Oh my, my childhood is so cute

At a school, specifically on the second floor inside a classroom for second-year students, there was a student named Haruto Sasaki who was fast asleep at his desk. A few minutes later, Haruto slowly opened his eyes, roused from his slumber, startled by the first glimmers of light that filled his vision as the evening sky turned red. It had been a long school day, but he had spent it napping in class. Now, the sun had dipped below the horizon.

With sluggish movements, he rose from the desk where he had been sleeping, gazing out the classroom window, which was still shrouded in darkness. Books and pens were scattered on his desk, and he quickly began to tidy up, arranging his textbooks and stowing his pens in his bag.

Once that task was complete, he hoisted his school bag and left the classroom for the deserted hallway. Every step he took shattered the silence, and the echo of his footsteps reverberated on the ceramic floor. Within him, there was a sense of unease, for he knew that someone was waiting for them to meet.

When he arrived at the sports building, his eyes immediately searched for her presence. Aoi Sato, a childhood friend who had always been the object of his attention, was practicing basketball. With her sweet and innocent appearance, her hair flowed perfectly in a ponytail. An irresistible smile crept across Haruto's face as he watched Aoi with admiration. This was a moment he always cherished, a moment when he felt the motivation to approach Aoi or even tease her.

With careful steps, he ventured further into the sports building. Aoi Sato, his childhood friend, finally noticed his presence and halted her dribbling practice.

"Haruto?" Aoi said, panting.

"Hmm? Good, take one more shot," Haruto smiled. "I bet it won't go in." Haruto taunted playfully.

Aoi just stared at him for a moment before changing her expression, showing her displeasure at his words. "Don't ever compare yourself to me," she said with a tone that belittled Haruto's basketball skills.

Aoi retrieved the basketball that had rolled toward her and, with a swift move, made a three-point shot. The ball went in perfectly, and Aoi smiled smugly.

"Well, you lost your own bet," Aoi said with a teasing tone, sticking out her tongue and her middle finger at Haruto.

"Rather than just belittling myself, try to prove that you can," Aoi continued, challenging him. "This time, I'll borrow your words from earlier. I bet it won't go in."

Haruto wasn't particularly skilled in basketball, especially in making three-point shots. Nevertheless, he stepped onto the court to accept Aoi's challenge. Aoi threw the basketball at him, and Haruto immediately prepared to take the shot.

The basketball was thrown with decent precision by Haruto, even though he had little confidence in its success. The ball continued to soar, reaching the top of the spectator area. Haruto had anticipated this failure from the beginning.

"Hehe... Where did you throw that, silly~" Aoi laughed, maintaining her smug smile.

"You were just lucky earlier when the ball went in," Haruto replied casually.

"Huh?!"

Aoi felt annoyed and quickly retrieved another ball, taking an instant shot. The ball flew with almost perfect precision, demonstrating her skills for the second time.

"Yes, that's right. This is about skill, not luck. You really don't understand," Aoi said, still maintaining her arrogant expression and the ever-present smile on her face.

Haruto just sighed and ended his mischief. "Wow, the girl who won the basketball tournament is indeed very talented," he praised Aoi.

Aoi seemed touched by the simple compliment, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink, albeit faintly. She looked down, not daring to meet Haruto's gaze.

"I-I'm not that good..."

"Don't belittle yourself, Aoi. Or what? Do you want to be a recluse hiding in the Earth's core?" Haruto asked gently.

"I didn't intend to belittle myself. You're the one who was wrong for underestimating my abilities earlier," Aoi replied, sticking out her tongue in a teasing tone.

"Well, maybe so. But are you aware that it's getting late? The sky outside is getting dark. You should change and we should head home," Haruto said.

"But I still want to practice a bit longer," Aoi replied.

Haruto took Aoi's hand and looked at her attentively.

"It's already too late; let's go home," Haruto said.

Taken aback by Haruto's actions, Aoi raised an eyebrow, and her previously slightly pink cheeks turned fiery red. She pulled her hand somewhat roughly from Haruto's grasp and turned away.

"Fine! Don't just grab my hand like that... stupid," Aoi said with lingering embarrassment.

Aoi took one final shot before leaving the court and heading to the locker room. It didn't take long for Aoi to emerge from the locker room, having changed from her basketball uniform into her school uniform. Aoi approached Haruto and lightly patted his back.

