15. The Romantic Effect

...

The next day, just as we had agreed, we went on a date.

Yes, we. All three of us.

Or rather... two of them agreed to call it that.

"Are we really dating..."

"Or conducting a lab experiment?"

Rin, currently wearing her glasses—and I had to admit, they suited her surprisingly well—questioned the situation itself.

"You jerk!"

A sharp slam on the table shattered the calm atmosphere.

Since we had both been sitting, the sudden contrast was even more dramatic when she shot to her feet and brought her hand down.

"You almost gave me a heart attack! Dating my ass!"

Okay, now that everyone’s reactions have settled... you’re probably wondering how this even happened.

Here’s the chronology from yesterday.

...

"Akira-kun."

Rin had already stepped away from her desk, walking toward me at an agonizingly slow pace.

She stopped only a few inches away, yet somehow still felt distant given the situation.

"So, how is this supposed to work? The dating, I mean. And what kind of place are we going to?"

I tapped my finger to the desk near the sofa, the place where I took a seat.

"That... would be a secret."

...

"Secret my ass!"

Apparently, Shiro was having some goosebumps.

Not because of the dating itself, but the place.

"Akira-kun." She exhaled.

"Seriously, can you at least find a 'normal' place to do this?"

"Dating is not an experiment, you know."

I lifted my glasses, acting so confidently.

"Oh, really? I can't tell the diffe-"

WHACK!

A punch all of a sudden landed on my face.

I sprawled like a body mannequin used for lab experiment, then fell on the floor.

Around 5 G force.

If she were a heavyweight world champion, that would reconstruct my face permanently.

And I would get sent to hospital, and she could end up being jailed.

Maybe for 2–3 years.

Good riddance, I guess.

"Khegg... don't be so harsh on her, sis."

No, wait. You can’t just say that while hiding your muffled laughter, you hypocrite.

No, seriously. She actually approved all of her acts!

"No, I just couldn't resist this idiot toying with our hearts this much."

And you said that while blushing?!

What are we, some kind of high schoolers from shounen romance?

With some energy left, and a dirty lab coat after quite a sudden impact, I used my hands to push against gravity. Or to be precise, it's like doing a push-up except just for once.

Enough for me to inhale the air, a breathtaking behavior that I love more than anything else.

Any oxygen is a good oxygen.

No matter when it's dominated by nitrogen, obviously.

By the time I finally did wake up, I sensed their moods were changing.

Shiro looked as red as a tomato, with her fist cradling her arm's lab coat sleeve.

Meanwhile, Rin tried her best not to laugh, still with those muffled, smirking lips.

I took a breath once more before finally speaking.

"Okay, so—"

"Tell me." Her voice cut sharply into my words just like that.

"What are we going to do here?"

Could you at least give me a chance to speak? I shook my head.

"Yeah, true. You dragged us into this mess yet you didn't know what to do? That would be pathetic."

Not you trying your best to team up with your sis.

I still felt the dizziness from yesterday...

or was it?

No, wait...

Either way, my mind was a mess. I could feel my lack of consciousness getting to me.

Was it due to the blunt force trauma—

I didn't know, I just couldn't...

...

Everything was dark.

I didn't know what happened.

But one thing for sure. The experiment was definitely going to be cancelled.

What a shame. I thought that 'dating' would be—

"Kamiya-kun!"

Shiro?

My mind was too hazy to capture her voice, but from the way she called me,

it seemed clear it was her.

I slowly but surely opened my eyes, then rushed to wake up.

"The experiment..."

She was holding my arm. I could feel her tears dampening my sleeve.

"Idiot..."

"You really still think of that silly experiment while being like this."

Her words—

"Sorry. I'm really so sorry, Kamiya-kun."

This is the moment. But should I? Usually, in any romcom manga...

My mind couldn't help but wonder... what my reaction would be.

I could feel her pain. Her lingering regret. Her relief.

All of those were poured into those tears.

Okay, screw it. You are a man. Let's do this.

I steeled myself and placed my hand gently on her head.

A head pat that shouldn't be this intimate yet it almost felt real...

No, genuine. As if I could sense her pain at that moment.

It was supposed to be a slapstick comedy joke.

Yet it turned out to be serious.

Moral lesson: Never do any of those slapstick acts in real life, even when it's for a joke.

Anyway, she grabbed my hand instantly. It was warm and sincere.

"Finally... you are not being dense, you glasses idiot."

I could sense her faint smile, despite her hiding her head behind my arm.

I reciprocated her smile, almost chuckling deep down.

"Where is she? And what about the experiment?"

She sighed, maybe with relief, still hiding behind my left arm.

"She was with Yuuta earlier. The experiment was delayed."

Delayed? What do you mean?

I steeled myself to say something. My throat felt dry from her reply.

"Not cancelled? Why is that?"

She finally looked at me. Her face was reddened, and still wet from those tears.

"Your lab experiment..."

Okay, what about that?

I didn't know the jump between this and that topic could be this abrupt.

And jarring, for sure.

Then, while I was speaking inside my mind, she grabbed my sleeve.

As if she wanted to say something quite important.

There you go, the climax.

"Was it a set up?"

"A staged one... so I would win from the start?"

I froze.

"Tell me, Kamiya-kun."

Her voice softened.

"Why do you want me to win so badly?"