Chapter 53 Given Names

Given Names

“Ah, um…!”

Irara’s cheeks are slightly flushed.

Stopping me like this—it means this isn’t just small talk.

Without thinking, I straighten my back.

What exactly is Irara trying to say to me?

My body heats up from the inside, and I swallow hard.

Irara clenches her fists tightly, lowers her gaze to the ground for a moment—

Then looks straight at me with determination and speaks.

“C-Can I call you… Arata…!!!”

“…!”

Arata—my given name.

Irara called me by it for the first time.

It’s just a name, and yet, when Irara says it, it feels like it carries a special meaning.

“A-And, Kyogoku-kun, I want you to… call me Akari.”

“Me, calling Irara…?”

For people our age, using given names holds a special significance.

It’s something reserved for those who share a deep bond—a closeness beyond mere friendship.

Of course, I’ve never called anyone by their given name before.

Especially not a girl.

But for Irara and me to suddenly start calling each other by our given names…

“A-Also! You call my mom Akiko-san, but I’m the only one you still call by my surname—doesn’t that sound super weird?! And besides, I actually really like my own name… and, um… I think Arata is a really nice name too…”

“…!!”

No one had ever told me that before.

That my name was nice.

“And more than anything! I want to be closer to you, Kyogoku-kun!! I really, really want to be close to you!!!”

Irara’s straightforward words and unwavering gaze pierce through me.

“So! Wh-what do you think!? About using given names!?”

“Uh…”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hesitant.

Because calling each other by our given names—it feels like we’ve skipped a few steps in our relationship all at once.

…No, I should just be honest.

The truth is, I feel embarrassed.

Calling Irara by her given name.

And having her call me by mine.

“W-well, um…”

…But.

As embarrassing as it is, her offer is too tempting.

To have the kind of relationship I’ve always admired from afar, with Irara of all people—it’s a miracle rarer than winning the lottery, something I secretly long for more than anything.

Because I never thought it was possible for me.

I’m Kyogoku Arata, the guy with the scary face, hated by the entire school.

And yet, here I am, with the most popular, most adorable girl in school—

“…Ah, never mind. I was too sudden, wasn’t I? Ehehe, sorry. Just forget I said anything…”

“I’ll call you… by your given name.”

“…Eh?”

“I-I want to be closer to you too. So from now on… I’ll call you by your given name.”

“…!! O-okay! Given names it is!!”

Irara’s face lights up with joy, her cheeks softening into a smile.

She’s seriously too cute.

Just a simple name—yet when it comes to Irara, it holds so much meaning.

“Ehehe… I’m really happy. I had to work up a lot of courage, you know? Stuff like this is really nerve-wracking!”

“Y-Yeah… Well, not that I’d know, since I’ve never called or been called by my given name before.”

“Ahaha… Actually, I might not know either! I mean, I’ve had people call me by my given name from the start, but switching from surname to given name—that’s new for me too!”

Not even Irara has experienced this?

Well, that makes sense. Unless something really major happens, people don’t just suddenly change how they address each other.

…Wait.

That means something really major must have happened for Irara to suggest this to me…

“…!!”

A guy and a girl calling each other by their given names.

It carries a special meaning—it’s like a prelude, a step before romance starts to blossom.

So when Irara said she wanted to be closer… could she have meant that kind of closeness…?

“Ah!! Um, I-I only suggested it because… you know! My mom and other stuff…!”

Noticing my reaction, Irara hurriedly tries to cover it up.

—But.

She trails off mid-sentence, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly as she murmurs,

“…No, the truth is, I really want to call you by your given name, Kyogoku-kun… and I really want you to call me by mine. Honestly… I even felt jealous of my mom.”

“…!!!”

My heart pounds at Irara’s raw, unfiltered feelings.

“O-Oh… Got it.”

“Ehehe… So, given names from now on, okay? …Arata-kun.”

“…!! O-oh.”

I feel like all my responses so far have been completely unoriginal.

What the hell am I doing?

This is exactly why I’m a social failure, the outcast nobody likes… pathetic.

But for now, this is enough.

There’s time before I see Irara again.

Until then, I’ll mentally prepare myself…

“…Hm?”

Irara keeps glancing at me in silence.

Almost as if she’s waiting for something.

That’s when it hits me.

Is she… waiting for me to call her by her given name…?

“…!!”

Seriously.

She’s too cute.

And looking at her face, I can tell—

Just how embarrassed and flustered she is.

Yet, she’s still waiting for me.

—Then, it’d be disrespectful of me to let my own embarrassment get in the way of her sincerity.

I take a deep breath and, doing my best to sound as gentle as possible, say,

“…Nice to meet you, Akari.”

At my words, Irara—no, Akari—widens her eyes in surprise.

Then, as always, her expression softens, and she breaks into the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

“Yeah! Nice to meet you too, Arata-kun!!”

With that, Akari turns back and walks away, looking completely satisfied.

I turn on my heels and start heading home.

But almost immediately, my steps falter.

I press my hands against my burning face and mutter under my breath:

“…She’s way too freaking cute.”

And just like that, Akari and I leveled up from just friends—to friends who call each other by our given names.

Yuya’s PoV

An unfamiliar ceiling.

A sterile, white room with nothing but plain walls.

I press a bandaged hand against my throbbing head and mutter,

“…How the hell did this happen?”

Seriously, why did I end up… in a hospital?!