Chapter 3 (Part 2)

 

Here is the second part, the date arc. This part is SFW so you don't really need that cold shower.

*****

Saturday, 61 days until our final showdown.

We agreed to meet in front of the station just like usual, today's appointment is a little before noon.

As per her request before, I chose to wear 14.5 mm pink-beige colored contact lenses. I'm wearing my girliest fashion to emphasize my cuteness. When Aya arrived and looked at me, she smiled while praising me, "You look cute."

Of course her praise makes me happy, but it's not like I'm happy to be praised by Aya, okay? I’m just happy that my effort paid off. Not unexpectedly, she came with a choice of clothes that emphasizes her adult charm, far flashier than mine.

"Where are we heading today?"
"Shibuya."
"Oh, 'kay."
"Not going to probe further?"
"No, because this is a date."
"You're right."

She walks happily behind me with a smile, she's having fun right now. She is also wearing a skirt today, a flared skirt that emphasizes her adult charm. It looks good on her. 

Once we arrived at Shibuya, she took my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. It surprised me a bit.

"Hey, it's still daytime."
"It's a date, so it's natural for us to hold hands."
"This date is just a normal outing between friends, right?"
"I didn’t explain this to you?"

Without letting go of my hands, she answers my question casually.

"Today, we will pretend we are a pair of lovers."
"....What's that supposed to mean?"
"The 4th stage is practical experience. Today, we’re celebrating the one-month anniversary since we started going out."

I impulsively turn my head to look at her, saying something so crazy in such a composed manner. 

"I don't get it...So you want me to become a lesbian? Just like that one manga, Yuri Café?"
"More or less."

In short, we’re playing pretend, today, I’m playing at being Aya's girlfriend. Is that the reason why she chose somewhere a bit further than usual, so that we wouldn't see anyone we know?

"....Okay then. So, is there anything specific I should do?"
"Just act like yourself, that's all. Of course you should remember that today, we are lovers. Or should I ask you to call me 'honey'?"
"I get it. I get it already."

Aya shrugs her shoulders. 

"Well then, let's start with lunch. There's a store that sells delicious looking pancakes. Since today is Saturday it might get a bit crowded though. If it's too crowded, we’ll look for another place."

Aya pulls my hand happily, she looks even more dazzling than usual. Maybe because it's noon time that her make-up shade is a bit different than last time, when we went to Shinjuku during the night. Right now, she seems like the kind of bright character that would definitely get asked for one or two photos as a street model.  

"I always wanted to go out and have fun with you like this. Whenever we’re together it's always inside my room. The last time we went to Shinjuku, well, that's just my daily routine, so that doesn't really count."
"You look like you’re having fun today."
"Because I am."

She strengthened her grip on my hand.

"Isn't that a given, since I'm having a date with Marika right now?"

Seeing that innocent-looking smile makes my chest tighten. I don't have any idea why, it's just, maybe, I...

I might no longer hate Fuwa Aya like I did before...is what I think.

Don't get the wrong idea, I don’t mean it in a weird way. Now that I think about it, I have a reputation to protect at school. If I didn’t have that to consider, I think I wouldn’t have any reason to refuse Aya at this point.

Besides, I have a lot of friends, I can have a conversation with anyone. If it's just getting dragged around by Aya without any weird contract between us, I think I can enjoy my time with her. If I think about it that way, it’s pretty clear that my feelings for her are just on the level of a normal friendship.

"Aah, geez. Let's just get going, Aya."
"Yeah, okay."

Anyway, it's been a while since my last time in Shibuya. The town has all sorts of ups and downs, but thanks to Aya, who already planned the whole thing thoroughly, we can enjoy the date normally.

Our decision to wait for 20 minutes for an empty seat inside the popular shop was right.The fluffy texture with the perfect amount of fresh cream on the top makes the pancakes look mouth-wateringly good. It has the right amount of sweetness combined with a soft sensation inside my mouth. 

"Eh, this pancake is crazy good."
"Yeah, as expected from a store recommended by a magazine."

