Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 572 572: Shinji and Mio’s Past (Part 7)

"…Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Not yet. Almost."

Shinji answered.

At the mont, Shinji had already brought Mio out of the city center and was heading toward their destination.

Wanting to give Mio a surprise, Shinji decided to keep her in suspense. For the final stretch of the road, he had Mio close her eyes and walk forward while holding his hand.

Along the way, Shinji would occasionally glance back at Mio. Even though she was walking with her eyes closed, he could not see even a hint of unease or nervousness on her face. Instead, she wore a faint smile.

(Does this an she trusts ?)

Shinji rubbed his nose, feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

"All right. You can open them now, Mio."

After arriving at the destination, Shinji stopped and spoke to Mio.

"Mm—"

With Shinji's permission, Mio slowly opened her eyes.

After suddenly being t with sunlight from darkness, Mio reflexively furrowed her brows. But once she adjusted to the light, her mouth opened slightly, and her eyes sparkled like gemstones.

"—Ah—!"

Mio could not help letting out a cry of joy.

The water's surface, dotted with white light, stretched into the distance as though it had no end, its rippling blue-green waves rging with the clear blue sky.

A beach of white sand curved in an arc like a crescent moon, welcoming the rolling waves.

Taking a deep breath, she could sll air completely different from the city's scent, filling her with an indescribable emotion.

"Could this be… the sea? The special environnt that occupies seventy percent of Earth's surface?"

Mio asked curiously. Shinji nodded.

"Yeah. When you were reading before, you said you wanted to see what the sea looked like with your own eyes, right?"

"Shin… you heard that?"

Mio widened her eyes in surprise.

"Well… I just happened to hear it. Since there's a beach around here, I kept it in mind and thought I'd bring you to see it soday."

Hearing Shinji's answer, Mio's cheeks flushed faintly. Then she revealed a frank smile.

"—I'm so happy. Thank you, Shin."

"Ah, yeah… As long as you're happy."

Seeing Mio's reaction, Shinji turned his head away in embarrassnt. For him, as long as he could make Mio smile, the trip had already been worth it.

Gazing at the sea before her, Mio seed unable to contain her excitent. She took off her sandals, ran barefoot to the shallows, and stepped into the water.

"Honestly, she's like a child."

Shinji could not help smiling wryly.

"—Shin!"

Suddenly, Mio stopped and excitedly waved to Shinji.

Understanding her aning, Shinji nodded, imitated Mio by taking off his shoes, and entered the sea with her.

"How is it? Do you like the sea?"

"Mm, I like it."

Mio nodded without hesitation.

"The coolness of the seawater brushing over my feet, the soft sand sinking slightly under , the sea breeze with a faint salty taste, the waves that surge at regular intervals—even though I have already read about them in books, when I actually feel them with my body, it is so incredible."

As she spoke, Mio spread her arms wide, as though wanting to embrace everything.

"I—like the sea!"

"I see."

Shinji could not help smiling with relief.

At ho, Mio, who often sat in the study, was like a young lady who never left the house, mature and intellectual. But once she ca outdoors, she beca like a child full of curiosity, her emotions rising high.

Watching her be so happy, even familiar scenery beca filled with joy.

"And also—"

Looking at Shinji's face, Mio did not continue her sentence. She rely showed a sweet smile.

"Shin!"

"Mm—wah?!"

Before Shinji could finish speaking, a splash of salty seawater struck his face. Shaking his head like a drenched dog to fling off the water, Shinji looked helplessly at Mio, who was smiling all over.

"…What are you doing?"

"I don't know!"

"You don't know?"

"But I just wanted to try it! It's very fun!"

"I see… Fun, huh? Then I won't hold back either—take this!"

"Kya~"

Shinji could say with certainty that, in the eyes of others, he and Mio must look like a pair of idiot lovers right now.

In the past, when he saw this kind of aningless water splashing in ani or at the pool, he often looked down on it with eyes that seed to say, "Are they stupid?" However, once he actually beca one of the people involved, he discovered that he had been wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.

It was so much fun.

"Kya~ So cold!"

"Heh, now you know how strong I am."

