First Date and Taking the Lead

Tsukiko was on cloud 9! She felt like an excited little girl on Christmas Day who had just received what she’d wanted and more! Her heart was constantly doing backflips filled with passion and she constantly wore a smile on her face that exuded nothing but pure cheerfulness and happiness! This feeling was euphoria—she didn’t want it to end at all!

“Wait a minute, all we did was just walk home together!” realized Tsukiko. “We’re dating now, aren’t we? But what does that even mean? What do people who are dating do anyway? I don’t understand at all!” She jumped off her bed and dialed Suzuka.

“Yes—?”

“Suzuka!” immediately shouted Tsukiko.

“Tsukiko? Is everything okay?” came Suzuka, worried for her friend.

“What do people who are dating do?” cried Tsukiko with literal tears in her eyes.

Silence. Then, in the angriest voice Tsukiko had ever received from Suzuka in all of their years as friends, Suzuka rebuked, “Hah?! That’s the reason why you called me in the middle of the night?!”

“I’m really in a bind here,” whimpered Tsukiko.

Suzuka let out an irritated sigh. “You know, I’m pretty sure something like this happened before.”

“I really do apologize for calling you out of the blue! But I’m your friend, aren’t I? Help a friend out! Please!”

“You know that the answer was right in front of you all along, right?” revealed Suzuka.

“Really?” came a hopeful Tsukiko. Silence. “What was it?” she finally said blankly.

“Gah, this girl,” cursed Suzuka through gritted teeth. “A date! Dating couple go on dates, don’t they? Isn’t that the whole point of dating?”

“Ohhhh! You’re right!” Tsukiko didn’t know why that didn’t occur to her at all! “So?” she asked.

“So what?” returned Suzuka.

“So, do you have any ideas for a good date?” Tsukiko asked her.

“Good night,” came Suzuka in reply. She then hung up.

“Suzuka? Suzuka, are you there? Suzuka?” called Tsukiko, aware that her friend had already ended their conversation but hoping that that wasn’t the case. Then, with the anxiety of a cornered rat looking for an escape route, she began to look up date ideas on the trusty internet. One article caught her eye and she clicked on it. “Relationship Dynamics: Who Is Responsible For Taking The Lead In A Relationship,” she read the title of the article.

After what seemed to be a good hour, with bags under her eyes from staring too much at her phone screen, she browsed through her phone for Yōsuke’s number. It took her a good five minutes before she realized that they hadn’t even exchanged contact information yet. “What kind of couple are we if we didn’t even exchange information on the very first day?!” she screamed in frustration.

“Nee-chan, shut up! I’m trying to sleep!” griped her brother from the other room.

Tsukiko immediately did as her brother said and clasped her mouth with both hands. “I guess we’d have to do that first,” she said with a sigh.

The next day, Tsukiko walked up to Yōsuke at his desk to ask for his contact information. “Give it to me,” she told him.

“Hah?!” immediately exclaimed Yōsuke, confused by her request.

“Give it to me!” she repeated, a little more forcefully this time.

“What are you talking about?” he asked her in an attempt to get a more logical answer out of her.

“I’m talking about what we haven’t done before as a couple! We should’ve done it ever since we started dating!” she told him. Her voice was loud and either she wasn’t aware of the other people in the room at all, or she was but she just didn’t care.

“Done what?!” asked Yōsuke, afraid of any misunderstanding that could be misconstrued by his classmates.

Tsukiko’s face turned red at Yōsuke’s question. She was embarrassed to admit it out loud, afraid that she would get judged for being too green when it came to romance. “The thing where you put in your thing into mine and—.”

“Ahhhhhhh!” screamed Yōsuke, quickly covering Tsukiko’s mouth and dragging her out of the room despite her struggling. Once they were out of earshot, he finally released her from his grip. “Watch what you say! You were about to give our classmates the worst rumor to spread around!” he scolded her angrily.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just did what I said,” said Tsukiko with a pout.

Yōsuke heaved out a huge sigh. “Just what did you come to my class to do?” he asked her in a calmer voice.

“We didn’t exchange contact information when we started dating,” Tsukiko told him.

“That’s what this was about?” came Yōsuke in frustrated disbelief. He then laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny?” Tsukiko demanded with a frown and a stamp of her feet.