This store is really filled with young girls taking pictures for their Instagram. Of course, we are also among those young girls. I took a lot of nice pictures of my pancakes.

"You don't have an Instagram, Aya?"
"I have one for working purposes, but not a private one. It's not like I need one."
"That's cold...Well, whatever. This maple syrup is so good~"

While I do an exaggerated pose to emphasize my appreciation of the taste of this pancake, click, I can hear the sound of a smartphone camera. Aya took a picture of me.

"W-what is it?"
"You are cute, that's why"
"Uhh..."

I guess I'm finally starting to get used to her antics, I think while she looks at her picture of me with a soft expression on her face.

Geez, whatever. I really did enjoy the pancakes a lot. We exit the store with big smiles on our faces. It's rare to see Aya smiling that brightly.

"What's next?"
"If it's okay with you, let's go shopping together."
"That's alright, I intended to accompany you everywhere since the beginning."
"Thank you. This is why I like you, Marika."

Ba-dump. Hearing her words made me halt immediately. It's the first time I ever heard her ever say that she likes me.

"...You want us to do today's playing pretend to that degree?"

Hearing my question, Aya shook her head while holding my hand. 

"I just simply wanted to say that. I said it because I wanted to say it."
"You act like that towards everyone, right?"
"Why would you think something like that?"
"..Just because."

I turn my gaze in another direction, just like a pouting child. But since our hands are connected, the distance between us doesn't change. Neither me nor Aya said anything while we walked toward our destination. This situation is not uncomfortable, just a bit awkward and it made me nervous.

After walking for a while, we passed in front of a general store with a nice atmosphere, it looked interesting. As if she could read my mind, Aya looked at me and asked, "Should we go in?"

I didn't answer and tugged her hand a little to convey my intention with a small gesture.

"Just say it properly next time."
"Yesh..."
"Geez."

After some playful banter, we went inside the store.

There's a lot of accessories I've never seen before, they might be this store's original products. The accessories are beautifully lined up, in a very aesthetically pleasing fashion. The storekeeper must have worked hard to keep everything in order like this.

I like to see and collect cute and small stuff. Whenever I saw some scented candle or aromatherapy that interested me I always bought them. Yume and Chisaki always warned me because this hobby of mine is the main reason why I keep spending all of my money. The reason I took a part-time job is because by using my own money I wouldn’t feel guilty when I splurged too much. 

The store is pretty small, so the aisles between the shelves are narrow. Because of that, Aya naturally let go of my hand, and we browsed the store by ourselves. After making a round, I headed to a certain shelf that Aya was looking at. 

"I never tried something like aromatherapy before."

Huh, that's unexpected, considering Aya's working place.

"I don't own a diffuser, so I can't do anything grand like an aroma bath. But usually I just pour one or two drops on my handkerchief and then put it near my pillow before I go to sleep. It's not much, but the scent is so relaxing, it's a nice feeling"
"Hmm, Marika is sensitive to smell, huh. You were having fun smelling your skin after you used my body soap, after all."
"A-as if I did something like that!"

She knew. I tried to deny her baseless accusation in a very low voice, considering that we are inside a store right now, but she ignored me.

"Then, let's buy a matching one. An aroma."
"Eh...why?"
"It screams 'lover activity', don't you think?"

She smiles mischievously, her reasoning is a bit lacking, but I still consider it seriously while crossing my arms.

"But aroma is something based on one's preference, I have mine and you have yours. Isn't it better if we just buy something based on our preferences?"
"You've got a point, let's do that."

It's rare for her to back down so easily, but that's really the best way to enjoy aromas. I started looking around and smelling the samples one by one. I ended up choosing a tea tree aroma. The scent resembles eucalyptus; it gives off a gentle impression. Also, the scent has a refreshing sensation, if I mixed it with a citrus-based aroma, it should turn out pretty nice.

As I decided to go with this one, a slender hand snuck up and grasped the same bottle as me. Aya picked the same tea tree aroma. Our eyes met and she smiled.

"I also think that this one is nice."
"What are you, a kid?"

We walked toward the cashier, although my eyes still drifted around, looking at the various products.

