The S**ttiest Gyaru in the Class Confessed to Me
Ichika stopped in front of a stone shop.
There was a goldfish bowl in front of the shop, and floating plants swayed on the surface of the water.
Ichika smiled and showed me something.
“Sou kun. This is for your birthday…..”
…….
Clatter, clatter.
“Next stop is Izu-kogen~”
I opened my eyes to the station attendant’s voice.
My left cheek felt warm, and Ikka’s hair was draped over my nose.
“Sou kun. Good morning.”
It seemed I had fallen asleep.
What a waste of precious time with Ichika.
When I tried to sit up, Ichika pressed my head against her chest.
“Soukun, you’re tired from exams, so please sleep some more.”
Hmph.
Listening to Ichika’s heartbeat calms me down.
Somehow, the more time we spend together, the nicer Ichika becomes. But maybe it’s better than the peak of kindness we had when we first met.
…Still, that was a strange dream.
Maybe it was a premonition, and she’ll ask me for a birthday present while we’re traveling.
I have a bracelet prepared, but if there’s something she wants, I want to try my best to give it to her. I’ll just have to be flexible.
We are now in Atami, transferring to the Izukyu Line to head to Shimoda. The Izukyu Line basically runs along the coast, so it’s ocean views all the way.
The train we boarded has half bench seats and half box seats. There were no other passengers, so we sat side by side in the box seats.
Along the way, we shared the onigiri we bought at a convenience store. Station boxed lunches might have more charm, but they’re a bit expensive for us. Maybe when we’re adults, we’ll try those fancy ;unch boxes.
Then, Ichika, sitting by the window, tapped my knee gently.
“Let’s eat the lunch boxes next time we come here♡ It’s nice to have something to look forward to next time♪”
That’s what she meant.
But we’re still on the way there?
She was a bit impatient, but I was genuinely happy that she was thinking about the next time.
An hour later, the train passed through Atagawa.
There was steam rising here and there.
“S-Sou kun. There might be a fire.”
Ichika was very anxious, but I had done my research and knew that it was steam from the hot springs.
This was my chance to prove myself.
I had to redeem myself here.
“Actually…”
Then, Ichika spoke up.
“There’s a chimney with ‘hot spring’ written on it. That must be steam from the hot spring !”
“Yeah, you’re right…”
“Sorry, Sou kun. What?”
“…Nothing.”
Things don’t always go as planned.
About 30 minutes later, we arrived in Shimoda.
When we exited the station, there was a roundabout in front of us. I had thought it was a local line, but the station building was beautiful. There was a coconut tree growing in the center of the roundabout, giving it a bit of a tropical feel.
I wonder if people used to come here on their honeymoons.
As I walked along thinking about such things, Ikka took my hand.
“Sou kun. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Shall we go to the inn and check in?”
“Sure.”
The inn was about a 20-minute walk from the station. The owner had offered to pick us up, but we declined because we wanted to enjoy a stroll.
The road from the station to the pension was paved with stones, and there was a canal right next to it. It was a retro-style town, but there were many stone buildings, giving it a somewhat foreign feel.
“Sou kun. This road is called Perry Road. Who was Perry again?”
Perry was that guy with the fluffy hair in my Japanese history textbook, right? I think…
“Perry was a military man. He came to Shimoda on a warship during the Edo period. At the time, the shogunate was interacting with the Dutch in Nagasaki, but the warship was called the Black Ship, and so on…”
Ichika is looking at me with sparkling eyes.
Did I make up for my blunder in Atagawa earlier?
“Sou kun, you’re so knowledgeable !”
I feel great.
I’ve never felt more glad that I studied Japanese history than I do right now. It feels like my 17 years of studying have paid off.
Thank you, God ! !
“Hm !”
Ichika stopped in front of a store a few doors down.
Since we arrived here, Ikka has been sparkling with wide eyes, like a child.
Ichika picked up a pebble from the storefront.
“Sou kun. This is amazing ! ! This stone has an unusual shape and is cute. I found it at the riverbank near my house.”
Glancing at the cobblestones, I noticed a goldfish bowl. Floating plants were on the water’s surface.
Huh. This scenery.
I’ve seen it somewhere before.
The storefront table was filled with countless stones, each with a price tag.
All of them cost over 1,000 yen.
The small pebble that Ichika was holding cost 8,000 yen. This is just a pebble from the riverbank, right? It costs nothing to make, right?
That’s too expensive…
And then I realized.
This was a scene I had seen in a dream.
I’m pretty sure that after this, Ichika will start talking about her birthday.
No way.
Am I going to be asked to buy this pebble with a cost of 0 yen?
I did want to fulfill her birthday wish. But I don’t want to spend 8,000 yen on this pebble.
As I listened to her with the hope I desired, Ichika happily stroked the pebble.
“This stone is cute, so it’s for birthday.”
Please, Ichika.
Don’t say any more.
But Ichika didn’t stop.
“Um, I couldn’t be with Sou kun on his birthday this year, so I want to give him this as a birthday present. What do you think?”
“Eh…”
I really don’t want it.
“W-what do you think?””
Does this person really intend to buy this pebble for 8,000 yen?
“No, sorry. I don’t want it…”
Tears welled up in Ichika’s eyes.
“Ah, but I’d be happy with something else.”
Ichika held the pebble in both hands and argued forcefully.
“There’s nothing better than this ! !”
What is it about this pebble that she finds so appealing?
I can’t quite understand it.
“Then, the present should be Ichika herself. And…”
I whispered my wish into Ichikak’s ear.
“O-okay. It’s too embarrassing to do it suddenly, so maybe next year on my birthday. But I can’t say something so embarrassing… I could never say something like, ‘I want my master to pamper me until morning,’ even if my mouth were split open !”
Ichika.
You’ve already said it, so it’s okay.
Still, will I be able to do it with Ikka on my birthday next year? I’m so excited that I might not be able to sleep tonight.
Then, a question arose in my mind.
What was I doing on my birthday this year?
I think I was just moping around at home, unable to step outside. And now, here I am on a one-night trip with her.
You never know what life will bring.
What about Ichika?
What was Ichika doing on my birthday before we met?
“Ichika. On my birthday. …..May 18th this year, what were you doing?”
Ichika tilted her head, hummed for a few seconds, then clapped her hands.
“I think on that day, I was with a guy who hit on me, and we were…”
“Huh?”
Ichika was smiling, but the corners of her lips were trembling.
“W-we…..we were at scallops lovers club ! !”
Scallops? You said you didn’t like shellfish before. Still, that’s a pretty wholesome pick-up line.
It’s almost refreshing how bad she is at lying.
But I prefer Ichika’s clumsiness to being skillfully deceived.
Am I weird?
Of course, this kind of talk isn’t pleasant, but it’s not good to get angry about the past or criticize Ikka.
So, yeah.
Even if Ichika was having fun with another guy on my birthday, I won’t cry ! !
Sniff.
Well, yeah…that’s how it is. I’ve grown a little too.
Ichika is looking at me with concern.
Did I scare her?
So I forced a smile, hugged Ichika, and said,
“I really care about you.”
Ichika smiled in my arms and whispered,
“Someday….I wanna have your child, Nyan♡”
Hearing that made my heart race.
I don’t quite understand, but it felt like the ultimate expression of love.
They say laughter brings good fortune.
It seems there’s some truth to that.
Maigetsu