"Are you going to tell me what to do next? You're like my mom," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, I will give you directions again, just like dealing with a child," Haruto replied with a playful tone.

Aoi stopped in her tracks and looked at Haruto with annoyance.

"Do you have the right to boss me around?" Aoi asked.

"Not really. But if you're not supervised, you might do whatever you want. And not all your actions are always wise," Haruto said, pausing briefly to take a breath.

"Like right now, you got too absorbed in your practice session and didn't realize it's late. As a girl, you should be at home by this hour," he continued.

Aoi shook her head. "Uwah... you're really like my mom. But thank you for caring about me."

Aoi turned her face away, her previously irritated expression turning into a smile. They continued walking side by side for a while before Haruto initiated the conversation again.

"Hey, I was thinking of getting some ice cream at the supermarket near your house. What do you think?" Haruto asked.

"I WANT TO!" Aoi replied enthusiastically.

Aoi nodded vigorously with overflowing enthusiasm. She quickly approached Haruto, their faces almost touching. Her eyes sparkled as if there were stars shining within them.

Her tough and arrogant demeanor vanished, revealing Aoi's true nature. A simple girl who could easily get excited about little things. Her smile widened as if this was her greatest moment of happiness.

Haruto chuckled before replying, "As usual, you get so excited when there's sweet food involved."

"What's wrong with that? I really love sweet food, especially when it melts in your mouth like ice cream," Aoi replied.

"We're on the same page, sweet food is the best," Haruto said.

Aoi became even more excited and playfully jostled Haruto while asking, "Is that right?" Aoi was fully engaged in the moment, forgetting her usual arrogance.

"Oh... My, you're so enthusiastic. Are you a child?" Haruto teased with a playful tone.

However, that statement immediately turned Aoi's fiery enthusiasm into anger. She stopped in her tracks, as did Haruto. Her face showed annoyance, and she displayed signs of frustration by pursing her lips.

Aoi crossed her arms, and her foot stamped on the ground a few times. Her eyes radiated irritation as she glared at Haruto.

"Don't make fun of me! I'm not a child!" Aoi retorted, her cheeks now puffed up like a chipmunk.

Haruto laughed, "Hahaha, okay, okay, don't pout anymore, alright? Your cheeks puff up when you pout, and that's not good for me. You're too cute."

Aoi was taken aback by the sudden compliment, her face turning as red as a tomato. Shortly after, she turned her face away and her body trembled slightly, for reasons not entirely clear to Haruto.

"Y-You... S-Stop it... I'm not..." Aoi spoke in a voice almost like a murmur. She tugged at her skirt, trying to contain the embarrassment caused by Haruto's praise.

Occasionally, Aoi glanced at Haruto, but when their eyes met, she immediately averted her gaze. Her adorable shyness made Haruto laugh. He approached Aoi and, with a deliberate touch, ruffled her hair.

"Huh?! Hey! Stop it! What are you doing?" Aoi exclaimed, moving Haruto's hand away from her hair. Her face was still as red as a tomato as she tried to fix her hair.

Haruto continued walking, leaving Aoi to fuss with her hair. "If you just stand there, I'll leave, you know."

Aoi yelled, "Hey, wait! Haruto! Stop, or I will...," but she stumbled, blushing as she couldn't finish her sentence.

"I will?" Haruto asked.

Aoi was surprised and confused. She looked around as if in a panic, her face flushed like a feverish person. Shortly after her brief moment of confusion, Aoi took a deep breath, looked down at her own feet, and tugged her skirt down, trying to contain her peak embarrassment.

"I-I'll... I'll hug you..." Aoi confessed in a soft voice.

Haruto came to a halt. The distance between them was just a few steps. He looked at the shy Aoi. There was no reason for him to refuse this request, so he honestly stated that he was willing.

"What's that? Of course, I'd be happy to," he replied.

Aoi's eyes widened in surprise, her already blushing face spreading down to her neck. Aoi ran towards Haruto, just a few steps away, and she leaped, hugging him from behind.

Haruto reflexively held onto Aoi, gripping her around the thigh to prevent her from falling and maintaining their balance. His body was slightly jolted by the unexpected jump. On Haruto's back, Aoi buried her face amid his hair.

