You can always use duct tape

Mai walked into the room, her eyes fixed on Ryota. She leaned against the door, a smug smile on her lips.

The young man looked at her and let out a sigh. He set his book on the table.

"You seem happy," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Why shouldn't I be?" she replied, her tone full of confidence.

"I... um..." Sato started, then stopped, his voice trailing off. "Prez!"

Mai pushed herself off the door and walked over to the table. "What is it, idiot-kun?" 

"I want to apologize."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know I messed up."

Mai stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head.

"You did well."

"What? I..." Sato stared at her in shock, his eyes wide with surprise. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad, idiot-kun?" Mai replied, a playful tone in her voice.

"B-but... I mean..."

"Why would I be mad, idiot-kun?" she repeated, her tone more forceful than before.

"Um... prez, since when did you start calling him idiot-kun?" Ryota asked.

Mai turned her head to look at him, a smirk on her lips.

"Hmm... I don't know," she replied.

"So, you were angry with him, after all?"

Mai shook her head and turned away from him.

"I didn't say that."

"I think you did."

She stared at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. After a few seconds of silence, she let out a sigh.

"Well, I was, but now I'm not."

"And why's that?"

"Because... um... because..."

"Because?"

"Because... you..."

Mai's voice trailed off, and she glanced away from him, a faint flush of pink on her cheeks.

"What's with that reaction?" Sato muttered, a puzzled look on his face. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

Mai ignored him, her gaze focused on the table. She stood still, her cheeks still flushed with pink.

"We still have the duct tape in the closet," she muttered. "If you want to try it again."

"Ok, ok," Sato said. "I get it. I'll be quiet."

"I want to see it happen."

Mai looked at him, a playful smile on her lips. Sato stared at her in silence for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Sure. If that's what you want, prez."

Mai grinned at him.

"Okay."

She turned around and walked over to the closet, a hint of excitement in her steps. When she reached the closet, she glanced over her shoulder.

"Hatsumi-chan said she's going to visit this afternoon," she said, looking at Ryota. "She wants some advice."

"Advice?"

"Yeah. She says she has a problem." Her smile widened, her eyes filled with joy. "She wants to know how you would handle it."

"Oh... um... sure... I guess..." Ryota muttered, an uneasy expression on his face.

Mai opened the door to the closet and pulled out a roll of duct tape.

Sato's face went pale.

"Mai-san, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I've changed my mind," Mai replied, shaking her head.

"No way. No way," Sato mumbled, his voice trembling with fear.

"It won't hurt, idiot-kun," Mai replied, a grin on her lips.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

****

Later that day, Hatsumi walked into the room. She sat down in a chair and glanced around, a shy smile on her face.

"So, Maeda-san, what brings you here today?" Ryota asked.

Hatsumi blushed a bit but did not lose her cool. She took a deep breath and started talking, her voice soft and hesitant.

"Well, um... I've been talking to Jun-kun," she said, glancing at Ryota. "You know, the one who sent me the secret love letters. We've been chatting a lot lately, and... and we even went on a few dates."

"Dates?" Ryota glanced at Mai and Sato, who were listening carefully.

"That's right," Hatsumi continued, a shy smile on her face. "It's been really nice getting to know him better. He's sweet and thoughtful, just like the letters were."

Mai interrupted, "Hold on a second. It's only been five days since we found the sender's identity, and you've already been on multiple dates?"

"Yes, I know it might seem fast, but we hit it off, and I can't help but feel a connection with him."

Sato chuckled, "Well, you sure don't waste any time, do you, Hatsumi?"

Mai leaned back in her chair, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So, what's the problem? It sounds like everything is going well between you two."

"Well, you see... Jun-kun and I have been thinking about moving forward in our relationship."

"The next step?"

"Does that mean..."

"Hold on," Sato said. "You mean, like, kissing and stuff?"

Hatsumi blushed even more, feeling a bit flustered by their reactions. "No, no, that's not what I meant!" she exclaimed, waving her hands back and forth as if to dismiss the idea. "I just... I want to hold hands with him on our next date."

"Hold hands? That's all?" Mai replied. "No need to get all flustered."

"Well, yeah, I mean, it's still a pretty big step for us.”

"For someone who had multiple dates in 5 days, you seem pretty shy," Mai said.

"I... I don't know how to approach the topic or ask him."

"If that's the case, why don't you try a simple question?"

"A simple question?"

"Why don't you start by finding a comfortable moment during your next date?" Mai replied, grinning widely. "Look for a time when you both feel at ease and enjoy each other's company. It could be while you're walking or sitting together somewhere cozy."

"Then," Sato interjected with a mischievous grin, "you can casually reach out and hold his hand."

Mai leaned forward, a glint of mischief still in her eyes. "And remember, if he feels uncomfortable, you can always use duct tape," she said, causing Sato to shudder and laugh nervously.

She then looked at Ryota. "You're awfully quiet today. Any thoughts?"

The young man blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden question.

"Me? Oh, um... I think... um... yeah... you need to be confident, you know?"

He fidgeted in his chair, glancing away from them.

"Just be confident," he mumbled. "Be confident. Be confident."

"Okay," Hatsumi said with a giggle.

Ryota wasn't sure if she was laughing at him or just out of relief. He couldn't give her a proper answer since he didn't have any advice to offer. He had no experience in relationships, and the only advice he could give was a simple repeat of what he had already heard.

But that was the same for Mai, he realized. As far as he can remember, she has never dated anyone, and when it comes to these matters, she has always relied on her intuition.

Maybe she had a boyfriend before? Ryota considered the possibility, but quickly dismissed it.

Since elementary school, he had known Mai and had never seen her date anyone. He thought it was strange, but she seemed happy that way, and he had no reason to ask about it.

From a male point of view, Mai was pretty, he admitted to himself. She had a cheerful smile and was easy to get along with. He liked her. And from what he saw, she was quite popular among the male students.

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

Does she have a crush on someone? He thought to himself. Who could it be?

Mai glanced at him, noticing his awkward demeanor, a smile spreading across her face.

"I wonder what he's thinking about," she whispered to Sato.

For her, it was fun watching him grow flustered, and she couldn't help but chuckle every time he glanced at her.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair as she watched Ryota. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she opened the messaging app.

Her fingers lightly tapped the screen as she navigated to her drafts folder. Among the numerous messages, she scrolled down until she found one that seemed fitting. She selected it and pressed the send button without hesitation.

"Date? This Sunday?" the message read.

Seconds after she sent the message, she looked up from her phone to see Ryota's reaction.