The "Appointment"

It was still the beginning of June and the day of Airi's and Ren's so-called "appointment" for planning the realization of the maid café at the summer festival.
Ren overslept a little because he couldn't fall asleep the night before, so he couldn't go to school with Haruto, as planned, and therefore, after the first bell for the break rang, the two of them were chatting.
"Hey Ren! You overslept, didn't you? I waited for ten minutes before I got tired and walked alone to school." Haruto said, slightly reproachfully, but with an amused tone. Haruto isn't really the type of person to take everything seriously. He knows when to take things seriously if needed but most of the time he's a joker.
"Yeah, I'm truly sorry Kanda-sama! I'm sorry that you had to wait and then go alone to school because I overslept." Ren said, folding his hands together. Ren sometimes played along with Haruto and they both had fun.
"Oh, something good happened to you or why are you so bold?" Haruto asked while he ruffled Ren's hair as punishment for keeping him waiting.
"Stop it! I don't really know what's wrong with me today but I'm in a good mood, despite being almost late for class, and I want to keep that mood." Ren grabbed Haruto's arms and pushed them away from himself.
"Okay, okay," Haruto laughed, "that's really good to hear. And you know what? I'm playing in training for the basketball team today and if I play well enough, I can join the club."
"That's good to hear as well Haruto!"
"Yeah, we should celebrate our achievements if we get them today!"
"What achievement should I get?"
"Are you living on the moon, Ren? Your achievement is a new friend, probably, if you let it happen."
"Oh, that's what you mean. We will see."
"I hope you do the right thing Ren. Don't be silly! I know you can make it and I truly believe in you."
"Thank you, I guess?"
Haruto now looked at Ren with a pretty piercing look. Ren knew he had no other option than to let things happen as they come.
And so he let the things happen as they came because he got not a really good mark on his homework but it didn't really matter at all for him today. Actually it didn't really bother him at all because a D on a homework or test was nothing special to him at all.
As the time flew by and the end of school came closer and closer, Ren's heart began to race even faster and faster and at the end of school, Ren was really nervous. As Ren and Haruto left the classroom, Airi said to them: "Bye! And see you soon!"
"Well, how nervous are you Ren?" Haruto asked as they went down the stairs of the pretty and modern-looking Midoridai High.
"I'm totally honest with you. I'm very nervous."
"Hahaha, I knew it."
Halfway to the school gate Haruto stopped and said: "I wish you good luck and I hope you wish me good luck too. It's new for you but nothing really frightening. Remember that you can do it and that everyone has friends and dates."
"It's not a date Haruto!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Haruto said and then they both parted ways. Haruto in the direction of the gymnasium and Ren on his way home.

In the meantime, in the classroom, after Airi said goodbye to Ren and Haruto, the classmates asked her many questions.
"What's going on Airi-san," that's how she was called by her "friends" at school but Airi and even her best friend don't really think that they are friends for Airi, "why are you talking to that weird loner Sato-san?"
"Yeah, do you have a crush on him?" another classmate said.
"Oh, or are you trying to fool him that you have interest in him so you can then dump him?"
"Noo! It's not like that!" Airi said outraged. That's also something she dislikes about her friends.
"He's more interesting than you can think and I really like talking to him. For you guys, he's weird because he doesn't really like it being accompanied by others than his best friend Haruto but I can understand him now. Because we're class president and vice president we have to talk to each other and so we did. And I have nothing bad to say about him!" Airi emphasized.
"Oh, so it's only an interest because you two have to work together right?"
"Yeah, and you would rather hang out with me, right Airi-chan?" said a girl called Reina Kurosawa. She's not as beautiful as Airi as some boys of their class would say and she comes across as a bit conceited but that's maybe because she's a bit too self-confident.
"Then why didn't you want to participate as a class president Kurosawa-chan?"
"Umm, because I have so much to do you know?" Reina answered.
"No, I really like it as it is and I'm going to meet with Ren at five o'clock and then we will both plan for the maid café. And if you want to help me, then you can think about the realization of the maid café as well guys." And with a "Bye", Airi went out of the classroom and back home again. She really didn't like her friends. "But it's better to have some than none," thought Airi.
There wasn't much to do at home for both, Airi and Ren, and so it came that both high schoolers did nothing but their own food and getting ready for the "appointment" at five o'clock in the evening.
Airi was looking for her beautiful turquoise pleated skirt which she wanted to wear with a pink leather belt with a wonderful, oval and silver-like belt buckle. Also she wanted to wear something elegant so she decided for a white blouse, similar to her school uniform blouse but better because it didn't have the school logo on it. She thought about whether her outfit isn't too much for only a diner and an appointment but on the other hand she thought that she was looking way too beautiful to change out of her clothes now, that she wore them.
