In the cramped dressing room,
Bocchi felt like she was suffocating, her head spinning.
Of course, it was just an illusion. A small space surrounded by curtains couldn't actually lack oxygen.
Still, Bocchi stood obediently, trying to press herself flat against the wall.
Suddenly, she felt warmth at the back of her neck.
Having never experienced physical contact outside her family,
Bocchi trembled uncontrollably.
The warmth quickly disappeared.
She realized she had moved, causing Yukima Azuma to let go of her.
She wanted to apologize—
But just as she opened her mouth, she felt a hand grip her waist.
The apology melted into a soft, kitten-like moan.
"Unn~…"
The sound, vague and ambiguous,
combined with the tight space,
could easily stir someone's imagination.
Though Yukima Azuma couldn't see Gotoh Hitori's face,
he could imagine her expression clearly—
because the back of her neck had flushed a soft pink.
Of course, his earlier actions weren't meant to be inappropriate.
He had simply been trying to hold her steady.
He calmly reached out again and pulled the zipper of the mermaid dress.
This time, the zipper slid down smoothly.
The pale, soft curve of Bocchi's back appeared beneath her light pink hair,
smooth and delicate,
enough to make someone involuntarily swallow their breath.
Yukima Azuma stared silently for a moment,
then gently pulled Bocchi's hand to cover her back,
before quietly slipping out of the dressing room.
The soft rustling of the curtain echoed behind him.
Gotoh Hitori froze.
After a long moment, when nothing stirred behind her,
she finally dared to turn around.
No one was there.
Bocchi leaned weakly against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor.
What had just happened was too much—
too intense—for someone like her,
someone who had never even had a single friend.
Today, everything she did with Yukima Azuma had been a first.
She sat on the floor, calming her breathing for a long while,
before finally forcing herself up.
"If I keep Azuma-kun waiting too long, he'll hate me! I have to change quickly!"
"It was just… just normal between friends… right?"
Bocchi tried desperately to convince herself.
She hurriedly took off the mermaid dress and reached for the clothes in the basket—
but—
"Huh? I… I can't find them!?"
Bocchi frantically searched,
flipping the dressing room upside down, but her pink sports outfit was nowhere to be found.
Her eyes widened in horror.
She was in serious trouble!
The truth was:
When Yukima Azuma had stepped out earlier, he had casually taken her sportswear with him.
He had been planning to deal with that pink tracksuit,
the one that diminished her charm.
And when Bocchi's zipper had gotten stuck earlier,
the opportunity had practically fallen into his hands.
In the dressing room, Bocchi spun around in panic, like a fish on a hot pan.
She wanted to call for Yukima Azuma,
but thinking about their recent incident,
her face turned bright red, and she just couldn't summon the courage.
After much hesitation,
she reluctantly picked up the black-and-white dress she had tried earlier.
Once she had changed, she timidly pulled the curtain aside.
"Azuma-kun…"
She was about to ask about her clothes,
but before she could say anything, Yukima Azuma gently grabbed her hand.
At that moment, a saleswoman approached.
Bocchi instantly froze into "silent mode."
"Please wrap this one up," Yukima Azuma said, motioning to Bocchi's dress.
"And these, please bag them together—the mermaid dress and the sportswear."
Bocchi: !!
Bocchi: Nooooo!
Bocchi: Watermelon! Strawberry! Mango! Oishii!!!
After the saleswoman left,
Bocchi tugged desperately at the hem of Yukima Azuma's shirt,
pointing toward the bagged tracksuit, wanting to protest.
But before she could say anything,
Yukima Azuma gently brushed the hair off her forehead.
He took the initiative this time.
Bocchi, completely unused to having her entire face exposed,
froze like a deer in headlights.
"Bocchi is really cute," he said with a small smile.
"If you just fixed your bangs to show your eyes, it'd be perfect."
Bocchi: Aaaaah nooo!
"But you've already changed a lot today," he added warmly.
"If you push too fast, you might not adapt."
"So, let's leave the haircut for later."
"This time, just the clothes will do."
His voice was impossibly gentle.
Bocchi swallowed hard.
'Azuma-kun… he's an angel!'
In psychology, there's a trick:
When facing two extreme options, people often choose the easier middle ground.
Between cutting her hair and wearing new clothes,
accepting the dress suddenly didn't seem so bad.
The saleswoman returned with a POS machine.
Gotoh Hitori froze.
This was Ginza, the land of luxury.
She glanced down at the delicate material of her dress,
its beautiful craftsmanship…
How much was it!?
Even though she had her entire savings with her—her "wedding fund" as her mom called it—
she doubted it would be enough.
Just as she nervously tried to peek at the screen—
Yukima Azuma covered her eyes with his hand.
Confused by the sudden darkness, Bocchi heard the soft beep of a card being swiped.
When the light returned,
she saw Yukima Azuma casually crumpling the receipt.
