Evening Group Date

 “You seem to be in a good mood today, Akari,” a blonde-haired boy observed as Akari happily swayed beside him on the plush, red-cushioned booth seat. “Are you that eager to meet everyone today?”

“I’m only here because you said you’d paid for my meal!” Akari hummed contently as he scanned the surroundings of the restaurant.

Akari and his friend, Chiaki, occupied one side of a booth, with a polished wooden table set before them. Behind their soft seats, the booth dividers were made of the same wood, topped with glass to provide glimpses of the restaurant’s atmosphere.

“Maybe it was a mistake to invite you,” Chiaki playfully sighed as he admired the young gangster’s childishness. “You would pick a cherry sundae over any hangout.”

“If the hangout included a sundae, I would come!” Akari beamed, earning a laugh from Chiaki as he nodded in agreement.

“Good evening,” a dark-blue-haired young boy walked up to them as he tried to recognize their faces. “Are you two perhaps from Heartstring Plus?”

“We are!” Chiaki beamed, emanating a vibrant aura, and gestured for the handsome stranger to join them at the booth. “Sit, sit!”

“It’s nice to meet you,” the teenager gave them a friendly smile as he sat across from them. “I’m Shinji Akihara.”

“Hello! I’m Chiaki Tanabe!” The lively boy extended his hand toward the calm Shinji, who accepted it. But upon doing so, Chiaki began to shake Shinji's hand up and down with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“I’m Aki Arimura,” Akari greeted with a childish grin. Shinji’s eyes shifted towards him with a curious expression as he finished shaking hands.

“Your name is Aki?” He inquired, prompting Akari to give a nonchalant nod while tilting his head slightly.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, not at all,” Shinji chuckled, allowing a calm smile to return to his face. “You just seemed familiar, that’s all.”

“Well, his name is similar to your last name!” Chiaki pointed out to add a playful remark

“Sorry to keep you all waiting!” A cheerful voice called out, attracting the attention of the three boys. Glancing to his right, Akari spotted a girl with short pink hair waving at them followed closely by a girl with a purple ponytail.

“Momo, hello!” Akari greeted her as he recognized her from the picture in their group chat. Momo plopped down in the empty space next to Akari as she gave everyone a quick wave.

“It’s nice to meet you all! I’m sure you’ve guessed already but I’m Momo Yuzuki!” She playfully greeted, showcasing her vibrant yellow jacket.

“Nanami Teruya,” the other girl introduced herself as she sat down. Sliding next to Shinji, she placed her purse in her lap and adjusted her light-brown cardigan with a smile. “I’m glad I could make it today!”

“We have almost a full table!” Chiaki’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he observed each participant. “We’re just missing one person…”

“She can’t make it today,” Nanami informed them with a sigh. “Something came up so she’s unfortunately busy.”

“Excuse us!” Momo called out, raising her arm to catch the attention of a waitress. Her focus clearly shifted from the conversation. “Can we get some more menus, please!”

It wasn’t soon before the group had placed their orders and the dishes had arrived on their table. Akari’s eyes lit up as he gazed at his hamburger steak dish, unable to contain his excitement. He couldn't wait to dig in and satisfy his craving. With the first bite, his face beamed with joy as he savored the delightful flavors.

“So good!” He beamed, chewing quickly and swallowing before eagerly moving on to the next bite.

“Aki, maybe you should slow down,” Nanami suggested, wearing a slightly concerned smile. “You might choke if you eat that fast.”

“I don’t have much time though,” Akari confessed between bites. “I have to go soon.”

“Already?!” Momo asked, surprised by how soon he was leaving. “But we’ve barely had a chance to talk!”

“I promised my… sister that I wouldn’t be late tonight,” Akari said as he tried to make up a coverup about Misha. It seemed easier to offer this explanation rather than delve into the details of why he had someone resembling a maid. “Besides, it would be better for all of you. It’ll be a fair 2-on-2 then.”

“It sounds like you’re treating this as a game,” Chiaki laughed at Akari’s choice of words. Akari paused in his eating and leaned in close to Chiaki.

“You would benefit from this anyway. You’re the one who wanted to be here after all,” he whispered, before resuming his meal. Chiaki understood Akari’s meaning and broke into a flowery smile, clapping his hands together.

“Well then, I guess if you have to go, we can’t stop you!” He added cheerfully.

“I am sorry for leaving so soon but maybe next time!” Akari promised, expressing his regret as he finished his dish and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Momo stood up, allowing Akari to wiggle out of the booth.

“I hope you don’t bail that appointment too,” Shinji commented with a sly smile. Akari gave a hesitant nod, feeling a sense of unease at the unusual choice of words from the handsome teenager.

“Have a good night, Aki,” Nanami bid him farewell with a polite wave. Akari returned her gesture with a beaming smile and waved at the group before leaving the restaurant and into the evening sky outdoors.

By the time he had returned home, he saw that Misha was standing by the front doors waiting for him. But instead of her usual suit, Misha was dressed in a tan dress, white blouse, and brown cardigan. Upon spotting her in such attire, Akari immediately understood that this meant they had a new tenant moving in.

Despite being involved in rough tasks and dangerous activities, the Tiger gang maintained surprisingly clean establishments. One of their ventures involved renting a large section of their home as affordable alternative apartments. It may have seemed unconventional, but their boss believed that it was darkest under the lamp. Nobody would suspect a gang’s base to be located near a popular apartment.

“You’re late,” Misha stated as Akari approached her, causing his once cheerful smile to fade as he returned to his composed gangster demeanor.

“What do you mean late? I’m right on time,” Akari retorted, glancing at the time on his phone. Misha handed him a comb and a hair clip, indicating that he should change his appearance back. She then turned around and walked inside, with Akari closely following her.

“On time is late. You’re always supposed to be at least five minutes early, young master,” Misha explained. Akari pouted and clicked his tongue while he snapped his black hair clip into place, securing his hair.

“So what’s the appointment about?” Akari asked as they strolled down the tan hallway illuminated with yellow lights. Misha slid the wooden door open, and they stepped into another hallway where the gang’s bedrooms resided, adorned with wooden floors and a pastel green carpet.

“We’ve recently rented out all of our rooms but we had a new applicant,” Misha began to explain as she led the way. Walking down the hall, paintings and photos adorned the walls in dark wooden frames. “Her mother is a good friend of mine and her daughter was looking for a place to live since her old place is too expensive.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Akari asked, disinterested in the conversation as Misha arrived before his room and paused in front of it

“There’s been a light situation regarding your room because of this matter,” Misha stated before sliding the door open and allowing the young gangster to enter before her.

“What do you mean?” Akari asked as he stepped inside and removed his shoes. As he glanced up, Akari's eyes widened upon seeing a familiar face sitting on a blue couch.

The brown-haired girl paused as her eyes met his. She dropped the bar of chocolate she held in her hand, recognizing the school’s rumored gangster.

“C-class president?!”

“Akari?!”

Akari and Ayano stared at each other in disbelief, the room filled with stunned silence as they tried to comprehend the unexpected situation.

“Starting today, this young miss will be sharing your room with you for the next foreseeable months,” Misha explained calmly. “I hope you two will get along with each other.”