How To Ruin A Love Comedy

Chapter 35: The Feeling of a First Kiss? #2

Bzzzzzzzz...

Miyuki, staring at the star stickers on the ceiling with bleary eyes, abruptly sat up as she heard the annoying buzzing sound of a mosquito.

Dropping her head like a zombie, she felt as if her senses were slowly returning to her.

“.....”

Matsuda was... nowhere.

Did he leave?

Come to think of it, he seemed to have said something to her and lightly hit her forehead while she was lying down...

As Miyuki touched the center of her forehead, her hand suddenly moved to her lips.

“Ah...!”

It was because she suddenly remembered her kiss with Matsuda.

Thump! Thump!

Her heart, which felt as if it had stopped, suddenly began to race, and her face flushed. A faint hint of mint circled within her mouth.

Mouthwash... Yes, this was the taste of mouthwash.

While talking with Matsuda and when their lips met, she had indeed sensed the distinct scent of mouthwash from him.

And then, when Matsuda’s tongue entered her mouth...

“Ah...”

The wet, moist sensation of him gently licking her teeth... Recalling the experience, Miyuki felt a wave of embarrassment and buried her face in her pillow.

In any case, the lingering taste of the mouthwash Matsuda had used seemed to remain in her mouth.

But mouthwash...

Could it be that he went to the bathroom before entering the room specifically for this?

Did he ask to see the room with the intention of kissing from the start?

‘No...’

Matsuda was pretty diligent about brushing his teeth.

Whenever they were not in a hurry after eating lunch at school, he made it a point to brush...

She had also noticed that Matsuda brushed his teeth when he was having a conversation with her father in the living room.

‘Yeah. Most people who care about hygiene brush their teeth after meals.’

‘So let’s not overthink it like this.’

Also, she herself had felt some premonition that something significant would happen today.

Blaming Matsuda wouldn’t be fair.

In fact, there was nothing to blame.

Why? Because there were plenty of opportunities to refuse, yet she didn’t.

Of course, she was scared.

Having never kissed before, there was a vague fear, and seeing Matsuda’s serious face intensified that emotion.

She was even planning to refuse if Matsuda moved any closer.

However, the moment Matsuda sincerely apologized, she felt relaxed and her heart began to flutter with some kind of expectation.

[I’m sorry, Miyuki.]

Recalling Matsuda’s apology, Miyuki gripped her pillow tightly as if to suffocate it.

His voice, already a baritone, sounded even deeper, which was incredibly soothing and emotionally stabilizing for her.

It was a strange thing. How just the tone of a voice could change one’s emotions.

But suddenly, she became curious.

What did Matsuda feel while they were kissing?

Surely he didn’t find the taste of the food she had for lunch from her mouth and got disgusted, right?

“AAAAHHHH...!”

Burying her face into the pillow, Miyuki let out a muffled scream.

Thinking that Matsuda would have genuinely felt discomfort, she contorted her legs and kicked the bedsheet wildly.

After all, even if she had brushed her teeth... not much time had passed, so the aftertaste of food must have lingered in her mouth.

No, wait.

All she tasted from Matsuda was mouthwash.

Then her mouth would have tasted like toothpaste as well.

As Miyuki tried to steady her thoughts with this rationale, it dawned on her that she had eaten melon just before the kiss.

‘Ah, that’s right...! Melon...!’

Lifting her face from the pillow with a start, Miyuki’s expression turned forlorn.

If she ate melon right after brushing her teeth, the flavor of the melon might have mixed with the remaining toothpaste, creating a weird taste.

That would mean it was a complete... disaster.

‘This is driving me crazy...’

She felt pathetic for only having negative thoughts fill her mind.

Perplexed, Miyuki unconsciously licked her lips, and was once again startled by the refreshing taste of mint.

“Ah, seriously...!”

Letting out her frustration in a sigh, she sat cross-legged on the bed and gently closed her eyes, deciding to think positively.

