My Boss, A Clear And Perfect Beauty Who's An Elite Police Bureaucrat, Turns Out To Be My Sweet And Doting Childhood Friend Who Loves Me Dearly At Home. - Chapter 26

It’s Still Too Early to Link Arms

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Maho suddenly turned around to face the Kaminarimon gate behind her.

Shinichi’s gaze followed her.

The Kaminarimon gate is the huge red gate at the entrance of Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. It has an imposing presence.

Since it is one of Tokyo’s most famous tourist spots, the area is crowded with people.

For now, Shinichi decided to walk towards Senso-ji Temple with Maho.

Along the way is the Nakamise Street area, where there are many shops for eating and walking.

While walking, Maho laughed softly.

“When I see Asakusa, I really feel like I’m in Tokyo.”

“Well, we’re originally from Nagoya.”

“But, both Shinichi and I have been in Tokyo for eight years. It’s kind of strange.”

Both of them moved to Tokyo when they entered university, so that’s true.

And during those eight years, Shinichi and Maho hadn’t spoken once. They had been estranged due to the Rikako incident.

The time for the two of them had stopped eight years ago.

(But now…)

The hands of the clock might have started moving again.

It seemed that Maho felt the same way.

“It’s been eight years, and now I can finally be next to Shinichi in Tokyo.”

Maho said in a small voice. When Shinichi stared at her, Maho shook her head vigorously.

“No, there’s no deep meaning!”

“Right. I’m also… with Maho…”

“With Maho?”

Shinichi hesitated to continue speaking, and Maho looked at him, tilting her head.

The reason he hesitated was that he was embarrassed to say the rest.

“What were you going to say?”

“It doesn’t have a deep meaning.”

“If there’s no deep meaning, you can say it, can’t you?”

“…I’m happy to be with Maho in Tokyo too.”

Shinichi gave in and said what he had intended to say. Maho raised her voice slightly, “Ah,” and looked down, her face turning red.

“Thank you. I’m also happy to be on a date with Shinichi.”

Maho spun the words out of her fresh red lips in front of him.

Shinichi couldn’t take his eyes off Maho, and his heart throbbed.

(We’ve just started the date…!)

At this rate, he might not be able to hold back until the end of the date and would end up embracing Maho. If that happens, room-sharing would be out of the question.

(What if I did…?)

He wondered if Maho would accept it and hurriedly chased the thought away.

There were many couples around, hugging, linking arms, and flirting.

To others, Shinichi and Maho must have looked like one of those couples.

Maho glanced at the couples around them, sometimes looking envious.

“I wonder if lovers link arms.”

“Eh?”

“Sh-Shinichi and I think it’s too early for that.”

“Too early?”

“Um, so, that… there’s no deep meaning, right?”

Maho said such incoherent things. In other words, Maho was thinking about the same thing as Shinichi.

Shinichi was daydreaming about embracing Maho, and Maho was imagining linking arms with Shinichi. Maybe that’s the difference between men and women.

Shinichi thought that if Maho wanted to, he could link arms with her. Rather, instinctively, he wanted to do so.

That would make their “outing” feel more like a date.

But if they did that, Shinichi wouldn’t be able to turn back. He would probably never want to let Maho go again.

However, their positions are now different, and Maho is far above Shinichi. Shinichi didn’t have the confidence to keep Maho by his side, and he couldn’t think that doing so would be good for Maho either.

Maho looked at Shinichi expectantly, but in the end, Shinichi couldn’t do anything, and it seemed that Maho didn’t have the courage to do anything more either.

“Yeah. It’s still too early for that.”

Maho whispered softly.