Chapter 8: 7

Chapter 7 - Dating Apps Are the Battlefield of Love

 

 

"Fujigaya-kun and Ichinose-kun, you can leave now."

"Sho-chan, do you want a drink?"

Enji pointed to the counter as if he was about to pour a glass of beer.

It was still noon and there was no beer in the cafe, so I guess he meant coffee.

I changed out of my uniform into regular clothes and sat down at the counter.

I have a sandwich for lunch and a cup of coffee, a specialty of the shop.

"Why do you serve iced coffee in winter?"

"Because hot ones are drunk in the summer."

"Isn't that? That's weird."

"That's because Sho-chan isn't me. Do you know what they call fries? "imo-pê-tan"? That's weird too, isn't it?"

"It's not weird. It's a universal language."

"But a foreigner wouldn't be able to say that!!!"

After finishing his sandwich and taking a sip of coffee, Enji opened Connect and said,

"What's going on? Are you making progress with your ex-girlfriend, Hatsune-san ...... or someone new?"

Shin Hatsune, is Kokoro's real name.

I've heard that name from her, but I still call her Kokoro. She also still calls me Kakeru.

Kokoro-san went to the same university as me and Enji, and she was treated like a goddess because of her beauty. But she was mistaken in thinking that she was being avoided....

"There's nothing new. I've dated Hatsune-san before, and we're planning to do it again next week."

I called Kokoro-san by her last name for Enji to know.

Hearing the latest news about Kokoro-san, Enji's face frowned slightly.

"What's with that face, are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not. I know you and Hatsune-san always eat together every weekday."

"Then why are you mad at me?"

"N-No!"

"Then stop acting like a tsundere heroine! I don't like romantic comedies with men!"

"So what about your ex-boyfriend?"

"Ah, I returned his umbrella the other day and we went out for dinner afterward. ......Then on the day when you canceled our appointment, I met her again and we went out together that day as well. I'm afraid the price of your apology will be too high."

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. But didn't you end up having dinner with your ex-girlfriend because of my cancellation?"

"Indeed, but I didn't want to..."

"Yeah, yeah, you tsundere."

"I'm not a tsundere!!!"

Taking a sip of coffee, Enji sighed.

"I envy you, Sho-chan."

"What?"

"I think it's amazing that your love hasn't cooled down even after a year. You didn't even meet her during that time."

Indeed, I've only been alive for two years, but I don't think I've ever fallen for someone more than Hikari.

"I also want to fall in love with someone."

"What about the girl you mentioned before?"

"Yes, we're good friends. I'll meet her next week. Sho-chan has a Saturday shift, right?"

"How did you know?"

"You have a Sunday shift, and you go to college on weekdays, right?"

How does she know my shift? I don't even remember my shift.

"I also have Saturday shifts, so we're on the same page. I'm going to the cafe in Sannomiya."

"I see, but I can't decide yet."

I met Kokoro-san every day before Saturday. I planned to enjoy a meal and chat with her at the cafeteria on weekdays, and then we would decide on our plans for Saturday.

"I see~ You eat with Hatsune-san every day, right? You deliberately decided it later because you prefer her to eat with me."

"Why are you angry? That's disgusting."

"Evil!"

Kokoro-san, who originally couldn't even speak well, was now able to speak better than me.

[What kind of clothes do you like, Kakeru-san?]

We no longer talk on Connect, but also on LINE.

I, whose profile picture is omurice, don't have many matches, so I don't open Connect as often as before.

Now, I just look back at my conversation history with Hikari.

I decided to cut off all lingering feelings, but after hearing her speak like that in her sleep, I had a little hope that we could still start over.

But I've already decided....

Even if I apologize, it doesn't mean that everything can go back to normal.

There was a one-year gap between us.

[I don't have anything special to say. I think all men like the way you dress.]

Why is she asking that?

I wonder if she can no longer believe in her fashion sense?

I thought Kokoro-san's outfit was neat, popular among boys, and coordinated with fashion sense.

I'm sure it's not just my taste, but it also looks that way from an objective point of view.

[Really! I'm so happy. I'll do my best to dress up for our date on Saturday...]

Kokoro-san, or rather most of the female students, basically wear rough clothes when they come to the university.

Perhaps that's why when I met Kokoro-san outside the university, the atmosphere was very different.

Could it be that she felt happy that she wanted to meet me?

I didn't want to think of it that way, since the other party was a famous person in the university, a madonna.

