He couldn't shake the feeling that something about this place was off in a strange way.
"Huh? Since when does this place give out free appetizers?"
Sitting across from him, Kita Ikuyo blinked, clearly puzzled. The last time she came here with Bocchi, there was no such thing as a complimentary dish, let alone two at once.
Suddenly, she remembered that after the band's first celebration party, the owner had also brought out some dishes on the house.
So this so-called "service"… was selective?
Realizing this odd detail, Ikuyo glanced at Haru with a spark of suspicion. She knew he was a regular here, but she hadn't expected that being a "regular" came with such special treatment.
Which also meant… he must have come here a lot, privately.
Wait a second! Could it be he brought other girls here too?!
The thought lit up her eyes with sudden clarity.
Just as she was about to drop a sly test of a question, the blonde waitress inconveniently returned, placing a few steaming hot Japanese dishes in front of them, completely hijacking Ikuyo's attention.
As a bright, beloved, super-sociable JK, Ikuyo naturally had to do the sacred pre-meal ritual of "taking a photo." Eyes sparkling, she excitedly pulled out her phone and took a few practiced snapshots. Only after admiring her work did she nod in approval.
"Thanks for waiting, let's dig in!"
Steam rose from the rich, oily ramen. The red-haired girl leaned forward, her shoulder-length hair falling forward awkwardly. Her expression twisted slightly in discomfort.
Just as she reached up to brush her hair back, Haru, sitting across from her, instinctively leaned over and tucked the messy strands gently behind her ear, revealing her pale earlobe.
"…Huh?"
Ikuyo was visibly startled.
As the smooth motion completed, Haru suddenly froze. He'd just exposed a little too much of what he was used to doing.
"Haru! Just how many girls have you eaten alone with?!"
Would you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?
"Maybe… not that many?" he offered, a vague, halfhearted answer that carried zero persuasive weight.
Ikuyo pouted in visible jealousy, lips pursed. So her instincts were right after all, Haru's "first meal date" had already been stolen by someone else.
Unfair. Totally unfair.
Just as Haru opened his mouth to try and comfort the clearly jealous girl, Ikuyo quickly shook off her pout, and a dazzling, sunny smile returned to her delicate face.
"It can't be helped," she said casually. "I was the one who showed up so late."
"I might be late when it comes to this stuff, but—"
Mid-sentence, she arched her delicate brows and suddenly slid out of her seat, walking around to sit beside Haru. The booth, meant for two, was roomy enough to easily accommodate one more petite beauty without feeling crowded.
She picked up a piece of tempura with her chopsticks, cradled her other hand beneath it to catch crumbs, tilted her head, and brought the bite close to Haru's mouth.
"This part… I bet no one's done it yet, right?"
Who says no to meat handed to your mouth?
Without hesitation, Haru leaned forward and took the tempura between his teeth. Her body, now pressed gently against his, radiated warmth even through her clothes. Only after she saw him swallow it did she visibly relax.
Then, as if that act had earned her something, she leaned into him more.
Her reaction made Haru raise an eyebrow slightly, his voice soft as he asked, "Ikuyo, you're not bothered by it?"
"Eh? By what…?"
"You really went all out for our last date, didn't you? But back then, you let me leave to go see Anon. Then you found out I was dating other girls at the same time… Doesn't that make you want to punch this two-timing scumbag in the face?"
"While I'm still in one piece, how about venting a little? A slap or two should do it."
Ikuyo blinked, startled. She hadn't expected Haru to say something like that.
But it was proof of how much he cared about her feelings. Back then, because of that dumb pink-haired idiot, her carefully prepared date had fallen apart. Any other girl would have felt crushed or even angry.
But not the ever-sunny Ikuyo. She'd smiled and encouraged Haru to go.
"There's no way I'd do that. If anything…"
"If anything?"
Haru stared at her in confusion. Leaning into his side, Ikuyo turned her blushing face away, pretending to speak casually.
"I'm really close with Anon too, you know? I didn't want to see her just give up and walk away like that…"
"At first, I thought about going all-out to compete with Ryo-senpai and the others, but over time I realized something… I could never bring myself to fight with them and ruin those friendships. And honestly, I don't have the strength to keep Haru all to myself. What finally pushed me to decide was what happened with Anon."
