Chapter 113: Aquarium date

After P.E. class, on the way to the changing room, Arisu’s actions kept replaying in my mind.

‘Arisu… Why was she so fixated on me?’

It had been like that from the beginning of the dodgeball game. Arisu’s gaze was locked onto me, unwavering. Every time I dodged a ball, or Aya shielded me, Arisu had a strange, almost calculating smile on her face…

Honestly, it was unsettling.

And that unease stemmed from something deeper within me. The discomfort of a heterosexual person being flirted with by someone of the same s*x…

‘But I like Aya…’

Ever since I fell for Aya, I’d thought of myself as someone who liked girls, despite being a girl myself. Perhaps it was a remnant of my past life as a man, or perhaps it was Kurosawa Rina’s own latent tendencies before I regained my memories.

But maybe I was wrong.
Arisu’s interest felt… different, more unsettling. It was separate from the flutter of excitement I felt when she was near.

As I struggled with these confusing thoughts, Mizuki’s cheerful voice broke through.

“Rina-tan~! Ice cream?”
“Ooh, ice cream! Yes!”

As soon as we’d changed, we headed to the school convenience store. Health-conscious adults would probably frown upon eating sweets right after exercising… but as students, we weren’t exactly known for our healthy habits.

“Haa~ It’s much cooler now. Autumn is finally here.”

I looked up at the sky at Mizuki’s words. The blue sky was the same, but a cool breeze rustled my hair.

****

A day passed.
It was Saturday morning, the day of my aquarium date with Aya!

“Today’s my date with Aya! A date!”

I kicked off the covers energetically and splashed water on my face, washing away the sleep.
After getting ready, I stood in front of my closet, lost in thought.

‘It’s autumn now… I can wear cuter clothes.’

My fashion sense was definitely more influenced by Kurosawa Rina than my past self. That was probably why I was drawn to frilly, lacy clothes. During the summer, such clothes felt too stuffy and uncomfortable…

But!

Now that the weather was cooler, I could finally enjoy wearing cute clothes. Autumn definitely had its perks.

“Okay, today I’ll wear… this!”

I hummed happily and picked out my favorite purple lace dress. I always tried to show Aya a slightly different side of myself on our dates, so I was constantly searching for similar yet different outfits.
After getting dressed, I put on some makeup, slipped on my loafers, and headed out.

I arrived at the designated station 15 minutes early. Since Aya wasn’t there yet, and I didn’t want to just stand around waiting, I wandered around the area.

Five minutes before our meeting time, Aya arrived… driving a car?

Of course, that was just my past life’s influence messing with me. In Japan, the steering wheel was on the right side.

“Rina!”
“Aya~!”
“Let’s take my car today.”
“Okay…!”

We’d already discussed it via LINE, but… I was actually riding in her car! The chauffeur was probably someone who worked for Aya’s family. He opened the door for me, which felt a little overwhelming.

I sat in the back with Aya. She looked even more beautiful than usual, as if she’d put in extra effort.

“You look so beautiful today, Aya…”
“You too, Rina. You’re so cute.”

We exchanged compliments, smiling shyly. I wished time could stop in this moment as we headed towards the aquarium.

The aquarium was crowded, as expected for a Saturday. Couples holding hands were everywhere. Aya naturally took my hand.

“There are so many people.”
“Yeah… Let’s hold hands so we don’t get separated.”
“Okay!”

I focused on enjoying our date, but Aya seemed to have something on her mind.

“Aya, what’s wrong?”
“Hmm… You’ve seemed a little down lately.”

Eh…
Was it that obvious?
Could Aya tell I’d been worrying about Arisu?

“Me? No, I’m happy to be here with you.”

I smiled brightly, and Aya’s expression softened.

“Really? That’s good.”
“I’m only going to think about you today!”

I truly wanted to focus on Aya today.

****

Inside the aquarium, we were greeted by dim, bluish lighting. Dreamlike music played in the background, and the surface of the water shimmered, creating a magical atmosphere.