Kokoro-san only asked for my help to overcome her shyness, since I was a little easier to talk to than the others.

I shouldn't fall in love with Kokoro-san until I can get rid of my feelings for Hikari.

[I can't wait.]

[Me too.]

 

***

[Hikari's POV]

[Next Saturday, if you want, let's go out to dinner. I was a bit of a jerk that night, so I want to buy you a drink to make up for it].

I got a message from a guy I once dated on a dating app.

After the cancellation, I decided to go for a drink with Sho. It was a fun day.

It wasn't that I liked Sho or anything. It was just that there was good food, good drinks, and a guy who was the funniest person I'd ever spent time with, second only to my family.

I don't like Sho, but he's a good friend.

He was just a normal, slightly handsome, market-salted guy who noticed me when I was feeling down and was always kind to me, and who would never let me down no matter how bad my cooking tasted.

After a boring and colorless weekday, it was now Saturday.

Normally, I have a part-time job at a cafe, but today I happened to be on vacation, and I was going on a date with a handsome guy who happened to ask me out.

I met him for lunch, we went to a cafe, and then he bought me sushi for the night as an apology for canceling our date.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh, good morning, Akari!"

The handsome man, who had been standing there waiting for me at the station like a loyal dog, looked around and ran towards me with a big smile on his face when he saw me.

What a cute boy!

I guess this is what is commonly referred to as a "doggy-type guy".

I've been taking care of my fat cat girlfriend for a long time, so I feel refreshed.

"Well, let's go!"

"Yes!"

Sweet words came out of her attention, her behavior, and her outstanding appearance.

It's like a calculated study on how to be popular among women. But whether this was an act or whether she had always had this kind of personality, even I, the person who met her in person, didn't know.

This person is popular.

That's why I have to be careful.

The reason why popular guys use dating apps to look for the opposite sex is most likely because they want to get laid.

He would show his true colors the moment I had cut off any lingering feelings for my ex-boyfriend, then give me sushi as an apology in his hand, and when my stomach was filled, without hesitation he would ask me out to go to the hotel room.

"This place is cool, right? My friend said the omurice here is delicious."

The man took me to a cafe that Sho and I frequented.

We went there the day we met again.

I was happy and nostalgic that I could come here again with him.

"Have you been here before, Akari?"

Vaguely, I wondered what it meant to be alive.

I realized it on the day when we met again. I realized that thanks to Sho, my daily life had become enjoyable.

I thought the reason why everything was so boring was that Sho was no longer by my side.

"Yes, I have. It's been a few times."

"Oh? I think this is a good place to live."

"I don't know many friends here, but I think it's a pretty nice place. It doesn't look like a cafe at first glance.

"Ah~ it looks like a forest from the outside, right?"

I put my spoon into the omurice and brought it into my mouth.

It was delicious. But this wasn't enough.

I wanted to know what Sho was doing now.

 

***

[Sho's POV]

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day.

Today is my date with Kokoro-san.

This was the second time we met outside of the university.

Today's date plan was to meet at Sannomiya station and take the Port Liner to Port Island, which is a bit far from the city center.

We would go ice skating at the sports center in Port Island.

It seems Kokoro-san has been learning ice skating since she was a little girl, and since she said she could skate pretty well, I decided to ask her to teach me how to skate to make up for my lack of exercise.

"Kakeru-shan......!!!"

It is common practice to wear pants while skating.

Running from the ticket gate was Kokoro-san, who was wearing pants, which were different from the skirts and girly clothes she usually wore.

It seems that she still likes to get bitten every fifth time she talks.

He seems to be very bad at the "sa" line. Most of his tongue is bitten on the "sa" line.

"Good morning, Kokoro-san!"

"Oh, s-good morning!!!!"

I took back what I said earlier. She was bitten three times. And she seems to have problems with the lines "sa", "ha" and "za".

[TL: She slurred her words when she said "Ohayo Gozaimasu."]

"Well, should we go to the Port Liner?"

"Yes!"

We took the escalator from JR Sannomiya Station and transferred to the Port Liner.

Port Island is an artificial island in Kobe Harbor, known to locals as Poai.

It is quite popular with visitors, with facilities such as the UCC Coffee Museum and Kobe Animal Kingdom, both popular date night destinations.

I love seeing the Kobe Grand Bridge lit up at night from Port Island North Park.

Take the Port Liner and get off at Citizen's Square Station.

The Sports Center is just a short walk away.

When ice skating, you must wear gloves.

