All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 59: Since we are friends, I guess kissing is normal, right!?

In the cramped dressing room.

Bocchi felt like she was suffocating, her head spinning.

Of course, that was just an illusion. A small space surrounded by curtains couldn't possibly lack oxygen.

Bocchi obediently stood still, trying to press her body against the wall in front of her.

Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation at the back of her neck.

Bocchi, who had never had any physical contact except with her parents,

trembled uncontrollably.

The warm sensation at the back of her neck quickly disappeared.

Bocchi realized that her earlier movement had caused Yukima Azuma to let go of her.

She intended to apologize.

But at that moment, her waist was gripped by the person standing behind her.

The apology she had meant to say was now only a soft moan, like a little kitten.

"Unn~..."

The sound was indeed a bit ambiguous.

Especially in this situation, in a dressing room like this, it could easily provoke the other person.

Although Yukima Azuma couldn't see Gotoh Hitori's face right now,

he could imagine her expression.

Because the back of Gotoh Hitori's neck had turned a soft pink.

Of course, his earlier action wasn't meant for anything inappropriate.

He had only held Bocchi in place so she wouldn't move around.

Once again, he reached out and pulled the zipper of the mermaid dress down.

This time, Yukima Azuma smoothly pulled the zipper of the dress down.

Immediately, Bocchi's smooth, pale back appeared in front of him.

Beneath the light pink hair, the sight was mesmerizing, making one almost swallow their saliva.

Yukima Azuma silently admired it for a moment.

But he did nothing more.

He simply gently pulled Bocchi's hand, asking her to cover her back for the time being.

Then, he gently pulled one corner of the curtain and stepped out.

The sound of the curtain faintly echoed behind him.

Gotoh Hitori froze.

After waiting for a long while, there was still no movement from behind.

Only then did she slowly turn around.

She saw that no one was behind her anymore.

Bocchi leaned against the wall, her legs weak, slowly sliding down to sit on the floor.

What had just happened was truly more than Bocchi could handle, someone who had never had a single friend.

This close contact with another person,

was a first for Bocchi.

No, almost everything Bocchi did with Yukima Azuma today was a first for her.

Bocchi sat on the floor, trying to calm herself down for a long while.

Finally, she slowly stood up.

"If I keep Azuma-kun waiting too long, he'll hate me! I need to change quickly!"

"That just now... it was just a normal favor between friends, right?"

Bocchi tried to convince herself in her mind.

She took off the mermaid dress,

then reached to grab the clothes from the basket.

But...

"No... I can't find it!?"

Bocchi panicked as she looked into the basket.

She searched everywhere, from left to right, top to bottom, flipping the dressing room upside down, but still couldn't find her pink sports outfit.

Her eyes widened in shock.

Bocchi was in big trouble!

...

The truth was, when Yukima Azuma stepped out earlier, he had casually taken her sports outfit with him.

He had already been thinking about how to deal with the pink sports outfit that lowered her charm and appearance.

And at that moment, Bocchi's zipper got stuck, causing her pain in her hand.

The opportunity for Yukima Azuma to act had presented itself.

Of course, he wasn't going to miss it.

In the dressing room,

Bocchi was frantic, like an fish on a hot pan.

She wanted to call Yukima Azuma.

But after what had just happened,

her face was still bright red.

No matter what, she couldn't bring herself to call out to him.

After a while of hesitation,

she reluctantly reached for the black and white dress.

Once changed,

Bocchi pulled back the curtain.

"Azuma-kun..."

She was about to ask him about her sports outfit,

but before she could speak,

her hand was grabbed by Yukima Azuma.

A saleswoman walked over.

Bocchi immediately switched to "silent mode."

"Please wrap this one up for me, and she can just keep the other one on."

"And this one, please put it in a bag along with the mermaid dress from the dressing room. Thank you."

Yukima Azuma pointed to the mermaid dress in the dressing room, then handed Bocchi's pink sports outfit to the sales assistant.

Bocchi: !

Bocchi: Noooo!

Bocchi: Watermelon! Strawberry! Mango! Oishi!

After the saleswoman left,

Bocchi hurriedly tugged at the corner of Yukima Azuma's shirt, pointing to the pink sports outfit that had just been taken away, wanting to say something.

However, before she could speak,

Yukima Azuma reached out and gently pushed aside the long hair that covered her forehead.

This time, Yukima Azuma took the initiative.

Bocchi was completely unaccustomed to having her whole face exposed like this.

Her gaze immediately became vacant.

"Bocchi is really cute. If you just fixed your hair a bit to show your eyes, it would be perfect."

Bocchi: Aaaaa nooo!

"But today, Bocchi has already changed a lot."

"If you change too quickly, you might not get used to it."

"So, let's put off the haircut for later."

"This time, we'll just change the clothes first."

Yukima Azuma spoke in a soft tone.

Bocchi swallowed nervously.

'Angel! He's an angel! Azuma-kun is truly my angel!'

She completely forgot her initial purpose.

Indeed, human psychology tends to accept something in between two extremes.

