I asked him to be my pretend-boyfriend but after a while I fell for him, but I can't seem to admit that fact! - Chapter 30: All's well that ends well.

All’s well that ends well.

The hotel with the buffet ticket Amane-san gave me turned out to be much more luxurious than I had expected.

“It’s quite an impressive place, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, and the great thing is there’s no dress code to worry about here, so you can feel relaxed without needing to be conscious of your appearance.”

“I see…”

Akira seemed entirely at ease in such places, probably because he’s used to them through ‘Inherit Sound’. But for me, someone unaccustomed to such environments, feeling relaxed was far from easy.

After entering the hotel, Akira played the role of a perfect gentleman, escorting me around. 

There was no hint of pretense or discomfort in his demeanor. It just came naturally to him. Akira was, without a doubt, quite remarkable.

I couldn’t help but imagine how different things would be if Akira were the type to assert himself aggressively to a girl, like Terasawa. If he were, he might have attracted a lot of unnecessary attention. On the flip side, however, he wouldn’t have this effortlessly charming and sophisticated aura.

Speaking of the buffet, it was more of an à la carte style where you place orders rather than helping up yourself with the already made foods. Akira dove into it without reservation, focusing primarily on various meat dishes. His eating habits left the restaurant staff amazed.

The dessert section was an all-you-can-eat, and Akira indulged himself there as well. In my mind, I couldn’t help but think, “He’s eating like there’s no tomorrow!” as I watched him enjoy sweets with such a happy expression.

In a way, he looked genuinely cute.

Moreover, I couldn’t help but wonder why Akira’s stomach remained so trim. He had consumed several kilograms of food, yet there was no sign of a protruding belly. It was truly a mystery of human anatomy.

“Looks like Itsuki didn’t eat much,” Akira commented.

I was no light eater; in fact, I was ravenous from the combination of hunger and relief after the event. Nevertheless, I found myself thinking about the extra cost.

***

“Hey, Akira, is that Amane-san person, like, a manager or something for ‘Inherit Sound’?”

“Well, um, she’s not exactly a manager, but she’s more of an artist agent. She takes care of all the contract-related matters. In Amane-san’s case, she also handles the planning. Without Amane-san, ‘Inherit Sound’ wouldn’t be where it is today.”

I see.

“People like Shizuka-san and ‘Yume On,’ whom you know, are also represented by Amane-san.”

“So that’s why she was here today.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s an amazing person despite being so young.”

“She mentioned she’s 48 this year, and indeed, she has an impressive track record for her age.”

“Wait, 48? That’s the same age as my dad! I thought she was much younger.”

I had thought she was in her early thirties. She’s aging like a cheat code.

“She’s genuinely impressive. She went to the same university as Takumi Kubota, a famous producer, and got deeply involved in this world while promoting him further.”

“Takumi Kubota, the world-renowned producer?!”

“Yeah, that’s him. And, Itsuki might not know this, but Jin Otonashi is also a globally famous guitarist. Ayato is said to be influenced by Jin Otonashi as well!”

“Ah… I’m sorry, I don’t know either of them.”

“Haha, that’s fine. Well, Ayato is super famous in the world of solo electric guitar that I am a part of.”

“I see.”

Akira talked with the excitement of a child. It was clear that he had a genuine passion for the guitar. I’m sorry, but I only know music with lyrics.

I felt like I understood for the first time why Akira doesn’t label himself as a guitar-vocalist but as a vocal-guitarist.

“By the way, at the summer festival, ‘Inherit Sound’ is going to have a battle of the bands with ‘Interwoven Sounds,’ which is managed by Takumi Kubota. The guitarist for ‘Interwoven Sounds’ is Jin Otonashi’s son, and I’ve heard he’s an incredible guitarist. I can’t wait for it!”

“‘Interwoven Sounds’? I’ve never heard of them.”

“They had a music video up for a while. It’s kind of a more mature rock style, and the singing is amazing. I was actually pretty jealous of it.”

Akira spoke so highly of them.

“I’ll listen to them when I get home.”

“Yeah, I highly recommend it!”

I should listen to it as soon as I get back.

“Oh, speaking of which, Itsuki, are you still not tired?”

There were various things happening, but I’m not that tired.

“Yeah, I’m still okay.”

“Well then, let’s go buy a pair of rings!”

“Huh…”

A pair of rings… I’m really happy… though,

“Is a pair of rings a bit too much?”

“Not at all! I’m actually really happy.”

“That’s good… I’ve always wanted to do something like that when I have a girlfriend.”

“Is that so?”

Akira’s inner self is quite feminine.

Afterward, we went together to buy a pair of rings, and on the way back, perhaps to be considerate, he hailed a taxi to take me home.

Since Akira is earning well, he can afford this kind of consideration, but I sensed a certain level of maturity in him as he stopped the taxi without asking me anything.

Today’s date turned out to be completely different from what I had expected, but it was an unforgettable and impactful first date.

However, I’d like to have a more normal date next time.