The youthful romantic comedy between my “commuting wife” and me is too sweet!!

Episode 5

I was walking along the promenade by the coast.

It was already getting a bit dark, and it was almost night.

The coastline from the school in Yatsuhama to the one in my area, Hasegasaki, has a promenade.

If you go down the stairs from the promenade, it directly connects to the beach, where Sagami Bay spreads out.

The promenade is about two train stops in distance, and if you walk slowly, it would take around thirty minutes.

There are various people using it—elderly people walking their dogs, couples jogging, and some girls who want to make videos for social media, running and jumping on the beach.

Since it was getting late, there weren’t many people around.

“Miu, it’s gotten pretty warm, hasn’t it?”

Miu squinted her eyes and gazed at the horizon, tinged with the evening twilight.

I stopped and looked in the same direction as her.

The sea breeze was pleasant, and there was a bit of spring warmth. But it was still slightly chilly.

“Yeah… This temperature is nice for walking.”

“Right.”

We exchanged those simple words, and without either of us saying anything, we held hands and started walking.

“Um…”

“Hm?”

“Do you want to walk on the sand?”

“Eh? Sure, but your shoes will get sand in them.”

Miu smiled and said, “I don’t mind at all.”

If she didn’t mind, there was no reason to oppose it.

But I couldn’t help but wonder if it would make us return later than planned.

Miu’s parents were quite strict compared to mine, who were a bit too laid-back.

Since both her parents worked, it seemed they were somewhat flexible about curfew, but they still set it at around ten o’clock.

“Well, it’s still a while until ten, so it should be fine.”

I quickly checked the time on my phone.

It was just after six.

We continued walking hand in hand until we reached the beach.

By this time, there were almost no people on the shore—only a few people left.

“Actually, there’s something that’s been bothering me lately.”

Miu suddenly spoke up.

She looked a bit angry.

I wondered what was going on.

“What’s bothering you? Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, really?! Did I do something?”

I said that as a joke, but to my surprise, it actually was about me.

I had no idea what I’d done wrong.

Miu then smiled and giggled softly.

“Well, it’s about Souma-san, I’m not mad about you though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Uh…”

When I asked her to clarify, Miu kicked a dry piece of driftwood lightly with the tip of her loafer.

“Some of the girls in my class, and even some from other classes, have started saying, ‘Yuki-kun is actually pretty cool, right?’ They didn’t say anything like that before, but now that we’ve started dating, they’re saying it. It makes me kind of mad.”

She puffed her cheeks a bit, looking frustrated.

“Why are you angry?”

“Well, because I’ve always thought you were cool. Doesn’t it feel a bit like a late-game move? It’s like they’re just jumping on the bandwagon.”

“Ah, well… That’s something I’m not really sure how to respond to.”

Should I be happy about the compliments, or should I be upset like Miu? It was hard to decide.

If anything, I was more pleased by the fact that Miu had always thought I was cool.

But saying that out loud felt a bit embarrassing.

I understood why she felt that way, though.

As I’d mentioned to Yuuta before, I wasn’t exactly the popular guy at school.

Yuuta, with his sense of humor, was the one who attracted attention—more for his entertainment value than anything else.

I was usually just there, laughing along with Yuuta, like an accessory to him.

And even now, two months later, I didn’t think I had changed that much.

Sure, I had an amazing girlfriend like Miu, but other than that, I hadn’t suddenly become more attractive or gained any major confidence.

I hadn’t even changed how I styled my hair.

The only thing that might have changed was that I had gained a little bit more self-confidence.

Did that self-confidence show to other girls?

“…Are you happy to receive compliments from other girls?”

Miu gave me a slightly upset look, still holding my hand tightly.

“Well… I wouldn’t say I’m not happy…”

“You are!”

“Wait, that’s a misunderstanding! I’m happy, but it’s not the kind of happiness you think.”

“…? What kind of happiness, then?”

Miu tilted her head, confused.

“Umm… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’d be happy if people don’t think I’m unworthy of being Miu’s boyfriend.”

I nearly felt my face catch fire after saying that.

Miu blushed too, quickly looking down at the sand.

But I couldn’t help the feeling of inferiority I’d always had.

Miu was an incredible beauty, admired by all the boys.

I’d heard many rumors about the popular guys from the sports teams confessing to her, only for their hearts to be dashed by the vastness of Sagami Bay.

Meanwhile, here I was, doing nothing special, just going through life.

I wasn’t one of the shining sports stars, nor was I a leader of my class.

So why did a girl as popular as Miu like me? How could I possibly deserve her?

“I… I never thought you weren’t good enough for me, Souma-san.”

Miu mumbled shyly, her voice barely audible above the sound of the waves.

“Uh… Thanks…”

It was still spring, but my face was burning with heat.

A bit of awkwardness lingered as we continued to walk along the beach, but then I heard a small yelp from Miu.

At the same time, my body was pulled towards her.

Apparently, she had lost her footing on the sand.

I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me to steady her.

“Are you okay?”