“I want to make up for what happened at karaoke,” Fushimi had told me, and we’d agreed on going out that weekend.

I didn’t really mind what had happened at karaoke, but she did.

I told you again and again not to worry…

After Fushimi’s makeover at the hands of a true-blue expert, we took the train to the shopping district.

“Are those also Mana’s high heels?”

“Yeah. Good thing she’s the same size as me!”

Come to think of it, they were also around the same height.

We walked through the towering business buildings as we headed to the mall.

“Your clothes are pretty great, Ryou. Yeah…this is nice,” she said as she observed me up and down and back.

My clothes had also been sponsored by Mana, and thankfully they turned out to be in line with Fushimi’s taste. My average, boring self passed the test of her high-class eyes.

Fushimi was walking beside me with a skip in her step when something in a show window caught her attention. There was a mannequin wearing seasonal clothing.

“Wanna go inside?”

“No… I was just wondering…how other people are seeing us.”

“Who knows? Like some friends out having fun?”

Fushimi’s cheeks puffed. “Yeah, I guess.” Then she hastily moved along.

“Are you sulking?”

“No.”

Yeah, she totally is.

I found an ice-cream stand and bought a cup of soft-serve. “…Want some?”

“I do!”

Fushimi was immediately back in a good mood. I could almost see the stars in her eyes.

Now I know she still loves sweets.

I gave her the cup and spoon. She smiled in pure joy as she took a bite and then another.

I saw a bench nearby, so we sat down.

“Here you go, Ryou.” She’d scooped a spoonful of ice cream, and she held it out to me.

…This is the same spoon she’s been using, right? I didn’t get an extra.

“…”

Th-th-that’s an indirect kiss!

But wait. If I turn her down…would she think I’m afraid of an indirect kiss?

I—I do this with Mana all the time, so it’s not a big deal.

“S-sure. Here, lemme…”

I tried taking the spoon, but:

“No, no.” She shook her head, a serious look on her face.

“Open your mouth.”

“Huh?”

“Open. Say ‘ah.’ Quick, it’s gonna melt.”

That’s a whole level beyond an indirect kiss!

“H-hurry up…,” she muttered, her cheeks turning red.

Don’t do it if you’re embarrassed about it! You’re just gonna make it worse for me.

“We shouldn’t be doing this in pu—glup.”

She shoved the spoon into my mouth.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah…”

“Good.” Her smile was dazzling.

I wasn’t about to have her spoon-feed me any more after that, so I took only occasional bites while she kept the spoon all to herself.

“So do you have a plan in mind for today?”

“A plan? Y-yes, I do.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

Why?

Fushimi pattered her feet while sitting on the bench, humming. Even her humming was masterful.

Maybe it was that I wasn’t used to seeing her like this, but—her behavior struck me as so sweet…cute, even.

…No, it’s not because she’s been dressed by a fashion expert now. It’s only because this side of her comes as a surprise to me—that’s it.

“You’ve been staring at me this whole time. You really do like gyarus, don’t you, Ryou?”

“I’m telling you, that was just something I made up so they wouldn’t make fun of me. I don’t like them.”

How many times must I repeat myself?

Fushimi giggled. “No, it’s fine. If that’s the case, I’ll get Mana to teach me about the cutting edge of city fashion.”

My chest was pounding hard. Was it because she never acted this way at school? Was it just having this all-new Fushimi sit next to me? I didn’t quite know.

After we finished the ice cream, we entered a huge commercial building. There were designer shops, a theater, and everything from general stores to restaurants. The place was full of people, old and young.

Fushimi stared at the floor map, then said, “Oh, we can watch movies here.”

“Are there any that catch your eye? Wanna watch one?”

“Yeah, let’s go!”

We made our way through the gigantic building, which was as big as a dungeon.

We got to the theater, and Fushimi said she wanted to watch an American action movie.

Thank God she didn’t choose a sad romance or something… I’ve never cried at those.

We bought the tickets and, once it was time, entered the cinema.

“Hey, Fushimi, you sure about paying for the tickets?”

She said she wanted it to be on her, since the purpose of our outing was to apologize.

“It’s fine. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be an apology, would it?”

I told her I didn’t need any apology in the first place, but she didn’t listen. You stubborn, fastidious goofball.

Okay then, I’ll accept it.

I put my hand on the armrest and felt something smooth.

Hmm? What’s this soft sensation?

“!!!”

I turned to look at what I was touching. It was a hand.

Fushimi was beet red, her mouth in the shape of a V.

She’s blinking beyond light speed! She must be really upset!

“Sorry, this wasn’t my armrest…”

“Th-th-this one’s m-mine!”

“Y-y-y-y-yeah!”

Th-that almost made my heart burst out of my chest…

I grabbed…her hand…

“!!”

Fushimi closed her eyes tight, still blushing all the way up to her ears and clutching her hand close to her chest.

Now it’s making me blush, too. I’ve been in a panic all day. Maybe because I never go out with her like this?

The place turned dark, and the movie started.

It was a pretty normal Hollywood flick: There was action, a love story, and the protagonist beat the bad guys at the end, then got together with the heroine. It was as cliché as cliché went, but watching the big action set pieces in the theater with that explosive sound drew you into the story.

The credits ended, and everyone started leaving their seat.

“That was fun!”

“Yeah. Theaters are great, huh?”

“Right? It’s totally different from watching it at home.”

“I thought the same. This genre, especially, is much better at the theater.”

“Agreed!”

For a second, I was surprised at how similar our tastes were, then I realized it should be obvious. We always watched the same anime when we were little, then had our parents take us to watch the films together—it was only natural that we’d have similar preferences.

All the other spectators had finally left the theater, and the staff had started cleaning up the place.

We left our seats, too. The back of my hand brushed against Fushimi’s as we walked together.

My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively drew my hand away. Or tried to.

My hand didn’t move.

Because Fushimi’s left hand was gently holding my fingers.

I couldn’t tell what she meant by doing that, even though I could usually tell what she was thinking after so many years together.

I was about to ask her what was the matter, but she talked first, her cheeks flushed.

“C-can I…do this for the rest of the day…?”