Volume 6Chapter 4 part 2

───● Dating the High School Lit Girl ●○●

Several days had passed since my date with Seira-san.

As I got ready to leave the apartment, I found myself looking back over everything that had happened recently.

Taking the time to face each of them one-on-one before giving my answer was proving to be just as effective as I’d hoped.

It gave me the chance to reaffirm just how deeply I cared for every single one of them—and at the same time, it forced me to realize how much I meant to them in return.

I could say with complete certainty that this time had not been wasted.

And in the process, I felt like I was finally starting to glimpse an answer to that elusive question: what did it truly mean to love someone romantically?

After finishing getting dressed and styling my hair, I checked the clock. It was about time to head out.

Today was my date with Shiori-chan.

The location she had suggested was a bit of a surprise.

It was definitely somewhere the old Shiori-chan—the girl I first met—never would have brought up. Thinking about it now, she really had changed so much.

At first, I thought she was just a quiet, timid student… but then I discovered how hilarious she could be. As we grew closer, she opened up and started speaking her mind with total confidence.

I still vividly remembered the way she had mustered all her courage, blushing furiously, to confess her feelings to me.

“Alright, let’s do this,” I muttered to myself.

Grabbing my bag, I stepped outside into the crisp air.

A chilly winter wind whipped against my skin.

March was right around the corner.

When I arrived at the meeting spot and scanned the area, I didn’t spot Shiori-chan anywhere. Then again, it was still ten minutes before our scheduled time, so there was nothing unusual about that.

A crowd of young people swarmed in front of the monument by the station, a classic rendezvous point.

I pulled out my smartphone to check my messages with Shiori-chan, only to find a fresh notification waiting for me.

《Shinomiya Shiori》: “I’ve arrived.”

…Huh?

She had sent a text saying she was already here just two minutes ago.

I took another careful look around the crowded plaza.

Was there anyone who looked like Shiori-chan…?

“…Wait, what?” I blinked.

At the edge of my vision, I caught sight of a gorgeous head of sleek black hair.

Except it was positioned much lower to the ground than expected.

It took my brain a solid few seconds to register that Shiori-chan was currently crouching down in a tight ball.

“Shiori-chan?!” I called out in surprise, rushing over.

“Ah, Masato-san! Good morning…” she squeaked out, looking up.

“Are you okay?!” I asked, worried.

Shiori-chan wobbled unsteadily as she pushed herself up to her feet.

“A-Ah, I’m totally fine! I just got overwhelmed by all the normie energy in the air and melted into a puddle…” she gasped out.

“Melted?!” I echoed, wide-eyed.

Checking her face, her skin tone actually looked normal enough. I gently reached out and pressed my hand to her forehead just in case, but she didn’t feel feverish either.

“Well, you don’t seem to have a fever, but…” I murmured.

“H-Hwaaah! I’m fine, seriously! Absolutely 100% fine, so I’m sorry for scaring you!” she stammered, flustered.

As Shiori-chan quickly stepped back, I finally took in her full outfit. It was… surprisingly adorable for her. Rather than her usual understated style, she was dressed in remarkably cute fashion.

Beneath her duffle coat, she wore a sleek miniskirt paired with black tights, topped off with long boots—something I had almost never seen her wear before.

“…Um, does it… look weird on me after all?” she asked nervously, fidgeting with her coat.

“Not at all. I think you look super cute,” I offered with an honest smile.

“Oof… W-Wait, holy crap, he said I’m cute… drools…” she whimpered, turning away.

She spun around, muttering frantic nonsense under her breath. Yep, there she was—the classic Shiori-chan I knew and loved.

“Shall we head out then, Shiori-chan?” I invited gently.

“Yes!” she beamed, perking right up.

The station plaza was buzzing with pedestrians. We took a step forward together, but then—

I felt a sudden tug on my sleeve. Before I could ask, Shiori-chan reached out and slipped her hand firmly into mine, lacing our fingers together.

“T-Today… it’s okay for us to hold hands, right?” she asked, her cheeks flushing bright red.

“…Of course it is,” I answered softly.

With our hands warmly joined, the two of us set off toward our destination.

As we strolled down the main avenue leading away from the station, curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to Shiori-chan.

“What made you choose this spot for today?” I asked.

“Ah~ W-Well, you see…” she began awkwardly.

The district around this station was what everyone called the “Town of Youth.”

It was packed to the brim with students in school uniforms and lively groups of teenagers.

Given how Shiori-chan had nearly melted from the sheer density of normie vibes just a moment ago, I’d assumed a place like this would be the last spot on earth she’d want to visit.

“My friends kind of recommended it to me…” she admitted sheepishly.

“Ah, I see,” I nodded.

Come to think of it, based on the stories she’d told me before, most of her friends sounded like the type who would thoroughly enjoy a hip shopping district like this.

Even so, even if her friends had talked it up, it was still a bit surprising to see Shiori-chan actually pick it for our date.