This is not only because of the cold but also to avoid cutting your hands on the blades attached to the soles of your skates if you fall.

I heard about this from Kokoro-san, so I brought gloves.

They also sell gloves for those who forget to bring them.

And don't forget to wear comfortable clothes too.

And most importantly, the shoes........

"What the hell, I don't know how to tie them...."

I've heard that tying knots is difficult, so I watched a how-to video yesterday, but I still don't know how to do it.

Tying knots in real life is completely different from tying them in a video.

But I don't have skating shoes at home.

"What should I do?"

In addition to changing shoes, there is also a changing room for those who have brought comfortable clothes.

I left my luggage in the locker and tried to change my shoes, but I would make Kokoro-san wait a long time.

I might as well give up and ask Kokoro-san how to tie them.

I grabbed my shoes and headed to the side of the arena in my socks.

There I found Kokoro-san, who had already changed her shoes and was looking anxiously toward the entrance of the men's locker room.

"Oh, you can't tie them, Dad...."

Looks like I've been designated as the kid who couldn't do it even if I tried.

"Not really, I've been practicing at home."

"It took me about five days to learn how to tie knots."

I think Kokoro-san said she started skating when she was in 1st grade......

"Please sit down for a moment."

"Uh, yes."

She urged me to sit on a nearby bench.

In front of me, Kokoro-san squatted down and touched my thigh.

"Eits!"

"Lift your leg, please."

"Ah!"

I almost had a weird fantasy, but she just wanted to tie my shoelaces for me.

I know she says she's shy, but I wish she wouldn't do random body touches like this.

Because this is making me nervous.

"To prevent your legs from twisting, tie the rope around your ankles as well."

She turned around and tied the rope with a familiar hand.

Her white, thin fingers seemed a little slower than usual.

"Yup, it's done!"

"Thank you very much."

"No, no, no, let's go! Let me help you!"

In skating, the sole of the shoe is the only surface that touches the ground. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain balance, and you can fall even when you are not on the ice.

When I put on skates for the first time in my life, I was treated like a baby who didn't know how to walk, and I didn't have time to tell him to stop because I was embarrassed.

"It will be much more slippery at the rink than you can imagine, so please be careful."

"Yes, be careful. ..... Oh my!"

As soon as I set foot on the slippery arena, I became excited myself, gasping for air and grabbing Kokoro-san's arm.

"Ehh, calm down, Kakeru-san!"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down, ah!"

And as a result of my carelessness, my butt was cooled by the ice in the arena.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to drag you into this."

"No, if I was there to support you, this wouldn't have happened...."

It was my fault, but Kokoro-san blamed herself instead.

Kokoro-san was pulled by me and fell forward. Now she's lying on top of me.

And I can easily imagine what will happen to Kokoro-san when she realizes that.

"Awawa!!!"

Kokoro-san, who was just as confused as me a moment ago, jumped to get away from me and then became mistaken....

"Ouch!"

I fell into a sitting position.

"......"

"......Sorry, I'm sorry. Both of us...."

"Falling, hahaha."

We both fell and our eyes met.

We were falling, but seeing Kokoro-san laughing uncontrollably in front of us, it seemed like we were enjoying it.

After an hour of skating with my hands on the wall, I improved to the point where I could skate by myself.

I took my hands off the wall and skated down the skating rink that was 30 meters long and 60 meters wide.

I could only move slowly, but at least I had made progress.

"Well done, Kakeru-san! You can already skate on your own!"

"Ah, eng, umm!"

I was so focused on my lower body that I couldn't speak properly, and I was so desperate that I couldn't help but answer Kokoro-san's voice.

Seeing me like this, Kokoro-san giggled, slid in front of me, and grabbed my hand.

"Kakeru-san, please glide like a penguin, not a walrus. You don't have to glide right away. Let's walk like a penguin, one step at a time."

The first thing he taught me was to walk like a penguin.

Doing this indeed made me feel much more stable.

If I do this, I definitely won't fall.

"And then, once you get used to it, we'll slide our feet down in the same walking motion. Bend your knees slightly, and your body's center of gravity should be around the base of your thumb."

I followed Kokoro-san's advice and felt more stable, and could move more smoothly on the ice.

"Kokoro-san! I'm skating now!"

"Yes, you're already fine. So I'll let go of your hand."

 

Kokoro-san, who was sliding, slowly let go of my hand and moved away from me, who was facing me.

