Chapter 18: The Angel's Consideration and a Fresh Reminder of Her Beauty

The sunlight streamed in, waking me with its brightness.

When I sat up and looked outside, I saw a perfectly clear, cloudless sky.

Today is my first real date with Murakumo-kun.

Our first date—yes, our first actual date.

Yesterday’s shopping outing was a bit different, and I don’t want to count staying home together as a proper date either.

Last night, I was so full of anticipation and excitement that I could hardly sleep, like a kid before a field trip. But oddly enough, I don’t feel sleep-deprived at all. In fact, I feel so light it’s almost suspicious.

Alright—today, I’ll go with a modest look.

But I still want to put my cuteness on full display, so he’ll fall for me even more.

That said, it’s already late May, and the weather’s getting hot, so long sleeves and maxi skirts are out of the question. So...

I kept my hair straight as always. I paired a white short-sleeved shirt with a sky-blue dress that ends above the knees. The color palette gives off a breezy, refreshing vibe.

You can’t really see any cleavage, shoulders, or thighs—definitely going for the demure look here.

Once I finished getting ready, I stood in front of the mirror and did a thorough check to make sure nothing looked off.

Asking Murakumo-kun would be pointless anyway—he’d just say “It’s good,” and that wouldn’t help at all.

Yep. Even from a guy’s perspective, I look pretty cute.

If I just keep quiet and act reserved, someone might even mistake me for a well-bred lady from a rich family. Probably.

Anyway, I’m all set now.

By the way, I did ask him where we’re going, but he wouldn’t tell me.

Still, wherever we end up, I know I’ll enjoy it.

Because I’ll be with Murakumo-kun.

“Good morning!”

I cheerfully opened the front door and came face-to-face with Murakumo-kun.

“Morning.”

“How do I look?”

I twirled on the spot, letting my skirt flutter and my long black hair sway behind it a moment later.

“—You look perfect.”

Ehehehehe~ I knew it!!

Still, even when you expect it, hearing someone praise you makes you happy.

Even a single word, if it’s spoken with genuine feeling, can have a huge impact.

“Thank you!”

I said that and then leapt up a bit to wrap my arms around his neck in a hug.

Based on experience, I knew if I smiled here, he’d hug me first.

So this time, I decided to take the lead and hug him myself.

“Whoa.”

He caught me and hugged me back, and we stayed like that for a while.

After that, we held hands—fingers interlocked like a couple—and walked to the station.

At the station, Murakumo-kun bought the tickets, and I took a peek to see where we were headed.

So it’s… Ah, I think I know this place… I mused.

I have a pretty good guess—it’s probably that new aquarium that opened recently. But saying that out loud would ruin the moment, so I pretended not to notice.

When Murakumo-kun finally tells me where we’re going, I’ll act surprised like I’m hearing it for the first time.

That way, he’ll end up talking more—just as I planned.

The train wasn’t packed, but there were a fair number of people.

Before I realized it, I started feeling several glances directed our way.

Seems like men were eyeing me, and women were eyeing Murakumo-kun.

As for me, I get it.

I’m cute enough to earn compliments from Murakumo-kun, and on top of that, I’ve got a big chest.

That alone is more than enough to draw attention from guys.

Their eyes flick between my face and chest—pretty standard stuff. It’s not like they’re doing anything, so it doesn’t really bother me. I get where they’re coming from.

Murakumo-kun, on the other hand—

When I looked at him again, taking in everything more consciously, I couldn’t help but think how cool he really is.

He’s not particularly dressed up—just a simple shirt and pants.

But with a height close to 190 cm, long legs, and enough muscle to lift me in a princess carry without effort, he has a solid, athletic build. It makes him look more like a professional athlete than a high school student.

If I had to compare, he’s kind of like a volleyball player or something.

His slightly long hair stands out too—not long like a woman’s, just longer than average for a guy.

At 153 cm, I’m way shorter than him now—easily a whole head shorter.

Even when I was still a guy, I was only around 170 cm, so there was still a big difference back then too.

Still, even though he looks that cool on the outside, on the inside he’s quiet, pushy, blunt, has sharp, intimidating eyes, treats people like objects, and even attacked me before—he’s seriously a piece of work.

………But even so.

He’s not all bad. With me, he’s gentle, considerate, and treats me with care. Even though I used to be a guy, he accepts me like it’s nothing.

—I think he probably loves me more than anything else.

Lately, I’ve started to notice his emotions even through his expressionless face. He also seems to talk more, and he’s not as forceful anymore. He’s even stopped carrying me around like a princess all the time.

Even if he did that now, I’d probably be okay with it.

Sigh... Oh boy.

Why am I blushing all by myself after just reaffirming how much I like Murakumo-kun?

Well, anyway.