“Well… I guess you could call it a sudden whim, or something…” she mumbled, scratching her cheek.

“Fair enough,” I chuckled.

It might have been unexpected, but I certainly didn’t mind one bit.

“Ah, I think that’s the place Hatsumi was talking about!” she exclaimed, pointing ahead.

“Oh, nice. Let’s go check it out then,” I suggested.

The spot turned out to be a street food vendor serving takeout snacks to eat on the go. It must have been pretty popular, because a long line had formed outside.

After waiting in line for a bit, we bought one item each and stepped to the side of the street to eat, just like everyone else.

“…Well, to be totally blunt, I kind of doubt this was worth standing in line for,” Shiori-chan commented, making a face after taking a bite.

She squinted at the snack in her hand with a hilariously unimpressed expression.

“Haha, true enough,” I agreed with a warm chuckle.

Her unvarnished honesty was honestly one of her best traits.

“I’m definitely giving Hatsumi a piece of my mind later,” she huffed playfully.

“Now, now. Half the fun of these things is just soaking in the atmosphere, you know?” I offered comfortingly.

Soothing her disgruntled spirits, we moved on toward our next stop.

“Next up is this boba shop, but… ugh, I do not want to stand in another line…” she groaned, wilting at the sight.

“Ahaha… Come on, we can do it,” I coaxed gently.

The specialty tapioca shop was also boasting a massive queue of young patrons. Shiori-chan’s cheek twitched in dismay, but since her friend had gone to the trouble of recommending it, we decided to brave the line together.

“…Hey, isn’t that guy over there super handsome?” a girl nearby whispered to her friend.

“Woah, total hottie! But looks like he’s already taken,” her friend replied.

As we stood in line, I could feel stray glances darting in our direction from the crowd.

“Pfft! Pfft!” Shiori-chan hissed out, making little spitting gestures toward the onlookers.

“Hey now, play nice,” I chided with a light laugh.

While I spent the time placating a fiercely intimidating Shiori-chan, the line moved faster than expected, and before long we reached the counter.

“Wait, hold on! You have to choose the sweetness and the ice level?! Nobody told me about this!” she panicked frantically at the menu.

“I’ve never done this before either, so I’m just as lost…” I confessed sheepishly.

In the end, we just ordered the standard milk tea recommended on the sign and stepped back out onto the street with our drinks.

“…Okay, this actually isn’t half bad,” Shiori-chan remarked, taking a sip through her straw.

“Yeah, it’s really good!” I cheered happily.

It was my very first time trying tapioca milk tea, and it was tasty enough that I could instantly understand why it had taken the world by storm.

“…Though isn’t the cup kind of huge?” she added, staring at the container.

“Yeah, you’ve got a point…” I agreed.

It was pretty sweet for such a large portion, so the two of us ended up struggling quite a bit to finish our respective cups.

“Alright, this is the place!” Shiori-chan declared, stopping outside a brightly lit store front.

“Wait, is this… a photo booth place?” I asked, staring up at the sign.

“Y-Yes, exactly,” she confirmed, fidgeting slightly.

Our next destination was a dedicated purikura salon—famous for taking stylized photos and printing them out as custom sticker sheets.

I had always assumed photo booths were just tucked into the corners of game arcades, but apparently whole shops dedicated entirely to them existed.

“L-Let’s head inside right away!” she urged, taking the lead.

“A-Are you sure you’re okay, Shiori-chan?” I asked, noticing her trembling shoulders.

“I’ve already done reconnaissance online! No problem at all, everything is under control!” she claimed, sounding like a grizzled veteran.

“Why do I feel so uneasy…?” I muttered under my breath.

Shiori-chan marched ahead with intense determination, and I trailed close behind her.

“O-Okay, if I press this here…” she mumbled, wrestling with the booth’s touchscreen panel.

Even after stepping inside the booth, Shiori-chan was visibly struggling to navigate the setup.

A few moments later, the booth’s cheerful automated voice chimed to life, kicking off the session.

“Wait, what?! Hold on a sec, isn’t this starting way too fast?!” she shrieked in shock.

“L-Let’s just strike a pose for now?!” I urged hurriedly.

In a flurry of panic, the two of us scrambled to pose for the camera shot after shot.

‘Next up: Show how close you are!’ the booth announced in a singsong voice.

“What the heck is a ‘show how close you are’ pose?!” she yelled at the monitor in utter confusion.

“Shiori-chan, calm down!” I laughed nervously.

Shiori-chan literally slammed her bag onto the floor in sheer exasperation. The whole sight was hilariously absurd, but I quickly leaned in close right beside her.

“Look out, the shutter’s about to go off!” I warned.

“H-Haaah… I’m exhausted…” she whimpered, collapsing outward.

Despite all the chaos and confusion, we somehow managed to successfully finish taking every single photo.

“Man, I’m wiped out!!” Shiori-chan cheered as we stepped back out into the open air. “Mission accomplished: escape complete! No way anyone could survive in a place like that for long!”