But even so, Ikuyo still had her own desires.
Even if she couldn't become his only, then she at least wanted to become his number one.
"As for that last date… yeah, I was definitely disappointed after putting so much into it. But I also knew you wouldn't just leave me hanging."
"You'd definitely come back and ask me out again. And then you'd do everything you could to make it up to me, right?"
"So maybe I'm the selfish one, relying on the fact that Haru would try to make things right. Knowing all that, do you… think I'm a manipulative, cunning girl? Will you start to hate me?"
Her eyes lowered, her voice tinged with uncertainty and tension, as if afraid of hearing the answer she dreaded most.
Haru, who had been watching her steal glances at him, simply sighed deeply, then without warning, reached out and pulled her into his arms.
The sudden gesture made Ikuyo's face flare up like a flame.
Before she could even gasp, Haru whispered gently, "Well then, I guess I'd better make it up to you properly."
"After lunch, you get to choose the next stop on our date. Wherever you want to go, I'll follow."
Ikuyo's shyness evaporated instantly, replaced by shock and delight. She lifted her head, eyes wide, mouth opening as if to say something.
But Haru, clearly anticipating her reaction, beat her to it with a deadpan look:
"Obviously, a hotel is off the table."
The girl froze immediately.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Haru sighed and gave her forehead a light chop with the edge of his hand.
She had acted like a pure-hearted JK with zero dating experience in front of him until now, but the moment she let go of that thin veil and opened up, she was constantly thinking about jumping straight onto the adult route.
In this one area, her aggression was on par with Soyo and Ryo.
"W-why would I even say something like that?! Honestly, Haru…"
Blushing furiously, Ikuyo quickly averted her gaze, the guilt written all over her face making it painfully obvious she was lying. Haru's mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't call her out on it.
"Well then, is there anywhere you want to go, Ikuyo?"
"Of course there is!"
Her eyes widened, glowing with sincerity, and she raised her chin like she was reciting a command spell.
"I want to go to karaoke!"
…
"Why this place?"
Haru, dragged to a karaoke spot by Ikuyo, gave it a strange look. He scrutinized the building once again, then glanced at the road beside it.
Not far away stood a large concrete bridge spanning the street, a structure etched deeply in Haru's memory. It felt like there was a lingering curse or tragic fate tied between him and that bridge.
Every time he came here, something bad happened.
The karaoke spot next to it was also one Haru knew too well. It was the very place where, in a simulation, he had confessed to Ikuyo… and been rejected.
"C'mon! Let's go in already!"
Beaming with excitement, Ikuyo clung to Haru's hand, practically glowing with energy.
With those starry eyes of hers, she was clearly fired up. When Ikuyo was like this, there was no stopping her, not even Haru could put out her passion.
Especially since this time, he had agreed to it himself.
"…If that's the case, then let's go."
There was no escaping it now, so he might as well face it head-on.
Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Haru grabbed her hand and took the lead. Ikuyo blinked in surprise, unable to react as he briskly pulled her to the counter, paid, and then rushed them toward the room.
Technically speaking, this was Haru's first time coming to karaoke outside the simulation.
The private room was small, meant for four to five people, but more than enough for just the two of them. Of course, this also meant they had to sit closer than they would in a large room.
Back at the ramen shop, Ikuyo had only dared to sit next to him. Now, in this private space with dim lights and soundproof walls, there was nothing to stop her from getting bolder.
If she wanted to do something secretly here… probably no one would even notice.
Haru casually ordered a snack platter and two fresh mango juices. Compared to Ikuyo, who should have been the karaoke regular, Haru seemed oddly more familiar with the system. He turned toward her and asked,
"Ikuyo, are you going to sing…?"
But what he saw next made his expression stiffen.
"…Aren't we here to sing?"
Right after he said it, Ikuyo murmured under her breath, a little flustered,
"O-of course we are! I just… feel a little hot in here…"
When he turned to look at her, he saw that Ikuyo had already taken off her beige jacket.
Beneath it, she wore the pure white lace-trimmed camisole dress. Around her neck was the black silk ribbon they had bought earlier. Her polished black shoes tapped the floor slightly, her toes rising as if in anticipation.
