The Day After I Told My Shut-In Genius Childhood Friend, Who’s Highly Dependent on Me, “I Got Confessed To,” She Showed Me a Hypnosis App

Sunday had come.

Today was the day of my date with Momose-san.

And it wasn’t just any date.

It came with a very important mission.

(…I have to give my answer to her confession.)

The goal today was to respond to Momose-san’s confession. I’d been thinking about my answer up until now. After sleeping on it, I finally managed to come to a conclusion.

I arrived at the meeting spot in front of the station and looked around.

Momose-san wasn’t here yet.

(It’s still thirty minutes early. No wonder she’s not here.)

I checked my appearance quickly with my phone’s front camera.

I’d made an effort to look presentable today. It was a last-minute effort, but I went to the salon yesterday to fix my hair and even bought some new clothes. I think telling the shop staff, “I’m looking for clothes for a date…” helped me feel a little less embarrassed.

(…I wonder if Mio’s okay?)

I hadn’t seen Mio in the past few days. I hadn’t even exchanged messages.

From outside, the Shinonome house was completely dark, with no sign of life. Well, that was pretty normal.

I had my mom check inside, but she didn’t see Mio. For now, she left the meal I made and a letter in the living room. The letter basically said something like, “I’ll forgive you if you’ve reflected on your actions.”

(I’m sure she has reflected.)

Even without sending a letter, Mio would have thought about her actions. But since she tends to be self-critical and think the worst, it was better to let her know that forgiveness was an option.

I never know when she might do something reckless.

(I hope her mind isn’t wandering in a weird direction.)

I still couldn’t fully understand Mio’s way of thinking, but she seemed fine for now. I chatted with my mom to be sure, and everything seemed normal.

(…Maybe I should go see her tomorrow.)

“Honamin.”

“Whoa.”

Just as I was thinking that, someone whispered my name close to my ear. I was surprised as I turned and saw Momose-san.

“You scared me. Momose-san, it’s you.”

“Hehe. You were spacing out, so I decided to play a little trick on you.”

She had the face of a child who had just pulled off a successful prank. Even when she teased me like that, it didn’t feel bad. It was just Momose-san being herself.

“You’re early, Momose-san. There are still twenty minutes to go.”

“Eh, but you’re early too? I actually planned to come a bit earlier, but I couldn’t decide what to wear…”

She laughed and adjusted her bangs as if to cover up her embarrassment.

Momose-san looked more grown-up than usual.

Her hair was different, her bangs had loose waves, and the rest was tied in a braid. Her clothes were stylish too. She wore a checkered skirt with a matching top and an oversized shirt over it. It was different from her usual uniform, and it made her look fresh and even more attractive.

Wow. That really suits you.

“Huh?”

“I-I mean, Honamin, you said it really suits me.”

“…Eh, did I just say that out loud?!”

I quickly covered my mouth, but it was too late.

Why does my mouth suddenly have a mind of its own? It suits you, but saying it sounds weird. Isn’t that kind of a weak reaction for a guy on a date? Shouldn’t I say something a little smarter, more thoughtful? Like… something short but sweet, under 400 characters.

Momose-san’s cheeks were red.

“…T-thank you. I worked hard, so it makes me happy that you think it suits me. ―H-Honamin, you look cool too!”

“Th-thank you…”

“Did you pick out that outfit?”

“No… the shop assistant helped me. I told them I had a date tomorrow.”

Hearing that, Momose-san couldn’t help but giggle.

“That’s so honest!”

“Hey, hey, it’s important to be clear about the situation.”

“So that’s how you picked it out?”

“They basically dressed me up like a doll.”

“Eh! I wanted to see that version of you!”

As we talked, I realized my face was getting red. I bet Momose-san’s were too; her ears were bright pink.

Also, the office ladies nearby had been watching us and whispering things like, “Look! Look at them!” “Whoa… what?!” “Ah… the waves of youth…” When our eyes met, they silently gave a thumbs-up. Not mouth words and just good job gestures.

Momose-san and I had somehow become the fun lunchtime entertainment for working women.

“L-let’s go? The movie might start.”

“Ah, y-yeah! That’s right, we should!”

Momose-san nodded nervously and walked beside me.

I silently thanked the ladies around us for working on a holiday.

◆ “Momose Nanaka”

This morning, I rushed out of the house.

Getting ready had taken longer than I expected.

Come to think of it, I didn’t really know what kind of style Honamin liked.

(He did say he liked Luna-chan.)

Apparently, Luna is his favorite character in Prikle.

She’s a magical girl, but she’s a bit of a girl with a shadowy side.

She’s the opposite of the bright and cheerful heroine, Hikari-chan. I think I’m closer to Hikari-chan myself.

(…Well, it’s just about characters, so it doesn’t really matter!)

I decided to wear something I thought would make me look as cute as possible.

In other words, my older sister’s clothes.

“—Big sister. Can I borrow some clothes?!”

She looked really annoyed, but in the end, she let me.

She even helped with my hair and makeup and said, “It’s a date. Do your best.” How did she know…? She was grinning at me, frozen in front of the mirror.

It was embarrassing, but in the end, it turned out to be the perfect choice.

“—Wow. That really suits you.”

As soon as we met, Honamin said that.

I’d hoped he would say it, but hearing it so easily out loud surprised me, and I couldn’t react properly.

“Huh?”

“I-I mean, Honamin, you said it really suits me.”

“…Eh, did I just say that out loud?!”

His face turned red as he covered his mouth. He hadn’t meant to say it, but he thought it suited me that much. I held my chest and felt my heart swell. Just that small reaction made me nervous. Could I even handle today?

“…T-thank you. I worked hard, so it makes me happy that you think it suits me. ―H-Honamin, you look cool too!”

He shyly said, “Th-thank you…” Yeah. It’s not just me, Honamin’s face is bright red too.

(…Does this mean there’s a chance…?)

I kept talking casually while secretly watching his reaction.

(I’ll ask for his answer a little later.)

Today, we’ll spend time together, and I’ll make my move. I’ll try to change where he’s looking and keep his attention on me.

Honamin in the classroom is staring at an empty seat but…

(Is he really looking at me?)

And if I’m lucky… maybe even further.

―But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.

“L-let’s go? The movie might start.”

“Ah, y-yeah! That’s right, we should!”