After exhaling proudly, Shinji suddenly realized that at so point, Mio's clothes had beco completely soaked by seawater. Her semi-transparent dress clung tightly to her skin, outlining her graceful body, and through the fabric, he could even see the shape and color of her underwear.

In an instant, Shinji's face flushed bright red, and he turned his head away.

"Mm? Shin, your face is very red."

"I-Is it?"

"Are you all right? Could you have caught a cold? Wah—"

Suddenly, a strong sea breeze blew past, sweeping Mio's hat into the air.

Because it happened so suddenly, Mio instinctively leaned back to try and catch it, but ended up stepping on sinking wet sand. Her entire body lost balance.

"—Mio?!"

Shinji hurriedly tried to grab Mio, but he was also unused to the soft wet sand and lost his balance. Not only did he fail to catch her, he fell along with her, sending both of them tumbling.

"Ah—sorry, Mio, are you okay—"

Shinji lost his words.

Due to the accident just now, both of them had fallen into the shallows. Mio was lying on her back in the water, while Shinji had barely managed to support himself on all fours above her.

Their posture looked as if he had pushed Mio down. Although, looking only at the result, that did not seem entirely wrong.

The seawater flowed with the waves, passing beside them. Gazing at Mio's beautiful face so close to him, Shinji could not help being entranced.

At first, when he found Mio, the girl had been like a fairy who had accidentally fallen into the mortal world—beautiful, holy, and ethereal.

But now, after going on a date with Mio, playing together with her, and getting soaked in seawater together like a pair of drenched fools, he felt that Mio was so real, so moving, so full of charm.

"Mm… I'm fine… Shin?"

Mio's puzzled voice sounded.

Feeling Mio's breath and body warmth, Shinji seed to be affected by the hormones of adolescence. Although he was soaked through by the cold seawater, his head and chest were burning hot.

"I…"

Watching Mio's reaction, Shinji spoke in a voice that was cautious, yet also excited.

"I… love you. From the mont I saw you, I fell in love with you at first sight."

"…Eh?"

Seemingly not expecting Shinji's sudden confession, Mio froze.

In that instant, the entire world grew quiet. Only the sound of the waves and the cries of seabirds echoed by their ears.

Shinji felt both expectation and regret. He longed for Mio's answer, but also feared having his feelings rejected.

Just imagining Mio showing a troubled expression made his hands and feet go cold.

"Mm… I also… like Shin…"

As if she had organized the words needed to express her feelings, Mio spoke softly.

"As long as I am with Shin, every second is so happy. Whether at ho, on the street, or by the sea, as long as I am with Shin, the world becos full of color. The longer I stay with Shin… the stronger the feeling in my heart becos… Is this feeling called like…? No… simply 'like' cannot describe it… Um… yes… I'm sure."

As though she had found the correct answer, Mio spoke with a voice full of joy.

"I'm sure… I have fallen in love with you… Shin…"

"Mio…"

Shinji stared blankly at Mio. The mont he heard those words, he could no longer suppress the feelings in his heart. Toward Mio's rosy lips, he slowly lowered his head.

Seeming to understand Shinji's intention, Mio gently closed her eyes, giving silent consent.

However, just as their reflections on the water's surface were about to overlap—

"—Achoo."

Mio let out a tiny sneeze.

The ambiguous atmosphere between them vanished in an instant.

Mio slowly opened her eyes and looked at Shinji sowhat awkwardly.

"…"

"…"

"…Pfft. Hahahaha—"

"—Haha! Hahaha!"

For so reason, Shinji seed to have had his sense of humor struck and laughed happily. And as if infected by Shinji's laughter, Mio also could not help laughing aloud.

That was only natural.

Although they had not kissed, the two of them had certainly felt each other's feelings.

Shinji liked Mio, and Mio liked him too.

Could there be anything more worth being happy about than that?

"Mio, let's go up. Our clothes are soaked. It would be bad if we caught a cold."

"Mm…"

Mio nodded softly. Shinji stood up from the shallows, took Mio's hand, and walked toward the beach.

"Shin…"

Mio could not help speaking.

"From now on, can we always be together too?"

"Mm, of course."

Hearing Mio's words, Shinji answered with a confident tone.

"Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and after that too—as long as you're willing, I will definitely—ha—ha—"

—ACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!