My extroverted girlfriend has zero sense of boundaries — Is It really wrong to take her home right after we meet? - Episode 12

♥

On the morning of my birthday, I always wake up from a bad dream.

“……”

Feeling the dampness of my sweat-soaked back and the dryness in my mouth, my half-asleep mind finally recognized that I had woken up.

I sluggishly crawled out of bed and stretched my body with a small grunt.

I could no longer remember what kind of dream it had been, but one thing was certain — the awakening was terrible.

For a while, I just stood there blankly, then absentmindedly reached for my smartphone.

There was one notification — a message from Kyousuke that had arrived at the very moment yesterday turned into today.

【Kyou: Happy Birthday】

At that single line, I felt my body lift just a little, as if floating.

I decided to save my『thank you』until later — for when I would see him in person today.

♠

That day, Kyousuke’s steps were heavy.

It wasn’t only the nervousness of having to give Ayano her present — what occupied his mind the most was the message he had sent her in the middle of the night.

“Say『happy birthday』the very moment the date changes. That’s the best timing.”

Following Kotarou’s advice, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and sent the message.

But there was no reply — even though it had been marked as read.

It was late at night after all. She might have been exhausted after coming home and finally getting some rest, only to be woken by the notification sound. She could be irritated. Maybe even thinking,『What the hell, you damn shorty』.

I really shouldn’t have listened to Toujou…

Sayo had gotten angry countless times at that man’s so-called『consideration』, which was nothing but pushiness. Given the situation, he was not someone worth taking cues from.

However, when that confident face and overwhelming presence told him so, the timid blood within him urged obedience. More than anything, there was no other guy around he could rely on.

“Fujimura!”

Just as the school gate came into view, something hit both his shoulders with a thud.

He didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ayano — her long, glossy jet-black hair was unusually braided and draped over her chest. A soft, sweet fragrance tickled his nose, and a mix of embarrassment and delight burned across his cheeks.

“Good morning. Thanks for messaging me last night.”

“…A-ah, yeah.”

Her blue eyes blinked as she began walking beside him. Relieved that she wasn’t annoyed about the message, Kyousuke responded, even more awkwardly than usual.

“I’m one year older than you, you know.”

“Well, yeah.”

“Try calling me Onee-chan.”

“Why would I?”

“Because it’s my birthday today.”

She exhaled proudly, as if to say『I’m the star of the day』and looked at Kyousuke with eyes full of expectation.

Kyousuke let out a small sigh and replied in a voice as soft as a bird’s chirp,『Onee-chan』. Even that seemed to please her, as Ayano pumped her fist lightly with a tiny 『Yes!』gesture.

‘Do people really get that excited about birthdays?’

He inwardly shrugged in mild exasperation, yet still found his lips curving into a faint smile.

He didn’t dislike this childish side of her.

“Hey, Fujimura.”

“Hmm?”

“Fufufu~.”

“What is it?”

“Just calling you.”

Ayano poked his arm with her elbow and grinned mischievously.

Kyousuke wasn’t so dense that he didn’t understand this was her way of hinting for her present.

I need to prepare myself mentally too, you know…

He looked down at the ground with a bitter expression.

The easiest thing would be to hand it over right here, but with so many people around, that was difficult. Doing anything strange in the classroom would only draw unnecessary attention.

“Are you free after school today?”

“I don’t have any plans in particular.”

“Then come over to my place. Let’s study together.”

The way she added『while watching a movie or something』carried a firm resolve that there would be little to no actual studying.

Back in middle school, every so-called study session had always turned into a Smash Bros or Mario Kart tournament by the end.

Still, this was convenient.

If they were in Ayano’s room, no one else would be around to see them. She probably had that in mind when inviting him.

Kyousuke glanced sideways at her and nodded slightly. 『Yeah』.

Scratch, scratch…

Scratch… scratch, scratch…

The sound of a mechanical pencil scraping against notebook paper echoed through the room. The clock’s long hand ticked steadily forward, and from the kitchen faucet, a drop of water occasionally fell with a soft plop.

Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, Ayano spread her study materials across the table. Kyousuke sat on the sofa, watching over her from above.

“Hey, Fujimura.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s take a little break—”

“After you finish that part.”

After school.

Kyousuke had stepped into Ayano’s house for their『study session』.

They took out their study supplies, played a random movie in the background, and sipped jasmine tea. As expected, their attention never stayed on studying, and only time passed by.

At one point, Kyousuke glanced over at Ayano’s progress.

Her math workbook was a disaster. It couldn’t be helped that she hadn’t gotten very far, but even at a glance, it was full of mistakes. When she noticed his eyes on her work, she quickly hid it in embarrassment — which told him she didn’t understand it at all.

Kyousuke immediately turned off the TV and began helping Ayano with her test review.

He wasn’t good enough to be praised by others, but he wasn’t heartless enough to just ignore her either.

“That part’s a little wrong.”

“Eh? Where?”

He pointed to the mistake, and Ayano laughed awkwardly while erasing it.

“It’s not that I’m stupid, you know.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve just been really busy with work lately.”

“I see.”

“There’s a lot of new stuff I’m still getting used to.”

“Yeah.”

“So, I’ve been having trouble understanding a lot of things…”

Her hand holding the pencil had stopped moving.

She lightly bit her lip, blinking repeatedly at the printed text on the workbook.

“…You’ve got it wrong. I’m not exasperated with you or anything.”

That was probably why Ayano was acting so nervous.

When you get help from a classmate, it can make you feel like they’re silently judging you — like they’re thinking you’re stupid for not paying attention in class. Kyousuke knew that feeling well.

“Really…?”

She looked up at him, gauging his mood. Her eyes shimmered with a watery sheen, trembling faintly with uncertainty.

“Yeah. You’re working hard at your job, and that’s something no one else in class can even imitate.”

“R-really?”

“Yeah, really. Sasagawa-san, you’re more amazing than anyone I know.”

“Heh, is that so…”

“So it’s only natural that your studies fall behind sometimes. No one can be good at everything.”

That explanation only covered about forty percent of the truth.

If someone as eye-catching as her were to score noticeably low on a test, there would surely be people who’d use it as an excuse to gossip behind her back.

It might never reach Ayano’s ears directly, and Kyousuke himself might never hear those whispers either, but he couldn’t stand the idea of someone who worked so hard being looked down on over something as trivial as a school test.

Even if she scored decently, she’d probably still be criticized — not out of concern, but pure jealousy.

If she was going to be talked about anyway, then that kind of talk was better than being mocked for failure.

…Though, in the end, it was just Kyousuke’s own self-satisfaction.

“Once in a while, I want to be someone reliable too. I can’t promise you’ll get a perfect score, but I’m confident I can at least help you avoid failing.”

His calm tone carried no hint of blame for her lack of progress. Hearing that, Ayano seemed convinced — she nodded slightly, wearing a faintly proud expression.

To be honest, he couldn’t help but think she was a simple person. Still, that simplicity was part of her charm — something he could never imitate.

“When we’re done, you’ll give me my birthday present, right?”

“…”

“It’s something amazing, isn’t it?”

Her eyes sparkled with pure excitement, and Kyousuke felt himself falter under the pressure of her radiant gaze.

“…Y-yeah, something like that.”

Turning his eyes away from Ayano as much as he could, Kyousuke forced a strained smile.

♥

She had told Kyousuke that she was just busy with work, but the truth was, she had never been good at studying.

Back in middle school, she often hovered right above failing, barely passing by the skin of her teeth. Even when she studied hard, ranking in the middle of the class was the best she could manage. She had chosen her current high school simply because it was close to home, and she had only managed to pass the entrance exam by cramming overnight.

