Chapter 32: My Haru

After an incredibly long kiss, we finally pulled away from each other.

It felt different from before—like the kiss had a new flavor.

"Hmm, kissing's nice and all, but drool getting around the mouth is kinda..."

"Want me to lick it off?"

"That'd just make it messier... Something to wipe with... down by my feet?"

"I’ll wipe it for you. C’mon, sit still."

Saying that, Kiri pulled out a handkerchief and wiped around my mouth.

I closed my eyes without thinking.

No, not like that, okay? It’s just natural to close your eyes when someone wipes your mouth, right?

"Anyway, I bet Kazuhisa Wabi’s right outside."

"No doubt about it. He’s definitely eavesdropping and grinning like an idiot."

Then Kiri put a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence.

I mirrored her, putting a finger to my lips too, and then Kiri suddenly flung the curtain wide open.

“!?” “!!”

And there they were—two villains shamelessly eavesdropping on the biggest moment of my life.

Koharu-chan and Nozomu-kun.

Honestly. What a perfectly mischievous pair.

“Kooharuchan?”

“Nozomu~?”

I cornered Koharu-chan, while Kiri went for Nozomu-kun.

“Wha? What’s up~? What’s with the scary faces~?”

“Eavesdropping isn’t very nice, you know~. Hmm, what should we do with these two little peeping pervs? Ready to accept your fate?”

“B-But come on, you have to admit it was kinda intriguing, right? R-Right? Uh… go easy on me, please!”

“All righty then... Here I go!”

With that, I suddenly hugged the trembling Koharu-chan.

It was a hug of thanks—the earlier threat was just a joke.

Thanks to Koharu-chan, I found the resolve to be with Kiri, to gather the courage and take that step.

If she hadn’t nudged me, hadn’t helped me realize things, I’d probably still be overthinking it, stuck in the same loop of “we’re just friends” and dragging things out again.

When I looked over at Kiri, she had Nozomu-kun in a headlock.

That was just their way of playing around as best friends, I guess.

The me from a little while ago might’ve been jealous of that.

But not anymore.

Because Kiri told me I was her best friend.

“Thank you so much, Koharu-chan!!”

"…You’re welcome. Seeing you so happy, Haru-chan—it makes me happy too."

Koharu-chan wrapped her arms around me too, and we hugged tightly.

I’m really glad she’s my friend.

If we can stay close like this forever, that would make me incredibly happy.

After all the excitement, things finally calmed down.

Oh right, we were supposed to be picking swimsuits. That got completely sidetracked.

"About the swimsuit—I think I’m going to buy this one. And maybe one more."

I mean, this one’s already got sweat and drool on it, so I kinda have to buy it.

I also want something a bit more modest, maybe.

"And also, we still need to pick out a swimsuit for Koharu-chan!!"

"Oh, right!!"

“Oh yeah! I totally forgot about myself.”

And so, for the second one, I picked the triangle bikini Koharu-chan had brought.

Unlike the one Kiri picked, this one actually covered the underboob, had a great design, fit just right, and had a nice balance between being too flashy or too plain—super easy to wear.

“So, Koharu-chan, you’re up next.”

“Koharu!! What do you think of this one?”

Nozomu-kun was passionately pitching bikinis, clearly wanting her to wear one, but Koharu-chan was firmly rejecting them.

Still, it looked like she was planning to buy a swimsuit…

But if she goes with a one-piece, she might end up standing out even more next to me...

While browsing the bikini section with that in mind, one caught my eye.

It was a type called a “cross bikini,” apparently. The one I picked had more fabric than usual, with a crisscross design that pushed the bust inward and up, making it look fuller. The bottoms were classic bikini style with some exposure, but overall, I thought it struck a nice balance.

By the way, the one I wore earlier was a Brazilian-style bikini—apparently one of the more revealing kinds.

That one's strictly for private time with Kiri.

“Koharu-chan, how about this bikini? It doesn’t show too much, and I think it would really suit your beautiful figure!”

I handed her the cross bikini.

She took it reluctantly at first, but then looked at it closely. Didn't seem like she hated it.

“Hmm… It’s better than the one Nozomu brought, at least... Hmmmmm…”

“If I’m going to be wearing a bikini, wouldn’t it stand out more if you didn’t? Why not try it on and see?”

“You know, you might have a point… Okay, if it’s Haru-chan’s recommendation, I’ll give it a try.”

Looks like she’s willing to try it.

When Koharu-chan went into the fitting room, Nozomu-kun gave me a thumbs-up. You better be more grateful than that.

After a short wait, the curtain to the fitting room opened.

The only ones here are me and Nozomu-kun. Kiri’s a bit farther away, probably being considerate.

“Nozomu, Haru-chan... how do I look?”

I was stunned.

I’d always known Koharu-chan was beautiful, but her long legs gave her an incredible presence.