It was truly another world. We walked hand-in-hand through the entrance and arrived at a large tank filled with colorful tropical fish.
We both gasped at the sight of the schools of fish darting through the water.

“Wow… They’re so beautiful…!”
“Rina, look at that little yellow fish. Doesn’t it look like you?”
“Eh? I’m not that small!”

I puffed out my cheeks and glared playfully at Aya, and she chuckled.

“I meant it as a compliment.”
“Ugh, you’re making me blush…!”

I turned away, my face flushed, and squeezed Aya’s hand tighter.
Her hand was so soft and warm… I wanted to hold it forever.

We walked to the next exhibit, a large tank with a domed glass ceiling where fish swam above our heads.

The dim lighting and the blue glow of the water made it feel like we were the only two people there.

“Wow…”

I snapped pictures with my phone as stingrays and schools of fish glided gracefully above us.

“So beautiful…”
“I should really thank your cousin.”
“Heehee, yeah.”

I stopped taking pictures of the fish and turned the camera towards Aya. Bathed in the soft, blue light filtering through the water, Aya looked so beautiful, almost ethereal. Her silver hair and blue eyes stood out starkly amidst the other visitors.

“You’re special too, Aya.”
“Eh… Me?”
“Yeah, I’m so happy you told me you liked me.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them… I liked Aya. No, “like” wasn’t strong enough. I was completely captivated by her.

“Aya.”
“Rina…”

Standing there, facing this undeniable truth… we leaned against each other, sharing warmth.

We exited the tunnel and headed to the next exhibit: jellyfish.

The room was dark, illuminated only by small spotlights that highlighted the jellyfish floating gracefully in the water.

“Jellyfish are surprisingly beautiful.”

I’d always associated jellyfish with poison and danger, but here, under the colorful lights, they looked like a miniature galaxy.

“Rina~ Picture.”
“Oh, okay!”

Aya extended her long arm, and we huddled together for a selfie.
Then… we stood there for a moment, gazing into each other’s eyes. It felt like we were the only two people in the world.

“Rina… I really like you.”
“Me too… I like you most in the world, Aya.”

I wanted to kiss her, but the crowd around us prevented me from doing so.

The next exhibit, rather unexpectedly, featured penguins.
As I leaned closer to the glass, trying to get a better look at the waddling penguins, Aya’s expression suddenly darkened.

“Uh… Aya, what’s wrong?”

I asked worriedly, and Aya quickly composed herself, forcing a smile. But it was an unnatural, strained smile.

“It’s… nothing.”
“Do you… not like penguins?”
“…Maybe a little.”

I was surprised. I knew some people didn’t like penguins, but I’d never seen Aya express dislike for any animal before. But since Aya’s mood had darkened, I didn’t want to stay there any longer.

“Should we go to the next exhibit then?”
“Yes… Sorry, Rina.”
“I-It’s okay, I wasn’t that interested in penguins anyway!”

If Aya didn’t like penguins, then I could dislike them too.
We hurried out of the penguin exhibit.

As we walked towards the next exhibit, something suddenly clicked.

Arisu’s face flashed through my mind. That was strange. Why was I thinking about Arisu? I was supposed to be focusing on Aya today…

‘…Wait a minute.’

I had an IQ of 150. I was almost a genius.
Perhaps that was why I suddenly remembered a scene from the student council room earlier. I’d caught a glimpse of Arisu’s phone… The keychain attached to it… It was definitely a penguin.

I stopped walking. Aya tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Rina? What’s wrong?”
“Ah… It’s nothing.”

I smiled and brushed it off, but my heart felt heavy.

‘Arisu likes penguins… That’s why Aya’s expression changed.’

Aya’s reaction finally made sense.
Right, I could dislike penguins too, for Aya’s sake.

The penguins, which had seemed so cute just a moment ago, now seemed… annoying. We continued to the next exhibit.