"Um... your hair is so fragrant and soft," Aoi whispered softly.

"And I don't know why you agreed to be hugged by me, you fool," Aoi continued in a hushed voice, her face still blushing.

"Do I have a reason to reject it? Honestly, I like being in a certain proximity with you," Haruto said.

"Is that so..." Aoi buried her face in Haruto's hair again, near his ear. Soft sounds escaped Aoi's lips as her embrace tightened, illustrating the confusion in her feelings.

"I-I-I..." Aoi tried to say something, but it seemed that the words were too heavy to come out of her mouth. Finally, she chose to bury her face back in Haruto's hair.

Haruto could feel Aoi's warmth, the gentle sensation on his back, and his hand touching Aoi directly. Aoi's body felt light, lighter than he expected considering Aoi's body proportions.

Both of them enjoyed this sweet moment, silently embracing each other. Aoi's breath could be heard clearly in Haruto's ear.

However, Haruto intended to break the silence. "Hey, if we just stand here like this... we'll never make it to the supermarket, you know?" he said, trying to return to their original reason.

"In that case, just walk. Carry me all the way there," Aoi said in a playful tone.

"You're heavy, so I refuse," Haruto replied, intending to tease.

However, Aoi's warm embrace turned into a grip on Haruto's neck that was painful.

"Ahkk!"

Haruto tried to release Aoi's grip by patting her hand a few times, but Aoi remained steadfast.

"Who's heavy? Say it again," Aoi said in a slightly angry tone.

"Nobody! Nobody is heavy! Not even a mountain," Haruto quickly said, trying to stop Aoi's grip.

Finally, Aoi loosened her grip, and Haruto could breathe a sigh of relief. He realized that Aoi's grip was no joking matter.

"I thought I was going to die..."

"It's your fault for saying the forbidden word. Hmph! Instead, you have to take me to the supermarket and buy me that ice cream you mentioned," Aoi said while still hugging Haruto tightly, her face pouting.

"Ugh... So I have no other choice, do I?" Haruto said.

"No," Aoi replied firmly.

Although it wasn't actually a big deal, Haruto piggybacked Aoi all the way through the streets, and Aoi covered her face with the hood of her hoodie, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"In the end, if you're so embarrassed, we didn't need that piggyback ride scene from the start. How cute..." Haruto thought to himself. They continued their journey like this for seven minutes until they finally arrived at the supermarket.

"We're finally here... Okay, now get down. We can't go into the supermarket like this," Haruto said.

"Uh..." Aoi replied, her expression clearly showing her disappointment at having to get off Haruto's back. Nonetheless, Aoi obeyed and approached Haruto, wrapping her arms around his.

"Aoi?"

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Aoi asked.

"Well, honestly, I don't mind..." Haruto said.

"In that case, don't protest, and let's go in..." Aoi said, trying to appear composed, even though she was doing her best to hide her blushing and embarrassment.

They entered the supermarket together and immediately made their way to the section where ice cream was available on their left.

"You like chocolate vanilla ice cream, right?" Haruto asked.

"Yes, it's my favorite!" Aoi replied enthusiastically.

They picked up the ice cream they wanted and quickly paid at the cashier. The cashier who served them was a man, and he playfully teased them with a smile.

"You two look like a very close couple," the cashier said with a smile.

Aoi quickly released her embrace and turned away, even squatting for a moment due to unbearable embarrassment. Quiet little noises like murmurs came from her mouth, only faintly audible.

After paying for their ice cream, they left the supermarket. Aoi kept a slight distance and her face was still red as she licked her ice cream.

Both of them enjoyed their ice creams as they walked back home. Aoi walked beside Haruto. A few moments later, Haruto forgot to lick his ice cream and just stared at Aoi during the journey. Unbeknownst to him, Aoi also sneaked glances in his direction, and Haruto was caught watching her.

Aoi quickly covered her face with a small piece of ice cream, her head slightly lowered.

"W-What are you looking at, you dummy!" Aoi said in a 'tsundere' tone.

"Ah, sorry... I was just thinking that you seem to be really enjoying it," Haruto said sincerely.

"Ah, yeah... Because I like this... Don't say I'm like a child again..."

"No, not this time," Haruto said, trying not to tease Aoi further.

