It was Sunday, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Naoya was waiting outside a local shopping mall, absentmindedly enjoying the pleasant weather.
“I’m here,” a voice from right behind him announced, snapping him out of his reverie.
“Agh!” He yelled. He whipped around and found Sakuya standing there. “Oh, it’s just you, Sakuya. You scared the crap out of me. Don’t do that, please.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve gotten into the habit of walking silently,” she informed him.
“You’re not some kind of child soldier or deadly assassin, are you? Never mind that, why are you wearing your uniform on a Sunday?”
“Because I’m acting as a judge today,” Sakuya responded with a hint of pride in her voice. She was wearing a parka over her uniform, just as she had the other day at school, and was thoroughly scrutinizing Naoya from behind her glinting glasses. “Your clothes give you an air of reliability and cleanliness. That, and you arrived early. You get extra points.”
“Your words do me great honor. But anyway, where’s Koyuki at?”
“She’s here, but she’s too scared to come out. She’ll probably wait until the very last moment.”
“Thought so.”
Naoya headed inside and looked around the shopping mall. It was equipped with a theater, a game centre, and a plethora of stores. Not only was it the perfect place for a family outing, but it was also a famous date spot in its own right.
Naoya spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench in the midst of the large crowd of students and families. Once he was certain it was her, he walked over gingerly—he could easily make out her frantic mumbling from where he stood.
“Ohgodohgodohgod, a date?! What am I supposed to do?! I’m so not ready for thi—”
“Mornin’, Shirogane,” Naoya called out in a friendly voice.
Based on the way Koyuki jumped, it was as if he’d screamed directly into her ear. She quickly regained her composure and stood up, trying her best to look refined and calm.
“Oh, hello, Sasahara. I didn’t know you’d arrived yet,” she greeted him nonchalantly. “You’re quite early. Wait—don’t tell me you were this excited to go on a date with me. That’s cute... in a pathetic way. Kind of like a puppy that loses its mind when its owner returns home from a trip.”
“Yeah, I was super excited for this. Woof Woof,” Naoya played along.
“Have some dignity!” Koyuki cried as her face turned its patented tomato red, and she began to withdraw into herself.
Naoya placed a hand on his jaw and examined her. “You really do give off a different vibe when you’re not in your uniform, Shirogane,” he noted.
“R-Really?” Koyuki blinked and then looked herself over uncomfortably.
She was wearing a crisp white blouse and a blue, knee-length skirt. It was a simple outfit, but it was prim and well put together. For accessories, she had a matching ribbon in her hair and wore a tasteful set of earrings that glittered in the sun. The entire ensemble tied together well and really suited a beautiful girl with great posture such as herself. Naoya could tell she had put a great deal of effort into her appearance today.
“You look great. You really do have a great fashion sense,” he complimented her.
“What are you talking about? I’m just wearing regular clothes. Makes me wonder if you’ve ever been out with a girl before,” Koyuki spat with a devilish glint in her eyes. Despite this, she was also fidgeting heavily—she fixed her hair behind her ear and continuously tapped the ground with her foot.
He could tell she was happy, and this in turn made him happy. It was rather endearing that she liked being complimented on her appearance.
“You look so pretty and mature. It’s really cool,” he added.
“F-Flattery will g-get you nowhere...” she mumbled.
“It’s not flattery, really—you look like a model. I’m just happy to be seen with you, and I’m looking forward to spending the day with you,” Naoya assured her with a smile.
Koyuki groaned in embarrassment. She turned away and began to make a hasty retreat, but Naoya was faster and latched onto her hand before she could leave.
“Hey, where are you going?” he asked.
“Home! I can’t do this!” she cried.
“What? We haven’t even done anything yet.”
“And look at me! I’m already a wreck! I have to go!” Koyuki had tears in her eyes while she tugged on Naoya’s hand. They were supposed to be on a date, but now it looked more like a kidnapping. “Wh-Why do we even need to go on a... a d-date anyway?!”
“So I can judge him,” Sakuya cut in with her usual monotone. “I need to see how you two perform in a real couple’s environment. That means you have to do things together. Like dates.”
“You heard the lady,” Naoya chimed in. “And I think it’ll be good if we can get your family’s approval. Let’s just do this.”
“What about my approval?!” Koyuki cried, becoming more disheveled by the second. In contrast, the other two wore calm expressions. After some struggling, she appeared to have finally worn herself out. “Why do I have to do this?”
“Because you said you would, Koyuki,” her sister informed her.
“We did kind of coerce her though, Sakuya...”
“Yeah! You did! How am I supposed to deal with being in front of both of you?!” Koyuki yelled in protest.
Despite her stubborn reluctance, she finally managed to budge after a constant stream of reassurance from both her younger sister and her date. She was a softy, after all.
Sakuya sighed and looked at her sister. “Just be careful. Don’t get suckered into a multi-level marketing scheme or a cult while you’re out today, okay?”
“I’ll look after her, Sakuya. Don’t worry about her,” Naoya assured her.
“I don’t trust you with her yet, but thank you,” Sakuya said and bowed slightly in appreciation.
“Or don’t!” Koyuki snapped, then turned her back on the both of them in a huff. Sometimes it was difficult to tell which one of them was the older sibling. She eventually looked over her shoulder at Naoya and pouted. “Fine—I’ll go on your stupid date. But in return...” she paused to stick her finger out dramatically at Naoya, just barely missing his nose. “If you bore me even slightly, I’m dumping your sorry ass and going straight home. At least try and make today fun.”
“Okay, you got it,” Naoya said. “So what you really mean to say is, ‘I’ve never been on a date before, so if I leave him in charge, then I won’t have to worry about not being totally clueless. I’m kinda excited to see what he has planned.’ Spot on, right?”