X X X
I waited in front of the clock by the train station, which indicated it was 2:00PM. Aizawa showed up right on time.
“Yo, Shigure!” he called out. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“Hello, Aizawa. Sorry for the sudden invitation—you weren’t busy, were you?”
“Nah, not at all. I mean, I’m the one who’s always asking you out, right?”
It was true—ever since I’d transferred, he’d asked me out practically every day. Akira Aizawa—the pre-eminent fuckboy of Seiun’s AP classes—grinned, showing off his pearly whites. His slim silhouette, along with the refreshing color palette of his clothes, gave off a cool vibe. He sported rougher attire compared to his usual blazer, dressed in a white graphic tee and skinny jeans. And, to tie the whole ensemble together, he wore a number of accessories around his wrists and neck, carefully selecting just enough pieces to not come across as gaudy.
In any case, he couldn’t have been more different from Hiromichi, who thought a collared shirt paired with checkered patterns was peak fashion. In fact, I doubt my poor, passé step brother even owned a bracelet.
Incidentally, I’d also put more thought into my outfit than usual. I’d gone with a traditional, feminine outfit that I thought would be the best match for my school persona. More importantly, though, I was confident that it would be a hit with the guys. I generally never wore this pink, flowy dress because it was a pain to wash. I’d also matched it with a casual jacket that was light enough to wear during summer and strapped, high-heeled sandals which exposed my feet. To top it all off, I’d applied a thin layer of gel polish to my nails and a bit of makeup.
That being said, everyone knew Aizawa was a player who liked to speed run getting girls into the sack. As long as you had two X chromosomes, you were fair game. Clothes hardly mattered to him. But still, it wasn’t like I could’ve shown up in a tracksuit. This was a date, after all.
“But seriously, I’m over the moon,” Aizawa added. “I never expected you to call me.”
“Well, you were just so enthusiastic and persistent about it. I thought this might be fun now that our midterms are out of the way. Good thing you were free.”
“Anywhere you wanna go? If not, I’ll be your guide. I know this town like the back of my hand.”
“I’ll leave it to you, then. After all, I’m pretty new here.”
“Nice! Let’s go grab some bubble tea! I know a good place nearby.”
Aizawa grabbed my hand and started walking, casual as could be. It couldn’t have felt more natural. He was clearly experienced with this sort of thing after plenty of practice. The two of us couldn’t have been any different from Hiromichi and Haruka, who had taken an entire month to hold hands.
And so I found myself on a date with Aizawa. It wasn’t because I had any interest in him—no, he was simply an instant solution to the enormous problem between me, my brother, and my sister. The short and sweet of it was that I planned on getting into a relationship.
Having a boyfriend would soften the impact of our living situation. Even if Haruka were to find out about me and Hiromichi tomorrow, my “relationship” would lessen the blow overall. Neither of my sibling relationships would fracture over something as ridiculous as romance.
I’d chosen Aizawa because I felt no guilt over using him. Yes, even I had a conscience and lines which I wouldn’t cross. If, for example, I started dating someone like Mr. Muscles—another guy I didn’t have even the slightest romantic inclination for—I’d be plagued by chest pains.
Additionally, a relationship based on false emotions could collapse at any moment, although I needed this one to last for at least an entire year. I was certain that if I put out for Aizawa, he would go along with my lie. I had no intention of criticizing his playboy ways, so we could maintain this relationship through force of habit. There wasn’t a more convenient man around for my circumstances.
That’s why I was confident that this had to be the most amicable solution for all of us, even me—caught in the middle as I was.
“The owner here is goated,” Aizawa said. “He’ll give you extra tapioca pearls for free.”
“I wasn’t aware that boys liked bubble tea.”
“Yeah, I love this shit. Drink it for at least one meal every day.”
We swapped friendly banter that required little-to-no brain power and placed our orders. I bought a matcha latte, and Aizawa ordered milk tea. We grabbed our drinks and went outside, where girls usually liked to sit. Not a bad decision.
Too bad I hate bubble tea.
Well, no, that wasn’t quite it—I didn’t necessarily dislike bubble tea; I just hated the business model. Seeing as I came from a poor household, eating anything with an extremely low cost-benefit ratio set my teeth on edge.
“Still, it’s nice to see you in casual clothes,” Aizawa remarked. “The rich girl look suits a traditional gal like you.”
“Aha, you think too highly of me. I might come across as a delicate maiden, but I’m actually quite a bully.”
“Oh shit, you can bully me anytime! That bracelet’s pretty cute, too. Did you pay a lot for it?”
“This old thing? I bought it at a random street stall.”
“Seriously? You must be one hell of a treasure hunter. Next time I go shopping, you gotta come help me pick out my drip.”
“Speaking of which, that’s a pretty interesting necklace. Is that a bolt?”
“Yeah, it’s the screw for my head. It fell out the other day, so I put it on a necklace for safe keeping. If I hadn’t lost the damn thing, I could’ve scored better on the midterms.”
“Oh my God!” I laughed. “You’re too funny!”
Aizawa and I made small talk about my casual clothes. That was a smart move on his part. Seeing as we both attended the same school, we could have discussed our classes and so forth, but that would’ve been a poor choice for a date. After all, commisterating about school might have been fun, but it didn’t make a person happy. On the other hand, being complimented on your looks did.