Haruya had informed Sara about the delay, but when he arrived at the meeting place, Sara was already there, as expected.
She was dressed in black, with a red and black checkered skirt.
The contrast with her fair skin was captivating,
and a stylish necklace sparkled around her neck, enhancing Sara’s glamorous appearance.
Her light makeup highlighted her facial features, adding to her allure.
Although it was from a distance, Haruya quickly spotted Sara amidst the surroundings due to her radiance.
“…Sorry for being late.”
“…Is everything okay?”
Sara’s response was not blaming or displeased, but rather, she expressed concern for Haruya, her voice gentle.
“No… sorry. I just got delayed.”
There wasn’t any particular reason, but Haruya decided to keep the incident with the lost little girl to himself.
Simply explaining was too troublesome, and making up overly elaborate excuses would only invite suspicion.
“S-So, is that so…”
Sara furrowed her brows suspiciously, but it was just a momentary reaction. She quickly switched her mood and continued with a bright voice.
“Asai-san, your outfit today looks really good on you.”
“Thank you.”
As Haruya replied, Sara continued to gaze at him with eyes that seemed to be pleading or appealing for something.
Haruya, perplexed, tilted his head, but her round eyes didn’t seem to want to leave him.
After a while, Sara, somewhat hesitantly, looked up with upturned eyes.
Her cheeks seemed to puff up ever so slightly.
“Um… is my outfit today weird?”
Her eyes were silently pleading for him to say something.
Haruya, reflexively, responded with a genuine “Huh, it suits you really well.”
“Thank you!”
Confirming that Sara’s anxious expression had brightened, Haruya inwardly scolded himself.
(Hey, you should’ve said it doesn’t suit her. Why am I just stating my honest opinion straightforwardly! I…)
Today’s date is not for fun.
Its purpose is to reconsider Sara’s excessive, perhaps fabricated, overestimation of himself and make her lose interest in him.
Haruya shook his head vigorously, as if trying to change his consciousness right there.
“Do we have a plan for today?”
Standing next to Haruya, Sara asked with eyes filled with anticipation.
“Yeah, I have it all planned out, so leave it to me.”
“Yes! Thank you very much…”
When Haruya gave her a refreshing smile, Sara nodded and wore a gentle smile.
(…I can handle leading the date. Sorry, Himekawa-san… But, my evaluation is sure to drop after today.)
With an evil grin in his heart, Haruya and Sara walked shoulder to shoulder towards their destination.
“Hey, Himekawa-san, you haven’t had lunch yet, right?”
It was around 1 PM.
A perfect time for lunch.
“Yes, not yet.”
“Got it. Let’s start by having lunch.”
“I was just getting hungry, so that works for me.”
And so, the two immediately proceeded to have lunch.
On the way to their destination, the streets were quite crowded, perhaps because it was a holiday.
Especially the street with stylish cafes was teeming with couples.
“…T-There are a lot of couples here.”
Sara murmured in a small voice.
“Well, it’s the weekend, isn’t it?”
“Yeah… I wonder if we look like a couple to others?”
“I don’t know.”
To be honest, Haruya thought they probably didn’t look like a couple.
There was a clear distance between him and Sara.
They didn’t hold hands or do anything couple-like.
They just walked side by side, maintaining some distance.
The student-like couple walking ahead of Haruya and Sara occasionally held hands with a closeness that suggested their shoulders might touch.
(Well, I guess that’s the kind of closeness you’d expect from a couple.)
Haruya’s gaze, with a wry smile, followed the couple in front, and Sara timidly spoke up.
“…I-Is it normal for people to be so close like that?”
Sara’s face flushed with confusion and embarrassment.
“Well, but I think that level looks like a couple.”
Casually, Haruya said, and Sara closed the distance with Haruya by just one step.
A faint citrus scent stimulated Haruya’s nostrils.
It was a distance where their hands might touch while walking.
Inadvertently, when Haruya looked at Sara standing beside him, Sara said something with a shy expression.
“I-I find it embarrassing to be that close… s-so, maybe this much.”
Sara offered a reserved smile, intertwining her fingers.
(Huh, what is this adorable creature?)
Blushing cheeks, yet adorable gestures.
Her actions were charming, and Haruya couldn’t help but think, “Cute.”
Haruya immediately reminded himself, “No, that’s not it, I won’t let it be like that!”
Today’s goal for the date was to lower Sara’s favorability.
Praising her as cute would be counterproductive, so he had to avoid thinking of her as cute as much as possible.
While maintaining composure to conceal his unease, Haruya asked Sara.
“…But why do we need to have a couple’s distance?”
“…I checked around, and there weren’t many people of the opposite sex with a distance like ours… s-so, I wanted to blend in with the surroundings.”
Is that not okay? Haruya was met with Sara’s sorrowful eyes.
Haruya felt his face getting warm, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it was not okay.
(If I say it’s not okay here, it might seem like I’m just trying to hide my embarrassment…)
It seemed counterproductive, so Haruya could only nod.
“…Thank you!”
Seeing her smile with her teeth showing, Haruya felt an inexplicable sense of frustration.
