"Not a Date"

I went to the konbini the day after my fever finally subsided, fully expecting to receive a pink slip. Missing multiple shifts without even a heads-up was a major sin in the service industry.

As the automatic doors slid open, Haruna practically ambushed me. "Kaito! The manager has been pacing his office waiting for you. Hurry!"

I offered a grim nod and made my way to the office. This was it, the end of my konbini career. I was already thinking of other jobs near my area and how many hours of sleep I’d have to sacrifice just to apply when I turned the handle of the heavy office door.

My manager was staring at his desk. He wasn't fuming, though. He was staring at a stack of inventory sheets with an unreadable, almost shell-shocked expression.

"Kaito," he started, his voice uncharacteristically steady. "About your recent absences."

"I’m incredibly sorry, sir," I blurted out, bowing my head lower than I’ve ever done before. "I had a forty-degree fever. I was physically incapable of calling in. I know it's inexcusable, but—"

"It’s... absolutely fine, Kaito!" he interrupted, suddenly beaming at me with a terrifying amount of uncanny friendliness. "In fact, I’m just glad you're recovered! Why don’t you take tomorrow off too? Paid!"

I blinked, completely thrown, my brain stalling out as I straightened up. "Are you sure? I just got back. I can work double shifts just to make up the hours."

"No, no! We can’t have you overexerting yourself. Rest is mandatory!" He walked over, clapping a hand on my shoulder with a wide, strained smile that looked like it was mixed with pure fear.

"Thank you, sir, I’ll make it up to you, I swear." I gave him one last bow before closing the door behind me. I walked back into the storefront, completely dazed.

"What did he say?" Haruna asked immediately, leaning so far over the counter she was practically spilling into the aisle. "Did he give you the boot? Do I need to start covering your weekend slots?"

"He asked me to take tomorrow off. Paid. He was... nice?" I rubbed the back of my neck, staring blankly at the cigarette racks. "What's gotten into him? I could've sworn he was waiting to fire me the second I walked through the door."

“That’s probably because of the girl who came here," Haruna whispered, her voice dropping as she leaned in. "While you were out, the same girl that visited you a while back. She bought out half the medicine aisle.”

The same girl...?

“And when I asked her where you were, she went ballistic and told me if the manager ever tried to fire you, she’d buy this entire lot just to turn it into a parking space."

My heart did a strange thing, Reina... "She said that?"

"Word for word. It was really scary. It was terrifying. Are you two... dating or is there something you aren't telling me?"

"No... Nothing  like that," I muttered, grabbing a heavy crate of stocks to hide the heat blooming in my face. "Let’s just get to work."

...

Monday afternoon, when the final bell had already rang, and the students were flooding out the classrooms. I was shoving my notes into my bag, already eyeing the clock.

"Shoot, I'm going to be late," I muttered to myself, slinging the strap over my shoulder and preparing to dash out into the hallway to catch the early bus.

"That won't be necessary, Kaito. I called the shop ten minutes ago."

I stopped mid-zip. I turned around slowly. Reina was standing up from her seat, elegantly smoothing down the front of her uniform. "You what? You can't just call my boss!"

"I didn't call your boss. I called the store," she said, finally looking at me with that calm, terrifying confidence. "One of my family’s junior staff is already there. He’s covering your shift. I even told him to buy a box of premium donuts and coffee for your coworker."

"You sent one of your guys to scan barcodes and bribe my coworker with donuts?" I stared at her, totally floored. "Why would you even do that?"

"Because I decided we’re going to the mall," she said as she adjusted silk ribbon, her fingers moving just a bit too fast as a tiny, subtle hint of pink dusted the tips of her ears.

"To the mall... we're going on a... date?" a faint smirk forming on my lips as I said that.

"N-No! Absolutely not!" she snapped, her posture instantly stiffening into defensive armor as a bright flush crept up her porcelain neck. "I am simply... purchasing new clothes. My current weekend wardrobe is becoming redundant, and I-I just require your... feedback."

"So you're dragging me along with you to go shopping?" I teased, leaning in a bit. "Since when do you care what I think about your clothes?"

"I don't," she snapped, though a bright pink flush started creeping up her neck. "I just need a second opinion that isn't a salesperson trying to hit a quota."