Yōsuke took out his phone. “Here,” he told her. Tsukiko’s smile returned and took out her phone. They exchanged numbers, email addresses, and LOME information. “Happy?” he asked her once they were done.

“Okay, you can go now. We’ll meet again to walk home together,” she told him, tucking her phone away and turning around to hide the wide smile on her face.

Once school ended, Yōsuke and Tsukiko did their normal thing and walked home together. That night, Tsukiko went over the information she collected for their first date and once she was certain, with a deep breath, she texted Yōsuke.

[Tsu: Akada-kun, are you still up? (*happy emoji*)]

[Yō: Yeah, I just got out of the shower. Are you still up, too?]

[Tsu: Yup, I’m still up. But if you’re wondering if I’d just gotten out of the shower, too bad, I already had mines an hour ago. (*teasing emoji*)]

[Yō: I…I wasn’t thinking that at all!]

[Tsu: Eh? Really? Pervert…. (*playful emoji*)]

[Yō: I just said that I wasn’t thinking that at all!]

[Tsu: Okay, okay, lol!]

[Yō: If you’re just texting me to make fun of me, I’d think it’s better for you to go to sleep now.]

[Tsu: Actually….]

[Yō: Eh? What is it? Spit it out?]

[Tsu: Well, you know how we’re a couple and everything….]

[Yō: ….WAIT, ARE YOU BREAKING UP WITH ME?!]

[Tsu: No, no, no, no, no, no, no!!! (*agitated emoji*)]

[Yō: Ah, okay then. I almost had a heart attack! So, if that’s not it, then what is it?]

[Tsu: （*anxious emoji*）]

[Yō: (*curious emoji*)]

[Tsu: I WANT US TO GO ON A DATE! (*blushing emoji*) (*blushing emoji*) (*blushing emoji*)]

[Yō: Oh, okay, sure.]

[Tsu: What an easy reply!]

[Yō: To be honest, I was also thinking about that, too. So, do you have anywhere in mind?]

Tsukiko sent him the information in an image file.

[Yō: So, a movie, lunch, and the aquarium. Kinda basic, don’t you think?]

[Tsu: (*pouting emoji*) (*pouting emoji*) (*pouting emoji*)]

[Yō: Well, it sounds like a good date nonetheless. Especially considering that it’ll be our first date together and our very first dating experience in general. Where do you want to meet and what time?]

[Tsu: In front of Shintoku Station at 9:00 AM.]

[Yō: Gotcha! See you then!]

[Tsu: (*happy emoji*) (*happy emoji*) (*happy emoji*)]

Tsukiko ended her conversation with Yōsuke and fell back onto her bed. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow! With excitement still running through her body, she decided to wear herself out by rereading the article she found before about relationships. The sooner she can get to sleep, the better she’ll be for tomorrow’s date to make it a success.

Yōsuke arrived at their meeting place ten minutes early. To prepare for today’s date, he made sure to do some research prior to going to sleep last night. Although the websites suggested to be there fifteen to thirty minutes earlier than the agreed upon time, Yōsuke had wasted a good chunk of that time deciding on his outfit. Luckily, he was still able to arrive with ten minutes to spare before the meeting time.

He finally saw Tsukiko arrive. The way she walked with stiff movements conveyed just how nervous she was about the entire thing. The entire image reminded Yōsuke of a baby deer learning to walk for the very first time. “D-Did you wait long?” she asked once she reached Yōsuke’s spot.

“Ah, no! I just got here!” replied Yōsuke with a tinge of nervousness in his voice. Stiff movements aside, Tsukiko was dressed very cutely today that Yōsuke couldn’t help but blush as he looked at her. Her blue top accentuated her curves in a way that dangerously combined cuteness and sexiness, her light pink light jacket that she wore over the top gave her a fluffy-like appeal, and the thigh-length skirt around her waist had innocent eros written all over them. All-in-all, she looked like one of those dream-high-school-girlfriends that every single high school boy desperately dream of!

“Akada-kun, are you feeling alright?” asked Tsukiko. “You look kind of red.”

“Ah-ah hah hah! I’m fine,” dismissed Yōsuke, shifting his eyes away from her while trembling nervously. “A-Anyway, shall we go?” he suggested.

“Oh, we still have another hour before the movie,” pointed out Tsukiko.

