Being escorted on a date isn’t half bad, and before I knew it, I’d stopped minding walking side by side with Kaori.
Maybe I’m just easy, or maybe Kaori’s just really good at this escorting thing—either way, I don’t have enough life experience to tell.
We wandered through unfamiliar city streets, popping into various shops and strolling by some minor tourist spots, but it didn’t really feel like just two childhood friends hanging out. The occasional glances from passersby were unmistakably the kind you’d give a couple on a date, watching with fond amusement.
It’s been a few hours since I started thinking this moment’s not so bad after all.
Neither my family nor Kaori’s sets curfews or anything, so we don’t have to worry too much about time.
Plus, it’s peak summer, so the sky’s still bright, and being in the city, it doesn’t even feel all that much like night.
That said, I was thinking it’s probably about time to head back as I walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Kaori again.
“Ao-kun, did you have fun today?”
“Hm? Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I got a little carried away.”
“You didn’t seem that excited… but okay, that’s a bit of a relief.”
“What about you? I kinda left the escorting to you—did you have fun?”
“Of course. Honestly, I never thought I’d get to go on a proper date like this with you, Ao-kun, so I was a little worried I might’ve been the only one enjoying it.”
If we both had fun, then that’s good, right?
Doing something like this every once in a while isn’t bad. It was a chance to focus on Kaori without thinking about anything else, which made it pretty meaningful for me.
“…If we get a chance to hang out during winter break or something, would it be okay if I asked you out again?”
What did she mean by that?
Was she saying she wants to go on another date “like a couple,” or just that she wants to “hang out together again”?
I wasn’t sure, so I hesitated a bit on how to respond.
Whether she knew I was stumped or not, Kaori gave a small smile and said, “Guess I put you on the spot, huh?”
Then she stopped in front of me.
“Okay, how about a little advice for you, Ao-kun?”
“Advice?”
We were at a small Y-shaped fork in the road.
I didn’t have much of a clue where either path led.
“Don’t ask me which way I want to go, okay?”
“Huh? Then… it’s not advice, it’s a question, right?”
“Yup.”
“There’s somewhere I want to go next, but it’ll take a bit of time. It’s getting late, so should we just head home? Or… will you let me make a little detour?”
I didn’t know how much time this detour would take, but I had no real reason to say no.
Still, I had a bad feeling about it.
“By the way, what kind of detour?”
“Hm? Well… let’s call it making memories.”
She said it with a slightly embarrassed look, and I made my decision on the spot.
“Let’s head home.”
“What?! Weren’t you just about to say, ‘Alright, let’s go’!?”
“I’ve got a pretty good guess where you’re planning to drag me.”
“Ugh, seriously…?”
Kohaku would probably just go along with it without a fuss, but I really don’t need Kaori’s dad hating me any more than he already does.
Kaori’s probably aiming for some kind of entertainment district. If a guy and a girl acting like a couple head there together, it’s not hard to guess what kind of place they’d end up at.
Sorry, but I’ve never once felt that way about Kaori.
They say it’s a man’s shame to pass up an opportunity served on a platter, but I’m not about to take something that’ll get me judged behind my back.
It’s not something I’d say out loud, especially not in front of Kaori…
But to be blunt, Kaori just doesn’t do it for me.
“I mean, if we’re talking about a couple’s date, that kind of thing happens, right?”
“Sorry, but I’m not budging on this one.”
“Don’t you think making a mistake for one night could be a page in our youthful high school story?”
“Nope, I don’t. That’s not your style, is it?”
“It’s not my style, sure! But even I want to—”
“Stop, Kaori. I really don’t want to hear any more.”
It’s not like there’s anything wrong with Kaori herself, not this time or any other.
The truth is, I’m dodging this because I’m scared of the fallout that’d come from going along with her.
That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.
“Come on, you’re a healthy high school guy, Ao-kun. You’re interested in that kind of stuff, right?”
Man, she’s being pretty direct.
“Well… I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, but—”
Suddenly, Kaori stepped closer, like she’d just thought of something.
“Oh, but Ao-kun… hey, can I see your phone?”
“Huh? Sure, I guess… what’s this about all of a sudden?”
Caught off guard, I figured it was fine and handed it over.
Kaori took my phone, looking a little amused by my confusion, and started tapping away smoothly.
—Wait, now that I think about it, this has bugged me before. How do these girls always unlock my phone like it’s nothing?
Is it really that obvious? I used Kohaku’s birthday backward—8111. Wouldn’t most people not guess their stepsister’s birthday reversed?
I know it’s kind of creepy to use my little sister’s birthday for my phone lock, but it’s not even working as a password.
“So, Ao-kun’s not the type to look stuff up on his phone, huh?”
“…You’re misunderstanding something. I don’t look it up on my computer either. I don’t have time for that.”
“Is that really healthy?”
“Plenty of people are like that. Probably more common than you think these days.”
I don’t really care much about that kind of thing, so I’ve never given it much thought.
For one, I’m not big on showing skin. Even in the middle of summer like now, I’m in a thin long-sleeve shirt and long pants.
If anyone asks, I just say it’s for sun protection or because I’m training to be a dancer, but honestly, I just don’t like people seeing my skin.
I’m used to it around Toki, so I don’t care as much, but since Misora started coming around, I’ve been more careful.
Well, it’s also because Toki’s started acting weird about it lately.
Sure, I’m interested in girls and romance, and yeah, I’m curious about sexual stuff too, but I’m not exactly proactive about it.
That’s not weird, right? At least, that’s what I thought, but Kaori’s giving me this skeptical look.
“…What’s that look for…?”
Now that I think about it, Toki’s the type who’s secretly a total carnivore, isn’t she?
I never would’ve pegged Kaori for that type, though… Kaname seemed pretty chill, didn’t she?
“Ao-kun, you… you don’t take care of things yourself, do you?”
“Look, Kaori, I’m not having this conversation with my childhood friend in the middle of the street.”
“Wait… you don’t, like, have trouble in that department, do you?”
“—Kaori, can we drop this?”
“What… did I hit the nail on the head?”
“Just stop, okay?”
“Oh no, is it because—”
“Let’s stop this and just go home, alright?”
Back when I was in the upper years of elementary school, when the bullying was at its worst.
I don’t even remember her face, but I can still picture that girl’s ecstatic expression clear as day.
I remember it because she toyed with me so cruelly.
And so, the date ended on a weird, awkward note.
☆Afterword──────────────────
To all the readers who love Aoi-kun, don’t worry. In the main story, Aoi-kun is still a virgin.
Maybe his “licking it” had a “super effective” impact, but because of “paralysis,” he can’t use “harden” anymore, huh?
Well, I’m from the generation of Earthbound Spirit Cat, so I haven’t played that game myself (lol).
This author’s the worst—someone scold them!
Oh, by the way, I recently made an account on AlphaPolis because I want to submit my next isekai fantasy project to a contest.
I plan to post the same work on Kakuyomu as well, so I’m just mentioning it here.
On AlphaPolis, I’m going to focus solely on posting isekai fantasy stuff.
I’ll start posting it once this work is complete.
