Chapter 6 - It's a date...?

She thought she had mentally prepared for the day, she really convinced herself she did. But she wasn't ready.

No.

She was nervous.

Here she was, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. Fixing her bangs once, and then twice. Maybe a third time was needed, no maybe that was too much.

‘This was a mistake…’  Haruko groaned, cupping her hands over her face. “I'm going to fuck up somehow…” she grumbled. She looked once more at her face, “No. I can do this. I'm Haruko…” she said, giving her cheeks a light slap. “Okay, let's go…”

With that, she heads out. Haruko follows the directions Erina had given her via messages. Along the way, she made sure to stop by somewhere to pick up some flowers, that was romantic right? They do it all the time in those rom-com movies. 

It took a few minutes but she thinks she found the place…

Maybe.

It was a large home, she was awestruck by the size and adored the balance between Traditional Japanese home and modern. Of course she's seen the background art prior but seeing it up close was a different story. 

She turns the corner to enter the front gates, only to see a few boys standing at the front door. One of them was constantly pressing on the doorbell, while the others had noticed her appearance. 

But before anyone could say anything, the door swung open. Revealing a very annoyed Reika. “What do you want?!” She hissed in annoyance, glaring at the culprit directly.

“Good morning to you as well, Reika. You're looking beautiful as always.” One of the guys complimented.

“Eat dirt and die.” Reika deadpanned, she was unimpressed with the group of boys standing before her. Taking notice of Haruko standing a few steps behind them, the girl carried with her a bouquet of roses. “Ah! Haruko…?”

“G…Good morning.” Haruko greeted her timidly. Realizing that the other woman was wearing a black tank top that accentuated her curves and light blue shorts that highlighted her long legs and porcelain skin.

“What are you doing here?” Reika asks, she was amused by her flushed face. She leans against the door frame, staring at Haruko. She  was quick to ignore the existence of the boys. They look between them curiously.

“Uh… m-my date with Yukiko.” Haruko answered. “I-I'm here to pick her up?”

“Oh? I'm disappointed.” Reika hummed.

Haruko tensed when she heard that, tilting her head in confusion. “Eh?? W-What, why??” She asked worriedly. 'Did I do something wrong...?'

“I'm disappointed that you asked Yuki out and not me.” Reika smirked teasingly, her smile dropping when the boy pressed on the door bell again. “You brats are so annoying!! Can't you meet somewhere else that's not here???”

Thankfully, Takashi came just in time before she could rip anyone's head off. “Woah. Chill out.” He said, squeezing past his older sister to get to his friends. “Oh! Haruko, you're here?”

“Good morning, Takashi. I'm here for my date with Yukiko.” Haruko says nervously. “Am I too early…?” She pondered, there really was not set time for this date. But she figured the longer they hung out, the more practice she would get in. 

“Nonsense. Yukiko is just a heavy sleeper.” Reika rolled her eyes. “But that means you get to hang out with me for now~”

“I tried to wake her up just now, but it might take a few more minutes till she's actually out of bed.” Takashi admitted. “If anything, I'm sure you can just wake her up yourself?”

“Uhh sure.” Haruko nodded, jumping a bit when Reika grabbed a hold of her arm. She tugs on it lightly.

“Go take your stupid friends somewhere else already.” Reika motioned to Takashi. “Come on, Haruko. Come inside.” Her demeanor changed when facing Haruko, seemingly soft and courteous.

“Have fun.” Takashi waves them off, him and his friends walking towards the front gate. The boys were quick to jump into a conversation, hollering loudly in excitement about what they were going to do that day. 

Haruko glanced back at them briefly before the door could fully shut, and she instantly thought about the main points of today.

She looked ahead, awestruck by how large the entrance was by itself.

Reika placed down some house slippers for her to use.

Haruko peels her shoes off and puts them on before following Reika in. ‘This isn't the first time I've seen this place but there's definitely a big difference between pictures and the real thing…’

“We can hang out in the living room for now.” Reika smiles, and she leads Haruko into the living room. Erina sitting there with a cup of coffee. Another woman beside her.

They turn their attention towards the two that had just entered. Reika makes Haruko take a seat before getting comfortable beside her.

“Oh? Who's this?” The woman asks curiously.

“This is Haruko, mom.” Erina smiles. “The one taking Yukiko out today. Good morning, Haruko.” she greeted sweetly. 

“M-Mornin-- Mom!?” Haruko gasps aloud, shocked to hear the identity of the new woman. “I thought you were another sister.” she admitted. This woman probably had the fountain of youth hidden somewhere in the house, because she looked great. She was another faceless character in the storyline, supposedly their mother wasn't interested in the whole turf/gang thing. 

“Oh my goodness!” The woman giggles, “You flatter me. But yes, I am their mother. Yuriko Hasegawa.”

“M-My name is Haruko Kisaragi.” Haruko bowed her head slightly. “It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.”

“You've probably heard, but Yukiko isn't awake just yet.” Yuriko smiled. “But you can hang out with us for now, Haruko.” she beamed brightly, radiating beauty that made Haruko weak in the knees. 