I followed Kokoro-san's instructions and walked slowly and unhurriedly.

After safely completing one lap, I placed my hands on the wall.

I felt relieved as if I had returned alive from a desert island.

Well, even though I had never been adrift on a desert island since it was just an analogy.

"You're very good at this, Kakeru-san. It took me five days to get my hands off the wall."

She was in elementary school back then, and she had grown too much by the fifth day? Was there some kind of resurrection event?

"Let's take a break. You're tired, aren't you?"

It had been more than an hour, and no matter how much exercise I did, I was still young.

I'd like to think that I can't say that I'm tired because of this, but the lower half of my body has been shaking since a while ago.

"I'll get muscle cramps tomorrow........"

"That's right, you're standing up using muscles you don't normally use, people who do it for the first time will usually have trouble moving the next day."

She smiled and said something nasty.

I have a part-time job tomorrow, but I might not be able to move properly.......

I'll just sit back and let Enji take care of everything.

In front of me, who was rubbing my tired feet, Kokoro-san was staring at the skating rink with sparkling eyes.

"You can go ahead and skate by yourself, I'll stay here watching."

"Really?!"

She must have been holding back all this time.

Kokoro-san, who is the most agile skater I've ever seen, heads to the rink.

"She wants to skate......."

As she stepped onto the rink, she held back her excitement and entered slowly.

She does this not only to prevent herself from falling but also to avoid disturbing other skaters.

Kokoro-san entered the rink and skated one lap, just normal skating as usual.

She skated at a much faster speed than I did, but instead of "somehow skating a lap" Kokoro-san skated a steady lap as if she was used to it.

After finishing the first spin, she left the circle area and started skating to the center of the rink where there were no people.

She danced and danced around the arena in all directions.

She bounced and spun, and a scene I had only seen on TV spread out before my eyes.

For a long time, I couldn't understand how great the figure skaters in the movie were.

But now that I've tried it myself, I have a better understanding of how difficult it is to jump on the ice.

How much practice it takes to conquer the ice.

How difficult it is to even just skate and how impressive it is to wow the audience just by skating.

"Your girlfriend is amazing!"

"Ah, yes."

A man I didn't recognize said to me. He must be a visitor here.

I felt no need to deny that he wasn't my boyfriend, so I just nodded and left it at that.

After skating for a while, Kokoro-san realized that she was the center of attention and slowly skated us, her face turning bright red.

"Did I do something wrong.....? I'm being closely watched...."

Kokoro-san who was sitting next to me uttered a sentence like the protagonist of a Warriors novel, and perhaps unknowingly, she hid behind me as if I were a wall.

Her hand touched my back, and I could feel her trembling slightly.

"It's very beautiful. I think that's why people keep looking at it."

"I-Beautiful------!!!"

After I said that, I realized that I might have embarrassed her even more, but it was already too late, and excitement rose from Kokoro-san's head.

"Kokoro-san! The steam is coming out!"

"Hah, hah........."

The room temperature should be around 0° Celsius, but how could she make steam?

"Come on, let's go together and slide."

"Yes, yes...."

I pulled her hand and she smiled happily.

Of course, I was the one who was pulled as we entered the arena....

After that, she skied for another 3 hours, and at the end of the busy hour, she was finally able to ski by herself without any difficulty.

"Is this your first time playing it?"

"Yes."

It was the man from before who spoke to me.

Kokoro-san next to me asked, "Who is it? Is it someone you know?"

"You improved quite fast, I wonder if it's because your boyfriend is good at teaching you!"

"Gagagaga!!!!"

"Ah!"

I tried to reply, but it was useless.

Kokoro-san's voice sounded like a broken engine.

I didn't expect to hear her say something like that right in front of me, and I became very anxious.

I tried to drown out the person's voice, but it had already reached Kokoro-san, so it was no use.

"Oh, sorry, did I say the wrong thing?"

"No, it's fine."

It was embarrassing that I had taken the liberty to refer to myself as her boyfriend without Kokoro-san's knowledge. It was a bit complicated to correct my mistake, but I never expected this to happen, it was too embarrassing.

She, who came and made things awkward, just left. B*stard.

We walked off with our skates and entered our respective locker rooms.

We changed our shoes in the changing room and made an appointment to meet at the reception.

In the slightly cold locker room, I exhaled to warm up my reddened fingertips. With warm hands, I checked the cell phone I left in the locker and saw that two LINE messages had arrived.

[You got a new message from Enji-kun.]

