The morning walk to school after the long weekend.
Sumire, walking next to me, was just like always.
Technically speaking, today is day one of us dating… but for some reason, Sumire did not mention it at all.
We just talked about simple things, like how the break is over and how sleepy we are to be back at school after so long.
Walking side by side on the path from the station to school, I secretly stole a glance at Sumire’s profile.
Soft-looking white cheeks and a pretty face line. Her big eyes with clear double eyelids look like they make a blinking sound every time she shuts them.
…While I was thinking about that, my eyes met Sumire’s dead-on.
Thinking “Oh no,” I looked away, and she grabbed my wrist firmly.
“One, two, one, two.”
Sumire kept holding my wrist and swung our arms back and forth in a big motion. This is something she sometimes does just to mess around.
Sumire moved behind my back and started massaging both of my shoulders.
“Are you feeling tense, customer~~?”
She does this a lot, too.
She is the type of person who has always been very physical.
“Sniff, sniff, hah, Aoi-chan smells so good~~.”
「Wait, stop it.”
Sumire brought her nose close to my hair, which I had put up in a quick ponytail.
The moment I tried to brush her away, my eyes met a male student walking diagonally behind us. A bit awkward.
Still, this is just like always.
“Aoi-chan, you are cute today, too.”
“No, Sumire, you are cuter.”
“Aoi is cuter.”
“I’m telling you, Sumire is cuter.”
Sumire bumped her shoulder against mine, acting all shy and saying, “Oh, come on~~.”
This is an exchange like some silly couple.
No, not like a silly couple… did we actually become one, I wonder?
“Am I really that cute~~? Ta-da!”
Sumire’s face blocked my view. I pushed her away, saying, “You’re in the way.”
But honestly, I think that not just as a compliment, but for real.
There are not many girls you can just give up on and praise for being so cute.
There was a time at the station when my eyes stopped on someone thinking, “Ah, that girl is cute,” and when I looked closer, it was Sumire.
“Even with the same recipe, this scent just does not come out, does it~~?”
Even if she says that, I do not really know about my own scent.
I mean, Sumire smells super good, too.
If I had to compare it… a peach? Peach.
Wait, are those the same thing?
Come to think of it, what is the difference between a white peach and a yellow peach?
Sumire feels like a white peach, after all. Her skin is so white.
Smooth, soft and bouncy, maybe delicious if you take a bite?
…Wait, what on earth am I thinking? I sound like a weirdo.
“A peach.”
Sumire’s single word brought me back to reality.
I thought she read my mind. Surprised, I asked back.
“Huh? What is?”
“Aoi-chan’s scent. Looks delicious.”
Oh no.
Am I on the same level as Sumire?
“Hey, isn’t that creepy?”
“Creepy? However?”
“There is no ‘however’ about it. You are a bit too close, so step back?”
I narrowed my eyes and took half a step back. Sumire was giggling.
It might be a bit harsh, but this is also our usual kind of interaction.
Still, I wonder. Is this really just the usual…?
“Hey,”
“Hmm?”
What happened to… that talk from yesterday about us dating?
I almost said that, but swallowed it back.
“What is wrong?”
“Ah, well…”
Sumire asked back with a face like she did not remember anything at all.
So, what does that mean? Was that a dream? An illusion?
Or did she already get bored? Did she forget after sleeping?
In the end, without mentioning any of it, we arrived at the school entrance.
I took my indoor shoes out of the shoe locker. My locker is in a low spot, so I have to crouch down every time.
It was when I put my indoor shoes on the floor and tried to stand up.
“Aoi.”
Called out, I raised my head.
Sumire’s face was much closer than I expected.
The scent of peaches hit my nose. Something soft touched my cheek.
“…Eh.”
The touch lasted for just a split second.
With a slight delay, my brain tried to figure out what had just happened.
Was that… did she just kiss me?
Sumire kisses my cheek whenever she gets the chance.
This happens a lot, too. Just like always… no way.
“Shh.”
Crouching down, Sumire put her index finger in front of her lips.
With a slight blush on her cheeks, she smiled at me.
“Keep it a secret, okay?”
That is what she said.
It is a forced-looking gesture, but when Sumire does it, it actually works.
She looks like a romantic comedy heroine. She could probably be on the cover.
A secret from everyone.
Far from forgetting, she is strictly keeping it.
Ah, this means…
It really is going to continue.