“S…Sure…” Haruko gulps.

*

At some point, Yukiko was coming down the stairs, dragging her steps. She yawned tiredly, surprised when she caught a whiff of something savory being made in the kitchen. She walks over, “Good morning, breakfast smells amazing today~” she hummed, bouncing in excitement. The smell itself woke her up a little. 

“Ah. Good morning, Yuki.” Yuriko hummed, she was sitting at the dining room table with Erina and Reika. The trio were drinking some coffee. “Come, sit.”

Yukiko froze when she realized that the three of them were just sitting there. So who was cooking breakfast right now? “Haruko??” She gasped in shock. “What are you doing??”

“I umm… making breakfast, I suppose.” Haruko laughed awkwardly before putting plates down in front of each of the women at the table.

“E-Eh??”

“Just sit down.” Reika rolled her eyes, motioning to an open seat.

Yukiko took a seat at the table as well, staring at the food in amazement. “Why did you make breakfast, Haruko??”

“Well. At first I was just listening to them talk while I was waiting for you to wake up.” Haruko motions to the other three briefly. “Then it crossed my mind that you'd probably be hungry since you'd just be waking up. So I thought I'd make something real quick, it escalated to me making everyone breakfast.” She chuckled, “Which I don't mind.”

“You didn't have to.” Yukiko mumbled timidly. “I would've eaten eventually, it's just a date.”

Haruko rubs the back of her neck nervously, “I…I've never been on a date before.” she admits to them. “I don't know what's wrong or what's right if I'm going to be honest… I just know that - I'd like to take care of you while on this date, if you'd let me?”

“Awww, that's so sweet~” Yuriko swooned, giggling like a teenage girl in love.

“W-Well… thank you, Haruko.” Yukiko spoke quietly, her cheeks tinted a bit red. She picks her fork up and the family begin to eat.

Silence.

“It tastes amazing.” Erina was the first to comment, she smiles at Haruko directly. “You know how to cook, Haruko.”

“Ahaha, yea.” Haruko could only give a slight nod in agreement. She made home cooked meals every now and then back in the real world, it helped to save money some days. It also helped her learn some new meals based on the ingredients she had at home. 

Surprisingly though, in this body she had a whole list of American recipes in her head. 'I guess some of her memories  and skills are engraved into the body... that's pretty helpful to know.'

Haruko glances at Yukiko awkwardly, noticing she was staring back as well. "I-I hope this isn't too weird for you..." she spoke. 

"N-No! Of course not!" Yukiko was quick to disagree, shaking her head. "I-it's actually really... romantic..." she mumbled, poking at the eggs on her plate timidly. Her face flushing red in a matter of seconds. "You made food for my family as well, that was really thoughtful of you."

'I mean it is their kitchen...' Haruko could only smile slightly, 'Also they were kind of breathing down my neck, it was hard not to offer...'

"So, what were the plans for this date of yours?" Reika asks out of curiosity. 

"Haruko doesn't really know the area still, so I might just--" Yukiko trails off, she notices when Haruko shook her head. "Hmm?"

"I-I researched the area yesterday, once I got home, to plan something out..." Haruko admitted, "I mean, i-if you'd let me?" 

"You did??" Yukiko gaped, her mouth still full of food as she was in the middle of chewing. 'She's really taking this seriously...' she had thought to herself. 

 "Yuki, don't talk with your mouth full." Erina scolded, kind of, it was a very gentle way of scolding someone. 

"A-Ah!" Yukiko shut her mouth instantly, covering her face in embarrassment. "Oh my Gosh! I'm so sorry you had to see that, Haruko...!" she whines. 

Haruko took a second to think, "It's alright." she reassures, "No matter what you do, I think you're still cute." she tried, smiling a bit.

Yukiko coughed, almost choking from the food in her mouth. She swallowed what she could and chugged some of the water nearby. 

"This is so cute~" Yuriko swooned, she was more amused than anything. "My baby is going on her first date~" she giggles, "With someone so charming too~"

"It's unfortunate that Yuki is the one going." Reika commented, "It's probably just a friendly date. When you want to try something more, you can always call me, Haruko~" she purred, caressing Haruko's hand lightly. 

Yukiko shot her a glare, still coughing a bit as Erina pat lightly at her back. Erina handing her a napkin to clean her face a bit. 

"What is 'more'?" Haruko asks curiously, was it code for something. There was more to dating than what she had seen on the tv??

"Goodness, don't give me that clueless expression. I'll just want to tease you even more~" Reika giggled, she drags her hand slowly up towards Haruko's bicep.

"Reika..." Erina said, in a sort of warning tone. "Haruko is Yuki's date today." 

"For now~"

Yukiko, agitated , threw her utensils down on her now empty plate. She stood up from where she sat and goes to put the dishes in the sink. "I'm going to get ready..." she huffed, leaving the room.

"Ah, um..." Haruko watched her leave worriedly, she was wondering what had just happened. 

"She'll be fine." Reika hummed, she also gets up from the table and leaves her dishes in the sink. "Come, Haruko. Help me decide on an outfit today. We're meeting with some friends today." she suggested, tugging on her arm lightly. 