Below the text on the screen, there was another notification.

[Enji-kun-san has sent you a picture."]

[TL: The contact's name is "Enji-kun" but the app notification adds "-san"].

"Picture......?"

I thought it might be something trivial, but then I remembered that Enji also said that he was going out with a girl he met on Connect.

I opened LINE, saw the iconic image of him smiling while holding a cup of coffee, and opened a message from him

"Eh......"

The content of the message was nothing special, just the status report line that I always got even though I didn't ask for it.

[Look at this, Sho-chan. I'm at an omurice cafe.]

But in the attached picture, on the other side of the omurice, is the same tote bag I gave to Hikari a while ago.

[Enji, where's the girl you asked out?]

[She was going to the toilet when the picture was taken! She's next to me now.]

No way! Is such a coincidence possible?

[What does she look like?]

You are reading story Matchinguapuri de Moto Koibito to Saikai Shita at novel35.com

[She's a nice girl. I think I'll be a little more serious about trying to get her.]

That's not what I asked.

Enji likes to hang out with people, especially girls, and he told me that he hooks up with them to make friends because of his hobbies, such as visiting cafes, museums, and movies, which are more suitable to do with girls.

But Enji is a handsome man. He also understands women's minds.

Even if he's not interested in them, the girls are.

If Enji seriously wanted to pursue them, then he would......

I typed "Where are you guys?" into my phone, but then I deleted it again.

If Enji's date was Hikari, what would I do?

Interfere with my ex-boyfriend's new love?

I've already broken up with Hikari and am trying to find a new love.

In addition, Hikari also said that she has someone new in her life.

I'm dating Kokoro-san right now, though it might not be the same as a romantic relationship.

I closed my phone and headed to the reception.

I couldn't keep Kokoro-san waiting any longer.

Besides, they probably just had the same tote bag. It was a popular brand, so it wasn't too strange.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, I just arrived too."

We left the skating rink in silence and headed towards Portliner station.

The atmosphere was a little awkward because of what had just happened. The only sounds were my footsteps and the sound of the Port Liner.

"Umm... Kakeru-san?"

"...... Yes."

"That's a misunderstanding, right?"

"Eh?"

Oh, yes, that's right.

Under such circumstances, Kokoro-san must have known that we were pretending to be lovers.

So there's no need to be awkward.......

"Do we look like a couple? ....... I became the lover of a wonderful person like you, Kakeru-san......"

"I don't know about you, but I think you're pretty amazing too, Kokoro-san."

It was nothing more than flattery.

In the past dozen days, we had lunch together on weekdays and had already gone on two dates.

I think I already have a pretty good understanding of Kokoro-san's personality.

She's not the person for whom, words like "I don't care about myself." are very appropriate.

"I'm glad. Thanks to you, I've changed. Recently, I started walking with my eyes looking straight ahead. I was slouching a bit, but thanks to you, I've corrected that. ......So, I hope you will continue to be good friends with me. ......"

Of course, compared to when we first met, I felt a change. But I feel that it's an internal change.

She doesn't have a hunchbacked image, but I always feel that she smiles a lot.

"Of course, if you don't mind."

"Thank you very much ........ what do you want to do after this?"

The moment she said that what popped into my head was the sentence from Enji earlier.

I knew Kokoro-san was talking about dinner. I quickly let go of her and opened my cell phone to search.

"......Ah."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. ........"

I got a message from Enji.

I didn't need to open it. I thought I could look at it later, but by the time I realized it, I had already opened it.

[Look, isn't he cute?]

The images attached to the message were two photos, of Enji and Hikari.

I knew it was Hikari.

Enji had his usual wide smile on his face, but Hikari's smile was a little stiff.

[Where are you right now?]

[I just entered the sushi restaurant that I asked Sho-chan to go to earlier.]

I know where it is.

If I take the Port Liner to Sannomiya Station and run, it won't take more than 10 minutes.

But I'm on a date with Kokoro-san.

"Do you have something to do?"

Kokoro-san asked me, probably sensing that something was wrong.

"I have to go somewhere...."

I fully understood that it was unthinkable for me to leave a date with one woman to go meet another. But I had to make my feelings clear.

It would be dishonest for me to date Kokoro-san while I still have feelings for Hikari.

Even if Kokoro-san had no intention of doing so, we were both adults over 20, and we weren't friends yet, and I felt guilty for still harboring feelings for my ex-girlfriend. So.....