"Oh my, it must be nice to buy a matching aroma!"

The cashier reacted after looking at our same item. I replied to her with a bare minimum ‘Yes’. Aya, who is standing behind me, dropped a bomb so suddenly that I couldn’t prepare anything to counter it.

"I want to try the things my girlfriend likes."

T-this girl! Look, the storekeeper is surprised!

"Oh my, oh my...that's wonderful"

Ooh, as expected from a Shibuya storekeeper, that's a nice follow up. Not only that, she also displayed a form of respect for our relationship. 

Aya gets too cocky and this time, she tried to drag me into her little play, "Right, Marika?" Said Aya while smiling happily. I only manage to give a wonderful fake smile.

It's so embarrassing that my back is dripping with cold sweat.

 "...Aya."

When we exited the store, I called out to her in a very low voice. Aya acted like there was nothing wrong.

"Today we are girlfriends, right?"
"So it was like that, huh. I got deceived again..."
"You make me sound like the bad guy here."

Aya took my hand, but it had a different sensation than earlier. Just by touching her finger, I felt my heart on the edge of bursting. I hurriedly pulled my hand from her grip. Aya looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Somehow, I suddenly become nervous."

I thought that our playing pretend today was some sort of elaborate joke. Turns out I was wrong. Here in Shibuya, no one should know us. But for some reason I started to feel like everyone’s gazes are focusing on me and Aya, thinking that we are in a special relationship. 

Me and Aya's relationship isn’t like that. I don't want to have that kind of relationship with her. I'm bad at handling her in the first place.

"Marika, you are bright red."
"Shut up."

I just want to go and hide.

"How does it feel to be seen as a homosexual?"
“It's the worst. I'm normal, after all"
"That's it, making normal girls come to this side is pretty exciting, you know?"
"...What a pervert."

I finally understand that those kinds of insults aren’t causing any damage, at least to Aya. She was the one who bet a million yen that she could bring me over to that side in the first place. But still, I want to get revenge on her, even just a little bit.

"...You see, I’ve never had a lover before."
"Is that so? That's surprising, considering Marika's popularity."
"Hmm, what is it again. It's just that I have a lot of people to hang out with, but it's not like it should be limited to one person. Well, that's about it. Even though this is just an act, you are my first, I think."
"That's an honor."

I hold her hand a bit tighter while flashing a smile, "And that's why, will you do your best to make me satisfied with today's date, My Girlfriend?"

I expect her to get a bit taken aback by my attack, but she unexpectedly accepted it with a huge smile on her face.

"That's okay with me. Today, you are my princess, after all."

Fufufu, you get it don't you, Aya. I accept your pledge. Now behold, my maximum selfishness. Since these are your cute girlfriend's requests, you will fulfill all of them right? Aah, I really am an evil lady. I will trouble her a lot and make her regret this.

"Hey, Aya-san. Y'see, I want to eat crepes."
"You look like you’re planning something...but okay let's buy some crepes."

The weather in June really makes it feel like it’s already summer. We went to a stand and bought a strawberry-banana chocolate crepe. We divided it into half to share.

Actually, my belly is already full, but having Aya buy me a crepe makes me a bit nostalgic. It reminds me of my childhood, when I asked my father to buy something, and he gladly bought it for me. It somehow reminded me of that feeling, and it made me happy.

"Shopping for clothes is alright, but let's go to karaoke first. I want to hear you sing."
"Eehh, I don't have the confidence to sing for you."

It's rare for Aya to show that troubled expression of hers. It makes me want to trouble her more, so I pull her hand a bit forcefully toward a building with a flashy 'KARAOKE' sign.

This time, it's my turn to lead her around. I asked for a one hour session, and now here we are in a dark and narrow karaoke room. I went inside and sat comfortably, as if it was my own bedroom. 

"What kind of songs do you like to sing?"

Aya sits awkwardly while shaking her head.

"I don't really know the recent popular songs. Even inside our bar, they often played western music. Marika can sing first, I'll listen."
"Geez, it's okay, even though I don't know the songs. Even now, you don't really know the kind of song I'll sing, right?"

