Himegi-san a Bride from the Future Begs Me to Confess My Love to Her Again - Volume 1 Chapter 2.8

Date 8

Touka-san gazes at me intently. Does she want to sit next to me on the bench?

Thinking that, I move from the center to the edge to make room for her.

“It’s not about that. Aren’t there things you should say before showing such consideration? Yes, there should be words you ought to say to your future bride.”

“What should we have for lunch?”

Touka-san responds with a slightly pouting expression.

Uh, even though I know it’s wrong, I really like this pouty expression.

I understand what she’s seeking from me and what kind of words she wants. I understand, but the mischievous part within me whispered that I should be a little mean.

That’s why I ended up saying something slightly mean.

At my age, I never thought I would understand the feeling of wanting to be mean to the girl I like…

“Ha-kun, you’ve always had that kind of side to you, huh?”

“I’m sorry. Surprisingly, it seems I have a twisted side in my heart too.”

“Anyway, what do you think of this outfit?”

Touka-san’s appearance had naturally changed when she came out of the boutique. She had switched from a red hoodie to a beige knit dress.

If I were to honestly express my impression of the outfit, words like ‘sexy’ or ‘alluring’ would come to mind first.

However, those words might not be considered compliments for women.

Nonetheless, this knit dress clung tightly to her body, emphasizing her curves. Particularly, the design revealed her cleavage, giving it an adult and alluring look.

Yeah, that’s it, a form-fitting dress that only the chosen ones can wear. While it’s visually appealing, it’s quite stimulating for my adolescent self.

“…Well, it suits you. It makes you look like a mature woman, and that’s incredibly attractive.”

I conveyed my honest thoughts to Touka-san while keeping my composure.

She responded with a smirk,

“Hehe, you’re blushing so much. Ha-kun, you are so cute.”

“…if you say so.”

“Now that I’ve seen the reaction I wanted to see, what should we do next?”

“I’m feeling a bit hungry.”

“Alright then, should we have something light to eat?”

“Sounds good. What do you want?”

“I feel like having takoyaki.”

“Should we head to the food court then?”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

“Oh, I’ll hold it.”

I’m not sure if I can properly escort her, but at the very least, I should help carry her belongings.

“Thank you.”

Touka-san smiled at me and handed me the paper bag she was holding.

The bag seemed to contain the hoodie, tracksuit, sunglasses, and mask I had lent her.

“Do you want to hold hands?”

With a mischievous smile, Touka-san extended her hand toward me.

“Out of consideration for my future self, I’ll pass on that.”

“Really? I don’t think my husband would get jealous over something like that.”

While I trust her husband wholeheartedly, if my wife were to hold hands with another man, I would probably—or rather, I would definitely—feel jealous.

The source for this is none other than me. There’s no more reliable source than that.

“Shall we go then?”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Of course. Since graduating high school, Ha-kun and I used to come on dates here quite often.”

It’s an unbelievable story, but apparently, this shopping mall will become a regular date spot a few years from now.

“Oh, the elevator is coming down. Come on, Ha-kun.”

Following Touka-san’s lead, I got on the elevator. Inside were a couple, a bit older than me, who seemed like college students.

The man glanced at Touka-san with lustful eyes as he got on the elevator, and his girlfriend responded by stepping on his foot out of jealousy.

Witnessing this scene, I knew it wasn’t right, yet I couldn’t help but feel a bit amused.

After getting off the elevator, we made a beeline for the fourth-floor food court.

As we walked, both men and women stole glances at Touka-san.

She sure stands out. Stands out a bit too much.

It’s an honor to stand beside such a person, but I can’t help worrying about unexpectedly running into acquaintances.

.

With that in mind, I think we shouldn’t stay here for too long.

Let’s propose leaving after we’ve had the takoyaki we’re here for.

As I considered this, we somehow reached our destination.

The food court on Saturday was bustling with young people. Conversations among peers filled the air from left and right.

It was still before noon, but every food stall had a reasonable crowd and lines of people waiting.

Among them, the takoyaki stall we were aiming for had an especially long line.

“It’s really popular.”

“Yes, it is.”

I stood in line with Touka-san at the end. The enticing smell of takoyaki tickled my nostrils.

“It was popular even before, but after being featured on TV, it became even more popular.”

“It’s nostalgic.”

To me, it’s a recent story, but for Touka-san, who came from a world six years ahead, it must be an event of a distant past.

“Is it still popular six years later?”

“Huh!?”

“So, is this takoyaki place still a big hit six years later?”

For some reason, Touka-san looks a bit awkward.

“Oh, right! Talking about the future results in a penalty, and the numbers will go down. Please forget my question.”

“Yeah. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Afterward, while waiting for our turn, Touka-san and I engaged in casual chat.

Then, our turn came, and we looked at the menu.

“Welcome.”

A cute female clerk greeted us with a business smile.

“Touka-san, how many pieces do you want? “

I consulted with her about our order, but she didn’t respond. I lifted my gaze from the menu and turned my eyes to Touka-san.

“Uh, Touka-san?”

For some reason, Touka-san was staring fixedly at the young female clerk’s face. Her expression was as if she had seen something unusual.

The clerk also had a perplexed look as she was being stared at.

What was going on? Judging by Touka-san’s expression, there didn’t seem to be any hostility.

I was about to remind Touka-san because I thought it was a bit rude, but she suddenly said,

“Eight pieces.”

“Huh?”

“Ha-kun, let’s go with eight pieces.”

“Yes. Um, eight pieces, please.”

“Uh, sure. Eight pieces.”

“And, with toppings, mayonnaise and bonito flakes, please.”

“Understood.”

As I was about to take out my wallet, Touka-san stopped me.

“I’ll pay for this.”

Touka-san took out a 10,000 yen bill from her wallet and handed it to the clerk.

“I’ll take the 10,000 yen. Here’s your change!”

Just as the clerk reached out to give us the change, Touka-san leaned forward, bringing her face close to the clerk’s ear, and whispered something.

“Huh!? H-How did you know that?!?”

“Just follow my advice.”

The clerk was clearly flustered.

What on earth did Touka-san convey to the clerk?

“… i-it’ll take a few minutes. Once it’s ready, we’ll call you.”

With a bewildered expression, we received the remote control for the one-touch call from the female clerk.

In order to secure a place to eat, we began looking for an available table.

“Over there is empty.”

Touka-san pointed to an available table, and then we sat down at the vacant table and took a breath.

“Are you curious about that exchange?”

“Well… I am curious. I am curious, but I’ll also choose not to ask this time.”

The fact that it was whispered meant that it was a conversation meant only for the parties involved.

If that were the case, it would be a matter of etiquette not to ask. So, I resigned myself to not pursue the matter.