"My hero wouldn't back down from something this small, right?" Kyousuke asked again.
Without even thinking, Shouko instinctively shook her head hard.
"My hero shines brilliantly. She'll stand on a stage a hundred—no, ten thousand—times bigger than this, singing loudly in the cheers of thousands.
Not just chanting a spell to light up a signboard, but casting the kind of high-level magic that leaves everyone spellbound."
His voice by her ear was like spring water dripping on smooth stone—soft, clear, comforting.
In Shouko's mind, scenes she'd only ever seen on television began to surface.
"So come on, my hero. Those people are waiting to see your magic. Show them how the sign lights up!"
Her embarrassed heart finally returned to that safe, familiar place, and even her ten toes inside her little shoes stretched out and relaxed.
She tilted her head slightly, her shining eyes gazing at Hojou's face so close by, and whispered:
"As long as I have you cheering for me, Kyousuke-kun, that's enough."
Before he could react, she spun away, staring at the still-dark signboard, and shouted loudly:
"Fall, falter, sink into the darkness, oh yakiniku shop! If your sign doesn't shine, all your customers will be stolen away by the yakitori place across the street!"
Her clear, proud voice rang through the street, drowning out even the blaring ads from the speakers.
The onlookers burst into noise—some cheering, some exclaiming—but every pair of eyes followed the boy and girl as they looked up at the Red Bull Demon Yakiniku signboard.
Under the crowd's gaze, the ox-head sign flickered to life with a sizzling zzzz—only to blink a few times and then poof go dark again.
Dozens of curious eyes swung back toward the boy and girl… but they were gone.
Under the streetlamp stood only a lonely red fire hydrant.
As if, instead of casting magic to light up the sign, they'd performed teleportation magic instead.
"Huh?"
A glance around, and the crowd spotted her—the super-cute girl pulling along the white-clad boy, running off in a panic.
At that moment, the store clerk rushed out, probably to report to the cold-faced killer-looking guy from before.
But the instant he stepped outside, dozens of eyes fell on him.
He froze like a startled rabbit, even catching himself scanning for that lunatic from earlier—whether to seek protection or something else, who knew.
But of course, the guy was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, why isn't the sign lit?" a man in a gaudy floral shirt demanded harshly.
"M-maybe it's broken…"
The poor clerk stammered, bowing desperately as he muttered one "sorry" after another.
A sleek Dalmatian tugged its master forward impatiently.
A woman, arms aching from holding a thirteen-pound cat, shoved it into her boyfriend's arms.
And just like that, as if nothing had happened, the stalled flow of people surged forward again.
Not far away, at the shopping center plaza, Nishimiya Shouko finally stopped after dragging Hojou Kyousuke all the way.
Propping one hand on her knee and clutching her bag with the other, she panted heavily.
In the chill of barely ten degrees, her breath came out in little clouds of white.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Between breaths, the girl burst into wild, ringing laughter, immediately drawing a few glances from passersby.
But to her, this was just a small crowd now.
Her laughter only grew louder, like the tinkling of silver bells—so pure and joyful it felt like Christmas had arrived early.
"I'm so happy!"
Shouko lifted her head, her brown eyes shining brighter than the lights on the trees.
"I—I actually shouted it out loud. Ah… so embarrassing. Hehehe…"
Her pink cheeks glowed as warm breath spilled from her lips.
She never imagined she'd do something this… outrageous.
Watching her giggle like a fool, Kyousuke smiled gently.
He didn't say anything, just held her hand and quietly listened as she recounted her nervousness and the thrill she now felt.
In Japan, people usually try not to trouble others.
But since that's impossible in real life, "sorry" has often replaced "hello" as the standard greeting.
And Shouko, with her hearing impairment, had grown up believing that even existing near others made her a burden.
So all her life, she had apologized—over and over—obeying every rule, whether fair or not, as long as it might stop people from disliking her.
Now she no longer began every sentence with "I'm sorry," but she was still cautious, still bound.
If Yamauchi Sakura saw someone bump into a blind man, she'd kick the offender without hesitation and make a face before darting off.
Nishimiya Shouko, on the other hand, would quietly help the blind man up, check him carefully for injuries, and guide him somewhere safer away from the crowd.
Different lives, different personalities.
Loved and spoiled from the start, Sakura never cared about rules—she'd even step on an unstable manhole cover just to see if it would fall through.
Shouko, however, followed every social rule with careful precision, avoiding attention at all costs.
Doing what she had just done tonight was unimaginable.
"Kyousuke-kun, my heart's beating so fast."
Still flushed, Shouko spoke in excitement.
"It feels unreal—like something Sakura would do!"
Blood rushing to her head, the girl grew a little dazed, as if she were watching herself from outside.
Surely it had been Sakura, not her, who shouted that "magic spell."
After all, it was too unbelievable. Only Sakura could pull something like that off!
"No. There's nothing that only Sakura can do. If Shouko wants to, she can do anything."
Kyousuke's voice was soft.
"But only Sakura would…"
Her words faltered when she met Kyousuke's eyes—so gentle, so full of affection.
The adrenaline from their escape hadn't faded, and her thoughts raced sharper than ever.
Light seemed to flicker in her black-and-white eyes as her excited smile softened into one of contentment.
'Kyousuke-kun…'
Even Kyousuke, who blushed at being called by a nickname, had stood there like a fool and recited a cringy "magic spell" in front of all those people.
'He did it all for me.'
Understanding blossomed in her heart.
The tension and awkwardness she'd felt in the rehearsal room—Kyousuke had noticed it all. He remembered.
He stood by her side, head tilted back, hoping to see her shine like a star.
And if heaven and earth seemed too far apart, he would quietly shorten the distance—just so her light could reach him faster.
