18. The devil's disguise

"As you would expect from a Saturday.... Full of people."

Although we lived next door to each other, Shibata asked to meet up in front of the train station.

It wasn't in the plan to take it since we already lived in the entertainment district of the city and it was only used as a meeting point.

Looking at the statue of a man and a dog that was a landmark of the station, I was sitting on one of the benches that were shaded by trees in the area.

Checking the watch I was wearing on my wrist, it was still 20 minutes short of the scheduled time.

Maybe because of the dream I had, my body was heavier than usual, so I was taking advantage of this earliness to recover some energy, also thanks to the pleasant seasonal breeze that wasn't so harsh during the day.

Observing the bustle of people, I saw many families entering the station to go somewhere away from home to spend some time together.

They look really happy...

Suddenly, one person entered my field of vision as she was running in my direction.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"...?"

It seemed like a stylish high school girl was addressing me.

She was wearing a long ocean blue coat, a beige mock pole neck paired with a coffee colored mid-length plaid skirt.

Dark boots that seemed to protect well from the seasonal chill were paired with long black stockings that covered those slender legs.

Her outfit was highlighted by a pretty handbag that carried a large, very eye-catching white ribbon.

But more importantly... this girl had long black hair.

"Excuse me... I think you called the wrong person."

While she was a lovely girl who would seem to be victim number one of pickup, I gave a simple explanation to stop the conversation.

Not only was I not interested in her, but I got the feeling that if Shibata saw me with another girl, I would make her depressed and I would not want to spend the day with her while she put another one of her forced smiles.

I realized that lately my mind had only been occupied by Shibata and I put a forced smile that seemed to mock my situation.

After all, do I really deserve a girl like Shibata...?

Suddenly, the girl who had called me sat down next to me.

Surprised, I was about to stand up when she held me by the sleeve.

"I can't recognize the wrong person when it comes to you, Fujita."

When I heard my name spoken from her mouth, I looked her straight in the eyes.

They were scarlet eyes that were waiting for my reaction to the prank she had just done.

"Is it really you, Shibata...?"

"Pin-pon! It's your beloved Shibata!"

Her expression of satisfaction was bewitching.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that my desire to see that kind of expression again was at its peak, my gaze did not turn away from her face.

"... It's embarrassing that you stare at me so intently, Fujita."

Finally realizing that I was making her uncomfortable, I forcibly broke eye contact to ask myself what I was doing.

"... Hehe!"

"What's going on, Shibata?"

"Nothing."

Suddenly, Shibata's mood had improved and I didn't understand why.

Girls truly are mysterious creatures.

"Anyway, I almost didn't recognize you because of the change in your image."

I knew what Shibata was referring to.

Wearing a dark gray overcoat over a white shirt, paired with dark blue jeans, it was more than obvious that I had put some effort into this "date".

"... That should be my line, Shibata."

My image change was less drastic than hers, especially the hair part.

"What's up with the wig?"

Even though the hair could be dyed, it was impossible for it to grow that long overnight.

"I'd say it's the same reason you are wearing glasses."

Surprised, I didn't know how to counter her remark.

"It wouldn't be pleasant if someone recognized us, right?"

... Apparently, her preparations were more meticulous than mine.

Suddenly, Shibata pulled me up from the bench we were sitting on.

"Come on! Let's stop the negative thoughts and get this date started!"

More cheerful than normal, Shibata seemed really excited about today.

... Not because she understood the real reason I was wearing glasses, right...?

That said, all I remembered of the walk to our destination was Shibata's breasts touching my arm, refusing to let go.

... Hey, viewers. It's not my fault I have a little devil who likes to see me struggle, okay?