Chapter 84: I'd be happy if I made your heart race

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Translator: Soafp

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Sora, her eyes a little red, said she wanted to fix her makeup, so they stepped into a nearby café. It seemed to specialize in traditional Japanese sweets. Ginji ordered two matcha cake sets and sat down to wait.

“Girls have it tough, huh.”

From Ginji's perspective, she didn't look any different, but since it was their first date after becoming a couple, Sora wanted to make sure she looked her best. He sipped on some cold green tea and watched the scenery outside as he waited leisurely.

Meanwhile, in the restroom, Sora washed her face and touched up her makeup. She had worn light, natural makeup anticipating she might sweat, so all she did was apply some cream and redo her lip color. More than anything, she just felt embarrassed for crying and wanted to reset herself.

“…Ugh, I cried because I was so happy. It's Ginji's fault for being too handsome.”

Standing in front of the mirror with a hand on her cheek, Sora smiled, remembering how Ginji looked earlier. Their first date since becoming a couple had been filled with happy moments. Today would surely become a cherished memory. As she thought back over the day and fixed her hair, a sudden realization struck her.

“Huh? Wasn't today supposed to be the day I made Ginji see me as his girlfriend?”

According to her mentor, Master Suzu, Ginji might start attracting a lot of attention from girls soon. That's why she put in the effort—wearing a nice dress, greeting Tetsuya, going to her favorite store… After giving a full-on otaku introduction, she somehow ended up crying…

“T-This is bad! Really bad!”

She turned pale in front of the mirror. Had she just been clinging to Ginji the whole time, not doing anything truly “girlfriend-like”? In her mind, a cloud popped up with the comical sound “poof,” and Master Suzu appeared, sporting a fake mustache.

“Isn't that fine as it is?”

To her shock, Master gave an approving thumbs-up.

“No, Master! I have to act more like a proper girlfriend!”

She shook off the hallucination and mentally reset. It was their first date—she wanted to do something for Ginji, too.

Resolved, Sora turned back to the mirror, fixed her hair, and stepped out of the restroom toward their table. When Ginji saw her, he waved.

“I've been waiting. The tea here's pretty good.”

His bright smile made all her resolve scatter like mist. Her heart pounded, and she stumbled over her words.

“It's all your fault, Ginji…”

“What's gotten into you?”

She had loved him even before they started dating, and now she loved him even more. There was no way she could stay calm.

Not knowing what else to do, Sora channeled her flustered feelings into the matcha cake in front of her.

She took a big bite. Seeing her eat, Ginji picked up his own fork and tried a piece.

“…It's delicious.”

“The tea was good, but this cake's great too.”

The bitterness shifted with each layer, letting the tea's aroma bloom in the mouth. The cake was elegantly crafted, its subtle bitterness enhancing its sweetness. Sora felt as if the cake itself was telling her to calm down.

“Yeah, the tea is great. Maybe I'll buy some to take home.”

“Good idea. The vibe here's nice, but I gotta say, drinking tea at your place is way more relaxing.”

“Hehe, you think so?”

Sora beamed. Watching her expressions change so quickly, Ginji savored another bite of cake. After they left the café, Sora reached out and held Ginji's hand. He glanced at her—and their eyes met.

Feeling shy, they both chuckled.

“Alright, let's head to the shopping mall. It'd be nice to have some dishwasher-safe plates.”

“Sounds good. If we've got time, maybe we can swing by the arcade, too.”

They retraced their steps and entered the mall. The cool blast of air-conditioning washed over them, prompting simultaneous sighs of relief.

“So cool~”

“Feels like I've come back to life. Let's wander around a bit and then find those plates. I think there's a home goods store. Anything else you want to look for?”

“Let's see… Oh right, I wanted to buy some shoes.”

“Shoes?”

Ginji looked down at her feet and saw white sneakers.

“I only have the shoes I used to wear when I dressed like a guy. Honestly… I always liked the short boots Aika wore with her casual clothes.”

“That sounds great. I'm pretty sure there's a shoe store around. Let's check it out.”

Ginji raised the shopping bag with enthusiasm.

“Should we rent a locker? You've got a lot of bags.”

“No, don't worry. It's not that much.”

So they stopped by the shoe store before heading for plates.

It was a slightly mature store that specialized in women's shoes. Watching Sora browse happily, she looked every bit like a girl her age—not at all like a boy. Ginji felt a fresh wave of guilt, wondering if he had been completely blind in the past.

“Look, Ginji! How about these? Cool, right?”

Sora held out a pair of bulky short boots. What happened to the Aika-inspired ones? Then again, Ginji remembered that her entryway had plenty of similarly chunky shoes. Whatever the case, she looked absolutely adorable holding them out with excitement.

“Aren't those a bit big for you? Well, they'd still suit you, I think.”

“I like big shoes. But these ones are snug inside. Hmm, they probably don't go well with my dress. Maybe I'll go with these girly leather ones instead.”

She held up a pair of black, platform short boots with a feminine touch and tilted her head thoughtfully.

In the end, she bought a pair of summery sandals and the short boots, happily clutching the shopping bag.

Then they bought a few practical plates at a furniture store. A bit tired from all the shopping, they got 100% fruit juice from the food court and sat down together. It was just past noon, and the area was bustling.

Their table had chairs and a partition, with Ginji sitting against the divider and Sora on the aisle side.

“That's pretty much everything we needed.”

“Yeah, I'm totally satisfied. Sorry for dragging you around on my errands, though.”

Sora placed her hat on the table and played with her bangs apologetically. Ginji reached out and poked her forehead.

“I had fun. Shopping with you shows me a side of the world I don't usually see.”

“…Me too. But today was our first official date, so I really wanted to do something… But I didn't know what a girlfriend is even supposed to do.”

“If that's the case, I didn't know what to do as a boyfriend either. Carrying bags is about all I managed… Honestly, you're the one who led the way all day.”

“That's not true. I have fun no matter where we go, as long as I'm with you… and my heart races, too.”

Sora slurped the rest of her juice through a straw, placed the cup down, and scooted her chair closer to Ginji's.

“What's up?”

“…Look straight ahead.”

“?”

As instructed, Ginji faced forward. Then, Sora used her wide-brimmed hat to shield their faces from view on the aisle side. Lifting slightly from her seat, she softly kissed Ginji on the cheek.

When Ginji turned to her, red-faced from the gentle touch, he saw that Sora's face was just as red as she hurriedly readjusted her hat to hide.

She tilted the brim just enough to peek at him.

“Does that make it feel more like a real date?”

“…More than enough.”

“Hehe, I'm glad.”

The two of them, still blushing, looked away from each other for a while until their faces cooled down.

Needless to say, their hands remained tightly clasped beneath the table the entire time.