Chapter 10: The Taste of an Angel's Lips

After parting ways with Koharu-chan and Nozomu-kun, I was walking home with Murakumo-kun. We arrived at a fork in the road.

If we turned here, it would lead to the apartment where Murakumo-kun lives alone. If we kept going straight, we'd reach my house.

Now then, what should I do... Just kidding—there’s nothing to think about. I’m going straight home!! Going home, period!!

I avoided looking at Murakumo-kun as much as possible and walked straight ahead.

“Hey.”

Murakumo-kun, both hands full with paper bags, came to a stop and called out to me.

I can’t hear you, I can’t heeaaar you. Not hearing anything!

Pretending not to hear, I kept walking straight.

“Hey!”

Next thing I knew, he was right behind me—so close I could feel his breath. At the same time he called out, he wrapped his arms around my neck from behind, still holding all the paper bags, and hugged me tightly.

“Don’t ignore me.”

That unexpected reaction made my heart skip a beat. His voice carried a tinge of loneliness and sadness.

Please don’t pretend I don’t exist. That’s what it felt like he was truly thinking—and that it genuinely hurt him. That’s how it came across.

For a second I thought, What a selfish guy, but… well, I was the one ignoring him, so I reconsidered.

“—Sorry. So, what’s up?”

I asked him. He probably wanted to say something like Come over to my place or I’m going to yours.

But after hesitating a moment, Murakumo-kun replied.

“...It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Saying that, he let go of me and started walking again—toward my house.

Huh? I thought. Isn’t this the opposite way from his apartment? It caught me off guard, but, well, whatever. I just followed behind him.

Walking behind him, I realized something. Murakumo-kun had been carrying all those paper bags ever since we left the store.

When he hugged me earlier, I felt a bit of how heavy they were.

It’s a tough job—no way I could do it now. Even before, back when I was a guy, I doubt I could’ve carried all that for so long without complaining or whining. My arms and stamina just wouldn’t have held up.

But Murakumo-kun carried them like it was nothing, never showing any sign of strain. Maybe he was holding back, but if so, he didn’t let it show at all. That alone is pretty impressive.

This is probably what people mean by “a dependable guy,” I thought, watching him closely as we headed home.

“We’re back—whoa! Murakumo-kun, what’s with all that stuff!?”

We got home and talked a bit in front of the entryway.

Well, not exactly a friendly chat—it was a bit of a standoff about what to do with my clothes, meaning the bags he was carrying.

Since we’d gotten home, I naturally tried to take the bags back, but Murakumo-kun insisted—absolutely insisted—on carrying them all the way to my room.

I, on the other hand, was firmly against letting him in, since who knows what might happen if he came inside.

So we compromised: he’d bring the bags up to my room, drop them off, and then leave immediately afterward.

—Which brings us to now. When I opened the front door and stepped into the entryway, Mom came out, saw all the paper bags Murakumo-kun was carrying, and reacted with surprise.

“We went shopping together today, and I ended up buying a bunch of clothes for Haru, so I carried them all back.”

Murakumo-kun set the bags down for a moment, kicked off his shoes, and calmly explained the situation to my mom.

As always, he’s super smooth when it comes to talking to her. If only he were always like this.

“Heeey, Haru-chaaaan. Don’t you think it’s a bit much to make Murakumo-kun carry everything by himself?”

“I offered to help! But Murakumo-kun wouldn’t let me carry anything!”

“Of course not. I couldn’t let Haru carry this stuff. Besides, it’s not that heavy anyway.”

“Woooow, now that’s impressive. Dependable and a good guy, huh?”

Mom grinned and gave me this knowing, teasing look.

That’s not what this is!! It’s not that kind of relationship!!

“Enough already!! Come on, let’s go up—hurry!!”

If those two kept talking, people were definitely going to get the wrong idea. I rushed Murakumo-kun up the stairs.

“I’ll bring some drinks later, okay—”

Mom waved and called out after us, but Murakumo-kun responded firmly:

“No need to trouble yourself—I’ll be leaving right away.”

Looks like he really does intend to go home after this.

We reached the front of my room after climbing the stairs.