It felt like she was getting what she wanted.
(Damn it, this beautiful girl. Next time, I won’t let things go her way.)
With that thought in his mind, Haruya quickened his pace to the destination.
“Here is…”
“Lucky House, huh? Let’s have lunch here.”
Feeling embarrassed, they walked for about fifteen minutes.
The two arrived at a large chain restaurant specializing in gyudon (beef bowl).
it had a menu primarily centered around affordable gyudon (beef bowl), and the predominant customer base consisted of salarymen or students, with a common feature being a higher number of male customers.
Choosing such restaurant as the lunch spot for a date would generally be considered lacking in taste due to its inexpensive menu.
Haruya deliberately selected restaurant to lower Sara’s evaluation of him.
Haruya genuinely thought that Sara would be disappointed in him, but…
“Sh-Should we go in!”
Her face seemed tense, but for some reason, Haruya felt her energy level was surprisingly high.
“Y-Yeah.”
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by Sara, the two entered restaurant.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
After being guided to a table, Sara began to look around the restaurant with eyes that seemed to be observing something strange.
She appeared fidgety, lacking composure.
Observing Sara’s behavior with curiosity, Haruya noticed her fidgety movements. When she noticed his gaze, Sara fidgeted even more before answering.
“…I’m sorry, but this is my first time coming to this place.”
“…Huh, oh, is that so.”
“Yes, so I’m a bit nervous right now… I’m sorry.”
“But, it’s unusual for someone not to have been to restaurant before.”
“Well, um, that might be true. I come from a strict and affluent family, so I haven’t had many chances to visit these kinds of places…”
“Huh, but before—”
Before Haruya could mention that she knew about family restaurant visits, Sara preemptively responded.
“I knew about family restaurants because we occasionally went there as a family. But, I haven’t had many opportunities to visit other places like this.”
And, with a self-deprecating expression, Sara lowered her face once before breaking into a beaming smile.
“I’ve actually wanted to try a gyudon place for a while, but as a woman alone, the hurdle was high… However, thanks to Asai-san suggesting it, I could finally come. Thank you very much.”
“Uh…”
Seeing Sara’s genuine smile, Haruya inadvertently broke into a cold sweat.
(…No, no, no! This is weird… Why pinpoint that exactly!?)
Thinking that the purpose was to lower her favorability, Haruya couldn’t help but feel a headache.
At first, he tried to convince himself that she was just being considerate, but seeing Sara’s satisfied expression, he couldn’t deny that she genuinely felt grateful.
(She understands me without putting it into words. Maybe Asai-san is really my destined one…)
Internally, Haruya was panicking, thinking that now the only way to disappoint her was through the taste.
“Asai-san, this is really delicious!”
It was a situation reminiscent of a noble young lady being impressed by cup ramen for the first time.
Sara’s eyes sparkled as she savored the beef bowl, genuinely melting with delight.
“Unbelievably tasty! Sugoi!”
“Hehe, Asai-san, your Japanese is still a bit basic.”
Sara laughed amusingly, but for Haruya, it was no laughing matter.
If he allowed himself to be overestimated further, discussions about S-class beauties would spread, making school an unbearable place for him.
(This is… I need to lower the evaluation next time! Hang in there, me, don’t give up.)
That was the only thing Haruya could strongly convince himself of at the moment.
Leaving the beef bowl chain, behind, the place Haruya proposed they head to was…
“The second floor here. It seems like there are various sports, games, and even karaoke.”
“Oh, it sounds like there’s a lot to do here.”
It seemed like a large entertainment facility.
Haruya’s reason for suggesting this place was that if he could defeat Sara thoroughly in various sports and games, he might be able to lower his evaluation. He schemed that this might be a way to achieve it.
(I heard that in places like this, men usually go easy and try to make their date happy. But I’ll go without holding back.)
While harboring this wicked plan in his heart, Sara suddenly asked a question as they stood side by side.
“Asai-san… is this your first time here?”
“It is. We should probably go to the second floor for the procedures.”
“Shall we then?”
So, the two headed upstairs and started the procedures.
Since there was a student discount available at the ticket machine, Haruya used it, and when he saw the next screen, his eyes widened.
“…So that’s how it is.”
“What happened?”
“In addition to the student discount, it seems there’s an additional discount for couples.”
Sara blushed slightly upon hearing Haruya’s explanation.
“…There seem to be various sales, and there’s even one for couples.”
“What do you think?” Sara nodded her head and said, “Taking advantage of discounts is always a good idea.”
So, after confirming there weren’t many people around, they purchased tickets for couples.
For Haruya, it was economically beneficial to choose the cheaper option.
With the tickets handed over to the staff at the entrance, Haruya asked Sara.
“Where should we go first… any place you want to visit?”
“Well… oh, I’d like to try that.”
After staring at the guide board for a while, Sara pointed to the central skating rink inside the building.
“…I’ve never done it before, so I thought it might be an interesting experience. Is that okay?”
“It’s been a while since I did it in elementary school, roller skating. Let’s give it a try.”