For example, if you say the room is too dark and needs a window to be opened,

most people would probably disagree.

But if you suggest removing the entire roof, they'd immediately agree to open the window.

Compared to cutting her hair,

wearing this dress felt much easier for Bocchi to accept.

"Everything is packed, sir. Please come over here to pay."

The sales assistant brought over the POS machine.

Gotoh Hitori was stunned to realize,

this was Ginza.

Buying clothes here...

Looking at the dress she was wearing, the soft material, the beautiful design,

Gotoh Hitori had no concrete idea about the price, only vaguely knowing that it was definitely not cheap.

Would the money she had be enough?

Even though she had brought along her savings, the money her mother called her "wedding fund."

Just as Bocchi gathered her courage, ready to peek at the price on the POS machine,

Yukima Azuma gently placed his hand over her eyes.

For a moment, confused in the darkness, Gotoh Hitori only heard the sound of a card being swiped.

"Thank you for your purchase. If you have any questions, feel free to come by the store again."

When the light returned,

Gotoh Hitori saw Yukima Azuma casually crumpling the receipt into a ball.

"Azuma-kun..."

Gotoh Hitori anxiously wanted to say something.

But Yukima Azuma simply picked up the two bags and then took her hand, leading her out of the store.

"Let's go, according to the plan, we'll have Chinese food."

"Yes... yes!"

Bocchi nodded.

After all, she was definitely going to pay him back when they ate.

She thought to herself.

...

However...

When they received the menu,

Bocchi was stunned to find,

why was there no price listed on the menu at this restaurant!?

"Umm... how about you choose, Azuma-kun?"

Bocchi nervously handed the menu back to Yukima Azuma.

"Okay. Is there anything you can't eat, Bocchi?"

Yukima Azuma took the menu back, asking further,

"Really, nothing at all?"

Bocchi instinctively shook her head.

She didn't want to cause any trouble for others.

That had always been her ingrained mentality.

And because of this, Bocchi had endured quite a lot of hardship.

It was always the kind of thing where she had to "bite the bullet," silently shedding tears later and thinking, "If only I had been brave enough to speak up back then."

"Really nothing at all?" Yukima Azuma leaned in closer.

Bocchi instinctively leaned back, nearly falling off her chair.

Just as she was about to shake her head again,

"If you don't tell me, later you'll have to tell the waiter yourself," Yukima Azuma said calmly.

Bocchi immediately stiffened and quickly gave in.

It was clearly easier to tell Azuma than to face a stranger, the waiter.

"Well... I can't eat celery, and chrysanthemum leaves are a bit hard... but actually, it's fine."

"What about bell peppers?"

"Yes, I can eat bell peppers."

"How about bean sprouts?"

"Uh..."

"Alright, I understand."

After a brief Q&A,

Yukima Azuma called the waiter over, ensuring that the dishes would be free from the ingredients Bocchi couldn't eat.

He even instructed the staff to avoid certain ingredients in specific dishes.

When the food was served, Bocchi saw only the dishes she loved.

In that moment, she was so touched she almost cried.

Before, at class gatherings (where everyone had to attend), Bocchi had never really enjoyed a meal or felt full.

But she always had to pay her share like everyone else.

Each time they went out to eat, for Bocchi, it was a heavy blow both physically and mentally.

But this time,

For the first time, Bocchi felt the joy of eating out.

"Bocchi, you can eat first. I'll be right back, I need to use the restroom."

"Y-yes!"

Yukima Azuma left the table for a while, then quickly returned.

After the meal, Bocchi rubbed her stomach, savoring the full feeling.

She was so touched that she almost burst into tears.

To repay Yukima Azuma,

Bocchi gathered all her courage and, as they were leaving the restaurant, ran ahead of him.

"Umm... I, I want to pay... pay..."

Standing at the payment counter by the exit, Bocchi stuttered, unable to get the words out.

The staff behind the counter listened for a while, finally understanding her intention.

"You want to pay, right?"

"Yes, that's right!" Bocchi nodded vigorously.

The staff gestured to Yukima Azuma.

"The customer over there already paid, ma'am."

Bocchi froze, her eyes wide in surprise.

Yukima Azuma reached out and gently patted her head.

Her soft, light pink hair brushed against his fingers.

"Azuma-kun!"

Bocchi wanted to say something, but her mind was in such a mess that she couldn't express herself.

"Alright, alright, I know what you're going to say. I can read your mind."

Yukima Azuma smiled.

Bocchi really wanted to say that she didn't even know what she was trying to say herself.

"Let's go, the movie's about to start."

Yukima Azuma held up his phone, changing the subject.

Seeing the movie tickets already purchased on Yukima Azuma's phone, Bocchi had no idea what to say next.

....

At the Ginza cinema.

While waiting in line to pick up the tickets, Yukima Azuma curiously asked:

"Have you ever been to the movies before, Bocchi?"

"I have, but only watched DVDs on the TV at home."

"What about the cinema?"

"Never..."

