CH 13

The graduation ceremony ended, and a longer-than-usual spring vacation welcomed us.

Well, it was a difference like day and night compared to the university’s spring vacations.

Our time together increased on its own, and Suzuka and I were having a smooth sailing.

“Hand me over the manga~.”

“Here you go.”

I stopped playing with my phone and grabbed a manga for her.

“Thanks.”

For the time being, we passed the time together in that manner with leisure words.

But, that was no longer how it was.

We had become lovers.

Though the family registry said that we were in a marital relationship, we thought to go back over the different steps of a relationship that we skipped and start building them firmly from zero, so we became lovers.

Suzuka and my relationship has become clear at last.

Thanks to that, the number of times we were together and felt an uncomfortable sense of awkwardness decreased.

“What’ll you do during spring vacation?”

“Go on the graduation trip and play with my friends like norma~l. And you, Yuuki?”

“Similar to you.”

“I see.”

I went back to fiddling with my phone.

Suzuka too went back to reading her manga.

A few minutes passed and I once again spoke and asked Suzuka.

“You have any plans for tomorrow?”

“I don’t. My plan’s idling away like today. How about you?”

“None either.”

Hence ended our banal conversation once again.

Time simply continued to pass at leisure.

As it did, I resolved myself to actually say this time the words I had intended to when I had called Suzuka just now. 

“Say, Suzuka.”

“Hmm, wha~t?”

“So, you’re free tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’m free and?”

“Want to go on a date?”

After great pains, I finally invited her to a date.

How to say this? Truth is, all this time until now since we became a married couple, not even once had I invited her on a proper date.

We were now lovers, so I should properly invite her on a date.

That was what I thought, and I tried to say it, but I couldn’t manage to get the words out because of the embarrassment. 

“Hmmm…”

Suzuka was mulling it over for a long time.

Eh?

I had thought that now that we were lovers, I would get an instantaneous OK from her…

I waited for Suzuka’s reply with cold sweat running down my back.

After pondering it over deeply for a long time, the answer that came back to me was:

“Tomorrow’s no good.”

“Eh, what? Why?”

“Calm down, don’t fret like that. Haahh.”

Suzuka stopped reading her manga and looked at me.

She then headed towards the dresser in my room.

It was the corner of it that I had lent her. She showed me the clothes of hers that were in it and spoke.

“It’s the first date to which you invite, Yuuki! There’s no way I could go with these clothes! I’ll get more stylish clothes, so please, I want you to wait!”

“Oh, got it.”

I flinched at the cute reason which I could have never imagined.

“With that, I look forward to the day after tomorrow.”

“Got it. The day after tomorrow then.”

Like this, our first date was decided.

Suzuka was in high spirits.

And how was I?

We had become lovers casually, so I wanted to go on a date.

“… Damn.”

I noticed an extremely unpleasant thing.

Suzuka was so excited about it that she would go out of her way and buy fashionable clothes.

Try going on a date with some half-baked plan with someone like that.

It would be the shame of a lifetime.

In which case, all that I had left was to come up with the perfect date plan by the day after tomorrow.

Well, it was already late at night.

I’ll try thinking about it after sleeping for now.

The next morning then came and greeted us.

I overslept since I was already in full spring vacation mode.

“Morning, Suzuka…”

I opened my eyes and noticed Suzuka wasn’t in the room.

Instead, there was a single note left atop the desk.

[To Yuuki:

I’m going to buy some Western clothes! Be back soon!]

“… Ugh.”

I could feel an even greater pressure to not fail at designing a great date plan burden me.

R-right!

For starters, I should do the same as Suzuka and choose some nice clothes.

I opened the dresser with that in mind, and:

“Damn.”

I didn’t buy many spring clothes last year.

Because of that, all I could see were slightly worn-out clothes which I could wear in normal circumstances without problem.

… Uh, anyhow…

It may have been me overthinking it, but after seeing that note overflowing in excitement and expectations, there was no way I could stay unmotivated myself.

“Alright, guess I’ll be going to buy clothes too.”

I went outside in order to buy clothes for the date.

I plan the date while being softly shook by the train.

The amusement park, the aquarium, the zoo, the movies.

On second thought, we should leave out the amusement park.

Suzuka was enthused about getting new clothes. The chances of her going to the date with clothes that were difficult to move in were high.

Which meant that…

While I was thinking about that and other things, the train arrived at a flourishing city.

I put away my phone into my pocket and went onwards to a trip in search of clothes.

… I was more than aware that I had no fashion sense.

As soon as I entered a shop aimed at young people, the employee came over to me and I decided to rely on them fully.

“Which are the recommended clothes for a date?”

“Have you decided on where you are going for your date? There is no better clothing than one that fits the time, place, and occasion.”

“Ermm, we are still uncertain about the place, but we were thinking about the aquarium, the zoo, or the movies. One of those three.”

“Understood. Allow me to show you some suggestions of apparel which can be worn at any of those three places.”

And with that, I went on to choose new clothes with the help from the employee.

Having been able to buy some stylish clothes, I was feeling pleased with myself.

Keeping the momentum, I bought some shoes too.

“Next is that.”

Our first date.

I wanted to give her some present of sorts to make it into a more remarkable memory.

I went to search for a small gift that didn’t go too overboard. 

Before I knew it, it was dusk.

I returned home after having finished my preparations for our date.

I looked around the entry hall and noticed that it had traces that Suzuka had already returned.

I took a cold drink from the refrigerator and was about to open the door to my room, which was presently also Suzuka’s room.

“Yuuki, wait!”

“Hm?”

“I’m currently trying on the clothes I plan to wear tomorrow. And, I already went to all this, so I’d like to keep them a surprise for tomorrow, you know?”

“Oh, yeah.”

My heart was throbbing in excitement.

When I thought about just what kind of clothes she would wear at tomorrow’s date, I found my heart beating faster than ever for Suzuka.

2-3 minutes later.

Since Suzuka told me it was fine now to go inside, I entered the room.

“Sorry~.”

“Don’t worry. From where I’m standing, you’re so excited for tomorrow that you can’t help it. I can only say thank you for being so excited for it.”

“Ehehe? That so? Eh, that’s…”

Suzuka had her attention stolen by the bags I was carrying.

With the full intention of drawing her in, I pushed the bags before Suzuka before speaking.

“Because you were so excited, I tried getting excited myself. Lovers, well, the registry says married couple already though. It’s the first date I invite you on. How could I be all aloof when you’re so excited? That sort of thing.”

“…”

“What’s wrong? You’re silent.”

“I simply was so happy I got silent. A~h, it has to be that. Ever since you said that we should start as lovers first, Yuuki, every day has been so fun I can’t help it. I can’t believe how fun it’s become simply by letting go of that previous sensation of always thinking ‘for now’, ‘for the time being’. Yuuki, I love you!”

Suzuka jumped with great intensity and clung to me, and I gently hugged her back.

We’re only starting.

This is only our beginning.

That was the sort of day it was.