Chapter 94: Say you like me

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Translator: Soafp

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[Momo POV]

“……Honestly, today's Icchi doesn't seem like Icchi at all.”

“Well, the height is different.”

“Does wearing those make you taller?”

“Yeah. I raised it quite a bit.”

“……It's like magic. It's amazing~”

“Haha, I think so too.”

“Ahaha.”

At 9 PM, we arrived at the nearest station to our houses. 

We hadn't gone to the movies or the bookstore— 

we were just walking.

The park, the supermarket. 

It should have been a familiar landscape, but now it felt different. 

Everything sparkled somehow.

“……What is it?”

I looked over at him. 

He was wearing a jacket that was a mix of black with a hint of white—a mysterious color. 

Underneath, he wore a black shirt. 

Silver ear cuffs adorned his ears, and silver rings on his fingers. 

It seemed like he had taken off his sunglasses.

“You're still Icchi.”

“Why state the obvious…”

It's truly strange. 

Even in this outfit, Icchi is still Icchi. 

…Yet still, it felt like he wasn't really himself.

The sophisticated scent wafting from him was also captivating. 

But above all—

“……!”

My heart raced. 

The sound of my heartbeat was loud. 

He had always looked up at me, but today it was the other way around.

I couldn't directly look at his tall figure. 

Even if it was because of magic.

“Uh, should I take this off?”

“No way!”

“Got it…”

I understood it was difficult to walk in this outfit. 

But still, I wanted him to stay just like that for now.

“You can wear that without making a hole, you know?”

“Ah, yeah. It's an ear cuff. It's not a piercing.”

“Wow, that's stylish~ Can I wear one too?”

“Eh? Well…”

“I want to try it on~”

“……You really want to wear it?”

“Yeah!”

He looked troubled as he carefully took it off. 

The finger with the silver ring approached my ear. 

Suddenly, his scent, which was different from usual, became stronger.

“……There. How's that?”

“……Yeah.”

I had heard that friends often wear matching clothes and accessories. 

So it wasn't weird. 

Wearing Icchi's clothes made me want to wear it too.

I touched the cuff on my ear to confirm it. 

It was warm from his body heat.

“Do I look good?”

“Yeah, you look great. It's kind of complicated.”

“Ahaha.”

My heart raced again. 

It was the same feeling I had when I wore his clothes; my chest felt hot. 

What is this strange sensation? Is it because we're friends?

“……But, I never thought Icchi would have such a scary outfit?”

“Ah, um, yeah. I didn't have a chance to wear it, but I have this kind of stuff… to be honest, I've always admired tall people, so…”

“Hmm?”

The outfit didn't look brand new. 

It wasn't worn out, but it had seen some time.

However, the way his eyes darted told me it was a lie.

But, but— 

There's no way he bought this entire outfit just to take me out. 

To “persuade” those two OGs.

……

No way—

[——“How about we hang out somewhere on the Monday of the next three-day weekend?”——]

[——“If you don't want to, it's fine.”——]

[——“For now, let's make a reservation at the hair salon!”——]

I recalled his voice. 

A tense voice. 

After I nodded to his invitation, he sounded so happy.

……If it were Icchi. 

If it were Icchi, it might actually be possible.

“……I never thought you would come.”

“Well, yeah. It felt like I couldn't sit still.”

“I was really happy. Even now, I wonder if it's a dream.”

“Hahaha, that's too exaggerated.”

He laughed. 

I stopped in my tracks at his reaction.

“It's not exaggerated. After all— you gathered all of this just to take me out today, right?”

“!?”

“To forcefully persuade the OGs.”

“Uh, um…”

Ah, seriously. 

He's so easy to read.

I never thought—that it was really true.

“Why are you going so far for me?”

“Ah, um…”

He was flustered. 

It was already a confirmation.

“Icchi… you're overdoing it.”

I was too scared to ask how much he had spent. 

How much effort did he go through just to reach 8 PM? 

That outfit, the sunglasses, the accessories, the perfume.

All of it, just for me.

That's just… strange. 

I don't have any value like that—

“—I time-leaped.”

“Huh?”

“I time-leaped.”

His tone suddenly changed. 

It was serious and firm.

“Today at 3 PM. I must have come back.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“I lost all my memories, but… the future me, who went home without taking Hatsune-san out, came back to redo things.”

……Really. 

He's changed.

There's no way that's true. 

He talks as if it really happened. 

With no hesitation at all.

“Although… for that, I sure took a lot of time.”

“I got lost on the way, tripped over a small step, and the train was stopped.”

“But I managed to make it. It was really just in the nick of time… I had no leeway at all.”

His voice echoed in the night. 

I couldn't say anything.

Just because he was my first friend… that doesn't mean—

“So, I don't think I went overboard.”

That voice, which almost came out of my throat, just disappeared.

[——“There's no doubt about it. That's for sure.”——]

The moonlight. 

His expression seemed like it belonged to a distant past.

“—I'm really glad I could take you out.”

It was the exact same expression as the one next to me.

“……Thank you, Icchi.”

“Eh, ah, you're welcome…”

I bowed my head. 

He was flustered again.

I decided to take it all in without reservation.

The fact that he changed his outfit to take me out. 

Even though he must have been scared, he approached the two OGs. 

Everything, all of it, he did for me.

I really was liked by Icchi. 

And I was happy about it.

So, I couldn't hold it back anymore.

“—I like you.”

“Eh?”

“I like you so much!”

“W-Wait—”

“—I really, really like you, Icchi!”

“Ah, ah…”

I unleashed everything that had been building up inside me. 

He looked even more troubled than before. 

But I couldn't stop.

“I like you.”

“…Ah. Thank you…”

“……Icchi.”

“Eh?”

“Icchi, you say it too.”

“…Huh?”

I teased him with a smile. 

But there was also sincerity mixed in.

“I'm the only one saying it. You have to say it too.”

“……What do you mean—”

“I want to hear it.”

In the middle of the night, at 9:30 PM. 

On a deserted street.

I moved closer to him. 

There was no way I could stop this impulse.

“—Say you like me.”