After having lunch at the amusement park's restaurant, the two of them headed to the shopping mall.
Their first stop was a women's clothing store.
Takumi Yuuya deliberately asked Yukinoshita Yukino how she usually chose her clothes.
Her reply was simple:"I decide based on the quality of the fabric."
"Quality? Are you shopping for clothes, or buying armor?"
"And how do you choose your clothes?" she shot back.
"Obviously based on my personal taste."
"I don't have any particular preference."
"Then let me pick something out for you. Look, what about this one?"
"You're not even holding anything."
"This is a dress only intelligent people can see," Takumi said with a grin.
Yukino immediately caught his meaning.
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +30]
Takumi chuckled."Alright, alright, I'll be serious this time."
He glanced around the racks and finally chose a dress.
Yukino looked it over, then walked toward the fitting room with it.
"Yukino, if you need help changing, just call out for me," Takumi teased.
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +30]
She turned back and glared at him.
A few minutes later, Yukino stepped out.
She checked her reflection in the mirror, then turned to him.
Takumi gave her a thoughtful look."Not bad. But the hairstyle doesn't quite match. That dress would go best with a side ponytail, tied over one shoulder."
"That suggestion… isn't terrible."
"I should buy one of these for my little maid, too."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +50]
Yukino said nothing, though her glare spoke volumes.
Takumi pretended to consider."Actually, my maid doesn't have Yukino's kind of figure. Better forget it."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +50]
She stared at him coldly.
He only smiled and took her hand."Doesn't matter what kind of figure you have. I like you either way, because you're just too cute."
"Not a single word from you is worth believing."
Yukino turned her head away.
Takumi slipped his arms around her gently.
Her body stiffened instantly.
"Relax, I just wanted a hug. No ulterior motives, promise," he said casually.
A minute later, Yukino spoke."Have you hugged me enough? Can you let go now?"
"Not yet." Takumi clearly had no intention of releasing her.
"You—"
"If you don't want the store clerks to notice, just call me onii-chan once. Let me hear it."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +50]
"…Do you want me to hit you?"
"What? Before I even issue my challenge? You're just afraid of losing to me, so you're weakening me in advance?"
"…Onii-chan. Is that enough?"
"Perfect. That sounded amazing."
Takumi laughed as he let her go.
Takumi bought Yukino the dress, and in return, she picked out some clothes for him.
When he put them on, he spread his arms."Yukino, want to hug me now?"
Yukino ignored him and walked to the counter to pay.
Afterward, they went to a dessert shop.
Yukino only sampled a few items lightly.
Finally, on the first floor, they stopped at the arcade.
The two of them squared off in a series of games.
Three matches. Yukino lost all of them.
"Yukino, you're seriously weak."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +10]
"You're worse than the kid I played against last time."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +10]
"Or maybe I'm just too strong."
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +10]
Even though she lost, Yukino didn't seem too upset—her annoyance level was relatively mild.
At the movie theater, they sat side by side watching a romance film.
The male lead was a delinquent with a childhood friend who liked him. They were close until graduation.
Naturally, the guy didn't get into college. The girl did—into a good university—where she met a kind, attentive senior.
The delinquent saw them together, misunderstood, and started treating her coldly. Heartbroken, she drifted toward the senior.
Eventually, the guy watched as she and the senior became a couple and convinced himself it was fine that way.
But then the story twisted—after college, the senior abandoned her.
Now a single mother, shunned by her family, she turned up on the delinquent's doorstep with her child one rainy night.
Overcome with guilt and pity, he swore to take responsibility. He left behind his delinquent ways, found work, and started raising the child with her.
Takumi watched, his head filling with expletives.
He glanced at Yukino."What do you think of this, Yukino?"
"I feel like hospitalizing the screenwriter." Yukino's small fists clenched tightly.
Takumi looked around.
Some guy in the audience was crying?
Seriously, bro, where exactly was the tearjerker moment here?
"Let's go," Yukino said, turning to him.
"Yeah," Takumi agreed at once.
The movie was nearly over anyway—and the looming sugar-sweet reconciliation was not something he could stomach.
Across from the theater, they ducked into a café.
"Why did the male lead let her go with someone else if he liked her all along?"
"His supposed kindness?"
"That's not kindness. That's cowardice. If he really liked her, he should have changed himself earlier—just like he finally did at the end."
"Exactly. If he'd gotten his act together sooner and chased the senior off, they'd have been together ages ago."
"Never watching a movie like that again. Next time, I'll be the one picking."
"Wow, Yukino already planning our next date?"
Takumi grinned at her.
Yukino blinked, realizing what she had just implied."I—I only meant it's inevitable you'd never pass up a chance to invite me out again."
"Predicting the future, huh? Yukino, are you secretly a fortune-teller?"
"Anyway… is today's date over?"
"If you're not ready to go home yet, we could always check out the love hotel across the street. Just for the experience."
"Want me to walk you back?"
"No need. My maid is still at cram school. I want to see another girl before the night's over." Takumi shook his head.
Yukino's expression frosted instantly."Your time management skills are truly impressive."
"Why, thank you."
"If I put you in the hospital, I bet your maid and all the other girls would come running. Now that would be entertaining."
"If that would make you happy, I can arrange to bring them all to your place to visit."
"…"
"Yukino, why aren't you smiling anymore?" Takumi tilted his head.
[Disgust from Yukinoshita Yukino +50]
She huffed, turning away.
Takumi stood, waved casually, and left the café.
Yukino stared after his retreating back, then quietly raised her cup.
He had annoyed her constantly during their date, yet she couldn't deny something:
She didn't actually dislike spending time with him.
Still, every time he brought up "his little maid," it pricked at her chest.
Aside from that irritation… the date had actually been enjoyable.:::