"Then, please leave. If you're in a hurry, let's get on the Port Liner as soon as possible! I'm slow, so you can go first!"

"No. ......"

"Just go! Go ahead and settle your remaining feelings, Kakeru-san!"

I was surprised that she seemed to read my mind.

She didn't pursue anything, and her voice seemed to tremble slightly.

"See you on campus Monday!"

"Sorry, thanks...."

Kokoro-san pushed me and took me to the station.

The look on her face was the widest smile I'd ever seen, one she'd never made before.

 

***

[Kokoro's POV]

I've always had trouble talking to people.

It all started in 1st grade when I was isolated due to failing to make friends in an environment where I was surrounded by strangers after graduating from kindergarten.

With bangs above my eyes, crooked back muscles, and an unclear voice, I was called "old lady" or "ghost" which hurt my feelings.

By the time I graduated from elementary school, I had become the target of bullies.

I decided to become a new person in middle school.

Even though I had decided to become a new person in middle school, it was still impossible for me to change drastically after 6 years of it taking root in me.

I spent the next 3 years in middle school alone, as an extension of my elementary school life.

I was so worried about how I could change. But I didn't know the answer, and there was no one I could rely on for that.

I wondered if I could have a good friend who could help me?

By the time I reached high school, I was used to being alone.

That wasn't surprising. I had felt it in elementary and middle school for a total of 9 years.

If you've been alone all the time, you get used to it.

But even after I got used to it, I didn't want to stay alone, and I was always hungry for change.

"Um, you dropped this."

Her voice echoed as if a drop of water fell into my thirsty heart.

"A-Ah......"

I had never really been able to talk to anyone outside of my family, and I was unable to respond to the news about Hawaii.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I apologize for saying that you dropped it, even though you have an exam today. But I already picked it up, so don't worry."

I was happy. I was happy. But I'm not used to it.

"Alright then..."

"......"

Wait. I don't know why I want to quit, or what I want to do.

Is it because I'm happy that my thirst is quenched? Or is it because I want to be satisfied again?

The answer came a few hours later.

I was waiting in line to catch the bus home after the university entrance exam.

During the tedious wait for the bus, I looked at the people around me.

I've always had the habit of people-watching in my free time, as I've never had any friends. But this time was different.

I was looking.

Yes, without realizing it, I was looking for her.

We finished at the same time, so it was no surprise that she was there.

I wondered if we would go to the same university, and if so, I would be happy.

"Oh, morning..."

"Hyaa?"

Suddenly, I made a strange sound when I heard the voice behind me.

"Are you taking the bus?"

Yes...

I tried to say it, but I couldn't get it out.

I have to say it.

But what? Yes?

No?

Or what?

I struggled on my own, searching for the words I wanted to say.

Meanwhile, I saw a bus parked in front of me, and the door opened, which made me rush.

"Thank you!"

I thought and thought, and the word that finally came out was "thank you."

I wanted to speak more.

I wanted to get to know her better.

But it was nice to be able to thank her for getting me my handkerchief, something I couldn't say this morning.

If we meet again, I wonder if we can be friends again.

I also wonder if we'll be able to meet again.

 

***

I was accepted into the university without any problems, and the acceptance ceremony was held.

Many people gathered and recruited for clubs and circuits, and I was approached several times.

A few times I was also asked, "Hey, hey you, are you interested in tennis? There are a lot of cool seniors here."

"S-Sorry!"

I can say it!

I can say no!

I can have a conversation!

I escaped from the crowd to a safe zone where there were no recruiters.

The place had koi fish, and I could hear the sound of water flowing into a small pond.

In front of me, five blond-haired men were talking in a circle, and I didn't want to approach them.

But if I went back, I would be bombarded with invitations.

What should I do?

"You're a new student, aren't you interested in joining our circle?"

"Hey, hey, I don't need that potato lady."

The men continued their conversation as they surrounded me.

"Hey, but isn't she really cute?"

"You can't see her face with her bangs."

What should I do? I should run away.

But my legs were shaking and I couldn't move.

In this desperate situation, I heard a drop of electricity.

I wasn't wrong. I heard it for sure.

"Could it be...?"

At the same time, with a zero voice, she called out to me from behind.

"Oh, yes! It's been a long time!"

"Ah, ah........"

She walked between the scary men and grabbed my hand and led me out of the circle of scary men.

This is a development often seen in shoujo manga and romantic dramas.

I wondered if it was possible to get caught up in such a routine development, and that the person who saved me there was someone I had long wanted to meet.

