Chapter 35 Confession

Confession

After school, I called Shirasaki-san to the old tea ceremony clubroom.

I was a little nervous because I was going to tell Shirasaki-san something important.

Having arrived first, I waited for a while until I heard the door open, and she appeared.

“It’s rare for Amagi-kun to call me here.”

Shirasaki-san said this as she placed her school bag on the floor.

Meanwhile, I began to speak nervously, looking into her eyes.

“Yeah, there’s something important I need to talk about…”

“Something important?”

Shirasaki-san asked, looking puzzled.

“The other day, I met with Chiharu.”

When I said that, I noticed Shirasaki-san’s expression stiffen slightly.

Even though she had seen Chiharu’s message before, I knew bringing it up now wasn’t ideal. But I had to share it to proceed with what I needed to say.

Besides, I didn’t want to hide anything from her.

“I see… Maybe you got back together?”

There was a mix of anxiety and worry in her question, so I quickly shook my head.

“No, not at all. She brought it up, she even tried to force herself on me, but…”

“T-Tried to force herself on you… Amagi-kun, did you… do it?”

“I didn’t! I turned her down properly!”

When I denied it as firmly as I could, Shirasaki-san was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief.

“I-I see…”

“Yeah. After talking to her properly, I realized I’ve finally gotten over Chiharu. And that’s probably thanks to you. So thank you, Shirasaki-san.”

When I said that, she looked a little surprised, then smiled gently.

At least I was able to talk about Chiharu. But there was still one more thing I had to tell her. As I gathered my thoughts, Shirasaki-san looked out the window at the scenery outside and began speaking quietly.

“Actually, I should be the one thanking you. You’re the one who changed my life, Amagi-kun.”

“Eh?”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Changed her life? I didn’t remember doing anything like that…

The only thing I could think of was writing the song that she became the center for, which turned into a big hit.

But that was related to her work as an idol, not something that seemed to change her life on such a deep level. As I tried to make sense of her words, she turned back to me and said,

“You know, I became an idol because of Amagi-kun. You didn’t know, did you?”

I was speechless at her confession, delivered with a bright smile.

She became an idol because of me?

I always thought she loved Luminous Stars and pursued her dream of being an idol for herself. But apparently, that wasn’t the case.

“When you used to say you liked Amane-chan, the center of Luminous Stars at the time, I decided I’d become an idol and aim to be a center too.”

Like solving a puzzle, she confessed this to me.

“I-I had no idea… but why would you go that far?”

I reflexively asked.

Perhaps it wasn’t something I should have asked at this point.

But I wanted to understand her feelings fully.

“That’s… because I liked Amagi-kun. And I still feel that way.”

She averted her gaze, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

Feeling her unwavering affection, happiness welled up inside me.

At the same time, guilt crept in for making her express her feelings first. I’d suspected her feelings for some time.

Yet, I didn’t know what to say to her, baring her emotions so earnestly.

“S-Say something.”

Shirasaki-san muttered, unable to endure the prolonged silence.

“I’m sorry, Shirasaki-san!”

Bowing my head, I replied.

Then, raising my face again, I decided to share my own feelings.

“Actually, I realized how you felt about me. You’ve been showing me affection for a while now, but I pretended not to notice. Because of what happened with Chiharu, I started distrusting women… But now that I’ve moved past that, I can finally say this.”

After finishing that sentence, I took a deep breath and said,

“I like you too, Shirasaki-san.”

My heart was pounding in my chest.

It was difficult to put my feelings into words.

But in the end, I managed to say what mattered most.

I like her.

As long as she knew that, it was enough.

As I waited for her response, I got an unexpected reaction.

“Amagi-kun… you scared me!!!”

She raised her voice in distress, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Eh?”

“Because you said ‘sorry’ first, I thought you were rejecting me! My heart can’t handle this…”

She pleaded, her eyes still teary.

“I’m sorry. I just meant I felt bad for realizing your feelings and not doing anything… There’s no way I’d reject you…”

I hurriedly tried to explain.

“I get it now. But I’m still flustered from your sudden confession. This is your fault, so you’d better take responsibility!”

“R-Responsibility means…”

“Since we both like each other, I want us to become a couple—and I want you to pamper me a lot.”

Becoming her boyfriend felt like the natural step for us.

I imagined a future with her as my lover and felt certain we’d be happy. But there was one concern.

“Is it really okay? You’re an idol, and I’d be monopolizing you.”

A romance between an idol and a regular person wouldn’t be easy. If it became public, it could hinder her career.

“I want to continue being an idol and also be your girlfriend. I know it’s selfish, but… would you be my accomplice?”

That was her final question. I’d feared she might quit being an idol for me, but I was relieved she wasn’t considering that. I wanted her to keep shining.

At the same time, I wanted to be by her side.

She called herself selfish, but I felt the same way.

In that sense, her word “accomplice” was fitting.

“I don’t mind. If I can be with you, I’ll take the risk.”

When I said that, she smiled and nodded in relief.

“I knew you’d say that. So from now on, we’re officially a couple, okay?”

She said this with a radiant smile.

And so, we became lovers.

But it still felt surreal.

“So we’re really a couple now, huh?”

“Yeah, it still doesn’t feel real.”

She seemed to feel the same way. Taking my hand, she pulled me closer, her face just inches from mine. Her moist eyes and gentle expression made my heart race as she whispered,

“…Should we do something couple-like to make it real?”

“L-Like what?”

“Maybe a hug?”

When I nodded, she leaned in and hugged me, burying her face in my shoulder. Her warmth was intoxicating.

“Amagi-kun, I love you.”

She whispered softly, and happiness overwhelmed me.

I hugged her back, silently vowing to make her happy.