“Didn’t you suggest going there in the first place…?” I pointed out with a dry smile.

In the end, right after finishing our purikura session, we made a prompt exit from the Town of Youth.

We hopped on a train and traveled a few stops… arriving at an internet café.

“Phew~ This is paradise…” she sighed contentedly as we settled in. “They’ve got a crazy huge selection of manga here!”

“I had no idea places like this were so nice…” I marveled, looking around.

The private room in the internet café was surprisingly spacious, giving the two of us plenty of legroom without feeling cramped in the slightest.

With unlimited free drinks, an endless supply of manga, and high-speed PCs at our disposal, the amenities were impressively well-equipped.

“Heh, I only discovered this place fairly recently myself, but seriously, a person could lounge around here all day!” she boasted proudly.

“I can definitely see why,” I agreed.

“Well then! Let’s go grab some manga right away. Allow me to curate a top-tier selection just for you!” she declared dramatically.

“I’d love that. Thanks,” I smiled.

Ever since we entered the café, Shiori-chan’s energy level had skyrocketed by several notches.

While seeing her flustered normie-mode earlier had been cute and refreshing, this high-spirited enthusiasm felt much more like her true self.

We stepped out of our booth, and Shiori-chan immediately began scouring the shelves for recommendations.

“This one is amazing, but… ah, this one’s great too! How about you read volume one of a few different series first, and then keep reading whichever one grabs you?” she suggested eagerly.

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s do that,” I agreed.

“Roger that! In that case, take this one, and this one…” she chimed, handing over the volumes.

Following her expert guidance, I carried three manga volumes back into our private booth.

“Alrighty then! Time to get our read on!” she cheered, settling down with a radiant smile.

Shiori-chan flipped open her chosen book with an ecstatic grin. I picked up the first volume she had handed me and began turning the pages as well.

Before long, though, I noticed Shiori-chan holding her manga while stealing glance after glance in my direction.

“…M-May I… come over to your side?” she asked timidly, her voice dropping down.

“Hmm? Of course you can,” I replied with a welcoming smile.

“Hell yeah,” she whispered under her breath with a quiet fist pump.

Since I was sitting on the floor cushion, I assumed she would just sit right beside me… but instead, Shiori-chan slipped smoothly into the space between my knees.

Leaning backward, she rested her full weight comfortably against my chest.

“I-Is this okay…? Can you still read like this?” she asked softly, looking back up at me nervously.

“…Yeah, I’m totally fine,” I answered, feeling my heart give a small thud.

With the back of her head right in front of me, reading was admittedly a tiny bit trickier, but it wasn’t a problem at all.

Today was her day, so I was more than happy to let her have her way.

“Woooah… This is a different kind of melting altogether… ehehe… I have no regrets in my life—wait, scratch that, dying now would actually blow!” she giggled happily.

“What are you even talking about?” I chuckled softly.

Shiori-chan let out a happy giggle and dove back into her manga, so I refocused on my own book as well.

For a long while, neither of us said a word.

…Yet there wasn’t even a trace of awkwardness between us. A date like this every once in a while was really nice.

“Masato-san,” she called out softly.

“Yeah?” I hummed in response.

How much time had passed? It was right around the time I started on the second series she’d recommended when Shiori-chan broke the silence.

“If I’d never met you, Masato-san… well, actually, I definitely never would have done anything like what we did today,” she said thoughtfully.

“…” I listened quietly.

“I wouldn’t have known how ridiculously sweet boba milk tea is, or that photo booths put you on a crazy strict timer.”

Shiori-chan gently set her manga down to the side.

“I mean, none of those are things you actually need to know to get by… but somehow, experiencing it and thinking, ‘Well, I didn’t really need to know that,’ feels completely different from just staying clueless and saying, ‘Eh, who cares.’ If that makes any sense… Sorry, I’m rambling nonsense, aren’t I? Ahaha.”

“…No, not at all,” I said softly, shaking my head.

I understood exactly what she meant. There were so many things I never would have discovered if I hadn’t met everyone. Whether those experiences were strictly necessary for survival didn’t matter—what mattered was taking that step forward to experience something new.

Every now and then, Shiori-chan would offer me insightful realizations like this that made me reflect on my own life.

“So… thank you, Masato-san. Right now… life is actually pretty fun.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” I said warmly.

If Shiori-chan was enjoying her life even a little more than before, nothing could make me happier.

“And when I think about why it got so fun…” she continued, her voice softening.

Shiori-chan turned around in my lap to face me directly.

“I always come back to the same answer: it’s because you’re here with me, Masato-san.”

Though a faint blush dusted her cheeks, her expression held complete, unwavering earnestness.

“…I want to be by your side forever,” she confessed softly, looking straight into my eyes.

It was just like the time she had first confessed her feelings to me.

Shiori-chan gently stretched upward toward me. Instantly, my eyes closed on instinct.

…This time, it wasn’t a blunder at all.