“Then, what do you want to do?” asked Yōsuke.

Tsukiko thought about it and realized that she had never considered something like this to even be possible during a date at all! She was too busy planning (fantasizing) about the important parts of the date the entire time that these situations never once occurred to her! What does a couple even do in these situations anyway?!

Yōsuke was in the same boat. Although he had anticipated for them to have moments like these, he did not expect these moments to happen right at the start of the date! What was he supposed to do in this situation? Take her somewhere else? Go to a park? His house?—No, that would be taking it too far on so many levels (it’s not like they’re getting married or anything)! How about…? Yōsuke noticed couples entering the mall and suddenly said, “Want to go to the mall?”

“Mall?” echoed Tsukiko.

“The movie theater is in the mall anyway, right? Do you want to go look around while we wait for our movie?” he offered.

“Okay!” immediately accepted Tsukiko.

“That was quick!” commented Yōsuke.

The two of them entered the mall. They entered a clothing store and browsed around. While looking at the clothes, Tsukiko fidgeted. Yōsuke didn’t know what was going on with her and felt a little uneasy. ‘Just how nervous is she?’ he wondered. He cleared his throat and asked casually, “What’s on your mind?”

“Well…it’s, um…it’s nothing,” she finally said, her face darkening to show that she wasn’t at all happy with her own reply.

Silence. After a minute or two had passed, Tsukiko steeled her nerve and spoke. “Actually, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

Tsukiko remembered back to the article that she read last night. “Akada-kun, are you S or M?” she asked him straightly.

‘S? M?’ wondered Yōsuke. ‘Is she asking about my shirt size? Is it normal for couples to share clothing sizes with each other?’ He cleared his throat and said, “M.”

‘M?! Akada-kun is an M?!’ exclaimed Tsukiko with widened eyes. “M…. So he’s the kind to be submissive in a relationship,” she whispered to herself. “That means….”

“How about you?” Yōsuke asked back.

Tsukiko gasped at his question with a horrified expression on her face. “U-U-Um…. S…maybe,” she said. ‘Gah, I answered him without thinking! But that is the only way for this relationship to work! You can’t have two Ms or two Ss together!’

“I see,” said Yōsuke with a nod. He then casually returned his focus to the clothes.

‘An M…. Does that mean that if I want him to feel happy in this relationship, I have to treat him harshly?’ wondered Tsukiko. She imagined Yōsuke half-naked with a collar around his neck and a woman in dominatrix gear pulling on his leash while laughing. ‘If that’s what it takes to make this relationship work with him, then I must do it!’ she confidently told herself.

“So, Aoyama, what kind of clothes do you like?” Yōsuke asked her in a casual manner.

“Huh? What’s with that stupid question? Can’t your pea brain figure it out yourself?” she replied harshly with an expression of disgust.

Yōsuke did not expect that response at all and was taken aback by it, the color leaving his face. ‘Shit! D-D-Did I do something to offend her?’ he wondered.

“Hey, Akada, pick out some clothes for me,” she ordered him.

'What happened to -kun?!' Yōsuke wondered, dumbfounded.  “W-W-Which ones?” he asked her with a smile meant to allay her sudden harsh behavior.

“What? Use that pebble-brain of yours and pick them out yourself,” she replied with an even more disgusted face. She even had a visible vein pop out near her left temple. “But if you choose any disgusting clothes, I’ll kick you to the curb. Actually, anything you choose will be disgusting, won’t it? A pervert like you is more fitting to choose clothes for a dump than for human beings.”

Yōsuke was struck by her harsh words and suddenly had a desire to retreat back into a corner and cry. He couldn’t believe those words at all and was worried that Tsukiko was sick or something! But his fear for his own life outweighed his worry for her and he desperately wanted to run away despite his body now being stiffer than stone.

‘Did I do it right? Is he feeling good from this treatment?’ wondered Tsukiko hopefully. She observed his expression and was suddenly brought down. ‘Oh no! He doesn’t look happy at all! Did I go too far? Maybe I should’ve started off easier! Our relationship is still brand new, so maybe he hasn’t grown accustomed to me yet! Okay, change in tactics!’ She cleared her throat and went for a less harsher approach. “I guess I was too hard on you,” she told him in an abrupt manner. “But I-I-I won’t mind trying out what you decide to choose for me. But don’t get the wrong idea, okay? It’s not like I’ll feel good from it or anything!”

