The Handsome Girl Who Stole My Girlfriend Seems to Be After Me Now - Chapter 25: No Need to Be So Disappointed…

Chapter 25: No Need to Be So Disappointed…

I cautiously turned around at the husky voice I’ve now grown accustomed to hearing, and as expected, it was Mizushima, who had been lying in wait beside the main gate.

“Wow, you’re too surprised.”

“Mizushima? Why are you here…?”

“I was waiting for you, Souta. I thought we could go back to the station together.”

Saying so with an unconcerned expression, Mizushima swiftly intertwined her left arm with my right. I’m not unsettled by this anymore, but she’s still someone who never hesitates to show physical affection.

“Together… That’s not okay! If someone from school sees us here!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll choose a path that’s less likely to be taken by our classmates.”

“I feel like that’s not the only issue… By the way, where’s Ena-chan? Did you leave her alone?”

“No, no. Ena-chan has club activities, you see.”

“Club activities… Ah, right.”

I remembered that Ena-chan had mentioned she would join the handicraft club upon advancing to senior high.

She actually wanted to join the cinema club with me, but it seems her friends desperately advised against joining such a “weirdo’s nest.” So, she decided to pursue her next interest, handicrafts.

“I’ll try my best so that someday, I can make a knitted scarf for you, Souta-kun.”

I remember her saying something like that to me in the past.

I really wanted Ena-chan’s knitted scarf… It would surely be warmer than any high-quality material scarf.

“Come on, don’t just stand there daydreaming. Let’s go, Souta.”

“Ah, hey…”

My brief trip down memory lane was cut short. Without waiting for my response, Mizushima started walking ahead quickly.

Sigh, once she’s set on something, there’s no talking her out of it…

And was she really waiting for me all this time, not knowing when I’d pass by the main gate? What if I had been the type of club member who was serious about activities?

It feels like she’s going to such lengths just to spend time with me, which seems unnecessary.

“…You really are strange, you know.”

“It’s because I’m in love.”

Mizushima responded with a grin, completely unfazed by my sarcasm.

※ ※ ※ ※

After that, during the afternoons, Mizushima kept catching me as I was about to head home, insisting, “Let’s go back together.” So, I reluctantly agreed to go with her.

Of course, Mizushima wasn’t content with just walking back to the nearest station from school.

We made detours for snacks, did a bit of window shopping in the shopping district, turning our walks home into something like after-school dates.

Naturally, because we were dawdling, there were a few close calls with other students from our school. Each time, we had to hide or pretend to be someone else to get by, but Mizushima seemed to enjoy even those moments.

“This might actually be okay. So exciting.”

Every time Mizushima says such carefree things and laughs, I find myself sighing and shrugging my shoulders. It’s silly of me to be on edge, wondering when we’ll be found out.

And so, on the fifth after-school “date” on a Friday, Mizushima finally dropped the question.

“Hey, Souta. Where should we go for our date tomorrow?”

There it was.

I’d been waiting for those words.

I silently made a fist pump where Mizushima couldn’t see, then tried to keep my cool as I replied.

“Ah, about that. I can’t have a date tomorrow.”

“Eh?”

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I’m running away from our challenge.”

I waved my hand to stop a puzzled Mizushima, feeling like a lawyer presenting decisive evidence.

“I have work tomorrow. Sorry, but I can’t hang out with you. I can’t just skip work to go out with a girl, right?”

Take that! Even you can’t argue against such a solid reason!

I’m usually swept away by whatever you want to do, but not this time!

“Heh…Souta, I didn’t know you had a job.”

As I felt a sense of victory inside, Mizushima asked with a slightly puzzled look.

She usually acts like hse can see right through me, but it seems she didn’t know about my activities in the cinema club.

“Is it a short-term job?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah.”

“Hmm, I see. What kind of job is it?”

As expected, Mizushima tried to casually dig for information.

But of course, I had no intention of telling her anything.

“That’s a secret.”

“Eh, you’re keeping secrets? When did you get the job?”

“That’s a secret too.”

“Is there something you want to buy?”

“Secret~”

“…Is it physical labor?”

“Stop trying to guess – it’s a secret!”

What are you, a detective? Trying to smoothly lead into an interrogation. She’s really someone you can’t let your guard down around.

“Hmm… A job you can’t even tell your ‘lover’ about. Sounds sketchy.”

“Say what you want. Anyway, I have work tomorrow, so our date is postponed.”

“…Postponed, huh?”

Mizushima finally seemed out of options, sighing deeply.

It looked like her mood had dropped significantly.

Ugh, even though this was my plan, making her this disappointed kind of makes me feel guilty.

I thought she would push a bit more, so it’s a bit anticlimactic…

Unable to stand the awkward silence, I waved my hands in a joking manner.

“Hey, don’t be so dramatic. It’s just missing one day of dating, right? Is it really something to be that disappointed about?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Mizushima nodded without hesitation, her face growing even more dejected.

I couldn’t bring myself to tease her anymore after seeing that.

Sigh… Give me a break.

When you make such a meek face, it throws me off too.

“…The job is only for tomorrow.”

“Eh?”

“I don’t have work on Sunday. I plan to just laze around at home… unless something comes up.”

Mizushima looked up at me with hopeful eyes, seemingly catching on to what I was hinting at.

If this girl had ears and a tail, they’d probably be wagging like crazy right now.

“Fufu… Souta, even if you were the villain, you’d be the type to protect the hero and die in the end, huh?”

…Shut up.

And don’t talk about dying. It’s bad luck.