Speed Dating

As soon as Issei hits the stage, the audience goes wild. Dressed in a gray suit, he's making his way towards me and Brainy. His hair is dark and slicked back. And he probably has the most beautiful dark brown eyes I've ever seen.

[WARNING! WARNING!]

[Increased heart rate detected]

[WARNING! WARNING!]

No! No! No!

I mentally scold my internal software.

Stop it!

You need to gather yourself, Airi! You almost didn't even notice the bouquet of red roses he's holding in his hand until now! This is not the time to be acting like a love-struck teenager! He's just a humanoid robot after all. I'm sure they can make millions that can look just like him!

Issei then approaches me with a charming smile, the bouquet of roses extended towards me in a gallant gesture. "So we meet again!" He exclaims, his deep voice resonating through the stage. "These are for you," he says before handing me the flowers.

"Thank you!" I barely manage to speak. And as I gaze into his dark eyes, I immediately feel drawn into them as if I'm hypnotized.

"They're absolutely gorgeous... I mean, the flowers are absolutely gorgeous," I say, trying to cover my embarrassment. The crowd laughs, and I can feel my face burning up even more.
Way to go, Airi! You just made a fool out of yourself!

"But I'm afraid I don't remember us meeting. Have we...?" I ask, feeling confused.

"Ah, well, yes... umm!" Issei chuckles nervously, avoiding eye contact. "Our last encounter was... a bit different." He blushes and quickly looks away. "You were, well... just a brain the last time I saw you!" 

The audience laughs, and I can't help but smile too. His awkwardness is quite endearing. Issei is probably trying to play it cool, but he can't fool me. I can tell he's just as nervous as I am.

"Sorry. I thought I would make a joke to break the ice." He's blushing now, which is also kind of endearing. "Guess I'm not that great with jokes."

"No, no! Don't worry about it; I appreciate the attempt." I reassure Issei before I gaze at the lovely flowers. And I can't help but feel the heat rising in my own cheeks once again. As I finally meet his gaze, I could see a sign of relief in his eyes.

"Alright now." Brainy says. "Since you've officially met now, I think it's about time we start this date!" The crowd begins to cheer.

"I assume you both want some space to get to know each other, right? For that, I'm going to ask the audience to disappear for a bit." The crowd is now silent. "After all, even contestants on a show like this need a little privacy for their first heart-to-heart conversations." The mention of privacy brings a round of protests from the audience.

"Don't worry, you nosy holograms! The cameras will continue filming." The crowd's initial disappointment quickly morphs into cheers and applause. Brainy then rolls her eyes.

"Alright, I will leave you two alone so you can chat for thirty minutes. But ONLY thirty minutes." The little humanoid says.

"Audience OFF!" Naomi shouts from the right side of the stage as the holograms begin to disappear one by one. She then bounces up and down and waves at us. "Good luck, you two lovebirds!" With a dramatic eye roll, Brainy flies towards the backstage area, and Naomi walks behind her, all smiles.

Now it's just me and Issei. The only witnesses being the cameras that continue to record us.
He takes the lead, walking over to the crimson table at the center of the stage, which has been prepared especially for our date. He guides me to one of the chairs with a gentle touch on my elbow, and I can't help but feel a little giddy inside. And, to my surprise, as we reach the table, he pulls out the chair for me. What a gentleman!

"Thank you!" I say with a smile, genuinely touched by his gesture.

Once we're both sitting comfortably, the lights up above start to dim down. Only two red spotlights remain, focusing solely on us, creating a romantic ambiance.

"So, how does it feel to be back among the living?" With a smile that seems to hold a hint of nervousness, Issei breaks the ice with his first question.

"It still feels surreal," I confess before I laugh. "Like I'm in a dream that I never want to wake up from." I say before finding myself unable to resist his gaze once again.

"Indeed," he murmurs, his eyes lingering on me as if searching for something. "It feels like I'm dreaming too."

Is he seriously trying to sweet-talk me? Well, it's working, but I refuse to lose my composure this easily. I instead decide to change the subject and confront the elephant in the room.

"You know... I've been wondering," I say, my tone shifting to one of curiosity, "Why did you choose me?"

"Well..." he pauses for a few seconds, Issei's expression now turning contemplative. "It's quite simple, really. I have always appreciated history. There's just something about connecting with people from times long gone that I find really intriguing. Almost nostalgic"

"And your time period," his eyes light up slightly, "it's got a special charm."

"Well, I don't know about that," I laugh. "I wouldn't exactly describe my own time period like that."

"Really?" Issei looks at me surprised. "I believe that even in the most ordinary times, there are still stories of love, loss, triumph, and sorrow that you won't find in history books."

"It's these real-life human experiences that I value the most." He smiles and looks into my eyes, and I can't help but blush once again.

"How old are you, Issei?"

"Let's see, I'm five years younger than you.". His smile widens.

Huh?

"Are you serious? Why didn't you mention that sooner?!" The fact that he is much closer to my age than I thought makes me even more curious about him.

"Don't laugh, but I figured you might not be into dating younger guys." He shrugs. "So I didn't want to bring it up unless I really had to." Issei says, his tone playful.

"Well, I'm not into younger men, so you guessed right." We then both laugh.

"That's fine," Issei says. "Because while I am five years younger than you, chronologically, I was revived a whole decade before you. So, technically speaking, I've got more life experience under my belt," he replies with a smug expression on his face.

"In conclusion, I'm the older one between the two of us." He smirks and leans back in his chair with his arms crossed.

This guy! He's trying so hard to charm me! Does he want to win that grand prize that badly?
"So what made you come to this TV show in the first place? I mean, you are handsome, and you have manners, and you know how to hold a conversation." I can't help but blurt out.

"Th...thank you for the kind words!" Issei pauses, looking really flustered.

Now he's all flustered again? Does he have a split personality?

"I'm here mostly for my family. They are huge fans of these reality TV shows." He rolls his eyes. "I guess they really want to see me in love as soon as possible!" He laughs.

"Really? My parents were like that too!" I chuckle. "They were quite insistent on this matter, though I've always stood my ground and told them that I wouldn't settle for just anyone." I laugh.

"But seriously, did they force you into this?" I smirk. He laughs it off, clearly enjoying the teasing banter.

"I like strong men. Men who can take matters into their own hands, you know." I pause and study his reaction. "Men who know what they want and who are not scared to get it." I continue with a smile. "I'm not into those who let their families boss them around," I tease him, amused by this situation.

"Oh? But I've got a mind of my own." He looks at me with a piercing gaze as if he wanted to challenge me. "And I can be stubborn when I want to be."

"Brainy?" Issei calls out. 

After a few seconds, the tiny humanoid emerges from behind the monitors.

"Yes? What is it?" she replies.

"We're done here."

Without breaking eye contact with me, Issei keeps the same smug grin on his face. And I just stare back at him, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Did he just... end the date?