This brings us to today, the first date between Kai and Kotobuki. The location? Tycoon City. For people who lived in Sakata City like Kai and Kotobuki, there were typically two options for people who wanted to get their shopping on. The first was to take the train all the way to Tokyo, and the second was to make do with a more local shopping mall. For those choosing the latter, their destination was Tycoon City. Sure, comparisons to Tokyo Summerland would be punching above its weight, but T-City was an extravagant enough building that it was almost wasted on a locale as remote as Sakata.
Still, it was the pride of the region. It boasted over two hundred shops and restaurants, an arcade lined with cabinets of all the latest games, a movie theater that was still spick-and-span from its renovation three years ago, the largest bookstore in the prefecture, and even a local hobby store chain that looked like a Yellow Submarine knockoff. It was a trendy spot that was charitable enough to satisfy Kai’s otaku spirit.
It found no shortage of ways to utilize its real estate; from its walkways to its store spaces to its frequent rest stops, there was always room to breathe. It had plenty of elevators too. This gave it a leg up on its cramped city-based counterparts; shoppers who brought their families often preferred T-City.
And this Sunday was no typical Sunday. There was more hustle and bustle than ordinary, more sparkle to the store windows than ordinary, and the number of heartfelt smiles on the faces of shoppers young and old was extraordinary. It was a destination that provided all the joy these two could ask for and more to set the mood on the first date of their lives.
They met in front of the megaplex that afternoon and watched the animated movie that Kotobuki had been dying to see. It was a coming-of-age film about a high school concert band club. Kai had actually been meaning to watch it too, but he’d been so caught up with work, midterms, and life in general since its premiere in late April that he just never found the time.
The movie far exceeded his expectations and its hundred-minute runtime passed by in an instant. Even after the screen went dark, the two still sat in their seats to bask in the raw emotion. They eventually moved to the food court, where they excitedly shared their thoughts.
“Every one of the new first years proved to be quite the headache, did they not?”
“Indeed they did, Nakamura. But their personalities were so unique that I couldn’t help but smile at their antics.”
“It seems a tad rude in light of Kumiko’s dejection, but I did indeed smile at them as well.”
“It was no different from the televised version in this regard, but the way it layered and intertwined otherwise ordinary relationships to create something so riveting reminded me of how outstanding a work it truly is.”
“Incidentally, Kotobuki, which of the new first years was your favorite?”
“I must say Kanade. Characters with good looks and bad attitudes are the best.”
“I understand. Characters with good looks and bad attitudes truly are the best.”
“But Nakamura, knowing your tastes, I would have inferred that the tall girl would have been your favorite.”
“I had high hopes for her, but she mellowed out rather quickly. If I may be so bold, I would say she was too lacking in venom.”
“But her final line was so powerful. I believe you’d do well to rewatch it with more innocent eyes.”
“So says Kotobuki, the owner of a pair of eyes that have warped far beyond the pale?”
“Let us change the subject. Speaking of venom, I have the faintest of feelings that Reina softened up a bit.”
“I’d prefer to say she grew up. Particularly during that festival scene, the profile of her face was of superb beauty.”
“Indeed. Even as a woman, I found myself head over heels.”
“Curious you mention that, as I personally feel her relationship with Kumiko could have been a bit more, hmm... Incidentally, while Kumiko might have been the darling of many an eye, did you notice that Asuka was wearing matching rings with Kaori?”
“Wha... I... Hm... I failed to notice. Wait... Wait...”
“In other words, that could only mean one thing...”
“I suggest you refrain from spoilers, Nakamura. Not even you would be spared from my wrath.”
“Strange, I could have sworn we had both just watched the film mere moments ago...”
Their conversation blossomed into an exchange of impressions. Kai considered himself a fan, but Kotobuki was an anime otaku among anime otaku. Each topic would lead to another, as her praise of the fantastic animation was followed by a discussion of the complex web of human conditions and then returned to the positively exquisite animation. She went back and forth between topics to cover the extent of her thoughts. Such passion made them thirsty, however, requiring that they stop for drinks twice on the way.
It turned out that one hundred minutes wasn’t nearly enough time to fully discuss an anime of the same length, but there was too much on today’s schedule to spend it all on anime talk. An alarm Kotobuki had set on her smartphone rang at 4 p.m. to remind them of that.
“Let us go look at clothes, Nakamura.”
“Oh? Is it that time already?”
“The reservation for our Italian dinner is at six, so I’m afraid we might not make it unless we begin shopping now.”
“A-Ah, right, of course,” said Kai, barely gulping back his bewildered question of how long it could possibly take to pick out some clothes.
“Please, Nakamura, don’t act so apprehensive.” Sadly, she saw right through him. Kotobuki’s emotional instability caused her to live by constantly assessing the moods of those around her. She didn’t let that insecurity show in her attitude, of course, instead choosing to explain her views with an air of superiority.
“I understand that you have no interest in what women shop for, particularly as it pertains to fashion. However, I’d like to choose clothes that suit your tastes. I would then wear said clothes on our next date. In this sense, you are the sole benefactor of this trip. Surely you could show some cheer, no?”
“I-I have no confidence in my tastes.”
“All the more reason to try. Why not consider the possibility that it might be fun as part of what this date is intended to test?”
“I-I see. One will never know if one never tries.”
The two tossed their emptied cups in the garbage and left the food court behind. This mall had dozens of apparel shops that Kotobuki could choose from...not that Kai was familiar with any of them.
“Kotobuki, do you have a particular store in mind?”
“I’d like to start by visiting a store nearby.”
“...You don’t intend to visit each store in order, do you?”
“Oh no, I’ve no plans to do that.”
“Phew.”
“We don’t have nearly enough time to visit every single one.”
“So...you wish to visit as many as is feasible.”
Kotobuki chuckled as she walked toward a women’s clothing store. Kai did his best not to hang his head as he followed.
Kotobuki was small in stature, even for a high school girl, but Kai instinctively walked at her pace; he wouldn’t commit the rookie mistake of using the longer strides of a boy to walk ahead of her. He’d had this common courtesy drilled into him by a certain someone over the past year. In meeting her pace, he noticed something: the girl walking next to him fidgeted conspicuously with every step. And every now and then, she stole a glance at Kai’s empty hand.
She probably wants to hold hands, Kai’s intuition told him. However, he hesitated to casually do so. We’re not actually boyfriend and girlfriend, after all. Or is holding hands not that big a deal? It’s not like we’re kissing. Does it count as something to test on a date?
Was it okay? Or was it not? Kai went back and forth in his mind, but he eventually came to an answer.
Nah, let’s not. What if they held hands and they just so happened to run into an acquaintance? Kai put his active otaku imagination to work visualizing the possibilities. First of all, it wasn’t out of the question; T-City was the hottest spot in town, so there were sure to be many students from Kai and Kotobuki’s schools—Asagi High and Ginga High, respectively—loitering about. If they were just walking together, they could explain their plans away as a mere hangout. But if they were spotted holding hands, they might be mistaken for lovers, and that kind of misunderstanding would be harder to correct.
I mean, not that it’d mean much to me if someone found us...
He’d surely be the butt of a few jokes, but that would be the end of it. Given that he was with a girl as cute as Kotobuki, the biggest fuss they could make would probably amount to calling him a playboy. But Kotobuki was a girl, which put her in a far more delicate situation. If rumors started going around at school that she had a boyfriend—even if they were true—then it could make her life difficult. In other words, it was the man’s responsibility to be considerate here.