really want to hit a home run that badly? The prizes were probably just small snacks or drinks, anyway.

“Mikami-san, are you a perfectionist? I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type to get so hung up on results or scores.”

“It’s not that, but… I wanted to show you my best side, Kirishima-san.”

With a shy mumble, Mikami-san fidgeted, twisting her index finger in front of her chest.

So that’s why she kept trying over and over? Seeing that earnest expression, her upward glance, and knowing why she couldn’t give up… it was too adorable, and I could hardly breathe.

This isn’t fair.

Her cuteness was so overwhelming that I momentarily froze, unable to handle it.

“Kirishima-san?”

“Oh, no… uh, yeah… I’d like to see more of your best, too… Mikami-san.”

“I’ll do my very best!”

I felt a brief moment of panic, realizing I’d just blurted out something embarrassingly earnest. But since Mikami-san’s pout turned into a smile, I’ll call it a win.

“By the way… Kirishima-san, you’ve just been watching the whole time. Isn’t it boring for you?”

“Just watching you have fun is enough to make me enjoy myself, too. And there’s still plenty more to come, right? Don’t overdo it, or you’ll wear yourself out. It’s all about pacing.”

“I see…”

“I want to enjoy this with you all the way to the end, Mikami-san. So don’t push yourself too hard, and make sure you rest if you’re tired, alright?”

As Mikami-san continued to retry over and over, I found myself mostly just watching.

The truth is, I have some concerns about my stamina. I’m not exactly confident that I could keep up with Mikami-san’s pace.

Honestly, I’m quite impressed by her ability to keep playing back-to-back like that. But hey, she can play as much as she wants, and I get to watch her enjoying herself, which is a pleasure in itself, and I can take breaks while she’s at it—a win-win for both of us.

Knowing I’ll probably be dragged around by Mikami-san all day, I plan to conserve energy whenever I can.

“So, what should we do next after a light bite?”

“I’d love to do the classics like bowling, then maybe karaoke, and I can’t overlook ping pong and billiards either.”

“…That’s quite the list.”

“To fully enjoy everything to our heart’s content, there’s just not enough time. How about we make it a three-day, two-night adventure?”

“Not happening. Give it up.”

“…That’s disappointing.”

Where exactly does she plan on staying? Even if I agreed to three days and two nights, I’d be utterly useless by tomorrow. There’s no future in which I’d be moving around pain-free, muscles aching non-stop. One full day of fun and then a quiet, restful weekend sounds just right.

“Hm, if we play something like tennis or ping pong together, I can summon you into the action, Kirishima-san.”

“…You know, you can always play solo.”

“You did just say you’d enjoy it with me, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah, I did.”

Yes, I said it, but narrowing down activities just to pull me in sounds like a calculated strategy on her part. I’d prefer if she allowed me some downtime, watching her enjoy herself from a distance.

“Once we finish eating, let’s start with ping pong, then tennis, then basketball.”

“I’ll just ask—are we practicing serves or…?”

“Obviously, we’re playing matches.”

And she’s arranged everything as competitive ball games.

Well, no use fighting it.

“It’s a competition! Loser has to do a penalty game.”

“Aw, come on, no way.”

“I didn’t hear that.”

She loves this—bets, penalty games, the works.

Knowing I won’t have a say, I’d like to avoid whatever her penalty game would be, but as expected, my objections are met with flat-out rejection. Mikami-san has a way of pushing things through just like this…

“By the way, what’s the penalty game?”

“The penalty game is a penalty game. I’ll decide once I win.”

“So, all I have to do is not lose…”

Not knowing the exact punishment makes me a little nervous, but I am admittedly curious about what kind of penalty Mikami-san would face.

I’m not particularly skilled at any of these sports, but being a guy gives me a slight advantage physically, so maybe it’s worth putting in some extra effort.

But, before that—

“By the way, Mikami-san, are you going to get something to eat?”

“…I said I’d get something later, and then I forgot.”

She looked a bit sulky, like a pufferfish, and had put off buying food until now.

I’d already bought my food and started eating…

“Kirishima-san, those fries look tasty. Share some with me.”

Ah, so she’s given up on getting her own. Actually, I’d realized I might’ve gotten too much, so this works out nicely… but how should I go about this?

Knowing Mikami-san… this might be the right way to go.

“Oh? Are you going to feed me?”

“…Forget I said that.”

I picked up a few fries and held them out to her.

I thought she’d insist on me feeding her like last time if I just handed her the whole thing, but maybe I read too much into it. Embarrassing.

“Hold on.”

Just as I was about to pull my hand back out of sheer embarrassment, she firmly grabbed my hand and started eating.

She’s cute… like feeding a little rabbit.

But… could you please not bite my fingers, too?