Haruko hesitantly got out of her seat, "Um, okay." she nods.

Erina watches closely, "Reika, don't do anything..." she said seriously now, surprising Haruko from the change in tone. Erina was usually so kind and gentle from what she had seen in the game. "I'm not kidding.."

"Yes, yes~ I'll be gentle~" Reika smirks, the two ascending up the stairs to go to her room.

*

When Yukiko came back down, she had noticed Haruko was missing. She looks around a bit more to see Erina and Yuriko in the living room. "Where is Haruko?" she asks, growing a bit weary. 

“Oh! Welcome back, Yuki. Reika asked Haruko to help her pick an outfit.” Yuriko hummed, seemingly unaware of Reika's tendencies.

“She took her to her room…” Erina said, her expression a bit more weary.

Yukiko was quick to react. She rushes to Reika's room and barges in. “Reika…!” She practically yelled. Her voice surprised Haruko, who was sitting at the edge of the bed patiently.

Reika came out of her personal bathroom, dressed in clothes for going out. “What, dweeb?” She raised a brow at Yukiko before going towards her vanity mirror to fix her hair.

“Did you do something to Haruko…?” Yukiko questioned, and she approached Haruko, analyzing her face closely.

“Nothing.” Reika hummed. “She helped me pick an outfit for today.” She glances at Yukiko from the mirror reflection, “Was I supposed to do something else…?” Reika hinted with a grin.

“No.” Yukiko deadpanned, she tugs on Haruko's hand lightly. “Let's go.” She tells her in a softer tone.

“Y-Yea. Alright.” Haruko stood up, dusting her outfit of any wrinkles.

Reika approaches the two with a playful smile before they could exit her room. “Hope you have fun~” she  smooths out the collar of Haruko's shirt, resting her hands on her shoulders. “How's my hair…?” She asks out of the blue.

“Pretty.” Haruko nodded, she reached up to tuck some of Reika's hair behind her ear. “Like you.”

Reika was pleased with that answer, she pressed her cheek against Haruko's palm before kissing it lightly.

Yukiko tensed, she pulls Haruko away a bit forcefully now. “We're going now!” she calls out to the rest of her family.

They quickly made their way out after changing into their shoes, walking in the direction of the mall.

After they were a few feet away from the Hasegawa household, Yukiko looked at Haruko worriedly. “Did Reika do anything to you? Did she say anything…?”

“Uh, yea.” Haruko nodded with an awkward smile. “She said I was worthy enough to be her servant.”

“Ugh! She's so– I’m so sorry about her, Haruko.”

“D-Don't worry. I pretended like I didn't understand what she was saying.” Haruko admitted, “Shizuka told me to act clueless if Reika ever got me alone and tried to talk me into anything.”

“Uehara did?”

“Yea. She said it would be a simple way out of the situation.” Haruko rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, ‘Although, I was not expecting all of that from a background supporting character… then again, the same could be said about me…’

Yukiko sighed heavily in relief, “My older sister is… she's a tease, but when it comes down to it, she's a sadist.” She admitted, Haruko made a mental note, “She can get a bit… brutal with her methods and has high standards for those who associate with her.”

“I see…” Welp, that was a lot to take in just now. She knew Reika was a tease, but a sadist is crazy work.

“And it seems she's interested in you.” Yukiko finished up.

“Did I do something to prompt that…?” Haruko asks, and she ponders what had caused the sudden interest. They had only met yesterday, so it was a bit of a surprise.

“I suppose… when you saved them from those men? That's probably what solidified her interest.” Yukiko mumbles. “She's always had a thing for the strong type.”

“Ahh…”

“Mom was being weird around you too.” Yukiko groans, “I swear they're all weird, except Erina.” She pouted.

“I mean, that's what makes you all interesting, no?” Haruko chuckled lightly.

“You're just being nice.” Yukiko couldn't help but giggle at that. “ So, what have you planned for us today? Unless you were just kidding when you said you did research.”

“N-No, I actually did some research. I asked Minami about the area and looked around on the internet.” Haruko admitted. “I thought we could see a movie?”

“A movie? Sure, I haven't been to the theaters in a while.” Yukiko hums, swinging their arms excitedly.

“Great. You can decide on the movie when we get there.” Haruko spoke, she intertwined their fingers, considering they were still holding hands and have been since they left the house. “Is this okay?” She asks, referring to their hands.

“Y…Yes…” Yukiko nods slightly, growing timid.

Once they made it to the movie theaters that resided in the large mall, Yukiko decided on a romance, avoiding the horror movies that were available as well.

Haruko bought their tickets, deciding on a later time since it was the only one seemingly available. “It'll be a while till the movie starts, let's go walk around.” she suggests.

“Sure.”

They made their way around the mall, Haruko taking in the layout like a sponge. She figured this information would be useful later on.

As they were walking, her eyes landed on an arcade. ‘Oh! Perfect, I've seen couples go on dates there. Seems silly, but I can see the appeal.’ She tugs lightly on Yukiko's fingers. “Let's go play?”

