Volume 1 - CH 3.2

Chapter 3 - First Date (Part 2)

The long awaited Sunday has arrived. The weather forecast I checked earlier turned out to be correct, as today is a sunny day. I left the house looking as neat as possible and walked to the meeting place in the city under the bright sunlight. I had my date plans ready to go, but there was still one big worry looming over me.

"............"

The romance guide says to prepare for the condition of the body before the date, but my condition is very bad today. I know what causes it,

"I'm so nervous, I can't sleep!"

Yes, I was so overwhelmed and sleep deprived! It happened partly because I cut back on my sleep in favor of making plans for a date today, but mostly because I was so nervous last night that I couldn't sleep at all! I'm worried about whether I can afford to finish today's date plan after staying up all night.

"Maybe I came too early... but you never know what's going to happen..."

I was standing in front of an artistic copper statue that served as a meeting place in the city. Arriving much earlier than planned, I checked the time and looked around. Because it is the weekend, there are so many people passing by. Especially in this meeting place, people are so crowded that it overwhelms me as a person who likes to live indoors.

"There are still 30 minutes until the meeting time...."

The pressure was great, but I had enough time to prepare. I stood in the corner of the meeting room, taking a deep breath and trying not to attract attention.

"Eh? Shuuji, you've come!"

The cheerful and refreshing voice was already familiar to me. In fact, I could clearly hear his voice in the midst of all the noise. When I turned around, I saw a beautiful gyaru. The person I promised to meet today was running towards me with a smile on her face.

"Y-Y-Yo."

I felt embarrassed and made a strange sound at the sudden appearance of Miran.

"Good morning!"

Miran came right in front of me. Those big eyes looked at me, making me a little nervous, but I hoped she would forgive my reaction. It happened because she was more beautiful than usual today. Even if she only wore her usual uniform, Miran still had a charm that made many people want to look at her.

But Miran, who is wearing her casual clothes today, is so beautiful and charming that even I, who don't understand fashion very well, can't help but admire her. When she came to greet me as my fiancée before, she wore only casual, ordinary clothes, so when I looked at her now, I felt as if I had been hit hard.

"............"

It seems that I'm not the only one who feels this way, as the eyes of everyone around me are also fixed on Miran.

"Isn't she beautiful?", "Is she a model?", "She's very fashionable."

Such a sentence, which is only heard in anime and manga, turns out to happen in real life.

"Could it be that I got the time wrong?"

Miran, probably worried, saw me standing there, took out the smartphone and tried to check the time. I, who came to my senses afterwards, said in a panic, "No, no, I just came here early!".

In fact, I might have been the one who misinformed her about the time of the meeting! Just as I panicked, Miran mumbled in a somewhat regretful tone, "I wanted to come early and give Shuuji a surprise. But I missed it."

"S-sorry..." I apologized reflexively, making Miran laugh.

"Why are you the one apologizing? You're funny, as always."

"That's right...hahaha."

For God's sake! I don't know how to answer, instead my tone sounds funny! Am I really up to it today?

"Then, let's have fun!"

"Uh, yes!" I walked away, pulled along by my very enthusiastic fiancée.

Calm down, O me! Stay calm! Today I'm going to make sure Miran has fun, and I'm going to thank her for the lunch she made. From the beginning I was tormented by anxiety and tension, but now I have returned to my goal today and encouraged myself.

So, we started the date earlier than planned. I stuck to the plan I had prepared earlier, taking Miran to places I thought girls would like.

***

☆Plan 1 "Popular Crepes Store"

I chose a store that was advertised on TV and quickly became popular with the girls! Of course, I wouldn't normally go there alone, let alone approach it. However, I had heard that Miran liked sweets, so I wanted to start our date here first.

In fact, "The line was unexpectedly long...."

The crepe shop has a line along the popular rides in the Dream Land, so I can only gawk. I didn't expect people to line up for crepes at this time! I really underestimated it! Meanwhile, I was at a loss as to what to do in front of the line.

"I'm very curious about the crepes here, you know!" Miran was very happy to see the crepe shop, as if she didn't care about the line.

"Y-You don't mind standing in line?"

"Yup~! The longer we wait in line, the more delicious the food will be!"

When I saw Miran wanting to go to the back of the line, I felt a little relieved. It's good that we can stand in line together, but now I have to think about how to pass the time while I'm waiting.

"Oh yeah, by the way, I'm glad it's sunny today."

I opened the topic of 'weather talk' from the conversation deck I had prepared for today, and Miran turned to me with a smile, indicating that today was indeed sunny.

"I'm glad too! In fact, I've been making teru teru bōzu, hoping that this day will be bright."

"Teru teru bōzu!?" [TLN: Teru teru bōzu is a kind of simple traditional doll made of white paper or cloth, hung on the edge of a window]

"Would you like to see the photo?"

Miran showed me a photo from her smartphone. There are two teru teru bōzu with big eyes.

"A-Awesome, they are so cute!"

