───● The Energetic College Girl Is Going on the Offensive ●○●
It was a day during winter break.
Although only a few days had passed since the start of the new year, Mizuho was already back from visiting her parents’ home, so we had arranged to hang out today.
At twelve noon, I stood outside the train station ticket gates—our usual spot whenever we hung out—waiting for Mizuho to show up.
Mizuho always stood out. Her signature twin-tails were part of it, but she also tended to put together stylishly cute outfits, making her catch anyone’s eye even in a crowd.
When she arrived at our meeting spot five minutes early, I recognized her instantly.
As soon as I waved, her face lit up with a bright smile, and she came trotting over.
She really is like a cute little animal, I was just thinking to myself, when—
“KABOOM!!” she shouted.
“Whoa, what?!” I gasped.
She plowed straight into me without slowing down.
Right into my chest.
“Hehehe, never drop your guard, my friend…” Mizuho giggled mischievously.
“What is that even supposed to mean?” I asked, bewildered.
Still pressed firmly against my chest, Mizuho looked up at me with her usual utterly adorable expression.
“Ahhh, this is bliss… This humble knight could live in this exact position for the rest of her life…” she sighed contentedly.
“That’s physically impossible, obviously,” I pointed out.
Since she was spouting total nonsense, I grabbed her shoulders and gently peeled her off me.
“Aah, how heartless…!” she wailed dramatically.
“You’re certainly full of energy for the new year, aren’t you?” I chuckled.
“Ehehe! Happy New Year again, Masato-dono! Today’s my turn!” she declared cheerfully.
“Yeah, Happy New Year, Mizuho,” I replied with a smile.
“Since Koumi is still at her parents’ place… I get to have Masato all to myself today!”
“Time to make the most of it!” Mizuho cheered, enthusiastically windmilling her arms.
She was wearing black boots paired with a gray miniskirt. Even though she had tights on, it looked pretty chilly for the dead of winter.
She wore a white down jacket on top, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit concerned for her.
“That’s a really cute outfit, but… aren’t you cold?” I asked.
“Aww, thank you! Fashion requires sacrifice, kiddo…” she declared smugly.
“So you are cold, then,” I deadpanned.
“Nyahaha! Don’t sweat the small stuff! Besides…”
Just when I thought Mizuho had finally stepped back after clinging to me—
—I realized she had already grabbed a firm hold of my right hand.
“If we do this, I won’t be cold at all!” she beamed.
“…Ah. I see,” I muttered.
Mizuho started walking ahead, beaming brightly as our fingers remained tightly intertwined in a lovers’ hold.
Even though I’d known her for a while now, her endless assertiveness still left me completely flustered.
We headed up to the restaurant floor on the seventh floor of the shopping mall connected to the station for lunch.
Noticing an inviting Japanese set-meal restaurant that wasn’t too crowded, we decided to step inside.
After sitting down and having a staring contest with the menu for a few minutes—
“I hereby declare that I shall partake in this tonkatsu set meal!” Mizuho announced loudly.
“You sound like an explorer claiming a campsite,” I remarked with a chuckle.
She had declared it triumphantly while pointing straight at the prominent picture of pork cutlets on the menu.
Her boundless energy was definitely one of her best traits, but still…
“You really have a big appetite, don’t you, Mizuho?” I asked.
“Energy is essential for everything in life!” she replied proudly.
I’d lost count of how many times we’d eaten together, but one thing was certain: this girl could eat.
I’d wondered more than once or twice how all that food could possibly fit into such a small body.
Once we settled on our choices and placed our order using the smartphone mobile system that was standard nowadays—
“So, didn’t you say you had something you wanted to talk about?” Mizuho asked, turning her attention to me.
“Ah, right. Yeah, I do,” I answered.
I needed to tell Mizuho, too. That I intended to give a final answer by March.
It seemed Koumi had mentioned to her that I had something to discuss, but Koumi had thoughtfully decided it was best coming straight from me, so Mizuho didn’t know the specifics yet.
“Well, you see… both you and Koumi confessed your feelings to me, right?” I began awkwardly.
“Hmm. Indeed we did,” Mizuho acknowledged, taking a sip from her glass of ice water as she listened calmly.
She listened to me quietly, resting her hands on the table.
“I felt it wasn’t right to keep dragging things out without giving you an answer. So… I’m planning to give my answer by March this year.”
“Your answer… Ah, I see,” she said, her voice faltering slightly.
Hearing those words, Mizuho clearly seemed a bit shaken.
It had been the same when I told Seira-san and Yuka. Every time I saw their reactions, I was reminded of just how heavy a declaration this was.
It’s only natural, but… I really have to shoulder the full weight of my decision, I thought.
“D-Do you really have to decide so soon…?” Mizuho asked hesitantly.
“No, honestly, normally I should have given an answer much sooner… Dragging it out any longer just wouldn’t be fair to anyone,” I explained.
“…That’s so like you, Masato,” she murmured softly.
Resting her chin in her hand, Mizuho gazed out the window and whispered, “I see… March, huh…”
However, her somber, reflective mood lasted for only a split second.
“In that case, I’ve got three months left to shoot right through Masato-dono’s heart over and over again!”
“Bang!” she added playfully.
Forming a hand-gun gesture with her fingers, Mizuho gave me a cute, mischievous wink.
…Honestly, if we’re talking about shooting through my heart, you’ve already done that plenty of times… I thought to myself.
