Bzz, bzz, bzz.
The sudden call buzzed in her hand.
Maybe because they'd just been talking about him behind his back, Takahashi Mio stared at the name on the screen, feeling a little nervous.
Ahem, ahem.
She cleared her throat to steady herself and hit answer.
"Hello? Shiratori-kun?"
"Mm, it's me. Where are you right now?"
Being asked for specifics out of the blue made Mio uncomfortable—like she was being checked up on.
Her eyes flickered; instead of answering, she asked, "Uh… what is it?"
"Nothing. Is it strange for a boyfriend to care where you are at night?"
"I'm at a café, chatting with… a friend…"
She paused, then—almost against her will—added, "The new place, NEWBET."
"Got it. Head home early and rest tonight. Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., I'll wait for you at the school gate."
"…"
The school gate?
Mio froze and instinctively wanted to refuse.
But Haruno Rika must have seen it coming—she stomped down on Mio's foot with a high heel.
"Tss!"
Mio's eyes flew open as she sucked in a sharp breath, frowning at Rika.
Rika shot her a fierce glare; her red lips formed a clearly readable silent command:
"Say yes."
When he didn't hear an answer, Shiratori Kiyoya spoke again:
"I know you don't have class tomorrow. Do you have something else going on?"
That snapped Mio back. An idea flashed through her mind.
"Ah, no… It's just my friends heard I'm dating. They're curious about you, so I was thinking of introducing you sometime…"
Kiyoya fell silent.
He hadn't expected someone as vain as Mio to openly share that she was dating. It was surprising—but not bad. It might save trouble later.
He didn't mind meeting them. Since first year of high school he'd seen plenty of big scenes and met more than a few talented leaders. His youthful green had long since worn off; his heart was plenty steady.
So he simply agreed:
"Then pick a time and place—preferably this weekend so it won't conflict with classes…"
He paused, then repeated the point of calling today:
"Don't forget our date tomorrow."
"Mm, I know. Um…"
Mio lowered her eyes, slowly pressed her knees together, stared at the tabletop, and hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Would you be willing to meet them? They're all acquaintances, but it might get noisy. If you don't like that, we can skip it…"
That actually surprised Kiyoya.
Playing hard to get? Acting?
He'd been so forceful yesterday—why the sudden coyness today?
He couldn't be bothered to guess; it was too much effort. After his last lesson, he had no intention of investing feelings in Mio—just effort.
"I'm not that mysterious. Meeting once is fine—saves trouble if any love rivals show up later."
"Oh."
At his straightforward claim of territory, something complicated flickered in Mio's eyes.
She hadn't fully accepted that she was "in a relationship." They'd only met once. There hadn't been the lovey-dovey talk of normal couples. The conversation trailed off there.
Kiyoya asked if she had any other questions. When she said no, he hung up.
Listening to the beeps in her ear, Mio still hadn't quite come back to herself.
Across from her, Haruno Rika smiled, stubbed out her cigarette, and said meaningfully:
"As expected of you, Mio—playing hard to get like a pro, and you've never even dated."
Mio slowly shook her head, slipped her phone back into her bag, and sighed:
"No… I really just feel like it's not very fair to him."
She'd never dated, but her friends had cycled through partners again and again. Whenever someone started seeing a new boyfriend, they'd drag him out; even if they didn't give him a hard time, there'd be a barrage of questions—or at least teasing.
She still couldn't read what kind of person he was. From their first encounter yesterday, he didn't seem easygoing—his attitude was pretty hardline…
If it went ugly, no one would walk away happy.
At the word "unfair," Rika frowned and looked at her like she was an idiot.
"You should see a doctor."
Flustered, Mio explained what she meant.
After listening, Rika took a quiet sip of coffee and said:
"You've got a point. Just give them a heads-up beforehand—tell them not to mess with him. No need to overthink it."
"Mm."
Mio nodded. She'd do that.
"But have you thought about how to handle the date tomorrow?"
"How to handle…? Just be normal, right? He probably won't do anything. Maybe just a regular meal date or something…"
Mio muttered, wringing her hands. Her first date ever—with a boyfriend she'd only met once—felt absurd.
"Here's some advice."
"What?"
"Don't lie to him."
Rika wiped her lips with a napkin, checked the time on her watch, gathered her things, and stood. Looking down at Mio, she said:
"You can fool any old idiot, but with a man you can't see through, just be sincere."
"Oh, and you're paying today."
With that, Rika headed out.
"Eh? Where are you going?"
"What do you think? Work. No man's lined up to keep me."
"…"
Mio opened her mouth, then watched in silence until Rika disappeared from view. Only then did she lower her gaze and sip her coffee.
After a while, chewing on the tart edge in Rika's words, she suddenly smiled—bright and sunny. A swell of self-satisfaction rose in her chest.
Maybe this feeling… isn't so bad?
…
Friday, 7:00 a.m.
Mio was up early—the earliest she'd been all year.
For today's date, she'd gone to bed before ten.
It paid off: her dark circles were faint now; with a touch of powder they'd be invisible.
She showered, did her makeup, and practically turned her wardrobe inside out. Finally she picked something off the clothes-strewn bed, held it up in front of herself, and felt… reluctantly satisfied.
She stood before the mirror, cycling through expressions and poses, studying her face again and again.
She rehearsed what to say when she met Shiratori Kiyoya.
Still a little conflicted, but she'd already settled on a general strategy.
Since he came off so assertive, she'd go softer.
It was a shame her first impression hadn't been great…
Every time she thought about cursing him out on the rooftop two days ago, she regretted it all over again.
If only she'd left him a "refined lady" impression…
But given the situation, she could be forgiven, right?
He probably wouldn't mind… right?
She hoped he wouldn't.
There's no medicine for regret, so she could only comfort herself with that.
After a day to cool off, she'd decided: as long as Shiratori Kiyoya wasn't some pervert with a dirty secret, she absolutely wouldn't let go.
Remembering Rika's envious eyes and jealous words last night only made her sense of triumph surge.
Feelings can grow later—get on the bus first, buy the ticket after.
Absolutely don't let go.
And she remembered what the books said:
To truly win a man's heart, you have to stay absolutely clear-headed and calm.
Don't give nothing—but don't give everything at once. Especially not your body.
That had to be what Shiratori Kiyoya wanted most.
Setting her own rules for this relationship in her mind, Mio smiled perfectly at the mirror—as if she already had this sudden romance in the bag.