(AN: Sorry this chapter took so long, I was very busy and didn't even had time to post. Actually, there is this uncle who is a good friend of my father and have a recycle shop, I went there for work to earn some pocket money but after working there for three days I feel exhausted, I am not build for physical work so I quit, now I am looking for another source to earn money, which is important, so I would really appreciate a subscribe to my Patreon XD, no pressure, just check it out, link in my profile.)
I waited for Miku just outside the station entrance, exactly where I'd told her I'd be to avoid any unnecessary confusion.
Before long, I spotted her among the steady stream of passengers pouring out of the station.
She barely had to look around.
The moment she stepped outside, her eyes found me almost immediately.
Smiling, I raised a hand to my chest and gave her a small wave.
...Wow.
She looked absolutely breathtaking.
She was already beautiful in her usual casual clothes, but seeing her dressed up like this...
I couldn't even find the words to describe it.
And those legs...
They were downright criminal....
Alright, that's enough of the creepy thoughts. Calm down.
Perhaps she noticed where my gaze had drifted. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she instinctively smoothed her skirt with both hands, a self-conscious gesture that did little to ease her embarrassment.
She walked over to me with hesitant steps.
"S-stop staring...?"
Her voice came out softer than she'd intended, sounding almost like a timid question. Even she didn't seem to understand why being looked at by me made her suddenly so self-conscious.
I cleared my throat, raising a fist to my mouth. "Ahem... sorry about that."
It took only a moment to compose myself before I met her gaze again.
"You look especially beautiful today," I said softly.
Miku lowered her head, fidgeting with her hands. "Thank you," she murmured, a small, satisfied smile gracing her lips, as if my words had affirmed that all the effort she had put into her appearance had been worthwhile.
I extended my hand toward her with a smile. "Shall we?"
She returned the smile and slipped her hand into mine without the slightest hesitation. As we began walking, she tilted her head curiously.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere you'll like," I replied with a mysterious smile.
Miku's POV
I had no idea where we were going, but somehow, that only made me more excited.
At some point over the past weeks, I had begun to trust him... even rely on him without realizing it. Being with him felt natural, comforting in a way I couldn't quite put into words.
Moments like these...
I truly cherished them.
Even so, I couldn't shake this strange sense of unease. There was a tightness in my chest, as though I was afraid of losing something precious.
I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye as we walked hand in hand.
Suspicious.
He had said he'd already been here before I messaged him. But if he'd only come to buy a phone, why was he dressed this... Handsomely?
Could it be... he had planned to invite me out after finishing his errands?
...No.
As far as I knew him, he would have asked me beforehand If that were the case.
Then...
Was he supposed to meet someone?
Before I could dwell on the thought, Nino's face at the station suddenly flashed through my mind.
...There's no way, right?
Nino hates him. It had to be nothing more than a coincidence.
I stole another glance at him.
No... neither of them was that kind of person.
We boarded a bus and took our seats. Since it was well past rush hour, the bus was relatively empty.
Not knowing how long the ride would be, I decided to listen to some music. Just as I reached for my headphone, I felt a gentle nudge on my shoulder.
"Sorry," I said apologetically. "That was inconsiderate of me."
If I started listening to music, he may feel ignored... or perhaps lonely.
He simply shook his head with a gentle smile.
"That's not it," he said. "I was just curious about the kind of music you listen to."
I blinked.
...He doesn't know?
For some reason, I'd always assumed he knew almost everything about me. It seemed there were still things even he didn't know.
Now that I thought about it... if I had been wearing earbuds instead of headphones, we could have shared one, just like the couples in those videos...
N-No, forget it.
That would be way too embarrassing.
"I-I'm not telling you," I stammered, averting my gaze.
After all, one of the reasons I wore these headphones with such good noise cancellation was so no one would ever find out what I was listening to.
"Why?" he asked softly, leaning in slightly. "Do you think I'd judge you?"
I turned my face away without answering.
As far as I knew, he wouldn't. But that didn't mean I don't feel self-conscious.
When no response came, he leaned in even closer.
Before I could react, he pressed his ear lightly against the outside of my headphones.
My heart skipped a beat before racing uncontrollably.
N-Not good...
