Chapter 1 Kota-kun

Kota-kun

My first encounter with him was during our second year of middle school when our class was rearranged.

Until then, I only knew his face but had never spoken to him—he was just another classmate. But after the class reshuffle, we ended up sitting next to each other, which led to us talking more.

“My name is Hamasaki Kotaro. Looking forward to getting along with you.”

“I’m Mishima Yayoi. Likewise, nice to meet you.”

My first impression of him was that he seemed really kind.

It wasn’t just his tone of voice—his gentle smile left a lasting impression on me.

And as we talked more, I found out we shared a common hobby.

That hobby was watching dramas.

The day after watching a drama, we would share our thoughts about it, and if it was a suspense series, we’d exchange our own theories.

His insights and deductions were always deeper than mine, and I found myself constantly impressed.

Before I knew it, I had come to really enjoy listening to him talk.

Among classmates of the opposite s🬀x, we became each other’s closest friends, and before long, we started calling each other “Yayoi” and “Kota-kun.”

As the first semester ended and summer vacation approached, the annual summer festival at the local shrine was coming up.

Kota-kun and I, along with two other friends, decided to go to the festival together.

The four of us were close even at school, always chatting and having fun together.

The other girl going with us was my best friend, Yamane Hitomi-chan.

Hitomi-chan wasn’t just popular in our class—she was one of the most sought-after girls in the entire school, receiving many confessions.

But no matter how good-looking the senior or classmate was, she turned down every confession. I always thought that was kind of cool.

One day, I asked her why she never dated anyone, and she said, “I’ve liked someone since my first year.”

I was curious about who Hitomi-chan had feelings for, but there was a certain aura that told me not to ask any further.

“Oh! Mishima, Yamane, you two are wearing yukatas! You both look amazing! Right, Kotaro?”

“Ah, yeah. You both look great.”

The first one to speak when we met up was Koganei Satoshi-kun.

Satoshi-kun had been Kota-kun’s best friend since elementary school.

Like Hitomi-chan, Satoshi-kun was also incredibly popular.

He was good-looking and excelled in sports, making him a favorite among the girls.

But oddly enough, despite his popularity, Satoshi-kun never dated anyone and always turned down confessions.

Hitomi-chan had someone she liked, but what about Satoshi-kun?

I had never heard him talk about romance before.

As for me, by this point, I had started to develop feelings for Kota-kun beyond just being classmates.

That’s why I wore a yukata and spent extra time styling my hair.

After all, when standing next to Hitomi-chan, I always felt like I couldn’t compete in looks, so I wanted Kota-kun to notice me.

I never asked Kota-kun who he liked, but I already knew I couldn’t win against Hitomi-chan in terms of appearance.

Still, if Kota-kun only looked at Hitomi-chan, I knew I would feel lonely and frustrated.

The festival at this shrine didn’t have any special events, just rows of stalls, but the atmosphere created by the red lanterns made it feel like a whole different world, filling me with a dreamy excitement.

After enjoying the festival for a while, we decided to take a break on a bench with a table inside the shrine grounds.

That’s when Kota-kun said, “I’ll go buy some takoyaki. It might be a lot to carry, so Yayoi, come with me.” Hearing that, I happily followed after him like an excited puppy.

“Sorry for making you come along when you were resting.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m happy—it feels like we’re at the festival just the two of us.”

When I said that, he blushed slightly and looked away.

Thinking back on my words, it almost sounded like a confession, and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

Then, out of nowhere, Kota-kun grabbed my hand and led me behind one of the quieter stalls where no one was around.

Wondering what was going on, I looked at his face. He seemed embarrassed, yet his eyes were serious as they looked straight at me.

In that moment, my heart started racing like crazy.

“Sorry for bringing you all the way here so suddenly.”

“No, it’s fine… but what is it?”

I was being unfair.

I already had a good idea of what he was about to say, yet I pretended not to know and asked anyway.

“Um… I like you, Yayoi. If you’re okay with it, will you go out with me?”

I was so happy that tears started streaming down my face as I replied, “Yes. Please.”

Seeing me suddenly cry, Kota-kun panicked, but hesitantly reached out and gently patted my head.

The warmth of his touch felt so comforting that I ended up crying even more.