Chapter 89 – Prelude to the Future

Suddenly today, Takei proposed that he and Akari should go to the local amusement park.

It was quite out of character for Takei, who preferred more subdued and peaceful events.

Akari realized this, but decided to ignore her suspicion and go with Takei's fun plan for a date.

For Takei, this was a blessing since he wanted to keep something's secret from her.

The date for the amusement park would be set for tomorrow, which was a rest day and was also the day before his parents' departure time.

For the time being, Takei needed to get everything together and ready for that eventful day.

To get everything ready, he decided to recruit some allies for the war effort.

Takei called up Eiji and Ryuto and asked them to aid him in his efforts.

In response, they happily agreed since they were proud that Takei was finally choosing to move forward of his own accord.

Firstly, Takei needed some new clothes for the date.

Even though he had already gone clothes shopping with Akari a while back, Takei wanted something new and fresh that Akari hadn't seen yet.

Knowing fully well what type of clothes that Takei needed, Eiji and Ryuto pulled him to a hidden men's fashion place and used him as a dressing doll.

"How about this one?"

"Nope, that's too flashy."

"Hey, how about this then?"

"Nope, too showy."

Eiji and Ryuto repeatedly presented Takei with many outfits, but he denied most of them since they just didn't fit his tastes.

Glancing around the store, Takei noticed a black collared shirt that looked perfect for the look he was going for.

Eiji looked at him and could only sigh at the end result.

"As expected."

Ryuto handed Takei a pair of black jeans and immediately got an affirmation.

Since the duo had known Takei for a while, they also knew his preferences when it came to clothes.

Especially when it comes to his favorite color.

After paying for the clothes, they embarked to a barber shop to make sure that Takei's hair was properly cleaned up.

Entering the barber shop, Ryuto greeted the old ladies that he would always see working there.

In response, they all happily returned the greeting.

Once the whole group was seated, one of the ladies asked what Ryuto was here for.

"Hello, Ryuto. What are you here for today? The usual?"

"Ah, no. My friend here is going on a date soon, so we need to get him into top condition."

Ryuto pointed towards Takei and explained the situation.

Once she heard the whole situation, the old lady nodded and gently smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll make it so that girl falls in love with you even more!"

It seemed that the thought of Takei preparing hard to go on a date with a girl made the old lady energetic, since she wanted to do her best to ensure that Takei would be able to sweep the girl of his dreams right off her feet.

Without even asking for Takei's permission, the old lady immediately got to work.

Trimming the edges and shortening his bangs, the barber turned Takei into a new person.

If some of his classmates saw him now, they most likely wouldn't be able to recognize who he really was.

Once the barber finished, Takei stood up and inspected himself in the mirror.

Instead of the mediocre and glum-looking guy that he usually was, the new Takei looked like a fine gentleman.

Without his depressed look and messy hair, Takei was objectively handsome.

"Like a god..."

"Incredible, I think you have me outmatched..."

Ryuto and Eiji complimented him immensely as Takei showed his true power.

After giving a more in-depth look at his appearance, Takei nodded with a surprised smile on his face.

"Thank you, it looks great. I'll leave a large tip for you."

Takei bowed and profusely thanked the barber for her hard work.

"Twas' nothing. I wish you the best of luck on your date!"

Takei paid for his haircut and then left the barber shop with Ryuto and Eiji in tow.

They spotted a hotdog truck and decided to get an early dinner.

Takei had notified Akari beforehand, and told him that he would be home late today so she wouldn't have to wait on him.

Akari texted him back and told him that she would head back to her house early today, perhaps also getting ready for tomorrow's eventful day just like Takei.

Walking up to the hotdog truck, all three placed their orders.

"Chili cheese dog."

"Polish dog."

"Just a normal hotdog."

Without explicitly saying it, Takei's choice was easy to distinguish from the rest.

They scouted the nearby area and found an area to sit down and eat.

Takei placed down his bags and proceeded to eat the plain hot dog that he ordered.

Even though it was just a plain hot dog, Takei noticed that it was still very flavorful even without the extra add-ons.

While he was intently focused on chewing, Eiji patted him on the back.

"Takei, I don't say this often but... Truly, I'm proud of you. You've grown so much in such a little amount of time. Despite what you think, this was your own growth so be proud of it."

Contrary to what Takei was expecting, Eiji praised him immensely.

"I agree as well. Even though I haven't known you for long, I can tell how much you've changed. Takei, you've become a better man."

Adding on to Eiji's praise, Ryuto also added some of his own.

After taking in all of the feelings that were projected towards him, Takei felt tears tugging at the bottom of his eyelids.

He was so overwhelmed with the sheer amount of emotions that were running rampant in his heart.

Takei was incredibly grateful to have such great friends.

"Thank you guys, really. I couldn't have asked for better friends."

Looking up to the sky, Takei reinforced his will to move forward.

It's finally time. Everything either begins or ends tomorrow. I can't run anyway. Not anymore. I'll tell her about everything.

Taking in a deep breath, Takei resolutely smiled and remembered the purpose of why the events today had even happened.

I'll tell her all about my feelings.

---

Tomorrow.

Chapter 90.

3000 words.

The finale to Akari's affection meter.

11 a.m. PST