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 17: Snow White, Karaoke Date, and An Indirect Kiss.

Snow White, Karaoke Date, and An Indirect Kiss.

“Was karaoke a good choice?”

Having entered the karaoke store in front of the station, Takashi asked Himeko again about being together.

Marika had suggested karaoke, saying it would be better to avoid places with many people since Himeko seemed to have developed a fear of being bullied. However, there might be some dissatisfaction with the choice.

Even though she reassured him with a smile, the situation of being alone with someone of the opposite sex remains unchanged, so it would be better to ask her properly.

Although they were already alone at home.

“It’s okay. You chose karaoke thinking about me, right?”

His tone of voice made it seem like he understood why they chose karaoke.

He decided to keep the fact that Marika suggested karaoke a secret. Manga cafes, where they wouldn’t interact with others much, were also considered, but since Himeko had mentioned not being familiar with anime and such before, they settled on karaoke.

“Shall we sing then?”

“Yes.”

We entered a room with a free time slot, complete with a drink bar. Placing the tea I brought on the table, I settled into the sofa. It was slightly firmer than the one at home, but not something to fuss over.

“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

“Of course.”

The spacious room for just the two of us created a more intimate setting. Despite another sofa on the opposite side of the table, Himeno chose to sit next to me, placing her pouch on the table.

“By the way, I usually sing only anime songs. Is that okay?”

Given my history of watching anime, singing anime songs was the natural choice for me. Himeno seemed fine with it, expressing curiosity about the songs I would choose.

“Sure, Taka-kun. I’d love to know the songs you sing.”

Chon, her fingertips lightly brushed against the back of my hand.

Given her past experiences with bullying and the fact that she spends a lot of time alone at home, I figured she reached out because of the loneliness.

“Okay then. There are some famous anime songs, so I think we’ll be good.”

“Yes, definitely. I should recognize them to some extent if they’re popular.”

The older anime songs seem to be different, but nowadays, even famous artists sing anime songs. Plus, with voice actors making more appearances on TV and the internet, it’s becoming common knowledge, even for those who aren’t hardcore anime fans.

I’ve been into anime and anime songs since I was a kid, so I know a bit more than the average person. Of course, I’m not on par with the hardcore otaku level of knowledge.

I selected a song on the karaoke machine and started singing an anime song.

***

“It looks delicious, doesn’t it? Yeah.

After singing for a while, Himeno and I decided to grab lunch since it was around noon.

I ordered fried rice and french fries, and Himeno went with just a Caesar salad.

We shared the french fries, and it seemed like salad and potatoes were enough for Himeno, given her delicate figure.

With a polite ‘Itadakimasu,’ we both dug into our meals.

“It’s delicious.”

“Yeah, it is.”

The fried rice and potatoes were probably frozen, but they were well-seasoned and tasty.

The Caesar salad, with its lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, dressing, and a poached egg on top, looked appealing too.

“Do you want some?” she asked, poking the salad with her fork.

“Huh?”

Himeno brought the fork to my mouth.

“Oh, I can eat by myself.”

The cold was gone, and there was no need for the ‘ahh’ feeding routine anymore.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I declined, but strangely, Himeno didn’t move the fork away from my mouth.

“Taka-kun, you use a spoon, so I thought eating the salad might be a bit tricky. You don’t dislike salad, right? I’ve seen you eat it before.”

“I don’t dislike it, but…”

Touching the fork with my mouth would make it an indirect kiss, a different dynamic from the casual interactions with my childhood friend, Marika.

I hadn’t experienced indirect kissing since entering adolescence, and surprisingly, she didn’t even feel embarrassed about it. Perhaps Himeno was just trying to help me eat the salad with the fork, and she might not even realize the potential for an indirect kiss.

“Ah.”

Seeing her look like she wanted me to do it, I ate the salad, suppressing the embarrassment bubbling up within me. The combination of crisp lettuce, Caesar dressing, and a poached egg was undeniably delicious.

“Alright, your turn.”

Knowing this kind of thing is embarrassing, I used a spoon to scoop up some fried rice and brought it to Himeno’s mouth. Feeling embarrassed was a given; after all, experiencing the ‘ahh’ routine myself had made me self-conscious.

Even if others might not pick up on it, the embarrassment lingered.

“Ah, ahh…”

Himeno’s blushing cheeks revealed the embarrassment she felt as she chewed on the fried rice, looking cute and somewhat like a small animal enjoying a meal.

“Oh… Is this considered an indirect kiss?”

Her cheeks turned even redder after swallowing the fried rice. It must be quite a new and intense experience for Himeno, who likely hadn’t encountered an indirect kiss before.

“Uh, sorry about that.”

“I-It’s okay.”

Both of us, overwhelmed by embarrassment, turned our faces away from each other, making it difficult to continue eating for a while.