CH 13

Chapter 13 – It’s a Date Until You Get Home

“The film was interesting.”

“That might have been the best one of the year!”

The film that Kotone-chan chose was the most interesting. It was so good that I can’t sum it up in just one word. The explosion scene in particular was so shocking and powerful that it still lingers behind my eyelids.

It was a blockbuster, full of laughter and tears. I don’t want to tell you that I was in tears. But I want to tell you about the emotion!

“I was surprised that that spy betrayed them.”

“Right! And yet he had a manly end… Huu~, I’ve turned numb.”

“Yuji-senpai was crying, wasn’t he?”

“Hah!? I didn’t cry!”

I mean, she was looking at me? I didn’t make any crying noises…did I?

It didn’t turn out to be particularly romantic, but I enjoyed it, so I guess that’s good.

The sun was setting when we went outside. If it’s an adult date, it might be a scene where you invite your lover to dinner, but unfortunately for us students, we had to call it a night. 

“Is Kotone-chan’s house close to here?”

“It’s close to the station. It’s a different station from this one, though.”

She goes to school by train? Was it bad that I stayed with her until it got dark?

“It’s getting dark, I’ll send you home.”

“Eh? It’s fine. When I work part-time, I always get home late.”

So I’ve been told.

“Do you know something, Kotone-chan?”

“Yes?”

“It’s a date until the man sends the girl home.”

I said that with a smug look on my face. My teeth must have flashed.

…I’ve done it again.

It’s a bad habit of mine to want to look cool. Perhaps it’s more like a disease? Ah~… All men want to look cool, don’t they? I’d like to believe I’m not special.

If I will regret it, I shouldn’t do it, but I can’t help it because it came out of my mouth before I can make that judgment.

“F-Fufu…”

Kotone-chan was dumbfounded, but my words and actions made her shoulders shake slightly.

She tried to hold back, but she couldn’t take it anymore and opened hermouth to laugh. I can feel the heat gathering in my face.

“Then, I’ll take you at your word and let you take me home, Yuji-senpai. Please take care of me.”

Kotone-chan bowed her head after her laughter subsided.

“Y-Yeah. I’ve got it.”

If it’s a request from your cute girlfriend, being able to pat your chest and nod is what being a boyfriend is all about.

We took the train to the station near Kotone-chan’s house. It wasn’t that far, so it didn’t take that long by train.

All we could talk about was the film we had just seen. I thought we didn’t have enough time to talk about it, and I’m convinced it was a good decision to take her home.

Cinemas are a very good date spot, aren’t they? It really seemed so when I was talking to Kotone-chan on the train.

“Ah, I get off at this station here.”

I was chatting with her and soon, we arrived at the station we wanted to go to.

I almost lost track of time. I’m so full of life! So this is what it’s like to be a riajuu…

It’s about ten minutes from the station to Kotone-chan’s house.

We continued along the road at night, lit by street lamps. We soon entered a residential area.

“This far is good enough.”

Kotone-chan stopped dead in her tracks.

“My house is just around the corner, so just here is fine. Yuji-senpai, thank you for walking me home!”

She then bowed her head with thanks.

What a polite girl she is. I’d like to see her parents.

“I see. So this is where we say goodbye.”

I wonder if Kotone-chan’s parents are in the house at the end of that turn.

I don’t really want to see her parents, and I don’t think Kotone-chan would want me to see them either. That’s why I said this is where we part.

I’m Kotone-chan’s boyfriend. But it’s also a relationship that’s the result of a threat.

So far, I haven’t seen Kotone-chan show her disgust, either because she’s good at hiding her emotions or maybe my presence isn’t big enough to shake her heart. Is she just going to smile and bear it for a limited time? Perhaps, she…

“Today was really fun. Yuji-senpai, let’s go on another date.”

Her innocent smile made my heart brighten up.

“Yeah, let’s go on another date.”

I smiled back. That’s what boyfriends do, don’t they? I couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you doing, Kotone?”

It was a man’s voice.

I heard a voice behind my back. I turned and saw a middle-aged man in a suit.

He was tall and had a straight back, giving the impression of being full of vitality. His well-groomed face was full of confidence.

His crisp suit looked expensive. You can feel the elite aura of the man all over. Maybe it’s just me who feels that way?

His appearance and his voice when she called out for Kotone-chan, they were enough for me to make a judgment.

This man is Kotone-chan’s father!

Meeting in a situation I’m not prepared for… I don’t know what to say. Oh, my God, I’m losing my mind…

“D-Dad…”

He’s really Kotone-chan’s father!

Kotone-chan’s words convinced me. Erm… S-Should I say my greetings?

“I-It’s a beautiful day we have here to—”

“Good grief, you’ll never be as good as Ayane, seeing you’re hanging out in a place like this.”

Father Fujisaki walked past me and stood in front of Kotone-chan.

“Go home quickly.”

No, he walked past Kotone-chan without stopping. As he turned a corner, his figure disappeared.

…Eh? What was that?

Not a word to her daughter’s boyfriend. There’s a theory that he doesn’t approve of me being Kotone-chan’s boyfriend, but if that’s the case, he should have said, “What’s your relationship with my daughter?” and snapped at me. Maybe I’ve been reading too many manga?

“Y-Yuji-senpai!”

Kotone-chan called me back to consciousness. Apparently I was shaken up by the sudden appearance of my girlfriend’s father.

“I’ll be going home… Thank you so much for today!”

“Yeah. Be careful.”

“It’s right there so there’s nothing to be careful of!”

“Ahaha,” said Kotone-chan, laughing and smiling as she left.

But her smile seemed different in kind from the one she had earlier.