“I-I… I don't usually come here.” Yukiko says, rubbing at her arm nervously.

‘I usually come alone so… I guess we're both a little new at this…’ Haruko thought, she pursed her lips. “That's okay too.” She leads Yukiko to one of the air hockey machines, leaving her there for a minute to get a play card. “Let's start with this, so we can both play.”

Haruko swipes the card, the two of them separating to opposite ends.

Yukiko glances down to see that she had the puck on her side. She places it on the table, waiting for Haruko to be ready. Once she gets a reassuring nod, Yukiko hits the puck sternly towards Haruko's side of the table.

Things were continuing normally, they were consistent in their back and forth. At one point though, Yukiko almost hits the puck in.

Haruko quickly used her arm to block the opening, the puck bouncing off of her arm lightly. She was quick to play it off as her sneezing instead.

“Ah! Haruko!” Yukiko looked at her in disbelief, giving Haruko the chance to shoot the puck into the opening. “Haruko!” Yukiko whines, she goes over to her side hitting at Haruko's arm playfully. “You cheated.”

“I sneezed.” Haruko argues, she laughs as she tries to avoid Yukiko's attacks. “Okay, okay. I won't do that again.” She smiles innocently, holding her fists.

“You'd better not.” Yukiko couldn't help but smile back up at her. She heads back to her side.

The game continues, Yukiko being able to score at least once before Haruko ultimately wins in the end. “You only won because you cheated.” She noticed that the score was off by one.

Haruko paused, “I had to do it. You were distracting me.” She whines, “You're so pretty, it was distracting.”

She pats herself on the back for that one, feeling a bit confident with the mood.

Yukiko shoves her lightly, “Come on, silly.” She pulls her along by the arm, the two playing other games around the arcade.

Haruko follows Yukiko silently for a bit, noticing the time. “Ah. We still have a bit of time before the movie starts. It's your turn to pick something.” She suggests, looking down at Yukiko to notice she was staring at a toy in the claw machines nearby. “Let's play that.”

“Huh?” Yukiko follows Haruko towards the machine, watching her swipe the card before moving out of the way.

“You wanna try first?” Haruko asks.

“N-No. You do it.” Yukiko spoke. “I'm no good at these… Takashi is better than me at this…”

Haruko frowned, ‘This is the second time she's compared herself to Takashi like that…’ Haruko nudges Yukiko closer to the machine before standing behind her. “You'll be fine, Yukiko. You can do it.” She reassured, guiding the other woman's hand to the joystick.

She helped her move the claw at first, moving away towards the end to let her take over.

Yukiko continued, moving the claw around hesitantly. She did some last second positioning, surprised when the time ran out and the claw dropped.

She held her breath in anticipation, watching closely as the claw wrapped around the capybara plushie with a strawberry hat.

It picks up slowly before dragging shakily towards the opening.

Yukiko gasps when the plush drops into the hole, she jumps up and down excitedly. Pulling Haruko in for an embrace in the moment. “I did it~” she realized her mistake and moved away quickly. “I did it…” she said again, softer.

“You did.” Haruko smiles, she takes the prize out of the chute for her. Holding it up towards the girl. “I knew you could do it.”

Yukiko takes the plushie timidly, hiding her face in it. “T-Thank you…”

“Let's get back to the theater. It's almost time.” Haruko said, “What would you like to snack on?”

“A-Ah. Let me pay for that.” Yukiko spoke up. Holding to her words as she bought their snacks and drinks, the pair headed in to find their seats.

“Are these seats okay?” Haruko asked curiously, hoping Yukiko was comfortable. "You're sitting under the air conditioner, are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Haruko. Don't worry." Yukiko reassured her, blushing brightly from all the attention Haruko was giving her. 

"If you ever feel cold, we can switch. Or I can give you my jacket." Haruko offered. Dating 101: Be respectful and considerate... respect your partner's boundaries and ensure that you're both comfortable. 

"Thank you for worrying about me, Haruko but I will be fine." Yukiko couldn't help but chuckle at this, "You're sweet for caring. I will be sure to let you know if I feel chilly."

"That's good." Haruko smiles, she leans back in her seat to get comfy. She sips a bit from her soda, mindlessly watching the movie previews showing before the actual movie begins. 

Everything seemed to be going well, until she felt it...

The atmosphere around them shifted, it felt heavy, negative, almost... evil. A sense of anxiety shot there her body, goosebumps trailing up her arms to the back of her neck. She felt nauseous even. 

Haruko turns to Yukiko, watching her expression closely. The woman seemed unbothered. Unaware of the sudden drop in temperature. 'She doesn't sense it... can only I feel that??' 

Haruko searched frantically for the source, glancing around.  Her eyes landing on the two figures approaching where they sat. A taller man, he had glasses and shoulder length hair that that covered most of his face and was a bit unkempt for her liking, he had a slightly large build. His physique similar to that of an apple-shaped body. 

And next to him, a shorter woman, she was generally thin with a slender waist, narrow hips and shoulders. She had light brown hair that neatly cascaded past her shoulders and parted evenly at the front. 

