The moment I was out of Ichika's sight, I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart hammer wildly. I had been unbearably nervous—only putting on a tough front because showing weakness to her would mean being teased to death.
On second thought… that didn't sound entirely bad. Maybe a little dangerous for my heart, but that was only the second reason.
Anyway, today was Friday, and there was something I needed to ask Miku. There was a place I wanted to go with her, but the real question was… would she agree?
That uncertainty was exactly why I gathered my courage and finally spoke to her after school.
"Er… Miku-san, are you free this Sunday?"
She was still packing her bag when I asked, having hurriedly stuffed my own things away just to catch her in time.
She looked at my face and tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"This Sunday…? Why?"
I scratched the back of my head, offering a faintly nervous smile. "There's a small festival happening in the neighborhood, and they're holding a fireworks event on Sunday. So, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"
"Fireworks…"
She murmured the word under her breath, as if it had slipped out unconsciously, carrying with it a trace of nostalgia. For a brief moment, a rare flicker of sadness crossed her face. She lowered her gaze and replied softly, "I'm not very fond of crowded places."
I laughed awkwardly. "Ah, too bad for me. It was worth a shot anyway."
As I let out a defeated sigh, I couldn't help but think that she still didn't trust me—or perhaps simply didn't want to get close to me.
"B-But…"
Her next words immediately caught my attention.
"If we can watch them from somewhere less crowded, I can go with you."
She replied without looking up.
My eyes widened, and a bright, cheerful smile spread across my face. "Leave it to me! I'll scout the entire area beforehand," I declared confidently, pressing my thumb to my chest.
She smiled lightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks—probably thinking I was joking. But oh boy little did she know, I was completely serious.
With our plan set, the next step was obvious. I took out my phone.
"Can I get your LINE ID?" I asked, wearing an expectant smile.
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Lying on my bed with my phone held above me, I let out a creepy, idiotic giggle. "Heheheha."
(AN: Recall that famous Bochi midnight laugh.)
On the screen was a single saved contact—"Miku".
I set the phone aside, grabbed my Miku pillow, and hugged it tightly, rolling across the bed while continuing to giggle like a complete creep. Anyone who sees me right now would probably call a mental hospital without hesitation.
"Miku, my wife, I will give you my life…"
Okay, that was painfully cringe—some kind of tragic excuse for poetry.… who cares?
"Hehehe."
Suddenly, I sat upright, the creepiness vanishing from my face.
"Wait a minute…"
My eyes widened as the realization dawned on me.
"This… this could be considered a date, right?"
I'd completely forgotten about it, being so focused on getting closer to her that I'd treated this outing as nothing more than a means to that end.
I immediately grabbed my phone and typed out a message to her.
"Thank you for agreeing to go there with me. I'm really looking forward to Sunday."
I sent it and set the phone aside, not expecting a quick reply—but one came almost instantly. Perhaps she was still on her phone.
"You're welcome," she replied simply.
I didn't waste the opportunity and quickly sent another message—a teasing one. I wasn't really a keyboard person, but I gave it my best.
"Do I have permission to consider it a date?"
The "seen" mark appeared, yet no reply came right away. I chuckled inwardly. 'Is she flustered?'
Even so, a hint of nervousness crept into my chest as I waited.
Finally, the typing indicator appeared, showing that she was writing something—only to vanish, then reappear again. This happened three times before I finally received her reply, delivered as an almost oblivious question.
"Is it?"
I grinned. How cute. She couldn't or didn't rejected the idea outright.
"I can't think of it as anything else."
"You're… right."
I laughed and quietly clenched my fist in triumph. Now she couldn't make any excuses—just like that, I'd secured an official date with her. Still, I didn't press the topic any further and smoothly changed the subject to something she'd definitely be interested in.
"I remember you saying you love the warlords from the Sengoku period."
"You still remember that?"
She was probably feeling embarrassed right now. If I didn't know her personality well, I wouldn't have been able to tell through text—she wasn't very expressive unless it truly matters.
I smiled. "What kind of guy would I be if I couldn't even remember what the girl I love likes?"
Silence followed, so I continued before it grew awkward.
"Here's a quick question for you. What did Nobunaga actually used to call Hideyoshi?" I added, "Not the fake Monkey nickname."
"Bald rat."
Her reply came almost instantly, as if she hadn't needed a second to think about it—because she hadn't.
"Correct, as expected," I replied. "But do you know the easiest way to remember that answer?"
I continued teasingly, "Just recall the history teacher from Class 2-1. He actually looks exactly like a bald rat, but he is a good teacher."
"Really?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her tone. "I've never seen him, but that's so mean."
"The truly mean one was Nobunaga," I replied. "Calling Hideyoshi a bald rat—poor guy."
"You're right :)"
Ah… she used an emoji for the first time. How rare.
After a few more exchanges on the same history topic, we finally said our goodbyes.
Lying on my bed, I felt surprisingly refreshed. You could say that Miku and I were already at the friendship stage—she just hadn't officially announced it yet.
With that in mind, I figured it wouldn't hurt to shift a bit of my focus toward the others as well.
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The next day was Saturday, so we only had half a day of classes. After lunch, everyone began packing up their things.
"Are you heading home already?" I asked Miku, and she nodded in confirmation.
"Are you staying?" she asked in return.
I laughed a little awkwardly. "Yeah, I want to study for a bit in the library."
Then my awkward smile steadied. "Wanna join me?"
She raised a hand in front of her almost immediately. "I don't like studying."
I tilted my head in confusion. "Then how do you know so much about history? Are you some kind of genius?"
She blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed. "T-that's… because of a game and some books."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "A game, huh?"
Then, as an idea clicked in my head, I smiled. "How about this—instead of studying, let's play a quiz. It'll be fun, and we can study at the same time."
"No, I'm good," she said flatly, reaching for the headphones resting on her shoulders.
Before she could put them on, I let out a smug sigh. "Well, I guess it's fine to be scared sometimes."
She froze mid-motion. Then, slowly, she turned around, her eyes Cold and competitive.
"Are you challenging me?"
I smirked. "What else does this look like?"
"Fine. I accept."
My grin widened. "Oh? You seem pretty confident. How about we make a bet, then?" I added teasingly, "But if you're not confident enough, that's fine too."
She might lack self-confidence in general, but when it came to her knowledge of Sengoku-era warlords, she was unwavering—and she absolutely hated being looked down on.
"Just say it," she pressed, puffing out her cheeks in an angry pout that made her look like an adorable squirrel.
I chuckled. "How about the loser treats the winner to something?"
"That works," she agreed without hesitation.
I cheered inwardly. Whether I win or lose, I'd successfully secured an after-school date with her.