I Was Falsely Confessed to and Exposed in Front of Everyone, so I Jumped off the Roof - Chapter 4

A date. Just the word made my heart flutter. It was my first time asking someone out. He said yes. We decided to go to Ikebukuro. I go there often, so I’m sure I can guide him well. I felt my heart beat in a nice rhythm as I waited for tomorrow under my blanket.

“If he asks you to go to a love hotel in Ikebukuro, you get mad and say no, okay?”

That was Watajima’s advice. I was excited about where he might take me, and then he had to say that.

“I don’t think it’ll come to that.”

I thought I’d made my point. But,

“No. He’ll seriously and definitely get carried away. That’s when you turn him down hard, got it?”

The way everyone looked at me was annoying, as they were full of curiosity and expectations. So I decided to just go home and pick out my outfit for the day. He always looks into my eyes. I want him to look at the rest of me, too. So I chose a short one-piece dress that showed off my figure. The neckline showed a bit of cleavage.

If he complained about what I wore, I’d complain right back. It was my battle outfit, picked for that reason. Choosing it was fun. And then, I fell asleep.

♢ ♢ ♢

We were supposed to meet at Ikebukuro Station. I got there earlier than planned, but Shibuki-san was already there.

“Oh, did I make you wait? I’m sorry about that.”

“Not at all. I just got here. Really.”

There was a short pause between us. Moments like this, I never know what to do. Shibuki-san kept running her hand over her bag. Her outfit today was flashier than usual. She is more mature and kind of sexy.

“You look more grown-up and sexy than usual.”

“…Yeah. Yeah! I guess I do!”

She smiled. Then we headed out into the city. Our first stop was the aquarium. I think we talked quite a bit there. After that, we went to the museum in the same building. It was my idea.

“Mesopotamia? Not Egypt?”

“I like this better than Egypt. It’s really interesting. They even have a corner where you can write your name in ancient letters.”

“No way!? That’s awesome!”

To my surprise, Shibuki-san took her time looking at each display. She even made small comments here and there.

“An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.”

“It’s kind of cruel.”

It was the Code of Hammurabi. One of the oldest laws in human history.

“So if someone does something bad, they lose something too… I guess that’s just how it was. Maybe it had to be that way.”

Shibuki-san looked a bit sad. Maybe I should say something.

“But if someone truly tries to do good, maybe they can be forgiven, right? Not by people, but by God.”

That was something I got from my mother. She was a devoted Catholic. Though in Japan, people often mix everything. There are shrines, temples, and charms, so her idea was more about the heart behind the prayer than the religion itself.

“I think bad people stay bad.”

“My mom used to say otherwise. There’s no such thing as someone born evil. It’s the world around them that makes them that way. That’s why we have to repent. Ask the God within us if we’re doing right and pray.”

It might sound a little cult, but that’s what my mother always said. And I’ve tried to live by her words as much as I can.

“Can bad people become good?”

“Maybe. No, yeah. I’m sure they can.”

Shibuki-san looked down for a moment. But then,

“Yeah. I want to believe that too.”

After leaving the museum, we had dinner and wandered around the city. That’s when I spotted a music shop. A bass guitar in the display caught my eye.

“Wait here for a second!”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

I ran straight into the store. Shibuki-san hurried after me, even though she could’ve just waited outside.

“This bass! It’s that limited edition?!”

“Yeah. You’ve got a good eye. The funny thing is that it hasn’t sold yet. I was just about to list it online.”

“I’ll take it!”

I bought it on the spot, using my debit card without hesitation. Then I slung the bass case over my back and stepped outside. Shibuki-san was waiting there.

“Wait? You actually bought it?!”

“Yeah. This model’s super rare. It was brand-new and a limited edition. If I didn’t get it now, I’d never find it again.”

“We’re on a date.”

“…The bass didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Ahaha, you’re so weird.”

Shibuki-san laughed.

“Then play something for me. Let’s go to karaoke.”

So we went to a karaoke place. I tuned the bass by ear.

“Play that song from the other day.”

“Alright.”

I started playing, and Shibuki-san softly hummed along. Just the two of us, our own little concert. It felt like a special moment, like she really understood me. It was a fun day.

♢ ♢ ♢

“Hmm. So you just went on a normal date. How boring.”

Ririka said with a dull tone.

“Didn’t anything go wrong? There are no funny stories?”

“Not really.”

From my point of view, nothing went wrong at all. If I had to say something, I just wish he’d complimented my outfit more and looked at me a little longer. That part was kind of disappointing.

“But you’re amazing, Ruika. Putting up with that creepy guy staring at you like that.”

I never felt anything creepy from him, though. If anything, Watajima’s the one who’s always staring at my chest or legs. That’s way creepier. And honestly, how could he even call him gross? He’s serious about everything he does, and he actually achieves results. Compared to these people just sitting around and wasting time, he shines so much brighter. Something about this feels wrong, but I can’t quite put it into words.