 Haruko tenses when she realized who they were, and she regretted looking because they realized who she was as well.

"Kisaragi! Is that you?  What a coincidence!" The woman calls out. She smiles down at them, but Haruko could sense it, something hidden behind the pleasant facade. "You're seeing this movie as well?" 

"Hello Ishikawa." Haruko greeted awkwardly, she offered a smile as well. "A pleasure to see you as well." She did her best to keep up with the act but was panicking on the inside, because why were THEY here? 

Takashi should be dealing them right now, not her.

"Hanging out with a friend?" The woman continued, looking between herself and Yukiko. 

'Out of all the seats, why are they near us...' Haruko bit at her lower lip worriedly. "You could say that, yes." she answered.

"Unfortunately, our other friends were too busy to hang out with us today." Yukiko added in with a fake smile. 

"I see! Allow us to fill in their shoes for now then." The woman chuckled, motioning to herself and the man beside her. She looks to Yukiko directly. "My name is Noriko Ishikawa, this is my brother, Kou. We have some classes with Haruko." she explained briefly, taking a seat that was one away from Yukiko. "You're Yukiko Hasegawa, right? Your brother was the one that was dating my best friend." 

Haruko wondered if Yukiko could sense the malice leaking from her tongue, because she could. 

"So I've heard." Yukiko nodded slightly.

Haruko watches the pair quietly, taking notice of Kou and his adventurous gaze towards Yukiko. He finally speaks, taking a seat beside her. "My name is Kou." He tried, meeting Yukiko's eyes. He holds his hand out to her, suggestion a handshake. "A pleasure to meet someone as beautiful as you."

Yukiko bit back the urge to tell him off and just ignored his little gesture, pretending that her hands were full with the plushie and the popcorn she was holding. She cringed at his words, "Yukiko..." she replied in a dull manner. 

"I had been hesitant to see this movie today, but after meeting you two here... I'm glad Noriko convinced me." Kou admitted, patting lightly at Yukiko's shoulder with an awkward smile. 

"That's good..." Yukiko shrugs his hand off. 

Haruko was quick to take action. "Ah! Yukiko, you're sitting under the air conditioner. It's probably cold." she pointed out, as if she hadn't done so already. "Let's switch spots." she tugs on Yukiko's finger lightly. 

"Uh, o-okay..." Yukiko agreed hesitantly, the two getting up to switch seats. 

The second Haruko sat back down, Kou was back at it. "How are you, Kisaragi?" he asks, he places a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Offering a slightly normal smile this time around, considering they had classes together. "Have you finished the math homework we were given this weekend?"

"Yes, I have." Haruko hums, "I made sure to get that done before coming out today. Didn't want to worry too much about it." she admitted, she felt Yukiko grasp tightly at her hand, noticing her bothered expression.

"That's so smart! I wish I was good at math to do that." Kou sighed, "M-Maybe you could help tutor me sometime...? O-Or have you finished unpacking your things? I know you just moved here recently! I could help you out if you need??" 

'He reeks of desperation...' Haruko groaned, mentally rolling her eyes at the man's attempts. She placed her free hand on his own, smiling kindly. "I assume Noriko would be better at helping you in math than me, considering she is one of the smartest people in the class." she chuckles, "Also, Thank you for your concern but I'd prefer to unpack my things by myself. I have certain ways of doing things, so if I don't do that it would bother me very much."

"I-I see... If you ever need anything though, you can always ask me! I can even help you with other stuff, I'm pretty handy, y'know?" He boasted. 

“I will… consider it.” Haruko said. It was the best thing she could say, she didn't want to come off as rude. At that point the movie was beginning. ‘What can I do…’ she pondered. She glances at Yukiko, noticing the girl was slightly shivering. “Yukiko…” she called out, peeling her jacket off. “Take this.”

“Huh?” Yukiko looks at her in surprise, holding the jacket closely. “B-But–”

“It's okay.”

“Won't you get cold too?” Kou frowned, including himself in their conversation.

“I'll be fine… even if I do get cold, you could just keep me warm, right?” Haruko hummed. She mentally gagged by how cringy that sounded. Did she still want to go along with the Black Swan plan? No, not really. Why did she suggest this in the first place??

“Y-Yea! Of course!” Kou agreed easily, holding onto her shoulder.

Yukiko was baffled by what she just witnessed, and only slightly jealous. She pouted, hugging the plushie tightly.

Only finding relief when Haruko held her hand firmly, the two intertwining their fingers discreetly throughout the movie.

*

The movie ended, the lobby flooding with people. They exited the theater and Haruko felt as if she could breathe again.

“Well, it was nice while it lasted.” Yukiko tells them, “Okay. Let's go, Haruko.” She suggested, trying to get away quickly.

“Oh! Hey guys!” Haruko groaned when one of Takashi's friends greeted them, the group spreading out a bit to reveal Takashi was with them.

“It's Chisako's ex.” Kou pointed out, glancing at Takashi.

“Takashi.” Noriko greeted, she was smiling politely but you could tell she was kind of bothered by his presence.

