Saturday, noon.
Ayatsuki Ayaka was in her bedroom, getting dressed up. She applied light pink eyeshadow. Having just washed her hair, she used a hairdryer to fluff up her golden locks, letting them drape over her shoulders. She wore a low-cut, off-the-shoulder top, ultra-short denim shorts, fine black fishnet stockings, and Doc Martens.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she spun around, lifted the golden hair by her ear with her right hand, and said with satisfaction, "Perfect. My Hot Girl index is maxed out."
To put it bluntly, this was her first date with a guy, and she was a bit nervous. She needed to dress up to boost her morale. She sent a selfie to a private group chat. "Saeko, Maru, Kaoru, today you'll see how I take Aozawa down."
All three friends sent their congratulations and liked her outfit. In terms of practical experience, she was less experienced than the three of them. But she was very good at dressing up; in terms of clothing, she lived up to the moniker of Hot Girl. Ayatsuki Ayaka believed that this version of herself was a beautiful sight on the streets.
She opened the bedroom door.
Her nerdy older sister, lying on the couch like a salted fish, looked up and said, "Iroha, are you going out?"
"Yes, I'm going on a date." Ayatsuki Ayaka answered her sister's question and strode towards the door.
"Don't get deceived by a bad guy," her sister cautioned, reminding her to stay sharp.
"I won't be like you," Ayatsuki Ayaka shot back. Her words were a dagger to her sister's heart.
In the winter of her third year of junior high, her highly educated sister had been conned out of money, tricked into a physical relationship, and emotionally manipulated by a scumbag. She had caused a scene at home, threatening suicide, and it took a long time for the family to persuade her to recover. Ayatsuki Ayaka was traumatized by her sister's state back then. In her memory, her sister had always been praised as a good child; her behavior that day was like that of someone else entirely.
She was determined never to repeat her sister's mistakes. After reflecting on her sister's life experiences, Ayatsuki Ayaka came to a conclusion: her sister never dated during school, so she had no experience and was easy prey for jerks. As long as her own dating experience was plentiful, she wouldn't get conned by men.
With that goal in mind, she chose to make her "debut" in high school. She changed her past style, blended into the Hot Girl group in her class, and actively befriended "dominators" like Takahashi Saeko and Tama Park, who were known for treating men recklessly. Now, she was the one deceiving guys, not the other way around.
「...」
The agreed meeting time was half-past twelve. Ayatsuki Ayaka arrived twenty minutes early. She knew that if she bought tickets right on time, Aozawa would realize she hadn't actually gotten them from friends in advance.
Upon reaching Arakawa Amusement Park, Ayatsuki Ayaka looked at the slightly old-fashioned gate and buildings, as well as the parents with children and the leisurely elderly.
A slight panic set in.
Today was Saturday, and yet there weren't many young people here; it was mostly kids.
This isn't good... Ayatsuki Ayaka's mouth twitched. She was annoyed with herself for not doing proper research and just choosing the park from an internet search as the date spot. She'd been careless.
But there was little she could do. Her budget for the date was limited, and an affordable amusement park was her first choice. The opportunity to have fun at Arakawa Amusement Park for just 1800 yen was too tempting.
What an awful start, Ayatsuki Ayaka thought, a bitter taste in her mouth. Changing the location now would be inappropriate too.
She had to bite the bullet. She went ahead and bought two adult tickets for a total of 3600 yen, then began to wait at the entrance.
The passing glances made Ayatsuki Ayaka somewhat uncomfortable. As a Hot Girl, she was used to attention, but she felt somewhat inappropriate dressed like this in front of children. Ayatsuki Ayaka could only take out her phone, lean against the wall, and casually look at something to pass the time.
"Hey, look at that beauty over there. Is she waiting for someone?"
"Should we go over and hit on her?"
"Which of us should go first?"
Some men who originally had no interest in Arakawa Amusement Park suddenly became eager to approach her upon seeing Ayatsuki Ayaka near the entrance.
While they were discussing who should approach her, it was already half-past twelve.
"Hey, Kimura, look, she smiled at me!"
"Sorry, she smiled at me."
Passing by, Aozawa overheard the men's conversation. He politely clarified their misunderstanding and then walked towards the smiling Ayatsuki Ayaka. "Sorry," he said, "I didn't expect you to arrive so early."
Ayatsuki Ayaka looked at Aozawa. His attire was different from his school days: a white long-sleeve T-shirt with black casual trousers, and black sports shoes. The overall impression he gave was very refreshing and sunny.
"No, it's okay. I've only been here for two minutes," Ayatsuki Ayaka hurriedly responded, determined not to admit she had arrived twenty minutes early. She shoved the tickets towards Aozawa and, feigning calm, said, "Keep these safe. We'll need to show this ticket if we go on some rides. Let's head to the Ferris wheel first."
"Sure." Aozawa glanced around, noticing even more people who had brought children to play.
He guessed there wouldn't be any thrilling roller coasters, nor would there be any scary haunted houses. Ayatsuki Ayaka is so clumsy! Anyone can tell she's very inexperienced. What kind of normal Hot Girl chooses an amusement park with no thrilling rides for a date? Without a haunted house, how are you supposed to get scared and have an excuse to cling to someone?
"Let's go."
Ayatsuki Ayaka, the master theorist, was well aware that choosing this place exposed her own shortcomings. But she wasn't panicked at all; in the time she had been waiting, she had already prepared her secret weapon! The Hot Girl's killer move for handling an innocent boy was to hold hands. As long as she played that card, ninety-nine percent of innocent boys would overlook all inconsistencies, becoming immersed in the Hot Girl's soft and smooth palms.
Phew. Ayatsuki Ayaka mustered her courage, her left hand open, intending to naturally grasp Aozawa's right hand and take the initiative in the date.
Compared to the mentally active Ayatsuki Ayaka, Aozawa didn't think that much. He simply took her left hand and walked inside.
What?! Ayatsuki Ayaka's pupils dilated. She had never expected that Aozawa, who seemed so straightforward and uncalculating, could hold a girl's hand so naturally. He was like a battle-hardened warrior!
Aozawa, noticing Ayatsuki Ayaka stiffen slightly, asked in confusion, "Isn't it normal for a guy and a girl to hold hands when they're out together?"
"Haha, of course, it's normal." Ayatsuki Ayaka's heart pounded, but she maintained her composure, stubbornly saying, "The first time I went out with a boyfriend, I was the one who took his hand first, hehe." Her wheat-colored cheeks revealed two cute dimples as she laughed. Perhaps it was because of her wheat-colored skin, but her teeth looked exceptionally white and neat, absolutely perfect for a toothpaste commercial.
"Really? This is my first date, so I'm glad I didn't do anything wrong."
"Don't worry, leave it to me. I'm experienced." Ayatsuki Ayaka puffed up her chest, determined to take back control of the date.