I took the remote control and input a new song that I was interested in. I lightly shake my body following the melody while singing.

"~~~~"

I actually like to sing. I like the feeling of letting out my voice amidst the melodies. During my time in middle and high-school, me and my friends often came to karaoke to kill time. Most of that was actually because of me and my love of karaoke. I liked watching performers on television during childhood, so that might be why.

I keep singing without a care in the world, but it seems like Aya hasn't selected any songs. She keeps staring at me, even when I sit on the sofa to take a break after a few songs. 

"Hm? Not gonna sing?"
"Nah, it's just..."
"?"

Aya looks like she's embarrassed about something. At first, I thought it was because she's not used to karaoke.

"Marika is very cute."

Now it's my turn to stare at her.

"Eh? You're getting embarrassed now? Even though you say it so often?"
"It's different from usual, somehow...well, you’re wearing cute clothes while singing a cute song so adorably, it's combo cute...or something like that...it's dangerous..."
"Haa..."

Did I just trigger something inside her...I don't really understand, but she was praising me, right? I'll accept it gladly. 

While I'm picking another song, the waitress came to bring our drinks. I drank my melon soda and proceeded to insert an idol song that is popular among men.

"That's also ultra cute."

I see, so this is right in Aya's strike zone.

I sat on the sofa right beside Aya after finished singing that song.

"You should enjoy yourself and sing something just like me earlier. You like it, right?"
"That's not the point, it's cute because you are the one singing."

Is it really the case? I think the song will suit her. She's a cool beauty, so the gap between her appearance and the song will be amusing.

"Umm, but I can't really imagine you enjoying getting pampered by guys. The Aya inside my head will play on her phone without any care right after finishing a song and just ignoring your surroundings."
"The me inside your head, her communication skill is too low. Even though it’s me, I can act normally in that situation you know?"
"Even though you have zero friends..."
"That's not really a big problem. I admit that I’ve gotten lost numerous times between classes, but I manage it well. I can just have a teacher show me the way if the worst happens."
"Stop it, I'm getting sad just hearing your story."

Fuwa Aya, who always acts like an empress, managed to get lost inside her own school. I tried to imagine her having zero idea where she should go and getting all flustered. My respect for her is slowly diminishing. I really hope Aya keeps doing her best so she won't lose to the Fuwa Aya in my imagination.

That Aya is now placing her hand on top of my thigh while peeking at my face.

"Hey, Marika. Is it okay if I kiss you?"
"Eeh? That's sudden."

This Aya is also betraying the image of the Fuwa Aya inside my head in some ways.

"I suddenly want to do it after seeing your adorable performance."
"I guess that’s fine."

I hadn’t even finished consenting when she already put her lips on top of mine. After she let me go, I continued what I wanted to say earlier.

"In exchange, you should sing something. I want to see it."

I push the remote into her hands. She looks reluctant but still selects a song. Oh, it's a popular western song from a few years ago, it’s often used as background music for commercials, so I’m familiar with it.

Aya warned me to not laugh before she started singing. Her reason is because it's her first time doing karaoke. Despite her barrage of reasons to not sing, it turned out that her pronunciation is fine and her voice is also quite good. I say overall, she delivered a satisfactory performance.

"I really can't hold a candle to you. Now if only you stopped doing things so unsuitable for your gallant appearance"
"You are the one who always calls me pervert."
"I was simply stating a fact."

After I complimented her, she sang a few more songs. We left the karaoke after two hours of singing. Aya looks like she enjoyed the whole thing, and looks satisfied with her first karaoke experience.

"Let's do this again sometime."
"Sure."

I accidentally accepted her invitation. I started to reminisce about the fact that the past would have never accepted it that easily. This is...this feeling, is it possible that...

"Could it be I'm a super-duper good person...?"
"Marika is a good girl."
"Right...That's why I managed to have fun even with someone like Aya..."
"I'll do my best to drag to my side, look forward to it"

She puts her hands on her chest with a face full of confidence. Actually, everything from the erotic stuff to the lesbian bar, it had all been planned by Aya. So I might not be so wrong after all.