“Noriko… Kou….” Takashi greeted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You guys saw a movie too?”

“Yea.” Yukiko nodded. “A rom-com. We coincidentally bumped into these two.”

Haruko came to a realization from his question as the group started having their own conversation, ‘Takashi could have seen them in their theater and everything would've played out like in the game. But by some chance, they decided on the movie Yukiko and I were seeing…’

‘Decided on the movie…’ Haruko pondered.

‘No… Kou said Noriko convinced him to see this one. He was probably going to pick their movie.’ Haruko glances at Noriko, unconsciously staring at her. ‘Is it because Yukiko and I decided to see a movie today…? Am I supposed to do something about Noriko…’

“Haru?” Yukiko called out, getting her attention when she touched her hand.

“Oh! Huh?” Haruko glances at her in surprise. “Sorry, what were you saying?” She asks. 

"Apparently we're joining them for lunch." Yukiko sighs, motioning to the large group that included Takashi, his friends, and the Ishikawa. She glared intensely at Takashi when the boy approaches them.

"Please stop... I didn't do anything." Takashi pouted. "Don't blame me, blame the guys..." he motioned to his friends, that were already trying to lead the group to a place they know. "Let's get going I guess." 

When they make it to the restaurant Takashi's friends were talking about, it took about 10 minutes before they were all seated at one of the larger tables. 

Haruko decided to sit beside Yukiko, whom was at the end of the table, thankfully. 

Unfortunately for them though, Kou had placed himself on the other side of Haruko with his sister beside him. 

"This looks... expensive." Takashi commented suddenly, they had been looking through the menu to pick out something to eat. 

"Probably means it's good though." One of his louder friends said with a large grin on his face. "Besides, what do you have to worry about? Isn't your family loaded??"

"You should still limit how much you spend in a day." Takashi rolled his eyes, flipping through the menu.

"What are you eating...?" Haruko asks, looking to Yukiko curiously. She left the others to talk in the background, practically ignoring everyone else to focus on her main priority of the day.

"I'm not sure. How about you?" Yukiko glances at her, blushing when she realized Haruko was leaning in close. They had been sharing a menu to look through, so it made sense that she would be a bit close. 

"Hmm..." Haruko notices her cheeks were slightly red, "Are you on the menu..?" she asks, almost teasingly as she pinches Yukiko's cheek softly. She realized what she had just asked and blushes as well. "Um... just kidding..." 

"Y..You're a pervert, aren't you..." Yukiko mumbled, equally embarrassed. 

"I can't help it when I'm with a pretty girl such as yourself." Haruko whispers into Yukiko's ear, causing the other woman to shove her face away softly. Chills running down her spine.

"Haruko..." Yukiko whined, pouting. She noticed Takashi staring at them from across the table. "What..." she huffs.

"Nothing. Nothing." Takashi held is hand up defensively.

"Welcome. My name is Chizuru, have you dined with us before?" The waitress came up to them, with the usual customer service voice Haruko was all too familiar with. She had long red hair that curled elegantly at the ends, her bangs framing her face. She smiled gently, looking around at the larger group.

Haruko couldn't help but notice that she felt a little off in this setting, and that she seemed a bit familiar. But she ignored it for now.

"I've been here before." Takashi's friend gaped in awe, "But I've never seen your pretty face before." he tried.

The waitress, Chizuru, held her smile. Simply ignoring his advances. "What drinks are you interested in?" she asks, moving away from the boy to look around at the others. Her gray eyes fixated on Haruko. Which she had noticed right away.

"Do you have Coke Zero?" Haruko asks, staring directly at her. It was as if they were both trying to figure out where they had seen each other before. 

"..." 

"Hello?"

"H-Huh? What?"

"She asked if you had Coke Zero." Takashi repeated for her, he was watching in amusement when he noticed that Yukiko was sitting in between their little stare off. His sister clearly bothered by the interaction.

"O-Oh! Yes, we do have that actually." Chizuru nods, writing it down into her notepad. "Ah wait, that's what you'd like right?"

"Might as well, it is one of her favorite drinks." Takashi answered for her, gaining a curious gaze from Haruko. 

Since when has he been paying attention to what she favored?

"And everyone else?" Chizuru breaks her eyes away from Haruko to look at the others. Taking the rest of the groups drinks down in her notepad. "I'll be back with those." she tells them before walking away.

"She's totally into me." Takashi's friend, Shin boasted. "Did you see how she smiled at me??" Haruko forgot that they all had names, the game had a lot of characters with names. But it probably would've been easier if they just went by 'Boy A' or 'Boy B.' Especially his dumb friends. 

"I think you're being delusional." Yukiko scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"But did you see how she was staring at me??" Kou added in, clearly he misunderstood who she was staring at to begin with. "She's probably into me more than she is you." he tells Shin. 

"And so the delusion spreads..." Yukiko grumbled.

"Shoot your shot then." Noriko says suddenly. "Why don't you both try it out, so we can see who she's actually into."

"Shoot who??" Haruko looked up in surprise. What did she mean 'shoot their shot'?? Like actually?

