I Started Dating Someone By Taking Advantage Of Her Weakness, But I Was Actually Dating Her Mother - Chapter 9-10: First Date (Part 5&6)

Yoriko impulsively ordered a second special parfait. While there was still room in her stomach at the moment, she began to think that finishing it completely might be difficult.

“Kaneda-kun, would you like to try some?”

Due to her usual frugality, Yoriko felt very uncomfortable leaving food uneaten. So, she employed the strategy of asking Jin who was sitting across from her, to help her eat it.

“Here, say ‘ahh’.” 

“Eh? A-ahh. Munch.” 

“Is it delicious?”

Yoriko held the long-handled parfait spoon, scooped an appropriate amount, and extended it toward Jin’s mouth. Surprised, Jin opened his mouth, and with the spoon inserted, he had no choice but to eat. He closed his mouth, pulled the parfait from the spoon with his upper lip, enjoyed the sweet taste, and then swallowed. Yoriko then asked about the taste with a satisfied expression.

“It’s cold and sweet.” 

“Yes, I think so too. Munch.“

“Ah!” 

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

When Jin gave his opinion, Yoriko displayed a satisfied expression, scooping the parfait again with the same spoon and putting it in her own mouth. Watching this, Jin let out a surprised voice.

(Th-this is an indirect kiss. Tsukimizato-san doesn’t seem to mind, but I wonder if she hasn’t noticed?)

“N-no, it’s nothing.” 

“Really? Well then, it’s your turn again, Kaneda-kun. Here, say ‘ahh’.” 

“A-ahh. Munch.“

Jin was shocked that Yoriko used the same spoon to eat the parfait. This was what was called an indirect kiss, which was a shocking event for the inexperienced Jin. While he was thinking about this, Yoriko again held out the parfait to him. Since Yoriko appeared unbothered, Jin felt foolish for being the only one concerned and opened his mouth to let her feed him.

(I wonder if he’s embarrassed thinking this might be an indirect kiss? H-how cute!)

For someone of Yoriko’s age, resistance to indirect kisses had lessened, and with her companion being around the same age as her daughter, it felt like feeding a child. However, Yoriko suddenly remembered her school days and the sweet, tingly event called an indirect kiss, and thought that Jin, who was blushing and turning red, looked very cute.

(Since he’s a villain who threatened my daughter, it’s okay to tease him a little, right?)

“Kaneda-kun, this is an indirect kiss, isn’t it?” 

“Pff! cough, cough, cough.“

Yoriko felt like playing a trick on Jin and intentionally asked about the indirect kiss. Surprised, Jin coughed violently and appeared to be in distress.

“A-are you alright?” 

“I-I’m fine. Did you know about this all along?”

Yoriko hurriedly stood up and reached around to rub Jin’s back. Jin gained a favorable impression of Yoriko, who was capable of such caring actions, but since this was originally initiated by her, he asked if she had done it intentionally.

“I just realized it now. If you don’t like it, we can stop?” 

“I don’t dislike it.” 

“Really? Then, say ‘ahh’.” 

“Ahh. Munch.“

Since Yoriko had only noticed this a moment ago, she spoke honestly, and Jin, looking at her face, judged that she wasn’t lying. When asked if he wanted her to stop feeding him, Jin said he didn’t mind and requested to continue. And so, the two cooperated to finish the special parfait.

“Tsukimizato-san, should we order another one?” 

“I really can’t fit any more in my stomach. Thank you for the meal.” 

“I see.”

(I feel kinda disappointed because I wanted to watch Tsukimizato-san happily eating the parfait a little longer.)

After finishing the second special parfait, Jin asked Yoriko if she wanted to order more. Yoriko’s stomach was already full, and it would have been difficult for her to eat anything more. When Yoriko told him she couldn’t eat anymore, Jin found himself wishing he could watch her happily eating a bit longer.

“Well then, shall we pay the bill and go to the next place?” 

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Since there was nothing more to order, Jin and Yoriko decided to move on to the next location.

“Your bill comes to 10,800 yen.”

(Kaneda-kun, I’m counting on you!)

Jin took the receipt from the table and headed to the register. Yoriko followed behind him, feeling anxious about whether he would be able to pay properly.

“I’ll pay with this, please.” 

“Yes, I’ll take 11,000 yen. Your change is 200 yen. Thank you very much.”

(Phew, what a relief.)

Seeing that Jin had successfully completed the payment, Yoriko breathed a sigh of relief.

“Kaneda-kun, what should we do next?” 

“I’ve thought of a few plans—shopping or the aquarium would be nice. Which would you prefer, Tsukimizato-san?” 

“Let me see. Shopping is… not an option. The aquarium, please.” 

“Got it. Let’s go then.”

When Yoriko asked about their next destination, Jin presented two plans he had prepared in advance. One was shopping to explore her hobbies and preferences, and the other was an aquarium, which was considered a classic first date spot. 

Since Yoriko had little money and had already made Jin spend a lot at the café, she determined that shopping wouldn’t be enjoyable and eliminated it as an option, choosing instead the aquarium, which she thought wouldn’t cost much beyond the entrance fee.

“Let’s see, the bus route that goes to the aquarium…” 

“Kaneda-kun, the bus stop seems to be over here.” 

“Thank you, Tsukimizato-san. The next one comes in 10 minutes.”

The nearest aquarium required a bus trip, so Jin and Yoriko moved to the bus stop and looked for the platform where buses heading to the aquarium would arrive.

“Looks like the bus is coming.” 

“So it seems. It’s been a while since I last rode a bus.”

As Jin and Yoriko waited at the bus stop, the bus that went to the aquarium arrived.

“Excuse me. Two fares with an IC card, please.” 

“Yes, two people… there you go.”

Beep.

The bus that arrived used a front-entry, rear-exit system, requiring payment before boarding. Jin presented his IC card, stated that he was paying for two people, and tapped the card on the reader. An electronic sound confirmed the transaction was complete.

“Kaneda-kun, you can pay with that card? It’s amazing how you can just touch it lightly and complete the payment.” 

“Huh?”

While Jin used his transit IC card as a matter of course, Yoriko looked at it as if seeing it for the first time, causing Jin to feel a sense of disconnect.

(I think it’s been quite a while since transit IC cards became usable in this area, but I wonder how long it’s been since Tsukimizato-san rode a bus?)

Though Jin didn’t have a clear memory, transit IC cards had become usable in this area when he and Otowa were small children. Yoriko had mentioned it had been a while since she rode a bus, but Jin found it strange that she didn’t know about something that had been in use since childhood. 

Meanwhile, to save money, Yoriko had avoided transportation that required payment, like buses, and generally moved around on foot. The last time Yoriko had ridden a bus was over a decade ago. Due to their age difference, neither of them realized at this point that there was a large gap in their understanding of what “it’s been a while” meant.