It doesn’t look any different from when I was a guy. The only thing “girly” in here is probably the school uniform hanging up. Other than that, nothing’s changed.

I’ve always kept the room tidy, so there shouldn’t be anything embarrassing to see. But now that someone’s actually going to see it, I feel a bit nervous—especially since he might be seeing me as a girl.

I used to get nervous too when I went into a girl’s room. And if it was messy, I’d feel kinda disappointed. That’s just how guys are.

—No, wait. Thinking rationally, it shouldn’t matter if Murakumo-kun is disappointed by my room, right? I mean, it shouldn’t…

Even so, I mentally scanned the room: no trash lying around? No clothes or underwear left out? Etc., etc... Okay. Should be good.

“Don’t forget the promise you made earlier.”

“I know.”

Somehow, Murakumo-kun also looked a bit nervous.

I turned the doorknob and opened the door, letting him into my room.

Yep, the place isn’t messy. There might be a bit of dust here and there, but nothing too bad—it’s fair to call it clean.

While I was checking the room’s condition—

“…Brings back memories.”

He murmured quietly, but I didn’t quite catch it.

“Oh, just leave the bags over there.”

I pointed out a free spot for the paper bags, and he set them down.

“Thanks for everything today, Murakumo-kun. You really helped me out.”

I turned around to express my gratitude, only to find that he had stepped closer.

“Haru belongs to me. So Haru’s stuff is mine too. Don’t worry about it.”

What kind of messed-up logic is that…? Well, I guess it kinda makes sense…? No, wait! I’m not yours to begin with!! That whole premise is wrong!!

As I was thinking all that, he closed the distance even more—close enough that our chests were almost touching.

He's going to do it!!

I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself.

He gently cupped my cheeks, tilted my chin up—and kissed me.

Of course, he didn’t stop there. He slipped past my lips, our tongues entwined, and we exchanged saliva.

The taste of the kiss was unmistakably uni, tuna, squid, yellowtail, and salmon roe—in other words, the exact flavor of a five-color seafood bowl.

How completely unromantic.

“Tastes like lunch.”

Murakumo-kun finally pulled away and wiped the drool from his lips as he said that.

That’s what you say after devouring someone’s lips?! The embarrassment hit me all at once.

“Well, yeah. I tasted the same thing.”

Still short of breath, that was all I could manage in reply.

I didn’t have the composure for anything else, and the way I spoke ended up sounding casual—more like how you’d talk to a friend than my usual polite tone.

“I see. That’s good.”

As he said that, I thought I saw a small smile cross Murakumo-kun’s face.

Wait—how is that good!?

If kissing someone tastes like a seafood bowl, isn’t that kinda terrible?

I mean, sure, it’s only because we ate the same thing, but still—you didn’t have to say it out loud!

“I’m heading home for today.”

Right, just like we agreed.

“Okay. Then… see you the day after tomorrow.”

I walked him to the front door, and just as we got there, Mom came out.

“Oh, heading home already? Why not stay for dinner?”

Ugh, Mom, why do you always say things like that?

I shot Murakumo-kun a sharp glare, silently begging him to stick to the plan.

He gave me a small nod in return.

“No, thank you. I’ll head home for today. Haru’s tired, and I’ll be coming by again tomorrow.”

He said it with a soft smile—one I’d never seen him show me.

…Excuse me!?!

Did he just casually say he’s coming tomorrow too?! That’s news to me!!

“Oh, is that so? Then we’ll see you again tomorrow, Murakumo-kun.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, Haru.”

He said, patting my head.

And in that moment, his gaze turned sharp—one that left no room for argument.

Th-this guy… His whole attitude completely changes depending on whether he’s dealing with Mom or me…

—And so, Murakumo-kun left for today… but he’ll be back again tomorrow.

“Murakumo-kun’s really such a good boy. And handsome, too—I bet he’s super popular at school, huh?”

Mom said it with a cheerful smile, completely innocently.

Well, it’s true that Murakumo-kun is always calm and charming when talking to her, so it’s no surprise she sees him as the perfect gentleman.

And yeah, she’s not wrong about him being popular at school. The guy’s athletic and smart—of course he is.

“Yeah, he is popular at school. Back then, girls were all over him.”

