How a Date is Made!

Friday’s Language club activities have come to a close, and the group are packing up to get ready to go home for the weekend. For Tani, it has been a long three and a half days since their VR training, largely because Anita has yet to share any information about herself. He was under the impression that Anita would at least talk a little bit about their run in with her butler and the woman named Elisabet.

That has not been the case, she has simply gone along as though it never happened, she hasn’t even seemed awkward about it. Her interactions with the classmates during school hours have been normal, her Japanese has continued to progress at a fast pace during club hours, and she hasn’t treated Tani any differently than before the incident on Monday.

Tani has done his best to return the favor by not divulging his expectation of being informed, each day that has gone by, that expectation morphed into a crushing desire. The problem is that he won’t dare ask her, nor will he likely ever; he’ll simply wait until she talks to him about it no matter how long it takes.

It has become obvious that he’ll have to wait at least another couple days, Anita is packed up and ready to head home.

With a hidden sigh, Tani begins erasing the chalk off the blackboard. “Alright everyone, be sure to have the assignments I’ve given you done by Monday. Next week you can expect a pop quiz, so be prepared.”

“Ugh!” Mariko lets her feelings known with a grunt while she slings her backpack over her shoulder.

Tani chooses to ignore her consternation.

“Okay.” Emilia agrees, but her blank face hides the dejection of the fact that her assignment looks to be twice the size as everyone else's. 

Apparently being Ume’s partner for both Italian and friendship takes more work.

Charl slides his paperwork into his backpack and says, “Akihiro-kun, do you have any plans this weekend?”

Tani stops erasing the blackboard and squints at him.

Charl lets an amused puff of air escape his nose. “No need to be so suspicious, I am just wondering.”

While pushing up the brim of his glasses, Tani replies, “Do you think I spend my weekends doing anything other than work? I have a lot on my plate taking care of you lot.”

“Would you like to do something different?”

“No.”

Tani’s curt reply is clearly meant to shut down this topic of conversation, but Charl ignores it and presses on.

“Cause you see, Kimura-san had invited me to a photo shoot of hers tomorrow afternoon,” He looks towards Ume and gestures for her to speak up. “Isn’t that right?”

Ume nervously fumbles her fingers and says, “Y-Yeah, but Charl can’t make it. I was wondering if you’d like to come hangout with me instead, Tani?”

Tani looks surprised, he doesn’t immediately know how to reply. Looking around the room at the others, he decides to decline as politely as possible. “I’m sure Emilia would be happy to accompany you, she has a lot of homework to do but it isn't something that can't be done on Sunday.”

“I can’t go.” Emilia raises her little hand in front of her. “I have plans with Charl.”

“You what!?” Tani is taken aback. Just what could the two of them want to do together outside of school?

Swinging his head to Mariko, who is halfway out of the door, he asks, “What about you Mariko? Without volleyball training you gotta have some free time?”

Mariko tilts her head. “Well, I guess I don’t have anything goi---”

“Yes you do.” Charl cuts her off.

“Eh?”

“You don’t remember making plans with Emilia and I?”

Charl is attempting to communicate some kind of hidden message to her with rapid eye shifts and facial tics.

Although a little confused at first, Mariko plays it off. “O-Oh yeah that’s right, we’re supposed to study together.”

Tani’s face brightens up. “Whoa really??”

Charl swings his bangs back and says, “Yeah, we wanted to surprise you with some improvement, you did say that we needed to catch up to Anita after all.”

“Wow, wow! Color me impressed by your work ethic!” Tani grabs Charl’s hands and shakes them in place. “To think that my students would show a thirst for knowledge on their own, could it be that my genius is rubbing off on you? Ha! I knew if I persevered through all of your shortcomings I would see some serious results eventually!”

Akihiro Tani is the master of complimentary insults.

Charl isn’t deaf enough to not notice this, yet he chooses to pander to his teacher's ego. “Alas, you really are something special, Akihiro-kun.”

“Haha, I am!”

Ume slashes into his reverie when she taps on his shoulder, snatching his attention. “So will you come with me tomorrow?”

“Ah…” Tani stumbles on his answer. “I guess so.”

“Yay!” Ume grabs Tani’s hands away from Charl and shakes them in place. “It’ll be great to have your support!”

Sheepishly laughing, Tani averts his gaze and it lands on Anita, who has long packed up her things and is waiting for a good time to exit. He almost forgot she was there while he was dealing with the others, she looks his way and smiles at him.

“Ah, Anita. Would you like to join us tomorrow?”

An odd twinge of electricity zaps through the room. Ume releases her grip on Tani’s hands.

Anita shakes her head and at first replies in Japanese, “Sorry, I can’t tomorrow.”

“Oh… I see.” Tani doesn’t do a great job at hiding his disappointment. 

He can't help but wonder what kind of plans she has over the weekend and whether or not she'll be spending it with Elisabet.

Making her way out of the door, Anita sends a friendly wave everyone’s way and says, “I’ll see you all next week!”

“Okay, see you later.” Tani returns a wave to her with only a fraction of the vigor sent his way.

Emiia, Charl and Mariko say their goodbyes to her and follow her lead. Behind Tani's back and out of his sight, Ume puts her hands together and bows as though thanking them.

With everyone gone except Ume, Tani lets out a sigh and finishes up clearing off the backboard.

Ume grabs her bag and says, “Thanks for coming with me, bummer no one else can join huh?”

“Yeah a little bit.” he replies.

Ume shifts her gaze to the ground upon hearing that response.

“But…” Tani says, turning towards her and adjusting his glasses. “It’s been a long time since we last hung out alone together, I’m looking forward to seeing you in your element.”

“Uwawa is that so??” Ume holds her face in her sleeve covered hands and squirms. “I’ll have to show you my best stuff then!”

“So what time and where?”

“Hehe you’re in for a treat, we start shooting at 1pm.” Ume scrambles through her bag and pulls out her phone, after pressing a few buttons she flips it around to present it to him. “Tomorrow you’re gonna meet me here!”