He's way too close.
W-Wait... no.
If he does that... he'll be able to hear what I'm listening to.
Yet, a part of me didn't want to stop him.
For reasons I found myself leaning ever that side instead.
A few moments later, he pulled away on his own.
With a faint smile, he looked at me as though he had expected that reaction.
"Traditional Japanese songs... I see."
Just from those few seconds, he had already figured it out.
...My taste really is old-fashioned.
Perhaps noticing that I had gone completely silent, he gently rested a hand on my head and softly ruffled my hair.
"Sorry for doing that without your permission," he said apologetically. "And I don't think there's anything to be embarrassed about."
His smile grew warmer.
"Traditional music is beautiful. Unlike a lot of modern songs, they carry deep meanings. I listen to some from time to time myself."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"And more importantly, they're part of our culture—the foundation upon which modern Japanese music was built."
His hand lingered on my head for just a second longer.
"So... don't ever feel ashamed of what you love."
This...
This was the part of him I love the most.
He had a way of making me feel at ease, turning even my insecurities into something I no longer needed to hide.
To some people, he might come across as a people-pleaser—someone who simply said whatever others wanted to hear.
But they would be wrong.
I had never once seen him tell a lie just to make someone happy.
"...That's not fair," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
When he looked at me, I raised my head and met his gaze without backing down.
"If you're going to find out what kind of music I listen to, then I want to know what you listen to as well."
It sounded less like a request...
...and more like a demand.
He looked at me for a brief moment before letting out a resigned smile.
"Fair enough," he said with a quiet sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his new phone.
The instant I saw it, something clicked in my mind.
"I don't have any songs downloaded on this one yet," he explained. "But I can still look up what I usually listen to online."
His voice barely registered.
My thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
...I had seen this phone somewhere.
Then it hit me.
That's right...
Nino had the exact same model.
The moment I realized that, that uneasy feeling returned, tightening around my chest once more.
"Are you even listening?"
His voice, accompanied by a playful poke on my cheek, snapped me out of my thoughts.
"S-Sorry... What did you say?"
The teasing smile on his face immediately faded, replaced by concern.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Don't worry," I replied with an awkward smile. "I just got lost in thought for a moment."
"I see." He gave me a gentle smile. "If something's bothering you, you can always tell me."
There were Actually so many things I wanted to ask him.
'Is it just a coincidence that you bought the same phone model as Nino?'
'What were you doing before you met me?'
'Had you even planned to meet me today beforehand?'
'...Are you hiding something from me?'
The questions swirled endlessly in my mind.
Yet I lacked the courage to ask them...
Perhaps because I was even more afraid of hearing the answers.
"I was saying you can connect my phone to your headphones and listen," he repeated, holding out his phone toward me.
I gave a small nod and accepted it.
After pairing it with my headphones, I pressed play.
A gentle melody flowed into my ears, its soothing opening gradually easing the uneasiness weighing on my heart.
Then the lyrics began.
Of course...
Why hadn't I expected this?
It was a love song.
Not just any love song, but one that spoke of a love capable of transcending even the boundaries of dimensions themselves.
I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
...What a hopeless romantic.
-------
We got off the bus and arrived at our destination.
For some reason, Miku still seemed a little down.
...Well, hopefully this would cheer her up.
"A museum?" she asked, blinking in confusion as she looked at the building in front of us.
I grinned.
"Not just any museum. You like warlords, don't you? This place has weapons, armor, and historical artifacts related to them."
Her eyes immediately sparkled.
"Really?"
She couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.
Looks like I made the right choice.
This should be a fun visit.
Not only would we get to enjoy ourselves, but it was also the perfect opportunity to brush up on our knowledge of history—something that might come in handy during our exams.
A museum wasn't exactly the first place that came to mind for a date, so most of the visitors were either families with young children or schoolers.
Miku, however, wandered through the exhibits with quiet, childlike excitement.
Her eyes drifted from battle-worn suits of armor to ancient weapons that had likely been stained with blood centuries ago. There were also everyday belongings once owned by famous warlords—their favorite teacups, vases, writing brushes, and countless other personal artifacts.
Compared to Miku, my knowledge of Japanese history was still lacking.
