Is It Permissible To Abandon a Childhood Friend Who Has Become a School Idol and Be Happy

21

A date is normally supposed to be something fun, I think.

You can go to your favorite place with someone you like, all alone with them.

You don’t even need to decide on a destination. Just being together, just talking to the person next to you, is enough to fill your heart.

Yeah, there’s no need to get all worked up.

Because I chose to go out with her because she makes me feel at ease.

“Kou-kun, what do you think? Is it good?”

—But what about me now?

I’m restless. My feet feel unsteady. My head is even spinning a little.

Even so, I somehow managed to pretend to be calm and silent at her question.

“…Yeah, it’s delicious. This is pretty good.”

“Really? I’m glad.”

Right now, we’re in a coffee shop in the middle of a shopping district.

Maybe because of the cold outside, it seems like there are quite a few people here, even though it’s still morning.

I also ordered a warm Wiener coffee, and I ordered a cheesecake for the set.

It seems to be homemade, and the flavor is richer than store-bought, but to be honest, I can’t really tell the difference.

It’s not because my palate is bad, but simply because I’m nervous.

If I don’t say anything, I feel like I can hear my own heart beating like a drum.

“How’s yours? Is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s sweet and delicious. I feel like I could order another one.”

“hahahaha, Mio likes sweet things, don’t you?”

It’s been like this ever since our date started, but I still can’t look at Mio, who is sitting across from me.

My gaze is almost fixed on the apple pie that Mio has placed beside her hand.

From the sound of her voice, Mio must really find it delicious.

Unlike me, she might not be nervous at all.

(No, that’s the way it should be.)

I haven’t changed.

I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but at least I’m still myself here.

That’s why I can say that I’m confused… but there’s nothing I can do about it.

“…Do you want to eat mine too?”

“Really!?… Oh, sorry. Never mind.”

Mio was really into my offer for a moment, but then she quickly withdrew it.

But her voice sounded sad, and I wondered why.

“What’s wrong? You don’t have to worry about it.”

“No, it’s not that… I just don’t want to get fat.”

I opened my eyes wide at Mio’s quietly muttered words.

“You care about that too, Mio?”

“Of course I do. I’m a girl.”

–But you’ve never seemed to care about it before.

I quickly swallowed the words that had almost come out of my mouth.

…Again. How many times has this happened?

Up until we came to this coffee shop. Or rather, from the moment I saw Mio on that bench, I’ve wanted to say something over and over again, but I haven’t been able to.

—I don’t know if the ‘Mio’ in front of me is really the Mio that I know.

The words I should say.

The words I can say.

I don’t know at all.

My words might hurt the current Mio. Or even if they don’t, she might laugh at me.

I can’t get a sense of distance, and it’s all vague.

It’s more like I’m out with a beautiful stranger than on a date with her.

That sense of discomfort clung to my back like a wet blanket.

(It’s like torture…)

If this was a light novel protagonist, they wouldn’t mind it at all.

What do they mean by “loner”? Just sitting next to someone else causes me this much agony, so how can they just laugh and talk about it? Those guys must be crazy.

This date is increasingly becoming hopeless for me, to the point where I feel like lashing out.

“…Hey, can I have just one bite?”

“Huh?”

“Your cake, Kou-kun. Do you think it would be okay if I had just one bite?”

Suddenly spoken to, I find myself looking straight at Mio’s face.

“…!”

Indeed, what was there was the face of the school idol, a beautiful girl looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes.

It was the face of a stranger, as if she were trying to flirt with me.