"Whatever. It's all clear now, so that's fine."
Haruki wasn't the type to overthink things, and he wasn't about to start. Since Ryuko didn't seem to mind, he had no reason to, either. Two friends hanging out no big deal.
Besides, it had been ages since he last went to an amusement park. Spending the day unwinding a bit and catching the League of Legends event sounded like a solid break. He'd been buried in manga and animation work nonstop; a little decompression wouldn't hurt.
"I'll meet you at your campus gate at eight," Haruki said.
Even though his apartment was just a short walk away, he preferred meeting her there rather than having her wait outside his place.
"Got it," she replied. "Then… see you at eight!"
There was a lightness in her voice that Haruki couldn't quite place.
He hung up, shrugging it off.
Ryuko set her phone down, a small smile lingering.
She hadn't realized until now that Haruki had always assumed she had a boyfriend. In hindsight, it made sense they'd never really talked about personal relationships. But what caught her off guard was realizing she'd actually believed one of those ridiculous online rumors.
Still, she knew Haruki well enough to believe him when he said the rumors about his past weren't true. If he chose to speak up about something, he was usually telling the truth.
That alone made her surprisingly happy.
At the same time… he was so dense.
Any other guy might have guessed that an invitation to an amusement park was more than just watching a game together. But Haruki? He really thought it was just two gaming buddies going to an eSports event.
She sighed, both amused and frustrated.
The next morning, at exactly 7:59, Haruki arrived at the front gate of Ryuko's university.
The campus was quiet winter break had emptied out the dorms. The cold was sharp, and even with his thick jacket and hood pulled up, Haruki kept his head down as he walked briskly to the entrance.
What he didn't expect was to find Ryuko already there, leaning against the stone gate, waiting.
Haruki had mentally prepared to wait at least half an hour. He figured she might be one of those people who always ran late. Instead, he was the one feeling a little awkward.
Still, technically, he wasn't late.
Ryuko had tied her hair back in a ponytail and wore a light denim jacket over her layers, a far cry from the warmth of a down coat. What shocked Haruki even more she had on a knee-length black skirt, thick stockings, and leather shoes.
"Is she not cold?" he wondered.
It reminded him of something he'd seen in a video about girls wearing school uniforms in winter skirts and bare legs, even in the snow. Were girls just… built differently?
"How long have you been out here?" he asked.
Ryuko looked up and smiled. "Only a couple of minutes."
In truth, she'd been waiting for half an hour. She'd seen too many videos where boys came early and girls showed up half an hour late. She didn't want to risk that happening.
"Did you eat? I picked up these from the cafeteria before it closed."
She handed him two steamed buns, still warm from being wrapped in her coat.
"Oh, thanks." Haruki gratefully took them and immediately started eating. They were a bit cool, but he didn't care he was starving.
Soon after, they caught a cab.
Once inside, the heater kicked in and Ryuko's cheeks took on a soft blush. Haruki, meanwhile, pulled out his phone and started reading up on the SL and PX teams playing in today's event.
Ryuko glanced sideways, half amused. Typical Haruki manga, anime, and games. That was his world.
No wonder people in their class still thought he skipped lectures to play online all day.
Even the cab driver chuckled quietly as he glanced at them in the rearview mirror. What was with boys these days? Sitting next to such a cute girl, and all he could care about was his phone?
After an hour, they arrived at the amusement park.
Despite the chilly weather, the place was packed. The New Year holiday was near, and students and workers alike were on break. As long as it didn't snow, people came out in droves.
The amusement park was owned by the same company behind the SL team, and today's event was hyped as both a match and a marketing boost for the park. Ticket prices were steeper than usual, but entry included access to all the rides and that was more than enough to attract gamers and couples alike.
Ryuko had bought their tickets online, so they picked them up from a small ticket booth (kiosk) and joined the entrance line.
The moment they stepped inside, Haruki was hit by the noise. Screams, laughter, music energy buzzed everywhere.
Vendors were selling snacks, hats, and accessories. Ryuko stopped to buy a red Christmas hat and plopped it on her head, grinning.
Haruki blinked. "Isn't it a bit early for Christmas?"
"Seasonal surplus," she said with a smirk.
Before long, she was dragging him from ride to ride.
"They started with the merry-go-round. Haruki remained stoic.
Then came the pirate ship. He agreed, reluctantly, and they sat at the very back the worst spot. At the peak of the swing, Haruki felt his stomach rise into his chest.
By the time they got off, his face was pale.
"How do people enjoy this?" he muttered. "It looked so fun on TV."
Ryuko, on the other hand, was clearly having a blast.
"Hey, you okay? You're kinda quiet."
"I'm fine," he said through clenched teeth. He couldn't let her outshine him.
So he braved the freefall ride. Then the spinning pendulum. Then the coaster.
By the time they finished, Haruki sat slumped on a bench, hands on his knees, eyes shut tight.
Then he stood up, walked a few steps, and promptly threw up in a bush.
Ryuko stood nearby, looking horrified.
"Sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't realize you weren't used to these…"
Haruki waved her off. "It's fine. We're still watching the game, right?"
"You sure? We can go home."
"No way. We came all this way."
She didn't argue, but from then on, they stuck to more relaxed activities tea in a cozy café, a proper lunch, and a quiet stroll.
By the afternoon, Haruki had recovered.
"I think I'm ready for another shot at the coaster," he said, grinning.
"Nope." Ryuko stopped him. "You're clearly not built for it. Let's just watch the match first."
The tournament began at 2 PM, and fans had already begun lining up at the central arena.
As they queued up, chatting casually, neither of them noticed the growing number of glances being thrown their way.
After all, Ryuko was hard to miss. Her popularity had surged after voicing characters in 5 Centimeters per Second and Voice of the Stars not just for her voice, but for her looks, too.
Among the crowd, filled with anime fans and gamers alike, many recognized her instantly.
And then they noticed the guy beside her.
Wait... was that Mizushiro-sensei?
Ryuko and Mizushiro, showing up together at an amusement park?
The first impression that came to mind for many was instant
A date.
[Note:-This part is cliched with a dense protagonist, along with one other element readers didn't like. These are some of the reasons why I started writing.]
Shout out to KumaDEvol for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)