The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 21: It Feels Like Something's Being Steadily Buried

Chapter 21: It Feels Like Something’s Being Steadily Buried

“No way. Ah, hello! I’m Suzuka, Souta’s sister! My silly brother has been in your care!”

After that, overwhelmed by a barrage of questions from his sister, I reluctantly ended up introducing Mizushima. Of course, I hid all details about her being a “girlfriend” or anything of that sort, sticking to the story that she’s just a friend who shares an interest in movies that I met recently.

But, I never expected Suzuka to come back home so soon. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have watched a movie and should have sent Mizushima home right after lunch…

“I had no idea my movie geek, introverted, indoor-loving, not-so-impressive brother had such a cool and beautiful friend!”

“Hey.”

Suzuka, in a tone she never uses in front of the family, freely spoke her mind. While she wasn’t exactly wrong, it was incredibly irritating to hear it from her.

“Sorry for dropping by so suddenly.”

“Not at all! Feel free to come over anytime!”

“Fufu, thank you. I didn’t know Souta had such a cute little sister either. I look forward to getting to know you, Suzuka-chan.”

“Guha!? You’re pretty!? I-I mean, please take care of me and my brother!”

It seems like Mizushima’s natural charm has captivated my silly sister too, just after my mom. Suzuka held her chest, breathing heavily.

What is this idiot doing?

“Enough already. We’re done talking. Go back to your room now.”

“Ha!? No way, no way. I was so dazzled by Miss Shizuno’s glorious presence that I spaced out for a moment.”

Slapping her cheeks lightly, Suzuka then took another good look at Mizushima.

“But seriously…”

“Hm? Something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… looking at you, I can’t help but think my brother is way out of his league. Your hair is silky, your skin is glowing, and your style is outstanding, like a model… Wait, a model?”

At that point, Suzuka seemed to finally realize who she was talking to.

“Wait, what!? Could it be… Shizuno-san you’re the “Sizu”!?”

“Oh? You know about me?”

As soon as Mizushima responded, Suzuka covered her mouth with both hands, visibly thrilled.

“Wow!? No way, this is crazy! What do we do, Ani! It’s the real Sizu-san! No wonder she looked familiar!”

“Ouch, ouch, that hurts.”

I glared at my sister as she excitedly slapped my shoulder without holding back and sighed deeply. So, it seems like Sizu’s name is indeed well-known among middle school girls like Suzuka.

“I really admire Sizu-san! Even though you’re a high school student, you’re such a cool model, and your photos in magazines are always so emotive!”

Excitedly, Suzuka waved her arms around as she spoke rapidly.

“I’ve been thinking, after my exams are over and I become a high school student, maybe I’ll start making videos or something, hoping to become a charismatic girl like Sizu-san one day!”

“Wow, that’s a great idea. Suzuka-chan is cute, so I bet you’ll become popular quickly.”

“Really!? Then, I’ll work super hard and become famous enough to collaborate with Sizu-san someday!”

Before I knew it, I was completely left out, and the two of them were happily chatting away.

“Wait a minute! When you think about it, it’s ridiculous that Sizu-san goes to the same school as my brother, let alone be friends with him! What joke is this? After all, what did she see in my hopeless brother? Sizu-san, you know he’s neither a celebrity nor a big company’s heir, right? If he’s somehow blackmailing you into hanging out with him, you have to tell me, Sizu-san!”

“Ahaha. Well, you see…”

Can everyone please just leave my room now…?

※　※　※　※

After that, the mood wasn’t right for watching a movie anymore, and Mizushima spent a small hour chatting with Suzuka. As the sun started to set, Mizushima finally seemed ready to leave.

And thanks to Suzuka’s unnecessary comment, “Make sure to walk her to the station!” I found myself walking side by side with Mizushima under an orange sky, through a quiet residential area.

“Thanks for today, Souta. We couldn’t finish the movie, but I had fun on our ‘home date.’ I also got to bond with your family.”

Mizushima said this, peeking at my face as we walked side by side.

“Did you have fun, Souta?”

“Well, I don’t think it was about having fun or not…”

“Okay. I’ll come again then.”

“What do you mean ‘again’? Don’t come back.”

My dismissive reply seemed to have become something she was used to. Mizushima shrugged her shoulders as if dealing with a troublesome child, a look of resignation in her eyes. It feels like I’m the one being unreasonable here, which is completely unfair.

As we engaged in this light-hearted banter, we eventually arrived at the nearest station. The station square at dusk was bustling, a stark contrast to the quiet residential area. There were people coming and going, and we might run into Mizushima’s fans. It’s best to part ways quickly.

“Look, you know your way from here. I’m heading back home.”

“Thanks for walking me here. It was really helpful. Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

With that, I turned around to leave Mizushima behind. Finally, I have some free time after almost a whole day. I’ll go home, have dinner, and maybe continue watching that zombie movie from earlier.

“Hey, Souta.”

Just as she called my name and I turned my head back…

── smooch.

As soon as I smelled the familiar fragrance of osmanthus, I felt a soft touch on my left cheek. It took me a few seconds to realize that Mizushima had kissed me.

“Ah, that was close. I was aiming for your lips, but ended up on your cheek.”

“Wha, hey, ha?… You, just what!?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? It’s just a continuation of earlier. But well, seeing your cute face today is enough for me.”

As I stood there, my face turning red, Mizushima teased me for a bit before saying “Bye-bye” with a genuinely happy smile and waving her hand.

“Looking forward to tomorrow.”

I could only watch her confidently walking away, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

“Haa… darn, such a flirt.”