“And to do that, first we need to fuel up! Charge!” she declared enthusiastically.
“Right, let’s eat,” I smiled.
Just then, the waiter brought over our meals, and we dug in.
For the moment, I felt relieved that Mizuho was staying bright and cheerful, at least on the surface.
After browsing around the shopping mall for a while—
—Mizuho and I headed over to a karaoke place.
“Man~! Who would’ve thought the planetarium would be closed! Even Mizuho’s sharp eyes failed to foresee this twist!” she lamented dramatically.
“Well, it’s still the New Year holiday season, so it makes sense… Though I’m sorry for not checking in advance,” I apologized.
Since it hadn’t even been a week since New Year’s Day, quite a few stores were still closed.
The planetarium we had planned to visit happened to be one of them, so we’d pivoted to karaoke instead.
“Well, since we’re here, we might as well sing our hearts out~!” she cheered.
“You’re a great singer, Mizuho, so I’m looking forward to it,” I encouraged her.
“Flattery will get you nowhere, good sir~!” she teased back in her samurai persona.
The three of us—including Koumi—had gone to karaoke together before.
I wasn’t much of a singer myself, so I usually stayed in the audience, but listening to them was always plenty of fun.
Both Mizuho and Koumi were really talented singers, so listening to them was a treat.
Without wasting a second, Mizuho punched a song into the touch screen and started singing.
It was a hit song by a popular idol group.
“Turn around to me~ my destined one~♪”
Watching Mizuho’s side profile as she sang, I found myself completely captivated by her voice.
One thing that surprised me after coming to this world was that female idols were just as active here as in my original world.
While the proportion of male idols had certainly increased due to the demographics, female idols still maintained a huge fan base.
Female idols were immensely popular among women, too. I found it fascinating how some things remained completely unchanged between worlds.
“~♪”
Looking at Mizuho singing so energetically right in front of me, her looks and vocals could give any professional idol a run for their money, I thought.
Then again, maybe I’m just biased because I know what an amazing girl Tonosaki Mizuho is, I mused.
“Yay!” she squealed as the song finished.
“You’re as incredible as ever,” I praised her, clapping.
“How’s that?! Bow before my greatness!” she giggled, puffing out her chest.
“I yield, I yield,” I laughed.
“Hehehe~ Time for a quick break!” she announced.
After singing a few more songs, Mizuho seemed satisfied and sank down onto the sofa next to me.
Noticing her glass on the table was completely empty—
“Ah, should I go grab you a refill?” I offered.
“Nn-nn! I’m good! I’ll get it myself,” she replied, pushing herself up from the sofa.
Mizuho stood up, intending to head outside the room.
Since I was sitting in her path, I was about to pull my legs back to let her pass, when—
“Gotcha!” she cried out.
“Huh?!” I gasped.
With lightning quickness, Mizuho pounced right onto my lap.
Facing directly toward me.
“Hehehe… Can I stay cuddled up like this for just a bit?” she whispered softly.
“…It’s not that you can’t, but…” I stammered.
Hearing her ask in such a genuinely happy tone, there was no way I could bring myself to reject her.
Mizuho leaned her full weight against my chest. She was surprisingly light.
Seriously, where did all that tonkatsu set meal even go? I wondered.
“Earlier, when you said you’d give your answer by March… to be honest, I was scared,” Mizuho confessed quietly.
“…Mizuho,” I murmured.
Without lifting her head, she stayed resting against my chest as she spoke.
“I kept thinking… when April comes, will I not be able to talk and laugh with Masato like this anymore? Up until now, I’ve been rejected so, so many times… and every single time, I became terrified of seeing that person ever again.”
It was a fear unique to Mizuho, who had confessed her love and been turned down so many times in the past.
In truth, I had experienced that exact awkwardness after breaking up with someone before.
Of course, I had no intention of cutting her off like that.
“I know you’d never do something like that to me, Masato, but still… the thought of not being able to stay by your side terrifies me.”
I felt her hands, resting against my chest, tighten their grip on my shirt.
…I was being way too convenient and self-centered in my thinking.
No matter how cheerful Mizuho acted on the surface, hearing my announcement at lunch must have triggered an overwhelming wave of emotion inside her.
She had been holding it all back just so we could enjoy today together.
Mizuho was the type to bottle things up and endure. I should have known that.
I couldn’t even realize that… I really am a hopeless guy, I berated myself.
“SOOO!” she declared suddenly, snapping her head up.
Her abrupt movement startled me.
At the same time, she positioned herself right over me in complete physical contact, looking down into my eyes—forcing me to remember it whether I wanted to or not.
What happened on the Ferris wheel on the day she confessed to me.
Before I even had time to process my surprise, Mizuho’s face leaned in close.
Naturally, I couldn’t bring myself to pull away.
Something soft and gentle pressed against my lips.
The sweet, unmistakable scent unique to a girl enveloped me.
As she slowly pulled her face back, I could see her cheeks flushed with a soft pink blush.
“…Haa… I really love you so much. That’s why… I’m gonna make sure you choose me…” Mizuho whispered alluringly.
She offered a captivating, mysterious smile.
The stark contrast from her usual goofy smile sent my heart racing wildly.
Ah… this is just like back then, too, I realized.
“I guess I’ll just have to make it so Masato can’t live without his Mizuho-chan, right?”
──In the end.
Right up until the landline telephone in the karaoke room rang to signal our time was up—
—I was completely helpless against Mizuho’s relentless assault of affection.