Chapter 22 I Feel like I Can Become Brighter Just by Being with You

I Feel like I Can Become Brighter Just by Being with You

——Around 17:00 she came over.

“Yoohoo. Takumi-nii, are you there?”

“Wow!?”

She appeared in the living room window just like yesterday.

I was watching TV and almost fell off the sofa, startled by her sudden appearance.

“C-Chika-chan…you startled me, please come through the front door.”

“Ehehe~ I wanted to surprise you, Takumi-nii.”

I wonder if my startled face was funny.

Ichika smiled happily.

“I’m a little late, right? I was late because I had committee duties today…So I came straight from school.”

“There’s no need to rush. It’s close to home…why don’t you change? Don’t you feel stuffy in your uniform?”

I just wanted to be nice.

But her lips pouted and she looked a bit unhappy.

“Changing clothes is a very difficult thing, isn’t it…?”

“Hey, did I say something weird?”

“Yes, you did. Because——there’s no way I can just pick out the clothes I want to show Takumi-nii so easily. I’d have to seriously think about it for at least an hour before I could appear in front of Takumi-nii in my best clothes!”

That was another…difficult logic.

I guess it’s not easy for girls her age?

“Come to think of it, you were in uniform last night, too, right?”

“Because I couldn’t decide what to wear. I didn’t want Takumi-nii to say that I looked like a child, and on the other hand, there weren’t many adult-like clothes that fit me yet…”

So you chose uniforms as a safe choice.

“…Just in case, Takumini-nii is my first love, right? I’ll be in trouble if you don’t show me a little more consideration.”

Ah…Indeed, that’s what she said yesterday.

Thinking about it, I feel like my words were probably not thoughtful enough.

“I’m sorry I said something weird?”

When I sincerely apologized, Ichika’s expression changed and she laughed again.

“No, no, no. As an apology, let’s go clothes shopping together next time. If there are clothes you like, I can wear them.”

“I don’t know much about fashion. I don’t know if I can choose clothes that fit Chika-chan…”

“It’s totally okay! The clothes Takumi-nii likes are the clothes I like.”

That’s another…thing that makes me happy.

I guess you could say she still cares about me…Ichika’s innocent fondness for me was exactly the same as in the past.

“Yatta! I’m going shopping with Takumi-nii…ehehe~…what should I wear?”

“Why not just wear a uniform?”

“But it’s a waste to wear a school uniform when you go shopping…Ah, Takumi-nii, listen! I just realized something very serious…I have no clothes to go shopping with.”

And now Ichika, with a serious look on her face, puts her finger to her chin and starts to think about something.

“Nnn~ What should I do? …Uniform is a safe bet, but it’s an outing, right? I want to dress up and have Takumi-nii tell me how cute I am. Ugh, what am I supposed to do, Takumi-nii?”

Then she looked at me with a face as if she was going to cry for some reason.

Ever since she appeared, her expression has been changing. When I was with her, who showed me many different faces, my feelings were strangely brightened.

I knew that this girl was the kind of girl who would make you smile naturally when you were with her.

Like Hana-san…she’s a good person at heart, or maybe it’s because she’s a good person and her words are pure and without malice.

That’s why I don’t have to think about strange things.

I could really forget about Takeshi and Kaori while talking to…Ichika——