What is a lover?

The day after I started dating with Mahiru, Zhou came over as usual and was worried while looking at Mahiru who was spending next to me.

The day after the sports festival is a holiday, so it's normal for midday to arrive. We had been visiting this house often before we started dating, so nothing has changed. It's a common sight.

Midday, who sits next to me, seems to be natural to be next to me, and I'm looking at the reference book in Zhou's house.

Yes, it was normal.

(... If you really think about it, what should you do after dating?)

Zhou has zero dating experience, and Mahiru becomes his first lover.

It's the same at midday, but it can't be helped that the male side wants to lead, even though they have the same experience.

However, I had no knowledge of leading.

Since it happened a long time ago, I haven't had much interest in other people, and for a man, I have relatively little desire for it, so I've never dreamed of dating a girl.

Sadly, Zhou's motivation has been focused on his studies and his hobbies, but he lacked the essential knowledge.

If I had dabbled in gal games, I might have learned more about dating, but unfortunately, that's not my hobby, so I haven't acquired that much knowledge.

Shu's limited knowledge is that men and women who date do things like hold hands, go on dates, kiss, and when their relationship deepens, they even touch each other.

Aside from holding hands and dating, it's impossible to suddenly kiss or bring something like that into action.

Then it would be better to go on a date, but that alone wouldn't mean dating.

Shu, who wanted to make Mahiru happy and be happy together, felt a slight sense of despair at his fatal lack of knowledge.

Itsuki and Kadowaki would have been able to lead tactfully.

I was very envious of the two people who had various things around them.

"Are you worried about something?"

Midday seems to have noticed and calls out to Zhou, who is doing bad things to himself in his brain.

"Oh no, yeah, well"

"If it's okay with me, can I consult you?"

Mahiru, who has no idea what he's worried about, smiles and puts his hand on his chest, showing his confidence, saying, ``Please leave it to me.''

She felt bad asking since this was her first time dating Zhou, but maybe it would be a good idea to discuss it with each other for the first time. It would be better for two people to talk about it than to worry about it alone.

"…Hey, Mahiru."

"yes"

"You know, we, um... we just started dating."

"yes"

"... dating, what exactly should I do?"

"picture?"

I was aware that I was asking a stupid question, but I was serious.

"N-no, this is my first time dating...I don't read girls' manga or romance novels. I don't know exactly how to do this."

"... uh, come to think of it."

After all, Mahiru had no connection with the opposite sex, and in Mahiru's case, it seems that she had spent her days not being interested in the opposite sex, and she looked a little troubled by Shu's troubles.

"Is there anything you can think of?"

"... Holding hands?"

"I don't usually do that"

"Do you want to spend the holidays together?"

"It's a daily routine."

"Let's go out."

"Well, you're doing it."

"Squeeze tight"

"Are doing"

Unfortunately, midday seemed to have only the same amount of knowledge, and the things I mentioned were already experienced in the first place.

Even if I was asked to do something like a lover, I wouldn't suddenly think of it, and it can't be helped.

What exactly should I do with my lover...Around sighed, Mahiru timidly pulled the hem of Zhou's clothes.

When I looked at midday again wondering what was wrong, for some reason my face was slightly blushing.

"...Um, it's hard to say, or rather embarrassing to say... uh, just because we weren't dating, didn't we usually act like lovers...?"

Silence comes to the words of noon.

(...If you ask me, no, even if I don't say it, it's true...!?)

I didn't notice because we were naturally spending time in the same space, holding hands, and going out, but these are things that men and women who are close to each other usually do.

No, I probably knew it at first, but it had become so commonplace that I didn't even realize it.

"I-I was also trying my best to make Zhou-kun turn around, but… come to think of it, it was something a lover would do, wasn't it?"

"... th-, if you say so..."

"So, rather than being strangely conscious of being lovers, I think it's okay if we just touch each other and spend time together. Well...I guess it would be fine if we started dating...?"

The words "in our own way" suddenly hit my heart.

(...I don't have to be bound by the framework, right?)

I was worried about how a lover would behave, but there was no need to be in a hurry. She likes Zhou in midday, and Zhou likes midday and they are dating. All you need is that fact.

All they had to do was to slowly deepen their understanding of each other without stretching themselves.

"That's right. I'm sorry, I just don't have any free time or anything. It's my first time, so I didn't know what to do."

"...yes"

"....What's that?...It's the same as usual...but from now on, I'll express my love for you."

When Mahiru's palm was wrapped around her, Mahiru's cheeks, which were already red, turned redder.

She lowered her eyes as if she was ashamed, but she still grabbed Shu's palm and leaned on Shu's upper arm.

"Zhou-kun"

"...yeah"

"..... just with this, I'm happy."

"Yes"

I agreed with the whispering voice and quietly enjoyed the warmth next to me.