I Reincarnated as the Villain in a Rom-Com but I’m Enjoying Youth with My Favorite Heroine - I Reincarnated as the Villain in a Rom-Com but I’m Enjoying Youth with My Favorite Heroine chapter 64

64. A Gentle Summer Day②

On the way to Masahiro’s apartment, he thought about stopping by the supermarket to pick up some snacks and found something interesting.

It was a summer staple: watermelon.

Though it was a small variety, it seemed to be sweet and delicious, perfect for enjoying summer with Masahiro, so he decided to buy it.

With a bag of watermelon in one hand, he again made his way toward Masahiro’s, walking through the residential area bathed in dazzling sunlight.

Yesterday was hot, but today is just as sweltering. Even though it’s still morning, the cicadas’ cries echo loudly in my ears.

Wiping the sweat that has formed on my forehead, I finally arrive at the apartment where Mashiro lives. I climb the stairs and stand in front of her door, pressing the intercom.

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From behind the door, I can hear the sound of slippers pattering, gradually growing louder.

And just as the door swings open with a flourish, Mashiro bursts out, dressed in casual clothes.

Welcoming me in a light blue T-shirt and denim shorts, her refreshing outfit makes her look even more inviting. The moment she sees me, a smile blooms on her face like a flower.

Unlike Mai and me, she hasn’t tanned at all; her usual translucent white skin shines brightly. Yesterday, she had been reapplying sunscreen multiple times, and it seems that effort paid off.

“Good morning, Ryusuke! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Good morning, though it’s almost noon now. Did you just wake up?”

“Ahaha… Actually, I was so sore from working out that I couldn’t move, so I ended up waking up late.”

“I see. So that’s why you have bedhead for a change.”

“Eh? W-wait! You’re right, I do have bedhead… How careless of me… So embarrassing.”

Mashiro touches her hair, her face turning bright red. She tries to fix her bedhead with her fingers, but it seems to be a struggle, and she flusters about. The way her usually neat hair sticks up is cute, and I can’t help but laugh.

“D-don’t worry about the little things! More importantly, come on in. Let’s study a lot today.”

“Ah, but before that, I brought a little something. Let’s eat it together later.”

I hand Mashiro a plastic bag filled with watermelon. Her eyes light up at the sight of the round, small watermelon.

“Wow, watermelon! Did you buy this for me?”

“Yeah, I thought it would be nice to have something summery.”

“I’m so happy! Thank you, Ryusuke. I’ll cut it for you later.”

“Sure, I’m counting on you. It’ll be fun to eat it during our break.”

“Yes, yes! I’m looking forward to it! Now come in; I’ve also prepared some cold tea.”

“Alright, I’ll be intruding then.”

After that, I follow Mashiro as she leads me into the living room, just like always.

The table is organized for studying, and the air conditioning is working well, making the room very comfortable.

Mashiro puts the watermelon I brought into the fridge and starts preparing some cold drinks. Listening to the clinking of ice, I settle down on the sofa.

I’ll wait until after we finish studying to ask about the summer festival details that Leo mentioned. If I check on that now, I’ll end up neglecting our studies and just talking about the festival. It’s important to do things in order.

As I drift off into thought, Mashiro returns to the living room with two glasses in hand.

“Ryusuke, I’ve chilled the watermelon for you. I also prepared iced tea! Feel free to add milk and syrup to your liking.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“Enjoy!”

Handing me a glass, Mashiro sits down beside me and smiles gently.

As I was drawn in by Mashiro’s pure smile, I relaxed my cheeks and took a sip from the straw.

The pleasantly chilled iced tea flowed down my dry throat, cooling my heated body from the outside.

While I was refreshing my throat, Mashiro gazed at me and smiled softly.

“Still, Ryusuke, you’ve got a nice tan going on. You look really cool!”

“Cool, you say? I just think I got a bit sunburned.”

“I really like it, though. The tanned Ryusuke feels fresh and unfamiliar, and you look like a refreshing, sporty young man—it’s wonderful.”

“W-well… if Mashiro thinks it’s cool, maybe the tan isn’t so bad after all.”

I didn’t feel bad about being called cool by Mashiro, but it was still embarrassing to hear it directly. Especially since she meant it from the heart, not as a compliment.

Even though I should be in a cool, air-conditioned room, my face was getting hotter. Mashiro quickly noticed my flushed face and leaned in with a mischievous smile.

“Even with a tan, it’s obvious when your cheeks turn red, huh?”

“Th-this is just because it’s hot. It’s summer, after all; it can’t be helped.”

“Ahaha, Ryusuke tried to play it off. You’re really cute.”

“Ugh… You keep teasing me like that.”

“Hehe, teasing Ryusuke is fun. Your reactions are just so entertaining.”

“Honestly… you really are something.”

With a sigh of exasperation, Mashiro chuckled joyfully and extended her left hand towards me.

“Hey, hey, why don’t we compare a bit? Let’s see how much tanned you are!”

“Doesn’t that make no sense if we compare with you, Mashiro?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s okay. Here, lend me your hand.”

Staring into her clear blue eyes, I had no reason to refuse and took her hand.

We placed my rough right hand next to Mashiro’s small, soft left hand on the table and carefully compared our tans.

“Mashiro, you haven’t tanned at all; that’s impressive. Even though both Mai and I got nicely tanned from swimming yesterday.”

“Well, I made an effort to avoid tanning. I reapplied sunscreen several times yesterday and used an expensive waterproof one.”

“You’re really particular about it, Mashiro. Maybe I should learn from your skincare routine.”

As I said this, I held Mashiro’s hand.

Setting aside the fact that she’s a girl, it’s rare to find someone with such beautiful hands.

Her rounded pink nails glimmered like pearls, neatly trimmed and exuding a sense of cleanliness. Her skin was smooth, shiny, and translucent white, and her slender fingers were soft and silky. Holding her hand, I felt as though I was admiring a piece of art.

“Mashiro’s hands are really beautiful. They’re small and cute. They look delicate and pretty like a doll, yet they’re still warm.”

As I expressed my thoughts about her stunning hands, Mashiro’s face turned bright red, and she averted her gaze. It seemed she became shy after being unexpectedly complimented on her hands.

“Since you haven’t tanned, it’s obvious when your cheeks turn red, Mashiro.”

“Th-this is, um, because it’s hot. Y-yeah, that’s right. It’s hot, and my cheeks are all red!”

“Oh, you’re trying to play it off, Mashiro. You’re really cute, you know that?”

“Ugh~. Now I’m the one being teased as payback for earlier…”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Mashiro, who was trying to cover it up just like I would.

Mashiro puffed up her cheeks and shot me a protesting glance, but when I gently patted her head to cheer her up, she turned back into a soft, smiling face. Just watching her expressions change like that is never boring, and spending time with Mashiro is always fun.

After a bit of playful banter, we finally reached for our writing tools and textbooks.

“Shall we start on our summer vacation homework? I’d like to make some progress by noon.”

“Sounds good! Let’s start with English first.”

“Okay, got it.”

From there, Mashiro and I dedicated the whole morning to studying.