The Pure-Hearted Beauty Who Only Dotes on Me Despite Not Being in a Relationship—And How She Became Even Sweeter After We Started Dating - Chapter 22: At the Cafe.

At the Cafe.

“Welcom───ehh, are you two dating?”

As we entered the café ‘hitode,’ Hasebe-san glanced at our intertwined hands, clearly taken aback. Well, it’s understandable to be misunderstood. Even though we’re not holding hands as lovers, it could certainly give that impression.

“No, we’re not dating,” 

“Hmm, well, maybe it’s just normal between you two,” Hasebe-san remarked, leading Mizuki and me to our seats. It was our first time eating here.

We ordered the new cake along with some drinks and engaged in small talk while waiting for our order to arrive.

“I’ve been practicing cooking a few times since then. It’s still not something I’d serve to anyone, but I hope to have you try it someday, Ao-kun,” Mizuki said.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” I replied.

Her dedication to improvement was one of the reasons I liked her.

When our order arrived, Mizuki and I started eating. Mizuki took a photo before taking a bite, and her expression while eating looked genuinely happy.

“Mizuki, there’s cream here,” I pointed out.

“Huh? Oh, where?” Mizuki asked.

“Here,” I said, using my hand to wipe off the cream from near her mouth. Mizuki’s face turned bright red.

“Uh, are you okay? Your face is all red,” I asked.

“I-it’s nothing! Thank you,” she stammered.

In hindsight, I’m not sure why I used my hand instead of a napkin. A napkin would have been just fine.

“Oh, isn’t that Tsuyuzaki-san and Kougami-kun?”

A duo sitting next to us spoke up, and to my surprise, it was Rikuto and Hasekura-san.

“Rikuto and Hasekura-san?”

“Are the two of you, perhaps, on a date?” Hasekura-san asked. Mizuki and I denied it, but they didn’t seem entirely convinced.

“Are you and Tabe-kun on a date, Hasekura-san?”

“No, no, does it look like we’re dating? No way. Rikuto wanted to try the cakes here, but he said he couldn’t handle the café atmosphere alone, so I had to come with him,” Hasekura-san explained.

“Come on, did you really think that?” Rikuto interjected.

“I told you it was okay when you asked me. I actually had plans today, but you kept insisting,” Hasekura-san retorted.

“If you had plans, you should have said so earlier,” Rikuto muttered.

Mizuki and I exchanged bewildered looks at the sudden argument. Just as we were wondering what to do, Mizuki gestured to leave it to her and placed her hand on her chest.

“Hasekura-san, Tabe-san, please keep it quiet in the café,” Mizuki said, putting her index finger to her lips in a “shh” gesture. The cuteness of her gesture made Hasekura-san and Rikuto obediently return to their seats.

The power of that angelic smile… I couldn’t help but feel a little fluttery myself, even though she wasn’t addressing me.

“Are you two childhood friends?” Mizuki asked after Hasekura-san and Rikuto finished ordering.

“Wow, Mizuki, you’re amazing. Ohh, sorry for suddenly calling your name,” 

“It’s okay, Sayaka-san. I just assumed you two were close since you seemed to be getting along well,” Mizuki replied.

“Yeah, you are right. Rikuto and I went to different middle schools, but our parents were friends, so we used to play together a lot…” Hasekura-san trailed off.

“We argue a lot, but somehow we always end up together,” Rikuto added.

As I observed the pleasant atmosphere between Hasekura-san and Rikuto, I couldn’t help but think that these two were truly close friends.

“Since last year, Kougami-kun and Mizuki have been getting along well, right? I wonder what Kougami-kun did to become friends with popular Mizuki?” Hasekura-san asked, coming in with a Kana-like level of enthusiasm. Seriously, what’s with the ‘something’?

“We just happened to start talking, I didn’t do anything special,”

“Looks like you’re not giving us much of an answer, just as Kana said,” Hasekura-san remarked. She must be saying something unnecessary to her.

“Well, they seem like they’re on a date, so let’s not bother them and enjoy ourselves,” she continued, turning to Rikuto to start a conversation.

“A date… Um, Ao-kun… would you like to go to the scenic overlook after this? It’s apparently nearby,” Mizuki suggested.

“Oh, the scenic overlook, huh? I’ve never been there before, so why not?”

***

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I bet the view is even more stunning at night,”

Arriving at the scenic overlook, Mizuki and I gazed out at the scenery.

“Speaking of which, aren’t your parents worried since it’s already late?” I asked. Although I had contacted my parents just to be safe, Mizuki hadn’t shown any signs of contacting hers.

“It’s okay. I informed them that I’d be coming home late this morning,” she reassured me.

“In that case…”

“Since we’re here, why don’t we take some photos? I’m sure we can capture some beautiful shots with the sunset as the backdrop,” Mizuki suggested.

“Well, for the memories… Can you manage a selfie?” I asked, noticing Mizuki’s hesitation as she took out her phone.

“I-I’ll give it a try! Alright, here we go!”

After descending from the observation deck, I decided to accompany Mizuki home.

“Thank you for walking me home,” she said gratefully.

“No problem, it’s not safe for a girl to walk alone,” I replied.

“You’re so kind…”

Mizuki murmured beside me. At that moment, her expression seemed somewhat lonely.

“Mizuki…?”

“Ao-kun, can I ask you something for a moment?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

I waited for her words, and Mizuki spoke in a small voice, “Thank you.”

As we happened to pass by a park, we decided to sit on a bench and talk.

“I’ve worked hard in studying and sports up until now, but lately, I feel like it’s all meaningless,” Mizuki confessed. I couldn’t understand why she felt that her efforts were meaningless.

“Mizuki, you’re amazing. You’ve worked hard in studying, sports, and even recently started cooking, something you weren’t good at before. You’re doing great,” I reassured her, unsure of what words she needed to hear at that moment. I gently stroked her head.

“Ao-kun…”

“Why do you think your efforts are in vain, even though you’re working hard?” I asked, trying to understand.

“It’s not that I want praise or kind words. It’s just… I…” Mizuki trailed off, her expression turning sorrowful. I held her gently as she seemed on the verge of tears.

“Sorry, if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to force yourself. If you’re tired from pushing yourself too hard, it’s okay to take a break. And if there’s something bothering you, I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about it. I’ll listen, whether it’s venting or anything else,” I said softly.

“Thank you…” Mizuki replied gratefully.

TL: You know girls… you can also rely on me…
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