I chuckled, holding up my hands in surrender. "Alright, fine. You win. No alibi left."

We made our way outside, walking side by side through the long shadows of the late afternoon. Just as we were reaching the gates of the academy, I noticed that the black sedan that was usually parked on the curb wasn’t there waiting for Reina.

I stopped near the exit, checking my watch, thinking Reina would call her driver, but instead she kept on walking without hesitation. "Reina?" I called out. “Aren’t we waiting for your driver?"

She didn’t stop, only glancing back over her shoulder. "He’s been redirected. We’re taking the train, Kaito.”

I rushed over to catch up with her. "The train? But it's the peak of rush hour right now. I don't think your majesty is going to enjoy being squeezed between salarymen and students trying to get home.”

She stopped dead at the edge of the curb, then finally looked at me. “That’s where you come in,” she muttered, her face turning a faint, lovely pink. “You are going to make sure I don’t get crushed.”

"So... you're using me as a human shield?"

“Your words, not mine," she said, increasing her pace. “Now move; the train is in seven minutes, and you know I hate delays."

While walking toward the station, she didn't stay three steps ahead like she usually did. She stayed right next to me, so close that our sleeves brushed every few steps.

The platform was packed with salarymen adjusting their ties, and students crowded the entire area. As the train slowly pulled in, its brakes hissing against the rails, the crowd started to form like a wave, eager to get a spot inside the train.

I leaned down slightly, looking at her tense profile. "Ready?"

Reina’s eyes went wide for a split second as the doors swung open and the passengers inside the train started flooding out. She didn't say anything, but she reached out and grabbed the back of my blazer, her knuckles turning white. “Just go," she softly whispered.

We were swept into the train by the crowd. It was exactly as bad as I’d warned her about; we were left standing in the corner, with barely enough space to breathe. But I was able to plant my feet and arms against the walls on either side of her, basically making a little fence around her.

Reina was pressed almost entirely against my chest, her head tucked just under my chin. The white silk ribbon was inches from my face, and the scent of her shampoo was the only good thing about this cramped car.

"You okay in there?" I grunted as someone’s backpack slammed into my shoulder.

Reina didn't look up. She was staring intensely at the third button of my school shirt, her face flushed a deep, vivid red that reached all the way to her collarbone. "I’m... fine. This is completely fine."

Suddenly, the train lurched forward, sending a wave of people leaning into us. I tightened my grip on the handrail, holding my ground so she didn't get flattened. To my surprise, I felt her hands move from my jacket to my waist, steadying herself.

"Kaito," she whispered, her voice muffled against the fabric of my blazer.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let go," she murmured, her grip tightening just a fraction more. "It's... really crowded."

"Roger that, Princess." I said, looking down at the silver clip in her hair. "I’m not going anywhere."

For the next twenty minutes, the Ice Queen didn't say another word. She just leaned into me for the rest of the commute.

When the train hissed as it finally ground to a halt at our stop. The doors groaned open, and the crowd surged out like a dam breaking. I stepped onto the platform first, using my shoulders to carve out a path, and Reina followed so close she was practically walking in my shadow.

Once we were clear of the swarm and near the station stairs, we finally stopped to breathe. The air was still humid, but compared to the sardine can we just escaped, it felt like a mountain breeze.

Reina was a total mess by her standards, at least. She was frantically smoothing out the pleats of her skirt, her face still a deep, dusty pink as she reached up to check her hair. Her hands were shaking just a little as she made sure the silk ribbon hadn't shifted during the chaos.

"So," I said, leaning against a pillar and trying to act like my heart wasn't still frantically thumping. "How was the 'commuter experience'? Still think it’s a great way to spend an afternoon?"

Reina finally looked up at me. She looked like she wanted to snap at me about efficiency or something, but then she caught my eye and just sighed, her shoulders finally dropping.

"It was... loud. And incredibly sweaty," she muttered while stepping a bit closer, reaching out to brush a stray bit of lint off the sleeve of my blazer, the same spot she’d been white-knuckling the whole ride. "But I guess the... protection was okay."

"Just okay? I took a stray elbow to the ribs for you back there."

A tiny, genuine smile broke through. "Okay, fine. It was more than okay. It was... actually kind of nice."