I thought I had fairly long legs myself, but her slim build made her look especially graceful.

The way the crossed fabric subtly pushed up her chest gave a nice, balanced look—not too much, not too little.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

“Koharu… you’re amazing. The most beautiful in the world.”

“Yeah, Koharu-chan, it looks really great on you. And with your long legs, it gives you a tall, elegant look—you’re seriously stunning.”

“—Really? That’s kinda embarrassing… But if you two are going that far, maybe I’ll go with this one. Bikinis might not be so bad after all.”

“For real!? Awesome! Thank you, Haru-chan!”

“No really, it really suits you, Koharu-chan. I can’t wait for us to walk around together in our swimsuits.”

“Yeah… It’s a little embarrassing, but now I’m actually starting to look forward to it.”

And so, Koharu-chan’s swimsuit was decided, and we headed to the register.

Now then...

“Kiri, here.”

“Hm? Wait... oh, come on. I was planning to pay for everything.”

“No way. But I’ll let you look like the one paying, so just take it. Hurry up.”

“Geez... Fine. …Thanks, Haru.”

I slipped some cash over to Kiri in secret.

It was probably about half—assuming she hadn’t sneakily added some clothes or something.

And so, to the world, it looked like Kiri had generously paid for everything.

Koharu-chan paid for her own swimsuit. I mean, that’s pretty normal, right? Everyone has their own way of doing things.

In my case, it’s also something my mom taught me.

“Oh, and part of that money was from my mom. She gave me some allowance earlier.”

I whispered that softly, just loud enough for Kiri to hear.

“Wait, really!? …I’ll bring your mom a gift next time then...”

“She’d love that. But I don’t think she’ll ever accept money directly.”

“Thought so…”

And like that, our shopping trip came to a close—along with the biggest event of my life with Kiri.

We stored the stuff we bought in a locker and headed off for lunch.

Just like last time, we decided to each grab whatever we felt like from the food court.

I checked just in case, but the limited-edition Five-Color Seafood Bowl was already off the menu. I’m glad I had it last time. Really.

Yeah, you should eat what you want when you want it.

And once again, I was torn.

I was set on getting the limited-time Spicy Beef Udon, but the Triple Premium Cheese Burger—which just launched yesterday—was also tempting.

While I was stuck deciding, Kiri had already lined up in the middle of a long queue at the burger place.

It’d be rude to cut in, and yelling from here would just be embarrassing.

Nothing I can do. It only just came out, anyway. I’ll give up on it for now.

So, I went ahead and ordered the Spicy Beef Udon and waited there.

Eventually, Kiri approached, carrying a tray loaded with burgers and fries.

“What’d you get?”

“The limited-edition Spicy Beef Udon. See? Looks pretty good, huh?”

“Haru, you really love limited-time stuff, don’t you. Is it gonna take long?”

“Should be ready soon. What about you, Kiri? What’d you get?”

“Triple Premium Cheese Big Double Burger Set and a Teriyaki Burger.”

“That’s limited too!! And Big Double!?”

The Big Double means double-sized patties stacked together—an upgrade that costs an extra 300 yen.

Seriously, she eats a lot... I mean, it’s fine for now, but don’t come crying when you put on weight, okay?

“Hey, don’t say that. I got fries and drinks too so we can share them, you know?”

“Well, I appreciate it, but I can’t eat that much. —Oh, looks like mine’s ready. I’ll go grab it.”

The buzzer went off, letting me know my udon was done.

I picked up the Spicy Beef Udon from the counter and carried it, tray and all, over to the four-person table Kiri and I had saved.

“Huh? Where’s Nozomu-kun?”

“He’s over there—looks like he’s almost at the front of the line.”

When I looked in the direction Koharu-chan was pointing, I saw he was at the chicken place, which had a line just as long as the burger joint.

And there he was, right at the front.

Chicken usually takes a while to prepare, so he’d probably still be a bit.

“You two go ahead and start eating. Your udon’ll get cold.”

I sat down next to Kiri.

“Well then... let’s eat.”

I put my hands together in thanks, then mixed the spicy-savory sauce into the udon.

And took a bite of beef with noodles.

“Delicious! And spicy. Way spicier than I thought!”

The tingle spread across my tongue as I slurped up more udon.

Ah, but the rich broth and noodles mellowed out the heat perfectly. This was really good!!

“This is so good! Kiri, you’ve gotta try this!”

I handed her the chopsticks and offered a bite.

“Huh, you’re hyping it up that much? I’ll try a bit.”

Kiri took a bite of the spicy beef, and right away her face contorted from the heat.

“Here—have some udon.”

Following my suggestion, she slurped some noodles. The spice mellowed out into a pleasant savory heat, and her expression softened.

“Good, right?”

“It’s really good! …Like, seriously.”

