Evening Date

Akari sat in silence at the orange booth, dumbfounded by the situation he had found himself in.

Just two hours earlier, he had stopped by a restroom to change out of his school uniform. Akari scowled while holding the red-orange shirt with a white simplistic bird in the center. It felt even more demeaning when he put it on.

After meticulously adjusting his hair, Akari went to the library to finish his homework before his watch's minute hand was aiming straight down. While Akari initially wasn't eager about the date, he tried to hype himself up for the event to make a good impression before entering.

Currently situated in a popular tavern, the nervous boy held his bag between his arms. Seated across from Akari was the girl Yuuta had shown on his phone: Nanami Teruya.

Despite how crass Naoki was, Akari still couldn't believe the perverse gangster had gotten him on a date with such a beautiful lady. Nanami was wearing a light brown cardigan with two buttons fastened in the front over her white blouse. A striking black necklace with a crescent moon hung around the rim of her neck. When she laughed, the air around her sparkled while she brushed back a loose tuft of hair.

The only difference between the photo and the girl sitting before him was the length of her hair, brushing her shoulders rather than farther beyond. If anything, she was prettier in person.

Her beaming smile would have utterly captivated Akari on this date... if it wasn't for the fact that there were four others with them.

"How did I end up in this predicament...?" He muttered under his breath.

Unbeknownst to Akari, he had found himself on a group date surrounded by other vibrant high school students.

Akari was sandwiched between two boys who were enthusiastically chatting away with the girls. To his left against the wall was a handsome midnight-blue-haired senior a year older than him. On Akari's right was a blonde optimist who emitted a radiant glow.

After the students introduced themselves—with Akari lethargically mumbling his name—they quickly got into an engaging conversation while the furtive gangster sat in silence. Chatter about which school they attended, hobbies, and favorite foods occupied the table.

Akari tugged uncomfortably on his shirt. In the childish clothes his two companions had chosen for him, Akari felt completely underdressed compared to the others in their lavish apparel.

"Yuuta... Naoki... I'm going to get back at you for this..." Akari muttered under his breath with a defeated stare.

"Akari-kun, what about you?" The boy on his right called out, an aura of floating flowers surrounding him.

"E-eh?" Akari finally snapped out of his daze and swiveled his head around. All eager eyes were on him waiting for his reply.

"What school are you from, Inmura-kun?" Nanami rested her chin on her hand while sharing a warm smile.

"I-I'm from Tanken High..." Akari finally answered. He hoped none of them knew of his reputation around there.

"Just like Momo then!" A pink-haired girl beside Nanami excitedly pointed at herself. "Are you a first-year too?"

"It's my second year..." Akari stated with a relieved sigh. Based on her unprejudiced manner towards him, he assumed the first-years hadn't heard of the rumor yet.

"I hope we can get along then, Akari-senpai~" Momo beamed. Akari cracked a sheepish smile. He wasn't too sure if he would be able to survive around someone this cheerful.

"That being said, he does look quite like a freshman," the blonde boy pondered with an intense stare that caused Akari to freeze up. "Doesn't he seem... a bit younger than you'd expect?"

"He is rather cute! Almost like a child!" Momo exclaimed with a beaming smile. Akari uncomfortably laughed. While he did appreciate the compliments, it felt like they were indirectly attacking his juvenilization complex.

"You two... perhaps you could consider Inmura-kun's feelings a bit?" Nanami suggested as she crossed her arms on the table. "I don't think anyone likes being called a kid."

"Nanami-san..." Akari's eyes lit up with gratitude for Nanami's kind consideration.

"Although, he is indeed very cute!" She admitted nonchalantly, causing Akari to sink back into a slump.

"I'm a tough gangster, not cute. I'm a tough gangster, not cute..." Akari repeated the mantra in his mind as the others laughed before their conversation steered toward cute animals. Not having much to contribute, Akari once again fell into silence.

"Having a nice time?" The navy-haired male Shinji noticed Akari's exclusion from the group. Akari turned his head towards him and gave a friendly nod.

"It's actually my first time doing something like this," Akari admitted with an abashed smile.

"Makes sense. You're usually out on the streets, right?" His senior replied with a jovial smirk. "However, I'm not used to seeing you in this sort of childish manner."

Akari partially lost his smile as a sense of unease took hold. Despite Shinji's charming grin, the perceptive gangster could sense the malevolence seeping through the gentleman's statement.

Despite this possibly being their first meeting, Akari couldn't shake the feeling that the teenager beside him, Shinji Akihara, possessed a deeper understanding of Akari's personal life compared to the others.

Giving Shinji a polite nod, Akari tried to inch away from him and turned his attention to the menu.

