The next day, after school had ended, I was waiting at the entrance of the shoe locker, a little nervous after being consulted by Hiiragi-san at my part-time job. Although I decided to be proactive from now on, I was still nervous because it wasnât something I was used to doing. My heart was beating loudly.
Will we really be able to hold hands like this? I started to feel uneasy. As I repeatedly took deep breaths to ease up, Saito appeared.
[Hey]
[Wha- Tanaka-kun!?]
Saito froze with her adorable eyes wide open. Unlike when we first met, she was surprised but not on guard. That was how close weâve gotten to each other, I realized.
[Do you want to go home with me?]
[Sure, butâŚ]
[Letâs walk for now. Weâll catch more attention here]
It was fine for us to take our time, but if we stood there for too long, someone might see us.
[Yeah⌠Thatâs right]
She said hesitantly and nodded.
[So, whatâs wrong? You suddenly asked me to come home with you]
Saito said to me as we were leaving the school gate. Her face was a bit red, so maybe she was conscious that we were leaving together.
[Ahh⌠I was reading something interesting today, and I wanted to tell you what I thought of it]
[⌠I see. Good grief, you can talk to me all you want when we get home]
Saito rolled her eyes and continued to loosen her mouth and chuckled, saying so in a somewhat dumbfounded manner.
We talked about trivial things as we walked home together. Lately we had only been meeting at Saitoâs house, and before that we had been going home at different times, so it was refreshing to go home together like this.
It was fun to talk to her, even if it was just about trivial topics. For a moment, I wondered if I should just go to her house today. But I shook off the thought, because the only reason I asked her out today was to hold her hand. While reflecting on the happiness of being able to talk with the person I like, I kept thinking about when I should hold hands with her.
I glanced at Saitoâs right hand, which was wavering. A beautiful, clear white hand, exposed and unprotected, is right beside me. (EDN:Â Remember kids, donât conduct unprotected hand holding, itâs not safe)
Hiiragi-san told me about it, so I invited Saito to go home with me in order to hold her hand, but when I tried to do so, I became extremely nervous. I couldnât muster up courage to do it, so I repeatedly reached out and pulled back without our hands touching.
I was disappointed in myself. I couldnât muster up the courage to do it, and I sighed at how pathetic I was. At least in a situation like this, the first step had to come from the man. I took several deep breaths and made up my mind. I managed to calm down and extended my hand.
[âŚ!?]
My fingers touched her soft hand. The moment I touched her, she reacted with a jolt and Saito instantly withdrew her hand in a flash.
[M-My bad!]
[N-NoâŚ]
I hurriedly apologized, but Saito just stuttered and became quiet. I couldnât see her expression because she had her face down.
She wouldâve known I was trying to hold her hand. The fact that she withdrew her hand meant it was too early. She wasnât someone who liked being touched by the opposite gender. Even if she trusts me, it mightâve been too early.
I couldnât think of anything in my defense, and the air became awkward. I took half a step away from Saito so she wouldnât be on guard and dislike me any more.
Iâve done it. I made a mistake. I was so impatient that I suddenly tried to hold hands with her. I shouldâve taken more time before I held her hand. Bitter regret enveloped my heart. I glanced at her and saw that she was holding her hands together. She turns her face away from me, looking the other way.
I feel like I should say something, but I couldnât think of anything. In the end, we arrived at Saitoâs house in silence.
[Sorry⌠I just remembered I had to take care of something. Iâll just borrow a book and go home]
It was awkward to stay any longer, so I told her a lie.
[Is that soâŚ. Then, take this book]
[Thank you. See you]
[Yeah.. See you tomorrow]
I left Saitoâs house like I was keeping my distance from her, although I felt bad for her as she lowered her eyes and looked sad. I went back home, thinking I should consult with Hiiragi-san about what I should do from now on. (TN: 5 head, ask the girl herself what she wants)
Translator here, giving more chapters. And our boy tried, Fâs in the comments for him :pepehands:. Anyways, very late Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Everything from here on out is in the Editorâs hands, so release will be up to him, and heâs very overworked. So if any of you want to try and help us out, you can go to our discord and go to #recruitments, and it will really help if you can try to bond with us by chatting in the discord channels every now and then. Anyways, thatâs my rant and thank you for reading, have a nice day.