Murakumo-kun is good-looking even from other girls’ perspectives. And the two of us—well… not to brag, but we’re a pretty striking couple. Beautiful guy and pretty girl. It’s only natural we’d draw some attention.

So I guess being in the spotlight isn’t exactly surprising.

Alright then.

Guess I’ll have to make it very clear to all the girls around here that Murakumo-kun is mine.

“Hey, where are we going today? I’m super excited—I couldn’t sleep much last night.”

I said that while clinging to his arm.

Heh, how’s that? Back off, ladies—Murakumo-kun’s taken!

When I glanced around, I saw a mix of startled and confused reactions—some people looking shocked, others going “Huh?” in surprise.

Huh? Did I say something weird? I wondered, when—

“—Wait, him? Is that lady actually a guy?”

A small child nearby asked their mother—at least, someone who looked like their mom.

Wha—!?

I heard Murakumo-kun quietly say, “That’s a secret,” but honestly, I wasn’t even processing it.

I was too stunned.

Ever since becoming a girl, even now, I never once questioned using “ore” to refer to myself.

I mean, I used to be a guy. And even after becoming a girl, up until pretty recently, I never imagined dating a guy.

Saying “watashi” just felt off. It was… I guess, a tiny act of resistance on my part. Against the fact that I could never go back to being a guy.

But now, things are different.

Not to brag, but right now, no matter how you look at me, I’m a cute girl. And next to me is a handsome guy. We totally look like a couple.

If I were dressed more androgynously, or had a boyish look to match my “ore” speech, it might not stand out.

But looking like this—in this prim and proper, clearly feminine outfit—and still saying “ore”? Even I’d do a double take and wonder if I misheard.

So yeah, that kid had every right to be confused.

And more than me, it’s Murakumo-kun who could end up being misunderstood because of this. I don’t want either of us drawing weird attention over something that trivial.

…So that’s it. I can’t just dress how he likes—I have to be mindful of how others perceive us, too.

But really, it’s no big deal. All I have to do is switch from “ore” to “watashi.”

That alone will erase the mismatch, and maybe I’ll even look cuter.

Yeah… yeah, I can do that. Easy.

“‘A secret,’ huh…? Well then, I’ll be looking forward to it, watashi will!”

I made sure to emphasize the “watashi” just a little too obviously.

Because I’m his girl now.

If people look at me funny, that means they’ll look at him funny too.

Yeah—this is for the best.

“Leave it to me.”

Whether he knew what I was thinking or not, Murakumo-kun smiled—a smile everyone around could see—then slipped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

We got off the train and headed toward our destination.

At this point, it was obvious to anyone. A huge aquarium stood right in front of us.

Most of the crowd around us was also walking straight toward it.

“Oh… this is my first time at an aquarium. I’m so excited~”

If I let my guard down, I’d almost slip and say “ore” again.

Looks like it’s going to take a little more time to get used to this.

“You don’t have to force it.”

It seems Murakumo-kun had noticed that I’d changed the way I refer to myself.

He probably said that out of consideration—but it’s fine. This is the way I want it.

“I’m okay, really. I’m not forcing it. Besides… I’m cuter this way, right?”

“Is that so?”

Hmm, seems like my cuteness still isn’t getting through to Murakumo-kun.

Or maybe, to him, it really doesn’t matter—whether I say “ore” or “watashi.”

And while that’s actually kind of sweet, still… I can’t just leave it at that.

“It’s… beautiful.”

My first time at an aquarium felt like stepping into a dream—it was like another world, an endless expanse of blue pulling me in.

Together with Murakumo-kun, I wandered through that world. I dragged him around, pointed things out, gasped, got enchanted by everything. And that alone made it the happiest time I could ask for.

We watched dolphin, orca, and sea lion shows—laughed and got excited together. It was so much fun.

Murakumo-kun, though, kept looking at me more than at the exhibits. I kind of wished he’d look at the fish a bit more, too.

I mean, it’s not every day you get to see something this beautiful.

Still, enjoying something with the person you love—going on a date like this—it's such a wonderful thing. That’s all I could think about.

It’s fun hanging out with your best friend, too—but that kind of fun feels different somehow.

I can’t quite put it into words. With a best friend, it’s exciting. But with Murakumo-kun, it’s more… heart-fluttering. Something like that.

After leaving the aquarium in the early afternoon, we grabbed a late lunch and made our way back home.

It was still a bit too early to call it evening.

By that time, I’d completely gotten used to saying “watashi,” and it no longer felt strange at all.

We arrived at our usual fork in the road.

If we went straight, we’d reach my house. If we turned, it would take us to the apartment building where Murakumo-kun lived.

Without a word, Murakumo-kun gently pulled our still-linked hands and began walking toward his apartment.

And without hesitation, I followed, walking beside him.

Because from the start, that had always been the plan for today.