‘Yes, let’s focus on how it felt to experience a kiss for the first time.’

“.....”

Miyuki’s shoulders shivered.

Her cheeks flushed, her body temperature soared, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled up, and restlessness set in, making it hard for her to stay still.

It was sweet.

The rapid, rhythmic beating of her heart right now gave her thoughts a reassuring boost.

However, it felt like it wasn’t a proper kiss.

Perhaps it was because they were both too flustered at the moment.

It seemed like they’d need to try again with clear heads to truly know for sure...

While making various imaginings with her flushed face, Miyuki suddenly had a thought cross her mind.

‘What exactly are we to each other...?’

Reflecting on the time spent with Matsuda, it was clear that they were not just ordinary friends. Given they had even kissed, it seemed like he might have feelings for her...

But that didn’t mean they were officially dating either.

And that made sense, given that Matsuda had never once said he liked her.

Usually, couples become official after one side confesses their feelings. Of course, there are rare instances where things naturally evolve into a relationship without any spoken admission, but for the most part, a confession is essential.

It couldn’t possibly be that Matsuda, who is never shy about speaking his mind, is afraid to confess his feelings, could it?

Is he confused about how he actually feels?

She had never told Matsuda that she liked him either, but that didn’t seem to be the only issue at hand.

The first problem that came to mind was how they addressed each other. She called Tetsuya by his first name but addressed Matsuda by his last name. Matsuda, who had observed this, might have concluded that they weren’t close enough yet.

‘Or is he just playing with me...?’

Matsuda was tall and handsome; he could have easily dated any girl. Though he’d matured a lot lately, the possibility couldn’t be ruled out that he, who initially led a rather wild life, might see her merely as a diversion.

“.....”

The thought was plausible enough to be disheartening. But she decided to not let her imagination run too wildly.

At any rate, just as one has to cast the bait clearly to get a bite, the crux of the matter seemed to be her own ambiguous behavior.

‘I have plans to hang out with Matsuda-kun today, so if I observe his reactions while we are together…’

And if his reactions were positive...

If they were...

‘Ah, forget it...! Let’s just go...!’

Click.

Just as Miyuki, in her confused state, was about to jump out of bed to shake off her tangled thoughts, she heard the sound of a latch being undone. Startled, she let out a small scream.

“Kyaaah!!”

Startled by the sudden scream, Kanna, who had been trying to sneak in like a thief, was caught off guard.

“Ah! What is it!? What’s happening!?”

Upon recognizing that the person who had appeared was her older sister, Miyuki exploded in anger.

“Ah, Sis! Why would you come in without knocking?!”

“I thought you were asleep...”

“Asleep? At this time?”

“Yeah, Matsuda-kun said he came down alone because you looked tired.”

“Ah...”

It seemed Matsuda had gone downstairs because she had been staring vacantly at the ceiling after their kiss.

So that’s why he’d had to leave—She hadn’t responded when he spoke to her.

Having regained her composure, Miyuki asked, “Where’s Matsuda-kun? Is he talking with Dad?”

“No, he left.”

“What...? Why?”

Stunned, Miyuki could only stare.

Kanna looked back at her as if she were a curious specimen.

“What do you mean ‘why’? He stayed for an hour after coming down. It was about time for him to go.”

An hour...?

Had that much time already passed?

Was she so out of it that she couldn’t even notice the passage of time—not even when she heard the car start?

‘This is driving me crazy.’

‘No, wait! If he just leaves like that...!’

They were supposed to hang out!

Of course, he probably considered her current state and acted considerately, but she needed to clear a few things up.

Though she wasn’t sure whether she had enough courage to do so.

With a deep sigh, Miyuki asked, “Why are you here, Sis?”

“I came to borrow a book. You have that I was reading last time, right?”

“Yeah, it’s on the left corner of the bookshelf.”

“I can take it?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll let Matsuda-kun know you’re up. He seemed pretty concerned.”

“Alright...”

