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 21: Snow White's Jealousy And A Kiss On The Cheek.

Snow White’s Jealousy And A Kiss On The Cheek.

“This is my room.”

After a delightful dinner, despite not being ready to retire for the night, Himeno led me to her bedroom.

Unlike the sparsely furnished living room, the bedroom had a distinctly feminine touch, adorned with adorable plush toys of dogs and cats.

(Huh? Am I sleeping here tonight?)

Such thoughts crossed my mind as I observed the bed in the room. It was a peach-colored bed, likely where Himeno sleeps every day, and her scent undoubtedly lingered.

Sleeping in such a bed feels awkward.

“It’s embarrassing if you stare too much.”

For Himeno, clad in the new dress she bought today, it seemed embarrassing to have someone see her bedroom.

While I’ve never seen it clearly since she never showed it to me, I, too, would feel uneasy if someone other than Marika were to witness my bedroom.

“My apologies. It’s the first time I’ve entered someone’s room other than Marika.”

Sure, I’ve been to Marika’s room, the one who regularly comes to cook for me, but it lacked the same sweet scent.

Being in a room with a sweet scent that tantalizes a man’s instincts isn’t great for the heart, but tonight, there’s no alternative but to sleep here.

Perhaps, it’s because it’s the time before sleep that triggers memories of being bullied.

To prevent her from feeling lonely, we’ve decided to sleep together.

“It’s not your first time, is it? It might be different if I were a childhood friend.”

She gave me a somewhat sad look for some reason.

Indeed, having a childhood friend of the opposite sex makes it easy to go in and out of each other’s rooms, even in high school. Marika and I still occasionally enter each other’s rooms.

Marika has a slightly geeky side, so sometimes I go to her room to borrow manga.

She also has the latest popular light novels, like villainess and broken engagement stories, so maybe it’s not just a little.

It’s probably because she was heavily influenced by me, someone who loves anime and such.

“But… I’m your first, Taka-kun.”

The sweet voice suddenly whispered in my ear, truly bad for the heart.

It might be easy to misunderstand that I’m falling for her, and it’s a phrase that could make a guy’s instincts uncontrollable.

However, it’s only been a week since we started talking properly, so it’s unlikely that she fell for me so quickly.

Himeno, who is called Snow White, the most beautiful girl in school, has had numerous confessions from boys. If she easily falls in love, she probably would have had dating experience by now.

While there might be some affection because of the comfort, it should be just a feeling of closeness and not romantic.

Thinking that way, it’s already quite an extraordinary thing to be sleeping together.

Normally, after getting to know each other properly, it takes a short time for such a beautiful girl to sleep together. Could it be a romantic comedy development?

In a romantic comedy, there’s an unlikely opportunity to sleep with a girl you’ve just met for some reason, and various developments unfold from there.

You become friends with an extraordinarily beautiful girl in a short period, and then she falls for the protagonist’s sincerity.

(No, no, that’s impossible.)

This is reality, not a romantic comedy, and it’s not so easy for Himeno to fall for me.

“What’s wrong? Are you thinking about Shikibe-san again?”

“No, I was thinking about you, Himeno.”

“Me?”

With a puzzled expression, Himeno tilted her head.

“We’ve only started talking properly, and we’re already going to sleep together twice.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. We’ve already done quite a few embarrassing things.”

Perhaps recalling the events so far, Himeno’s face turned as red as steam.

Comforting each other by borrowing each other’s chests, embracing her in her underwear, and even sleeping together—these activities resemble those of a couple. Of course, there are no kisses or crossing certain boundaries, but just reminiscing about it heats up my body.

“But… but, because the other person is you, Taka-kun, it’s not unpleasant.”

So, please refrain from saying such things unexpectedly, Takashi thought while wrestling with his feelings inside.

While Takashi assumed he was used to being around the opposite sex because of Marika, the difference between her and others was quite apparent.

Being able to bring Takashi into her home is partially due to the assurance that he won’t assault her, but the main reason is the comfort she feels being together.

She squeezed his hand tightly.

“Have you ever had a guy give you a lecherous look?”

“There were a few persistent ones, but nothing to that extent.”

For some reason, he felt a slight sense of relief, retying his fingers with hers.

Although he should be sure that Marika likes him, being happy to be with Himeno for a little while might indicate a hint of resignation.

“But, Taka-kun, the reason I can bring you into my house and feel safe is not just because I won’t be attacked. The main reason is that I feel reassured when I’m with you.”

I vividly remember her in her underwear, but it wasn’t with any lecherous intent.

I’ve heard that girls are sensitive to lecherous looks, and they dislike receiving such attention.

“It’s a bit envious to see Shikibu-san and Taka-kun getting along so well and feeling secure.”

“Himeno?”

“I also want to get along with Taka-kun.”

With a somewhat lonely expression, Himeno leaned in, seemingly harboring jealousy toward Marika.

Perhaps she thought that if Marika’s feelings shifted and she fell in love, Takashi, who had been consoling her, would drift away.

“I think we get along well enough.”

Although it’s been a short time since we started talking normally, these past few days have been incredibly intense.

“Then show me proof of our good relationship.”

“Proof?”

Just by holding her close like this, it could be considered evidence of a good relationship.

But maybe it’s not enough for Himeno.

“I-I want you to… kiss me.”

“Kiss?”

To the unexpected words, Takashi’s body turned even redder with embarrassment.

His heart was pounding violently, and he felt like it might burst if things continued like this.

“B-but when I say kiss, I mean on the cheek. Lip-to-lip is still a no-go.”

Whether she imagined a kiss where their lips touched, or for some other reason, Himeno blushed intensely, as if a popping sound might occur.

“Even a kiss on the cheek feels a bit too soon…”

Despite feeling embarrassingly overwhelmed, Takashi managed to utter his words.

“It’s true that we’ve only started talking recently. But, we’ve spent such intense time together in this short period. So, I… wouldn’t mind if it’s you, Taka-kun, kissing me on the cheek.”

Her words were so sweet that they seemed to blow away all reason, but Takashi somehow managed to suppress his instincts.

If he were to act on impulse now, it would be a criminal act, and, above all, he would lose the trust he had worked so hard to gain.

“Alright. If that’s what it takes to be proof.”

“P-please.”

Closing her eyes slowly, Himeno turned her cheek towards him.

Taking a slow deep breath, Takashi approached her cheek with his lips.

“Ah…”

The moment his lips touched her cheek, Himeno let out a sweet sound.

“So, this is what a kiss feels like.”

With a shy smile, Himeno used her hand to cup her cheek, savoring the lingering feeling of the kiss.

“Um… this is the first time I’ve been kissed on the cheek, you know.”

Caught off guard by her unexpectedly sweet words, Takashi found himself once again in a state of turmoil.