CH 1

Chapter-1

At My Childhood Friend's House

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The time is 7:00 pm.

I'm on my way to Kotoba's house to have dinner. Yes, as I mentioned before, Kotoha and I are neighbors.

I think this is the proof that we are truly childhood friends and that we are destined to be together. Living close to each other means that there are many opportunities to interact.

So I think it's no exaggeration to say that this situation of our houses being next to each other is a blessing and support from God.

As I was expressing my love for my childhood friend in such a way, before I knew it, I had arrived at Kotoba's house. Although it was only a few meters away, I could get there on foot in just a few tens of seconds.

I press the intercom of the Shirayuki house.

"Ah, Tsuzuri-chan? Please wait a moment~"

The person who just answered the intercom was Kotoba's Okāsan, Shirayuki Kotone. Or should I say, my future mother-in-law.

A few moments later, the door opened.

"Hey, you're here! My Kotoba-chan has been waiting for you for a long time! I had to fix her hair and check her appearance several times, even though she's not very honest with herself."

I was expecting Kotone's usual talk to start, but a loud voice interrupted it.

"Aah! Hey, Okāsan! Don't say anything unnecessary!"

Kotoba came out looking quite impatient...But if she dint't deny what Kotone-san said...then she really were eager for me to come, wasn't she?

"Kotoba, Kotone-san, good evening."

I suppressed my swelling feelings for my childhood friend and greeted them for the moment.

"Good evening..."

"Yes, good evening! Now come on, and get inside!"

At Kotone's urging, I stepped into the Shirayuki house.

━

The time advanced to 7:30 pm.

Kotoba and I were having a nice chat. In Kotoba's room.

Kotone-san and Kotoba's Otōsan, Saburo-san, said that it was okay for the two of us to be together, and no matter how much I offered to help them prepare dinner, they wouldn't listen.

When I asked them if they were worried about their daughter being alone with an adolescent boy, they said with a nonchalant look on their faces, "I'm sure Tsuzuri-chan will be fine." However, I am a boy of that age, so I doubt that it would be okay.

That is why I took advantage of their kind words and let myself go up to Kotoba's room. At first, Kotoba's face turned bright red and she was screaming.

"By the way, Tsuzuri-kun, are your parents not coming today?"

As you can see, Kotoba has calmed down and is talking normally now.

"They said they were busy with work today. So I'm supposed to eat here."

It's not that I eat dinner at Shirayuki's every day. I only come here to eat when my parents are away for work or when there is something to celebrate.

.....Now that the two of us are alone, can't I make a move here to shorten the distance between us?

I had only one strategy in mind for that. That is, I'm going to praise Kotoba constantly.

Although I praise her on a daily basis. But if I were to praise her in her room, in this sweet atmosphere, with just the two of us, I think it would make her swoon.

I'd like to marry her in the future, and having her turn red at the slightest compliment would be a real problem for us.

It is a simple strategy, but it is expected to be effective. I opened my mouth to implement it immediately.

"Kotoha, you look beautiful."

`"F~e~ehh!?"

Kotoba's face turned red as she froze in place.

"What's wrong?"

I was puzzled by the response, which was many times greater than I had expected. A few dozen seconds after I asked, Kotoba's stiffness finally broke. Her face is still as red as before.

"Ki, what are you saying all of a sudden? If you're going to praise me, then say you're going to praise me first!"

"I'm sorry, you're just too cute. Then, from now on, before I praise you...Heh?"

"Uh, wh-what's wrong?"

Then I had a strange feeling. There was something different about her. She looked at me with a strange look on her face as I suddenly stopped talking.

I brought my whole body closer to her━

I sniffed at her hair.

"Heee!?"

She was blushing incomparably more than before. Ignoring her reaction, I asked her a question.

"Kotoba, did you change your shampoo?"

She didn't answer in words or dere, "Kyaaaah!"

A relentless and powerful slap.

"Yes, I did change it. But, this kind of thing could be considered sexual harassment!"

Frowning in pain, I tried to respond.

"The world's cutest childhood friend changed her shampoo, and that's a huge deal to me and something I must mention at all costs!"

When I declared proudly, Kotoba slumped to the ground as if her soul had been drained.

━

The dinner afterwards was a delicate affair.

There was a very awkward atmosphere between me and Kotoba, while the Shirayuki couple looked on with smiles on their faces. In fact, isn't this already approved by Kotoba's parents?

After dinner, I headed home. Judging from her response, she didn't seem to be displeased at all.

I'm sure that the slap was to hide her embarrassment. Besides, when I complimented her on her beauty and when I sniffed her, she didn't seem to mind, but rather seemed to be content.

I still don't know for sure, but I think she has a crush on me.

But even with that in mind, I still can't muster up the courage to confess my feelings. If she didn't like me, I would not be able to...

I'm sure we'll never be able to go back to the relationship we had and I'll have to distance myself from her.

And I'm a coward. This has something to do with an incident that happened to me in middle school. I don't want to remember it, and I don't want to think about it. All I can say is that this is the result of being tormented by it.

For three years in middle school, I tried to improve my bad points one after another. However, I could not cure my cowardice. Would I be allowed to confess my feelings to Kotoba in this state?

I didn't know what to do, but I jumped into bed vigorously to shake off my mixed emotions.