NOVEL NEXT chapter 98
98. Momo’s Best Day
Momo cheated to get this love. Because there was no way she could get something she wasn’t supposed to have by playing fair. If the person she admired wasn’t her prince charming, then she shouldn’t have been picky about the means to twist that fate. In fact, this is how my senior came to like Momo, and I don’t regret it at all.
“…Thank you.”
My senior, who was completely unaware of Momo’s rotten insides, smiled at her again, softening his expression. I wonder if he sees a cute and kind younger girlfriend in her eyes. I hope so.
“I was feeling a little insecure. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a girlfriend, and she’s such a cute and nice girl… I’m so happy that it’s almost making me anxious.”
“Hey, you’re overdoing it with the compliments. It’s not like I’m that cute.”
I may not be a good girl, but it makes me happy if my senior thinks I am.
“Seriously, I have no idea why you like a guy like me.”
“Do I need a reason to like you?”
The truth is, even Peach herself doesn’t really know why she fell for her senior. But he changed her and helped her find her true self. Isn’t that enough of a reason to like someone?
“Not everyone falls in love because of some dramatic event. It’s normal to just realize you’re in love over time.”
When she shared her honest and straightforward thoughts, her senior looked a little disappointed. Maybe I should have lied and said it was love at first sight.
“Is that so? But I definitely…”
And then her senior started to say something.
“Definitely, Peach’s… wait?”
Her senior, who had been about to say something, suddenly froze as if he had glitched.
“Um, Senior?”
“Oh, um, me. Why… how did I fall in love with Peach? Before that, I was just a normal… wait?”
Oh, this might be bad. This was a topic that should not be touched.
“No, that night, I’m sure I ‘realized’… someone, why? Who? Why do I love Peach…?”
“S-Senior? You don’t have to worry about that.”
This is bad. The cracks are starting to show. It’s bad if my senior notices the sense of dissonance.
“No, Peach. I really do love Peach. I ‘became’ in love. Something big happened that night, and that’s when I realized my feelings…”
“Yes, that’s right, Senior. You called Peach right away and confessed. I was so happy. Isn’t that enough?”
“But I can’t remember what I was thinking when I realized my feelings… wait, I feel like I met someone that night…”
This is getting dangerous.
“Senior!!”
Peach forcibly pulled away their joined hands and grabbed her senior’s lapels with both hands.
“Wh-what!?”
Her senior’s eyes widened in confusion as his thoughts were distracted by Peach’s sudden strange behavior.
“E-excuse me!”
She pulled hard on both hands. As her senior lost his balance and leaned forward, she approached him like she was doing a judo move and…
“Huh!?”
She pecked her senior’s unguarded cheeks with her lips.
There was no cartoonish “chu” sound.
“Wh-what? W-what?? Peach?”
“……..”
It was too sloppy and light to be called a kiss. It was more like a little peck.
“……..!!”
She felt like she should have kissed him somewhere else than his cheek, but that was a no-go for her maidenly heart. Besides, even Peach wanted her first kiss to be from someone she liked, and this was just a residential area near her house. It wasn’t romantic at all, just a place with slightly less foot traffic… wait, wait, this isn’t the time to be thinking calmly about this.
Um. Um. Anyway, this is strategic. A strategic kiss.
“W-what’s got into you all of a sudden?”
“……..”
Peach didn’t plan on doing this either. But she had to distract her senior. Strategic. Success. It seems like she successfully distracted senior her. Peach is a genius.
She’s a genius, but what is this? This is so embarrassing!!
“Ww-well, isn’t it fine!? Peach and I are lovers, you know!?”
Ugh, my voice cracked. Why is Peach the one who’s flustered?
“Yeah, but why…”
“What do you mean!? It’s just a peck on the cheek, you don’t have to get so mad!”
“No, no, I’m not mad at all.”
“Then what is it!? Were you happy!? Just from a peck on the cheek!?”
I can’t help but lower my voice even though it’s not like it’s anything to be ashamed of. Why, why? Calm down, Peach. You’re being emotionally unstable.
I keep telling myself that, but my overheated heart won’t calm down at all. I understand it in my head, but my emotions are getting the better of me and I’m just saying weird things.