There had been several occasions when classmates had helped her study, but every time, she was met with those looks that said,『You don’t even understand this?』She understood it was natural to be looked down on, especially since she stood out so much in other areas — but it didn’t make it any less unpleasant. It made her afraid to even admit when she didn’t understand something.

But Kyousuke was different.

If she seemed confused, he would immediately notice. And even when she couldn’t grasp it after he explained, he would start blaming himself, saying,『Guess I didn’t explain it well enough』. He was so patient that it almost made her feel guilty — she wished he’d just tease her a little instead.

“Fujimura, you should be a teacher.”

“…That’s probably the last job I’m suited for.”

“Why? You explain things so clearly, you’d be great at it.”

“I’m not good at talking to people… Besides, no one would ever take me seriously as a teacher…”

She couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.

She imagined Kyousuke in a neatly pressed suit, standing tall and straight behind a teacher’s desk. …Yeah, it was true. It was hard to picture anyone treating him like an authority figure. He might become a class mascot of sorts, but getting taken seriously? Definitely not.

“Sasagawa-san, are you planning to keep modeling after graduation?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I particularly like this job.”

Her choice of words must have been bad.

When she glanced at Kyousuke, he had a strained smile, as if thinking he had stepped on a landmine. That wasn’t it, though.

“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I was scouted and started doing it on a whim, and I guess I’ve just kept going ever since. It’s fun, and getting paid is nice, but… if you ask whether I’ll keep doing it forever, I’m not so sure.”

That wasn’t the only reason she continued, but it wasn’t something she felt like telling Kyousuke.

“Besides, you know how it is — it makes you stand out. Doing this kind of work, I went through a lot of unpleasant things back in middle school. So I figure someday, I’ll probably quit…”

The problem was that she had no idea what she would do afterward.

She was aware that she had good looks, but also painfully aware that she didn’t have any other particular strengths. She was past the age of dreaming about becoming a pastry chef or a princess.

“I don’t really know, but I think that’s fine. Sasagawa-san, you’d probably do well anywhere.”

“No way. I’m not smart.”

“It’s not about being smart or not. You’ve praised me so many times before. Someone who can compliment others so naturally — I think that kind of person will be fine anywhere.”

He said it so casually, then added, “Ah, that’s wrong,” and shifted the conversation back to studying.

Unfair. He was unfair. When he said things like that, it made her feel confident — even though she had no reason to be.

Her cheeks flushed red as she scratched them lightly, watching the hand he used to point at her workbook.

Just a few centimeters apart.

If she moved even slightly, she could easily touch him. That tiny distance between them felt unbearably frustrating.

♠

The clock was nearing six in the evening, and the world outside the window was beginning to fill with the faint, uncertain light of dusk.

It was about time for him to go home, but Ayano had problems in every single subject, and there was no sign that they would reach a stopping point anytime soon.

When it came to the sciences, she would have to start all the way back from middle school material. He wanted to say,『Let’s continue tomorrow』but at this pace, it was uncertain whether she would even be ready by the day of the test.

“Am I really that bad?”

“The fact that you don’t realize how bad it is makes it pretty bad.”

“…Really?”

Ayano’s dissatisfied expression made Kyousuke sigh quietly.

“First, you need to rebuild your basics. Even if you manage to get through this time, there’s another exam waiting right after — the finals.”

“…If I get bad grades, will they make me take supplementary classes during summer break?”

“They probably will.”

“Eeh, no way! I already planned to drag you around for the whole of August, Fujimura!”

“Don’t go deciding my summer for me…”

Still, he couldn’t stay much longer. And he hadn’t yet given her what he came here to give.

Wondering what to do, he glanced toward Ayano. Perhaps sensing the meaning behind his look, she parted her lips to speak.

But at that moment—

The phone Ayano had left on the table began to vibrate, and the screen lit up with the word “Papa.” It was a call from her father.

‘T-this is bad!’

A girl of her age, alone in her room with a boy — if her parent found out, it would be a mess. It wasn’t as if anything improper was happening, but still, Kyousuke froze in place and held his breath, just in case.