Miyuki was about to collapse back onto her bed, feeling utterly drained. However, a thought flicked through her mind, causing her to suddenly lift her head.

“You’re contacting him? How are you even in touch with Matsuda-kun?”

“Oh, I got his phone number.”

Kanna waved her phone as if to flaunt her achievement, a triumphant expression on her face.

On the other hand, Miyuki’s facial muscles contorted awkwardly.

“Why would you have Matsuda-kun’s number?”contemporary romance

She couldn’t grasp what the hell was going on at all.

Seeing Miyuki’s eyes widen in surprise, Kanna spoke.

“He looked pretty cool at the beach. He’s proactive and polite… Basically! He interested me, so I thought I’d get his number.”

‘Interest? In Matsuda-kun? What kind of nonsense is this?’

Miyuki, who had been standing there with her mouth agape, suddenly snapped back to reality.

“Wait, Matsuda-kun is exactly the type you hate, Sis! He’s rude and does whatever he pleases...”

“He seemed polite to me. He listens well... Didn’t you see how he was with Mom and Dad today?”

“That’s just because he was in front of adults! When he’s with me, he’s snide and always teases me...”

Why was she criticizing Matsuda? Why was she trying to imprint a negative image of him onto her sister? What was she so afraid of?

This made her look utterly pathetic and even a bit sly. Miyuki felt downright pitiful.

“He’s just joking with you. Then again, you’re so serious all the time that you might’ve taken it to heart.”

Even after uttering those words thick with guilt, she didn’t feel any relief. At this rate, she was just going to feel guilty toward Matsuda.

Miyuki felt emotionally tangled, a blend of feeling slighted and yet also angry.

‘Why the heck did you even give her your number...!’

“Thanks for the book, anyway. I’ll enjoy reading it.”

Miyuki, who had been internally grumbling about Matsuda, extended her hand upon hearing Kanna’s words, and–

“...Actually, I was going to read that. Give it back.”

–assumed a bitterly displeased demeanor.

Kanna looked at her in disbelief.

“What are you talking about? Who gives a book and then takes it back?”

“I haven’t given it to you yet, have I? I was going to lend it to you.”

“Why are you acting so childish? Are you a kid or something?”

“Just give it back.”

“You’re not going to read it now, are you?”

“I am going to read it now. I’m bored.”

With a forced laugh that hinted at exhaustion, Kanna tossed the book in front of Miyuki.

“Happy now?”

Holding the book and flipping to the first page, Miyuki didn’t even look at Kanna as she replied.

“Fine, leave. I need to concentrate.”

“Wow, unbelievable...”

Muttering under her breath, Kanna exited the room.

As soon as she left, Miyuki tossed the book beside her pillow and flopped onto her back.

Her temper flared.

When did he get so good at setting the mood and going for a kiss?

And he happily gave Kanna his number?

Does he think any girl will do?

‘This stupid Matsuda-kun…’

From Matsuda’s perspective, was a kiss just a trivial action he could share with anyone?

Was he just a poorly raised fool?

Or, was he just messing around with her?

Her insides were boiling.

Frankly, Kanna showing interest in Matsuda was all because of his changed behavior.

If Matsuda was still the reckless guy he used to be, Kanna wouldn’t even have asked for his number.

In fact, he wouldn’t even have met Miyuki’s family to begin with.

‘And he doesn’t even realize whose nagging caused him to change…’

“I can’t even believe this...!”

Her head told her to hear him out first, but her heart told her not to forgive Matsuda. And right now, Miyuki was taking her heart’s side.

With a face twisted in fury, Miyuki promptly grabbed her phone.

Just as she was about to storm out of the house, she hesitated upon seeing the book beside her pillow.

“....”

She felt guilty for forcefully demanding a book she had no intention of reading.

In the end, she left the book in front of Kanna’s room, gave a couple of knocks, and finally left the house.

︵‿︵‿୨ * ୧‿︵‿︵

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