He was always like this—showing up at the right place, at the right time, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Watching the emotions flicker across Shouko's face, Kyousuke spoke softly.
"There's nothing Shouko can't do. The only time 'sorry' should be used is in a moment like this."
"Kyousuke-kun…" Shouko whispered, then gave a firm nod.
"Mm! I understand!"
Her voice carried a determination stronger than ever before—the kind that even a champion of justice would want her as a judge.
"Haha~~ that's the spirit. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. As long as you—"
Kyousuke's words were abruptly cut off, smothered by a pair of soft lips pressing against his.
'Huh!?'
His thick black brows shot up, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down.
A cute bun hairstyle, a smooth, glowing forehead, a delicate little nose…
Their lips met only for a fleeting instant, yet it was perhaps the purest kiss imaginable—like a parent kissing their child's forehead.
Shouko slowly lowered herself back from tiptoe, and the blush that had just faded returned in full force.
Her cheeks flamed like the evening sky ablaze, or like a crimson rose in bloom.
Her large brown eyes sparkled brilliantly, almost dazzling.
Joy overflowed from her face.
Though she pressed her lips together, trying hard to hold it back, the smile broke free anyway—radiant as a blooming peony.
"Ahem…"
Under Kyousuke's gaze, the girl who had just done something that could easily rank among the top ten bravest moments of her life tried her hardest to suppress her happiness.
She furrowed her brows seriously and declared:
"Sorry, Sakura! I just kissed Kyousuke-kun~"
Her voice and expression were grave.
If not for the joy still twinkling in her big round eyes, she would've looked truly repentant.
"Hahaha~"
Kyousuke hadn't even gotten the chance to savor the sudden "first kiss" before bursting out laughing at how cute Shouko looked.
Hearing his laughter, Shouko's face grew hotter and hotter, but she still tilted her small chin up and stared straight at him—the face that brought her so much happiness.
Her eyes darted mischievously, full of life.
Then, pressing her lips together again, she said seriously:
"Sorry, Kyousuke-kun. I kissed you just now. If it's okay… you can kiss me back as compensation."
Her tone was so earnest, like when she was a child learning to speak from him—repeating words over and over, extending them into new meanings.
Seeing her so lively, as though she'd shed a heavy burden, Kyousuke felt even happier than receiving her first kiss. Smiling, he replied:
"I refuse!"
"Eh…? Then maybe… kiss me twice?" Shouko blinked, her eyes sparkling with laughter as she forced down her embarrassment.
"No way. And wait—why did you apologize to Sakura first? Shouldn't you be apologizing to me?" Kyousuke teased, completely unreasonable.
"Ah…"
Shouko froze.
She thought—no, she expected—Kyousuke to take advantage of the moment with some embarrassing request, like… opening her mouth and… sticking out… well, something like that!
But this? She never imagined this question.
How was she supposed to answer? Was there even an answer?
Should she admit it's because Kyousuke "belongs" to Sakura, and that's why she apologized to her first?
Even though… yes, technically, that was the truth.
But if she said it out loud, it would feel like she was doing something terribly wrong.
Ah… what should I do…
Her crystal-clear ears flushed crimson, like tiny rubies.
That kiss was supposed to be her way of telling Kyousuke she truly felt his feelings.
Apologizing to Sakura had just been an excuse to fit the mood—something to give herself courage.
But now, with her thoughts tangled, she really did want to apologize to Sakura.
'Ah, I finally kissed Kyousuke-kun, and yet—why… why is this happening…?'
'Ugh! So annoying!'
'So unfair!'
'It was supposed to be such a happy first kiss. Why did it turn out like this!?'
Shouko wanted to yell like Eriri—"Shut up! Stop nagging! Just be quiet!"—but all she could do was pout miserably.
Her emotions were written all over her face.
Kyousuke gave a wry smile.
He realized that although Shouko had become more outgoing, she was still the same easily flustered girl.
He almost opened his mouth to shamelessly claim her "compensation"—but only if both kisses landed squarely on the lips.
"No! That was my first kiss! You should be the one apologizing to me, Kyousuke-kun!"
Shouko puffed her cheeks, inspiration striking thanks to Eriri's influence.
Seeing her emotions take a sharp 180, Kyousuke couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Today had been full of blessings—he'd heard her incredible voice acting, helped ease her burdens, received her first kiss, and now, even this playful side of her.
Overjoyed, he immediately changed his mind and declared stubbornly:
"No way! I refuse to apologize!"
Shouko's mouth hung open slightly.
Even though she knew Kyousuke would never truly make things difficult for her, she still didn't know what to do.
"If someone has to apologize for doing the right thing, then the one at fault isn't them—it's the world itself!"
Puffing out his chest, Kyousuke's voice grew stronger with every word.
"I want to kiss you. Whether it's the first time, the second, or the third—I want them all. I don't regret it, and I'll never apologize!"
He squeezed her hand tightly, blinked down at her adorable face, and said firmly:
"But…"
Shouko, still flustered, froze at his sudden declaration. Her mind went blank.
"But… I still have to apologize to Sakura…" she mumbled, bewildered.
"That's not your problem. Whether it's apologizing or even kneeling, that's my responsibility. If you've done anything wrong, Shouko, it's only this—making me fall in love with you."
"U-uh!"
Overwhelmed by happiness, Shouko instinctively tried to back away—but his strong hand pulled her back in, closing the distance even more.
"But…"
She stammered, unable to form a proper sentence, her mind echoing with his words.
Kyousuke-kun thinks kissing me is the right thing.
Kyousuke-kun wants to kiss me.
Kyousuke-kun likes me.
Kyousuke-kun would kneel to Sakura… for me.
Ah… no way!