"Ah, thank you very much ......"

I can say that without being bitten.

But I ran away from her.

Because I can see it.

The home screen of the cell phone he held in his right hand, was a photo of him with a beautiful girl.

I know that a nice guy like him should have a girlfriend by now.

And she's also very cute.

I think they're much more suited to each other than I am.

But I still feel a little frustrated.

She's the only one I've ever met.

She was the only one who quenched my thirst.

 

***

Like in shoujo manga, good encounters appear out of nowhere.

So, when I met someone wonderful like her again, I couldn't continue like this anymore.

I have to polish more.

I have to change.

I made a lot of to become more beautiful both inside and out.

My bangs, which I let grow so that I wouldn't have to make eye contact with people, my posture, which used to be very downcast, and my communication skills, which were so bad that I couldn't even hold a proper position in a conversation, all these things, I changed.

My hair, which my mother used to cut, has improved slightly since I ventured to go to the hairdresser.

I also cut my bangs so they wouldn't fall into my eyes.

The hairdresser taught me a lot about makeup, and I also watched videos and practiced hard on my own.

My posture improved a little through muscle training, and I gained a bit of confidence.

However, I struggled with my communication skills because I didn't have anyone to practice with.

I was always saying "please" and "thank you" to the clerk at the convenience store I always went to and greeting the grandmother who always greeted me in the neighborhood.

It was difficult at first, but little by little I was able to do it.

It's been more than a year since I entered college, and I'm a second-year student now.

I had only practiced talking to people I knew, and I found myself unable to talk at all when meeting new people, so I took the next step.

The next step was to use a dating app. If I talk to more people, I'll be able to overcome my shyness.

With this in mind, I installed it.

If I wanted to, I could even fall in love.

I've always had a strong yearning for romance.

I liked shoujo manga and romantic dramas, but I didn't have friends in elementary, middle, and high school, so I didn't have relationships with anyone.

That's why I'm looking for someone nice like her.

I was matched with many people, but when I was asked to meet, I got nervous and made excuses like "I'm busy" and ran away.

That's my habit.

My goal was to talk to as many people as possible, so I responded to every "like" I received.

Even if the profile picture is omurice, I still do it.

"Are you Kokoro-san, by any chance?"

Suddenly, a voice called out to me.

It was a man sitting next to me.

He was the one who helped me during the entrance ceremony.

He didn't seem to realize that I was the girl he saved that time.

What bothered me the most was that he called me by the name I used in Connect.

Then I got a notification on my phone saying, [Kakeru-san gave you a "like."]

Yes, I met her again on a dating app.

No, not her. It was Kakeru-san.

I finally know her name. Finally, I recognized her.

In her profile on Connect, she wrote that she broke up with her boyfriend about a year ago.

If that was the case, maybe I had a small chance.

If I try hard to be beautiful and become a girl worthy of him....

But to do that, I can't let this chance I have now pass me by.

If I can find some reason to talk to him in the future, I will.

"Kokoro-san, did you start to Connect partly to overcome your shyness?"

"Yes, right, it's ....... I've always wanted to improve it, but ..... it's hard to ....... or, Kakeru-san, how about ......?"

If only I could say it here.

I wish I could say, "Please be my friend." so that I could handle it.

But I can't even ask her to do that because I haven't had a friend for 20 years.

"Oh, I see. Did you meet someone nice?"

I just thought that I was asking her an ordinary question.

"That's why you met your ex-girlfriend, isn't it?"

It was the girl in the photo I saw during the entrance ceremony. I thought I couldn't win against such a cute girl, so when I learned from her profile on the app that she had broken up with him, I was happy, although I felt bad for Kakeru-san.

But when Kakeru-san talked about her ex-boyfriend, she made a fake smile and tried to talk cheerfully as if it was a funny story.

This made me feel even more dissatisfied.

"You have no regrets?"

"No, of course not."

I regretted asking her that.

As soon as the word "regret" was mentioned, Kakeru-san's expression turned sad as if frozen, and even I, who was not the person in question, knew that it was a lie to say that there was no feeling of regret.

I wondered what kind of feelings Kakeru-san was feeling.

I couldn't believe that she had no regrets.

Did she realize it and tell herself that she had no regrets?

Or maybe she's unaware of her feelings and subconsciously still loves him?

Either way, I felt that there was no room for me there.

"Hello, Kokoro-san."

"Hello, Kakeru-san."

