I Started Dating Someone By Taking Advantage Of Her Weakness, But I Was Actually Dating Her Mother - Chapter 25-26: The Second Date (Part 1&2)

“She was like that at school, so I wonder if Tsukimizato-san will really come?”

On the following Sunday, Jin was waiting in the station square a little earlier than their arranged time. After their previous date, he had only exchanged greetings and brief conversation with Otowa on Monday, and beyond having seats one behind the other in the classroom, they had no particular contact. 

In the end, Sunday arrived without him having spoken with Otowa, and given her behavior, Jin was anxious that she might not show up.

“Well, I changed my clothes from last week, but that might have been a waste.”

Jin had ordered new clothes online specifically for this date. If she stood him up, this expense would have been for nothing. With such thoughts in mind, he waited for her arrival.

“Five minutes before our meeting time…”

Since she had been significantly late for their previous date, Jin tried to convince himself that she wouldn’t arrive five minutes early, but as the appointed time drew near, his anxiety grew.

“Kaneda-kun, sorry for keeping you waiting.” 

“Oh, Tsukimizato-san.”

As Jin was glaring at his wristwatch, a woman suddenly called out to him. When he looked up, Yoriko was standing there with a smile.

“Wow, Kaneda-kun, you look stylish today too. I don’t have many clothes, so this is all I could wear. We might look mismatched. Hahaha.”

Yoriko praised Jin’s appearance immediately. Then, she apologized to him for her own outfit not being very good due to various circumstances.

“That’s not… true?” 

“Kaneda-kun, you don’t need to force yourself to compliment me. I really wanted to dress more fashionably. I’m truly sorry.”

Yoriko’s outfit consisted of a worn-out navy blue dress with a beige cardigan over it, and shoes that were once white sneakers but had changed color from dirt, paired with black socks. It couldn’t honestly be called a fashionable outfit, and Jin struggled to find an appropriate response. However, Yoriko seemed aware of such reactions and blushed embarrassedly.

“I probably shouldn’t ask this, but is it perhaps a family circumstance?” 

“Y-yes. It’s embarrassing, but we don’t have enough financial flexibility to spend much on things like this.” 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You couldn’t choose your parents, Tsukimizato-san, so don’t worry about it.”

(I certainly couldn’t choose my parents. But Otowa’s parent is me!)

When Jin asked about her family circumstances, Yoriko reluctantly talked about the Tsukimizato household situation. After hearing this, Jin expressed his opinion that it wasn’t Otowa’s fault since she couldn’t choose her parents. However, since the parent in question was Yoriko herself, she struggled with how to respond.

“Are you uncomfortable walking with me dressed like this?” 

“Hmm, I’m not uncomfortable, but if you’re concerned, why don’t we try making you more fashionable?”

Jin made a suggestion to the worried Yoriko.

“What do you mean by that?” 

“Just trust me. I’m not very knowledgeable about fashion, but I’m glad I researched this just in case. Can you leave it to me? So, shall we go?” 

“Huh? Wait, where are you planning to go?”

Jin decided to change his original date plan and instead go to a place he had researched as a reference for this outing. Jin took Yoriko’s hand and began heading toward their destination.

“Here it is.” 

“Huh? We’re going into this building?” 

Jin and Yoriko had moved away from the station plaza and arrived in front of a large commercial facility adjacent to the station. A commercial facility situated next to a station of considerable size would typically be called a department store. While many such stores had been forced to struggle with business in recent years due to changing times, the department store in this town continued to maintain sound management, so there seemed to be no such concerns for now. 

The term “department store” originated from the meaning of a shop that handled many products, but there was a strong image that it dealt with somewhat expensive items. For Yoriko, who had been living a frugal life, it felt like a facility with an invisible barrier that made it difficult to approach.

“Kaneda-kun, it’s embarrassing to enter dressed like this.”

“Huh? I don’t think there’s any problem?” 

“Department stores are facilities where you have to dress formally to enter.”

Yoriko had been taught by her parents that department stores were formal establishments that required proper attire to enter, and even after years had passed, she still believed this to be true.

“I don’t know the details, but I think that’s a very old notion. These days, not all stores inside are like that. There are also budget-friendly shops, and you can enter casually without worrying about your clothes.” 

“R-really? That’s a relief to hear.”

After hearing Jin’s explanation, Yoriko showed a relieved expression. Since their last date, Yoriko had come to believe that Jin wasn’t lying to her, and she no longer showed any suspicious expressions.

“Well then, shall we go in?”

“Yes, but since I never enter facilities like this, I’d be happy if you’d hold my hand.” 

“Sure, here you go.”

Jin gently extended his hand to ease Yoriko’s anxious feelings.

“Thank you, Kaneda-kun.”

“Oh!” 

“Hehe, I went for the lovers’ hold.”

When Yoriko’s hand touched Jin’s, instead of simply grasping it, their fingers intertwined. This was what’s known as a lovers’ hold, and while Jin showed a surprised expression, Yoriko had done it intentionally and wore a mischievous smile.

“Walking like this, do you think we look like a couple?”

“W-who knows?”

When Yoriko asked Jin, he scratched the back of his head with his free hand while showing an embarrassed expression. Up to this point, Yoriko, being the older one, had maintained the upper hand, but that relationship would soon be reversed.

“Tsukimizato-san, let’s take the elevator.” 

“Oh, okay.”

Having researched online beforehand, Jin entered the department store and without hesitation, began walking toward the elevator with Yoriko in tow.

Ding.

“Thank you for visiting us today. Please step inside.” 

“Whoa!” 

“Eek!”

When the elevator arrived and the doors opened, there was a formally dressed female employee inside. She was what was called an elevator attendant, whose main duty was to operate the floor and door buttons of the elevator, along with other customer service duties. 

Jin and Yoriko, who had thought elevators operated unmanned, were startled by the sudden appearance of the elevator attendant.