‘Tsu-Tsu-Tsundere?!’ exclaimed Yōsuke. ‘W-W-What’s going on? First, she’s like super sadist, and now she’s tsundere! Argh, I don’t know what’s going on anymore!’ Yōsuke regained his lost confidence and asked, “Aoyama, are you feeling alright?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” asked Tsukiko as her normal self.

“You’ve been acting weird,” he answered her honestly.

“Weird?!” repeated Tsukiko in shock.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m just trying to make you enjoy our relationship,” she told him innocently with downturned eyes. “I was taking the lead in a relationship.”

“Lead?” asked Yōsuke, confused.

“Well, they say that in a relationship, it’s best to determine your roles,” she told him.

Yōsuke was not experienced one bit when it comes to romantic relationships, but even so, he knew that there was something wrong with Tsukiko’s statement. “Where did you learn about this?” he asked her. Tsukiko brought out her phone and showed him the article. He read through it and his face turned bright red as it all began to make sense. “This article is about being in an S&M relationship!” he told her.

“Is this not the same thing as as romantic relationship?” asked Tsukiko.

“Not at all!” replied Yōsuke quickly.

“Then what is it?”

“It’s, um, well…. It’s a sexual relationship between two people with unique tastes,” he explained slowly, trying his best to find the right words so as not to ruin her purity. “First of all, do you know what it means to be S or M?”

“A sadist is someone who derives pleasure from inflicting pain, and a masochist is someone who derives pleasure from receiving pain,” Tsukiko answered matter-of-factly. “People have unique quirks, that’s a fact. This article simply conveys that people who are more submissive desire to have their masochistic tendencies stimulated in order for the relationship to progress. Otherwise, they wouldn’t feel happy in the relationship. Therefore, it is the dominant person in the relationship who should take the lead to make this relationship enjoyable.”

‘Oh, just how naive can she be?’ wondered Yōsuke, torn between how cute her innocent nature was and the pity he felt for her naivety in more mature matters.

“How can this kind of relationship be perceived in a sexual….” Tsukiko’s face suddenly turned red once her misunderstandings became clear. “T-T-That’s not what I meant by this treatment of you at all!” she quickly told him.

“Well, as long as you understand,” said Yōsuke with a soft, relieved sigh.

“Say, what did you mean by M then when I asked you that question?” asked Tsukiko curiously.

“I thought you were asking my shirt size,” Yōsuke told her with a laugh. “You know, since we’re in a clothing store.”

“I, I see,” said Tsukiko, blushing hard at her own ignorance.

It was now time for the movie and the couple made their way to the mall’s theater. “So, what movie are we watching?” asked Yōsuke once they arrived.

“That one,” pointed Tsukiko.

Yōsuke looked at where she was pointing and his face contorted in fear once again. The movie that Tsukiko had booked tickets for was a horror movie: ‘Grave Mistakes’ (‘Abunai no Haka no Mono’). ‘She read something weird again!’ concluded Yōsuke. If he had to choose, he would’ve gone for the currently screening critically acclaimed romantic-comedy-drama ‘To You, My Love From The Bottom Of My Heart’ (‘Kimi ni Kokoro Kara Aishiteru’). Instead, she had chosen the newly released horror movie that was praised on the internet and social media for its realistic ghoulish makeup and level of gore that was pushing the boundaries of Japanese film regulations and obscenity laws! What’s worse, Yōsuke had seen enough headlines about the movie’s supposed cursed production as a result of filming on actual haunted cemeteries in Japan and South Korea to want to throw up even before seeing the movie!

“Let’s go! The movie is going to start in a bit!” said Tsukiko.

“Um…mm-hm…,” replied Yōsuke dazedly, his soul already having left his body.

They entered the theater and took their seats—front row seats. Yōsuke initially thought that it couldn’t get any worse, but it looks like he was wrong. Meanwhile, Tsukiko was squirming in her seat with an anticipating expression on her face.

“Hey, Aoyama, why did you choose this movie?” asked Yōsuke, his voice higher than usual.

“Why else? To get our hearts racing,” answered Tsukiko.

‘Well, my heart is going to race out of my body!’ exclaimed Yōsuke.