"Azuma-kun…"
She desperately wanted to say something.
But he simply picked up the shopping bags and took her hand again.
"Let's go," he said cheerfully.
"Next on the plan—Chinese food."
"Y-Yes!"
Bocchi nodded fiercely.
'I'll definitely pay him back when we eat,'
she promised herself.
At the restaurant…
When she opened the menu,
Bocchi froze.
There were no prices listed.
"Umm… Azuma-kun, you choose,"
she said, almost tearfully, handing him the menu.
"Sure. Is there anything you can't eat, Bocchi?"
"Really… nothing…"
She instinctively shook her head.
"Really?"
Azuma-kun leaned closer.
Bocchi panicked, almost falling off her chair.
"If you don't tell me, you'll have to tell the waiter yourself,"
he said lightly.
At that, Bocchi instantly surrendered.
"I… I can't eat celery… and chrysanthemum leaves are hard too… but it's okay…"
"What about bell peppers?"
"I can eat those."
"Bean sprouts?"
"Uh…"
"I got it."
After a brief Q&A session,
Yukima Azuma ordered, ensuring all the dishes were free from things Bocchi disliked.
When the food arrived, Bocchi almost cried.
There were only dishes she loved.
Back during forced class gatherings,
she had never enjoyed herself,
and always had to pay her share despite barely eating.
But today—
For the first time, she felt the happiness of eating out.
"Eat first, I'll be right back,"
Yukima Azuma said, getting up to use the restroom.
"Y-Yes!"
He returned quickly.
After the meal, rubbing her full stomach,
Bocchi decided to repay him.
Gathering all her courage,
as they approached the exit, she darted forward.
"U-Umm… I, I want to pay… pay…"
The staff understood after some struggle.
"You want to pay?"
"Yes!"
But then they said—
"The customer over there already paid, ma'am."
Bocchi turned stiff with shock.
Yukima Azuma gently patted her head.
"Azuma-kun!"
She wanted to say something, but her mind was a scrambled mess.
"I know what you're thinking. I can read your mind,"
he said with a smile.
"Come on. The movie's about to start."
He waved his phone—two movie tickets already booked.
At Ginza Cinema—
Waiting in line for tickets, Yukima Azuma asked:
"Have you ever been to the movies before?"
"I have… at home, on DVD."
"What about in a cinema?"
"Never…"
Places like this, filled with lively people and couples,
were like a forbidden realm for her.
After buying the tickets and popcorn, they entered.
The movie he chose was about a band chasing their dreams—
the only film safe for Bocchi's fragile heart.
They sat in the last row, tucked in a quiet corner.
The sparse audience made Bocchi feel relieved,
yet strangely guilty.
Today, Yukima Azuma had thought about her needs over and over.
If they were dating,
Bocchi would definitely feel she didn't deserve him,
guilt gnawing away at her until she disappeared into dust.
"Don't think too much. Eat your popcorn,"
Yukima Azuma said, tapping her head lightly.
Bocchi hugged the popcorn box, nibbling away like a little squirrel.
When the movie started, she tried to focus,
but her gaze kept drifting to the boy beside her.
In the dim light, his profile looked even more charming.
More… dangerous.
Bocchi noticed their hands—still held tightly together.
Only then did she realize.
Her cheeks burned.
Sensing her fidgeting,
Yukima Azuma turned toward her—
and saw a popcorn crumb at the corner of her mouth.
He reached out.
Bocchi instinctively closed her eyes.
'Could it be…!?'
'Is it happening!? A kiss in the dark theater!?'
But… was this okay?
They were just friends, right?
Friends can kiss… right?
Conflicted, she waited.
But nothing touched her lips.
Peeking through her lashes,
she found Yukima Azuma's face extremely close.
And then—
Softly, gently,
he kissed her.
It was tender and sweet, tasting faintly of popcorn.
Almost like cotton candy melting on her lips.
After a long, breathless moment, he let her go.
Gotoh Hitori was gasping for air, her chest rising and falling quickly.
Her entire body felt dizzy.
She didn't dare meet his eyes.
Until Yukima Azuma gently lifted her chin.
"Bocchi, I only touched your face earlier because you had a popcorn crumb,"
he said, showing her the little piece he'd picked up.
Bocchi's eyes widened—then immediately filled with embarrassment and tears.
"But," Yukima Azuma smiled,
"because Bocchi is too cute, I couldn't resist."
He had waited for her to open her eyes,
so she would know this wasn't an accident.
"If you didn't like it, I'm sorry."
"No…"
Bocchi shook her head instinctively.
Even if she didn't understand all the feelings swirling inside her,
she knew she hadn't hated it.
"So you liked it?"
"Ah…"
"So you didn't?"
"I liked it."
"Then," Yukima Azuma said with a mischievous smile,
"let's do it again."
"Wait—"
He silenced her with another kiss.