"It's slang for like-- she means... you know..." Takashi started, rubbing the back of his head as he tries to find the words. "Not actually shooting someone, she means like, asking her out on a date or something." he explained briefly. 

"Oh." Haruko nodded, it was slang. She mentally facepalms, of course she had no clue about todays slang. Everything goes over her head when she's always working. But this gave her an opportunity to play as her character, "Thank you Takashi, I-I couldn't really understand her Japanese." she admitted. "You're so smart, brains and the looks."

"T-Thank you...?"

"Why are you surprised by that?" Shin looked at him in confusion. "C'mon bro, a lot of girls at school think you're good looking!" he complimented, patting his back harshly. 

Yukiko snorted, "That's all he has for him, his personality is horrible towards those girls though..." She mumbled, it was loud enough for Haruko to hear. 

'His personality...?' Haruko frowned slightly, she glances at Takashi who paid more attention to Shin talking. 'He has a bad personality towards his fans...?' she ponders just as the drinks were coming.

Chizuru came back with a tray of their drinks, she began placing them onto the table. Placing two Coke Zeros in front of Haruko. 

"Are one of those mines?" Takashi asks, pointing out his missing drink.

"Oh! My apologies!" Chizuru took one of the cups to place it in front of him instead. "H-Have you decided on what you would like to order yet?" she asks. Each of them naming down what they had wanted.

Kou had said his meal before leaning in, "Just out of curiosity, are you free sometime this week?"

"Sorry, I'm busy." Chizuru had looked at him with slight disgust before masking it with an awkward smile. "And you?" she glances at Shin.

"I'd like the teriyaki chicken and egg milano sandwich-" Shin tried, watching her write down his order. "-with a side order of you?" his friends groan loudly on the sidelines. 

Chizuru was physically uncomfortable by now.

Haruko couldn't take it anymore, she rolled her eyes at their attempts. She figured she might as well take part in their little contest and win to put these boys in their place for making a woman uncomfortable. "That sounds good." she admitted out of the blue, using Haruko's lack of Japanese to her advantage. "I don't see that last part on the menu though? Is it a promotion thing?"

"F...For you maybe..." Chizuru blushes, using her notepad to hide her blush as she fidgets with the pen between her fingers.

"Is it tasty?" Haruko continued, the others watching her with disbelief and some with amusement.

"I-I'm not sure, you're going to have to find that out on your own." Haruko was a bit surprised that the other woman was seemingly flirting back in a way.

"I see. Can I have that part to go? I'd like to save it for when I'm at home." Haruko smiles up at her slightly.

Yukiko was going livid beside her, her eyebrow twitching as she listens to their conversation.

"What is happening right now??" Takashi looked between the two in shock.

"I-I'll be right back with your orders!" Chizuru stated, she leaves quickly, going towards the front of the store.

"Woah, did you just score the waitress?" Takashi's shorter friend, Ryouta asked in amazement.

"Hmm??" Haruko looked at him with a faux confused expression, "What does that mean?"

She was not expecting him to talk to her in full on English. "Did you just score the waitress?" Ryouta laughed. "You're Haruko Kisaragi, right?"

"Y-Yea??" Haruko was trying to wrap her mind around this  character now, who was he and why does he know her??

Ryouta Nakajima is Takashi's closest guy friend, she knew that much. He was a supporting character like Minami, and honestly a very likeable character if she was going to be honest. "I'm not sure if you remember me, I'm Ryouta Nakajima! We used to go to elementary together with Mina!" he admitted with a large grin.

'Since when was that a thing...?? The game is giving Haruko Kisaragi an in-depth background story now??' Haruko was surprised by the new information but just smiles back at him. "Oh! Ryou! That's why you looked so familiar when I first saw you today." she lied, it was just because she's seen his character model before. 

"Yea! I was surprised when I saw you too!" Ryouta laughed, "You got huge, Haru. Like in a good way!" he complimented. At that point the others were back to having their own conversation, leaving them to talk with only Yukiko and Takashi listening in. 

"O-Oh." Haruko laughs awkwardly. "Yup, I was just as surprised to see how tall I've gotten." Not a lie, it was a big jump from her usual height. She was not used to being able to see things at this height. 

"You've been working out too, I assume? You got hella lean." 

"Yup, yup." Haruko could only agree, she had no clue what this girl was doing before she entered this body. She continued to listen to him talk about some other stuff, grateful when Chizuru came back with their food. 

Chizuru placed plates in front of everyone, making sure they each had gotten what they wanted before ending off with Haruko. With whom she had slid a paper next to her. "I hope you all enjoy your food, please call me over if you need anything else." She smiled, walking away in haste before Haruko could mention the mysterious paper. 

Haruko picks it up curiously, seeing a bunch of numbers written on the back with a little heart on the side. 

"How did this happen..." Yukiko sighed heavily with a pout, looking at the paper as well. 

"A...Accidentally?" Haruko could only answer sheepishly, she didn't mean to flirt with another girl while on a date with Yukiko. She just wanted to put the guys in their place. It was baffling Chizuru took action on it though. "Sorry..." She got out quietly to the other girl, putting the paper into her pocket. 