Tsukiko smiled at her own brilliance. ‘They say that a couple can grow closer through heart-pounding experiences! And since a movie is one of the most common dating events, then it’s a no-brainer to choose one that will provide the best catalyst for such a situation! Sure, rom-coms are naturally the first choice for movies to watch as a couple, followed by comedies and action movies, but the only genre for tried-and-true moments of heart-pounding, whether romantic or not, is the horror movie! And contrary to what people think, horror movies actually provide the best situation for couples to improve their relationships! In fact, most men would choose a horror movie as a way to promote intimacy between themselves and their lovers. How?—By offering a sense of security to their partner as a counter against the horror! It’s the classic ‘Woman-gets-scared-so-strong-man-protects-her-from-danger’ trope!’

She imagined the scene clearly in her head as she said that last line: a monster would appear on the screen, scaring Tsukiko; she let’s out a scream and cowers in fear; Yōsuke, noticing her fright, would place a hand around her and bring her in while saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

‘Eek! This is going to be a major step in our relationship! My genius sometimes frighten me!’ she praised herself.

The movie started and everything was off to a good start…until it all started going downhill. Contrary to what Tsukiko had planned, she had little time to be frightened of the movie. Yōsuke spent the entire time screaming and cowering, stealing Tsukiko’s role from her! She couldn't pay attention to more than two or three scenes of the movie when it suddenly ended; she spent the entire time worrying for his wellbeing and was more afraid of his screams than anything from the movie!

They exited the theater and stood outside for a much needed break before continuing. Tsukiko had never felt so exhausted in her entire life! On the other hand, Yōsuke needed time for his soul to come back to his body.

“W-Well, that was something, huh?” commented Tsukiko with an attempted smile.

“I was so scared that I suddenly remembered the entire Heart Sutra and chanted it in my head the entire time,” revealed Yōsuke, his face still in the midst of recovering.

‘This quickly changed from a romantic date to a funeral date!’ cried Tsukiko in horror. “Anyway, should we maybe go get lunch now?” she offered, changing the subject.

“As long as it’s not BBQ or sushi,” said Yōsuke with one hand clutching his stomach. “I’ve had enough of seeing burnt flesh and fresh wounds.”

“How about ramen?” quickly suggested Tsukiko.

They both ate lunch at a nearby ramen shop. Yōsuke was feeling better and developed an appetite. They ate in silence, which wasn’t initially felt as awkward between them since they were both used to eating by themselves. But the whispers from surrounding customers about how ‘cute’ and ‘pure’ they were made them blush and aware of the awkwardness between them.

“So…,” drawled Yōsuke.

“Yeah…,” said Tsukiko with an awkward smile.

‘Shit, what do I talk about? Should I have made a list of conversation topics?’ worried Yōsuke.

Tsukiko cleared her throat. Yōsuke greatly welcomed it and had high hopes that she would break the ice. “Akada-kun, there is one thing I’d like to ask,” she began.

“What is it?” welcomed Yōsuke with a smile. He brought his soup spoon to his mouth.

“Are you a top or bottom?” she asked him curiously.

Yōsuke immediately turned to the side and spit out the soup. “What the hell kind of question is that?!” he questioned her rhetorically.

“What do you mean?” she asked back innocently.

“That’s—.” The other customers were whispering amongst themselves and Yōsuke was well aware of what it was about. In fact, from the few blushing faces he could see around him, he was 100% sure what was being discussed about them. He calmed himself down and then leaned over to whisper the answer in Tsukiko’s ear. She immediately became red and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

The couple finished their food in silence and quickly left the restaurant. Once outside, the awkwardness between them returned. “So…should we make our way to the aquarium?” suggested Yōsuke. Tsukiko nodded her head in reply.

At the aquarium, they awkwardly walked side by side like a pair of toddlers. They came to the giant exhibit at the center of the building and silently watched in awe at the collection of wildlife swimming freely before their very eyes. Yōsuke had been to the aquarium before on school trips, but the sight of seeing marine life in the flesh still amazed him. He glanced over at Tsukiko and saw her face was lit up like a child's.

“So pretty,” she beamed.

“Is this your first time here?” Yōsuke asked her.