Bzzz— Bzzz—

The sound of the vibration echoed in the room.

When she didn’t answer after a while, he found it strange and glanced at her.

She was staring at the screen, her face clouded with an expression darker than he had ever seen before.

“…I’ll go talk to him for a bit.”

Leaving behind a voice heavy with gloom, she took the phone in her hand and disappeared down the hallway.

『I had some stuff going on with my parents. They said maybe living alone would be better…』

Her sudden change in mood startled him, but as he recalled those words she had once said, everything began to make sense.

He didn’t know what had happened but for someone in middle school to end up living alone, it couldn’t have been just a normal argument between parent and child.

‘I wonder if she’s okay…’

He knew there was no point in worrying, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off the closed door.

Moments later, Ayano returned, pushing the door open a bit roughly. It had been less than ten seconds—so fast that Kyousuke blinked in surprise.『What was that about?』he asked.

“It’s nothing important. He just said,『Happy birthday』.”

She spoke quickly, as if she wanted to end the topic right there, and set her phone down on the table.

“Anyway, about what I was saying before—do you want to have dinner here tonight?”

“Eh?”

“If you stay and keep helping me study, it’d really help me out.”

It was a tempting offer, but having dinner at a girl’s house was something completely new to him.

It was embarrassing, but he couldn’t let that stop him. At this rate, Ayano’s test results would be a disaster.

After calling home and getting permission, there was no issue.

Hearing that, Ayano made a small triumphant pose and said,『Yes!』Apparently, she’d found new motivation to study — or at least some sense of urgency.

“Alright then, I’ll whip something up real quick.”

“Need me to help with anything?”

“It’s fine. Just relax.”

Ayano briskly walked to the kitchen, brushed the braid from her chest behind her back, and tied on an apron with practiced hands. After washing her hands, she immediately began preparing dinner.

Kyousuke turned on the TV and watched a random news program.

…But of course, he couldn’t help but glance her way.

He didn’t want to outright stare, so he settled for sneaking a look every ten seconds or so.

Ayano hummed cheerfully as she chopped the ingredients, wrapped in a kind of charm he had never seen before.

There was a light, almost happy expression on her face — yet serious at the same time. Her navy eyes narrowed slightly as her spring-colored lips curved gently. When their eyes met by chance, she smiled shyly.『Don’t look at me like that』.

‘…This feels kinda nice.’

A faint, indescribable warmth filled his chest — something that felt a little like what it might be to share a home with someone. Kyousuke smiled at the emotion he didn’t quite have words for.

Then he quickly rubbed his face with both hands.

That was dangerous — he probably looked really creepy just now.

“By the way, I forgot to ask — is there anything you can’t eat?”

“I don’t have any allergies.”

“Then what about food you don’t like?”

“None.”

“Oh? That’s impressive, Fujimura.”

“Don’t tease me. I’m not a kid.”

In truth, he wasn’t fond of eggplant or okra.

“Can I say something kind of weird?”

“What kind of lead-in is that?”

“I’ve never cooked for someone in my room before.”

“Yeah?” he replied with a small nod — and several quiet seconds passed.

When she still didn’t say anything, Kyousuke glanced over at Ayano. She continued cooking as if nothing had happened, but the moment she sensed his gaze, she flinched slightly.

“I-it’s nothing, really.”

“There’s no way it’s nothing.”

“I’m serious, it’s nothing!”

“If you insist that much, now I’m definitely curious.”

He gave her a pointed look, as if saying, You don’t need to hide it.

Perhaps realizing she couldn’t dodge it any longer, Ayano finally stopped focusing on her cooking. She slowly turned her eyes toward Kyousuke, only to look away again, then back, then away once more. Her lips twisted uncertainly, and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.

“I-it doesn’t have any special meaning or anything…”

“Ah… yeah.”

“I was just thinking… maybe this is what it would feel like if I had a husband.”