They eat in silence, some conversation happening every now and then but it was mostly quiet. "What did you order, Yukiko?" Haruko asks, glancing her direction.

"C-Curry..." Yukiko replied, patting her face with a napkin. "Would you like to try some?"

"Sure, I'd love to try some actually." Haruko nodded, 'Curry is one of my favorite meals...' she hummed. Yuki picked up a spoonful of curry.

"Here, open wide~" Yukiko smiles up at her, surprising the other woman. Haruko opened her mouth timidly. It was still baffling when other people try to feed her. "Good?"

"Y-Yea... It's really good." Haruko hummed, swallowing. "You picked a good one."

"I-I only got it because Minami told me you liked curry..." Yukiko admitted, fiddling with her fingers. She averted eye contact.

"She did? It's my favorite." 

"M-Maybe I'll make you some then.."

"Sure, I would love that." Haruko smiles slightly, "Try my food?" she offered.

"You can have some of mines, Yukiko. We have the same food anyways~" Shin offered. 

"Nope." Yukiko deadpanned, eating the piece Haruko had held up to her instead. "Ah this is good as well." 

"Wanna share?" 

"Yea. Please feel free to take some." Yukiko moved a bit closer so it was easier to share their plates. 

"Only if you feed me." 

"I will, you silly~"

*

"Here are your checks, you can pay at the register whenever you're ready." Chizuru said, hanging the checks out one by one.

"Thank you so much." Kou smiles up at her, his touch lingering on her hand. Chizuru gave him a slight look off disgust, she pulls her hand back and leaves the table.

"..." Haruko looked through her check quietly, raising a brow. "Did she make a mistake?" she questioned quietly. 

Takashi takes a look at it curiously, holding her receipt in awe. "She charged you nothing." he chuckles. "We can go up and ask." he gave the receipt back to her, the group getting up to head over to the register. 

Haruko waited patiently, letting everyone pay before her. She went up last, "Hey, my check came out to zero?" she pointed out nervously, Chizuru taking it from her hand.

"I know." Chizuru smiles up at her, "I paid for you. Did you see my note earlier?" she asks, handing the receipt back to her.

"T-The message?" Haruko pulled the paper back out to look at it again, reading the message to herself. 'Call me later~ <3' 

"M-My phone number..." Chizuru admitted, "I-If you... still want me later." she says, reminding her of the conversation earlier. "G-Give me a call." she flushed red.

"A-At least let me pay you back." Haruko offered, pulling her wallet out.

"I can't take your money, but will you take me on a date instead?" Chizuru asks, smiling up at her. 

"A d-date?"

"Yea, a date. How does next Sunday sound?"

"S-Sure... that sounds great." Haruko nodded, she was baffled. This was the first time a girl was asking her out.

"May I get your name?"

"Oh right... H-Haruko Kisaragi." 

"Okay, Kisaragi." Chizuru smiles, reaching out to caress her cheek gently. "I'll see you next week for our date?"

"R-Right, see you next week..." Haruko smiles back widely, a bit excited by the outcome.

"Can't wait, Kisaragi~" Chizuru giggled at the reaction, poking lightly at the dimple that had popped up.

Haruko walks over to her friends, who were waiting outside the store. "What happened?" Yukiko asks, she had been watching them closely but couldn't really get a read on the conversation.

"S-She paid for me... and wants to take me to take her out next weekend." Haruko admitted sheepishly, "So I can pay her back for today."

"Wow, I guess Haru won this round, huh?" Ryouta laughed, giving her a pat on the back. "Niceeee."

"Probably as friends, right?" 

"We'll have to see about that next weekend." Takashi laughed, "We're going to go somewhere else, what are you four gonna do now?" he asked, looking to the Ishikawa and Yukiko.

"We should be heading home as well. There's some homework this guy needs to finish." Noriko smiles, motioning to Kou. "Thank you for inviting us for lunch everyone, I hope you have a good day." she tugs on Kou's arm before he could make any complaints, dragging him away.

Haruko felt the heavy weight on her shoulder disappear once they were gone. Watching closely as they turned the corner. "..."

"We're probably going to spend a little more time together before we head home." Yukiko claims, she held onto Haruko's arm tightly. Slightly jealous of what had just happened with Chizuru. 

"Alright. Text me when you get home." Takashi tells her. 

"Whatever." Yukiko scoffed, they waited for the boys to walk away. Leaving them alone like they were intended to be.

"What shall we do now?" Haruko asks, the two walking towards the other parts of the mall.

"How's your wardrobe? You know, since you just moved back?"

"It's uhh... minimal." Haruko admitted.

"Let's go clothes shopping. We can find some outfits that'll probably get and hold their attention." Yukiko suggested. 

Just from today she was able to get Kou's attention but not Noriko. And even if she had his attention during the movies, he moved onto Chizuru easily. "Sure, sounds fun." she agreed, they started touring the mall, entering a clothing store Yukiko picked out.

"Oh my, what are you two doing here?"