When Two Wounded Hearts Find Solace In Each Other, Snow White (The School's Beauty) And I Were Mistakenly Labeled As A Silly Couple. - Chapter 16: Going Out On A Date While Holding Hands With Snow White.

Going Out On A Date While Holding Hands With Snow White.

“I never expected to be invited to hang out.”

Wearing a navy jacket over a V-neck shirt and jeans, I, Takashi, stood in front of a certain apartment building, feeling the tension in the air.

Last night, on Friday… Himeno invited me to hang out, and now we were heading out together alone.

It hadn’t even been a week since we started talking, so the invitation caught me off guard.

It might be called a date since it was just the two of us, but for Himeno, it was probably a way of saying ‘thank you for comforting me a lot.’

Even though I had only comforted her for two days, I ended up being comforted in return, she cooked for me, took care of me, and it became a situation where everything was taken care of on her end. So, there was no need to go out, but I couldn’t refuse, perhaps because of an atmosphere that made it hard to say no.

As for the cold, my fever went down in just one day, so going out was not a problem. If anything, Marika even told me, ‘If you’re feeling better, try to spend time with Shirayuki as much as possible.’ She might be sympathizing with Himeko, who was bullied, to the extent that she even tried to come up with plans.

“Phew…”

Just before eleven o’clock, I let out a deep breath and entered the apartment building where Himeno lived.

Meeting at the station would be troublesome with the crowd, and if there was a beauty like Himeno, she might end up getting hit on.

To avoid such situations, I decided to go to Himeno’s house.

The entrance of the apartment building was auto-locked, so I pressed the intercom button with room number 302, where Himeno lived.

“Hello.”

“It’s Takahashi.”

“I’ve been waiting for you. Please wait, I’ll be right there.”

Acknowledging, she conveyed, and the call ended.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

After waiting for a few minutes, Himeno emerged from the entrance.

Her floral dress, seemingly perfect for spring, suited the elegant Himeno very well. The dress had elastic at the waist, making it clear how slender her waist was.

I knew she was slim from seeing her in her underwear before, but seeing her this slim made me worry if she might break from a mere accident. Though it was unlikely for her to break easily, she was fine even with a strong embrace.

“Well, how is it?”

Himeno took the hem of her dress and spun around, her cheeks slightly blushing, asking with a shy look.

(This is cheating.)

Although the modest dress reached below her knees, a glimpse of her white thighs appeared as she twirled the hem. I wondered why it was more unsettling to see a brief glimpse than seeing her entire thigh in her underwear. Additionally, the pink shoulder pouch emphasized her chest, making it hard to find a place for my eyes.

“It doesn’t suit me?”

“No… It suits you very well.”

Himeno with a worried expression on her face, I assured her that it looked good on her.

It genuinely suited her, so there was no need for her to feel down.

“Thank you very much.”

Seemingly pleased with the compliment, she blushed, looked down, and asked for my opinion.

While compliments like “cute” might be something she’s used to, maybe she’s not accustomed to compliments on her everyday attire. It’s not that she isn’t stylish, but perhaps she hasn’t received many compliments on her casual wear in front of the opposite sex, given the limited opportunities.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes. But, um…”

Himeno’s hesitancy was evident as she fidgeted, her cheeks tinted with a rosy hue. I couldn’t help but wonder about her sudden shyness.

“Well, if you’re okay with it, would you mind… holding hands?”

“Holding hands?”

My body responded with an unexpected surge of heat. The mere suggestion of holding hands with Himeno, despite the more intimate acts we’d shared recently, surprisingly felt more embarrassing.

“Yes. There might be a chance we’ll encounter the girls who bullied me, so…”

“Indeed…”

Her concern was understandable. The station area, with its various commercial spots, was the likely rendezvous point. A facade of a date might ward off potential awkward encounters.

“W-Okay.”

Despite the awkwardness, I agreed. The odds of running into those girls were slim, but not nonexistent. Holding hands, even as a precaution, seemed like a reasonable choice.

“Himeno?”

“This way, it looks more like a date.”

To my surprise, she intertwined her fingers with mine. The warmth from her hand radiated through my own, and I couldn’t help but feel an added layer of embarrassment. Holding hands with Himeno, with her modest and innocent demeanor, invoked a different kind of flutter in my heart compared to Marika.

“S-So, shall we go?”

“Y-Yes.”

As we walked together, both of us feeling a bit self-conscious, I couldn’t help but reflect on the surreal nature of the situation. Escorting Himeno, her occasional shy smiles, and the uncertainty of what awaited us made the moment uniquely memorable.