After that, we enjoyed our time window shopping in 109 and also bought some clothes. We had a fun time trying on various clothes. I tried on some for Aya, and she tried on some for me. No matter how I look at it, I had a blast.

Aya always said that I'm cute no matter what kind of clothes I tried on, her barrage of praise made me get too carried away. It's all her fault.

She keeps treating me kindly, no matter how many selfish requests I make, not even a trace of annoyance on her face. In the end, my great plan ended up in failure. I even ended up acknowledging her bottomless generosity.

"Hey, Aya..."

For today's plan, we agreed to end the outing before dark. It's just before dinner time, so we headed back to Shibuya Station.

We enjoyed our remaining time just like a normal couple. But even so, I really want to make sure about something.

"Why are you so kind to me?"

It's a fact that I'm cute and fashionable. I also can read the mood and go with the flow even when it’s really hard. But I think her reasons for being this kind to me have nothing to do with any of that.

"Kind? I bought you, Marika. There's not even a speck of kindness in my actions."

Her answer sounds like self-mockery.

"....Is it? I don't think so.
"It's because you’re kind, don't you think?"

Even though she phrased it like that, I had a blast today. She fulfilled all of my selfish requests and she paid attention to me more than usual. She spoiled me a lot today, making sure that I won't have any issues, and did her best to keep my mood. 

I stopped walking, and because we were holding hands, she also stood still and looked at me. I also looked into her eyes, but in the end not a word came out of my mouth.

I have my own dignity, I can't say it just like that.

"........."
".......?"

I understand that I can't be like this. Last Saturday when we went to the bar, Aya wore high-heels so I also chose high-heels for our date today. But I’m not used to wearing them, so Aya slowed down her walking pace to make sure I wasn’t pushing myself for the whole day. 

She also made sure that during our walk, she stood on the road side, "It would be dangerous if you fell, after all." During our walk in the crowded place, she always went ahead and shielded me so I wouldn't bump into any strangers. 

She just wanted to make sure I enjoyed our time together, and to be honest, she scored a perfect score as a lover, if I evaluated her performance today.

That's why I really wonder, what does she think of me? Am I a special existence for her? Or is it just simply how the rich spend their time, playing around with a lot of women?

I don't get her.

What does she want from me?

"....Marika?"

Just by gazing at her won't convey anything. I'm a bit glad it won't reach her.

"Nothing, just forget it. Sorry, it seems I'm a bit tired from all of the walking, let's hurry so we can get home quickly. I want to rest, after all I’m still going to your house tomorrow"
"...Okay."

I formed a fake smile to fool her, she answered with a simple nod and a worried face. She knows that I’m hiding something.

But, it's not like I can do anything about that. Our relationship is something less than lovers and less than friends. I couldn't bring myself to saying stuff like that to her. 

We ended up talking about trivial things during our time inside the train. We arrived at Aya's station first, so we split up. When she said her goodbye, she pointed at our matching aromas.

"Marika, I'll use this aroma tonight when I sleep, so you do the same. That way, I‘ll feel like we are together tonight."

I wave my hand while smiling wryly.

"If I'm up for it."
"I'm content with that. Today was fun, thanks for today."
"Yeah, I had fun too."

She waited on the platform while looking at me. The train started to move and she stood there until I left the station. The parting time between lovers doesn't taste sweet like maple syrup. 

During my time alone inside the train, I feel gloomy for some reason. Today was supposed to be fun, and I really enjoyed our time together. Why did it suddenly turn bitter? I sigh while looking out the window. The painful feeling inside my chest refuses to go away.

The cause of this is probably not because I don't understand what Aya wants from me. It’s probably the opposite; I can't understand what I want from Aya. 

61 days until our final showdown. I wonder what kind of answer I'll come up with in the next two months.

For now, I just want to say one thing.

"...I'll refrain from using the aroma tonight, Aya."  

If I use the aroma, I’ll feel like I'm losing, and that's why I definitely won't use it.

***

The next day, Aya texted me.