Her bare, delicate shoulders glowed a soft pink under the warm lighting, as if freshly bathed. That soft flush crept from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She raised her eyes toward him, lashes fluttering, breaths growing heavier and warmer in the tight space between them.
You liar. You're not here to sing.
The small karaoke room was more than spacious enough for two people to sit apart. Yet instead of sitting across from him, Ikuyo had chosen to sit next to him. Only someone like her would dare act this boldly alone with Haru in such a setting.
Though she often played the shy, bashful girl, in moments like these, Ikuyo could be shockingly fearless.
"…"
Haru looked up silently.
Honestly, her impact was incredible.
He'd never seen this side of her before, the sheer sensuality caught him off guard. The contrast to her usual self stirred a bit of unease in him.
And with Ikuyo's impulsive nature, there was no telling what she might do next. This little karaoke room could easily become a stage for chaos.
One wrong move, and he might as well empty the entire AK mag.
"…It really is a bit stuffy in here," Ikuyo said, fanning her flushed face with both hands in a futile attempt to cool herself down.
But her actions only made the redness spread, blush bloomed from her ears down to her neck. Her overheated blood pulsed through every inch of her skin.
This was the "36 Stratagems of the Social Butterfly", absolutely lethal.
But Haru wasn't exactly a rookie either. With a dating record that filled a whole hand, he quickly regained his composure. That said, if Ikuyo kept pushing this hard, even he wasn't sure how long he could hold the line.
He definitely couldn't just sit there and let himself take critical damage.
Now was the time to parry and counter.
"Ikuyo."
Haru, who had just been selecting songs, suddenly spoke.
As Ikuyo turned toward him, face bright red, he reached out without warning and placed his hands on her soft shoulders. The abrupt move caught her completely off guard. Her long lashes trembled slightly, and she instinctively closed her eyes.
It looked like she was nervous, maybe even expectant.
With a serious expression, Haru took a deep breath. Holding her shoulders firmly, he spoke with sincerity.
"I've been wanting to say this for a long time."
"I like—"
"Wait, wait, wait!!"
Ikuyo, who just moments ago had been full of anticipation, suddenly opened her eyes in panic. She hurriedly waved her hands and cried out to stop him.
That surprise confession had come completely out of nowhere, and she wasn't ready to let it happen. Not here, not like this!
This was a karaoke room, after all! And most importantly, she was supposed to confess first!
"Not now! You can't say it yet!"
The red-haired girl shook her head like a rattling bell, crossing her index fingers to make an X. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her voice trembled, revealing just how flustered she was.
Haru, seeing her reaction, raised an amused eyebrow and said casually, "I was going to say I like cola. Compared to juice, I still prefer carbonated drinks."
"I'll call the staff right now to switch it out!"
"No need. I'll settle for this one."
Ikuyo instinctively grabbed the phone to make the call, but Haru's calm reassurance helped her settle down again.
Once she had calmed down, though, she quickly realized just what kind of move Haru had just played on her.
They both knew exactly what this date was really about. Haru, knowing her nature, had anticipated she would be planning her own surprise confession. There was no way she'd let him beat her to it.
That alone made her guard practically impenetrable.
But he had still tried to bypass her using an obvious tactic, in plain sight, without even bothering to hide it.
How sneaky! He'd actually out-schemed her!
"Ugh…"
Now what was she supposed to do?
Her shoulders drooped, and her face was full of disappointment. The vibrant red of her hair seemed to lose its luster, and she slumped into her seat, cradling the microphone like she had lost all strength.
Compared to the dazzling idol she had been on stage, this version of Ikuyo was a shadow of that brightness.
Right now, she was just a pitiful little fire bunny.
"…I can't say no to you, can I?"
Haru sighed.
He could handle just about any difficult situation without hesitation but when a girl made a face like that, he was helpless.
"As long as it's not too much."
"Really?!"
Ikuyo's downcast eyes lit up instantly. That look of sadness from earlier vanished like a falling star, her mood flipping with such speed it defied belief.
If Haru hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he'd have thought he was dreaming. But now that he had said it, there was no taking it back.
Looks like it was time to put his hard-earned recoil control skills to the test.