When we hit the mall, Reina went straight for a high-end boutique, the kind that you wouldn’t expect a high school student to afford. She picked an assortment of dresses that looked like they cost more than my tuition before rushing off to the fitting rooms.

She pointed a stern finger at me, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Wait here, and absolutely NO peeking. Got it?”

“Yep, no peeking whatsoever," I promised.

After a few minutes, Reina swung the heavy velvet curtains wide open, revealing a white sleeveless dress that pulled tightly at the waist before flowing into a soft, elegant skirt. The contrast against her dark hair was so striking that I actually forgot how to breathe for a second.

“Does it look okay? It’s not weird, right?" She asked, her voice unusually quiet as she fidgeted with the hem, refusing to make eye contact whatsoever.

"It looks incredible, Reina. Seriously. It really suits you."

She bit her lip, turning back to the mirror. Just then, a saleslady wandered over, beaming at us like we were the stars of a rom-com. "Oh, your boyfriend has such good taste! That style is definitely his favorite on you, isn't it? You two make such a cute couple—are you shopping for a date tonight?"

Reina turned a shade of red I didn't think was humanly possible. "He’s—we’re—just acquaintances!"

The lady just chuckled. "Honey, 'acquaintances' don't look at each other with those hearts in their eyes. The jewelry counter is right over there if he wants to make it official."

Reina bolted back into the changing room so fast she nearly took the curtain down with her. I just stood there, staring at the closed curtain, wondering if my face was as red as hers.

I guess that saleslady’s “boyfriend” comment made her totally go into overdrive. For the next thirty minutes, Reina was trying out different clothes left and right. Each one made me speechless as she opened the curtains.

After about half an hour, the adrenaline had finally worn off, and Reina handed the massive pile of clothes to the saleslady. “I’ll take these.”

The saleslady’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "All of them, sweetie? My, that's quite a haul!"

"Yes, all of them; it’s more efficient that way.”

While the lady was busy ringing up the dresses, the total costs were slowly piling up to an amount that made my head spin. Reina stood beside me, refusing to look me in the eye, but I could still see a faint pinkish hue on her ear.

After the cashier had rung everything up and packed the clothing into five massive bags, Reina immediately tried to carry all the bags at once, but under the sheer weight, her frame shook, nearly toppling her over.

“I’ve got it,” she muttered, her face still slightly pink. “I can handle it.”

I reached for the bags. “You’re tilting, Reina. Here, let me carry them.”

“No need to be a gentleman, Kaito. These are mine, so I should be the one to—"

“Just give me the bags,” I laughed softly, easily prying the heaviest handles from her fingers. “If you really insist, at least let me carry the heavy ones.”

The saleslady, who had been watching us like we were her favorite show, leaned over the counter and shook her head at Reina. “Don’t fight it, sweetie. It’s always the ones who act tough together that end up being the most hopelessly in love. You better hold on to him before someone snags him away.”

Reina was so flustered that she looked like she wanted to evaporate on the spot. “It’s not—we aren’t dating!” she squeaked, her voice jumping an octave.

“If you say so,” the lady laughed, shaking her head as she handed me the final receipt. “But you’re blushing loud enough for the whole floor to hear. Have a nice night, you two!”

Reina didn’t even wait for me to grab everything from the counter. She practically sprinted for the exit as she fled into the mall corridor.

I grabbed the rest of the bags on the counter. “I’m... Sorry about that...” I said, laughing nervously.

"Take good care of her, young man," the saleslady called out with a wink as I turned to chase after my flustered princess. "She’s a handful, but she clearly adores you!"

I offered a final apologetic smile to the saleslady before walking out of the store. But as I navigated through the populated mall crowd, looking for a fuming heiress, her image flashed vividly in my head.

She didn’t look like her normal self. Somehow she’d taken off all the armor she had on and for a moment had just been a regular girl.

That was the version of Reina I wanted to see. I wanted that soft, genuine expression to be the one she wore always, not the cold personality she always plays in the academy hallways just to satisfy her family's expectations.

After a while of searching I spotted her in the distance sitting down at a bench with her head down on her shoulders, a small smile forming on my face...

I want her to be able to just breathe. Even just for today... I’ll make it happen.