Ren on the other hand was looking for his favourite jeans with belt and his favourite t-shirt. He didn't want to look just normal today so he decided to wear the t-shirt of his favourite anime. But then he stopped for a moment ... why did he want to stand out more than usual? Did he have ulterior motives? "Anyway," thought Ren, "there's not much time left. So I should hurry up a bit and ride to the diner."
Airi was lucky because her father just came home as she wanted to leave anyway so she told him about the meeting she had with a friend from school without mentioning Ren's name or gender and so he drove her to the diner.
It was ten minutes before five o'clock when Airi's father dropped her off at the diner. She went in and took a window seat with a view of the road and entrance of the diner.
Ten minutes later, right on time, Ren arrived on his bicycle. Airi saw him perfectly from her seat and her heart began to race a little more. Why did this happen to her every time she thought about the "appointment," she thought. "It's only an 'appointment,' a meeting, nothing more, right?"
Ren had the same thoughts. He didn't really know her, that's obviously another point for him to be nervous about but why did it feel like more than just that. Why did it feel like he's going on a date? Then he got it! It's probably because of Haruto telling Ren, that it could possibly be a date!
Feeling a little bit better now, he entered the diner and looked around for Airi. He didn't notice her looking, all that time he was standing outside, at him.
Airi saw him and promptly said: "Heyoo Sato-san! I'm here!"
Ren looked around, then found her waving at him with a smile on her face. But wait. Did he hear that right? She sounded familiar with someone else he knew and loved. Did she just use the greeting of his favorite streamer HikariAi? "Hmm, probably not, and it's just a coincidence" Ren thought.
As he approached her, Airi stood up to greet him respectfully and Ren was shocked. He never thought that Airi could be looking even prettier than in her school uniform. If any boy from their school saw her, he would immediately fall in love with her. But Ren thankfully did not and so he greeted her as well and they both sat down at the table.
"Wow, you look beautiful. Too beautiful for this place Fujimoto-san! Didn't you have something else to wear?" Ren said, fascinated and surprised at once.
"Haha, you're way too charming. From where does this come from, hmm? I didn't know you could say something this nice to me," Airi smiled a little impressed and continued, "I thought the same but as I put it on I didn't want to take it off again so now I'm looking like this. A bit too much for a diner right?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter now. How long did you wait for me?"
"That's more important, I see ... an hour." Airi retorted. She felt a little bad because the topic switched so suddenly from her outfit to such a trivial manner.
"An hour?!" Ren shouted surprised.
"Haha, no, that was a joke Sato-san. Don't panic. But the look you just made was glorious, hahaha!" Airi burst out laughing softly.
"Ah, so you're making fun of me? Then I don't know, how long I will still be sitting here." Ren said after that.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you or anything. I just wanted to losen up the atmosphere."
"Ha, it's okay. Now I've tricked you for once."
"Aha, so that's how it's going to be, yeah?"
"Yeah but we should make a realization plan first before we drift off too much."
And with that said, the planning began. In between their quiet conversations and many ideas, there were also funny mistakes and jibes that loosened the tension of nervousness even more between them.
"Haaah, we're finally finished with the plan." Airi said.
"Yeah, we spend three hours on it. I'm really tired now."
"It was very fun today. Umm, do you want to eat with me right here? I'd have to cook at home but I'm tired as well and if we're right here at a diner, then why shouldn't we take the chance?"
"Yeah, I never thought that we could have so much fun together while creating a plan for the maid café, haha."  Ren said with a smile on his face. He was relieved that it was going to an end but at the same time glad he could spend so much fun time with Airi. He never thought it would be turning out this good.
Ren continued to answer Airi's question.
"I'm fine with that but can I call my sister first? She has to know if she has to make dinner on her own if mom and dad aren't home."
"Yes, of course you can. I didn't know you had a sister Sato-san."
"Yes, I have one. Her name is Yumeko and she's fifteen years old and goes to the Midoridai Middle School. I'm going outside for a moment, so please wait here Fujimoto-san." Ren said and went outside the diner to call his sister Yumeko. She bombarded him with questions about who he was going to eat with now and why he would leave his cutest sister in the world alone for that. But Ren ignored her toying and only said "Take care," and ended the call.
He then went back inside to his seat infront of Airi. They both ordered their favorite food and then talked, while they waited for the food, about the t-shirt, Ren was wearing, and the anime they liked. It was surprising for both that they had similar tastes in anime and with a full stomach and a warm soul, they both said goodbye to each other and went home.
It felt like something was changing and they both had this feeling.