Right on cue, the microwave chimed. Ayano spun on her heel and hurried back to the kitchen, clearly using it as an escape.

That was a dangerous topic… Kyousuke leaned deep into the sofa, forcing his full attention on some celebrity scandal on TV that he couldn’t care less about. If he didn’t, he felt like the heat rising in his face would consume him.

The main dish was grilled salted salmon.

The sides were marinated tomatoes and shimeji mushrooms, simmered pumpkin, and tamagoyaki.

Brown rice. Miso soup.

By the time the TV shifted from evening news to a variety show, the dishes had begun to fill the table.

Kyousuke could only stare in awe at the colorful dinner laid out before him.

“I didn’t really have anything for two people, so most of it’s reheated leftovers… Sorry. Next time, I’ll make sure to buy proper ingredients.”

“After you went to all this trouble, it’d be a sin to complain.”

Honestly, for someone to put together a meal like this for an unexpected guest was rare.

The tableware reflected Ayano’s taste—cute and neat—and the presentation was done with care. Even if it had been served in a restaurant, it wouldn’t have looked out of place.

“This looks amazing… I can already tell it’s delicious just by looking at it.”

“W-what’s that supposed to mean? You can say that after you eat it, geez.”

Blushing from embarrassment, Ayano folded up her apron, placed it on the sofa, and sat down on the carpet. She patted the space beside her lightly. “Come here.”

Following her cue, Kyousuke slid down from the sofa and sat cross-legged beside her.

They spread out the meal across the not-so-large table, their shoulders close enough to brush as they picked up their chopsticks. I guess this is what it feels like when a broke couple starts living together, he thought absentmindedly, the silly image flickering across his mind.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold. We still have to study after this.”

Ayano pressed her hands together and said itadakimasu, her chopsticks immediately reaching for the pumpkin.

Watching her from the corner of his eye, Kyousuke picked up a piece of tamagoyaki.

Up close, he could see finely chopped green onion and shirasu mixed in. As he bit down, a warm, savory broth spread through his mouth, and the aroma of the two ingredients drifted gently through his nose.

The shirasu gave it a slightly salty flavor.

At home, his family’s tamagoyaki was the sweet kind made with sugar, so this was refreshing. It didn’t seem like she had added any salt—just the natural balance from the broth and shirasu. If he had to say whether it was good or not—it was incredibly good.

The miso soup, too, wasn’t the usual kind made with pre-mixed broth. It seemed like she had properly simmered bonito flakes and then dissolved miso into the stock… at least, that’s what he guessed. He wasn’t exactly confident in his palate.

Still, one thing was certain—it was delicious. And that wasn’t just because it was『a girl’s home-cooked meal』. It was genuine skill.

“Eh? Is it not good?”

“Why?”

“You’re eating so slowly, I thought maybe it didn’t taste right…”

“It’s so good I’m honestly stunned. This is… seriously amazing.”

Kyousuke had never been the type to care much about food.

His family usually went to the same chain restaurants when eating out, and their meals at home were plain. That was normal to him—he never felt dissatisfied. In fact, he thought lining up in long queues or traveling far for food was a waste of time.

But now he realized—he had simply never known food that was worth the wait. If it meant eating something like this, an hour or two in line would be nothing.

“R-really…?”

Hearing the sincerity in his tone, Ayano seemed to understand it wasn’t flattery. She shrank slightly and smiled bashfully.

From her profile, that unguarded and innocent happiness—so pure it almost glowed—spilled out, and Kyousuke felt his heartbeat quicken.

“We should eat quickly… still have studying to do.”

“Y-yeah.”

He shoveled the food into his mouth, already knowing he’d regret not savoring it more later—leaving behind the heat of embarrassment that still clung to him.

♥

After dinner, Ayano poured some green tea, taking a moment to breathe.

She normally didn’t eat until she was full, but for some reason, tonight her stomach felt pleasantly satisfied.

