Chapter 14 Should We Start Dating?
Tensukain is a famous family in Japan.
And Tensukain Amane, as the only daughter of the Tensukain family, grew up in privilege, living like a little princess in modern society.
Her early life seemed like a fairy tale, beautiful and happy, until the day her beloved mother passed away.
Her father seemed to change overnight, no longer paying any attention to Amane.
He locked himself in his room all day, and the house would occasionally receive some strange guests.
Words like “Bailing” and “Kawanishi” were things Amane discovered when she sneaked into her father’s room.
Before she could take a closer look, her deranged father chased her out.
But Amane silently noted these terms in her heart and began investigating based on that clue.
She wanted to figure out why her father had become so strange.
In the end, she decided to take the initiative to go to Kawanishi City and transfer to Hoshikage High School.
The Chaozir Research Group was her only lead.
As for information regarding the Environmental Group SEMA, aside from knowing it was an environmental organization, she couldn’t investigate anything else.
After entering Hoshikage High School, Amane spent some time observing the members of the Chaozir Research Group.
Ultimately, she selected Tsukimi Kanade, who seemed the most straightforward and kind, as her target for contact.
She mimicked the personality traits of the girl she admired, putting on an innocent act to quickly lower Kanade’s guard during their interaction.
Amane finally confirmed her suspicions through a “sneak attack.”
There was indeed some meaning behind those terms, and Kanade knew those meanings.
…
“I understand.”
After hearing Amane’s explanation, Kanade nodded.
However, he did not intend to directly tell Amane everything he knew.
Before Alice and DD-chan left, they had told him that regarding supernatural matters, the fewer people who know, the better. The more people know, the more dangerous it becomes.
He wasn’t sure what was appropriate to disclose.
So Kanade took out his phone and gave Amane the contact information for Maki.
Before leaving Kawanishi City, Alice had instructed Kanade that if he encountered any trouble, he should reach out to Maki at SEMA.
Thus, Kanade decided it would be better to leave this in Maki’s hands.
If Amane’s father’s condition was indeed related to fantasy monsters, SEMA would also assist.
“You can contact Mr. Maki to learn more.”
“Hmm, thank you very much, Tsukimi-senpai.”
Amane respectfully bowed in thanks while writing down Maki’s contact information.
After this topic concluded, Kanade sighed in relief and took a sip of his black coffee.
It was bitter.
Then he noticed Amane taking money out of her backpack and sliding it in front of him.
It was a stack of brand-new ten thousand yen bills.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you earlier, Tsukimi-senpai, and making you pay. This is my apology—”
“No, no, no, it’s too much!”
Kanade had never seen so much cash.
He panicked and shook his hand.
“But this is just my small token of gratitude.”
“It’s too heavy; this gesture is too much!!!”
Seeing this, Amane lightly chuckled.
“Sure enough, Tsukimi-senpai is a gentle person~”
She felt she had chosen the right person. Amane thought to herself.
She had contemplated which member of the Chaozir Research Group she should contact.
Putting aside Yuki Tsukimi, who joined later, everyone else in the Chaozir Research Group gave Amane the impression of wearing thick masks.
So she could only start with Kanade.
She hadn’t expected to achieve the desired result so soon.
“Then next time, let me treat Tsukimi-senpai to coffee milk.”
“W-what?”
“Black coffee is so bitter, right?” Amane said with a smile as she slowly got up.
“Then, here, please allow me to give my blessings for Tsukimi-senpai’s confession tomorrow.”
“Huh!? No, wait, take the money back before you leave!” Kanade hurriedly called after Amane as she intended to leave.
…
…
The next morning.
Kanade arrived at school with dark circles under his eyes.
Although his interaction with Amane yesterday afternoon had slightly shifted his anxiety, upon returning home, thoughts about Nagisa seeing the small pamphlet flooded back.
Coupled with his determination to confess to Nagisa, the intertwining thoughts filled him with dread and led him to a nightmare that night.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect you to see me that way, but I still want to continue being childhood friends with you.”
“If I stay single, it might make it hard for you to see me as your childhood friend, right?”
“So I found a boyfriend, and now we can go back to being childhood friends~”
“Kanade-kun, do you think I look cute in my outfit today? I wonder if he will like it~”
“Going home? I’m sorry; I’ve already made plans with my boyfriend to go on a date after school, so Kanade-kun will have to go home alone today~”
“Sorry, Kanade-kun, recently he doesn’t want me to get too close to you, so I apologize~”
…..