Tsukiko simply nodded her head in reply. She had never been to aquariums or any kind of animal exhibit before; she had only seen them through pictures and videos on the internet. So being able to actually witness it for the very first time made quite the impression on her. “Look, it’s a seal!” she exclaimed excitedly. The grey blubbery creature swam up to Tsukiko and floated upright with its focus solely on her.

Tsukiko couldn’t believe the adorable sight in front of her and was trying hard to contain her excitement so as not to scare away the majestic creature. The seal turned to the side and smacked the side of its body three times with its face turned to Tsukiko and what looked like a smile on its lips. It then swam away. “Akada-kun, I’ve just been blessed by the seal god,” breathed Tsukiko with a look of pure ecstasy on her face.

‘What kind of god is that?’ thought Yōsuke, though he didn’t say it out loud because he didn’t want to ruin her happy moment. “Hey, I’ve been here countless times. Do you want me to show you around?” he offered her kindly.

Together, they explored the different exhibits, the previous awkwardness between them now gone. They saw penguins diving into the water from high, icy slopes; an octopus changing colors in real time to blend into a coral wall; schools of fish swimming in coordinated patterns; rays flying majestically through the water like underwater birds; a sea turtle parent-child pair calmly gliding through the waters together; interactive tide pools with mollusks and starfish; and even fossils of marine animals from eras prior.

Finally, they came to an enclosure that housed one of the aquarium’s most prized attractions: Fuwa and Gaō—an otter couple. The enclosure was the size of a small pond and seats for the audience circled it in three rows. Yōsuke and Tsukiko took a pair of empty seats in the front row. According to the pamphlet Yōsuke picked up upon entering the enclosure, the otters’ names were chosen with actual meanings behind them. The female, Fuwa, was called so because of her fluffiness and the fact that she loves to cuddle up with almost anyone she approaches. On the other hand, the male, Gaō, was known to be quite ferocious and rarely takes kindly to strangers, often meeting them with a growl and fierce expression. He was also quite possessive of his mate and would try to intimidate others who had gotten her interest with an aggressive vocal display.

The couple watched the otters float nonchalantly around the pond while holding hands. This very action was the reason why people come to see them—there was no shortage of cries of ‘Aww’ and ‘Cute’ from the crowd. Tsukiko, herself, was among the crowd who cried out “Cute!” at the top of their lungs.

Yōsuke, however, took another cue from the creatures’ unashamed romantic display. He glanced over at Tsukiko’s hand and flexed his own. His face grew red and sweat was starting to gather on his face. ‘No, no, no, I couldn’t!’ he thought to himself, shaking his head furiously. Still, he couldn’t help but hope for this moment to come true. Almost subconsciously, he reached out his hand with the intention of holding Tsukiko’s.

“They’re so cute holding hands, aren’t they?” came Tsukiko, turning to him with a beaming smile.

Yōsuke quickly pulled back his hand and threw it behind his head. “Y-Yeah, they are!” he agreed, turning his attention back to the otters while trying his best to maintain his composure. ‘Shoot, that wasn’t good for my heart at all!’ he lamented.

Tsukiko noticed Yōsuke’s hand and a thought came to her. Her heart began to race and she blushed. ‘I wonder what it’s like to hold hands,’ she thought, her hand clutching her heart. “Hey, Akada-kun,” she called to him.

“Yeah?” replied Yōsuke, turning to face her. He noticed her flushed face and the first thought that came to him was, ‘Ah, she’s so cute right now!’

“Want to hold hands?” Tsukiko asked him, offering him her hand. Yōsuke didn’t know how to respond to her offer. “It’s just, well, we’re a couple now, aren’t we? Isn’t holding hands something that couples do?”

Suddenly, Tsukiko felt Yōsuke’s warm hand wrap around hers. Surprised but also happy by this action, she turned to see him smiling at her with a smile that made her heart beat in double-time. “You’re right,” he told her.

Both of them, overstimulated by the entire exchange, turned their reddened faces away from each other in embarrassment. However, their hands remained clasped tightly together. And they remained that way the entire day until it was time for them to go home. When they got home, it didn’t take long for either of them to express their happiness over the successful date and the progress it made in their relationship! Their emotions were already at an all time high throughout the whole date and they both felt like they could’ve exploded any second! But holding it in until the very end was the right choice. This was a date they will never forget!