Volume 3 - Me, Her, and a Pair of Wings
Chapter 2
That day became one that Chinatsu would probably remember for the rest of her life. A day that should have been painful and difficult was overwritten with the happiness of sharing feelings with someone important.
She woke up in the morning and felt the warmth beside her. She looked at Hajime’s sleeping face. The feelings she had thought were overflowing last night still showed no sign of drying up.
A calm, serene, and slightly ticklish feeling settled within her.
She reached out and touched Hajime’s hair, noticing how it got a bit messy in the morning. She felt happy knowing that she was the only one who knew this about him.
Some of her friends had already experienced waking up next to their boyfriends and had shared their stories with excitement. Back then, Chinatsu had listened with a mix of envy while thinking, “Heeh?” to herself, but now she understood the overwhelming joy that made one want to talk about it with others.
She had kissed her boyfriend, slept next to him, and spent the night together. Despite feeling so fulfilled already, she was still looking forward to many more things.
Thinking this with her sleepy mind, Chinatsu blushed. As she fidgeted and tried to steady her breath, Hajime opened his eyes groggily, looked at her, and said, Good morning.
Good morning, Chinatsu greeted Hajime back while thinking, Gosh, I’m in trouble.
The Chinatsu from before and the Chinatsu now were clearly different. Just exchanging morning greetings with Hajime made her heart race so much—.
Her heart, already overwhelmed, completely short-circuited when Hajime leaned in naturally and gently kissed her lips.
She realized that, like sadness, happiness could also overflow and become saturated. Though this kind of saturation was certainly not unpleasant. She felt she must have been grinning foolishly. It was a bit embarrassing.
Her body, now fully rested, started to signal its hunger. Embarrassed by the thought that Hajime might hear it, she blushed even more. But when Hajime’s stomach growled too, they both laughed.
After a bit of conversation, Chinatsu decided to go out to buy some clothes and other necessities.
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Although she could have found what she needed at a convenience store, there was a large drugstore across from the one near Hajime’s house that also sold daily necessities. It was just opening, so she decided to check it out. The only person inside was the cashier lady.
Her clothes from yesterday were a bit wrinkled from sleeping in them, but that couldn’t be helped. She wanted to change her underwear, so she browsed the aisles. Eventually, her basket turned into a full overnight kit. Though she had already spent the night.
She added items like a toothbrush, makeup, and travel-sized shampoo and conditioner, thinking she might want to take a shower. The thought of temporarily keeping these things at Hajime’s house gave her a warm, indescribable feeling.
At the checkout, the cashier glanced at her purchases and her appearance, then smiled warmly, which made Chinatsu feel a bit self-conscious. She walked back to Hajime’s house, greeting people she passed with a smile. Although there weren’t many long-time residents in the newly developed neighborhood, she still nodded politely to those she met before unlocking the door and entering.
The house was filled with the smell of butter and something else that smelled delicious.
“I’m back. Can I change clothes for a bit?”
Seeing Hajime prepare their breakfast, she thanked him before asking.
“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?”
Hajime’s mention of his sister’s room made her hesitate, and she hid behind the shopping bags as she spoke. She did something she normally wouldn’t have, and her ears were red in embarrassment.
“...I almost said yes, but are you sure?”
Perhaps because Hajime saw how she hid herself in embarrassment that he teased her back with such a playful response. Honestly, she felt like saying, ‘If you really want to see, then I’ll let you.’
“...Not yet.”
Saying that, Chinatsu ran up the stairs. Her heart couldn't take any more. She was truly shocked with herself. She had never done anything particularly romantic before, and it wasn't as if he was her first boyfriend. Since when had she become such an innocent girl?
The room was indeed clean. It still had a desk and bed, and photos of what seemed to be an active girl were pinned to a board on the wall.
Her eyes were drawn to a photo in the center. A slightly younger Hajime and a girl wrapping her arm around him, flashing a peace sign.
“She’s really cute… Miho-chan, huh.”
“Sorry for borrowing your room for a bit,” Chinatsu said softly as she began to change. She had something she wanted to ask Hajime to do later.
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Eh…? This is too much happiness, Chinatsu thought the moment she went downstairs.
There was already warm coffee with milk waiting for her. On the table, there were toast, omelets, ham, and even salad.
Gosh, having a boyfriend who makes Sunday morning breakfast… amazing. As she thought this, Hajime, looking a bit embarrassed, said, “It does feel like a weekend breakfast, doesn’t it? Let’s eat.”
“Yeah, thank you so much!”
Though it was a simple meal, Chinatsu felt she would never forget the taste and smell of this breakfast that day.
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Bonus Chapter (2/6)
