Fallen from the Top Group Due to Cheating and False Accusations. The Only One Who Stood by Me Was My Little Sister’s Best Friend, Who Had Always Adored Me.

Chapter 19: The Promised After-School Date (Part 2).

If you were going on an after-school date with someone of the opposite sex who wasn’t your lover, where would be the best place to go?

For someone like me—with only one romantic experience in my entire life, and that one having ended in betrayal just recently—this question felt more difficult than a college-level math exam. On top of that, we had only just made a major decision about our future relationship. Though our hands were gently linked, the lingering awkwardness left us with almost no conversation as we wandered aimlessly toward the shopping district.

Now then… how should I handle this atmosphere?

I sneaked a glance at Yuuka walking beside me. Her eyes were still slightly swollen from the large tears she had shed earlier, and her face looked a little more worn out than usual. Feeling genuinely sorry, I was the one who broke the silence first.

“Yuuka, is there anywhere around here you want to go?”

I regretted the question the moment it left my mouth. We had already walked all the way to the shopping district. Still, since we left school early, it was still a bit early for most students to be out. It wasn’t too late to decide now. Housewives hurrying into the supermarket for dinner ingredients could be seen here and there.

Most shops and facilities should still be relatively empty.

I was determined to prioritize her wishes as much as possible, but—

“Hmm… In that case, I’d like to go to your room, senpai.”

The extremely direct request nearly made me choke. I coughed even though I wasn’t drinking anything.

“Uh… When you say ‘date,’ you mean… that kind of thing?”

Was my understanding of the current generation wrong? Was it normal for people who were more than friends but not quite lovers to have an at-home date…?

As my head spun from the unprecedented suggestion, Yuuka gave a bitter smile and said, “Geez, I’m just kidding.”

“Fufu. If we did an at-home date at this timing, it would completely defeat the meaning of what we decided earlier, wouldn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah… Even someone as dense as me felt that was off.”

“Really? Hehe, then I’m glad.”

That was dangerous. Way too dangerous.

If it hadn’t been a joke, I probably would have taken her to my room just to keep her in a good mood…

While I was thinking that, Yuuka was earnestly pondering where to go next, completely unaware. Just then, a sweet aroma drifted from a corner of the shopping district. We both turned to each other at the same time and spoke in unison.

““Taiyaki——””

***

We stepped into a beloved local taiyaki shop that every resident of the area probably adored—’Manpuku Taiyaki’—and each bought one anko and one custard. The moment we left the store, we pulled them out of the bag.

“These are still ridiculously huge, huh?”

“They really are!”

The two taiyaki poking out of the paper bag were so large they nearly covered our palms entirely. True to its name, Manpuku (full stomach), every taiyaki sold here came in a massive default size that lived up to its reputation for satisfaction.

“So, Yuuka—which one do you want? Anko or custard?”

When I asked, she confidently looked back and forth between the two before pointing at the anko one with a proud smile. “I’ve never wavered on this since I was little!”

“Oh, you really know your stuff…” I said, impressed, and handed her the anko taiyaki.

This was just the biased opinion of longtime fans, but the majority of customers—whether regulars or first-timers—tended to prefer the anko filling. Of course, the custard wasn’t bad by any means; it had its own charm.

“The shop’s homemade anko is just unbeatable!”

Yuuka took a big bite, her cheeks puffing out as a blissful smile spread across her face and she gently pressed a hand to it. While the custard used a commercial base, the anko was entirely the owner’s original recipe. That unique flavor no other shop could replicate was the reason Manpuku Taiyaki remained so beloved.

“You really eat so adorably, Yuuka. Alright, my turn.”

Watching her eat so earnestly stirred my own appetite. I took a large bite, and the moment I did, a generous amount of thick custard cream spilled into my mouth. The soft, freshly baked skin paired with the crisp edges created a perfect contrast. It had been a while, but the taste still moved me.

“…This is too good.”

My hand kept moving as I devoured it, speeding up with every bite. Suddenly, Yuuka grabbed my wrist firmly, stopping me.

“Um… watching you eat so deliciously up close made me want to try the custard too. We both have about half left. Want to swap?”

My heart gave a hard thump.

Sure enough, she still had roughly half of hers left, starting from the tail, and mine was in a similar state. Swapping halfway-eaten taiyaki… was she serious?

That would mean an indirect—

“That’s not what I meant…!” Yuuka suddenly cried out.

“I’m sorry, I said something weird again… It just popped into my head that it would feel more like a date, but I didn’t mean it in any strange way! And like we talked about earlier, we really shouldn’t be doing that kind of thing right now, so forget it! Please forget it!”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind swapping.”

Yuuka, who had been frantically trying to explain herself, froze instantly. Her expression locked in place as if time itself had stopped—not a single muscle moved.

“…You’re really okay with it?”

“Yeah. Since this is a proper date and all, I was thinking we should do more date-like things.”

“I… see.”

“Yeah. And honestly, another part of me really wants to eat more anko even if it’s only half. Haha… Glad we’re on the same page.”

The moment those extra words left my mouth, her previously frozen expression rapidly turned bright red and began to twist.

Before I could take it back, Yuuka puffed out her flushed cheeks and shot me a sharp glare.

“…Senpai… That’s not ‘a little’ at all! You just want the anko, don’t you?!”

“No! That’s not it at all!? I really wanted to do something more date-like—”

“Then no exchange for you!”

“Eh, wait! Wait a second, Yuuka…!”

Hmph, I don’t care anymore—! Yuuka lifted the remaining taiyaki toward her mouth as if showing it off. I desperately tried to stop her, but she mercilessly delivered the final blow by popping it into her mouth and chewing triumphantly.

The dark shadow that had lingered on her face earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a bright, mischievous smile.

The date was still far from over.