[I'm sorry, I have a sudden errand. I'll still pay you, but let's cancel today's appointment]

I left my house 30 minutes early today, so I was already near her house when her text arrived. 

"She's so formal."

I look at the text inside my phone with a wry smile. But since we're already here, I think I’ll pay a quick visit to her house. I'll just complain a little and then go home. 

A small pitter-patter sound can be heard, it's raining. The weather during this season is a bit unclear and hard to predict, just like my relationship with Aya. I quickly open my favorite polka-dotted umbrella and continue walking, in a great mood. This is probably the effect of yesterday's princess-like treatment from Aya. 

If it's Aya, she would forgive this small selfishness of mine. She won't get angry, she’ll probably make a troubled face while talking with me after this. Because she’s always very lenient to me. When I almost reach my destination, I see a person's figure in front of her house.

It's a girl.

She's holding a small camelia-colored umbrella, and she’s waiting for someone. She has gorgeous blonde hair tied into twintails. She gives off a peculiar feeling. She has a bright expression that reminds me of an open field. She looks like she’s expecting someone.

I feel like I saw her somewhere.

That girl at Aya's workplace, that beautiful girl that looks like a half. Her name is...Astalotte. I feel my heart is beating so fast that I can practically hear it thump.

It's not really weird if they know each other, right? It's a very reasonable thing.

The door is opening and Aya, who looks like she’s in a hurry, comes out from her house and lets the blonde inside her house. The girl quickly went in without restraint, she seems like she’s used to it. Looking at what just happened, I only manage to stand there while looking at the tightly closed door. 

"Aa....."

I can't really hear my own voice because it’s engulfed by the sounds of rain. 

I'm upset. I understand that I have no right to feel upset, but I still feel upset. I'm disgusted with myself for getting upset over something like this. I'm going around the street and looking at the window of Aya's room. I can't really comprehend what I was thinking during this time. It was something I did unconsciously.

But among the jumbled things inside my head, I'm certain that there's one thing that really makes me wonder.

What is Aya's relationship with her?

I’m still staring at the window and after a short while the curtain is pulled shut by Aya. There's no other movement after that. I just know that the girl must be inside that room.

I waited for another five minutes before finally realizing that this is a bit too much. After I recovered my ability to think logically, I decided to just go home. 

I have many things to do during the holiday so this is not a big deal. I don't know anything about Aya anyway, so I have no business knowing her relationships whatsoever.

Me and Aya are being connected by a one million yen battle, we are enemies, nothing less, nothing more.

I remembered Astalotte's smile, she's cute and gorgeous. If we were in the same class, there's no doubt that she would be more popular. There's an old saying "Like a Moon and Turtle", somehow it resembles me and her. I did my best to get acknowledged by the whole class, while she wouldn’t need to do anything for it. Her radiance is a real thing, a special one.
(TL Note: Like a Moon and Turtle (月とスッポン) has a meaning superficially similar but completely different just like moon and turtle's shell with a similar shape but they are two completely different things.)

"Haah...."

I look at the rainy skies above me.

"Stupid Aya."

This bitterness must be caused by her sudden cancellation, making me do this pointless walk. There couldn’t possibly be any other reason for this murky feeling inside my chest. I feel like it's a bother to go home so I open the group chat between me, Yume, and Chisaki.

[Hey, are you guys free? Wanna hang out somewhere?]

I stare at the black cloud from inside the station, ah, here come their replies at the same time.

[Sorry~ I can't~]
[Me too, invite me next time]

Haaah, I sigh heavily. They must be in the middle of having fun on their own anyway. I admit that I’ve been a bit distant lately, which makes it hard for them to invite me out, it sucks.

These two are always together nowadays, could it be that they’ve already crossed that relationship line...?

"Hahh, as if. I can't stand this, it's the worst. As I thought girls dating each other is, definitely..."

Definitely.

There's no way. I can't say it. Even though there's no one else, even though I'm alone, I just can't say it. 

*****

LET ME SAY THIS:

AYA A SIMP

For more detailed info about the novel click here 

Credit:
TL and everything else: Meatbun
Proofread: totorbanana

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