Aoi played with her hair, shyly licking her ice cream while still pouting, avoiding further teasing or taunts.

As Haruto looked at Aoi, he once again realized that

"Oh my, my childhood is so cute."

Aoi looked very cute at that moment, leaving Haruto spellbound for a few seconds until he finally returned to reality. As he got lost in his thoughts, Aoi suddenly initiated a new conversation.

"Hey, do you mind hearing about what I like?" Aoi asked shyly.

"Of course not, why would you ask that?" Haruto replied.

"Well, I just... want to talk to you a little longer," Aoi said shyly.

"Hahaha... no need to be shy, I'm ready to listen. So, what do you want to talk about?" Haruto asked.

"You know I love playing basketball, right?" Aoi asked.

"Yes, I know that..."

"And one more thing I like..."

Aoi paused for a moment and finished her ice cream. In no time, Aoi turned the ice cream into a wooden stick with astonishing speed.

"Is video games," Aoi continued.

"Do you need to explain? We often play together, so I understand it very well," Haruto said.

"Is that wrong?" Aoi asked with a sad expression. Haruto found it hard to explain Aoi's expression at that moment, but she seemed to lack confidence in something. Haruto realized this and tried to encourage Aoi.

"There's nothing wrong with it. Most girls may prefer shopping, going for a walk, or other things... But if you enjoy video games, it's what makes you the Aoi I know," Haruto said.

"Aoi is a spirited, somewhat tomboyish girl, and that's not a big deal... Seeing you trying hard up close makes me proud," he added.

Aoi turned to Haruto, her cheeks flushed, her chin slightly raised as she gazed into Haruto's eyes.

"W-What is..."

Haruto smiled at Aoi and gently patted her head a few times as a sign of affection.

Aoi looked very surprised, her face turning even redder as Haruto praised her and showed affection. Aoi appeared confused, unsure whether she should blush, smile, or feel a little embarrassed, but what Aoi did was all of them at once.

"So, I don't want Aoi to feel down... Just smile, you're really amazing."

"I don't know what else to say... You make me so happy... Dummy," Aoi said, looking away with a hint of tsundere mood.

"Just wait until we get to my place... I'll cook a delicious dinner as a thank you," Aoi added.

"Eh? Ah... Um... Today... I can't stay over, Aoi..."

"Eh?! Why? I thought you'd stay over again..."

Aoi was genuinely surprised and looked disappointed. She tugged at Haruto's sleeve and stared at him with pleading eyes like a puppy.

"So... You're just going to drop me off and then go home? Can I know why?" Aoi asked.

"Uh... Well... I have something important."

That was a lie. In reality, Haruto just wanted to be alone and play games all night. However, if Aoi found out, she would definitely be angry. Once, Aoi even confiscated Haruto's game console because she found out he was staying up all night and not sleeping.

Aoi stomped her foot with force, her cheeks puffing up like a steamed bun as she pouted. Aoi sulked and began walking faster, distancing herself from Haruto.

"Fine, if that's what you want! Just go home! I don't care!" Aoi said.

"Hey, wait!" Haruto began to chase after her.

Aoi stopped and turned around, giving Haruto a sulking look. She crossed her arms and gazed at Haruto with emotion-filled eyes.

Of course, here is the revised part in the third person's point of view:

"Um... Are you lonely? Or scared of ghosts when you're alone? Your parents are out of town, right?" Haruto asked, trying to find out.

"What? That's right! They went out of town. But I'm not the type to be scared of ghosts or lonely!" Aoi replied with a high tone.

"Ah, I thought you might want to spend more time with me... I've been neglecting it, haven't I?" Aoi mumbled.

Haruto tried not to hear it, but Aoi's disappointment was palpable. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"Okay, I'll stay at your place again tonight..."

Aoi quickly forgot her disappointment and exuded great enthusiasm.

"Great!"

Aoi smiled broadly, satisfied with the outcome. She reached for Haruto's arm and embraced him tightly as they walked towards her home.

When they arrived at Aoi's home, she released her embrace and unlocked the door. She invited Haruto inside.

"Don't hesitate to take advantage of this because my parents are out of town," Aoi teased.

"Don't say like that things, dummy," Haruto responded.

#To Be Continued: Chapter 2 Comfortable