Both being inexperienced, there was still some anxiety, but they quickly put on protective gear.
Haruya thought that Sara, being a girl, might prefer sports or activities she was familiar with, but it seemed that Sara was an adventurer at heart.
Once ready, the two headed to the skating rink.
“Shall we skate?”
“Y-Yes…”
Haruya was about to try circling the rink, but he noticed something.
Sara’s legs were shaking, and it seemed challenging for her to start skating.
Upon closer inspection, she was leaning against the wall.
“…Are you okay? Himekawa-san.”
“I’m sorry. It’s unexpectedly frightening.”
“If it’s your first time, it can’t be helped.”
“I haven’t done it since elementary school… Asai-san, you’re good at this, right?”
Surprised that Haruya could skate well, Sara widened her eyes.
“I’m surprised myself, but it seems like I still remember the sensation.”
“…If it’s not too much trouble, could you teach me the tricks or something?”
“The key is probably not to be unnecessarily scared. It feels like you’re struggling due to crisis awareness.”
Indeed, children were gliding smoothly compared to adults.
While kids didn’t think much about falling, mature adults always considered the risk of injury.
It was natural, but in terms of skating, going fast was less risky than going slow.
“So, I think it’s best to go for it and skate boldly. Can I skate first to show you?”
Suggesting to showcase his skating skills as an example, Haruya proposed this to Sara, who shook her head slightly.
“N-No, it’s not allowed.”
” ………… “
Being left alone would make anxious, but then Haruya would be unable to move freely.
Wondering what to do, Sara, as if offering a brilliant idea, grabbed the hem of Haruya’s clothes.
“Um, I want to get used to skating first, so can I be led by Asai-san?”
In other words, since Sara is afraid to skate alone, she wants Haruya to lead her to get used to it.
That’s Sara’s plan.
“No, I’m not used to skating either. Besides, even with protective gear, isn’t it still dangerous?”
“It’s okay to go along the wall… please.”
Modestly but desperately pleading, Sara made her request.
To be honest, Haruya didn’t quite understand why Sara was so determined to skate.
Maybe she wanted to try it out of curiosity, but it didn’t seem like a strong reason to challenge something scary.
Curious, Haruya decided to ask Sara.
“…I’m okay with it, but is there a reason you’re putting in so much effort to skate?”
“W-well, it’s because the children look like they’re having so much fun skating. I thought it would be fun once I got used to it.”
“I see.”
Looking around, he could see children having fun skating.
Sara added, frowning slightly and tightening her lips.
“I don’t want to settle for not being able to do what kids can do…!”
Seemingly competitive, Sara puffed her cheeks for a moment.
Soon after, she returned to her usual composed expression.
“…Pfft.”
Seeing this unexpected side of Sara, Haruya couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“W-what’s so funny…”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Sara, who seemed more childish than he thought, remained puffed up for a moment but soon lowered her gaze and grabbed the hem of Haruya’s clothes again.
“Well then, excuse me.”
“Alright, let’s slowly skate along the wall.”
“Y-yes.”
As Haruya observed Sara, who was slightly nervous, he also started feeling a bit embarrassed.
Thus, the practice of Sara skating with rollerblades began.
(She can’t skate at all, so the bet won’t work without this… reluctantly, reluctantly.)
Roll, roll, roll.
There was the figure of a beautiful girl with light brown hair, gracefully gliding on the rink.
The skating rink, being an indoor space, attracted a lot of attention.
Many users were captivated by her beauty and graceful movements.
“I did it! I did it. It’s fun, Asai-san.”
“You catch on fast…”
Not even twenty minutes into practice.
Sara, who had overcome her fear of skating, was now able to skate without Haruya’s support.
(…Isn’t her growth rate too incredible? Well, it did help me, though…)
While casually watching Sara gracefully glide on the ice, Haruya couldn’t help but recall the moments when they were both skating earlier.
He remembered Sara clinging to the hem of his clothes just a while ago.
Although Sara is now elegantly maneuvering on the ice, not long ago, she clung not only to the hem of Haruya’s clothes but even tightly held onto his arm.
Sometimes, her ample chest would press against his arm, creating an awkward sensation for Haruya.
Squish, squish.
At times, Sara would press against him, and he could feel the softness against his back. It made Haruya’s heart race, and he couldn’t stay calm.
As that time came to an end, Haruya couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh.
(…That sensation was dangerous.)
Therefore, Haruya was relieved that Sara quickly grasped the technique.
After a while, Sara returned to Haruya, who was standing near the wall.
“Asai-san, let’s skate together!”
In high spirits, Sara suggested.
If she had a tail, it would probably be bouncing around.
“Alright, how about we make it a competition?”
“A c-competition?”
Unexpectedly, Sara’s eyes widened.
“The one who completes two laps first wins.”
Saying this, Sara answered with a challenging smile.
(…Finally, the time has come. The time for my evaluation to be judged fairly.)
Internally, Haruya raised the corners of his mouth in a smug grin.
(Let’s win without mercy…!)
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that is clearly blonde hair not light brown lmaoafttg hahahhahahahhahah