The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 17: The Handsome Girl Doesn't Choose Means

Chapter 17: The Handsome Girl Doesn’t Choose Means

After that, when it was about time for mom to head to her yoga class, Mizushima and I saw her off at the house’s entrance.

“Then, Shizuno-chan. Feel free to take it easy as much as you want today. Feel free to use anything in the house, think of it as your own home and relax, okay?”

“Thank you very much. I enjoyed talking with you today.”

“Me too! You’re always welcome to come over, so let’s have a long chat again next time?”

Even though they had met less than an hour ago, it seemed like mom had already taken a liking to Mizushima.

She was getting overly excited, embarrassingly so.

“…Souta. Make sure you take good care of Shizuno-chan. If you neglect her like you did earlier, your dinner tonight will be a raw Carolina Reaper.”

As I frowned, mom suddenly said in a lower voice.

“They don’t sell those at the local supermarket.”

“I’ll buy it online~. And don’t you try anything funny with Shizuno-chan just because I’m not around. …Well, if Shizuno-chan is okay with it, just make sure to use protection—”

“I won’t, okay!? Just go already!”

What is this old lady rambling about in broad daylight?

I practically kicked mom out of the entrance with all my might. After she disappeared behind the door, I let out a deep, really deep sigh.

“Phew… It’s finally quiet.”

“Fufu, you have a nice mom. Seems like you two get along well; I’m jealous.”

“If you think that after what just happened, you might need to see an eye doctor.”

I said dismissively, turning around to face Mizushima.

“Now, it’s your turn. I’ll give you about 10 minutes before I send you on your way.”

“Eh, really? Your dinner tonight might just end up being a Carolina Reaper, you know?”

“Heh, if that’s what it takes to get rid of you, then it’s a small price to pay. I’ll gladly chomp it down raw.”

“I think that’s a bit dangerous…”

Mizushima smirked, but soon that smirk turned into a mischievous grin.

“Since I’ve come all this way, I was hoping for a bit of hospitality.”

“No thanks. I’ve decided to just laze around at home alone today.”

“Aw, how cold.”

“Quiet. Besides, how do you even know where I live?”

“Ah, that. Well… let’s just say, from a reliable source.”

Mizushima dodged the question with a theatrical tone, clearly not intending to reveal her source. Hmph, sly as a fox.

“Anyway, I don’t have time to entertain guests today, especially not someone like you. Got it? Now go home.”

“But, I came here today thinking we could have a “home date.” If you send me away, it’s like you’re running away from a challenge. Are you okay with that?”

“…Tch.”

It’s true that I have a soft spot when you say things like that. But don’t think I’ll always be swept away by your pace.

“I’m not planning to run from the challenge. But, suddenly showing up at my house like this is kind of unfair, don’t you think? At least give me a heads-up next time. I need some time to prepare myself mentally.”

“True, showing up suddenly might have been a bit of a surprise.”

Mizushima shrugged apologetically, but then her sharp eyes narrowed.

“But, if it’s for becoming your girlfriend, I guess a little cheating is okay. So, I’ll probably do similar things in the future.”

Saying sorry, Mizushima smiled gently, unnaturally so.

Mizushima is always laid-back, and it’s hard to tell how serious she is about anything. But sometimes, she looks at me with such seriousness.

“…Why go to such lengths?”

Feeling overwhelmed by Mizushima’s aura, I almost mumbled the question. The answer I got was, as expected, the usual one.

“Because I like you, Souta. Isn’t that obvious?”

…What I really wanted to know was why she liked someone like me so much.

I thought about asking that directly, but somehow, I felt like Mizushima wouldn’t give me a straight answer, so I didn’t.

After all, no matter why she likes me, it won’t change my decision to reject her confession.

“So, let’s have that “home date,” okay?”

“…Fine, do whatever you want.”

Feeling almost desperate, I told Mizushima that.