The next day, she greeted me in the same way, and we ate together.

So this time, I gathered my courage to say it.

"I have something to ask of you, Kakeru-san."

"What is it? If there's anything I can do, I'll ask you."

"Well, if it's okay with you, Kakeru-san, would you like to have lunch with me like this, or, you know, go for a walk or something....? Of course, I'll treat you to lunch! Ah, ha......"

Yes, I can say that. Even though I didn't intend to say it.

Because maybe it would bother Kakeru-san.

I just met her yesterday, and I suddenly asked for a favor like that.

So at least I want to treat her to lunch.

That way, I'll be able to buy Kakeru-san time.

I think if she considers it a part-time job to get involved with me, Kakeru-san will accept it.

"I'm also a man, and of course, I'm no exception."

Kakeru-san thought about it for a moment, and then she started to answer.

"You know, there are some weirdos on dating apps, like guys looking for sex, right?"

"Yes. ......."

Of course, I know that.

I've learned from the Internet that people who say, "Let's meet." or "Let's talk on LINE." in the first message after being matched are dangerous.

I didn't know what "yarimoku" meant, so I looked it up, and I also came to know that there were many others who used it for purposes other than romance, such as invitations to shady business ventures or selling themselves.

 

TL/N: やり目 (yarimoku) is a combination of the words やり (yari, "to do something") and 目 (moku, from the word mokuteki, 目的, "purpose"). In other words, it roughly means "doing something for a purpose.

 

"So, I think you should be a little more careful, don't you? We've only met twice."

"Yeah, right. We've only met twice, right?"

"......"

We've met more than once.

Kakeru-san didn't realize that I was always in the same class.

I guess she's not interested in me.

But I'm different.

From the first day we met, I followed Kakeru-san with my eyes.

So, even though it was the second time for him, and he didn't know me very well, it wasn't the same for me.

I know her because I've seen her before.

I knew that he was a good person who would help strangers.

"But I know that you're not a terrible person."

My face and body were hot.

I could easily imagine my face turning bright red, and thinking about it made me even more embarrassed and hot.

"I understand. But please don't offer to buy me food or anything like that. Let's be equal."

Ah, just as I thought. Kakeru-san is a kind and wonderful person.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?!"

I was so happy to see her.

"Hahaha."

I was a little, or maybe a lot, excited because everything was going to be fun from now on.

 

***

For the first time in my life, I went out alone with a man.

"Sorry to keep you waiting...."

I apologized and she replied, "I just arrived too." a line I'd heard in a shoujo manga, which made my heart flutter a little.

I would turn my camera on the stylish-looking food before eating it.

I was also advised on sharing food when trying to decide between steamed meat buns and sesame dumplings.

I even tried on glasses at a fashionable clothing store.

I asked her if she liked them, and we laughed at each other.

She tried her best to get a stuffed animal for me in the crane game.

I didn't understand, but I felt happy about it...

I felt as if we were lovers, and I was very happy.

"This knitting seems like it would look good on your boyfriend."

She thought I was her boyfriend.

I've never liked clothing stores and hairdressers because they all talk down to me, but this time I liked it.

I was also taken to Starbucks, which is a popular place that I think only stylish and popular people should go to.

I misread my order for a matcha Frappochino which was embarrassing, but I managed to buy it and walked around the place where we could see the sea.

We were really happy and had a great time.

"Will you ........... date me again if you don't mind?"

I even dared to use the word "date".

Unlike me, Kakeru-san wasn't affected by the word "date", but I was so nervous that I could hear the sound of my heartbeat in my ears.

At first, I thought she was just someone who could quench my thirst.

I'd be happy if we could be friends. That should have been it, but when I realized it, all I could think about was Kakeru-san.

"I have somewhere to go......"

But after the skating was over, she was acting weird.

So when she said that, I thought, "Oh, I knew it."

I knew she still couldn't get over her ex-boyfriend. I wanted to be with her longer.

But even if I stay with her, Kakeru-san will remember her in an instant.

So now, rather than for the sake of my ego, I want her to put her feelings to rest so that she doesn't have to go through that pain.

Even if I'm not chosen, I've already received so much from Kakeru-san, that alone is enough to make me a happy person.

"Sorry, thank you...."

Finally, with a smile, I pushed Kakeru-san's back.

The decision was in her hands, and I would appreciate what her answer was.

I felt a tightening sensation in my heart at the sight of her leaving when I sent her off with that decision.

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