"Cute, right♪"

Even high school gyaru makes teru teru bōzu!? I was so surprised to hear that, but I failed to expand the conversation from there, and the effectiveness of the 'talking about the weather' topic ended. Then I tried to open up other topics, such as 'homework', "are you a person who likes dogs or cats", and so on. I tried to create a conversation from the conversation deck I had already set up, but because I had little ability to reply to the conversation, I quickly spent most of the topic in this waiting time.

Still, I was quite satisfied that I was able to avoid awkward silences. By the way, Miran is a cat lover. Finally, it was our turn to order crepes. The crepes in this place are so delicious that it is worth waiting in line.

"It looks so good and delicious~!"

Miran took pictures of the crepes with her smartphone, then ate them with a big smile. For now, this plan didn't seem bad, did it?

***

☆Plan 2 "Shopping for Accessories and Fashionable Clothes"

For entertainment, we would go shopping on a street full of accessory stores and fashionable and cute clothes stores that girls love! When was the last time I bought my own clothes? As a man who rarely buys his own clothes, this is a place I have never been. For the record, this date outfit of mine was prepared by my parents. 

Miran is very sensitive to style, and many manga and anime depict girls enjoying shopping. Because of this, I put this thing in the plan.

In fact, "What the heck is this cheerful aura!".

I already knew that there would be a lot of people. However, I was so overwhelmed by the people passing by on the street, all of whom exuded an extroverted aura. In fact, the shops and the neighborhood itself seemed to exude the aura of extroversion.

"It's the perfect place for extroverts..."

But that is why this place is so dazzling. Can't I go anywhere else? I groaned inwardly when I saw the happy crowd of people, but I had mixed feelings because I was here too. I mean, are introverts like me allowed to walk this path? I was hesitant to set foot in this happy place, but...

"Look, look, Shuuji! Isn't this one very funny? UwU."

My Gyaru fiancée walked away as if sucked into the row of shops.

"Wait, wait!"

I would have a hard time finding her if I lost her, so I hurried after Miran.

"If Shuuji uses this, you'll probably like it, uww...."

In front of a luxurious accessory shop, Miran pointed at an object and turned to me with a laugh.

"Um, which one?"

"That one, that colorful one, uww."

When I looked at it, it turned out to be a cute cell phone case without paying attention to functionality.

"Well, the design is cool, huh... It seems that if you wear it while calling, it will definitely hit your eyes, and the color is so strong that it makes my eyes hurt. Is there a real person willing to buy... this?" I muttered.

No, but if this can make me, who is an introvert, more courageous, I might be able to consider it. While I was seriously thinking about it, Miran showed me one accessory after another, each with a different design and cute little details. Even though I only gave a serious reaction to these accessories, Miran actually just laughed out loud. It feels a little different from what I imagined, but Miran seems to enjoy it, so maybe this plan can be said to be quite successful.

***

☆Plan 3 "Cool Pancake Shop"

My plan is to choose a popular place that serves pancakes that are worth photographing! Of course, I won't go there alone.

I've never had pancakes before. Is this a kind of hot cake? What's the difference? However, from an article I read, it says that most girls who like sweet food like pancakes, so I made the reservation online.

In fact, "Ugh, I don't think the crepes I just had were digested by my stomach."

When I checked the menu on the way to the shop, my stomach felt full as a sweet smell wafted through the air. The crepe I ate earlier was still in my stomach. I thought crepes would be a light meal, but they turned out to be quite heavy! I feel that my lack of experience in the real world made a difference.

"Could it be that I chose the wrong place?"

I think Miran is also full, can she still eat? But since I booked the place, the time cannot be changed. After a few minutes of walking, I regretted this plan—then we arrived at the destination pancake shop.

"Wow, this is a famous place! It's so fancy!"

Miran shouted excitedly as we walked into a quiet, woodsy shop. I was a little relieved. We entered the shop, and then a waiter took us to a seat, and when I saw the menu, I was shocked.

"T-The menu is great, right...."

There are a number of photos of pancakes, with their very strong sweetness and excessive calories. I-If this is the case... It is best to just drink!

I also felt sorry for Miran-and as I turned my eyes to my fiancée sitting across from me—

"There are so many choices, it's hard to decide~. Which one should I choose?" Miran looked at the menu with bright eyes.

"Well, we just had the crepe, can your stomach handle it?"

"Of course, because I'm always hungry for sweets ♪"

"I-I see, okay."

In my opinion, the first crepe we ate before also tasted sweet, but I won't mention it now. After considering many things, Miran decided to have pancakes with lots of fruit and cream. Later, I felt bad if I didn't eat something, so I ordered the pancake that looked the simplest.

"Wow, this is amazing! Yummy!"

Miran exclaimed happily, snapping a photo with her smartphone of a pile of pancakes that arrived moments later. My order of pancakes also arrived, and I was relieved to see that they looked easier than I had imagined. After taking a bite, however, I realized that I was too naive.

"I-It feels... very... rich!"

Its delicate appearance hides the thick and sweet taste of milk and butter. It's delicious, but it will definitely send my calories and blood sugar skyrocketing! I doubt I'll be able to finish it after this first bite.

"It's so delicious♪!"

