Chapter 38: The warmth of your hands

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Translator: Soafp

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Even just breathing felt heavy. In a trembling voice, Sora called the name of the boy she liked.

“Hmm?”

Ginji turned around and froze when he saw Sora. Without saying anything, Sora straightened her back and walked past him.

Then, she sat down in the spot where Suzu had been. For a moment she looked down, then quickly raised her head with enough force to make her hair sway, locking eyes with Ginji. Her hazel eyes, usually hidden, shimmered with a determined light.

“…”

“…”

Suzu now sat at the table where Sora had been earlier, watching the two of them with bated breath.

Ginji remained frozen, holding his coffee cup.

His eyes scanned from the top of Sora's head down to the area hidden by the table, then back to her face.

Even though she was wearing a loose, oversized shirt, the way she sat up straight made it clear — despite the regular underwear — that her chest was unmistakably developed. And more than anything, her flushed expression was nothing like that of a boy.

Undeniably a girl. Overwhelmingly a girl.

“…Mind if I ask something just to be sure?”

“…Go ahead.”

Thus began a hesitant exchange between a very sweaty Ginji and a very anxious Sora.

“Do you have… a twin or something?”

“I'm an only child.”

That eliminated what Ginji considered the most likely possibility — in other words, it confirmed everything.

“Is this, like, a secret hobby or—?”

“No! What's that supposed to mean?!”

Blushing furiously, Sora trembled as she looked up at him.

There was no escape now. Asking anything further would be rude. Ginji took a slow, deep breath.

“…You're a girl?”

“Yeah.”

Ginji looked up at the ceiling. Flashbacks of everything he'd done up until now played in his mind.

Then, he slammed his forehead against the table. A dull thud echoed through the café.

“Ginji!?”

“Sorry!! I sincerely apologize!!”

Watching from the side, Suzu suddenly burst out laughing. Why is his first move an apology!?

The staff, by this point, simply looked on with a calm gaze. There were few customers around, so their attitude was basically: Do as you please.

“Even if I didn't know you were a girl, I still… I can't believe what I've done…”

“W-Wait, did you do something to me?”

Suzu's eyes flew open. Did something happen!? Her look screamed the question, but Sora ignored it.

“I put my arm around you, patted your head…”

“T-That's fine! I even… gave you a massage…”

Suzu began trembling. This girl took full advantage of being mistaken for a boy… her glare said, but Sora looked away evasively.

After saying it, Sora covered her mouth, turned her face aside, then stole a glance at Ginji.

Not even trying to hide it — her expression, fully that of a girl, was devastatingly cute. Ginji hadn't noticed, but she was also lightly made up. As Sora, she was desperately hoping to know what Ginji thought of her now. Also, Suzu's gaze was seriously embarrassing.

Sora stood, walked around the table, and sat beside Ginji.

“…!”

The distance was clearly different now from when she was “a boy.” She tugged at Ginji's sleeve and leaned in close.

“H-Here.”

Sora spoke while looking down. Ginji could see her ears, red as beets.

“Here?”

“From now on, I still want you to pat my head… I want to cook together. I want you to drink the tea I make…”

Sora said in a voice so small Suzu couldn't hear, clutching Ginji's shirt with both hands.

This was the most she could manage right now. She wanted to stay by his side, just like before — no, with a new meaning behind it. Even if only one-thousandth of that feeling reached Ginji, it would be enough.

She felt a soft warmth on her head — the usual, gentle kind.

When she looked up, Ginji was patting her head, turning his face away slightly, a bit more hesitant than usual.

“…Okay.”

A gruff voice. From Sora's angle, she could see his ears, burning red — and that made her so happy.

“…Yeah.”

Smiling as wide as she could, tears spilled from Sora's eyes.