My Girlfriend Who Is Older Than Me Teases Me When I’m Working At A Bar, But Maybe Because Of Alcohol

To Confession And A Happy Future.

“Ah! It’s… the sunlight outside is so bright…”

“Huh!? Oh, um… outside… outside?”

Toma’s words, following after her, were not a confession.

“Mio-san, I…”

As a continuation, it clearly feels off and anyone would sense something strange.

Toma, behaving in a way she had never seen before, awkwardly smiles and closes the curtains.

“S-Sorry. I accidentally opened the curtains trying to let in the sunlight earlier.”

“I-It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“…”

“…”

‘Outside is bright’… That couldn’t have been what Toma wanted to say.

An awkward silence fills the air.

It’s not a sweet and embarrassing time where they can’t speak after holding hands. They’re both searching for different topics in their minds, feeling their way in the dark. Moreover, the mood from before lingers in the air.

“U-Um, Toma-kun…”

“Y-Yes!? W-What is it?”

“Earlier, what you wanted to tell me was really just about ‘the sunlight outside,’ right?”

“…”

Mio asks in a questioning tone, but she can assert that it’s definitely not true.

Mio couldn’t gather the courage. On the contrary, she had a strong desire to express her feelings.

The only thing she could do right now was to ask for clarification.

“If it’s you, Mio-san, don’t you already understand without asking…? W-Well, what I wanted to say, or rather, how I feel…”

“Then, since you’ve kept me in suspense, just say it… If I misunderstood, it would be embarrassing for me…”

“…”

“…”

Silence fell once again. It lasted for about 10 to 15 seconds.

Mio’s heart pounded painfully, and Toma’s heartbeat resonated even louder.

“…I actually planned to confess to you today…”

“Wha-!!”

“I…I felt overwhelmed by the fear of losing you to another guy, of hearing that you were being pursued or getting closer to someone else… I guess it’s called jealousy, right?”

Toma slowly conveyed his feelings towards Mio.

“But now, confessing to you feels different.”

“What do you mean by ‘different’?”

“If I confess now…you wouldn’t be able to answer my feelings sincerely, would you?”

“Huh…?”

“Mio-san, you’re a kind person. I’m sure you would have blamed yourself for my injury. That’s why…I thought that if I confessed now, there’s a possibility you might accept it, feeling responsible for what happened. Even if you rejected my confession, you would feel even more guilty.”

Toma is too serious.

Because he truly cares about Mio, he desperately suppresses his desire to confess and opts for just expressing his feelings.

What he said about Mio feeling guilty is true.

“That’s why, when I’m discharged… Could you give me more time?”

“….You idiot.”

Mio mutters insults in a voice too soft for Toma to hear. Unconsciously, her face breaks into a smile.

“What would you do if I had a boyfriend by the time you’re discharged?”

“W-Well, um… That’s, uh…”

“Don’t you always say that if you miss the timing to confess, you’ll always regret it?”

“Th-Then, Mio-san, you will have to do her best…there’s no other option.”

“Hehe, what’s that? How selfish.”

Toma must be feeling a sense of constriction in his chest. The discharge is about two weeks away, and until then, there is a possibility that Mio might be confessed to by another man and consider dating him.

Conversely, Mio’s heart felt warm and fuzzy. She was being cherished and valued so much. It was the first time something like this had happened to her.

(Toma prioritized me over his own regrets…)

Mio felt that she had to earnestly confront this fact.

“…Toma-kun, you’ve misunderstood me.”

She believed that it was fair to convey her true self to Toma, even if he couldn’t see it.

“Just as you said, I blamed myself for causing you to get injured. I can’t even face you because of that.”

“…”

“But I will never accept a confession out of a sense of responsibility. I only want to be in a relationship with someone I love.”

“I-I’m sorry. My choice of words was rude…”

“Ah, it’s not like I’m angry or anything. I just wanted you to hear this considering everything…”

As if to show that those words were sincere, she hurriedly waved her hands.

“Toma-kun, my…uh, that nickname is wrong.”

“Nursing’s Angel…?”