“O-of course I was happy…”
Senior scratches the spot on his cheek where Peach’s lips touched. Even though they’re not touching anymore, I feel like Peach’s lips are tingling with heat. What is this?
“Then that’s fine, right!? Should we do it again!?”
No, no, no! What are you saying, Peach? Calm down a little. I can’t do it again.
“Mo… no, calm down!”
“….”
I think so too.
“…II’m sorry.”
As soon as Senior said that, I calmed down a little. My face turned bright red so quickly that I was worried if I was okay. I tried to change the subject, but I realized that I was actually really happy, which made me even more embarrassed.
I’m even more embarrassed because I feel like I’ve been exposed as a surprisingly carnivorous girl for doing something like that on impulse.
“You don’t have to apologize. I mean, I didn’t hate it…”
A sweet, heated atmosphere flowed between us. It would have been less awkward if I had just tried to cover it up with excitement.
“I was surprised, but, um. I’m happy.”
Peach’s heart skipped a beat at the ‘happy’ that came out of Senior’s mouth again. I’ve calmed down a bit, so I’ve noticed that Senior’s gaze keeps going to Peach’s lips. A different kind of pounding from the pounding I felt Earlier, a gentle heat rising from the center, attacks Peach.
“W-we’re lovers. So you can do it anytime you want, Senior.”
I never realized it before, but Peach seems to be the type who says aggressive things when she’s nervous.
“Huh?”
“…I-it’s not true that you can do it anytime.”
And then I regretted it as soon as I said it.
“It’s not true that you can do it anytime, but like Senior… I think Peach would be surprised, but she wouldn’t hate it.”
“I-is that so?”
Senior’s mouth twitches as if he doesn’t know what to say.
“But today is over! Peach’s house is just over there.”
When I pointed to the corner a few dozen meters ahead, Senior looked around nervously.
“What’s wrong?”
“II wonder if any of Peach’s neighbors saw us making out here.”
“I don’t care. We’re not doing anything wrong… Well, it might be a little scary if Peach’s dad found out?”
“Your dad is scary?”
Senior suddenly looks serious.
“Well, his face might be scary. He’s really sweet to Peach, so if she brought a boyfriend home, it would be a big deal… Wait, Senior. Are you scared?”
When Peach heard her reply, Senior relaxed. I thought he’d be scared.
“No, I just thought that Peach was raised with a lot of love.”
Oh, so you thought all hero families were complicated because you know about Himawari-chan’s background. Certainly, compared to other heroes, Momo’s family is too ordinary.
“I’ll introduce you to my senior someday.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Well then, this is where we part ways.”
“…Yeah.”
Seeing my senior’s lonely face, I felt a great sense of relief. Today, the day I enjoyed a date with my senior, passed by too quickly. I experienced a day that was so unpleasant, like the one often seen in manga and song lyrics : “Time with you passes by in the blink of an eye.” If I had continued to be with my senior, Momo’s clock would have ticked by quickly, and I would have become an old woman in no time. The fun time with my senior ended so quickly.
But I was relieved to know that it wasn’t just Momo’s clock that was ticking fast.
“I’m glad that my senior is lonely too.”
“Huh?”
“…Oh, it’s nothing. I’d like to go on a date again soon. And call me.”
“Me too. I’ll think about where I want to go next.”
I was so happy that I wanted to kiss him again, but I had already said it was over for today, so I stopped.
“Senior, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you too. Momo.”
If we continued to talk any longer, it would be even harder to part ways, so Momo mustered up her courage, pulled her body away from her senior, and bowed seriously.
“Thanks for the ride. Bye-bye!”
“See you later.”
Suppressing the urge to skip, she started running, and just before the corner, she turned around and waved again. My senior, who noticed it, waved back with a shy smile.
This time, it’s really goodbye. But when I get home, I’ll send him a LINE message right away. I’ll also make an album of the photos I took today, enter “First Date Anniversary” in the calendar app, and keep the movie ticket stubs safe.
“hehehe, I’m so happy.”
The happiness of being with someone you love. I think this is the greatest happiness of all.
Momo ended the best day of her life with a lighthearted feeling that made her forget about what she had done and her worries.
At that time, the senior who had parted ways with Momo and was returning to the station had completely forgotten the possibility that ‘another person’ might appear. It was so forgettable that it didn’t matter to Momo.
“…Good work, Sora-san.”