“It’s that good? I want to try some too!”

Koharu-chan looked intrigued, and I wanted her to enjoy it too.

I was about to hand her the chopsticks—then I paused.

I don’t mind sharing, but if I just handed them over now, she’d end up indirectly kissing Kiri.

Even if she didn’t care, I would.

“Hold on a sec.”

I slurped up a few noodles myself, then handed the chopsticks over and placed the tray in front of her.

...Wait. Is she grinning?

“Aww, I love that kind of thoughtfulness. Okay then—let’s dig in!”

Koharu-chan took a bite of the beef slathered in spicy sauce, then slurped the noodles.

After she finished, she covered her mouth in delight and gave a glowing review.

“This is seriously amazing!! Oh no, I should’ve picked this instead!”

“Right? Told you it was good.”

I got the tray and chopsticks back—and when I looked down at the bowl…

Only a third left. Or… maybe less?

Well, yeah. Of course. Makes sense.

No more sharing. That’s it!

“Haru, want a bite of mine?”

Kiri offered me her Triple Premium Cheese Big Double Burger—with one bite taken out.

Oh yeah. I’d been torn between that and the udon earlier.

I gratefully accepted.

“Yeah! I totally do!”

I took the wrapper, opened my mouth wide to take a bite—and froze.

It was too big. No way I could get my mouth around the whole thing top to bottom.

“Eat as much as you want.”

“Thanks.”

Seeing me stuck there with my mouth open, Kiri smiled and said that.

So I chomped into the burger a few times, savoring the Triple Premium Cheese Big Double Burger properly.

Then I handed it back.

“Thanks. That was even better than I imagined.”

“Told you. …Haru, hold still.”

Kiri gently held my chin.

Wait—what? Now? Seriously? Hold on, I need to prepare myself—!

I panicked and squeezed my eyes shut.

But then, Kiri started wiping the sauce off around my mouth.

...Oh.

Oh come on…

You totally made me think that was going somewhere else… How embarrassing.

“Don’t close your eyes. That’s not what’s happening.”

"Haru-chan, I saw that~. Were you really that eager for a kiss?"

“Eh!? N-No, I mean…! I figured Kiri might actually go for it!?”

I snapped back, my face burning red.

Yeah, that’s right—if it’s Kiri, it wouldn’t be out of character. Yeah, yeah, I’m not the weird one here.

"I get it~. If it’s Kiriya, he probably would, even right out in public."

That voice—Nozomu-kun. Looks like he finally got back from the chicken shop.

"Didn’t even cross my mind, honestly. But if you wanted it that bad, I guess I should’ve gone along with it."

What kind of wording is that!? It makes it sound like I’m always dying for a kiss or something!!

I’m not! …Probably.

"Well, putting that aside, I got a good look at your kiss-waiting face, Haru-chan. Thanks for the treat."

"Me too~. Thanks for the meal, Haru-chan."

And that’s when it hit me—my so-called "kiss-waiting face"... now that I think about it, that’s not the kind of look I ever wanted people to see.

I wish they hadn’t noticed. I wish they hadn’t said anything.

It’s so embarrassing, my face is blazing red, and now even the top of my head feels hot!!

"I should’ve kissed you, huh. Sorry I didn’t catch the signal, Haru."

At this point, this has to count as bullying.

…And just like that, I became the butt of the joke, and everyone had a great time at my expense. After that, we munched on the fries Kiri brought back and kept chatting and laughing.

—Though every now and then, someone would bring up my "kiss-waiting face" again for laughs.

After lunch, the four of us went to karaoke and spent some time in the arcade. Evening rolled around, and we grabbed our stuff from the lockers and split up.

Well, split up into pairs, really.

And now, I’m standing at my front door—time to say goodbye to Kiri.

"Haru, I’m really glad we’re dating again. But I’m greedy, you know? I want us to keep this perfect thing we’ve got—as lovers and as best friends."

"Yeah, me too. And now I can talk more casually, not feel like I have to act all proper or put on a front. But don’t forget—Kiri’s mine. No cheating, okay?"

"That’s my line. Honestly, you’re gonna be way more popular than someone like me. But I trust you. I love you—my one and only Haru."

"Idiot!? Don’t say stuff like that out of the blue…"

"Haru."

Kiri gently tilted my chin up.

H-He’s really going for it this time, right…?

I closed my eyes, waiting. A little nervous.

"Relax."

"Mmh…"

His lips pressed softly against mine.

Then he pulled away—too fast. I already missed the warmth.

"It’s just a goodbye kiss. The rest is for tomorrow."

"Y-Yeah… okay. See you tomorrow."

We waved to each other and parted ways.

Even after he was gone, I stood there by the front door, touching my lips, replaying the feeling.

Tomorrow… huh. “The rest”… that is what he means, right…?