Chapter 114: Aquarium date (2)

The penguin incident lingered in my mind, but the aquarium visit was enjoyable. We were captivated by the colorful fish, vibrant coral reefs, and stingrays gliding through the transparent tunnels. We’d missed the dolphin show, unfortunately, but it didn’t matter.

Aya and I were happy.

“I’m glad we came here together, Rina.”
“Me too.”

Seeing Aya’s bright smile, which had been hidden in the dimly lit aquarium, eased my troubled thoughts.

And finally, the gift shop.
We pointed at cute plushies and other merchandise, but then I saw it – a display filled with penguin keychains.

I quickly blocked Aya’s view and pulled her away, not wanting her to see them.
But Aya noticed. She stopped walking, gently holding my hand.

“Rina, you don’t have to do that.”
“…Sorry.”
“It’s because of Arisu, isn’t it?”

Aya knew. I nodded slowly.

“Mizuki told you?”
“…Yes.”
“I see…”

Aya’s voice was low and quiet, unlike her usual tone.

“I can’t forgive Arisu. To think she saw me as the kind of person who would spread those rumors… That was the most shocking part.”

Aya paused, as if surprised by her own outburst.

I squeezed her hand. I wanted to hug her, but there were too many people around.

“Aya, let’s not think about Arisu today.”
“Okay.”

And… I felt the same way.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Aya, don’t think about your ex-girlfriend.”

Aya’s eyes widened in surprise at the word “girlfriend” (kanojo). Then she smiled faintly and squeezed my hand.

“Rina, are you jealous?”
“Yes, I am.”

I puffed out my cheeks and said honestly, and Aya’s eyes softened.

“I never had any special feelings for Arisu.”
“But still!”

I wanted Aya all to myself. I wanted to erase any trace of Arisu, to be the only one in Aya’s heart. Wasn’t that how everyone felt?

I gazed into Aya’s beautiful blue eyes and then checked the time. If we left now, we’d arrive at the restaurant I’d booked just in time.

“Aya, lunch is on me.”
“Oh… You don’t have to.”
“No, I made the reservation!”

I insisted, feeling a strange sense of… masculinity? Well, it didn’t matter. I loved Aya as a person.
Since I was the one who suggested the aquarium, I wanted to be more assertive today.

We arrived at the restaurant, a small, romantic place.

A staff member greeted us with a bright smile.

“Welcome. You must be Kurosawa-san. You have a reservation, correct?”
“Yes…!”

We were led to a table by the window overlooking a garden. A small, cute vase with two flowers sat on the table. One was pure white, and the other was yellow.

“I didn’t expect you to prepare so much, Rina.”
“It’s a special day with you, Aya, so of course I had to!”

Aya smiled, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window. Her soft, silver hair shimmered.
Was there anyone more beautiful than Aya?

The image of Sena-senpai flickered briefly through my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. There might be many beautiful people in the world, but Aya was my type.

The staff member returned with menus.

I said confidently, “Aya, can I choose everything today?”
“Sure. I’ll leave it all to you, Rina.”

After I placed our order, Aya rested her chin on her hand and looked at me intently. Her gaze made my heart race, and I fidgeted with the menu, avoiding her eyes.

“Rina.”
“Yes…?”
“Are you happy today?”

There was a question mark at the end of Aya’s sentence, not a period.

“Of course. I’m with you, Aya.”
“That’s good. I’m happy too. It seems our feelings are on the same wavelength.”

Aya smiled faintly and reached out to take my hand. My face flushed, and I whispered,

“Promise me you’ll only think about me today, Aya.”
“I promise. I’ll only think about Rina.”

Satisfied with her answer, I smiled and finished ordering.

Our food arrived, starting with the delicately arranged appetizers, followed by the beautifully plated main dishes. The prices were a bit painful, but thankfully, it was still within my budget. I nervously watched Aya’s reaction.

“So, this is your style, Rina? Everything is so pretty and cute.”
“How does it taste?”
“Delicious. Is it because you chose it, Rina?”

Aya’s playful words made my heart flutter again. She had such a powerful effect on me.

As we neared the end of our meal, I finally gathered my courage.

“Aya.”
“Yes?”
“I won’t worry about Arisu anymore.”

I’d spent countless nights agonizing over those words, tossing and turning in my bed. But I’d finally come to a decision. I would focus solely on Aya.

Aya blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly.

“Me too. I’ll only think about Rina. So please, keep looking only at me.”
“Okay…!”

Our time at the restaurant was sweet.
There was nothing between us anymore.

****

After lunch, we strolled around the area near the aquarium. Aya wasn’t the type to enjoy arcades, so planning our date had been a bit of a headache. Thankfully, there were cute cafés and a movie theater nearby.

“Want to go to a theme park or an amusement park next time?”
“Sure, spending time with you there wouldn’t be bad either, Rina.”
“Heehee…”

I was walking close to Aya, close enough to feel her breath on my cheek, as we headed towards the movie theater.

“Where did you used to go with Mizuki when you were younger?”
“Hmm~ When we were younger?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… When we were in elementary school, Mizuki was very shy, so we often played at my house. In middle school, we went to various places together.”

I remembered Reina-senpai and Sena-senpai calling Mizuki an “ice princess.” The lively, energetic Mizuki… an ice princess?

“Mizuki must have been cute when she was younger.”
“Well… she’s my friend? It’s not that she was cute, but… her personality has changed a lot.”

Aya seemed to find it difficult to talk about Mizuki, perhaps because she’d witnessed her transformation firsthand. But I imagined she must have been adorable. Though not as adorable as Aya, of course.

“Do you have any old pictures of you two together?”
“Yes! Want to see them?”
“Sure!”

Aya took out her phone and showed me some old pictures of her and Mizuki.
In one picture, Aya was wearing a white dress and a large, lacy straw hat. She looked much younger, but her dazzling smile and radiant silver hair made her look like a fairy.

Mizuki, sitting beside her, had her hands clasped together demurely, a shy smile on her face. She had pink hair, just like in Okinawa, but her expression was so different that it was hard to believe it was the same Mizuki.

“Wow… She was such a lady.”
“Well, yes…?”
“Seriously, you were both so cute…!”

As expected, both Aya and Mizuki were beautiful from a young age.
I couldn’t stop smiling as I looked at the pictures. Aya swiped through a few more pictures, and we could see them growing older. Pictures from the middle school sports festival, preparing for a festival, and then, finally, pictures of them in their familiar high school uniforms.

Aya’s finger stopped on one picture.

“…”

The picture showed Mizuki and Aya in their school uniforms, and another girl standing between them. A girl with short, black hair, fair skin, and a charmingly mischievous smile.

…Kirihara Arisu.

Arisu was standing where I should have been, smiling beside Aya, their shoulders touching like close friends. The sight made me uncomfortable.

“Aya…”

My voice was quieter than usual. Aya had already seen the picture. Her expression hardened.

“Ah, sorry. I forgot about that one.”

Aya quickly deleted the picture.

“Ahaha, no, it’s fine.”

I forced a smile, but my voice lacked conviction. Why was I feeling jealous over a girl Aya wasn’t even dating? Aya paused for a moment, then smiled gently.

“I’ll say it again. She was just a friend. Rina, you’re the first person I’ve ever had special feelings for.”

Aya put her phone away and took my hand again.

“You’re the one beside me now, Rina.”
“Yeah… That’s right.”

I managed a weak smile.

“Rina.”
“Yes?”

Aya turned to face me, looking at me intently. Her blue eyes were so deep and beautiful that I was momentarily mesmerized.

And then… as if sensing the moment, as if reading my mind, Aya suddenly leaned in and kissed me.