"Excuse us! We'd like to order now!" Momo called the waitress with her hand high in the air. Momo and Nanami were bundled up together sharing a menu. The two were lost in their own talk about all the delicious options to choose from.

A ponytailed waitress scampered over with an amiable smile. "Sorry for the wait! What can I get you—"

"Y-YOU!" Upon spotting Akari, her expression turned defensive as she shot a finger directed at him. Akari stared back startled by the sudden clash.

"P-paper girl?!" He recognized the light-brown-haired girl he had encountered just a few hours ago. The two students gawked at each other in disbelief with their mouths agape.

"Do you know each other?" Momo's gaze vacillated between the two with an airheaded stare. Neither of them replied as they pondered this coincidental encounter, dumbfounded at the other. The awkward silence was finally broken when Akari's phone vibrated.

"P-pardon me! I'm getting a call from someone!" Akari used the opportunity to squeeze past his seatmate and dash out of the restaurant.

"Inmura-kun?" Nanami called after him.

"What about your order?!" Momo shouted.

♦_______✭❀✭_______♦

Akari let out an exasperated breath as he leaned against the tavern's wall.

"What is this..?" "He pondered the strange events that had befallen him today.

In the middle of participating in a group date Yuuta and Naoki got for him, Akari managed to meet the same student he had collided with just earlier today. He didn't know the odds of being at the same restaurant and being assigned their waitress but it couldn't be common.

It wasn't just the paper girl either. Shinji's particular conversation with Akari stood out rather menacingly. There was more than meets the eye for the handsome teen. Akari would have to be careful around him.

"Ahh, it's nice to get some fresh air, right?" Nanami let out a pleasant sigh as she stood next to Akari. Her sudden appearance caused the young boy to jerk his head up and stumble.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" She brought her hand up to conceal her giggling.

"Nanami-san! Not at all! I just... tripped." Akari attempted to conceal his shock with a sheepish smile. Nanami nodded, clearly not buying the lie.

"Why did you run from the waitress, Inmura-kun?" She inquired with a peering gaze.

"She's someone I accidentally bumped into at school," Akari explained, trying to avoid her stare. "It was a bit of a problem..."

"Is that so?"

"I didn't think I'd run into her again this quickly. Seeing her twice on the same day just caught me off guard." Akari took a deep breath and then let it out, not wanting to dwell on how he had acted so abruptly.

Nanami flashed a gentle smile, understanding where Akari was coming from. She shifted her gaze to the sky, focusing on the feathery clouds.

"You know, it's my first time on a group date. I was worried at first but spending time here, it seems more like a get-together with friends!" Namami grinned at Akari affectionately. "I'm sure she was just as nervous as you are when she saw you."

"Nanami-san... You're so nice." Akari mumbled absentmindedly. Nanami gave Akari a playful smile and took a step closer to him.

"Do you want to try going out with me, Inmura-kun?" She asked, leaning towards him. Akari couldn't tell if she was joking or not and he glanced away shyly.

"I-I would need some time to think about it. I'm not sure how confident I am with romance." Akari confessed as he gazed at the evening sky.

"That is true. You don't seem to be the type of guy who cares about dating." Nanami laughed. She swung around, holding her arms behind her. Akari forced a smile. She was definitely teasing him.

"Nanami-san, Akari-senpai!" Momo popped out from the front door. "Appetizers are here!"

She grasped Nanami's hand and forcefully dragged her back inside. "If you don't hurry, Chiaki-kun's going to eat everything!"

"I just need to wrap up the call," Akari remembered his act as he held up his phone. Momo bobbed her head frantically, focusing more on Nanami.

Returning his gaze to the serene blue sky, the young gangster shook his head with a small smile, realizing that he was actually grateful Naoki had roped him into this mess.

Just as Akari was going to head back inside, the sound of a door clicking caught his attention, accompanied by the approaching footsteps. Glancing over, he noticed the waitress leaving. but instead of the green apron covering her white T-shirt, she had changed into a brown jacket and a dark red skirt.

"You again..." The girl let out a faint sigh.

"The paper girl. Is your shift already over?" Akari wondered about the possibility of excusing herself when she was assigned to their table.

"My stomach didn't feel well so I convinced the manager to let me leave early today." She delicately swept her hand through her hair. A bashful smile escaped Akari's lips while he timidly chuckled. He knew it was probably because of his appearance that she was leaving early.

"Um, I really am sorry I broke your phone." She spotted the phone in Akari's hand and glanced at him remorsefully.

"It's fine, really." Akari gave a quick wave and began to head back inside. "Enjoy the rest of your day, paper girl."

"I'm not 'paper girl!'" She exclaimed, fed up with the stupid nickname.

"What should I call you then?"

She hesitated and glanced shyly into Akari's eyes.

"Ayano…" She muttered. "Ayano Suzumiya."