V3 - Chapter 1

Volume 3 - Me, Her, and a Pair of Wings

Chapter 1

“...Good morning, Hajime.”

“Oh, you’re up early today. Good morning, Chinatsu.”

“Yeah, I woke up early for some reason… Thanks for the breakfast as always. I’ll handle the dishes.”

In the living room of my house, Chinatsu and I exchanged these words, both in our school uniforms.

I had started to get used to Chinatsu’s morning greetings. However, just because I was getting used to them didn’t mean I found them any less adorable. Seeing Chinatsu’s smile first thing in the morning always made my heart race.

A month had passed since that day when our relationship changed. The trees that had been full of autumn leaves when we first met had now shed them, and were now adorned with a different kind of color—those of the lights and decorations that marked the start of the chilly season.

Today marked the end of the second semester at our high school. In a few days, the day when couples celebrate their love would arrive.

A lot of important things had happened over the past month. We had many discussions. But before diving into those, I wanted to note the most important thing.

As a high school freshman spending winter under the same roof as my girlfriend, I still remained chaste. [TN: LMAO how pitiful. Just crawl on her when shes sleeping jk]

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That day, we fell asleep in the living room, wrapped in blankets and nestled close like mud. Waking up to each other’s scent, I kissed her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Honestly,  I felt my heart race at the sight of Chinatsu's sleepy face and worried about my morning breath, but I wanted to convince myself that being her boyfriend wasn’t a dream, so I acted naturally.

Then, after seeing Chinatsu hide her mouth with the blanket while smiling blissfully, I realized just how dazzling she was. I thought once again that the saying, the one who falls in love first being at a disadvantage, continued even after becoming lovers.

As we basked in our happiness, my stomach growled. Chinatsu seemed to have heard it as we exchanged amused glances and laughed together. I checked the clock, and although it was still early, we had just enough time for breakfast.

“Let’s have something to eat. I’ll toast some bread.”

I stood up as I spoke.

“Then I'll make some coffee… Oh, but I want to fix my hair a bit too. I have some clothes and makeup here that I usually use for my plain-mode look, but…”

Chinatsu stood up as well, seemingly concerned about her clothes and hair as she muttered. I shook my head and replied.

“I’ll handle the meal preparations. You can go to the convenience store to buy anything you might need. It’s better than going back home since your dad might still be there.”

“Okay. Thank you as always, Hajime.”

By the time Chinatsu returned with the things she needed, I already made a simple breakfast. I had also set the necessary utensils on the table for two.

“I’m back. Can I change clothes for a bit?”

Chinatsu called out to me as I prepared food in the kitchen.

“Welcome back, Chinatsu. Sure, you can use the room upstairs that’s not mine… It used to be my little sister’s room, but I’ve cleaned it up.”

“Oh… okay, I’ll use it. Or hehe… unless… you want me to change here?”

After hearing my words, she paused for a moment before nodding and teasingly suggesting she change in front of me, a mischievous smile on her face. Her ears turned red, betraying her casual tone. She was incredibly cute. Sigh, my girlfriend is super adorable.

“...I almost said yes, but are you sure?”

“...Not yet.”

I didn’t want to sit still and have myself get teased every time so I said such a playful comeback but I didn’t expect her to blush even more after saying something like that. I nearly burned myself at her flustered response that I almost fumbled and burned myself.

—I see, not yet, huh?

After she changed, we sat down together for breakfast. Buttered toast, a simple omelet, some leftover ham, and a small salad with the last bits of lettuce.

Considering it was a quick meal, it looked like a decent weekend breakfast. 

While I was thinking that, Chinatsu softly murmured, “Gosh, having a boyfriend who makes Sunday morning breakfast… amazing.”

Hearing her say that with such sincerity, even if she didn’t mean for me to hear it, made me want to always make breakfast for her. It felt like I was head over heels for her.

It was a peaceful, happy morning, almost as if the events of the previous day had just been a bad dream.

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Bonus Chapter (1/6)