Startled, Kanade shot up from his bed.
It felt like his heart was being sliced open.
Afraid of dreaming about such scenes again, he stayed awake all night.
Today, Kanade’s expression was filled with anxiety.
It made Suzuki and Tanaka hesitate to approach him.
Mana observed Kanade suspiciously, having shared information with Ling and knowing what Kanade was planning to do today.
This was a matter between Kanade and Nagisa.
Mana could only quietly cheer for Kanade.
Time passed agonizingly until after school.
Due to yesterday’s incident, Nagisa did not come to pick Kanade up to go to the Chaozir Research Group.
The other members of the Chaozir Research Group had already been informed by Ling that they would be arriving late today.
In other words, this was a stage set for Kanade and Nagisa to be alone.
On the way to the Chaozir Research Group, Kanade felt an unusual heaviness in his steps.
He was somewhat aware that Nagisa had feelings for him.
He believed it stemmed from an earlier misunderstanding, when he fortuitously rescued Nagisa from her shadows.
That was why she might have developed feelings for him.
But whether this feeling was “love” remained uncertain.
He originally planned to keep improving himself until he became good enough before confessing to Nagisa.
However, plans did not keep up with changes.
Yesterday’s events made him increasingly anxious.
If Nagisa didn’t have “romantic feelings” for him, he probably wouldn’t need to worry about the contents of the small pamphlet resurfacing.
But what if Nagisa’s feelings for him were indeed “romantic feelings”?
What should have been a happy thought was now shrouded in a layer of gloom.
A girl like Nagisa, naturally kind and gentle, might indeed misunderstand him and take actions that she would regret.
Thus, Kanade felt he had to express his feelings to her, to let her know how much he cherished and cared for her, and that he absolutely would not want anyone to take her away from him.
This unexpected turn of events pushed Kanade into a situation where he “had to take action.”
If Nagisa liked him back, a confession would mean he could finally become a couple with the childhood friend he cared for.
But if Nagisa didn’t like him, then he would—
Just thinking about that possibility made Kanade’s legs feel weak.
Nagisa had been by his side since childhood.
Her voice, her smile, had already become an essential part of his life.
He couldn’t imagine a future without her.
Humans are creatures that settle into their status quo.
As long as he didn’t act rashly, he could continue to enjoy the time spent with Nagisa.
But Kanade also understood that without the realization that “losing something often outweighs gaining something,” one cannot progress.
So—
When he came to his senses, Kanade had already pushed open the door to the Chaozir Research Group.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the interior.
The soft and vibrant light clearly defined Nagisa’s curvy figure.
Her pure and cute face, along with her deep, enchanting black hair, seemed to radiate a dreamy glow under the light.
Like a true angel descending to earth.
—Is it really possible for me to become the boyfriend of such a lovely girl?
—Would such a perfect angel truly like me?
The anxiety in Kanade’s heart intensified.
Thump, thump.
He felt his heart beat faster, and his throat became dry.
“L-Little Nagisa, you’re here so early today…” Kanade stammered, his voice trembling with nerves.
Fear spread in his heart.
He was terrified that his next actions would rupture the closeness between him and Nagisa.
Just like the nightmare he had the previous night.
If right now, Nagisa didn’t look at him with romantic eyes and only wanted to be childhood friends, but if his confession led her to casually find a boyfriend—
“Hmm, Kanade-kun, you also came early today~”
Nagisa responded with a bright smile, as if what had happened yesterday was just an illusion.
This made Kanade’s brain race.
—Could it be that what Ling said was true? Did he really manage to clarify the misunderstanding yesterday?
—Little Nagisa currently doesn’t seem to hold that incident on her mind?
Facing the first girl he had ever liked in life, Kanade’s heart was in turmoil, caught between “confessing” and “not confessing.”
If he chooses not to confess here, he could still stay by her side as a childhood friend.
But if he couldn’t express his feelings here, then the possibility of an incident like yesterday would forever linger like a bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
And the consequences of that explosion are something he absolutely does not want to see.
Ahhh!? Love! It’s so complicated! Is there really no good method for both parties to understand each other’s feelings?
“Speaking of which, Kanade-kun—”
As Kanade’s heart plunged into endless struggle.
Nagisa propped herself up on the table and slowly stood up from her chair.
Her cute, poised face turned in Kanade’s direction.
Their eyes met.
Nagisa’s expression seemed like she had come to a resolution.
Then, her plump and crystalline lips parted slightly, and she softly said:
“—Should we start dating?”
“Ah?”
