Chapter 27: Weekend, just the two of us on a date?! (2)

“So, Rina, steak and lobster instead of curry rice. Sound good?” Aya asked casually, closing her menu.

I stared at her blankly for a moment, then snapped back to reality. “W-Wait, are you sure?”

“Of course. It’s a special occasion.”

A special occasion? What was that supposed to mean? Aya was definitely teasing me, playing with my emotions.

An 8-out-of-10 affection level Aya was terrifying. Even the protagonist in the novel had been toyed with by this version of Aya.

Flustered, I fidgeted with my hair, my face burning. My brain felt like it had been slow-cooked to the point of malfunctioning.

“B-But, isn’t that too expensive? It’s a bit much…”

“Am I too much for you, Rina?”

‘Yes… very much so. The school goddess, paying for an expensive meal on our first… ugh…’

Aya smiled gently and refilled my empty water glass, her every movement exuding elegance and grace. “So, Rina, what would you like to drink? Their signature drink is quite good.”

“Um… something simple would be nice! G-Grape ade!” I quickly blurted out, choosing the safest option on the menu.

But Aya’s expression remained playful, adding to my flustered state. “Really?”

“Y-Yeah… or if you have a recommendation… that would be fine too…”

“Well, ade isn’t bad. It goes well with meat. The carbonation also helps prevent overeating.”

‘This… we’re supposed to be talking about the festival, right? Right, I just need to steer the conversation back to the festival.’

My inner turmoil was escalating, but Aya, unfazed, pressed the call button and looked at me, as if reading my thoughts. “So, shall we discuss the festival?”

I nodded, steeling my resolve. I couldn’t keep getting flustered like this!

‘Okay, Rina, focus! You need to help with the festival preparations!’

But… Aya’s mischievous smile… my resolve crumbled within three seconds.

“Before that, Rina.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You seem… different today.”

“Me?” I tilted my head, confused.

Aya leaned closer, her eyes twinkling. “Yes. Are you hiding something?”

“N-No! I’m not!”

“Really?” She tilted her head again, a playful smile on her lips. “Are you sure you’re not hiding anything?”

“N-No…!”

“Your hand.”

Ah… As if under a spell, I hesitantly extended my hand towards her, her soft voice echoing in my ears.

I remembered the novel Aya had lent me. I’d read the entire thing, wondering if there really was a hand-holding scene. And I’d discovered that it wasn’t just an “ordinary novel.”

So… ah… As soon as Aya’s fingers brushed against mine, a shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly pulled my hand back.

“Um… is it… normal to touch hands in your family?”

“Huh?”

“That… folk remedy you did before… I was just curious.”

“Ah, my mother is from Northern Europe, so I learned a lot of folk remedies from her.”

“Oh… I see…” I blinked.

Aya chuckled. “Rina, you’re so cute.”

“Mmm…” I felt like I was becoming Aya’s puppet, and strangely… I didn’t mind. No, wait, I needed to take charge, like the man I used to be.

“Right, the festival—” I started, trying to change the subject.

But just then, a knock on the door interrupted us. A server entered.

“Excuse me~ are you enjoying your meal? May I take your order?”

‘Enjoying…’

My face burned. I was sure steam was coming out of my ears. Aya, ignoring my flustered state, calmly placed our order, her pronunciation flawless. I’d thought my foreign language pronunciation was decent in my past life, but now, it was just… typical Japanese katakana English.

The server’s arrival had provided a momentary distraction, but Aya, seemingly wanting to continue the earlier atmosphere, leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her clasped hands, her gaze fixed on me.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Did you finish reading the novel I lent you?”

“Yeah… I should probably return it.” I pulled the book out of my bag and handed it to her.

Aya slipped it into her bag, then leaned even closer.

“Rina.”

“Y-Yes…?”

“Do you… like me, like the protagonist in that novel?”

Aya, just how far were you planning to go? Your silver hair and blue eyes… they were mesmerizing. Your otherworldly beauty, somehow existing in reality…

‘…She’s just teasing me, right?’

“I… can’t say I don’t. But it wouldn’t work, would it? That’s just a novel. In reality…”

As I finally managed to speak, Aya’s eyes flickered, a brief flash of something I couldn’t decipher. Then, she tilted her head slightly. “Does it have to be… realistic?”

I gulped. This wasn’t just playful banter.

****

Every time Rina stammered, a ripple spread through Aya’s heart. And those ripples, growing larger, stirred unexpected emotions within her.

‘What does Rina really think of me?’

It had started as a simple joke. Lending Rina the novel hadn’t been a calculated move, just a lighthearted attempt to find common ground and start a conversation. But seeing Rina’s flustered reaction when she returned the book had sparked a strange curiosity in Aya.

‘Could she… really be thinking about me, like in the novel?’

She’d asked the question playfully, but Rina’s flustered response had shaken her.

She wanted to know more about Rina’s true feelings.

Would holding hands, like in the novel, reveal Rina’s inner thoughts?

But Rina had flinched and pulled away as soon as their hands touched. Aya had forced a smile, but Rina’s reaction bothered her. It wasn’t just avoidance; it was as if Rina was hiding something more.

And so, the question had slipped out.

“Do you… like me, like the protagonist in that novel?”

As soon as she’d said it, Aya was surprised by her own boldness. ‘Why did I say that?’ she’d berated herself, but as she waited for Rina’s answer, her heart pounded in her chest.

‘What if Rina really does like me?’

‘No, it doesn’t matter what Rina thinks of me… what matters is how I feel about her, isn’t it?’

Aya finally understood. She understood her own feelings, why she wanted to hear Rina’s answer.

The wait felt excruciatingly long. Rina hesitated, then finally spoke, avoiding eye contact. “I… can’t say I don’t. But it wouldn’t work, would it? That’s just a novel. In reality…”

Reality.

Rina’s words created a small crack in Aya’s heart. The word “reality” stirred a strange resistance within her. And so, she took a step further.

“Does it have to be… realistic?”

She’d forced herself to speak calmly, maintaining her usual composure. But she knew the weight of her words. This was no longer a game.

“I-I mean…”

She stammered, the weight of “reality” heavier than she’d anticipated. She hesitated, then lowered her head. “Forget what I just said.”

Her lips trembled, her heart a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. She couldn’t trust her own feelings, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps… Rina felt the same way.

Aya’s fingers trembled slightly.

****

‘Huh…?’

Aya’s sudden change of heart surprised me. Just moments ago, she’d been so assertive, so playful. Now, her face was flushed, and she sat back in her chair, resting her chin on her hands, a shy, almost vulnerable, look in her eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief.

‘That’s… good.’

If she’d continued pushing me like that, I wasn’t sure what I would have done. But at the same time, a different kind of worry surfaced. Why the sudden change in demeanor? Was something wrong?

“Aya, are you feeling okay?” I asked cautiously.

Aya’s eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. “Oh, no! I’m fine.”

“Really…? That’s good.”

A faint blush lingered on her cheeks. It was an unusual sight, so unlike the usual composed Aya… and strangely… cute.

‘Is she really okay? Or is it… because of me?’

But before I could ask, a knock on the door interrupted us. The sound cut through the tense atmosphere, a welcome distraction.

“Excuse me~ your food is here.”

The aroma of steak and lobster wafted from the plates the server carried. I lowered my head, grateful for the interruption. We both needed time to collect ourselves.