Thinking I shouldn’t be late, I arrived at the meeting place about thirty minutes early and was looking around the station square.
…There are so many people.
I usually stay home on holidays, so a world unknown to me was spread out before me.
…I haven’t really paid attention to the people walking by before, but there seem to be a lot of couples and families.
Most people are with someone, and I, standing alone, feel very out of place.
Anyway, I arrived earlier than I expected.
I thought I’d kill some time, and when I arrived at the clock tower in front of the station, our meeting place, I saw Sophia sitting there.
There’s a circular stone structure around the clock tower. I don’t know its original purpose, but many people use it like a bench, and Sophia was sitting there in the same way.
She was checking her hair and such while looking in a hand mirror.
I guess that’s the least people do before a date…?
What about me? I’m definitely mentally prepared, but my clothes look like I’m just going to the convenience store.
…At least, I have to have a good attitude, right?
I was thinking about that when I was about to call out to Sophia.
Two men approached her.
Unlike me, they were dressed stylishly and even had their hair dyed.
The two frivolous-looking guys… are they acquaintances?
「Hey, hey, miss.」
「You’re cute, aren’t you? How about we have a meal together? It’s on me.」
The men who spoke with smiles looked like they were probably college students.
They seem friendly, but they don’t seem to be acquaintances. …C-Could this be what they call picking up girls!?
Sophia glanced at them but decided to ignore them.
She was completely rejecting them, but the two men didn’t seem to want to give up and tried to sit down on either side of Sophia.
…I should probably step in.
I can interact with those kinds of guys without getting nervous.
Rather, I’m grateful that they gave me a chance to talk to Sophia.
I quickly approached Sophia, and when she noticed me, she smiled.
「Sorry, did I keep you waiting?」
「No, it’s fine. That’s why, I have something to do.」
Sophia said that to the two men and then came over to me.
They didn’t try to pick her up any further, and it seems I was able to successfully rescue Sophia.
「You’re early, Yuuto.」
She said that while looking at her cute watch.
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Not just her clothes overall, but even her small accessories suit her.
Come to think of it, she has her hair in twintails today, unlike in the classroom.
…Could it be that she did that because of my request?
Anyway, everything about her is beautiful, as expected of a model.
…Maybe I looked plain walking next to her.
「What’s wrong?」
「No… I was just thinking that Sophia is good at choosing clothes. How do you choose clothes that suit you so well?」
Even if I can’t become like Sophia, I thought I should at least be more mindful of my clothes when I go out with her.
Sophia smiles happily at my words.
「Well, in my case, my mother taught me a lot. But fashion is ultimately a world of self-satisfaction. Trends change quickly, and there are even clothes that are meant to create trends… In the end, it’s best to wear what you want to wear.」
「Yeah, but I was thinking that I should be a little more conscious of what I wear when I walk with Sophia.」
「Your clothes now aren’t bad or anything… But if you’re saying that, let’s go shopping together sometime when we have time.」
「…O-Okay.」
It would be more reliable to have Sophia teach me various things.
I nod at her words, and we start walking.
The restaurant Sophia wanted to go to was about a ten-minute walk from the meeting place.
When we arrived, it seemed Sophia had made a reservation, and we were immediately shown to our table.
…Sophia seems quite used to this.
She must have a lot of dating experience.
We both sat down and opened the menus.
「My friend told me that the cake for dessert is delicious at this restaurant.」
「So, is that your goal today?」
「Of course. I’m going to have a small portion of pasta and eat a lot of cake, but what about you, Yuuto? Do you like sweets? I want to try a lot of different things, so I was thinking of having you eat half of each cake…」
I see… That’s probably part of the reason I was invited.
I’ve always eaten a lot since I was a kid, as part of my training. So, I can probably eat more than twice as much as the average person.
I was a little nervous when I heard the word “date”, but now that I know the reason I was invited, I feel more at ease.
「I like sweets, so it’s fine.」
「Really? Then, let’s order everything!」
「E-Everything? I don’t have that much money…」
「Don’t worry about it. I’ll treat you as thanks for the other day.」
「N-No, but…」
「I earn quite a bit, you know. You don’t have to hold back.」
I-Is this okay? I wonder if I look like a pathetic kept man.