How could she possibly come to a place filled with youthful energy and a popular hangout spot for couples on dates?

Bocchi silently thought to herself.

After getting the tickets, Yukima Azuma also bought two bags of popcorn and cola.

The two of them entered the cinema.

The movie Yukima Azuma chose was about a band's journey in pursuing their dreams.

Not because he thought Bocchi would prefer this theme,

but because the other films showing at the same time weren't suitable:

Two were about youthful romance.

One was about office romance.

The last one was a thriller-mystery, where the victim was a girl who lived alone, an otaku.

He felt that if they watched that one, Bocchi might just dead inside in the theater.

Compared to the other movies, the band movie was much friendlier.

...

In the last row, in the corner of the theater.

The two of them settled into their seats.

Since it was a movie about a band, and not during peak hours, the cinema was somewhat empty.

Sitting in the corner, Bocchi felt incredibly at ease.

But at the same time, a sense of guilt crept in.

As a super introvert with severe social anxiety, Bocchi had extremely sensitive thoughts, sometimes to the point where it became bothersome even for herself.

Even for something trivial and insignificant, she could spiral into self-doubt.

How could she not realize that Yukima Azuma had clearly chosen this spot with her in mind, to make her feel more comfortable?

Today, Yukima Azuma had been considerate toward her countless times, to the point where Bocchi felt uncomfortable.

Luckily, they were just friends.

If they were in a romantic relationship, Bocchi would definitely blame herself, thinking she wasn't a worthy girlfriend.

She might even feel guilty to the point where she'd vanish into ashes, blown away by the wind.

"Don't think too much, eat the popcorn."

At just the right moment, Yukima Azuma gently tapped Bocchi on the head, then handed her the popcorn.

Hugging the box, Bocchi, like a little squirrel, picked at the popcorn and popped it into her mouth, chewing without a care, her cheeks puffed with food.

It wasn't until Yukima Azuma tapped her again that Bocchi snapped back to reality.

The movie had started.

Bocchi tried to focus on the film, but couldn't help but keep glancing at the person sitting beside her.

In the dark theater, the dim light from the screen reflected on the boy's face.

Unlike in the sunlight, he radiated a different kind of charm now, one that made people want to pull him in immediately.

Bocchi looked at their hands, which were holding tightly together the entire time.

It was only then that she suddenly realized.

When she realized this, Bocchi wanted to bury her face in her hands and scream, but she couldn't.

Sensing the shift in the girl beside him, Yukima Azuma turned to look at Bocchi.

At that moment, he noticed some popcorn crumbs at the corner of her mouth.

So, he gently reached out.

Bocchi felt Yukima Azuma's hand touch her cheek.

She instinctively closed her eyes.

Huh!? Could it be...?'

'It must be! It's happening—kissing in the dark theater!'

But... was this really okay? After all, Yukima Azuma and she were just friends.

'Surely, as friends, kissing is fine, right? ... No, wait! How can this be okay!?'

Her heart was full of internal conflict, but she still kept her eyes shut, waiting.

A long moment passed, but her lips didn't feel anything.

Bocchi carefully opened her eyes.

Yukima Azuma was almost only a breath away from her.

Then, right in her gaze, Yukima Azuma gently kissed her.

Soft, very soft.

This was the first kiss, and the taste on her lips was popcorn, quite tasty.

It felt like eating chewy cotton candy, melting away but with time to experience it first.

After a long while, Yukima Azuma finally released Bocchi.

She was gasping, her chest rising and falling.

Because it was her first time kissing, she had unconsciously held her breath, almost passing out from lack of oxygen.

Although she had been released, her whole body still felt dizzy.

It took a long while before Gotoh Hitori's breath gradually returned to normal.

But she absolutely didn't dare to raise her head to look at Yukima Azuma.

Because she felt that her body was a bit off because of what had just happened.

However, even though she didn't look, Yukima Azuma lifted her chin.

"Bocchi, the reason I touched your face earlier was because the corner of your mouth had popcorn crumbs."

Yukima Azuma said as he took out the piece of popcorn that he had just held in his hand to show her.

Gotoh Hitori, after hearing that, first widened her eyes, then her gaze was full of embarrassment, and tears immediately filled her eyes. She wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

"But because Bocchi is so cute, I couldn't help but kiss you."

Yukima Azuma continued.

He purposely waited for Gotoh Hitori to open her eyes before kissing her, so she could understand the difference between a deliberate action and one purely driven by attraction.

"If Bocchi didn't like it, I'm sorry."

"No…"

Gotoh Hitori unconsciously shook her head.

She always thought that others weren't wrong, and that all mistakes were her own.

And although the feeling earlier was very strange, she really didn't dislike it.

"So, Bocchi liked that?"

"Ah…"

"So you didn't like it? I'm sorry."

"No… I liked it."

"Then let's do it again."

"Ah? Wait…"

Yukima Azuma stopped her words with a kiss.

Gotoh Hitori started rubbing her two legs together.

Since they were friends, kissing should be a normal thing, right? Right?

Bocchi was sure it was like that.

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