Still, I had done my fair share of research and watched more documentaries and historical videos than I could count.
It was all because of her.
History had never interested me before. Back in school, history class was practically my designated nap time.
But believe me, history is only boring when it's taught in a classroom.
Once you dive into the actual events, it's impossible not to get hooked.
Fearsome warriors risking everything for their homeland...
Brilliant strategists turning the tide of an entire war with a single plan...
Unexpected betrayals that changed the course of history...
The invention of revolutionary weapons...
The intricate political schemes to overthrow rulers...
I could spend an entire day talking about stories like those without getting tired.
More importantly...
Seeing Miku enjoy herself like this i couldn't feel happier.
"Ren, look!" she exclaimed, pointing excitedly at one of the displays. "They even have Heshikiri Hasebe, one of our National Treasures—the famous katana once belonged to Nobunaga!"
I had never seen her this excited before, this is a new sight for me as well.
At this rate, she was starting to rival Yotsuba in pure enthusiasm.
Neither of us realized how quickly time had passed.
Before we knew it, the afternoon had already arrived.
We had become so absorbed in the museum that we had completely skipped lunch.
"Are you hungry?" I said with a playful grin. "Because I definitely am starving."
"That's to be expected," Miku replied with a small smile. "We skipped lunch, after all."
The boundless excitement she'd shown inside the museum had settled down, but in its place was something even better.
She looked genuinely happy.
"So," I said, "how does a bowl of ramen sound?"
"Sounds perfect."
There was a playful note in her voice that hadn't been there before.
With our next destination decided, we set off once again.
After waiting in line for a few minutes, our number was finally called, and we headed inside.
It was a simple ramen shop, well-known for its shoyu ramen, so naturally, that's what we ordered.
Forgive me—I didn't exactly have the budget to take her to some fancy restaurant.
Besides, I know Miku would prefer a place like this anyway.
Somewhere quiet.
Somewhere no one would judge her.
Unlike what had happened with Nino at the café, nothing crazy happened this time.
We simply enjoyed our meal, exchanging casual conversation between bites.
The ramen was incredible, and before long, both our bowls were completely empty.
By the time we left, the sky had already been swallowed by the evening.
It was time to head home.
We would be taking the same train, though I'd be getting off one stop before Miku.
There was just one thing I needed to do before that.
Right before we entered the station, I gently took hold of her wrist.
She flinched in surprise.
"There's something I want to confess," I said quietly.
Miku looked at me in confusion, but without a word, she trusted me enough to follow as I led her to a quieter corner away from the crowd.
"Before I met up with you today... I was with your sister, Nino."
I had already figured out why she'd seemed so uneasy earlier.
Even if I stayed silent, it was only a matter of time before she discovered it herself.
More importantly, I had never intended to hide it from her or lie about it.
I had simply been waiting for the right moment to tell her.
The moment those words left my mouth, her eyes widened.
It was as if she had just heard the one thing she had desperately hoped wasn't true.
As though the missing pieces in her mind had suddenly fallen into place.
"...Tell me the truth."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were anything but.
"What exactly is going on between you two?"
She fixed me with a sharp glare that reminded me uncannily of Nino.
It was the first time I had ever seen Miku this angry.
...Wait.
Why was she taking this so much harder than I expected?
What I didn't know was that Miku's thoughts had already begun racing in a completely different direction.
She suddenly remembered that the morning after my phone had broken...
I had carried the same faint scent as Nino.
To her, all of those scattered clues were starting to form a single, terrifying conclusion.
I could see the uncertainty in her trembling eyes.
She was desperately hoping her worst fears weren't true.
I reached for her hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Stepping closer, I met her gaze without wavering.
"I would never lie to you... and I would never betray your trust."
Then, I told her everything.
I didn't leave out a single detail.
From the night I found Nino unconscious in the rain...
To taking her to a motel so she could rest and changing her clothes after they had been soaked through...
To the reason we had met again earlier today.
Everything.
I wanted her to trust me the same way I trusted her.
There was no room for misunderstandings.
No room for deception.
Whether she chose to believe me...
Whether she forgave me...
Or how she would react after hearing the whole story...
That was no longer something I could decide.