Casting a brief sideways glance at Kyousuke, she brought the teacup to her lips with a quiet szuu sip. Letting out a slightly warmer breath than usual, she hid a small laugh behind it. “Fufu.” A soft feeling of contentment and relief spilled gently from the corners of her lips.

“Ah—um… S-Sasagawa-san, here.”

He rummaged through his bag with a rustling sound before handing her a small paper bag.

It was from a familiar specialty chocolate shop.

“It’s for your birthday. Uh…”

He often stumbled over his words, but now even more so — his lips barely seemed to move. He clearly wasn’t used to things like this. Yet the fact that he still went out of his way to give it to her made her smile without realizing it.

“Thank you. You asked Sayo-chan, didn’t you?”

“Ah. Y-yeah.”

She felt a little bad for him, but she had already figured that much out from the start. Because of that, she couldn’t exactly act surprised.

This was the point she didn’t know — what came after.

Sayo’s words still lingered in her mind: “It’s amazing.” If she took that at face value, then perhaps there was something more.

…

………

……………Or was there really?

Maybe she was just assuming that on her own. This might actually be the『amazing』thing Kyousuke had prepared. For chocolates, it was quite an expensive brand — and considering his budget, it wouldn’t have been an easy purchase. He had even spent his day off and asked a classmate for help to prepare it.

If that was the case…

Cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.

She suddenly realized she might be reacting in an incredibly rude way.

No『Wow!』No『Kyaa!』 She had just thanked him — without showing a shred of visible excitement.

“…Sasagawa-san, are you okay? You look kinda pale.”

“Huh? Ah—yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine. Ha… haha…”

Her stomach was starting to hurt.

He must think she was a terrible person. Someone with broken common sense about money, completely ungrateful.

…No, that wasn’t right. Knowing his personality, he would never think badly of someone else. He’d blame himself instead — and he was probably feeling really down right now.

Her stomach twisted even more painfully.

She wanted to crawl into a hole and just return to the earth.

“Also, um… there’s one more thing.”

A beam of light seemed to break through the thick gray clouds covering her heart.

Ayano snapped out of her sinking mood, forcing herself to act calm as she held her breath.

“The『amazing present』… I thought about it a lot. I can’t really afford anything expensive, so… um—”

His pale, smooth skin flushed faintly red, and his jet-black eyes blinked nervously with every word. His expression looked on the verge of tears, trembling from the sheer embarrassment, yet he met her gaze head-on.

“How about… the right to make me crossdress?”

The words came from a face so adorably serious it was like a confession of love to a crush — and Ayano’s brain simply stopped functioning.

It was true that she had once told Kyousuke she wanted to see him in girls’ clothes. That it would definitely suit him.

She had meant it — he really would look good. But when she said she wanted to make him do it, it had been half a joke.

For someone without that kind of hobby, dressing up as a girl would be a huge hurdle, nothing but embarrassment, and there was no benefit for him at all. She didn’t want to force him into something unpleasant.

‘…So… am I supposed to be happy about this?’

It was definitely an amazing gift — one she would probably remember for the rest of her life.

But she had no idea how to react to it.

It would be easy to throw her hands in the air and shout 『Yay!』, but wouldn’t that just make her look like some kind of perverted woman?

She could tell him,『No, I can’t accept this』but that would be like slashing straight through the artery of his pride.

Forward was hell, backward was hell — and if she stood frozen any longer, that too would eventually lead to hell.

Only a few seconds passed, yet within that time, an intense debate raged inside her mind. Then, Ayano made up her mind.

“F-Fujimura!”

She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders.

“I’ll make you so cute no one could possibly beat you. Absolutely, absolutely cute!”

If she couldn’t escape in any direction, then she would just step forward instead.

And she made a vow in her heart — she wouldn’t let him end up halfheartedly cute and just embarrassed. She would make him so adorable that even he could be proud of it.

Ayano’s spirit burned bright with determination.