Knock

Embarrassed, Mio shook her head. She didn’t have enough confidence to call herself an “angel” out loud.

“…I, you see, I’m not as capable as everyone thinks. If I feel uncomfortable, it shows on my face, and I tend to have a certain attitude towards people I don’t like. I haven’t fully grown up. I need to study harder than others to understand things, and I’m not good at cleaning…”

There are still many things she hasn’t said. Undoubtedly, more flaws will surface that she hasn’t even noticed.

“I-I’m sorry for disappointing you… I guess I’m not the perfect woman.”

Mio had admired perfect women, just like her mother. So she aimed to become one herself, but she was full of flaws.

If Toma had fallen for the part she was pretending to be, a long-term relationship would be impossible.

“I won’t be disappointed by that. Besides, you don’t have to be perfect. …Self-defense is necessary, and if there are things you’re not good at, you can cooperate with your partner.”

“…Toma-kun…”

What a perfect response. He was honest and even provided reassurance. Mio couldn’t contain her self-consciousness anymore in the face of the fact that such a wonderful person had confessed to her.

Her flawed self started to emerge more and more.

“It’s okay not to be perfect.”

It was all thanks to Toma’s words.

“If you’re saying that… then, please grant me one selfish request…”

“Yes… Wait, huh!? M-Mio-san!?”

Toma was in a position where he was sitting up on the bed, with his upper body supported and his broken arm suspended and immobilized. He couldn’t move easily.

“You see, Toma-kun…”

Taking advantage of the situation, Mio slowly climbed onto the bed and straddled Toma’s body, bringing her face close in a crawling position.

“N-No, this is… not allowed! If someone sees us like this…”

“The door is locked… It’s a visitation, after all.”

“W-What!?”

“But more importantly… since I can only gather the courage once, please listen carefully.”

Before I knew it!? It was already too late to utter such a surprised voice.

Whispering like this in Toma’s ear.

“I want to be your girlfriend, right now…”

“What!?”

Toma’s shoulders shook intensely.

“It’s not to take responsibility. It’s because I also love you, Toma… I’m… not perfect, so…”

“A-Are you serious?”

“W-If you look at my face, you’ll know…”

Mio moved her face away from his ear. In Toma’s line of sight, her eyes were moist, her face glistening with sweat. If she were to be told that she wasn’t serious after this, she bit her lip tightly, feeling helpless.

“P-Please… answer quickly. Say that you’ll date me…”

Mio’s clumsiness was showing here. Her tone was commanding, as if giving an order. However, for Toma, that was just another adorable aspect of Mio.

“…Yes. If it’s okay with someone like me…”

“You really will date me, won’t you? There’s no cooling off.”

“That’s my line… Mio-san.”

“Really…”

Mio tightly embraced Toma with all her feelings. She wrapped her arms around his back, buried her face in his chest, and felt the reality of being in a relationship.

“Toma-kun… I love you so much…”

“I feel the same way…”

In the tranquil hospital room, the two embraced each other. They were so close that they could hear each other’s heartbeat.

“I-I’m sorry that I can’t use my dominant hand at a time like this…”

Toma could only freely move his left arm. The arm he had wrapped around Mio’s back was the only one, and he couldn’t hold her as tightly as he wanted.

“You have something like that too, right, Toma-kun? Something you can do like I can…”

“Something similar…”

“I… want to rely on you more, Toma-kun. Even though I’m older, I’ll hold back just for today…”

Mio stopped the hug and placed her hands on the bed, aligning her eyes with Toma’s.

“If it’s a kiss… it should be fair…”

“Wha-What!?”

“If you don’t do it, I’ll call off the deal.”

“There’s no way to escape, is there?!”

It was a moment when the future scenario became clear. Toma realized that from now on, he would be completely at Mio’s mercy.

“Do it… quickly. It’s… embarrassing, so…”

“I-I feel the same way…”

“…Call off the deal.”

“O-Okay, fine! If that’s the case… please close your eyes properly.”

“Okay…”

As soon as Mio closed her eyes, Toma made up his mind. He gently kissed her soft, beautifully colored lips. It was a sweet kiss that seemed to create happiness for the future…