A Table by the Window

The shop sign came into view before the door did, and Natsuki suddenly slowed down beside me. I could feel the pressure: I just hope this shop has sweets good enough to please Natsuki! Choosing a random shop outside of our regular eateries was a risk I shouldn't have taken, but going for the same old regular donut shop would not make this outing "datey" enough. I wanted something to change, just like I want this relationship to grow and my feelings... well, they were already all over the place, let's try to put a brake on those.

I need to show Natsuki that I am mature enough for a relationship with her, though I feel like that's putting the horse before the cart. The way she currently sees me is just like another "friend", and changing that perspective is harder than just saying my feelings out loud, although that one was also pretty tough. For now, the only way I can build on that confession is to keep spending more time with her, and what better way than sweets. The only thing I know for a fact that she can never say no to.

Even though I never looked at this shop beforehand, this shop would now become one of our first date locations. Thinking about it made me giddy and I let out a slight smile. Oh, there goes my stillness.

"Looks like you are eager to have some sweets huh, Saya?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah. I was hungry since after lunch. I had packed a small lunch so I was starving all the time during the later periods". Not entirely false, but not the whole truth either. If I can't even bare myself to her, how can I even build up a relationship with her!

"The place looks pretty modern, even though it's beside the old station. Let's go for some trendy new sweets. I wanted to try out the new croissant that I had heard a lot about!"

Natsuki looked pretty excited, making me breathe out a sigh of relief. Even if the food might not be good, at least my decision of a new shop was correct. With this newly acquired validation, I burst forth into the shop with a huge stride and asked the employee at the gate for a table for us. She guided us to an empty table by the window and patiently waited for our order.

I looked out and was blinded by the brightness of the sun but the smell of fresh coffee brewing helped bring some relief to my body. I took a sneaky look at Natsuki to see her entirely absorbed in the menu as she flipped pages as fast as possible to take in all the possible combinations here at this shop.

An earlier me would have wished time would stop right now so that she could enjoy this moment for eternity, but now I had much higher goals in mind. This is just the start.