Dating—written in English as "dating"—originally referred to the act of arranging a meeting in advance.
In modern society, however, it's mostly understood as an activity where a man and a woman go out together.
In simple terms, it's a courtship ritual.
It's also an intensely private one, predicated on a single condition: the two people involved must share mutual affection.
If that condition isn't met, then at the very least, one of them needs to harbor romantic feelings for the other.
Whether it's the shy "I want to tell you how I feel" kind, or the bold "I want you in my bed" kind—
Either way, at least one side needs some degree of interest. Only then does a "date" truly count.
So… between Yukinoshita Yukino and Hara Kei—
Did that kind of feeling exist?
Naturally… no one had any idea.
As for Shinomiya Kaguya, she was a proper highborn young lady—practically raised in seclusion.
And though Hayasaka Ai played the role of a social butterfly in class, she had never been in any kind of romantic relationship either.
Not because no one had tried.
Her bright, approachable personality (or rather, her expertly crafted act) and her "gal" persona led plenty of boys to believe, "Maybe she likes me?"
And inevitably, those boys would start to pursue her.
She turned them all down—gracefully.
Romantic entanglements only interfered with her information-gathering duties, so she never accepted anyone's advances.
Of course, the main reason was simpler: no one yet had managed to stir her heart.
Between the two of them, their combined romantic experience added up to a grand total of zero.
Still, as girls in the springtime of youth, it was impossible for them not to be curious about romance.
In their spare time, they read novels and watched shows that explored those emotions.
But being sane and self-aware, they both understood that learning about love purely through media was… somewhat unreliable.
If "dating" could be measured like a skill, then Shinomiya Kaguya and Hayasaka Ai would both be Lv. 0.
In other words—total beginners.
And yet these two absolute novices were now expected to make those two—Yukinoshita Yukino and Hara Kei—go on a date.
"Milady," said Romance Rookie No. 1, also known as Maid-Class Hayasaka Ai, "you've spent the most time with Yukinoshita-san. Based on what you know of her… is there any chance she could fall in love with Hara Kei by tomorrow and confess to him?"
It was Thursday night.
Snow Hiyono's deadline was this weekend, but since they were all students, Saturday and Sunday were off-limits.
Meaning: the only day they could act was Friday.
Once that day was gone, their already SSS-class mission would jump up to EX difficulty.
"Absolutely impossible."
That was the flat judgment from Romance Rookie No. 2—Shinomiya Kaguya herself.
She might not understand romance, but she did understand people.
Yukinoshita Yukino, much like herself, was proud to the core.
Even if she ever fell in love, she would never confess outright. She'd rather display her brilliance, her elegance as a woman, and let him fall for her first.
She would make him dream of her day and night, until eventually, he confessed—those three sacred words.
By that logic, Kaguya was certain Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't the type to make the first move.
At least, not the current Yukino.
"Then… could we make Hara Kei—no, that's ridiculous."
Kaguya caught herself mid-sentence and shook her head. That idea was absurd even by her standards.
Compared to Yukino, Hara Kei was much simpler to read. His behavior was consistent and unmasked.
With his "software" and "hardware" (brains and looks) combined, if he wanted to, he could easily become the school's ultimate playboy, living a life of constant flirtation and indulgence.
The only reason he didn't was because his ambitions lay elsewhere.
To Kaguya, Hara Kei was like a miser with his emotions—hoarding them tightly, never showing a single coin of affection.
What kind of woman could make that stoic heart flutter?
When it finally did, when those dammed-up feelings burst free… what kind of scene would that be?
Kaguya often found herself thinking about that as she watched him—perhaps even looking forward to it, in secret.
But clearly, Yukinoshita Yukino wasn't capable of that. Not yet.
Even with both Kaguya and Ai's help, the odds were… nonexistent.
Kaguya furrowed her brows, pressing a finger thoughtfully to her chin—her usual thinking pose.
A staged rescue?
Impossible. Not only did she lack the confidence to fool both Hara Kei and Yukino, but Yukino herself was trained in Aikido—too skilled for any contrived "damsel-in-distress" plan. It would backfire spectacularly.
She mentally sifted through every story and movie she'd seen, searching for inspiration.
Then suddenly—her eyes lit up.
An idea.
"A chance encounter?" Ai tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean, 'manufacture a coincidence'?"
"Given the current situation," Kaguya began, "it's impossible to make either Yukinoshita-san or Hara Kei initiate a date themselves. So we'll have to take another route."
She smiled, confidence returning to her face.
"We'll invite them separately. I'll invite Yukinoshita-san, and you'll invite Hara Kei. That way, we'll know exactly where both of them will be this weekend."
"Then, at some perfectly timed moment, the four of us will just happen to meet—say, at a café, or the shopping district. As classmates, it'll be natural to hang out together for a bit."
"And once we've spent some time together… we'll both suddenly have to leave for something urgent. That'll leave only Hara Kei and Yukinoshita-san."
She spread her hands elegantly, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"And that, my dear Hayasaka, is what you call… a date."
Hayasaka Ai stared blankly, processing her lady's words.
Admittedly, under the circumstances, it was the most viable plan so far.
…Wait a second.
"Hayasaka," Kaguya said sweetly, turning toward her maid, her smile sharp as a blade. "You're in Hara Kei's class. So naturally, you'll be the one inviting him out."
I knew it.
Hayasaka sighed internally, her expression unreadable.