Chapter 9: The Second First Date

The class decides to do a test run for the festival café.

Which means a “mock date event.”

Ren immediately raises his hand. “I volunteer to work backstage.”

Mina shoots him down. “Nope. We need couples to test the seating.”

“I’m not a couple,” he argues.

Haru slings an arm over Yuki’s shoulder. “Then I’ll go with—”

Yuki steps away so fast Haru nearly falls. “No. Absolutely not.”

Mina smirks. “Great. Yuki and Ren it is.”

Both freeze.

“Mina,” Yuki warns.

“It’s research,” Mina says. “For the festival.”

Haru nods. “Exactly. Totally scientific.”

Ren mutters, “This is social pressure disguised as team bonding.”

Yuki sighs. “Let’s just get it over with.”

---

The classroom has been turned into a small café.

Soft lights.

Decorations Ren and Yuki made.

Two seats per table.

Haru hands them a menu. “Sit like you’re on a real date.”

Ren gives him a dead stare.

“Please stop talking.”

Mina grins and pushes Yuki into the opposite seat. “Smile. This is training.”

Yuki shoots her a glare that would kill a weaker person.

Mina survives and walks away.

Ren sits down carefully. “So… hi.”

Yuki folds her hands on the table. “Hi.”

Awkward silence.

Ren clears his throat. “We’re really doing this.”

“Unfortunately.”

---

Ren picks up the fake café menu. “You want tea? Milk? Juice?”

Yuki holds up her own menu. “They’re all imaginary.”

“Right.”

He sets it down.

“We’re being judged for imaginary tea.”

She nods. “High school is wild.”

They share a small laugh.

It’s soft and easy, the kind they used to share long before marriage, long before everything went wrong.

Ren notices and looks away.

Yuki notices she noticed and looks away too.

--

Haru and Mina walk around, taking notes.

Haru whispers loudly, “Look at them. Natural chemistry.”

Mina whispers back, “Your whispering is terrible.”

They keep spying anyway.

Ren leans forward a little. “So… how have you been handling everything?”

Yuki blinks. “You mean… being seventeen again?”

“Yeah.”

She hesitates. “It’s strange. My body doesn’t match my mind. My emotions don’t match my age.”

He nods. “Same.”

Her voice drops to something vulnerable. “Sometimes I wake up and reach for our kids.”

Ren’s expression softens. “Me too.”

It’s quiet.

Not uncomfortable.

Just honest.

Yuki clears her throat. “We should keep this professional.”

“Right. Strictly business.”

Then he smiles at her without thinking.

She looks away fast. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That smile.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s… distracting.”

Ren sits back. “Sorry. I’ll turn down my face.”

She snorts. “Please do.”

--

Haru rings a small bell. “Next part of the test! Feeding each other dessert!”

Ren chokes. “No we’re not.”

Mina slams a spoon on the table. “Yes you are.”

The “dessert” is a small cup of pudding they bought from the convenience store.

Yuki groans. “This is ridiculous.”

“Agreed,” Ren says.

But the class waits, staring.

Ren sighs. “Fine, I’ll go first.”

He scoops a spoonful and holds it up.

Yuki hesitates. “Ren…”

“It’s not romantic if you glare at it.”

“It’s not romantic at all.”

“Fair.”

She leans in anyway.

He holds the spoon steady.

She takes a small bite.

And for one second—

just one—

their eyes meet up close.

Ren looks away immediately.

Yuki looks down at the table, ears pink.

“Your turn,” Haru announces gleefully.

Yuki threatens to stab him with the spoon.

Still, she feeds Ren a bite.

Ren blinks. “This is… actually good pudding.”

She rolls her eyes. “Focus.”

--

The class slowly wanders off to check props.

Haru and Mina argue in the back.

For the first time since the mock date began, Ren and Yuki aren’t the center of attention.

And it shows.

They start talking—

actually talking—

like they used to before life got complicated.

Ren rests his chin on his hand. “You always liked festivals more than I did.”

“You pretended not to, but you liked the lights.”

“Did I?”

“Yes.”

She watches him.

“You were different back then.”

“In a good way?”

She hesitates.

“…Sometimes.”

He studies her expression. “And now?”

“You’re more guarded.”

“Well,” he says quietly, “we both broke a little.”

Yuki looks down.

He regrets saying it immediately. “Sorry. That was—”

“No.” She shakes her head. “It’s true.”

A faint smile touches her lips.

“I’m surprised we can still talk like this.”

Ren returns a thoughtful smile.

“Me too.”

They linger in that moment a little too long.

---

Meanwhile… Haru and Mina

At the back of the room, Haru nudges Mina. “See? I told you.”

Mina doesn’t reply.

He looks at her. “What?”

She chews her pen cap. “They look good together.”

“You sound jealous.”

She elbows him. “Of them? No.”

“Of what then?”

She goes quiet.

Haru leans closer. “Are you saying you want a date too?”

She reddens. “Shut up.”

He smirks. “If you wanted me to ask you—”

Mina steps on his foot.

“OW! Why do you keep doing that?!”

“Because you deserve it.”

He grins, rubbing his foot.

“You didn’t deny it.”

She stomps off, flustered.

Haru watches her go, smiling like an idiot.

---

Back to Ren and Yuki

Mina returns and claps her hands. “Test run is over!”

Ren jerks back like he’s been caught doing something illegal. “Good. Great. Perfect timing.”

Yuki clears her throat and sits straighter. “Yes. Very… informative.”

Mina studies them with squinted eyes. “Suspicious.”

“We’re fine,” Yuki insists.

Ren nods. “Totally fine.”

Haru strolls over. “You two were smiling a lot.”

Ren points at the pudding cup. “Sugar.”

Yuki nods. “Very sweet pudding.”

Mina raises a brow. “Sure.”

---

They leave school as the sun sets.

Not holding hands.

Not walking too close.

But not drifting apart either.

Ren glances at her. “You did well today.”

Yuki looks ahead. “You too.”

A pause.

Then she adds quietly, “It was… not terrible.”

Ren smiles. “High praise.”

Yuki hides her smile. “Don’t get used to it.”

They walk the rest of the way in calm silence.

Both pretending the warmth between them is just part of the act.

Both knowing it wasn’t.