When I replied, Mom grinned slyly.

“Ohh? ‘Back then’? So, what about now?”

“Ugh, right now… I mean, right now he’s not seeing anyone…”

That’s right. Because I’ve been by his side the whole time.

Well, it’s possible some girls have tried hitting on him when I wasn’t around—but I wouldn’t know about that.

“And how exactly do you know he’s not seeing anyone right now? …Could it be because Haru-chan is always with him!?”

“—!?”

My body twitched involuntarily. …How the heck does she know these things?

“That reaction says it all. Bingo, huh? Geez, when did you manage to snag such a great guy?”

Hey, I’m the one who got snagged, here.

“But you really are adorable and such a beauty, Haru-chan. From now on, you’ve gotta put effort into refining your femininity.”

To be honest, I still don’t care about trying to be cute or beautiful or anything like that.

I just don’t like feeling dirty, or looking sloppy—same as when I was a guy. I want to stay clean, presentable.

That’s why I do basic skincare and try to manage my hair. That’s it.

So when it comes to things like makeup, it’s a different story. I’m not there yet—I still feel resistance to that.

That said, today’s shopping was pretty fun. Wearing all those different outfits—yeah, I enjoyed it.

Just a little bit—really just a little—I think I started to understand why girls like dressing up.

“Even if you’re not ready to go all-in on the girly stuff, you’ve at least gotta keep yourself looking nice. Otherwise Murakumo-kun might start to lose interest.”

Whether she was reading my mind or just sensing I wasn’t quite ready for the whole “polish your femininity” thing, Mom lowered the bar for me—at least stay tidy, she said.

Not that I care if Murakumo-kun gets disappointed.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll make sure I stay clean.”

That’s how I casually brushed off her advice.

I was thinking while in the shower.

Why does Murakumo-kun only talk so openly and act like such a good guy around my mom?

He’s quiet with our classmates, obviously, but also with the teachers, with strangers outside, and even with his best friend Nozomu-kun—he’s never chatty or especially friendly.

In fact, as far as I know, he only talks like that with my mom.
And those smiles—those happy expressions—I’ve almost never seen them anywhere else.

It’s like he’s a completely different person around her.
Why is that?

…As I followed that train of thought, one answer popped into my head.

—No way. But actually… it makes sense.

Does Murakumo-kun… like my mom!?

Now that I think about it, didn’t he say she looked like me, and called her beautiful?
That might’ve been his way of flirting with her!?

It all fits!
Everything suddenly clicks into place.

So the real target… wasn’t me—it was Mom!?

Yeah, that explains how he knew where I lived, too.

He’d been watching from the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to make his move—and then when I suddenly turned into a girl, he saw the chance to get close… using me as a stepping stone to get to Mom!!

Man, I’m a genius.
This theory is flawless.
I’m honestly kind of scared by how sharp my deductions are.

…Which means, to him, I’m nothing more than a pawn. Just a convenient girl.
That's all I ever was.

I felt a little sting in my chest—but I’m sure it’s just my imagination.

—Anyway, I know what I have to do now.

There’s no point in telling Mom that Murakumo-kun’s targeting her. She’d never believe me.

Which means it’s up to me.
I have to stop him from getting any closer to her!!

After my shower, I laid down on my bed and started planning my counterattack.

How do I keep Murakumo-kun from making a move on Mom?

I thought about cutting ties with him altogether—but that was clearly impossible.

There’s no going back to being alone now. I’ve made friends.
And if I isolate myself again, the girls at school won’t leave me alone.
I’d definitely end up getting bullied.

So I kept thinking.

If Murakumo-kun really is after Mom, then he probably doesn’t want to be all lovey-dovey with me in front of her.

That’s it. That’s gotta be it!

He has no problem kissing me in front of Koharu-chan and the others, but when Mom’s around, he won’t even hold hands.
That proves it. I knew it!

—So here’s the plan!!

Tomorrow, the bastard’s going to show up at my house.
So stupid! So predictable!!

When he does, I’ll make sure Mom sees us being super close. That’ll blow his whole scheme to pieces!

Serves him right!!

—Because I will protect my mom.
I’ll protect my family!!