Miran chewed happily on a stacked portion of pancakes. She really has a different appetite! I was shocked by the sight in front of my eyes, and I was well aware of how awesome girls who love sweet food are. After that, I also tried my best to finish the pancakes. My stomach was already so full, but seeing Miran happy made me feel that this plan was successful overall.

***

☆Plan 4 "Digesting Food at Game Centre"

I searched the map for the surrounding area and found that there was a large game center near the pancake shop, so I included it in the plan as a way to digest the food. However, since the game center is somewhere between the nature of an otaku and a flashy person, it is not clear whether gyaru will like it or not. If Miran shows no interest, we'll leave immediately. By the way, even though I am a person who likes to stay indoors, I sometimes go to the arcade. I don't want to brag about it, but I'm pretty confident in my ability to play crane games. So if there is a reward that Miran wants in the crane game, I will pick it up and show how cool I am!

It happened because I couldn't show this skill in school, so it's not an exaggeration to say that this is the reason I made this plan.

In fact,

"Is there a game center nearby? It's been a long time since I've been there, hehe."

When I told her that I was planning to go to the game center, this gyaru who was my fiancée started walking enthusiastically. Seeing her like that, I felt relieved. Before, I was afraid that she would hate it, but hearing her reaction, I can feel at ease.

As the map showed, we saw a large game center not far from the pancake shop. My hands also started to itch when I looked from outside the store, there were various crane games that attracted attention.

"I didn't know it was here! This is big enough!"

With Miran impressed, we looked around the area. There are many types of rhythm games, shooting games, medal games, but the crane game area takes up half of the store.

"It's so big, you know, can you catch it?"

Inevitably, we walked around the corner of the crane game, and Miran looked at the various prize with great excitement. Then, excitedly, I said to her, "I'll win whatever you want.".

"Uhm, isn't that kind of thing difficult?"

"Well, take a good look at this."

Well, let's show her how cool I am! I was so confident in my heart, and now I'm trying to win the prize that Miran liked before—a big doll with cat face.

"Gggggh!"

I'm trying to catch it! Try your best to catch it!

"Gggggh... I can't catch it!"

Maybe it's because I've been up all night? Or is it because I'm nervous? Or maybe it's because my skills are low? I can't win any prizes. I tried again and again, but my attempt always failed. I don't even feel like I can win. If this continues, it will be really embarrassing! As I tried to look cool and be stubborn, Miran poked me in the shoulder.

"Shuuji, what about this one? It looks easy to catch and cute too."

Miran pointed to another crane game. It was a crane with a group of straps with a cat.

"Are you sure about this one?"

"Yup! Can you get it?"

The difficulty level is lower than the crane game I am playing now, but so is the reward level. Eventually, I moved on to another machine table because Miran seemed to want it, although on the other hand, I doubted that the gift was appropriate. After concentrating on playing again, I got it easily in one try, as if the previous failure had been a lie.

"T-This...." I offered the strap as a gift with mixed feelings. 

Looking back at the small, cheap gift, I doubt that what I did was appropriate. I feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, Miran was very happy to accept it with a big smile on her face.

"Uwaa! Thank you so much! I'll take good care of it♪!"

I was so surprised to see Miran so happy and excited just because of that simple strap. Although my goal of showing how cool I was failed, I felt very satisfied. Thinking that it would be boring to continue the crane game, I decided to play another game with her.

"Oh yeah! Shuuji, let's take a picture together!" Miran said excitedly, pointing to an area.

"Photo—?" I was surprised when I turned to look at the area she was pointing to.

It was an area I wouldn't normally go to, or rather couldn't go to—an area with a variety of purikura. [TN: Kind of photobox on arcade]

"I haven't taken a picture yet there, is that okay?"

The purikura area has a strong sense of being in a different world, because there are some areas where only men are prohibited from entering. So of course, the introverted me never went in there, let alone tried. I know some of it from manga and anime, but almost all of it is new to me.

"You mean this is your first time? It's okay, really! Let's take pictures!"

My fiancée took me to the corner of the purikura, but I felt uncomfortable because there were a lot of couples and groups of girls there.

"Let's try this one♪!"

There were a lot of different machines, but Miran decided to go behind the curtain of one of the most decorated machines. I hesitantly followed her. The shooting room is bigger than it looks from the outside, but it's almost like a closed room—

"............"

Miran wants to take a picture of the two of us in a place like this? Immediately, I became tense as I was sensitive when I saw my fiancée's back operating the menu on the screen. Then the shooting started when the machine gave us instructions on facial expressions and poses, but I was very stiff because of my nervousness.

"Shuuji, you're so funny♪!"

Before printing, we can decorate photos with various texts and effects—Miran herself giggles as she decorates the photos she has already taken.

"Here, for Shuuji."

"Oh, thanks... is that really me?"

My eyes widened when I received the cropped photo. The filter on the machine had changed the contours of my face and the size of my eyes, changing my impression from a gloomy man to a cheerful-looking person. Miran herself looks satisfied, although she's prettier without the filter, but I won't comment on that here.

"This is the first memory of our date..."

Seeing a happy Miran makes me happy. Apart from the part where I'm upset about the crane game, I think this plan is pretty good, right?